Everyone took a moment to comment while watching the sleeping blonde woman.
“Is this the daughter of the Dragon Lord?”
“Wow, she’s big…”
“She used to look like a dragon but became human now?”
“Wow, she’s cute. Can I touch her?”
“Nina, you’ll get in trouble if you do that.”
“Just what a hassle you’ve picked up again.”
In the room, everyone who was on the Titanic gathered.
An emergency meeting had been called.
“Atlas… Is this really okay?”
“Of course, it’s okay.”
Lucia looked anxious.
I couldn’t blame her.
Having a dragon… especially one of the Dragon Lord’s bloodline, was essentially a ticking time bomb.
“Oh my… I knew he was crazy, but touching a Gold Dragon? Do you have a backup life stashed away or something?”
“Didn’t you know? That’s why I’m here like this.”
The elves of the forest chimed in since they often interacted with the Dragon Lord.
“Are we sure she’s really the Dragon Lord’s daughter? It could be another Gold Dragon. I’ve heard they can transform into any form using ‘Polymorph.'”
Shaara, who had been quietly observing her, spoke up.
That was a pretty reasonable guess.
Dragons can use Polymorph to change from a male to a human female if they want.
But I wanted to rule out that possibility.
“That would be nice. Transforming into a castle while unconscious is a bit much.”
Polymorph to another race is based on one’s own idea and defines appearance, gender, and traits.
If Gemma, the female Gold Dragon, attempted transformation into a human, she would naturally become female, replacing traits she had as a Gold Dragon with her human form.
If she didn’t just change and could maintain such fine control while unconscious, it meant she thought of herself as a female dragon all the time—a crazy dragon indeed.
And while someone might ask if there was a chance of her being another female Gold Dragon and not the Dragon Lord’s daughter, that possibility was slim.
“There’s no way there’s another young female Gold Dragon this age except for the Dragon Lord’s daughter.”
There exists only one young female Gold Dragon among all the Gold Dragons out there right now.
———————————————
A flash of light was approaching.
A golden lightning illuminated the sky, and a shining flash drew near.
How could this happen?
Is lightning supposed to be cut?
Can humans move around so freely in the air like that?
A scale was being sheared off again.
The fact that scales could be cut off so easily meant limbs could be cut off just as easily, yet they weren’t.
It was impressively precise, the blade touching only the skin without harming it, as if to say it could kill at any moment but was choosing not to.
Fury surged within me, scattering lightning in all directions.
And the one mixed with golden light finally reached in front of me.
“Uwaahhh!!”
-Boom!
Waking from a horrid nightmare, I found myself in an unfamiliar room.
It was a decent room, but compared to my nest, it was nothing.
“I… I was defeated by a human…”
I wished it had just ended as a bad dream, but it was far from it.
My subordinates, who had gone out to raid the airship, had been defeated, and it seemed I had to step in myself and ended up getting caught.
I was unlucky.
Normally, humans would bow their heads and offer worship just by showing my glowing golden form, but that one was different.
Instead, he rushed at me, even angrier.
The image of that human who appeared just before I fainted remains vividly in my mind.
“Ha! To leave me so free… Humans are truly foolish.”
It was a relief that I wasn’t dead or seriously harmed.
It was strange to be in a human form with Polymorph… but to be left in this state without any restraints seemed like they had underestimated me too much.
I had to escape this cramped place quickly.
‘Should I try using magic first?’
I tried to awaken and circulate the mana in my body to cast magic.
But the magic wouldn’t activate as I thought.
“Ugh!! W-What’s happening? The mana won’t move!”
I tried to use magic, but the mana just wouldn’t budge.
It felt like there was a lock on my heart’s circle.
“The magic is pointless. Polymorph will be tough too.”
Frustrated, I stomped my feet while trying to manipulate the mana when the door opened, and someone entered.
“Eek?!”
A scream burst out the moment I saw who it was.
It was the human who messed me up.
Though there weren’t any lightning strikes behind him this time, just seeing his face was terrifying.
I steeled my trembling body.
“Okay… I can’t crumble here..! I am a Gold Dragon!”
Gathering my courage, I carefully observed the human in front of me.
I repeated in my mind that he was not scary, and the human looked remarkably small.
The atmosphere was drastically different from when he had been soaring through the sky with a sparkling flash.
No, he wasn’t just small.
He was actually tiny.
