#177

The Dragon, with a clearly displeased expression unlike before, looked at the woman. His eyes, tinged with wariness, were sharp, but his pupils didn’t narrow, perhaps because a stranger was present.

Cullen paused at the unexpected words. The Dragon he knew had never intervened in human affairs unless asked.

Of course, the Dragon was born with a kind disposition. Despite experiencing numerous betrayals from humans, he had followed Cullen’s requests and even helped him with things he hadn’t asked for. But he had never acted so directly before.

“I will do it.”

Due to the habits formed during his time with the Dragon, it felt awkward for him to volunteer for troublesome tasks. However, as he stepped forward, the Dragon responded with action. The Dragon strode towards the woman, who was watching them both with bewildered eyes.

“I don’t know what you intend to do with your frail body.”

At the word “frail,” Cullen looked at the Dragon. It wasn’t a fitting analogy. While he was searching for a counterargument, the Dragon approached the woman with a reluctant expression.

He habitually reached out to cast magic with a gesture, but he paused for a moment and reluctantly picked up the woman. “Ah,” the woman exclaimed and urgently clutched the Dragon’s shoulder. Seeing that scene, Cullen felt a discomfort in his stomach.

“Th-thank you,” the woman said in a barely audible voice. She didn’t look particularly comfortable. She looked at Cullen and said,

“I’ve never met such wonderful adventurers before.”

As the woman blushed again and looked at Cullen, the Dragon started walking first. He moved forward without the woman’s guidance, as if he knew the way.

Cullen walked behind the Dragon. Watching the shy woman being held and the Dragon, he felt his stomach churn.

Even when he was with Kia, he hadn’t held others like that. In his memories, it seemed he had always held only himself, but seeing someone else being held like that… it felt unfamiliar.

The unfamiliar sensation made him uncomfortable, so Cullen decided to gather information from the woman. It was easier to find something to do in such situations.

“I don’t recall there being a village here in the past.”

He asked what he had been curious about first, and the woman turned to look at Cullen behind her. She seemed pleased that he spoke to her, her face lighting up. As the woman moved, the Dragon also turned, frowning.

“Ah, yes! Everyone moved up from nearby. As you know, people need a place to live. The only places with knights to protect us are the Lefellon Territory and the Linden Territory. We were lucky. The continent is full of Demonic Beasts, but strangely, there are few beasts here.”

At the mention of the Linden Territory, Cullen recalled a face he had momentarily forgotten. He also remembered a promise he made with her just before his death. Ulrika, who had promised never to die and had guarded his back.

She seemed to be alive.

Recalling her brought a different feeling than when he thought of Arne. It wasn’t the uncomfortable feeling he had earlier. It was just that she kept coming to mind.

“Did you say the County of Linden?”

Cullen asked to confirm what he suspected, and the woman looked surprised.

“Oh my, we don’t use that term anymore. There’s no Empire now, is there?”

Her matter-of-fact tone made Cullen instinctively realize that much had changed over the years. At the same time, he faintly recalled the goddess’s words when he was resurrected. She had said the world was still not safe.

“Answer the question.”

At that moment, the silent Dragon urged her to answer. Startled by the dry command, the woman flinched. She cautiously looked at the Dragon and said,

“…Yes, well, the Linden Territory. I heard that Ulrika, the child of the previous Count Linden, returned, and the territory has been revitalized. The eastern part is effectively managed and protected by the Linden Territory.”

She spoke as if everyone knew this.

“I don’t know where you’ve been, but people who lived in the central or western regions are now drifters.”

“Is the Exion Territory like that too?”

“Yes, that place… unfortunate things happened, but the barbarians from beyond the mountains came and took it. Not only Demonic Beasts, but they were such fierce people… There’s someone in our village who lost her husband and child there.”

As they spoke, the village came into view.

The narrow mountain path widened and turned into cleared land. The village, built on a flat clearing, was quite a sight with its wooden palisade, central marketplace, and clusters of houses. It was small but seemed to have everything it needed.

As the Dragon, carrying the woman, and Cullen entered, a woman at the village entrance with her hair tied up spotted them.

“Selem!”

The woman exclaimed with surprised eyes, and the woman being carried waved her hand.

“Hope, I almost died!”

With that cheerfully exclaimed, Hope, the woman, ran over.

“That’s why I told you not to go alone, you fool.”

Hope, who had rushed over, stood before them. As Hope looked at them with wary eyes, Selem said,

“These adventurers saved me. But all the wild berries scattered…”

“Oh…!”

Listening to Selem, Hope looked at the Dragon with surprised eyes. She even pointed at the Dragon.

“You, you were here the other day, weren’t you? My father said a beautiful person who didn’t know the world came and took the money…”

Hope abruptly shut her mouth after saying that much. The Dragon narrowed his eyes and, instead of answering, put Selem down as if his task was done.

Selem, now on the ground, swayed and grabbed Cullen’s arm. The Dragon’s gaze fell on the hand holding Cullen.

“Ah, ah, I’m sorry!”

