Chapter 4: The Naden That Naden Never Knew(5)

MISTERLP

Does that mean... Kazuma is the one I've been waiting so long for?

We returned to the shore, and I asked Kazuma as he was putting the

clothes that he left there back on, "Hey, Kazuma. Tell me... If I hadn't

been able to fly like this, what did you plan on doing?"

Kazuma considered my question for a little while, then honestly

confessed, "If it came to that, I would have apologized. 'Sorry, it didn't

work out,' is what I'd have said."

"Wait, that's all?"

"That's all. Even if you couldn't fly, your value wouldn't change. I

don't know what the dragon knights value, but going by the value system

of my country, I desperately want your ability to control electricity. If no

one chooses you at the Contract Ceremony, please, come to my country.

You'll be welcome there."

I was silent.

"Come to my country," he said without the slightest embarrassment.

It felt like there was no place for me in the Star Dragon Mountain

Range. But Kazuma said he wanted me. I felt like I could swim through

the sky again in glee.

But, well... the way he said "If no one chooses you" ticked me off. So I

decided to distract myself from that.

"Whoa, whoa, Naden?" I snatched Kazuma up by the collar, and forced

him to ride on my back.

"Whoa?!"

Then, with a breath, I launched into the sky. In an instant, the ground

was far away, and a panicking Kazuma clung to my back screaming,

"Naden, I'm falling! I'm falling!"

"You won't fall," I told the flustered Kazuma in an exasperated tone. "I

have you on my back, after all."

"Huh...? ...Now that you mention it, we went up on a nearly vertical

path, but I didn't fall off."

"It's a dragon's power. We protect the humans that ride on our backs so

they won't fall off. It means the knights can ride without holding on, and

they're protected from the wind and cold. Notice how it's not cold, even

though we're up in the air."

"Now that you mention... I see. Little wonder dragon knights are so

strong." Kazuma sounded impressed.

I giggled. "I know, right? I wasn't sure a ryuu like me would be able to

use it, but..."

"Huh? If you couldn't, wouldn't I have fallen to my death?"

"I felt like I could manage it, and even if you fell, I just had to catch

you."

"You know, I'd prefer not to suddenly go bungee jumping without the

cord..."

"Ahahaha. Consider it payback for earlier."

"For the waterfall climbing?"

"For saying, 'If no one chooses you.' ...Hey, Kazuma?" I worked up

my courage and asked Kazuma. "You're going to participate in the

Contract Ceremony, aren't you? Won't you choose me?"

When I asked that, Kazuma's mouth shut tight. To form a contract

meant to take me as his spouse. In other words, I was proposing to him.

The reason he didn't immediately respond was because he was giving it

some serious thought, I was sure. Eventually, he slowly opened his mouth.

"I was just invited by Madam Tiamat. I'm not from the Nothung

Dragon Knight Kingdom."

"I know."

"Even if you make a contract with me, I can't become a dragon

knight."

"I'm not like other dragons, either."

"Besides, I haven't told you anything about myself. Not even my real

name."

"Huh?! Kazuma Souya was a fake name?!"

"And I already have four fiancées back in my country."

"Four?!"

O-Oh... But, well, even the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom allowed

polygamy. If the dragon was a partner who accompanied the dragon knight

to the battle field, the knight needed another partner to stay and watch the

home front, too. That was why I didn't have any problem with the fact that

he had other fiancées in and of itself, but having four of them wasn't

something he could do without being in very high standing. It was

completely different from taking on a concubine after already having

married his official wife.

"Kazuma... Just who are you?" I demanded.

"That, I can't say just yet." Kazuma managed to force those words out.

"I'm not able to decide about the contract by myself, either."

Was I... just rejected? My heart sank as I thought that, but then...

"So, would you come back to my country with me?" Kazuma asked.

"You can go pretty fast in this ryuu form, I'll bet. I'd like to go back to the

Kingdom of Friedonia for a bit, and ask everyone else for their opinions on

the matter. That way, if we end up returning to the Star Dragon Mountain

Range, we'll be here well before it's time for the Contract Ceremony.

Would that... be a problem for you?"

Kazuma sounded apologetic. I shook my head and told him, "...No.

That's fine with me."

If it meant there was some possibility that Kazuma would form a

contract with me, I'd fly to the Kingdom, the Empire, or anywhere else he

wanted. I had the power to do that now.

"So, where do I head to?" I asked.

With a look of relief on his face, Kazuma responded. "Okay, to

Parnam, the capital of the Kingdom of Friedonia, please."

"Roger that."

And with that, I swam off into the eastern sky.