After Karen collapsed, I immediately healed him. The pain left his body, and his expression finally relaxed. But the moment I finished, a sound came from his stomach—grrrr.
I couldn't help but laugh as I looked at Karen sleeping. We had really succeeded in hunting down Samidoride. It still didn't feel real.
When I first saw Samidoride, I was terrified. The difference in size between us was overwhelming. Could we really defeat something like that?
Mr. Dokamir attacked Samidoride, but it didn't even leave a scratch. Instead, with nothing but brute strength, it killed him.
In that moment, I was filled with anger and fear. Samidoride looked down on us for no reason and tried to kill us. It had lived for so long, and that age gave it an absolute confidence. It felt impossible to win, and I was on the verge of giving up.
But then Karen told me to run.
Had he not given up yet?
I realized I was the one who was wrong. Karen wouldn't lose. He would never accept a quest if he didn't believe he could win—because Karen never wants us to die.
Samidoride could have killed us with magic at any time, but instead it stayed in the air, enjoying the thrill of hunting its prey. That gave Karen an opening. He approached Samidoride, drew its attention through sheer shock, and created the chance let me sever its wings.
Still… Karen probably could have won on his own. So why did he let me do that? Was he thinking about how I felt?
I was afraid of being useless—of holding him back.
(Honestly… facing an enemy like that and still thinking about me. How much do you expect me to fall for you? …Not that I mind liking you more and more.)
I gently poked Karen's cheek with my finger. If I hugged him quietly, he wouldn't notice, right? I leaned closer and whispered into his ear.
"Karen."
No response. Looks like I could do whatever I wanted.
Careful not to wake either Karen or Lanivia, I wrapped my arms around him.
As expected, holding Karen was incredibly calming. And the moment I relaxed, my own stomach let out a grrrr. What time was it?
I took out my pocket watch. It was 3:28 p.m. Lunch time had passed ages ago. I didn't know when Karen would wake up, but if I was going to protect him and Lanivia, I needed to eat first.
I let go of Karen, sat beside him, and ate my meal—while thinking about how bad Samidoride was. That bad dragon made Karen talk to it without even looking at me. I hated that.
I knew Karen was being cautious. Samidoride had lost without using a single magic, which was suspicious. Still… what did they talk about while Karen sat on its back? It almost felt like they'd become friends.
(Even though it killed Mr. Dokamir… that bad dragon! But…)
The look on Karen's face when he looked at Mr. Dokamir—sadness, guilt—I saw it clearly. This wasn't just Karen's fault. I was at fault too. I was too weak, too scared to take a step forward.
To make it up to Mr. Dokamir, I swear I'll protect little Lani from now on. I'll treat her like my own little sister and raise her into the cutest, kindest dragon there is.
Lost in thought, I finished my late lunch. Then I moved to Lanivia's spot and let her sleep on my lap. As I looked down at her, another worry crossed my mind.
Will everyone be able to accept her?
People might be afraid of Lanivia. She isn't a cat or a dog—something familiar and domesticated. To most people, dragons are the most dangerous creatures in the world. But she's just a baby. It should be fine… right?
And Karen hasn't said anything about where we'll go next. Will we settle in the capital? If so, we'll need to buy a house. I need talk to him about it later.
I looked at Karen, still sleeping peacefully.
(I wish you'd wake up soon, Karen.)