Chapter 5

As the sun began to set, I let Nectar rest in the carriage. He seemed reluctant to enter the carriage, as if he was being forced to, but the moment he lay down, he fell into a deep sleep as if a switch had been flipped.

It was no wonder. I had only slightly increased the magical density in this area to keep him from collapsing, but he could have easily fallen into a coma and died at any moment.

Though I haven't interacted with humans for a long time, I believe my observational skills have improved greatly over my long life as a dragon. The excessive restraints, his emaciated limbs, sunken cheeks, and the deep fatigue on his face, along with the weakened state of his nearly depleted magical core, clearly indicated the kind of treatment he had received.

After confirming that his consciousness was completely at rest, I cast reinforcement, protection, and soundproofing spells on the dilapidated carriage. I had already dealt with most of the magical beasts and monsters that might be drawn to this place with its strong dragon aura, but humans would come. At the very least, people from his country would come to confirm his life or death, and when that time came, it would be my turn to act. I didn't want to deprive him of his precious recovery time when I would have to deal with the aftermath of their arrival.

Even as complete darkness fell, it didn't matter to me. I continued to adjust the ley lines while using my spare thoughts to consider the future.

Humans are more fragile and delicate than dragons. They need houses to shield them from rain and the elements, and they need balanced meals to stay healthy. Their clothing is inadequate for protection, and I had to think about how to obtain these things as a dragon. I wouldn't lack money since I had items that could be exchanged for it, but I couldn't ask him to get them for me. He would be killed if he returned to his country, and it was obvious what would happen if he ventured into human settlements. I had picked him up, so I would take care of him until the end, even if it was a bit like being forced to do so. I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.

"Maybe I could ask Riglira for a favor in exchange for a fight, but I'd rather make that a last resort... Wait, what?"

There was an extremely weak interference with the ley lines. It seemed to be used for exploration through the flow of magic. It appeared that someone was peering into this area. I didn't want to be watched by an unknown entity, so I quickly cut off the magical interference around myself and the carriage, and without being noticed, I initiated a reverse probe to investigate the caster. As expected, it was a human.

I was oddly impressed that such technology existed, and I tentatively invaded their consciousness to explore their purpose. Compared to investigating the ley lines, delving into a human's consciousness was easy. Human rights? What are those? I'm a dragon.

It seemed they were looking for Nectar, but they didn't want to kill him. The anxiety and frustration in this person's mind were clear. Without needing to read their thoughts, I could interpret their intent as:

"Stupid! Where are you? Don't tell me you're dead...!"

It was clear they were worried about him.

Continuing to explore the ley lines could result in being consumed by magic and becoming a vegetable, but this person had been searching the forest with magic, repeating anger and anxiety.

From what I could gather from their consciousness, they seemed to be close to Nectar. If he died, they might be willing to help, and it wouldn't hurt to let them know he was alive. Since I could communicate telepathically, the language difference didn't matter. With that in mind, I synchronized my consciousness with the spell I had cast and spoke to them.

"Nectar is alive. Come to the dragon's lair in the morning."

Then, the connection was cut. Well, I had delivered the message, so that was fine. Thinking that, I returned to my work of counting stars and repairing the ley lines.

When Nectar didn't wake up even after the night had passed, I became anxious and had completely forgotten about it.

* * * * * * * * * *

I had expected it would take some time for Nectar to recover his lost magic, but he slept so deeply that I sometimes checked to make sure he was still alive.

On the first night, I counted 435,962 stars until the sun rose, and while I was waiting for the spirits to bring me edible fruits and nuts from the surrounding forest, another night fell. I debated whether to wake Nectar forcefully and counted 372,361 stars before he finally woke up, and I was greatly relieved.

"I'll be using the carriage for a while. It's fine; I'm used to camping."

When I asked him what he planned to do, Nectar casually replied and started living in the carriage.

I thought I would at least make a simple shelter from fallen trees and rocks, but when I tried to use my magic, he stopped me with a pale face, so I gave up.

It seemed the amount of magic I had tried to use was too much.

"You looked like you were going to clear the entire area," he said later, when our communication had improved.

Indeed, I had been putting in extra effort, and I had thought it might be a bit much after the fact. I had imagined a log cabin, but it would have turned into a mansion. In the end, since he said it wasn't necessary, I used the magic to level the area, making it as flat as a highway. Sorry, earth spirits.

He was delighted when he saw the pile of fruits I had collected while he was sleeping.

"I'll cook!"

Nectar brought out various items from the carriage, including hard bread, fruits, bedding, and simple clothing, all of which seemed to be necessary for camping.

"Why do you have a pot in the escort carriage?"

