04 - Dragon Race Training

In the first year, Dora-sama only taught me words.

I wouldn't learn anything if I didn't learn to speak.

Dora-sama said it takes ten years to master the language.

When taming wild Red Dragons, it takes about ten years for them to be trained to follow

Since I grew up without learning to speak, it was natural to expect the same.

But, contrary to expectations, I was a fast learner.

I remembered every word and phrase she spoke, constantly practiced on my own, and diligently worked to internalize their meanings.

Absorbing knowledge like a dry sponge, it took me only a year to become fluent in the dragon language.

Once I learned to speak, the rest followed quickly.

Dora-sama taught me writing, history, geography, status, relationships, etiquette, industry, and various other general knowledge of the Dragon Race.

"—Mountains above, sky below, Earth Dragons roam at the mountain's base while Red Dragons and Blue Dragons nest at the peaks, each with their own territory and nests."

"Yes."

"Red Dragons and Blue Dragons occupy different niches, separated by the cloud layer. Blue Dragons fly at a lower altitude. Only when they hatch their young every few centuries do they descend to the mountain's peak. Red Dragons are more aggressive and territorial. It was the Red Dragons that attacked and hunted our kind in the mountains."

"But that was in the past."

"Indeed. The time when the Dragon Race still 'fought' against the Red Dragons has passed. Now, we merely hunt them unilaterally for meat or turn them into livestock."

"Isn't it Dora-sama who tames the Wild Dragons?"

"Ah, you remember that. Any other questions?"

"What is below the sky?"

"They say a monstrous black serpent feeds on the carrion that falls from above. Though I've never seen it personally."

Dora-sama answered everything I asked.

Always responding seriously—if she didn't know or hadn't seen something, she would say so—taking great care to teach me everything she knew.

Sometimes, when she didn't know something, she would investigate and return with an answer.

Dora-sama wasn't usually such an eager educator, but as the Dragon God's most loyal lieutenant, it was unforgivable to fail a direct command from the Dragon God.

There was no better education than Dora-sama's.

In retrospect, it was a great honor to be taught by her.

It's only because of her that I am so well-versed in the Dragon World.

What did I learn?

Well, there's so much that I don't even know where to start...

First, where I was—the tallest mountain and center of the Dragon World—was Dragon Roar Mountain.

Hmm? Isn't that where we are now?

No, our current mountain is the one I renamed.

But let's set that aside for now.

The city in the hollowed-out center of Dragon Roar Mountain was called Kayos.

It was essentially the capital of the Dragon Race.

My entire tribe lived there, so it was densely populated.

The Dragon God's mansion, administrative offices, postal services, libraries, research centers, barns, food storage, dragon warrior bases, and other key facilities were there.

Of course, the Dragon Race had more than just Dragon Roar Mountain.

The world had one hundred and twenty-two cities, each inhabited by various tribes of the Dragon Race.

Compared to Dragon Roar Mountain and Kayos, all the others seemed like villages in comparison.

Naturally, in a dangerous world where ruthless dragons roamed, there were no real villages.

Because each tribe had to have enough battle strength to exterminate Red Dragon nests.

Otherwise, they would likely be annihilated by the Red Dragons.

Huh?

Aren't we talking about a mythical era?

Aren't the cities like this here?

When I arrived, it was already this way.

To begin with, we learned to build cities from the human race.

Ignoring the time before the meeting of the gods, nowadays, all worlds are more or less like this.

If you don't look too closely.

The Dragon God loved the Dragon Race dearly and diligently protected his people.

But even he could not protect all one hundred and twenty-two cities alone.

The Dragon God was powerful, but he was not omnipotent.

There were places beyond his reach as well.

That is why, among the Dragon Race, he made the five most powerful individuals into the Dragon Generals and entrusted them with the protection of the world.

The Five Dragon Generals.

From the Holy Dragon Tribe, the Dragon General Szilard.

From the Black Dragon Tribe, the Dragon General Maxwell.

From the Mad Dragon Tribe, the Dragon General Chaos.

From the Sturdy Dragon Tribe, the Dragon General Crystal.

From the Armored Dragon Tribe, the Dragon General Dora.

They helped the Dragon God defend the Dragon Race.

The Five Dragon Generals swore absolute loyalty to the Dragon God, and the Dragon God entrusted them with the most important tasks.

Their composition remained unchanged even as the Dragon Race multiplied. As the need for defense decreased, their duties also evolved.

It was said that even among the Five Dragon Generals, Dora-sama was particularly loyal to the Dragon God.

Dora-sama considered this a great point of pride.

She strove for the Armored Dragon Tribe and the entire Dragon Race to reach her level.

