Ceryl watched in silence as Varen, who had been listening quietly to my voice, lifted his massive body.
“...Varen Dravergh.”
A rough voice, as if scraped with sandpaper, murmured his own name.
I did not take my eyes off Varen’s movements. My whole body felt like it would burst from the tension.
“Varen... I remembered.”
“Right! You remember now?”
At that single word, all anxiety was washed away, replaced entirely by joy.
“Varen, a place like this underground prison is not where you belong. You can fly freely in the sky, and go anywhere you want.”
Back when I was a reader, Varen Dravergh had been the character I hated the most.
But the descriptions of him gliding across the sky lingered with me. Because they were too free and too beautiful.
[Varen Dravergh did not fear even the burning heat of the blazing sun. Higher than the sun, higher than that still, he soared endlessly into the sky.
The golden dragon cut across the night sky, scattering the remnants of the stars. In the pitch darkness, he was the only existence shining brighter than the moon.]
“So don’t give up. Let’s get out of here together.”
I reached my arm through the bars and opened my hand. But Varen only stared at me without any response.
“...Varen?”
In those eyes that always revealed emotion transparently, I could read nothing. He wasn’t joyful nor confused.
At that moment, the dragon began to release an overwhelming surge of heat from his entire body.
Heat rose from the far end of the narrow, long cavern, unbearably hot. I grabbed the bars and planted my toes to withstand the sudden gale.
“Ugh— ngh... Varen, wait— aaagh!”
A frail human body was no match for the wind. I was lifted, and finally lost hold of the bars.
I slammed against the cold, jagged stone walls of the cavern. I tumbled endlessly, finally landing when I hit the underground iron door.
Varen... Varen Dravergh...
Even from far away, I heard the voice clearly. He murmured only the name he had regained.
Heat and wind filled the cave, dust clouding my vision, and I raised both arms to shield my face.
From somewhere unseen, something heavy fell.
Bang, clank, thud.
The sound of earth and metal colliding reverberated throughout the cavern, echoing in layers. The noise pressed against my eardrums, and I covered both ears while barely enduring the storm.
“Ugh... Varen, wait... stop....”
The storm that felt like it would never end began to fade. The heat turned into a breeze, and the frantically spinning dust slowly settled.
Only then did I exhale the breath I’d been holding and cough. Grit filled my mouth; I spat it out several times.
“Ugh— kh... Varen... Varen!”
The moment I came to my senses, the first thing I thought of was the dragon’s safety. My legs shook, barely holding me up as I ran toward the back of the underground chamber.
The center of the storm was still hazy, visibility almost zero. Waving my arms forward did nothing to clear the view—I could only grope my way through.
“Varen! Are you okay?”
My foot struck cold iron bars. I grabbed the metal again and narrowed my eyes.
The space beyond was filled with smoke. It looked like the aftermath of a fire. I grew anxious.
“Varen! Answer me! Varen!!”
Then, a silhouette flickered through the gray haze. The massive dragon that had been there moments before was gone without a trace.
“Ceryl Aylos.”
The rough, low voice that had always reached me through my mind now pierced directly into my ears. My hair stood on end.
Footsteps, heavy and slow, approached. The silhouette grew clearer, stepping into the reach of the Lightstones’ glow.
A man, roughly two meters tall, with a massively built frame. Lustrous golden hair flowed down to his waist, rippling. His skin reflected light like scales.
And blue eyes. That distinct, clear gaze was fixed on me.
“...Varen.”
It was Varen, who had reclaimed his name and his existence.
“Yes. I am Varen Dravergh.”
A stranger introduced himself with a familiar voice. I should have answered, but everything happening was too overwhelming; I could only stare stupidly.
What... is going on.
“I merely realized how to free myself from the chains.”
Nothing bound Varen now. He looked at his freely moving arms and legs as though they were strange to him.
I looked back into the cell. Having taken on a human form, his size had shrunk, and the restraints that bound the dragon lay scattered on the ground.