He was at least a head shorter than me in this Polymorphed human form.
‘Was he… this small?’
As I realized that, a strange confidence swelled within me.
The human who knocked me down was this small?
Is this even a human? Maybe he’s a dwarf?
I’d never seen one, but I’d heard of a race that was similar to dwarves but without beards.
Yes, he was definitely a dwarf.
Dwarves were a race that loved peace and enjoyed playing, according to what I read.
So there’s no need to be afraid.
I am a magnificent Gold Dragon, so I must live proudly and fearlessly in any moment.
“What… did you do to my body?!”
“I just took measures to prevent you from rampaging.”
Is the reason my mana isn’t moving because of a dwarf?
It was surprising that it wasn’t some artifact, but rather a matter of technique.
To stop something from functioning, one has to reach a higher level.
To disable the Dragon Heart’s circle… this dwarf was something else.
He might even be the strongest warrior among dwarves!
“What’s your intention in rendering me powerless like this? Ah! You’re planning to sell me into slavery!!
I’ve heard it. Humans are greedy merchants who’d sell anything, even their own kin, putting collars on anyone from other races.
So… you want to collar me and… ‘Hehehe, let’s see how fresh you are?’ while eyeing my body, do you?!”
Uncovering the vile desires of the dwarf shocked even me.
I knew how slaves were treated from watching how human subordinates acted.
That little body of his… was he going to ‘investigate’ or ‘sample’ the magnificent Gold Dragon that I am?
But the dwarf just replied indifferently.
“Who would buy someone like you? Aren’t you overestimating yourself?”
I felt a surge of anger rising in me.
‘Who would buy someone like me? Overestimating myself? How dare you say such nonsense without knowing who I am?!’
Unable to contain the boiling rage, I forgot the reality that I was captured and raised my voice.
“What?! Do you even know who you’re talking to?!”
“And who are you?”
Of course, that dwarf wouldn’t know anything.
Strong but lacking in knowledge.
This rude behavior clearly came from not realizing my worth.
If I clarified just how great I am, he would definitely bow to me.
“I am none other than Gemma Aurum, the only daughter of the Dragon Lord!! Someone like you, a tiny dwarf, could never…”
-Smack!!
“Ow!! Did you just hit me?!”
I got hit.
The dwarf immediately punched me on the head as soon as I finished speaking.
How could that dwarf, who’s shorter than me, even reach my head?
I didn’t know what technique he used, but my head throbbed painfully.
I already had a bump on my head from being knocked out, and now it seemed like I had another one.
Holding my head, I wanted to protest to the dwarf.
-Smack!!
Once again, stars glittered in front of my eyes.
“Twice? Are you serious??”
This was the first time in my life I’d been beaten up like this.
I was usually treated like royalty, and now there was someone treating me like this?
It hurt so much that tears gathered in my eyes.
-Bam!!!
The dwarf’s fist grazed my face and slammed into the wall.
I felt a chill run down my spine from his fist narrowly missing me.
I thought I was bigger, so I shouldn’t be on the receiving end of such angles, but he made it possible.
“Shut up; if you spout more nonsense about size, you’ll get hit again.”
The dwarf’s face loomed closer.
It was as if the smallness I’d perceived earlier was all an illusion, and he emanated a terrifying aura, making him appear massive.
—————————–
-Bam!!
As I roughly closed the door and stepped outside, I felt countless stares piercing into me.
“…”
“…..”
“…..”
“Should we switch our turns now?”
“How fortunate we didn’t go in.”
“We should say we couldn’t enter.”
Seeing the five pillars unified in discussion made me feel bright about the empire’s future.
“Is there a problem?”
“Too many. What the heck did you hit her for…?”
“Anyone would deserve it if you called a stranger short, especially a dwarf. If a double slap was all you did, consider it generous.”
“That’s how it might seem to you…!!”
Perda was drenched in cold sweat, fearing the Dragon Lord’s wrath might fall on him as the owner of the airship after hitting the Dragon Lord’s daughter.
“Everything falls under his responsibility, so we’re not in a position to say anything. Unless… does anyone want to take ‘responsibility’ for the rambunctious princess right now?”
Seeing Shaara impatiently asking who’d take ‘responsibility’ in the back, no one dared speak.
After all, one misstep could lead to significant harm to their clan.
“Anyway, we’ll reach the capital in two days. Let’s pray for nothing unusual to happen before then.”
