C318: A Dragon’s Breeding Circumstances

The Dragon Ball is the mark of a Geyser Dragon.
The dragon that takes it into its body is called the Dragon Emperor and rules over all dragons.

As if to prove the ball’s greatness, Ardheg became one of the strongest dragons at once.

“…He should have been the 20-30th strongest dragon by nature…” says Alexander.

Even he can’t hide his astonishment.

“Hahaha. That’s how terrifying the Dragon Ball is. It’s a priceless treasure that can turn any puny dragon into one of the strongest!” says Al Gor, sneering with contentment.

After defending himself from Veil’s love attacks, Ardheg returns to land and reverts to his human form.

“That was nerve-wracking! Sis Veil knows no mercy!”

Well done.

“Master! Master! What do you think? Wasn’t I awesome? I’m worthy enough to be Junior’s guardian dragon, right?”

Veil also reverts to her human form and rushes over to me.
…
Yep.
She’s insanely strong after the power of love was awakened in her, but…

“Ardheg’s impact was so strong that I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Whaaaat?! Aww…”

Well, she doesn’t need to show off her power since I’ve known her to be pretty strong.

“But maybe this should be enough to convince Bloody Mary now.”

Mary in question also reverts to her human form, meek and quiet, with no traces of her earlier hostility.

“Mary, the law of the dragon is that the strong rules all,” says Alexander.

Spoken like their eldest brother.

“If Ardheg had not saved you, you would’ve been wiped out by Veil’s attack. I suggest you accept the reality and abandon your sinister plans.”
“Yes…”

She sulks as if the thought of it is too horrible to bear.
Her weakness is evident by her pinching on Ardheg’s sleeves.

“Um, Sis Mary? You can let go now…”
“…”

But she shows no signs of letting go.
…
…Why am I sensing some sort of wave from them?

“Argh! This isn’t riotous enough!” says Veil.

Looks like someone here hasn’t had their dose.
Does she still have plenty of energy to spare despite overwhelming the No. 2 dragon earlier?

“I know! Sis Mary has a lot of cronies! I’ll go play with them instead!”

But now, the sky is all blue and clear.
Not even a silhouette of a bird in sight, let alone a dragon.

“…Huh? Where did they go?”
“They all got spooked by you and ran away,” says Alexander. “They were originally hiding behind Mary’s shadow to gain an advantage in the succession race. If they come across an opponent they can’t beat, they will run.”
“Cowards. They’re unworthy of being born to the strongest race. If I had absorbed their power, I wouldn’t have been defeated by Ardheg,” bitterly says Al Gor, the ex-Geyser Dragon.

Er, I think he’s a bit of a coward himself for wanting to take others’ power away just to become stronger…

“Father, what will happen to us now?”
“I don’t know. Dragons would kill each other until there’s one left, who then would create many copies of themselves and kill each other again, and the cycle repeats…”

However, their fate was changed in a flash, mostly through me and Sensei’s meddling.
I kinda feel sorry now.

“Now that that’s been overruled, I have no idea what kind of life awaits us.”
“Maybe nothing will change. Dragons are free creatures by nature, so I’m sure we’ll still live freely after being freed from our fate.”

Not only Veil but also Alexander and Al Gor have lived their lives with abundant freedom.
If freedom is something acquirable through strength, then there is no creature more suited to freedom than dragons, the strongest race.
They’ll probably enjoy their freedom no differently than before.

But if there is one thing that has changed, it’s…

“…”

Gaia, the Creator Goddess, watched this dragon dispute from start to finish.
After finishing her dried squid, she says, “Hey.”

“Yes, what is it, Your Radiance?”
“Doth they not appear wondrous together, thinkest thou?” she says, pointing at Ardheg and Bloody Mary, still pinching his sleeve.

“Not to me, I’m afraid,” I reply.
“Dost thou not sense the undulations of love?”

Being saved from certain death by Ardheg made her swoon, like that?
I wasn’t expecting dragons to have a more old-fashioned way of falling in love.

“From yon first Geyser Dragon I did appoint, sprang all these dragons forth, correct?”
“Yes.”

Not that I was there to witness it, though…

“From hence, he hath cloned himself and did multiply their numbers. In sooth, asexual reproduction.”

That’s why all the dragons that exist today are Al Gor’s children only.

“But now, methinks, a change in breeding’s course, mayhap required for them to thrive with force.”
“…”
“Observing those two dragons hath caused such thoughts within me.”

So… from asexual to sexual reproduction, starting with those two as a couple?

“Surely, the Geyser Dragon will continue to serve as the leader and representative of dragons. I would say letting Ardheg be the first Geyser Dragon to have his very own family will be a nice trend.”

And then he and Bloody Mary are going to create dragon babies?

“But mayhaps ‘tis better to maintain their birth rate low; a surplus of dragons shall wreak havoc upon the ecosystem… And as she shall becometh the Dragon Emperor’s wife, a title of her own she doth deserve.”

The Creator is suddenly psyched up about creating a new setting.

“Dragon Empress… Hmm, what thinkest thee of Queen Dragon? Nay, but dost thou not deem Gwynn Dragon possesseth a more formidable and intimidating tone to it?!”
“I-I don’t know, Your Radiance…”
“All things appear to hold greater strength and aggression when commenced with a voiced sound, dost thou not concur?”

Gwynn Dragon, the Dragon Empress.
Maybe that’s what Mary will be called in the future, but let’s just say it’s a harbinger of a new dragon age.

Thus, Ardheg’s coronation as Geyser Dragon ended with great success.

Alexander went back to his own dungeon, and it seems Ardheg is going to build his own.

Mary thought of accompanying him, but in the end, she also went back to her own dungeon.

Veil, of course, is still with us.

…As for one other dragon…

“Aren’t you going home?”
“Hm?”

It’s Al Gor, the ex-Geyser Dragon.

“Uh, I’m no longer a Geyser Dragon after losing to Ardheg’s group, and I don’t have a dungeon of my own. Frankly, I have nowhere to go.”
“Are you going to live with us then?”
“Very well, since Veil’s already here, I’m just one other dragon… Huh? What’s this?”

A hoe.
Our motto is “Those who don’t work, don’t eat.”

If he wants to live here, he also has to work in the fields.

But exactly three days after I said that…
He disappeared from our farm.