For no particular reason, it was her choice.

Because she believed it was the right thing to do.

"The Dragon God saved your life, so dedicate your life entirely to the service of the Dragon God."

That's what she taught me.

Constantly.

"Yes, Dora-sama. I dedicate everything to the Dragon God."

Of course, I agreed seriously.

Maybe my education was more like brainwashing, or maybe I always thought this way.

After experiencing solitude, near-death, and despair in the Demon World, I could never forget the Dragon God as my savior that day.

"Haha, you will become my finest student."

Dora-sama was pleased to see my loyalty.

Most people, after constant brainwashing from Dora-sama, would eventually resort to: "I know, you don't have to keep repeating it."

Of course, no one actually disagreed, because all members of the Dragon Race worshiped and swore loyalty to the Dragon God.

But to Dora-sama, "stop repeating it" was a sign of disloyalty.

True loyalty means you can always say it in words.

Yes, like me.

Until then, I had learned a bit more about Lunaria-sama.

Lunaria-sama is the Dragon God's wife. I heard she is the Human God's daughter, but I don't know the details.

The Dragon God brought Lunaria-sama back with him.

About a thousand years ago?

For Dora-sama, that wasn't too long ago.

One day, the Dragon God suddenly brought Lunaria-sama back and declared her his wife.

Why would the Dragon God marry someone who wasn't from the Dragon Race?

The Dragon God didn't give any further details.

Of course, there were some complaints.

Why not someone from the Dragon Race?

There were plenty of women within the Dragon Race worthy of the Dragon God.

Including Dora-sama.

But Dora-sama never objected to not being chosen.

She said:

"The Dragon God-sama had his own considerations. He always thinks of us, the Dragon Race. Even when he does something we don't understand, it is done for the future of our race, so I don't need an explanation."

A bit fanatic?

You just don't appreciate her loyalty.

Let's return to Lunaria-sama.

Of course, there was a great divide between Lunaria-sama and the Dragon Race.

After a century or so, any murmurs about her had faded.

Because Lunaria-sama was always benevolent, like a goddess.

When speaking with her, everyone always felt an unusual sense of peace.

As if everything was forgiven.

After talking to her, everyone could accept her as the Dragon God's wife.

However, my feelings for her went beyond loyalty.

I hadn't forgotten how she took care of me last year.

She truly welcomed me.

Even if it was under the Dragon God's orders, even if we couldn't communicate, she took care of me, never distancing herself from me.

Because of her, because of the Dragon God, I was able to feel accepted there. That's why I wanted to protect the perch where everyone lived.

Even if I couldn't say it—or rather, it felt improper to say—but I considered her my mother.

… Anyway, that was how I learned everything about the Dragon Race.

After five years, I thought there was nothing I didn't know.

Of course, compared to now, there were many things I had yet to see, but I had learned a lot.

■

After I learned the language and accumulated knowledge, Dora-sama started taking me outside.

Visiting the city where so many Dragons lived—I couldn't wait.

I entered the city I had dreamed about so much while living in the Demon World.

Open spaces, countless houses, bustling shops, entertainment squares.

Everything was so new to me.

However, I didn't feel welcomed by the Dragon Race members passing by.

When they saw my forbidden-colored hair, they frowned and distanced themselves from me.

But they never surrounded me or tried to drive me out of the city.

Because the information that I had been taken in by the Dragon God had already spread, and I was being carried by Dora-sama.

When they saw Dora-sama, they carefully crossed their arms in front of their chests in greeting.

I wouldn't be expelled.

Once I realized that, I started looking around.

What is that large building over there? What's inside? Even though I had learned many things, I had never seen them in person.

My curiosity was immeasurable.

I looked around curiously and asked many questions.

"Dora-sama! What is that?"

"It's a clothing store."

"Dora-sama, what is that?"

"It's the East Plaza. It looks like they're performing a play today."

"Dora-sama, that one flying has a weapon."

"That's a Dragon Warrior. Their weapons are crafted by Chaos."

Dora-sama diligently answered each question.

She elaborated on subjects she was well-versed in.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks.

"Dora-sama, I'd like to see that building!"

"You're not allowed to right now. This way."

Dora halted her wings and landed somewhere.

It was a massive square over 100 meters across.

In the open space, large Dragons were lined up in pairs.

Some of them noticed Dora-sama and greeted her.

When Dora-sama responded, she let me down and faced me.

"Dora-sama, is this a training ground?"

"Indeed."

A training ground.

The place where Dragon Warriors train their bodies.

"The Dragon Race must be strong. You were chosen by the Dragon God, so you must have the strength to surpass anyone who wishes to harm the Dragon God. Am I wrong?"

