Chapter 90

When it comes to dragons, I don’t think a detailed and precise painting would suit them.

A bold and dynamic ink painting would be better.

Thinking this, I first drew the brush and the ink. The ink made with black watercolor paint turned out well and collected in the shell of a nut.

I fetched water from a spring into another shell to make a light ink. I placed the glass-like nut shell skillfully among the crystal formations, and with the preparations complete, I began to draw.

“...Hey, Togo?”

“Yeah, just a moment.”

Drawing a bold and dynamic picture is difficult. You have to clearly decide what you want to draw in your head and then move your arm with force accordingly... Each stroke is large, and there’s no room for corrections. It’s nerve-wracking.

But, I felt that drawing a dragon while being nervous was somehow off, so I decided to draw without thinking.

The dragon’s head looked up at the sky, its horns were strong, and its whiskers stretched out and fluttered.

I wanted to emphasize the momentum of the body’s movement rather than focusing on each scale. I used light ink for the detailed expressions. Midway through, I wanted to wash my brush, so I drank a bit of the nut’s contents. Hmm, sweet and delicious.

I fetched more water into the empty nut shell and washed my brush there, continuing to draw the dragon.

Dragons are creatures that bring rain. When talking about the Dragon God, they are generally associated with rain and water. ...In Japan, dragons are often treated like deities. They are incredibly mystical creatures.

The dragon I draw is in black and white. Well, it’s black and white because it’s an ink painting.

...The dragon’s scales are pure white, the shadows are in light ink, and the horns have a translucent feel.

I continued drawing, boldly and swiftly, but carefully, and the dragon I envisioned took shape on the canvas.

And finally, it was the eyes.

I added the finishing touch, drawing the dragon’s eyes with dark ink.

The painting trembled.

...And the dragon stretched its body.

Then, the dragon emerged from the painting, stretching up as if reaching for the sky, and smoothly flew into the air. Yes, dragons can fly even without wings.

The dragon headed for the hole in the ceiling of the cave, made a turn, and then descended... returning.

It coiled loosely around the crystal island, wrapping itself around the tree as if hugging it. I, who had been drawing at the base of the tree, was also enveloped by the dragon.

The dragon leaned in close, staring at me intently.

Looking into its calm and peaceful eyes, I gently stroked the newborn dragon’s head.

The dragon purred and narrowed its eyes, which made me feel happy, so I continued to stroke it.

...But, I started to feel sleepy while doing this.

No, I can’t. I need to make a request before falling asleep.

“...Um, I want it to rain.”

When I said this to the dragon, it looked at me calmly and intently.

“I want the water from this spring to fall over this entire area. The ley line is blocked...”

The dragon, surely wiser than me, nodded gently as if to say, “I understand,” and skillfully extended its whiskers to stroke my head. ...Ah, no. If I relax, I’ll fall asleep. I’ll fall asleep, but being stroked, I start to relax...

A gentle rain began to fall.

Noticing the sound of the rain, I opened my eyes drowsily and looked around.

Above my head was a tree made of gold and copper that bore crystal fruits. The leaves, like jade or emeralds, were wet from the rain, occasionally dripping water.

Ah, this is the crystal island.

Thinking this, I tried to get up... but couldn’t.

I was puzzled, but I couldn’t move as if I were paralyzed.

While I was struggling with my immobile body, the pipe fox that had been sleeping on my stomach and the phoenix that had been resting its head on my neck woke up.

Hearing their respective chirps, I realized for the first time that a blanket had been placed over me. I also noticed that the crystal beneath me had been skillfully carved into a bed-like shape.

...Did someone cover me with a blanket while I was napping? And carved the crystal into a bed? Hmm...

I have a bad feeling about this...

While I was lying drowsily, a fluffy, white body descended from the tree.

The dragon with pure white scales came to the base of the tree, beside me, and looked at my face in surprise.

Then, the dragon looked up at the fruit on the tree branch above my head. ...The fruit then gently detached from the branch, floated down slowly, and nestled into the phoenix’s feathers.

The phoenix rolled the fallen fruit and placed it among the crystal formations, then pecked at the fruit to make a hole.

