Chapter 9: A Dragon Among the Fields

Waking up in the morning, I found the wild strawberry bushes in full bloom.

Suck suck.

Elenia was flitting about busily, sipping nectar from the flowers.

“Working hard first thing in the morning, huh?”

She stopped only when I spoke, mid-frenzy.

“Look at this. It’s already this full.”

Where did she get such a honey jar? 

She proudly showed off a jar bigger than her head.

“Wow, that’s impressive!”

They say praise makes even whales dance. 

Elenia’s face bloomed with a smile, and she gathered honey even more eagerly.

At this rate, I could trust her with pollination.

Growl.

My stomach rumbled, so it was time for breakfast.

Watching Elenia made me crave something sweet.

Crack.

I broke an egg into a bowl, added a bit of milk and sugar, and mixed it well.

Then I soaked yesterday’s leftover bread in the mixture and fried it in a pan.

Sizzle.

As the egg toast cooked, I sprinkled a touch of sugar on top for extra sweetness.

“French toast, done!”

French toast dusted with sugar for breakfast? 

Just weeks ago, such a luxurious meal was unimaginable.

“Mmm~ Delicious!”

The sweet, moist toast melted in my mouth. 

Each bite was so good, I only wished it wouldn’t run out so fast.

Being able to eat such tasty food for every meal filled me with happiness.

Maybe I’ll make jam later?

Eating toast sparked the idea of harvesting wild strawberries to make jam.

As I reached for another piece—

“Chirp!”

“You want some too?”

The glossy toast must’ve looked tempting, as Dorori urged me on.

I was reluctant to share my small portion, but that pitiful look made it impossible to refuse.

“Fine. Just one bite, okay?”

I held out the plate to Dorori.

But then—

Whoosh.

Oh no.

With its big beak, Dorori snatched the entire toast and gulped it down.

“Hey! My toast! That’s not what I meant by one bite!”

Scurry scurry.

Sensing danger, Dorori bolted on its short legs.

Zoom—

“Look at that speed. Is that even fair?”

What kind of bird runs that fast? 

No matter how I look at it, Dorori isn’t ordinary.

“Dorori, you stop right there! Huff.”

“Tch tch. Why waste energy so early in the morning?”

Elenia shook her head.

That’s when it happened.

Boom!

The Floating Island shook violently.

“What’s going on?!”

It felt like an earthquake. 

Or maybe the Floating Island was collapsing.

“No need to panic. It’s good news for you.”

Elenia casually sucked on her fingers as if it were no big deal.

“Does this happen often? Why did it shake?”

“Look over there.”

I followed Elenia’s point and saw a pillar-like figure moving in the distance.

“Gasp…!”

Even from afar, I knew instantly what it was. Its presence was unmistakable.

“I’m not seeing things, right?”

I stared, my body frozen.

“Yes, your eyes are correct. That’s a Red Dragon.”

My jaw dropped. 

I couldn’t believe I was seeing a legendary creature with my own eyes.

“I-Isn’t this dangerous?”

“Don’t worry. That dragon is picky about its food.”

“Wait, are you saying I’m not tasty?”

That wasn’t comforting at all. Somehow, it made me feel worse.

“Just kidding. That one’s an old friend of mine. It won’t eat anything on the Floating Island without permission, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief, but if I run into it outside, it might eat me.”

My mouth went dry. 

Who wouldn’t be nervous in front of a dragon?

I grew up hearing stories of a single dragon destroying an entire city.

“Want to go say hi?”

“Is that… okay?”

“No need to worry. You’ll see it often from now on, so it’s a good chance to get acquainted.”

I was a bit scared, but I did want to see a dragon up close.

Plus, it’s a valuable guest who leaves Dragon Dung on the Floating Island, so I should at least say thanks.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I walked with Elenia toward the north, where the dragon had landed.

There, the Red Dragon raised its long neck, staring at us.

“Long time no see, Vivita.”

Elenia flew up with a whoosh, waving both hands enthusiastically.

Compared to the dragon’s massive size, Elenia must’ve looked like a buzzing mosquito, but it didn’t seem to mind.

The Red Dragon’s vertical golden eyes fixed on me.

“H-Hi?”