"No!"

"Good answer! Then you know what you must do?"

"Yes!"

After knowledge came combat training.

Fighting was the second most important thing after language for the Dragon Race, with evil dragons lurking just beyond the city.

That's why the Dragon Race learned to fight at a certain age, regardless of gender.

… No, since both language and combat were important, normal Dragon Race children learned both at the same time.

Well, let's set that aside for now.

"Alright, let's go! I'll teach you how to fight like a Dragon Race member."

Dora-sama took a stance in front of me.

She lowered her waist, leaned forward, and placed a hand on her hidden waist, her wings ready to take off at any moment.

Likewise, I mirrored the stance in imitation.

"Idiot!"

Receiving an immediate scolding from Dora-sama, I flinched.

"Who told you to take a stance? I said to fight! If I say fight, you fight. Show your killing intent and attack me!"

Ah… Now that I remember, it was quite a fierce scolding.

She taught fighting by first training the fighting spirit.

She would never teach finer techniques from the beginning.

The most important thing in battle is the intent to kill your opponent…

Most of the Dragon Race would hesitate when Dora-sama said that.

I couldn't kill Dora-sama.

But fortunately, I was different.

I heard her words and immediately dropped to all fours.

It was the same stance I used when living in the Demon World.

In my line of sight, only my instructor remained—Dora-sama—and she became my prey.

Were there any doubts?

There was no reason. I knew how to fight.

And Dora-sama told me to fight.

So I obeyed.

"Good, come at me!"

Dora-sama faced my killing intent head-on.

"Foo…!"

Flexing my four limbs, I leaped at Dora-sama.

Closing the shortest distance toward Dora-sama's neck.

However, her arm suddenly appeared between me and her neck.

As if it had materialized from nowhere, she struck me.

My defeat was certain.

So I moved my wings.

I made a sharp turn to the right, ignoring the law of inertia.

A feint.

This was how I fought against the demonic beasts that lived in the Demon World.

There were opponents I couldn't face head-on in a test of strength.

Thus, such a move was convenient.

Turning sharply with my body inclined toward Dora, I kicked the ground and lunged at Dora-sama again.

An attack from the side.

Aiming for the throat once more, with no arm to deflect my strike.

My fangs would bite into her throat and end her life.

"Gahh!"

But before I knew it, I was crying out like a dog and was sent flying.

After rolling across the ground a few times, I immediately got up, my shoulder aching.

I saw a hole in my shoulder, with red blood gushing out.

And facing me, Dora took her stance once more.

Toward me.

I had been at her side, but before I realized it, she was facing me directly again.

Bothered by the pain in my shoulder and confused about what had happened, Dora-sama told me:

"What's wrong? It's over! Move, or I'll kill you!"

I bared my fangs.

I didn't know what had happened, but the fight wasn't over.

Then, suddenly, I was thrown backward by an impact.

When I rolled and lifted my face, Dora-sama was standing where I had been.

The moment I realized it, the sand beneath her feet flew up.

Dora moved at divine speed and kicked me away once again.

To be honest, I knew I had no chance at this point.

However, I continued crawling on all fours, refusing to compromise my fighting spirit.

I must attack.

"...!"

I held my breath and attacked silently.

There was no battle cry to be heard.

I had always been alone, and I had never had the habit of threatening others.

Just attack in silence, kill, and eat opponents in silence.

That was my only trait.

"Gya!"

However, my sole trait was about to be crushed by Dora-sama.

She turned toward me.

Still in position, she pointed at me.

But she did nothing.

It seemed that way to me.

But that wasn't the case.

Dora was moving in response to my movement.

Rather than falling for my feint, she used her wings to change direction in an instant and pierced me with another punch.

"What's wrong! Come on! Come at me until I die! Or I'll kill you!"

Dora-sama's attacks continued relentlessly.

Every time I got up, I was thrown somewhere by a limb, and blood gushed out.

"Alright, come on! The Dragon Race's scales only get tougher when they fall! You don't have scales, but the same thing applies! Get stronger!"

I didn't give up.

Every time I was struck and thrown away, I got up and went toward Dora-sama.

Why would you do that?

Because Dora-sama told me to do it.

I was just foolishly following my instructor.

Such combat training continued until I passed out.

■

I learned the following a few days after combat training began.

That day, I was beaten and passed out as usual.

Normally, I would wake up in my own room in the Dragon God's mansion.

"Get up, hey, get up!"

But when I woke up that day, I was in a slightly different place.

"We'll slow down the training for now and work on something different from today until the evening."

It wasn't the circular training ground with a sandy floor, nor my own room where I would sleep.