The fruit, now with a hole, floated up again. ...Is this the dragon’s power? Psychokinesis? No, since the dragon uses it, it should be called supernatural power.

“Um, you...”

Just as I was about to speak to the dragon, my body moved on its own. It felt like I was on a reclining bed, and my upper body rose on its own. ...A new sensation.

When my upper body was raised to about a 45-degree angle, a slightly larger pipe fox slipped under my waist to act as a cushion. The moment it did, the force that was moving my body disappeared, and I couldn’t move again.

The slightly larger pipe fox was sturdy enough to support me leaning on it. I didn’t have to worry about crushing it, so I entrusted my weight to the pipe fox with peace of mind.

“...Is this you doing it?”

When I asked, the dragon slowly blinked, as if saying, “Yes.”

Thinking, “Well, it’s a dragon, so it can do this,” the fruit that had floated up earlier came back and was gently placed at my mouth.

The fruit then tilted slightly, pouring sweet juice into my mouth. Understanding that I was supposed to drink it, I obediently swallowed.

The juice from the fruit was delicious. It was sweet and tangy, rich and smooth, with a refreshing aftertaste... and it gave me energy.

After drinking one fruit, I could move my fingertips.

I was puzzled, and the dragon plucked a second fruit from the tree (of course, using supernatural power).

The phoenix then made a hole in it, and the dragon brought it to my mouth, and I drank the contents...

“...Um, my stomach is starting to feel full.”

In the end, I drank about ten. My stomach felt full, as if I had drunk a lot of mysterious tea at the teacher’s house.

However, the effect of the energy-giving fruit was excellent, and I could manage to sit up on my own. ...I still didn’t have much strength in my body, but I could sit up without using the pipe fox as a cushion, and I could move by crawling.

Feeling it would be rude to be treated like an elderly person for too long, I decided to drink the contents of the fruits on my own from then on.

I decided to lean against the tree trunk and sit. The phoenix nestled beside me, and the dragon was on the other side. The pipe fox had returned to its original size and was comfortably on my lap. It was warm.

“...Phoenix, I know it’s a bit of a trouble, but could you tell Laocles that I’m awake?”

I asked the phoenix, and it chirped, rubbed against my cheek, and then flew away.

...After the phoenix flew away, it returned after a while.

And after the phoenix returned, a little while later, Laocles arrived on an alicorn.

“Togo!”

“Laocles. Good morning.”

When I waved my hand slightly, Laocles looked relieved and then, as if making a decision, flew toward the small island.

The alicorn landed, and the dragon stared at it intently. It also stared at Laocles.

Under the dragon’s gaze, Laocles stood still, a bit tense, but then the dragon nodded and suddenly lowered its head, closing its eyes as if to sleep.

Seeing this, Laocles looked relieved and approached me again.

“...How are you feeling?”

“Well, I still don’t have much strength in my body, but I’ve recovered quite a bit from before.”

“I see.”

Laocles held out a finger in front of me.

“Try to grip it. With all your strength.”

...Well, I don’t think I could break Laocles’s finger even if I tried my hardest, so I gripped it with all my might. ...But, as expected, I couldn’t put as much strength into it as I thought, and Laocles looked at me with an indescribable expression.

“I see. You’re still quite weak.”

“Yeah, it feels kind of mushy.”

Laocles sighed, saying, “I see,” and I asked the question I needed to.

“How long have I been sleeping?”

When I asked, Laocles looked at me with an indescribable expression and said,

“A month.”

...Oh no!

“...I broke my longest record.”

“Yeah.”

“Um, I’m sorry. That...”

Not knowing what to say, I searched for words, and Laocles gave me a wry smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already accepted that you’re this kind of being.”

...I’ve been accepted. Yes, I feel really bad.

“Well... You were asleep for a long time, but it wasn’t all bad.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. The ley line in the Redgard territory has been restored.”

“Really?”

“Yes. ...Didn’t you hear that from the dragon?”

I haven’t.

...When I looked at the dragon, it opened one eye, looked at me, and then purred and closed its eyes again. ...Damn, what a stubborn one. Well, it’s like a dragon, but...

