“Faster, Leobin!”
The brown-haired Margon kicked someone and shouted. The blond one, Leobin, who had been shaking me carefully, bit down on his lip.
“The situation’s urgent—please understand.”
“Ugh... what... uuurk.”
Leobin lifted me easily and slung me over one shoulder. My bruised stomach, already wrecked by boot soles, pressed into his hard collarbone and squeezed the air out of me.
Great. Just what I needed. More pain on top of blood loss and confusion.
And now these idiots appear out of nowhere—what the hell is happening.
As I dangled, I caught sight of Jed on the ground. His forehead was split, half his face drenched in blood.
“Tha... that bas... kick...”
Kick him again, you bastard.
I wanted to say it, but the smashed ribs and swollen mouth made it impossible to pronounce anything right.
Carried on Leobin’s shoulder, I was taken outside. The chill of the forest night hit me, clearing my head a little. In the distance, shouts echoed.
“First, Ceryl—”
“Idiot, no time to untie him! We leave now!”
“Damn it, they’ve already noticed.”
So they’re in a hurry too.
Using honorifics but treating me like luggage. Nice touch.
I was tossed unceremoniously into a shabby wagon. I groaned, forced myself upright, and managed to sit on a wooden bench. Through the window I could see the two of them arguing.
“Go! I’ll stay behind and buy time!”
“How are you going to do that alone!”
“You don’t trust me? Move it, now!”
The noise behind us grew closer. Through the back window I saw Dragon Hunters running, swords drawn.
“Damn, damn! Stay alive, Margon!”
“Take care of Ceryl-nim!”
Leobin’s voice wavered as he climbed up front. He snapped the reins, and the two brown horses bolted forward.
The sudden acceleration threw «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» me backward; my shoulders slammed into the rear wall before I could steady myself. My eyelids fluttered as I blinked blood out of my eyes.
Behind us, I saw the Hunters closing in—and Margon’s back facing them.
“Hey—hey! You can’t just leave him behind!”
Leobin didn’t hesitate. He cracked the reins again; the wagon jolted even faster. The brown-haired figure vanished from sight.
“Hey! Margon’s still—!”
“Your safety comes first, Ceryl-nim!”
The old wagon rattled violently at high speed. With my limbs bound, I couldn’t keep my balance, couldn’t think.
Little by little, reason returned. I tilted my head, rubbing blood from my cheek on my shoulder.
“What are you? No, who the hell are you people?”
“Apologies for the delay. We should never have lowered our guard... is your head alright?”
“Just answer me! Who are you—and how is Margon supposed to fight them alone?”
Leobin finally glanced back. The facility was already far behind us; only trees surrounded the road.
“I hate to admit it, but Margon’s the better swordsman. He’ll be fine!”
“Swordsman? Wait. You guys are caretakers—”
“Even if he dies! Dying to protect one’s lord is an honorable death!”
Okay, that’s not a translation bug. His brain’s fried.
Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought, because I’m definitely not understanding half of this.
“Don’t worry! Even if it costs my life, I’ll see you to safety!”
This idiot who once asked if he could have my sandwich looks ready to die for me now.
Something’s seriously off.
“Hey... the lord you’re talking about—it’s me?”
“Who else would I give my life to protect, if not you, Ceryl-nim?”
“...Ugh, that’s creepy.”
The line should have been touching, but it just sent shivers down my spine. Even my intestines twisted.
The wagon hit a rock and jumped; then it crashed back down with a thud. I fell off the bench and hit the floorboards.
“Ah, shit... Leobin, untie me first.”
“Sorry, reaching the safe zone takes priority!”
“At this rate I’ll be dead before we arrive.”
“Just hang on! One more hour!”
An hour. In a wagon with no seatbelt, shaking like a roller coaster. Great.
If my neck snaps, that’s on you.
Leobin’s face was pale, muttering I’ll protect him, I’ll protect him over and over like a broken record.
With nothing else to do, I looked down at my pocket and whispered softly.
“Rami, you there?”
“Hiyung.”
The adorable little thing answered instantly, though her tail drooped sadly.
“Were you worried about Dad?”
“Hiyung, hiyung.”
I smiled faintly as the palm-sized lizard scrambled up to my face. Her cool, smooth belly pressed against my cheek as if she’d never let go again.
“Rami, I’m happy to see you too. But could you maybe start with the ropes?”
I spoke gently, and she climbed down to my legs. The ropes were thick, wound several times.
Rami opened her tiny mouth as wide as she could and bit down. I used to think her toothless gums were cute—turns out they’re useless. The ropes didn’t even fray.
“Figures. Leobin, I don’t think anyone’s following. Just stop for a moment—”
Then the ground itself trembled. A roar of agony and fury exploded across the sky.
KRRAAAAH!
The horses panicked, hooves skidding. Startled, Rami dove back into my pocket.
Leobin and I both turned toward the sound.
Above the distant facility—a golden sun burned in the pitch-black sky.