There was a gentle slope.

There were some scaffolds resembling jumping platforms on the slopes, where children much smaller than me ran up, flapped their wings, only to fall to the ground in failure.

They fell about 4 to 5 meters, but they were of the Dragon Race.

Though slightly scratched, they immediately stood up and climbed the slope again.

"…This is?"

"A flight training ground."

When Dora-sama spoke, some of the children ran up and approached us.

"Dora-sama!"

"Dragon General Dora-sama!"

"I'm your fan! Please teach me how to fly!"

"Who's that guy with the weird hair?"

When the children reached Dora-sama, they crossed their arms and gave the biggest salute.

One of them was pointing at me disrespectfully, but Dora-sama ignored it.

It was a typical reaction for children.

"This guy doesn't know how to fly yet, so I'll train him from scratch until he can. Flight is the foundation of the Dragon Race. You must master it for the Dragon God!"

"He still can't fly!"

"How useless! I'm way better than him!"

"I managed to fly up to the yellow line today!"

"I'm at the blue line!"

"Idiots! Don't mock each other!"

"Yes"

"Yes"

"Yes"

After dealing with the children, Dora-sama took me to the summit.

"Laplace. What are we doing here? Tell me."

"Flight training ground. It's a place where Dragon Race children train to fly."

Yes, it was one of the many training facilities on the Dragon Roar Mountain, where children practiced flight.

It had no official name, but the children usually called it the flight plaza.

The Dragon Race has a long lifespan, and only once every few thousand years do they have children.

Thus, the number of children was not large.

For this reason, the Dragon Race values the education of their offspring.

Those who become teachers will teach them individually.

However, there are no teachers at this flight training facility.

Because it takes time to learn how to fly in the sky.

Over a century of attempts and falls, the children will eventually learn to fly on their own.

No instructions needed.

Just an overwhelming number of repetitions.

Of course, the first few times are supervised by the person responsible for education, but after that, the children learn independently.

Until they can fly.

Even if they keep falling for ten years, a hundred years, they will keep trying until they can fly.

Most of the Dragon Race will learn to fly.

Flight is fundamental to the Dragon Race; just as all birds can fly, so too can the Dragon Race.

That's what I'd like to say, but there are dropouts everywhere.

There were some of the Dragon Race who never managed to fly in the end.

What happened to those people?

Unfortunately, they would be marked as "fallen" and assigned jobs that no one else wanted to do.

The children were desperate because they knew this, and those who couldn't fly were mercilessly looked down upon.

Even though it didn't change the fact that we all equally served the Dragon God.

"What are you going to learn here?"

"Flight in the sky."

"Okay, then fly."

"Yes."

Following Dora-sama's instructions, I climbed onto the jumping platform.

The plaza stretched out below, and behind it was the Dragon Race's city.

It wasn't so bad when seen from below, but from above, it seemed reasonably high.

Seeing this, I spread my wings.

I moved the muscles in my back and confirmed my wings' range of motion.

Then I crouched and jumped in one motion.

I flapped my wings a few times and flew diagonally upward.

However, I quickly stalled and fell sharply.

I plummeted headfirst but skillfully twisted in the air and landed on all fours.

I climbed the jumping platform again as if nothing had happened.

Then, I jumped and fell multiple times.

I landed well, unlike the other children, and didn't get hurt—thanks to my experience living in the Demon World.

However, I had never flown while in the Demon World.

I didn't even know I could fly.

Therefore, I had never flown.

"Wait."

After a few failures, I was stopped by Dora-sama.

"Do you know how to fly?"

I shook my head.

Then Dora-sama instructed me diligently.

"Channel Dragon Touki into your wings to generate a force field. Use the force field to stay in the air and use the wind to glide. Got it?"

Honestly, I didn't understand.

This might be one of the reasons why a teacher wasn't needed for flight practice.

The Dragon Race's wings are not bird wings.

They are an organ for flying, but they do not fly by relying on wind currents.

They generate a force field like anti-gravity, which is how they fly.

Of course, once you ascend into the sky, you will also experience air resistance. When that happens, you must angle your wings and convert the wind resistance into lift to glide.

However, Dragon Race flight depends on the force field; lift is just an aid.

By the way, the wings of Red Dragons and Blue Dragons are the same type of organ.

"Understood."

I responded.

Even though I didn't know how to infuse Dragon Touki into my wings.

When I was in the Demon World, while hunting, I managed something similar to flight on rare occasions, but that was purely physical.

However, this flight was a little different.

It's hard to explain in words.

But that's why it's so difficult that the children of the Dragon Race need to practice for over a century to master it.

"Okay, if you understand, repeat it until you can fly."

