Vol. 1 - Ch. 10 - Julius the Flying Dragon Maniac and His Beloved Dragon Helios - 3
The Abandoned Heiress Gets Rich with Alchemy and Buys an Enemy GeneralThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Julius carefully pulled on the reins wrapped around Helios's neck several times to make sure everything was in order. After determining that there were no issues, he placed his feet in the stirrups.
To make mounting easier, Helios lowered his long neck and folded his large wings. The wing membranes were covered in black scales, and when spread, the wings resembled canvas, slightly lighter in color than the membrane itself.
Although the wings looked expansive when spread out, Helios himself had a slender body and wasn't exceptionally large.
The stirrups were attached just below the neck, integrated with the reins, and secured to the neck and body with thick belts.
Helios, supported by a tail and short, sturdy legs, had wings in place of hands.
He possessed gem-like golden eyes and a face reminiscent of a slender reptile. While travel dragons were sometimes used as a means of transportation, Helios differed significantly in physique compared to them; he appeared much more refined.
If Helios were a human, he might resemble a muscular young man. Dragons have a long lifespan, and considering that Julius raised him from an egg, Helios should be under twenty-five years old. So, he could be either a young man or even a boy.
Julius effortlessly mounted the saddle, positioned at a height that made me look up.
Helios seemed pleased and lightly shook his neck. While Julius usually appeared grumpy, today he radiated a refreshing and bright demeanor---perhaps not entirely cheerful, but he did have a reasonably happy smile on his face.
This was truly the dignified figure of Julius, the Black Prince. And they made a perfect match---or a fitting couple---I would say.
In other words, I was the matchmaker, the ring artisan who blessed their happiness. The ring worn on the left-hand finger carried that meaning. It all made sense now.
Julius must be a dragon maniac who could only love dragons. People come in all varieties, so I would just quietly watch over them.
"Hey, Chloe."
Julius called out to me.
Despite thinking I had been completely forgotten, it seemed that he remembered me after all.
"Yes? What's the matter?"
"Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and get on."
"Get on?"
"If you don't get on, we can't fly. So hurry up."
Oh, right.
Despite being swept away by the emotional reunion between Julius and Helios, I had completely forgotten my original purpose---the pursuit of the insightful Mithra.
The saddle that Julius was straddling seemed intended for one person, but I wondered if there was enough room for me.
This would be my first time riding on a combat dragon; usually, travel dragon saddles have seating for about three passengers behind the driver.
"Where do I get on? You're not suggesting I grab onto the tail, are you?"
"Do you want to die? There's enough room for one more person behind me. Hurry up and climb on."
"Got it."
Julius hooked the spear on his back onto a spear-holder near Helios's neck.
I made my way to Helios. He moved his long neck and brought his face close to mine.
His intelligent golden eyes gazed at me with keen interest.
"Hello."
Following Julius's example, I gently patted Helios's forehead.
There was no rejection or biting. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be petted quietly.
He was incredibly adorable. I could see why Julius was so captivated by him.
"Hey, Chloe. Don't touch a dragon recklessly. Especially the head. If he bites you, he could easily tear off your arm."
"Helios-kun seems intelligent, so I thought it would be okay."
"He only obeys my commands. Without me, your arm would be gone by now."
"That would be inconvenient; life would get difficult... Sorry for petting you, Helios-kun."
Perhaps he tolerated it for Julius's sake, even if he didn't like it. When I let go, Helios made a small, reluctant "kyuru kyuru" sound.
Then, he gently rubbed his cold and firm face against my cheek.
The cuteness and affection were about to make me explode.
I couldn't resist, so I hugged Helios's head and gently patted him. He's so adorable! His cuteness made me want to give him one or two of my arms.
It seemed my sanctuary lay with the dragons all along. Maybe I should have bought a dragon instead of Julius.
Although Helios might be exceptionally cute than the other dragons.
"Chloe... Please listen to what people are saying. Get on quickly; we're going."
"Oka~y."
Julius must be jealous.
He was envious of how well Helios and I got along upon our first meeting.
There was no need for him to be so impatient. Besides, I had no intention of taking Helios away from him.
After patting Helios's head a few more times, I gently stepped away.
