I felt apologetic at the sight of Morpha soaked in exhaustion. I stepped back so I wouldn’t disturb them, never imagining that would become a bigger disturbance.
Watching their mood, I cautiously changed the subject.
“Did the conversation with Adeline not go well because Varen left first?”
“No. The conversation went well. That’s the problem.”
“If it went well, why is that a problem?”
Morpha made an expression I’d never seen before. Their sharp eyes gleamed as they looked toward Adeline’s tent they had come from.
I grabbed their elbow and shook it, demanding a fuller explanation. After collecting their thoughts for a moment, they spoke candidly.
“The problem is that it went too smoothly from the start. Adeline asked nothing of us.”
“What do you mean nothing? She asked us to join when attacking the king.”
“When that will be, or whether an attack is even possible, is uncertain. Humans never open their granary on the promise of an indefinite future.”
Morpha’s wording irritated me.
Just hours ago, the white-clad angels had emptied all their food stores to save the monsters.
As the leader of such kind people, I thought promising the future alone would be enough for her to open the granary.
“Morpha, I still can’t fully trust the Rebels either. But....”
“What Adeline wanted was only for us to stay here comfortably.”
“That’s a problem? That just sounds kind.”
“Who knows.”
Morpha searched their pocket and took out a single gold coin. They shook it and looked at me with a cold gaze.
“Can you call a human kind if they sell an entire building for one gold coin?”
“......”
I stared at the coin in Morpha’s hand. It glittered prettily in the sunlight as it swayed — like bait used to catch fish.
A sudden instinctive unease rose in me. I lowered my voice and stepped closer.
“Morpha, do we really need to stay here?”
“For now, we’ll pretend to give them what they want. They clearly hold information about the king.”
“Then... just in case, don’t leave Varen’s side.”
“No. What I must grasp has doubled. I’ll be absent more often from now on.”
“What if Varen ends up in danger....”
“Ceryl, you stay beside Lord Varen.”
Entrusting a dragon’s safety to a human left me dumbfounded.
Of course I was more sincere than anyone about protecting Varen, but my ability was far weaker than my will, so I couldn’t say I would.
Morpha put the coin away and faced me. Unlike the anxious human, the dragon wore a certain expression.
“Sharpen your senses. Whether something approaches through the darkness, whether something crawls underground toward you.”
“......”
“Even if danger occurs, Lord Varen can protect himself. So your task is to detect danger first. Understood?”
Morpha had given me another difficult assignment today. But this time there was a clear answer.
***
Despite Varen’s fierce objection, Noance guided us to the men’s lodging. Like all the tents, it boasted a spacious interior unlike its exterior.
Inside, rows of cots stretched along both sides. Each bed had a small drawer for personal belongings.
The place was packed with rough men, making it feel like I’d entered a barracks. I didn’t like it much, but camping outside wasn’t an option, so I tried to find an empty bed.
Unlike the indifferent human, however, the dragons foamed at the mouth.
“T-this... We cannot make Lord Varen sleep on a hard and narrow bed.”
“I agree. I can’t let Ceryl sleep in a den full of males like this.”
Their reasons differed, but both men grabbed me and headed outside as if there was nothing more to see.
Once outside, the dragons had ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) no proper alternative. They just paced anxiously in place, lamenting the terrible sleeping conditions.
“Lord Varen, did you see the blanket on that bed? Who knows when it was last washed.”
“Too many males. The moment Ceryl entered every male stared. Damn it, guiding us to a place like that. I should kill that human after all.”
They were talking about different things, yet somehow the conversation continued.
I raked a hand through my hair in fatigue. Sunset had already fallen between the tall trees.
Today I had woken before dawn to move our belongings to the Rebel base, and last night I stayed up all night holding a liquor bottle without even getting drunk.
I had been tense the entire journey here and ran around frantically to save the rescued monsters.
In short, my body was already exhausted.
If no one were watching, I would’ve wanted to recharge from Varen, but this place had no blocked corners anywhere. There was no safe zone to avoid others’ eyes.
So I had to wash up and lie down quickly. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, so I had to restore stamina whenever possible.
“Let’s just go in and sleep. I’m tired.”
At my words, the two dragons glared at me.
“You intend to lie on that musty lump of cotton and cover yourself with a rag?”
“Ceryl, what are you saying? All those males are targeting you....”
“Ah, enough! You dragons, stop overreacting.”
I clenched my teeth irritably. Curious gazes were already directed our way, so I couldn’t raise my voice.
Suppressing my boiling insides, I looked up at Morpha.
“Morpha, didn’t you say you were busy?”
“I will move starting tomorrow after confirming Lord Varen’s sleeping arrangement.”
“Ha... If the blanket feels dirty, just use the one we brought. You packed bedding from Beljena, didn’t you?”
“The blanket isn’t the only problem. The bed is too small and hard.”
“It’s still better than camping on dirt. Don’t act like you were raised delicate.”
“I don’t mind, but I cannot let Lord Varen sleep in such a place.”
They nagged Varen constantly, yet loyalty was loyalty.
Caring so attentively about Varen’s sleeping conditions was praiseworthy, but since we decided to stay here, we weren’t in a position to be picky.
I rubbed my brow, calming my increasingly frayed nerves.
“Fine. If the bed really bothers you, we’ll check if there’s a cave nearby—”
“How could we make Lord Varen sleep in a cave? He already has bad memories about caves.”
“......”
“Do you have any sense or not?”
What would they say if they knew I dragged Varen around and slept outdoors in caves for a month...
As I lost my words and only smacked my lips, Varen added a remark.
“Ceryl, I can’t let you sleep in a place like that. Didn’t you see the way those males looked at you?”
“...No, I didn’t. Who would look at me besides you?”
“My, I knew you were oblivious, but this dull?”
Varen looked devastated. I let out a hollow laugh.
The dragon before me had romantic feelings toward me regardless of sex or species. But men desiring men wasn’t common.
Besides, the men in the tent looked completely worn out. If anyone had given me a sticky gaze, there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed.
Anyway, telling them not to fuss didn’t make Varen or Morpha budge. Two grown men blocked the entrance, so I couldn’t push through.
“Ah, then at least let me go in alone. Unlike you two, I’m human. I didn’t sleep last night.”
“No. If you sleep here, Lord Varen will follow.”
For once united, Varen and Morpha nodded firmly.
I could feel my already thin stamina being shaved away in real time.
Then I felt a solid presence behind me.
“Sir Ceryl, why aren’t you going in?”
Turning around, I saw Margon, a sturdy man rivaling the dragons in size.
I smiled brightly at him.
“Margon, where’s Kallen?”
“Kallen is heading to the women’s lodging.”
Following Margon’s gaze, I saw Bell and Kallen walking across the grass arm in arm.
When did those two get close? My eyes narrowed.
“So do you know what Jason said? ‘Oh, I don’t care as long as I’m full.’ Can you believe it?”
“Hahaha, no way. He really chewed tree roots?”
“I’m telling you. Men, honestly.”
“Ugh, seriously. But sister, have you really never dated?”
“That’s top secret.”
“Aww, come on, tell me, please? Please?”
Sister? The affectionate nickname left me speechless.
The orange-haired girl who always ran to me shouting “Ceryl!” either didn’t see me or pretended not to. She entered the tent hanging happily onto Bell’s arm with a brighter face than ever.
As I stood blankly, Margon nodded in sympathy.
“She must be excited to meet a girl her age. She’s been traveling with old men all this time.”
“Old men....”
