Got a Gallery in the Wild

Although this was only the second time we’d met, I always thought the same thing whenever I saw her.

She was absurdly enormous.

I suppose this was how an ant would feel standing in front of an elephant.

On top of that, her appearance overflowed with charisma, so the pressure she exuded was overwhelming.

Even opening my mouth to speak was difficult, but, in the end, we already knew each other.

“H-hello…”

I raised one hand and greeted her cautiously.

Those sharp golden eyes immediately fixed themselves on me.

I just wished she’d say something.

I could understand the gorilla talking because it was a primate closely related to humans.

But a dragon.

“Peeeeep! Peeeeep!”

Ignoring my reaction, Tyran excitedly ran toward his mother the moment he saw her.

Flapping his little wings, he flew over to her and immediately rubbed himself against her face.

The way he nuzzled his head against her made it obvious that he was incredibly happy.

Well, he was at that age where he absolutely adored his mother.

Tyran’s mother also relaxed her expression the moment she confirmed that her hatchling was safe and sound.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved upward.

Anyone could tell she was smiling.

[Hmm. Even among dragons, she seems to be an exceptionally powerful individual. It would be best not to oppose her.]

That’s obvious.

If she crushed me with a single foreleg, I’d die instantly.

Had she heard Cain’s words?

Tyran’s mother shifted her gaze toward him.

“……”

And completely ignored him.

I suppose that, since he was a statue much smaller than I was, she didn’t even consider him worthy of attention.

Cain didn’t seem to mind either.

Shrugging his shoulders, he commented.

[A long time ago, dragons could also take human form. If you think about it, they were practically another race altogether. But that’s all in the past now.]

“You mean Polymorph?”

[That’s right. I don’t know what happened with the others, but Lady Aris did something about Polymorph. She made sure they could no longer behave as human beings.]

“Why did she do that?”

[Because they were far too powerful. Every individual far surpassed the level of a strategic weapon. It was the most logical course of action.]

The explanation made perfect sense.

All I had to do was imagine a nuclear bomb walking among people while disguised as a human.

‘In that respect, this world is surprisingly realistic.’

In many fantasy stories, dragons wandered around disguised as humans.

But here, that seemed to be impossible.

After all, the difference in power was so overwhelming that even democracy was considered little more than an illusion.

Although they said that the Beastmen Kingdom of Weed had established a democratic system, in reality, it was still far from being a complete one.

‘Anyway…’

I turned my gaze back to the dragon interacting with Tyran.

More precisely, I wasn’t looking at her face, but slightly lower.

Right beneath her long neck, an intense golden light shone brilliantly.

The place where her heart was.

‘So this is a genuine Dragon Heart.’

Normally, the glow I saw never had a defined shape.

It was like a cluster of stardust clinging to something.

Or simply a bright light.

But the Dragon Heart was different.

It looked as though it were formed from countless stars gathered into a single shape.

That meant it contained unimaginable power.

There was a reason it was called a Dragon Heart.

‘So Tyran is leaving now?’

The atmosphere relaxed as Tyran’s mother displayed a gentler attitude.

The animals that had been trembling with fear just moments earlier calmly returned to their shelters.

All except two.

Sloth and the deer.

I had no idea where they got so much courage, but they continued wandering around as if nothing had happened.

The deer, in particular, was even peacefully grazing.

What incredible confidence.

After finishing greeting Tyran, the dragon slowly turned her head toward me.

The moment my eyes met those sharp golden irises, I shuddered.

No matter how much I prepared myself mentally, I still couldn’t get used to it.

Thank goodness she viewed me favorably.

Because otherwise.

— Thank you, human.

“……?”

…I’d already be dead.

Huh?

I was completely bewildered when I heard a voice that didn’t echo through my ears, but directly inside my head.

It was as if someone were speaking inside a cave.

On top of that, it was an incredibly deep voice, making it all the more imposing.

What was going on?

I looked at the others, and they all had reactions similar to mine.

Even Ludwig, who always remained calm, kept glancing around in confusion.

That said everything.

“Ah, she sent you a thought. You don’t have to worry so much. That’s how dragons communicate.”

“…Dragons can talk too?”

