There’s No Way I Can Raise a Dragon Daughter

“Tiamat. This is a rather serious matter.”

One moment during which we were exploring the house and enjoying meals.

Nikolai suddenly spoke in a low voice that seemed out of place, trying to sound serious.

It was quite a humorous scene, but his attitude didn’t seem particularly playful.

“Nikolai! Eat dessert! It’s the raspberries that Tia brought with the Hekheki!”

“Listen when I speak!”

“Mmm. I’m listening. Still, you should talk while eating. It would be a shame not to enjoy delicious food.”

“You’re the only one who would feel that way…”

Nikolai, who received the plate thrust in front of him with annoyance, picked a raspberry from it and started to eat it with eyes wide open, rapidly consuming it.

How did we go from serious talk to this…

“This is delicious!”

“Mhmm. I told you it was tasty.”

“Why don’t they serve this at the palace! I must demand that they serve raspberries as dessert starting tomorrow!”

“Um, unless you want to be called a tyrant, it might be best to hold back…”

At our home, they are always piled up, so I sometimes forget, but raspberries are quite rare.

It seems Tia and the Hekheki have an excellent sense of smell, bringing back a large batch every time they go for a walk.

But if I ask Nikolai to collect raspberries in the middle of winter, wouldn’t complaints against him arise?

“How about you trying your hand at growing raspberries, Your Highness? I know it’s been attempted several times at small farms, but they have always failed.”

“That’s a great idea. To have this deliciousness grown under the strict management of the imperial family… No! That’s not what’s important! I mentioned there was something serious to discuss! No one is paying attention!”

I had been watching to see how far I could lead him off track with gentle prodding.

Unfortunately, Nikolai quickly snapped back to his senses.

Since he was speaking with a serious tone, it required my full attention.

I barely held back a laugh and gave Nikolai a look that indicated it was okay to speak.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Um… it’s nothing… Heh, cough…”

He might be trying to look serious, but I found it incredibly funny that his mouth was stained red with raspberry juice…

He really does look like a child at times.

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s a very serious matter. It’s about Tiamat.”

“Me? Talking about Tia? What is it? What is it?”

“Tiamat. Your life is in danger.”

“……”

The atmosphere became slightly heavy.

I gently held Tia’s hand.

I had a rough idea of what was coming.

“Various research institutions have investigated Jackson and the Hekheki and have achieved significant results. They’ve managed to learn quite a bit about the rays you emit from your horn.”

“That came from Tia’s horn?!”

“You didn’t know… Anyway, your ray possesses the power to annihilate magical power itself. It can erase anything composed of magical power. Let me say this again, it’s annihilation, not destruction!”

“Mmm…?”

Nikolai spoke with a strong tone, striking the table.

Yet, Tia still appeared disinterested, as though she was questioning why he was even saying something she already knew.

Nikolai, seemingly frayed by this, slumped back onto the sofa.

“Mmm, I know! That’s how I was able to turn the Hekheki back into Hekheki.”

“That’s not the limit of your power.”

“Mmm? What does that mean?”

“It means you have the power to not just destroy, but to completely annihilate the structure that constitutes magical beings. In other words, you could eradicate the very source from which monstrosities are born. If you use your strength, you can create a world where no new monstrosities are born. That’s what I’m trying to say.”

Nikolai elaborated with a serious expression.

I had somewhat expected this information.

Preventing the birth of monstrosities was theoretically impossible.

The best countermeasure to mitigate their impact was to regularly eradicate them and pour significant divine power onto their sources to suppress them.

A fundamental solution did not exist.

At least, not until now.

“Really? Then isn’t that incredibly good?”

“It’s not that simple. There are those who survive because of the existence of monstrosities.”

“Who are those?”

“The zealots.”

Nikolai’s expression twisted slightly at this.

It appeared he wasn’t pleased with the term he had chosen.

“Your Highness, perhaps choose your words a little…”

“I know, I know! Should I just call them church folks?”

“That’s acceptable. Words reflect the person, and if they are not kept clean…”

“I’ve heard that to the point of it being grating! Anyway! If all the monstrosities disappear, it would cause a lot of trouble for the church folks, who rely on heinous monster extermination as their main promotional method.”

Until now, the church had sent knight orders anywhere monstrosities had caused damage, executing extermination missions for free.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely for free.

The places that received help from the church had to fall under the influence of the Papal Office in some form or another.

It would be fair to say that the church’s dominance, having secured numerous followers across the nation, was entirely thanks to the existence of monstrosities.

“So what will happen? Will the church people starve because of Tia?”

“Well, whether they starve or not is not your concern. If their livelihoods are cut off, they’ll find a new way for themselves. The problem is that they will undoubtedly choose the easier route instead of forging a new path.”

“The easier route, Your Highness?”

“Eliminating Tiamat.”

At this moment, unease crept in.

The answer that echoed back was exactly as I expected.

I felt a tightening in my chest.

The church is viewing Tia as a thorn in their side.

They might try to eliminate Tia in the future.

That thought caused my heart to feel heavy.

‘As soon as we step out of Dragania, this happens…’

When I was with the duke, I didn’t have to worry about such things.