"A friend prepared it. It's for escape."

On the first day, he started cooking with the pot and ingredients that seemed to come out of a fourth-dimensional pocket, and when I asked him about it, he answered with a slightly guilty expression. However, he quickly became engrossed in his cooking.

It seemed he didn't have knives or flint, but he didn't need them. He used wind to cut the ingredients, moved the earth to build a stove, filled the pot with water, and made a fire by snapping his fingers.

It was a perfect display of magical control.

Humans have less innate magic, so they make up for it with skill, but the way he controlled the magic with minimal waste was like art. I would have turned the ingredients to dust, so I admired him even more.

...I had once tried hard to cook something because I wanted to eat it, but it was possible to survive on the magic that leaked while adjusting the ley lines.

I can control fire perfectly since it's my element, but it seems I have more to learn from him beyond just language.

The pot emitted a delicious aroma. I was drooling.

I must have looked hungry. He ladled the soup into a bowl he had made by whittling wood and gave me the pot, which was still more than half full. For me, who was as big as a three-story apartment, it was almost just a taste, but...

It was incredibly delicious!!

After I praised the food, he started making meals for me to taste. Nectar is a really good guy.

* * * * * * * * * *

Thus, our strange cohabitation began, but despite his delicate appearance, Nectar turned out to be surprisingly tough.

I had told him he could do as he pleased except for our morning and evening conversations, but sometimes he would go into the forest and return in the evening with animals or magical beasts, which he would quickly butcher with an ice knife and cook in a pot. I also received some, and it was delicious, cooked with herbs he had gathered from the forest.

He washed his clothes and body frequently in the nearby river (I wasn't peeking, I swear) and, despite living in the forest, he was clean and seemed to be thriving, which made me quite impressed after a week of living together. However, there were still a few things that troubled me.

"You seem quite accustomed to it, but a mage needs a variety of skills, don't they?"

"I have military experience. I had to procure my own food. Basic."

Apparently, in Nectar's country—was it Barrow or Bakayaro?—mages are usually managed by the military, and they must serve in the military at least once.

For a minimum of 10 years.

Even though high-magic individuals usually live longer than ordinary people, 10 years is a long time. Nectar had completed his 10 years and was working at the royal research institute, as he explained during his introduction after waking up.

"Still, there are things I can't do. I'd want a wife just for the taste of this cooking."

At that, Nectar's eyes sparkled, and I realized I had made a mistake. As expected, he put his hand to his chin in thought, and as he muttered a spell, magic began to gather in his palm.

"I'm not a woman, but to fulfill your wish, I have to get rid of the man."

"Wait, what are you trying to do with your hands?! What's that ice knife?! What are you doing?! It was just a joke, I don't have a gender, so 'Nectar, stop it'!"

To prevent him from going through with it, I hastily used my command authority, which, as a temporary familiar, had the effect of stopping him in the act of taking off his shoes.

...I didn't deserve to be glared at for stopping his self-mutilation.

This is what has been troubling me recently. Nectar always responds clearly, but sometimes he interprets things in a completely different way, and I have to use my command authority to stop his actions.

At first, I thought he was being cautious or afraid.

I am aware that I am very frightening to humans, and I thought he might think that if he upset me, he would be killed. Considering the curses that had been placed on him by his country and the familiar contract, I hadn't wanted to use my command authority. It wasn't necessary.

I tried to avoid using a commanding tone, but after about two days, something happened.

I have always admired bright colors, and while looking at Nectar's hair, which had regained some of its luster, I casually complimented it.

"Your hair is beautiful. I wish my scales were as bright as yours."

At first, Nectar looked surprised, but then he nodded as if he understood and asked, gripping his short hair:

"Rawa, how much hair do you need?"

He smiled brightly.

I immediately realized he had misunderstood, but even after the misunderstanding was cleared up, I had to use my command authority to stop him from shaving his hair off with an ice knife. It was impossible to stop his lightning-fast action without killing him with my dragon strength...

"Rawa's scales are more than my hair. I don't envy them."

"Your hair is beautiful, so don't shave it all off! You should grow it longer!"

After calming down, I learned that he had thought that if he had no hair, I wouldn't envy him. But that wasn't the issue. I wanted to shout that as a mage, he should value his hair, which is a source of magic, but I understood that he wouldn't listen, so I managed to convince him to grow his hair longer by praising its beauty.

At first, I regretted using my command authority, but he didn't seem to mind, and he was quite stubborn, so I decided to use it only when he tried to harm himself.

Nectar still looked unsatisfied after I released him from the restraint.

"But you said you wanted a wife. I belong to Rawa. If I stay, I should