I approached stiffly and greeted it, but the dragon showed no reaction.

I kept my distance. Even so, it could snatch me with a stretch of its neck if it wanted.

The dragon was truly awe-inspiring. 

How could such a massive creature fly?

Its glossy red scales shimmered, and the two horns on its forehead exuded noble elegance.

“You’re pretty handsome, huh?”

Glare.

A faint hint of hostility flashed in the dragon’s eyes, which had been calmly watching me.

Elenia pinched my right cheek hard.

“You fool! Saying weird things at a first meeting. Apologize to her now.”

“Oh, sorry!”

Who knew the dragon was female?

It’s not like I’ve met dragons before.

“Grrr.”

“This is Fabir, the new Guardian of the Floating Island. He can understand dragon speech, so you two can talk directly.”

The dragon’s pupils seemed to widen slightly.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Grrr?”

“You’re asking how a human understands dragon speech? I don’t really know. It’s a gift I was born with.”

“Grrr.”

“You think I’m an interesting human? I’ve been hearing that a lot lately. I can’t believe I’m talking to a dragon either.”

“Grrr.”

“Thorny Vines? I pulled them all out. It’s clean now, right?”

The Red Dragon, intrigued by conversing with a human, kept talking to me.

I, too, found it fascinating and answered earnestly.

As we chatted, I realized I’d gotten quite close to the dragon.

“Anyway, let me know if you need anything. You’re a valued guest on the Floating Island. Come by often to… uh, do your business comfortably.”

After greeting the dragon, I returned to the fields and asked Elenia.

“Does the dragon always rest in the north?”

“Mostly. It says it likes the northern view.”

“Then I’ll leave the northern area alone. If I make fields there, it won’t have a place to rest. Should I plant some trees around? Make it comfortable for its business?”

“Are you planning to build it a nest?”

“I’d love to. Why don’t you ask? Tell it to settle here. I’ll take care of cleaning its latrine.”

“I thought you were joking, but you’re serious?”

“I’m more serious than ever.”

Elenia shook her head.

Still excited from meeting the dragon, I chatted with Elenia as we returned to the fields.

Rustle rustle.

I spotted Dorori doing something near the strawberry bushes.

“Dorori? What are you doing over there?”

Flinch.

Dorori’s body stiffened.

“You didn’t… steal some strawberries, did you?”

Shake shake.

Dorori shook its head vigorously. 

But it was clearly caught eating strawberries.

“Then what’s that red juice on your beak?”

Dorori’s beak was stained red like it had been dipped in berry juice, undeniable proof.

The strawberry bushes, blooming just moments ago, now bore fruit.

“Chirp.”

“Pfft, what’s with that look?”

Seeing Dorori’s wide-eyed blinking, I couldn’t stay mad and burst out laughing.

“What’s done is done. As long as it was tasty.”

The strawberries would grow back soon anyway.

But are these really the strawberries I know? They’re huge!

The tiny berries were as big as grapes.

I picked one and popped it into my mouth.

The juice burst on my tongue, sending shivers through me with its tart sweetness.

Now I understood why Dorori couldn’t resist gobbling them up.

“Why are these so delicious? Too delicious!”

It was almost absurdly good.

“These are ridiculously tasty.”

Elenia had a strawberry in her mouth, chewing away. 

Her lips, stained with red juice, curled into a grin.

“You’re making a mess.”

“I’ll wash up later. Eating deliciously is more18 more important now.”

“You’re right. I’m not losing this time!”

I stuffed my mouth with strawberries. 

Juice dripped down my lips, but I didn’t care.

Elenia laughed heartily at my messy face.

“Oh, my stomach! Look at you. It’s been ages since I laughed this hard.”

“Dorori, come eat too.”

“Chirp!”

We munched on strawberries, laughing at each other’s messy faces.

When was the last time I laughed and played like this?

My carefree childhood passed quickly, and I grew up fast, learning the ways of the world.

But since coming to the Floating Island, I’ve had more reasons to smile.

Feeling a gaze, I looked up to see the dragon’s towering neck watching us quietly.

Do dragons eat omnivorously?

I didn’t know if dragons ate strawberries, but it felt rude to eat without offering.

“Want to try some?”

As if it understood from afar, the dragon nodded slowly.