Those enormous chains meant nothing now. They would never restrain Varen again.
“Only one who knows their own existence can change their form.”
“...Ah.”
“You made it possible. Because you gave me back my name.”
Varen, now in human form, came closer. Even through the haze, I could now clearly see his face.
His features were precisely those of the dragon. Strong brow ridge, high nose bridge, sharp jaw softening into an elegant line.
Golden hair, blue eyes. Skin pale and luminous. Broad shoulders, chest, abdomen.
If the gods crafted the perfect creature, that did not change even when he became human. It was, in every sense, sculpture-like beauty.
As I traced his appearance carefully, a chill crawled down my spine. A cold, instinctive dread.
“I’m curious how you knew my name, but I promised. So I will not ask.”
“...Thank you.”
“When we leave this place, I will grant you wealth and honor.”
“...I-I don’t need anything like that.”
His human first impression was somehow more overwhelming than the first time I saw his dragon form. Sweat prickled across my back as I slowly stepped away.
Varen continued approaching, unaware of my panic. Now we were close enough that I could touch him through the bars.
Among his features, the mouth resembled the dragon’s most. A long, wide mouth curved upward slowly, forming a beautifully drawn smile.
“Nothing binds me now.”
Varen looked down at his own hands. You would think a human body would feel awkward, but he opened and closed his fists with seamless ease.
“So this is freedom.”
Well, yes—congratulations and all—but...
This is too much freedom.
“Thank you, Ceryl. I keep receiving from you.”
“C-congratulations, Varen. But...”
“Because of you, I realized my existence.”
“Y-yeah, congratulations, okay? H-hey! Wait. Don’t come any closer!”
Not once had I feared Varen when he was a dragon large enough to swallow me whole. If anything, despite his massive size, everything he ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) did had been so endearing I could hardly keep myself from doting on him.
But the human Varen was deeply intimidating. My heart pounded erratically, my body retreating on its own.
Seeing me back away, Varen let out a small laugh.
“You flee. Don’t worry, I won’t harm you.”
“T-that’s not it...”
“Ceryl Aylos, are you afraid of me?”
Any man, in any era, would fear this situation.
“To fear is amusing. Well—dragons’—”
“Why... WHY ARE YOU COMPLETELY NAKED?!”
“.......”
“D-does it always work like this? You can’t transform while wearing clothes?!”
Varen, in human form, was completely naked.
A giant man with not a thread on was walking directly at me. Who wouldn’t be terrified?
And witnessing the dragon transform into a human was shocking enough—but there was something far more horrifying.
“T-that... that’s not... a t-tail, right?”
“...It is the complete form of a human.”
I did not want to look, but my gaze kept dragging itself back. I glanced, then slapped my hands over my eyes, then peeked through my fingers, then turned away again.
I checked multiple times in disbelief. Enormous enough to break the definition of human, yes, but the placement and shape were definitely... human.
“Just... just stay here for a moment. I’ll go get clothes.”
“Human garments are unnecessary—”
“They’re necessary for me, okay?! W-wait here!”
“Ceryl, wait—”
Varen yelled something, but I didn’t look back. I ran.
I could feel the burning stare on the back of my head, but I could not stop.
I took the stairs in a single sprint and shoved open the heavy wooden door. Fresh air and the still-hot daylight hit me, finally clearing my head.
I collapsed onto the grass, panting. Too much had happened in just a few hours. I needed to cool down and organize my thoughts.
I had revealed Varen’s name without ever telling him I was a transmigrator. And when he realized something, he used his dragon strength and immediately transformed, breaking free of the chains.
Even if I had found a way to unlock the chains, I had no idea how I was supposed to get a house-sized dragon back to the surface.
So in a way... this was good. Very good, actually. But—
“Goddamn it, a dragon is still a dragon.”
I now had a lot of work to do. But the image burned into my mind would not go away. That wasn’t something a man could even feel envy about.
For a second I thought—seriously—that his tail was attached in front.