“There’s no reason they couldn’t. Dragons are masters of magic. Besides, this isn’t actually speaking, but transmitting thoughts, so there’s no need for an interpreter either. She reads your thoughts and your words directly through that mental transmission.”

“Then why don’t the dragons living outside the Forest of Four Seasons…?”

I stopped halfway through the question.

After thinking about it for a moment, I realized it was a foolish question.

To begin with, dragons themselves were extremely rare creatures.

And no one really knew where they lived.

The dragon Kadir had defeated was an exception, since she had been a mother driven into a rage after losing her hatchling.

‘Besides, it’s not like I’ve researched them very much.’

If I asked in the Gallery, someone would probably answer with something like.

“I’ve heard that’s how it works.”

And above all.

This was the Forest of Four Seasons.

Even a gorilla spoke the human language.

Why wouldn’t a dragon be able to?

It was better to just accept it without overthinking it.

In fact, this could turn into a great opportunity.

Perhaps this dragon could tell me things I didn’t know.

And since I had protected Tyran, she seemed to feel a certain fondness toward me.

“Uh… nice to meet you. I’m Park Jonghyuk… I mean, Grills.”

— Call me Badir.

So she even had a name.

A name worthy of a dragon.

That meant Tyran had a real name.

Even though I had already given him one myself.

The problem was even worse because Tyran already believed his name was Tyran.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Badir became angry when she found out.

— Has my son caused you any trouble?

“Uh… no, not at all. He’s behaved very well. In fact, I’m the one who should apologize for something…”

— It doesn’t matter. It seems this little one likes that name too. And to be honest, as his mother, I should have been the one to give him one. But I kept putting it off over and over while preparing myself to face the threats.

What a sensible dragon.

Not what a sensible dragoness.

Honestly, that even moved me a little.

Our first meeting had been terror itself made real.

I never imagined she would be this kind.

Thanks to that, I was finally able to relax a little.

Even so, I couldn’t let my guard down.

The difference in power between us was literally the difference between heaven and earth, so I had to keep my composure and remain respectful.

— And seeing how chubby my son has become, it’s obvious you’ve been feeding him well. As his mother, that puts my mind at ease.

There was no need to mention that I had practically fed him nothing but sweet potatoes.

Every day during snack time, I’d give him sweet potatoes, and thanks to that, Tyran’s belly had become nice and round.

And not just him.

All the animals had put on weight during the winter.

“Since you entrusted him to me, it was the least I could do.”

Because otherwise, she probably would’ve killed me.

I swallowed those words.

Fortunately, Badir didn’t seem to notice what I was thinking and simply smiled warmly.

— Then I’ll continue leaving him in your care.

“Excuse me?”

Then she dropped a piece of news that hit me like a bolt from the blue.

She was planning to keep leaving Tyran with me?

It wasn’t that I considered him a burden.

I simply didn’t understand.

Perhaps she guessed what I was thinking, because she immediately began to explain.

— A few days ago, I fought to the death against an intruder who invaded my lair. I managed to drive it away, but its poison still remains in my body.

“Then…”

— I’m not going to die. I simply need to rest for a very long time. I woke up earlier than I should have because I was worried about my son, but…

Badir slowly turned her head toward Tyran.

With his round belly after the entire winter, Tyran tilted his head curiously.

— Now I have nothing left to worry about. Once again, thank you.

“How long will you have to rest?”

— Although I managed to neutralize the poison by absorbing its essence, I’ll need to witness at least a hundred sunrises before I recover.

That meant at least one hundred days.

And it could be even longer.

“Peeep…! Peep…!”

Whether he understood the conversation or not, Tyran began climbing up my body.

A moment later, he settled comfortably on top of my head.

He was truly adorable.

Badir smiled at the sight before addressing me again.

— So tell me what you desire. And if you don’t need anything yet, then when I awaken again, I’ll grant whatever you ask.

“What I need is information. Do you know how to leave this forest?”

More than any reward, finding a way to escape was my highest priority.

Compared to that, gold and treasure were worthless.

Besides, Badir must have lived in the Forest of Four Seasons for an incredibly long time.

