* * *

[If you don’t believe me, would you care to make a bet? I’ll bet that you’ll accept him. You bet that you won’t.]

In that moment, a trivial folktale from a book Hawthorn had given me suddenly came to mind.

Dragons love to gamble.

Bets with mortals provide them with small amusements in their endless lives.

But this is where it gets crucial. It is said that dragons dream of fragments of the future.

In other words, a dragon never makes a bet it knows it will lose.

A dragon’s wager is a form of entertainment that mocks the mortals who refuse their fate, unable to foresee even a single step ahead.

“Don’t be ridiculous! That will never happen!”

When I fiercely protested, Ryuudene chuckled like a child.

[If you’re confident, then take the bet. Why not stake your chances on something you’re sure to win? Whatever you desire, if it’s within my power, I’ll grant it. You won’t get many chances to extract something from a dragon.]

“I don’t need it! And don’t ever come into my dreams again!”

Ryuudene laughed so hard that his mouth seemed to stretch wide, clearly amused by my vehement reaction.

[No. The currents around you are peculiar. I feel they might be of some use to me. I might even be able to step out of my shrine for the first time in ages. I can’t let such an opportunity slip by, can I? I promise to reward you generously.]

At that moment, Ryuudene began to circle around me.

Then suddenly, with a ‘bang’, the once completely white surroundings turned pitch black, and a strange voice echoed in my head.

It was a chilling sensation, different from hearing a sound as my eardrums vibrated.

[I believe I might need your help, so let me share something interesting. My last wager with a human was….]

And just like that, I woke up from the dream.

Ryuudene’s eerie voice still lingered vividly in my mind.

‘Damn it, what a disturbing feeling.’

[It was the prophecy that Hildea would become the sovereign.]

But could that even be called a voice?

I had a lot of questions, but knowing what I did from the book, I couldn’t just ignore it.

Hildea was an ordinary herbalist, falsely accused of being a witch by outsiders.

After denying her fate three times, she eventually ascended to the throne.

Knowing how that story ended, there was no way I could brush off what the ancient dragon had said.

When I shot up from bed, still before dawn, I noticed something white wriggling next to my pillow.

One was probably a squirrel that had snuck in, and the other….

As I stared blankly at the side of the pillow, I was startled and quickly turned on the light.

There, slightly larger than the palm of an adult, was a lizard looking up at me.

……?

A lizard?

As I rubbed my eyes, the shape of the lizard became clearer.

[It’s me.]

“Excuse me?”

[I said it’s me.]

What is this?

The voice sounded familiar, and when I looked to see where it was coming from, I realized the lizard next to my pillow was talking.

Its tail was plump, and its neck stretched out, shimmering subtly with silver—remarkably beautiful for a lizard.

No way? I really hope it’s not, I thought, hoping against hope as I asked. But my ominous premonition never fails.

“Lord Ryuudene?”

The lizard responded with a very dignified expression.

[Yes, it’s me.]

This is crazy. Why are you here? I tore at my hair in disbelief.

When I glared at the lizard in frustration, the petite Ryuudene flapped his small wings and scolded me.

[How dare you look at your elder like that! Get outside, now!]

But elder or not, you look like nothing more than a baby lizard right now. Grumbling inwardly, I set my feet on the floor.

The squirrel, which had also been woken up, started circling around Ryuudene with its plump, bouncy body.

[Hey, what’s with this creature!?]

Ryuudene tried to shoo away the squirrel by flicking his tail, but the squirrel, letting out a squeaky, disgruntled cry, climbed onto my shoulder instead.

“What is this….”

[I told you to get outside, now!]

Bewildered by Ryuudene’s sudden command, I stepped outside. The ancient dragon floated along behind me as I moved through the hallway.

“Where do you expect me to go at this hour?”

I asked, frowning in confusion, but Ryuudene answered with an air of confidence.

[Just step outside the front gate. You don’t need to go far, just hurry!]