I then attempted to climb onto Helios's back several times, placing my foot on his armor and applying force. I tried bouncing and pulling myself up, but Helios's back was too high, and my body couldn't lift itself.
Travel dragons usually had ladders for easy climbing. Helios had stirrups on both sides.
What should I do? I can't seem to climb up.
"...Give me your hand."
"Julius-san?"
After watching me struggle for a while, Julius sighed and reached out his hand to help me. Taking his hand, he easily pulled me up.
Julius placed me behind him on his back.
The saddle was indeed generously sized, and there seemed to be some room to spare, as long as I nestled snugly against Julius.
"Thank you. Riding a dragon seems to be quite challenging."
"On the battlefield, horses are more common. Dragons are difficult to handle, so their numbers are limited. That's why there aren't many opportunities to ride them."
"I've ridden travel dragons before, you know. Julius-san, are you familiar with them? Do they have them in the Empire?" I spoke while gazing at the broad expanse of Julius's back.
His smooth, golden hair of varying lengths fell down his back. It must be because it's Julius; even with different lengths, it looked stylish. It might become a trend in the capital someday.
It would be amusing if Cyril started imitating it.
"They should be available anywhere. It's faster than a carriage for long distances, and it's a dragon specially bred for domestication, different from Helios."
"Kyui!" Helios made a proud sound. It seemed Helios also took pride in being a dragon.
So adorable.
Julius was a dragon maniac, so it seemed like he knew everything.
Helios stretched out his bent leg and stood up. His folded wings spread out. Around the saddle, a thin magical barrier could be seen circulating around his body. It seemed like the saddle and body were fixed to prevent falling.
Just as I thought, the entire dragon harness appeared to be made of alchemy.
"Julius-san, this saddle is quite special."
"It is, but it only provides minimal protection. So if you don't want to fall and die, hold on tight."
"I don't plan on dying, so I have no problems holding on to you."
With a flutter of the dragon's wings, we were gently lifted off the ground.
I wrapped my arms around Julius's waist. Despite his slender appearance, his height made him quite large. He had a solid, masculine physique. Unpleasant memories threatened to resurface, though I had managed to forget about them.
I focused my attention on the texture of Julius's black coat.
Made of Ariadne's thread, the black coat felt smooth and pleasant. In terms of texture, it resembled tanned leather.
However, Ariadne's thread was even more flexible, lightweight, durable, and fire-resistant than tanned leather. I'm the one who made it, so there was no doubt about it.
It turned out well, although it was expensive.
With a few powerful flaps, Helios gracefully soared high.
The impact was minimal, thanks to the protection barrier, providing a sense of stability.
Julius's back was warm. Despite being a popular figure, it had been a while since I've been this close to people.
In the past, I seemed to have gotten along reasonably well with Cyril, but I wondered how things turned out like that.
It felt like I had come a long way.
From the high-flying Helios, I could see the city of the royal capital surrounded by circular walls, the academy I once attended, and the royal castle where Cyril and Aliza lived.
Originally, without any disturbances, I should have been elegantly fanning myself in a white castle, laughing and living a carefree life.
But now I found myself riding a dragon with Julius, an enemy from another country, serving as my slave. Life was truly unpredictable.
I pressed my cheek against Julius's back.
It's comfortable. Sturdy and as comfortable as a new sofa.
Helios's way of flying involved keeping his wings open wide without flapping them much. Despite being significantly faster than travel dragons, there was almost no impact on the body. The scenery below swiftly changed from city to highway, to forests, and beyond.
"Don't fall asleep, Chloe."
"The ride is so comfortable that I might doze off. Helios can actually fly even faster, right? Thanks for being considerate."
"If you were to fall and die, it would hurt Helios. Dragons are delicate creatures, especially Helios, who takes pride in carrying me."
"That means safe driving, no accidents and no violations, right?"
"This isn't a battlefield, and there's no need to rush recklessly."
"The kingdom is quite peaceful. It feels like a lie that the war ended three years ago."
"The one that's peaceful is your head."
"Are you making fun of me?"
In reality, those who had experienced the horrors of war understood that it wasn't so simple.
However, I was just trying to live day by day, and I didn't have time to be involved in grudges, grievances, or even love affairs.
If Helios was Julius's lover, then I guess mine was money.
Somehow, I felt like my life was more barren than Julius's.