Black Badger

If I hadn’t been told in advance that the Ice Dragon was capable of polymorphing, I would have been genuinely shocked.

I imagined that Rei would have screamed for sure—and stopped there.

I looked at the one approaching calmly.

Not a very young child.

They looked like an adolescent. With an androgynous appearance, it was hard to tell whether they were male or female. Their hair was cut short, sky-blue in color, and their eyes were an almost painfully bright gray.

And they were dressed quite... normally.

Well—if you didn’t take into account the fact that this was Antarctica.

They were wearing something like a middle school uniform from somewhere inside a Core.

Black leather shoes on their feet, the figure slowly approached me and offered a faint smile.

“Seeing you again.”

The tone was so ordinary that it felt strange instead.

I stared at them and asked,

“Are you a dragon?”

“Yes. You’re the ones who woke me, aren’t you?”

“So you used polymorph.”

But why a child?

Was this considered young among dragons?

If what Kairos said was correct, this being had to be at least eight hundred years old. I had never spoken with someone that old before. This was also my first time facing a polymorphed dragon. To begin with, I had thought polymorph was nothing more than a legendary concept.

Even though I had lived quite a long life myself.

In the Empire, it was rare for non-human monsters to speak at all.

Usurpers, or venom-channel beasts, at most.

Even those spoke in the Imperial tongue, not the common language. Which meant this was the first time I had ever encountered a non-human lifeform that spoke the common language fluently.

I couldn’t tell what I was supposed to be offended by, or what I was supposed to be pleased about.

“That’s right.”

The dragon walked toward me as I hesitated.

“It’s one of my preferred appearances. People tend to lower their guard around someone this age.”

If anything, the sky-blue hair and icy eyes were far too conspicuous....

I kept that thought to myself.

A conservative approach would be best.

I spoke with the kind of politeness that even Jason Trevain wouldn’t nitpick.

“I apologize for rudely disturbing your sleep.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was curious about you anyway.”

At the unexpected response, my eyes widened.

The dragon—still impossible to classify as either boy or girl—drew a gentle curve with their lips.

There was no hostility in that smile.

“May I come in?”

“Yes.”

I looked down at the being who stopped in front of me.

“However, there isn’t anywhere suitable to sit here. I didn’t have time to clean up the dining area, but there are chairs there. Would you like to go to the dining room?”

“Sure. I don’t mind standing.”

The dragon in human form looked up at me with silver eyes.

“But you should sit.”

Why are you being this kind?

I was flustered. Even as I guided the dragon—who didn’t even reach my shoulder—to the dining room, I couldn’t hide my confusion.

I’d blasted a loudspeaker to wake them up. It would have been reasonable for them to be annoyed.

But the nameless dragon didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

Before I could apologize for the mess, they stepped inside and sat down in a chair on their own.

Then they leaned toward the chair across from them.

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

“As expected, you’re polite.”

The dragon smiled as if voicing exactly what I had been thinking.

“Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine....”

“I had a good impression of you.”

“Of me?”

“Yes. Even before our eyes met on that island, I thought well of you.”

Since when?

When I failed to hide my confusion, the dragon looked equally puzzled.

“Aren’t you a Swordmaster?”

“Oh—yes.”

So they knew who I was in the Empire.

“And a child of the World Tree.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“In the last world, I knew the names of exactly four Swordmasters. There were very few who didn’t know of you in that world. Isn’t that to be expected?”

“I didn’t realize you took an interest in human affairs.”

When I answered honestly, the dragon smiled softly.

“Ah. At the time, I wasn’t particularly interested. But the names of those who shine like comets tend to reach our ears regardless.”

Blood rushed to my face.

I tried my best not to show my embarrassment and thanked them.

The Ice Dragon accepted it lightly and added,

“I’ve watched amusement park videos from here as well.”

...What?

I stared, mouth open.

What was that supposed to mean?

“Why that expression?”

“I apologize. I wasn’t expecting that answer. I’d only heard sightings from the summit of Everest or Antarctica, so hearing that you’ve watched videos....”

“That’s because I only stand out when I’m in dragon form. When I polymorph into a human, you wouldn’t recognize me, would you? I have a social life too.”

“You do?”

Why?

“I do. You have a social life too, don’t you?”

“Yes, but that’s because I’m human.”

“Unlike the days of the Empire, living in human form here is quite stimulating. And fun.”

Stimulating....

“SNS is remarkably addictive.”

SNS....

“Did you come to ask me to restore your leaf-veins?”

“Yes.”

They hit the core of the matter so suddenly that I straightened up.

I sat up properly and answered succinctly. The dragon seemed favorable toward me, and it didn’t feel like there was any point in hiding it.

When I asked—somewhat shamelessly—if they could help, the adolescent-looking dragon nodded.

“You’re a Swordmaster, so you won’t die. Injecting mana isn’t difficult. However, I don’t want to see the recipient die in the process.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Opening mana channels isn’t easy.”

“I’m aware.”

The seniors should be on their way back safely.

I didn’t know why the radio had suddenly cut out. Maybe something happened while the Ice Dragon was coming here. Either way, all I could do was hope they were safe.

The dragon leaned back in the chair.

“If you’re prepared, then sure. There’s no reason I can’t do it. It’s an absurdly simple task for me.”

“Thank you very much.... I don’t know if there’s anything someone like me can do for you, but if there’s ever a chance to repay you, I will.”

“Of course there is. There are plenty of ways.”

Plenty?

I was flustered yet again.

If it turned out to be something I couldn’t agree to later, that would be a problem.

“I won’t ask for anything you can’t give, so don’t worry. Still—you look anxious. Are you worried about the kids who woke me?”