Selem apologized, her face turning bright red. But she didn’t let go of Cullen.

“It’s alright.”

Cullen said that and then looked at Hope. “Do you have a priest or a healer here?”

“It’s not that large a place, so everyone just tries to be careful not to get hurt. Are you badly injured, Selem?”

Hearing there was no healer, Cullen bent down to look at Selem’s ankle. He needed to check if it was broken or injured in some other way to treat it.

Fortunately, bruises like this were common injuries for Cullen, so treating them wasn’t difficult.

As he knelt to examine her ankle, the Dragon approached him. Looking up at him, Cullen saw the Dragon looking at him with a downcast face.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Since we’ve come this far, a simple examination should be fine.”

“Cullen.”

The Dragon seemed very displeased with Cullen being next to Selem. He called his name once as if to stop him, but Cullen touched her ankle. It was swollen around the ankle bone.

“May I touch it for a moment? May I have your permission?”

“Of, of course.”

Selem’s cheeks were completely flushed, and Hope watched with an “Oh my.” The Dragon’s expression changed ominously.

Unaware of this, Cullen, having received permission, took her ankle. Just as he carefully wrapped one hand around her ankle and was about to gently check if the bone was damaged.

As his skin touched his palm, a strange sensation lingered. A soft, refreshing energy gathered in his palm. Startled, he tried to pull his hand away, but the energy escaped his palm and moved to her ankle. Selem seemed to feel it too, as she blinked and looked down at her ankle.

As soon as the energy completely drained, Cullen removed his hand and stepped back. Then he examined the ankle with his eyes. Nothing had changed immediately, but he had definitely felt some kind of energy. His mind became confused. What was that he just felt?

Wondering if the Dragon had felt it too, he looked at him, but he seemed unaware. However, he was looking at Selem with narrowed eyes.

“That’s strange, it hurts much less!”

Selem exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise. She looked at Cullen and said excitedly.

“Just by you touching it, the pain is less than before.”

“Are you exaggerating?”

Hope teased, poking her, and Selem blushed and hit her back.

“Oh, what are you saying! This isn’t the time, thank you both so much. If you don’t mind, may I ask for the names of our benefactors? Please let us treat you to a meal as thanks!”

Although she said “both of you,” Selem’s gaze was fixed on Cullen.

“My name is Cullen. And this person is…”

Cullen closed his mouth. As he tried to say the Dragon’s name, his lips wouldn’t part, just like before.

It was a phenomenon he couldn’t understand at all. It wasn’t difficult to say his name, and he no longer felt any animosity towards him. Why… couldn’t he say it?

As Cullen remained silent, the Dragon stared at him, his brow furrowed. As a heavy silence suddenly fell, Hope and Selem exchanged glances. Feeling their gaze, Cullen tried to say the name again.

But he just couldn’t get the words out.

“Kiyen.”

Just as the silence was about to lengthen, the Dragon spoke his name himself. His pale face, shadowed, looked paler than before. After speaking his name briefly, he closed his mouth, and Hope and Selem quickly lightened the mood.

“Well, you must be hungry, so please follow us. For all it’s worth, Selem here is the best pie-maker in the village.”

Hope gestured, and Selem nodded. Cullen moved his lips, then finally nodded. He had a purpose for coming to the village, so it would be efficient to get help from those who knew the place. Thinking so, Cullen glanced at the Dragon.

When he turned his head, he saw the Dragon looking at him. In the eyes that met his, there was a quiet sadness.

Seeing that, his chest felt heavy.

When Selem’s father heard that Cullen and the Dragon had saved his daughter, he pressed Hope’s father to collect the money that had been extorted from the Dragon. Hope’s father laughed slyly, saying it was because he looked like a wealthy noble.

Cullen refused Selem’s offer of a meal and used the money he received to buy dried fish, pork, and grains from the village. He also bought a few outfits suitable for Young Dragons.

When he mentioned wanting to buy a horse, the merchant informed him that a medium-sized caravan that sold horses would arrive in about two weeks. It seemed there was no other way to obtain one until then. The few horses in the village were means of transport and valuable assets, and Cullen had no intention of taking them.

After finishing their errands, they left the village before sunset. The Dragon had been silent since earlier. He had simply stayed behind Cullen, silently guarding him.

After only three days, Cullen had grown accustomed to the Dragon speaking first, so this silence felt strange. The expression the Dragon had shown when he couldn’t say his name lingered in his mind, annoyingly so.

Only after leaving the village outskirts did the Dragon finally speak. The streaked sunset dyed his pale cheeks red.

“I will carry the load.”

A white hand was extended. Cullen looked down at the hand, then quietly gazed at the Dragon. He was expressionless.

“Did I make a mistake?”

Cullen asked. He felt like he knew the answer, but it didn’t register in his mind. At his question, the Dragon slowly blinked his eyelashes. Facing the gently flowing sky, the Dragon opened his mouth.

“When will you… call my name?”

The small, whispered voice trembled slightly.