REFDL 96

Kaelus raised his eyebrows.

From this point, I had to rely on my own guesses. It seemed the old man before us was a type Kaelus found unfamiliar.

That made sense when I thought about the Firmus Council of Elders. All the elderly power-holders Kaelus knew were venomous snakes. The Council held everything they’d built over the years in their palms and refused to let even a single grain of sand slip away.

However, seeing the Ilba Archipelago’s supreme leader, who looked like the human personification of “life is fleeting”, seemed to give Kaelus a strange feeling.

“Is there something on my face?” the old man asked with a hollow laugh.

Kaelus flinched but immediately returned to his usual cold Duke persona. His attitude was so rigid that not even a needle could pierce through.

“I apologize for my rudeness.”

“It’s fine. My health isn’t great because of my age. Can we get straight to the point without wasting time?”

Kaelus nodded.

“I received and reviewed the request beforehand. I can give you the artifact. However, I want to modify the terms of the deal slightly.”

He sounded more like a merchant than a noble. His speech went beyond directness; he delivered only the core points. Kaelus also seemed a bit surprised, but he responded nonchalantly soon after.

“In what way?”

“The request stated you would pay in gold coins, but I want to receive the payment in goods rather than money.”

“What kind of goods are you talking about?”

Kaelus nodded readily, not minding the change. But his composure lasted only until that moment. The Ilba family’s head demanded my egg.

“…”

I was glad I had prepared myself. I hung onto the hilt of Kaelus’s sword and managed to stop him before dragging him out.

The reaction of the head and the knights made the situation even more insane. The head didn’t waver. He had an expression that suggested he would have just laughed and asked for damages even ​Read on​if Kaelus had drawn his sword and swung it right then. The knights were the same.

Kaelus was probably even more pissed off because of that.

Anyway.

The Ilba family’s head had no intention of withdrawing his demand. He didn’t change his mind even when we offered to pay three times the suggested rental fee. He looked like an old man made of hemp fluttering in the wind, but he gave no room for negotiation regarding the egg.

His will was firm.

‘The Kremlis’s egg. Otherwise, there’s no deal.’

Kaelus rested his chin on both hands on the table, covering his mouth as he muttered ominously.

“Should I just flip everything over…?”

Kya?!

“I’m joking.”

You weren’t!

I sighed. It wasn’t like I wasn’t frustrated either. Why on earth would the Ilba family suddenly demand my egg?

Wait. Is it not completely sudden?

Explaining the Kremlis’s uniqueness now would only make my mouth ache.

[…What if you tell them I’ll lay it, take the artifact first, and then we head back to the Empire?]

“…They wouldn’t accept that.”

Ah. As expected?

A short silence followed. Kaelus, lost in thought, frowned.

“I don’t understand.”

[Huh?]

The Archipelago originally didn’t show much greed for dragons other than the Aro. Because of that, they possessed breeding methods and vessel artifact production techniques superior to Firmus’s, at least regarding Aro. Their security was top-notch as well.

“To be precise, they were so full of pride for the Aro that they didn’t even look at other dragons. Why now?”

[…]

It certainly was strange when I heard it that way. The Archipelago’s Aros were all well-managed. They were plump, and their expressions were bright. They were full of mischief and were quite favorable toward humans, even considering they were a gentle species. One could tell the Archipelago people had a special attachment to them just by looking at their glossy scales.

[Maybe they’re trying to seek some kind of change?]

“He didn’t seem like such an ambitious or enterprising person.”

[He’s the King of the Ilba Archipelago in all but name. He might be different from how he looks.]

Kaelus fell silent.

“Anyway, it bothers me.”

[Hmm.]

“I have a bad feeling.”

[Ah, you said your gut is usually right.]

His handsome brow creased slightly. He looked troubled. I couldn’t just stay still when my lover was troubled.

I raised my body from where I had been lying quietly and started circling the edge of the round table.

“What are you doing?”

[Thinking.]

“…About what.”

[I’m thinking, ‘Can’t I just lay an unfertilized egg?’]

“…”

Ah. It’s been a while.

Kaelus looked at me with a face that said, “What the hell is wrong with this thing?” I even felt a bit of nostalgia from that face.

As I cackled, he sighed and put his hand under my belly. His warm, soft hand scooped me up.

“That’s a useless thought.”

[It is. I honestly have no idea how to even make an unfertilized egg or anything else.]

An egg? How do I even lay that?

…Am I even capable of laying one?

Dragons reproduce through self-fertilization. They create and give birth to young on their own. But as someone who was once an ordinary, healthy adult man, I didn’t have a clue or a feeling for it.

[Hmm. Do I just say, ‘Appear, egg!’ and it appears?]

At some point, Kaelus, who was holding his forehead, went quiet. He looked even more troubled than before. I shut my mouth out of guilt. The topic changed quickly.

“There isn’t much time.”

I agreed with those words.

“The Fourth Prince keeps weighing on my mind too. …Something feels fishy.”

I strongly agreed with that as well. From him suddenly kidnapping me to his actions at the Founding Festival, everything was suspicious. Above all, the fact that he didn’t seem to have discovered my identity in human form added to the confusion.

What does that guy want?

…What else? It’s probably war.

War. A word that felt distant in my past life was tangible here. My experience in Anax was a big help. …I don’t know if I should call that “help,” but anyway.

“It’ll be fine,” I said, transforming into a human while resting my hips on the table.

Kaelus frowned and warned me. “It’s dangerous.”

“They won’t enter the room of a Duke who came as an envoy without knocking. We just shouldn’t make loud noises.”

“…”

He didn’t argue, but he had a sulky expression. I chuckled and reached out with both hands. He obediently offered his cheek.

“Tell me everything will be fine.”

“…Everything will work out.”

“And say Odan will be safe too.”

“That child will be fine. I’ll make it so.”

“Yes. That’s enough.”

I chuckled and kissed his cheek playfully. I felt his body tense up slightly. I liked that. It pleased me that a man like a beast became tense because of my trivial words or actions.

Strictly speaking, I’m the beast.

“Then, shall we…”

I kissed his lips and whispered in his ear. “…Make an egg?”

Kaelus froze and stared at me. His dark gray eyes shook. …It was a joke, but his reaction was quite intense.

He suddenly grabbed my wrist as I felt flustered myself.

“If we do it, will one be made?”

“Uh, well… I’m not really sure.”

“I see.”

Kaelus nodded, put his hand under my butt, and lifted me up. I naturally wrapped my arms around his neck. I looked up at him a bit uneasily. His eyes, clouded with desire, greedily scanned my neck revealed through my messy shirt collar.

“Then shall we test it?”

“Uh. Really?”

“I’m joking.”

…No, you’re not!

I hurriedly pushed his chest, but there was no way that would work in human form. Kaelus chuckled and kissed me. I had no choice but to open my lips. My body relaxed as the connection deepened.

He lifted my thighs. I lay on the table. [stolen content]As I wrapped my legs around his waist, I felt his bulging part through the clothes.

“Ugh. You… can’t go… all the way.”

“…Alright.”

He grumbled as if he didn’t like it, but Kaelus obediently accepted my opinion. His trousers opened, and his penis popped out.

His dark red shaft, standing menacingly and dripping fluid, met my mine, which looked relatively pale and soft. Kaelus stared down at them. My face turned deep red.

Even though we had rolled around naked several times already, I felt strangely embarrassed for some reason.