"Yes."

"I'm going back."

Dora-sama said and left me to take off.

Dora-sama's flight was smooth and graceful.

The movement of her wings was subtle, her ascent was smooth and swift.

The children took off one after another, trying to chase after Dora-sama, but all those who couldn't fly fell.

After watching Dora-sama leave, I stepped onto the jumping platform.

■

Thus, the days of alternating between lectures, combat training, and flight practice continued.

Lectures and combat went well.

Lectures… there's nothing in particular to mention.

Combat… after getting beaten unconscious day after day, I finally learned some techniques and training.

By training with Dora-sama daily, my innate strength was gradually improving.

However, flight did not go well.

After combat training, I would jump and fall repeatedly from afternoon until night.

Dora-sama returned at night and asked if I could fly.

When I replied that I still couldn't, she simply murmured, "I see," and carried me back to the mansion.

Dora never interfered.

She declared that she wouldn't cut corners and didn't say anything about flight training.

The Dragon Race are people who learn to fly on their own through repeated practice.

That was common sense.

Of course, I didn't complain.

Ten times more than the other children, I climbed onto the jumping platform in silence, and ten times more, I fell.

While I kept falling, the other children learned the trick of creating a force field with their wings.

Some even learned the trick of controlling their posture in the air.

One of them even flew.

I was getting a little impatient too.

I had the best teacher, Dora-sama, but I couldn't get any results.

I had no idea how to use Dragon Touki to create a force field.

On the ground, I was a different beast.

With my feet on the ground, I was faster and more agile than even the beasts of the Demon World.

Faster than even Dragon Warriors on the ground.

But that experience may have hindered my flight.

There is a fundamental difference between walking on the ground and flying in the sky.

The body must be perpendicular to gravity, and the direction of the force field was also different from what I expected.

I wouldn't be able to fly overnight.

That's why I became even more impatient.

I knew I could, but I couldn't.

But still, I didn't complain.

It was forbidden by Dora-sama.

If you ask why, it's because complaining means giving up.

Days passed without any success.

Dora-sama appeared every day to see if I could fly.

I always answered, "Not yet." Dora-sama nodded and left.

When training was over and I returned exhausted, Lunaria-sama welcomed me.

The servants also began to understand my words. Because I always expressed my gratitude to the Dragon God, they properly recognized me as a companion.

However, they never treated me as the Dragon God's child.

That's right, even I considered myself more like a dog or something rather than an adopted child.

That's why.

When I returned home in rags, they shared with me the food they had hidden.

And they never said that I should eat at regular times.

Thinking back now, they totally treated me like a dog…

Haha, maybe they really did think of me that way at the time.

It's a cherished memory.

Lunaria-sama treated me like a mother, caressing her belly, which grew a little each year.

However, perhaps because Lunaria-sama had no experience as a mother, or because I didn't know what a mother was, Lunaria-sama was just a goddess to me.

She had a supernatural ability to bring me peace of mind just by being there.

Thinking about it now, I believe that sense of security was proof that she was a demigoddess.

It was the best environment.

A warm home, extensive training.

Surrounded by such things, I spent decades becoming a full-fledged member of the Dragon Race.

■■■

"Okay, then I… huh?"

The man—Laplace—looked at the girl in the chair, rolling as if caught in the bow of a ship.

Wondering if she had fallen asleep because it was so boring.

No, this seemed different.

"It's already night..."

When Laplace looked out the window, the starry sky spread wide.

A starry sky above, different from the Dragon World.

To Laplace's senses, only a few hours had passed.

But for Rostelina, it must have been an entire day.

"I reminisced for too long and talked too much, and I ended up taking up Rostelina's entire day."

Then, when he looked out the window, something enormous blocked the view.

It was a red dragon.

Upon recognizing Laplace, the red dragon grumbled as if demanding something.

"Oh, sorry for taking so long. But you're a dragon, why couldn't you just feed yourself?"

"Goruru..."

"Don't say that. I didn't think time would pass so quickly. People say time flows faster as they age. Even for a half-breed of demons and dragons, it seems to be the same for me."

Laplace said, holding Rostelina's body.

He walked quietly and left the room.

He walked down a narrow corridor and stopped in front of a door.

"Well, at the very least, I wanted to hear your impressions..."

Gently, he opened the door.

Considering the disorder of the entire house, there was a room so tidy that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there was nothing inside.

Laplace gently laid Rostelina on the bed in her room and covered her with a blanket.

There was no need to turn off the lights—there were no such things here from the start.

Laplace's eyes could see everything, even in the dark.

"Good night, Rostelina. See you tomorrow."

Laplace said, closed the door, and returned to his room.