CH 9

Su was a noble dragon.

Before Su became Su, she lived near a large spring. The purple and black bubbling spring was poisonous, so weak creatures didn’t come close, and strong creatures were beaten by Su.

Just a flap of her wings away was the home of a group of some small creatures called humans. Su’s hunger couldn’t be filled with just one human, but they were the best pack hunters in the area. She’d seen many other dragons get captured, but she never thought much of it because her only true friend was herself.

Su lived as she pleased. She woke up when she wanted, she ate what she wanted, she bullied who she wanted, and she played by crushing rocks and riding updrafts. Dragons of the same species as Su often lived near weaker creatures, so they lived carefree lives. The place where Su was born was near a larger group of humans, who she came to think of as annoying. Humans were troublesome since she could fight off an attack, but then they would come back in greater numbers.

One day, as Su was throwing crushed rocks into the spring to watch the liquid splatter, she heard human voices. Perching on a strong tree branch and listening silently, it looked like they were close. Even if there were only two of them, she didn’t want her territory to be disturbed.

“Sir, no offense, but please don’t do this. The horses can’t go any further. Same for the carriage.”

“… I’m in a hurry.”

“Don’t be like that. If we go any further west, our lives will be in danger. You could reach Galgancia on a dragon in no time, but half of the adventurers that come through here for the first time just walk to the next city.”

Su planned on approaching them without making a sound and attacking from above. There were also horses. Maybe that would help her stomach a bit. One of the humans was looking around, but didn’t notice Su.

“Ride dragon, how?”

“If you’re an adventurer, shouldn’t you know? If you capture one and make it think you’re a friend, you can ride on its back. But even the knights are having a hard time capturing one, so you’d be the first to do it.”

Su, who was about to swoop down on the humans, suddenly felt a strong impact on her head and fell out of the tree. She had no idea what had happened. As she struggled with her swirling vision, she heard the humans’ voices.

“Can this be ridden, too?”

“Hiiieee!! It’s a dragon! We’re going to be killed!…”

One of the humans screamed and ran away from the carriage as Su shook her head to regain her senses. There was a man who had apparently hit Su’s head with something, and went he went to pick up a stick that had fallen beside her, she was furious.

I’ll tear you apart!

“You. Ride?”

The human who had hit Su was talking about something. She didn’t have the energy to respond anymore. For the first time in her life, Su shed tears of regret.

However, the person in front of her was able to defeat the strong and magnificent Su. She was so fine and indomitable that she didn’t know there could be a human that surpassed her. Since Su was so great, the one who defeated her must’ve surely been even greater.

Su had no choice but to become a member of the humans, so she bowed down and allowed the man to give her a name.

Even though he had been forgiven, the man brazenly stepped on her face, walking to her back over her neck. She didn’t remember allowing that much. She got angry and tried to bite the human, but each time she tried, she was only hit once more, so she just started flying, sobbing and wailing.

Humans more magnificent than Su were terrible towards Su.

But Su’s streak of misfortune was just beginning.

She was flown around noisy places, kicked if she asked for a name, ordered to change direction by having the roots of her wings yanked on, flown here and there, then left alone, panting for breath.

This is how Su, a noble dragon, was treated.

When she couldn’t take it anymore, she lashed out and finally got the name “Su”. She was treated badly like usual, but she forgave it this time. Su was a respectable Su.

Herds usually stuck together. Herds of humans also made their homes very close to each other’s. Su became a member of a human’s pack, so she thought she would also live in one of their houses, but the human greater than her shooed her back into the forest.

For some reason, they had been working together ever since she had lost to the human. 

Su was lonely. 

So, Su decided to go into the human settlement to search for the humans. She thought it would be okay as long as she didn’t make any noise.

She looked for the human greater than her from atop the various-shaped human nests. He was easy to find, and she saw him about to enter a nest with another human, smaller than him. It was the little human she had seen earlier. Even though it was small, it was scolding the human greater than Su. Su thought that this one must have been someone even greater than the human greater than her, since he didn’t try to resist the little human.

The human greater than Su carried the little human, rubbing his head against it from time to time. Then it hit her.

They’re a couple!!

Su was a great and strong dragon, so she had never considered living with someone, but some dragons found a partner and lived with them, forming a couple. If they took good care of each other and spent time together in the burrow, an egg would crack and the number of dragons would increase. She wasn’t too sure about the details, but she knew it was important for the dragons.

She couldn’t see them anymore since they’d entered their nest, but it seemed like humans also had couples. She hadn’t known until now — she hadn’t been interested in humans. No one else could enter a nest where a couple lived, so no matter how great of a friend or dragon Su was, she couldn’t enter.

Su was finally convinced.

Su was a dragon that could read the atmosphere, so she decided to keep quiet and sleep in the forest full of weak creatures. Humans re-emerged in the morning, so she could go see them then. The human greater than Su was important to her, so the little human would be a friend as well.

Hoping that her new friend would treat her well, Su flew away quietly.