Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 124: Sapphire Dragon

So I ran deeper into the woods, trying not to lose Bai Hu from my sight. Once he stops running, I quickly hide behind him and brace myself for the worst. I may have gotten stronger, but Wind told me that I have to expect anything more dangerous that I can't defeat on my own.

I take a deep breath as Bai Hu and I step into the clearing. I raise my hand to prepare for any potential battle and...

[Rawr!]

...Huh?

I looked down where we heard the noise and to my surprise, it was a monster that looked like a small dragon. It has blue shiny scales, small wings, white claws on its feet, and golden eyes. Just staring at it somehow makes my heart flutter, probably from how cute it looks.

[Oh. I didn't expect a young [Sapphire Dragon] to have gone astray in my territory.]

Astray? Just the name alone reminds me of Wind's sword.

"Do you mean it isn't from around here?"

Bai Hu nods and says, [A flock of [Sapphire Dragons] tends to fly over this continent during a monthly migration. There's a rare chance some of their young babies stray off for reasons such as independence out of impatience or ones that you might be heartbroken to hear. But I never expect one to manage to find themself in here. Even the outsiders who are not mortals have difficulty exploring here if I'm around.]

I look at the young dragon as Bai Hu tells me about it. I wonder if it might be abandoned, yet I don't see any wounds around its body other than a few scratches that might be similar to when I was bullied. "So it's not abandoned?"

[By the looks of it, it seemed to be one of the few impatient ones. Luckily, I can sense a bit of his mana from his mother nearby. If she comes by, I may need to pacify her a bit. [Sapphire Dragons] tend to be aggressive towards mortals near their younglings.]

And since I'm here...

Oh no... That might be a good idea. Wind isn't with me right now, but I don't want to fight a dragon, especially against someone's mother.

"But what do we do with this little guy? Like you said, I can't stay here unless his Mom mistakes me for a poacher."

[Hmmm... We can't exactly leave the younglings alone. Once I leave my territory to avoid the misunderstanding, who knows what the monsters here will do?]

That's true. Honestly, the dragon reminds me of...me.

I was excited when I entered elementary school. It was the very same one Hayate attended, so I wanted to experience what it was like for him in school. However, reality hit me like a dragon's fireball. Some kids didn't seem to like me, some bullied me to the point that I wished to not go to school anymore. If it wasn't for Hayate and my parents, I don't know what to do next in life.

This dragon was before elementary school and honestly, I don't want him to experience the bullies I had to endure for most of my life.

"...Can I keep an eye on him?"

[Huh?] I can see him tilting his head once I ask that question.

"I-I know I can't fight with a sword or archery like Wind, but I can't leave this little guy alone. It's not because I still want a [Familiar]. I don't want him to get himself hurt. So please, Bai Hu... Let me guard the dragon until you get back."

Okay, that might be too much to ask. I could hear his growl as he looked at me and the baby dragon. [I don't know...]

Yeah, Bai Hu might be hesitant to let me babysit a rare dragon. I get he doesn't want someone like me to deal with such a big responsibility. But I have to take it. I'm already grown up and I want to prove to Wind that I can take any challenge alone. It's not about the [Familiar] anymore. I just want this dragon to have a good life with his family.