For a while, I even forgot about Tia’s immense strength and the prophecies concerning me.

Yet, the moment I stepped out of his embrace, complicated issues began to arise.

“So what should we do? I don’t want Tia to make the church people starve! Is it okay to just destroy the source of monstrosities?”

“It’s not such a simple problem. Even if you declare that, the church folks would never believe it. They need someone to vouch for your words.”

“Vouch? Who would do that?”

“Me. Nikolai Vladimir, Crown Prince of the Vladimir Empire. I shall vouch for it in my name to convince the church folks that Tiamat is safe and requires no checks.”

“……”

I was left speechless.

Did I just hear that correctly?

The Papal Office, which holds sway over the world, wants to eliminate Tia, and Nikolai is saying he will stop them?

It felt so unrealistic that I was momentarily dumbfounded.

“Why? Why would you do that?”

“What are you asking?”

“Why… are you willing to take such risks? Turning the church into an enemy will bring you no good. It will only get harder for your succession and everything that comes afterward.”

“Hmph. Do you think I care? I do it because it is the right thing to do. How can I cast aside a talent born with such powerful and valuable strength just because some zealots are bothersome?”

“……”

Nikolai snorted and crossed his arms.

Because it was the right thing to do.

That was a perfectly sound answer, leaving me without anything more to question.

I felt like I had been struck hard on the back of the head.

This was the first time after coming into this world that I witnessed someone willing to act for the sake of what was ‘right’ without caring about the consequences.

Regardless of who they were.

It couldn’t simply be dismissed as the folly of an innocent child.

Nikolai truly must possess the power to realize his own sense of justice.

“Mhmm! Thank you, Nikolai! I’m not sure I quite understand, but you’re standing by Tia, right?”

“Get away! It’s hot! And I’m not helping you for free! You’ll have to repay me properly!”

“Got it!”

Tia, hugging him as she would with me and the Hekheki, caught Nikolai off guard, making his face turn deep red, but he didn’t show any signs of disgust.

Normally, this would have been a moment to get angry.

I would have growled at anyone daring to look at my Tia.

But for some reason…

For just a brief moment, I felt it would be alright to marry Tia off to Nikolai.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, a pang of pain struck my heart.

*

“It’s been a while, Schwarz.”

“……”

In a dimly lit restaurant.

Schwarz, entering in ragged clothing, slowly scanned his surroundings.

All the tables in the restaurant had been pushed to the corners, leaving only one table in the center.

Sitting there, patiently waiting, was none other than Grand Duchess Anastasia.

The Emperor’s eldest daughter, who had once been discussed as a potential match for Schwarz.

“You may sit down. I won’t charge you any fees.”

“……”

Schwarz took a seat opposite Anastasia, and dishes began to arrive one after another.

They were clearly made from the finest ingredients.

Normally, he wouldn’t have given them a glance, but having gone days without eating, Schwarz automatically swallowed at the sight of the food.

“You look pitiful. Why don’t you turn back into a dragon and live freely?”

“Just…”

Since he voluntarily renounced his title, Schwarz had not transformed into a dragon even once.

He wandered around in human form, looking like a beggar.

It wasn’t out of stubbornness.

Turning back into his dragon form was now genuinely physiologically impossible.

But Schwarz decided to hide all of this in front of Anastasia.

“Regardless of the reason, it’s fine. Schwarz. For now, let’s fill your stomach. Afterward, come to my house to wash up and see me. You can even stay as long as you want.”

“……”

Showing no interest in the food in front of him, Anastasia pushed the dishes to the side and rested her chin on her hand.

Feeling the gaze of her smiling eyes upon him was burdensome, causing Schwarz to put the fork he had picked up down again.

This kindness didn’t come for free.

If he ate it, he would owe a debt to Anastasia.

“I’m sorry. I thought you called me for something important, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. So I’ll take my leave.”

“Schw… Schwarz!”

Schwarz, taken aback by Anastasia’s sudden movement, stood to leave.

Soon, Anastasia caught up and grabbed his wrist, but he shrugged her off immediately.

“Schwarz! I understand. It’s because you’ve adapted too well to human society that you can’t leave, right? That’s why even after losing everything, you can’t go.”

“……”

Half of that was correct and half was wrong.

It was true he couldn’t leave, but he hadn’t adapted to a human body.

His huge form, black scales had now come to disgust and repel him.

“I might have seemed unenthusiastic about the match we discussed last time, but I was sincere. I still am. Even if you’ve lost everything, it doesn’t matter, Schwarz. Would you consider coming to me even if not right now?”

“Anastasia…?”

“Yes. I’m listening.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m a body that can’t love any other human woman.”

“It’s fine, even if you are not loved. If you would just stay by my side…”

“Do I need to say it in a more crass and direct manner? You could never stand beside me. So let it go.”

“……”

With a thud.

Anastasia fell dejectedly to the ground, unable to pursue Schwarz any longer.

He left the restaurant and stepped into the rain-soaked city.

He had become indifferent to any form of stimuli or temptation.

It didn’t matter if he collapsed while wandering like this.

Now he only wished to die without anyone knowing.

He imagined Yulia would want that too.

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