Still puzzled, I did as I was told, not wanting to provoke the dragon and incur his wrath.

So, I headed outside, past the grand hall and across the garden.

Just as I was about to exit, Hernan came running over, grabbing my wrist.

“What on earth are you thinking? You’re out here without proper clothing in this cold weather.”

Hernan, looking at me like I was a seriously ill patient, draped his own cloak over my shoulders.

“As you can see, it’s still a blizzard out there. If you step outside the garden, you’ll catch your death in this weather.”

But what about you? You’re only in your indoor clothes, yet you’re giving me your cloak.

As I glanced up at him with a “who’s worrying about whom?” expression, Ryuudene suddenly popped out from behind me.

[You fool! Do you think I wouldn’t consider such things? Step aside and stop interfering!]

Hernan flinched, startled by the dragon’s voice, then asked in disbelief.

“Ancestor…?”

By appearance alone, it was unmistakably the same ancient dragon that had been confined to the back courtyard.

But even someone who had known the dragon all their life would be shocked to see it suddenly turn into a petite-sized creature floating around.

[Yes, it’s me.]

“What on earth is going on here?”

When Hernan asked the question I had been dying to ask, Ryuudene glanced up at me and responded with pride.

[I figured I might be able to use this kid’s unique energy, so I mimicked it. I have something to check, so quickly, step outside!]

With that, the lizard, slightly larger than a fist, roughly pushed me out the main gate.

Stumbling, I found myself outside, where the harsh wind bit at my skin, though I quickly stopped feeling the cold that had seemed like it would freeze me to the bone.

[Haha, finally! Finally!]

While I was lost in the strange sensation of not feeling the cold, even as snow piled up on my head, Ryuudene circled around me, cheering.

The way Ryuudene was flying around wildly, he looked more like an innocent child than an ancient being who had lived for millennia.

[Hurry, go further!]

I kept grumbling to myself, but I did as the dragon ordered, moving further out.

Hernan, worried that I might try to escape, followed closely behind.

“How far are you planning to take me?”

Unlike Hernan, who looked very displeased, the squirrel seemed to enjoy the deep snow, quickly scurrying between the nearby trees and the shaded areas covered in snow before hopping onto Hernan’s shoulder.

[You’re not going far, so why all the fuss?]

The mini-dragon Ryuudene, looking overly excited, rolled around in the snow with such a small body that it was hard to tell who was the ancient dragon and who was the squirrel.

“What is this…?”

Hernan muttered in disbelief, and I shrugged my shoulders in response.

“I have no idea what’s going on, either, but could you take him away?”

I said it like someone complaining about a neighbor’s dog playing in their yard, and the dragon, overhearing, bellowed angrily.

[You insolent fools! Imagine being trapped in a tiny shrine for thousands of years!]

Then, he buried himself in the snow again, only to soar high into the sky once more.

It’s not cold, but since I’m up and awake, I’d like to start on some work.

Perhaps reading the dissatisfaction on my face, Hernan spoke first.

“Although it wasn’t intentional, how about taking care of the morning report or something now that we’re already here?”

That wasn’t a bad idea. If we finish quickly, it meant I wouldn’t have to see the Duke’s lazy face until the afternoon report.

“Alright. Let’s head inside quickly.”

Although the dragon grumbled from behind about why we were going in so soon, no one paid him any mind.

As we retraced our steps into the Duke’s residence, Hernan naturally held the door open for me and asked,

“Considering the time, how about having a meal together first…?”

Before the Duke could finish his sentence, I cut him off sharply.

“I don’t want to.”

“I see…”

Hernan looked noticeably dejected, but it was not enough to change my mind.

After all, work was work, so I would continue to cooperate.

However, considering how I had recently been pushed to the brink, I found even encountering him for work to be unpleasant.

The memory of him blinking his eyes and pouting to gain my sympathy that night was even more repugnant.

* * *