KRRAAAAAH!!!
A dragon, wings spread wide, screamed into the night. No matter the distance, I recognized that form instantly.
“T-That...”
Leobin hesitated, then snapped the reins again. The wagon lurched into another mad sprint.
Only then did my voice return.
“That bastard! He can fly!”
The same brat who made me worry myself sick is soaring around like an ace pilot.
Looping and twirling, are you kidding me?
But something was wrong. I didn’t even have time to be impressed.
“Ceryl Aylos!!!”
Varen’s roar tore through the forest, my name echoing inside it. Leobin didn’t seem to hear—focused only on calming the horses.
“Leobin, stop! We have to take him with us!”
“Take him?”
“Yeah. He’s big but still a baby—he’ll get hurt if left alone—”
KRRAAAH!
Another roar—followed by a column of fire erupting from the dragon’s jaws.
Even from far away, the heat licked our wagon. Leobin grimaced.
“Ugh! That’s a baby to you?!”
“...He’s a good baby.”
Normally I’d be moved watching a dragon breathe fire in person.
But after days of mental torture and a full day of physical beatings, that sight just pisses me off.
“Anyway, stop. We’re taking him.”
“He looks dangerous as hell!”
“He’s not! He’s probably doing that to save me!”
“The creature that’s saving you... is burning down the facility?!”
...Okay, that’s a fair point.
I turned again. The facility was a sea of fire. Varen was roaring, spewing flames in all directions.
Why is he doing that? What the hell is he thinking—he’s going to get himself killed!
“...That idiot! The monsters will all burn to death!”
I called Rami again. She was still gnawing helplessly at the ropes.
“Rami, did you free the others yet?”
She shook her tiny head, eyes wide. I stared at the burning facility.
“Go back! Free every creature that’s tied up in there!”
“Hiyung...”
“I’ll be fine! They’ll die if you don’t!”
Drooping her tail, Rami vanished into my pocket and was gone.
Meanwhile, Varen roared and breathed fire again.
“That lunatic! Leobin, stop! I have to stop him!”
“No! A dragon without reason is too dangerous!”
He’s not wrong. But I can’t just watch Varen torch the forest and slaughter monsters.
No time to argue.
With both legs bound, I kicked the wagon door. The rickety wood cracked and flew off.
Two horses, a light wagon, a dirt road—maybe thirty, forty kilometers per hour tops.
I’ll live... probably.
“Here goes!”
“Ceryl-nim!”
I threw myself out. Momentum rolled me over and over until I finally stopped.
Every part of me hurt. I could barely feel my tied limbs anymore. My whole body was wrecked.
At least my voice still worked.
“I’m here! Ceryl Aylos is right here!!”
I screamed with everything I had. Dumb move, calling every human in the forest—but I couldn’t help it.
“Hey! Yongpal!!”
No parent could just watch their child go astray. Even if he meant to save me, what he was doing was unforgivable.
Thankfully, my desperate shouting reached him. The dragon stopped torching the ground and turned his head toward me.
“Yeah! That’s it! Ceryl Aylos is right here!”
The distance the wagon had covered, the dragon closed in an instant.
A house-sized body, wings twice as wide, slicing through the night straight toward me.
I shouldn’t feel this way, but—damn, that’s cool.
The dragon swooped down and landed softly, barely stirring dust. Graceful, perfect.
Then light flared from his body. In a blink, the massive form vanished.
In its place stood a tall man in white, warm air curling around him.
“Ceryl Aylos.”
“You—you bastard! You can transform? You can transform with clothes on?!”
Varen strode forward, each step a thud of polished boots. Clothes, shoes—everything was new.
“Ceryl-nim!”
Behind me, Leobin’s furious voice. He was running toward us, sword in hand.
“Hey, Leobin! It’s fine now—”
“Guh!”
Leobin suddenly lifted off the ground, hurled sideways into the forest as if yanked by an invisible hand.
My mind went blank. I stared at Varen, eyes blinking slow and stupid.
He looked down at me—no warmth, no smile, just a face frozen cold.
“Traitor.”
Who? Me?
“I trusted you, Ceryl. I believed in you!”
“Wait—hold on. There’s a mis—urk!”
From the moment I’d woken up in this world, every day had been shock after shock.
But this—this was the worst. My dragon—my precious Varen—had me by the collar, lifting me off the ground.
“Kh... let go...”
“Why did you lie to me? Tell me!”
You have to let go for me to tell you, idiot.
Today alone: running checks on monsters, skipping meals, two hours of mountain climbing. Then Jed—beating after beating—and finally leaping off a wagon tied up like a roast.
Not a part of me wasn’t broken. Now my throat was being crushed; my brain flickered from lack of oxygen.
“You slaughtered hundreds of my kin! You fed their corpses to me!”
“Ghh... khhh...”
“You even used a honey trap on me! Why did you deceive me!!”
Ah... I’m so done.