“The dragon turned the spring water into rain. The rain covered the Redgard territory perfectly, and the land began to be nourished from where the rain fell. Currently, the land in the Redgard territory is saturated with magic, but eventually, the excess magic will form a ley line, and this place will become the source. ...According to the fairies and angels.”

I see. ...Then, that’s good.

At least, the fairies, horses, and birds living around here won’t die from a lack of magic. And probably, the fey won’t have any problems either. Yes, that’s good. Really.

Thank you, I said to the dragon, and it purred and looked pleased. Hmm, a bit mischievous. It’s a bit like a giant Komatsugumi. It’s less cute than that, but more beautiful and majestic.

...Seeing my reaction, Laocles suddenly smiled and said,

“...It was a magnificent sight. The dragon making it rain was like a painting. The rain fell while the sun was shining... Cloa said it looked like ‘gold and silver threads were falling.’ The rain on the ground made the light shimmer...”

“I wanted to see that!”

When I said this from the bottom of my heart, Laocles laughed as if he was enjoying it.

“If you have a complaint, take it up with your sleeping self.”

This is definitely on purpose! A bit mean! He usually wouldn’t talk about the scenery like this! But, I was the one who was sleeping, so I can’t complain... I really wanted to see it...

“Well, the dragon will probably make it rain regularly, so you can see it then.”

“...Yeah.”

When I told the dragon to wake me up then, it turned away. ...Ah, this means I have to wake up on my own, and no one will wake me up...

From that day on, I focused on rehabilitation.

It’s understandable that my legs don’t move, but if my fingertips don’t move satisfactorily, I can’t draw. I don’t like not being able to draw, so I put a lot of effort into rehabilitation.

...During this time, I couldn’t go home. The phoenix wouldn’t take me off the island.

The dragon, of course, wouldn’t carry me, and I couldn’t cross the water on the pipe fox, and most importantly, I didn’t feel like swimming in cold water with my limbs not moving properly, so I was effectively confined to the crystal island.

...Well, I did make various requests. Especially, the bathroom.

I argued that I didn’t want to relieve myself on the crystal island, and the dragon looked exasperated and lightly tapped my stomach with its tail. ...Then, something disappeared.

...Yeah. What I wanted to release just vanished. Suddenly. That’s how it felt. I wonder where it went.

Well... I think this is something I shouldn’t think too deeply about. Yeah.

Since even the bathroom was like this, of course, meals were the same.

Every day, Rian brought a basket of food, and I ate it.

The drinks were spring water or fruit juice. ...I felt it wasn’t good to consume the magic that should be returned to the Redgard territory by eating the fruits, but the dragon plucked one fruit per meal, and the phoenix cracked the shell, so I drank it, feeling guilty. It was very delicious, so I was happy, though.

...About seven days after I woke up.

Finally, the dragon and the phoenix gave me permission, so I decided to go home.

When I returned to my house, the horses immediately gathered around me. Hmm, I can’t move. But it’s warm.

“Oh, Togo! Welcome back!”

“Cloa. I’m back.”

While I was surrounded by horses, Cloa, who was nearby, waved at me with a smile. I waved back.

“Really, I was so worried! You were out of magic for a whole month!”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”

I think drawing the tree and then the dragon wasn’t a good idea. Yeah. But, it’s good that the Redgard territory was nourished while I was sleeping.

“But, you are a forest spirit, after all. I guess this is just part of who you are.”

“Yeah...”

I still have some attachment to being human, but I’m gradually becoming less human. Hmm.

“Anyway, go say hello to Fey. He’s been busy, but I think he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Huh? Fey is busy?”

Probably because the ley line increased, right?

...Thinking this, Cloa continued with a mischievous smile.

“Yes. Apparently, a second dragon appeared in the Redgard territory, causing quite a stir.”

So, that’s it. The dragon left the forest to make it rain! And it was spotted... causing a stir.

What should I do? I feel bad for Fey. He’s already so busy...

“Oh, it’s okay, Togo.”

But, Cloa laughed and continued.

“The royal family caused the stir and made things difficult for themselves.”