“That’s part of it.”

“They’re returning safely.”

Why is everything going so smoothly?

Even as I stood there, bewildered, I decided that since things had come to this, I might as well push my luck a little.

There was no reason to stall.

No amount of overthinking would improve the situation.

I placed both hands neatly on my knees and spoke.

“Then... would it be possible to do it now?”

The Ice Dragon in human form stared at me.

“You don’t want to worry them, do you?”

“Yes. Lately, I’ve done nothing but make the people around me worry.”

“Well....”

The dragon replied in a voice that carried no particular emotion.

“You wouldn’t listen even if I tried to stop you.”

They asked where the bedroom was.

I stood up at once and led them there. Their footsteps were surprisingly human as they followed me inside. After seating me on the bed in the center, they stood beside it.

The {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} room was cramped, but it was more than enough space for someone in an adolescent body to stand.

The dragon—who had told me neither their name nor their age—looked at me and smiled faintly.

“You seem more excited about recovering your lost stamina than afraid.”

“That’s my only advantage.” 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

“Well then. Let’s start with a taste.”

They said something cryptic and opened their palm.

When I tilted my head in confusion, they tapped the bed with their other hand, gesturing for me to lie down.

I should listen.

I lay down on my side without hesitation.

And then—I couldn’t breathe.

It hurt.

“Ghk....”

“The fact that you didn’t scream is admirable.”

The dragon’s voice sounded distant.

I couldn’t answer. The pain was horrific. A dull, throbbing agony—like dental nerve treatment—spread through my entire body.

I curled up with my eyes shut and bit down on my lip.

Endure it. If I get through this, my leaf-veins will recover, and my stamina will return as well.

My leaf-veins.

The ones Kyle burned....

“Hilde!”

Someone screamed my name.

“Hilde! Hilde!!”

Running footsteps.

The moment I opened my eyes at the sound, the pain vanished as if it had never existed.

I lifted my head to see Ami, pale as death, the seniors standing rigid in the doorway, and a handler approaching with a cautious expression.

***

“I’m sorry....”

We gathered again in the dining room.

“I didn’t know you were in the middle of treatment.”

“It’s fine. We can just start again.”

“Your lips are torn.”

As I tried to reassure a dejected Ami, Kai muttered bluntly,

“At least drink some water.”

I was about to say I was fine.

But before I could, someone set a glass of water down sharply beside me and walked past. Ricardo. He returned to his seat without sparing me a glance.

Is he angry?

I shrank back instinctively.

Then a young voice drew everyone’s attention. The Ice Dragon—still seated where they had been earlier—broke the silence.

“Now that I look, there are quite a few faces I recognize.”

The dining room filled with a mix of tension and wariness.

The Black Badgers scattered throughout the room widened their eyes.

So did I.

You know people other than me?

“Aren’t you the youngest son and daughter of the famous Aitek family?”

“Gasp.”

Ami’s head, which had been drooping like a withered leaf, snapped up.

“You know us?”

“Of course. You’re well-known figures.”

Ami’s eyes went round.

Even Yun blinked, as if he hadn’t expected that answer.

It wasn’t easy to draw any meaningful reaction from that man.

“Oh—and I’ve left comments on your SNS as well.”

The dragon suddenly looked at me as they spoke.

Ami let out a strange noise and fumbled through her pockets.

Then she remembered where we were and sagged in despair.

“Right! There’s no signal here!”

“You were... more active on SNS than I expected. I remember you only posting one photo on your account.”

“Curiosity got the better of me. I lived as an influencer for a while.”

One unbelievable story followed another.

Even Carl Dow and Ricardo looked genuinely stunned. The only one who didn’t seem particularly surprised was Kairos.

“An influencer? Could I ask your name? I mean—would that be okay?”

“Relax your speech. That overly formal tone doesn’t suit you at all, kid.”

“O-okay. What’s your name?”

The dragon smiled broadly.

Then they raised their right hand and swept it once across their face.

In the next instant, a completely different person stood before us.

Even knowing about Jaeyeon, it was impossible not to be shocked by the transformation.

Though unlike that case, this was simply one of many appearances the dragon had fully customized for themselves.

“Aaaah!”

I was admiring the handsome features when Ami screamed.

“It’s DK—the one-million-subscriber YouTuber who vanished overnight!”

“Oh? You know me.”

“I do! You’re always in my shorts feed.... I even follow you! Then were those magic videos all real magic?!”

Ami clutched her cheeks with both hands like The Scream and freaked out.

“So that was all fake—no, real?! No, fake? Huh?!”

“Haha. Some of it was stage magic.”

“That’s insane....”

Ami muttered, still holding her face.

Now fully in the form of an adult man.

Once boasting over a million subscribers....

The dragon smiled kindly and explained various things to the stunned Ami.

That once you reached a certain age, moving between dimensions became fairly easy. That they had even visited a world where 2G phones were commonplace. That their homeland was indeed the Empire, and that it hadn’t even been a hundred years since they crossed over here. That they quit being a YouTuber simply because they felt they’d done enough.

Their age was over three thousand.

Human lives were interesting—but they had no intention of interfering.

“...Still, I can at least provide treatment.”

The dragon looked at me and smiled faintly.

“Reviving the leaf-veins of a golden-eyed Swordmaster isn’t exactly non-interference. But my involvement ends there. It’s not right to meddle in the affairs of beings who barely live two or three centuries.”

“Thank you for making this decision.”

“No need. As I said before, just a small repayment will do.”

“Repayment?”

Yun, who had remained silent until now, spoke abruptly.

“What exactly is it?”

The dragon—now once again in the form of an adolescent—smiled long and slow.