Perhaps she didn’t know every corner of it, but she would at least know which places were dangerous and which were safe.

— A way to leave…? Then let me ask the questions. The first one.

Badir stared directly at me before asking.

— Are you capable of performing dozens of calculations simultaneously in less than ten seconds?

“Calculations…?”

— I mean the formulas required to cast magic. Can you do that?

“…No.”

Not even StarlightPrincess Selena, whom everyone regarded as a genius on an entirely different level, would be capable of something like that.

If explaining fire through the laws of physics already counted as basic magic…

How was I supposed to perform dozens of calculations at the same time?

It was absurd.

— Second question. What unit of distance do humans use? Explain it using the largest measurement possible.

“Roughly… this would be one meter. And one thousand meters make one kilometer.”

As I spoke, I drew several lines on the ground.

Badir observed them for a few moments before nodding.

— Then tell me. Can you travel several thousand kilometers in a single hour?

“…No.”

— Last question. Can you defeat monsters like me, and many others like me?

“…No.”

— Then you already have your answer. You cannot leave. It would be better to give up.

A dragon had personally confirmed it.

More than despair, I felt disbelief.

Hearing her state it so decisively only made my stubbornness flare up even more.

I remained silent for a moment to organize my thoughts before speaking carefully.

“Then… couldn’t you help me?”

— Just so you know, even I can’t leave this place, despite meeting all three conditions.

“……”

Damn it.

There was nothing else I could say.

No wonder she was still living here.

From a dragon’s point of view, the outside world had to be far more comfortable than this hell.

Then.

Why was she here?

That struck me as strange too.

“Then… how did you end up entering this place?”

— I entered against my will. It was one of the conditions imposed by the invaders.

“…The invaders?”

— That’s right. They gave us a choice live outside as nothing more than wild beasts, or preserve our society.

This was a story from the Mythological Era.

I couldn’t help making an awkward expression.

I couldn’t understand what she was talking about.

— Originally, we lived together with humans. We usually considered it a pastime.

“Most of the heroes who accomplished great deeds during the Age of Dragons were actually dragons enjoying that pastime.”

Cain added that explanation from the side.

Thanks to that, I was finally able to grasp the general picture.

After that, I assumed the dragons had lost the war against the gods.

But.

What happened afterward?

What conditions had those defeated dragons been forced to accept?

‘Before that…’

How old was Badir, exactly?

She was a dragon who remembered the Mythological Era.

And those “invaders” she mentioned.

She was undoubtedly referring to the gods.

Normally, no one would call the gods “invaders.”

I couldn’t understand what she meant by that.

— Many members of my kind live scattered throughout this forest. Do you know of a place where space constantly changes?

“Yes. On the other side of the river.”

— That place marks the boundary between territories. However, because of the nature of this forest, there are creatures even more powerful than we are in the desolate regions.

“You mean places like the desert, the snowy mountains, or the volcanic region?”

— No. All of those are still nature. They are not desolate regions.

Then.

What kind of place counted as a truly desolate region if not even a volcanic area qualified?

Last time, I had seen a place that was completely green, as though it had been contaminated by radiation.

Perhaps she meant that place.

Or maybe the gray region right beside it.

I’d find out once I explored it.

— Hmm it’s time for me to return and conserve my strength.

While I was still thinking, Badir murmured to herself.

That was when.

Flash!

Her entire body began to glow, and little by little, she started shrinking.

That body, larger than any building, gradually shrank until it became smaller than a tree.

Her form also changed dramatically.

She went from being a gigantic four-legged beast to a figure standing upright on two legs.

‘D-Don’t tell me…’

Cain had said that dragons from the Mythological Era could use Polymorph.

I didn’t know whether Badir truly belonged to that era.

But it was obvious that she could transform.

I couldn’t help feeling a little excited.

‘Normally, transformed dragons are always unbelievably handsome men or beautiful women…’

With a certain amount of anticipation, I watched as Badir’s human form appeared.

— Hmm. As I thought, this size is much more efficient.

“……”

— Why are you looking at me like that?

I couldn’t hide my disappointment when I saw that she simply had a human body with a dragon’s head on top of it.

’…Fantasy is still just fantasy.’

Reality was cruel.