51

 

Sasha smiled at Lara.

 

“Yeah, you look starved. Should I grill a lot of meat?”

 

Spica replied to Sasha instead of Lara.

 

“Grill the whole thing. I can eat that much by myself.”

 

Sasha stared at the little girl with a dumbfounded look but prepared the whole deer without a remark. Having dexterously removed the skin and intestines outside the cave, he skewered the whole deer on a long and thick branch. Id set a bonfire between two thick branches he fixed into the ground. Sasha put the deer over the bonfire and sprinkled salt and spices, and a delicious smell filled the cave. Having set another bonfire, Id boiled vegetable soup. During the process, Selena made a request as well.

 

“Don’t put only vegetables in the soup, but some meat too. I’m going to eat meat from now on, starting with deer meat tonight.”

 

“Is that alright?”

 

“Yes, meat is edible. You don’t have to prepare vegetarian food for me. When necessary, I’ll pick fruits or mushrooms, so don’t worry about me.”

 

When Id nodded to Selena, Spica intervened in their conversation.

 

“Elf, why do you want to eat meat? My share will be reduced.”

 

Sasha said, laughing.

 

“I’ll have less meat than usual, so don’t worry.”.

 

“You have to keep your promise.”

 

When the dear meat was broiled enough, Sasha cut a large slice and gave it to Spica, but, shaking her head, she cut off a whole leg and devoured it. The girl, who ate one leg at tremendous speed, said, cutting another leg off.

 

“Why aren’t you eating? Don’t whine about me later after I eat it all.”

 

Lara quickly cut off slices of the meat and started eating it, but the other three stared blankly at the odd little girl eating deer meat at an incredible pace. When Spica ate more than half the deer, Selena said,

 

“You are not a human. Who are you?”

 

Looking at Selena, Spica said, smiling strangely.

 

“It’s hard to identify a polymorphic being, as it changes its nature entirely. The elf is insightful as expected!”

 

After carefully examining the appearances of Lara and Id alternately, Spica shouted an initiator.

 

“Polymorph.”

 

Spica’s body grew bigger and bigger, turning into a golden dragon figure. Although the body was only five meters long, and the wings were still too small to fly, the appearance was definitely that of a gold dragon. The next moment, Spica’s body shrank again and turned into a high-teen girl. She had almost the same height and body figure as Lara, and her face resembled Id except for her long blond hair, light brown eyes and delicate jawline.

 

“As I was the only one who was too small here, I changed my appearance. Do you like it? Well, you don’t look surprised to see a dragon’s hatchling.”

 

As no one in the party responded to her, Spica told Lara.

 

“If you have any extra change of clothes, give me some. It must be uncomfortable for you to see me naked, though it doesn’t matter to me.”

 

She was naked since her clothes were torn apart during the transformation. Id and Sasha had already been looking at the cave’s entrance, turning their heads. Lara took out a suit of travel clothes and gave it to Spica. As she dressed herself, she told Selena.

 

“Usually, dwarves and elves get stiff with fear when they see dragons. You are a unique elf.”

 

Gazing into Spica’s eyes, Selena said,

 

“It is true that most creatures generally fear dragons, but some of them do not. Most humans shiver when they meet dragons, but some of them are as calm as my friends here. On rare occasions, there appear even reckless human beings who hunt dragons. No elves would try to hunt a dragon, but not all elves get stiff when they meet a dragon. What’s more, aren’t you still a fragile hatchling that needs a lot more time to awaken as a genuine dragon? There’s no reason for me to be afraid of you.”

 

“What did you say? A fragile hatchling? Would you like to get beaten up by a fragile hatchling today?”

 

Id intervened between the two girls when the elf and the dragon’s hatchling set off a stormy atmosphere as if about to start a fight. He gave Selena a soft look and talked to Spica.

 

“Come on, let’s finish eating. There’s still a lot of meat left, and you did not even taste my soup yet.”

 

As Id attempted to calm the riled up mood, Spica’s facial expression, which had been scrunched up in fury, soon relaxed. As the party sat around the bonfire again and began to eat, Selena asked Spica in a calm voice.

 

“As far as I know, dragon hatchlings’ contact with other kinds of intelligent beings, especially humans, before they awaken as true dragons, is strictly prohibited. Is it alright for you to be interacting with us like this?”

 

Listening to Selena, Spica looked a little worried.

 

“I didn’t mean to come into contact with humans. I’ve been studying so much lately that I came out to play while my mom was out hunting. I came all the way here because I was intrigued by Id’s abilities to disable my magic attacks so easily. It would be a big deal if my mom finds out that I contacted humans, so I’ll go back to my lair in a little while.”

 

Id burst into laughter at Spica’s comments.

 

“So the scary monster you mentioned in the other cave was your mother?”

 

“He he, that’s what humans call us, isn’t it?”

 

Although Spica said she would return to her lair shortly, she talked with Id’s party for a long time. Mostly she asked questions and the others took turns answering. When the conversation stopped for a while, Lara asked Spica.

 

“Why did you transform into a little girl?”

 

“If you want to do Polymorph, you have to observe your target closely. When I was a kid, I ran into a hunter and his daughter, so I transformed into something similar to her. It’s better to be small when I go around secretly without my mom’s knowing, but from now, I’m going to polymorph like this.”

 

Id was slightly uncomfortable with Spica’s current appearance. She had based her appearance off of him, and anyone who saw them together would believe she was his sister, but he did not express his feelings. Listening to their conversation, Sasha started to circulate manna, sitting in the posture he learned from Id. After accepting Id’s advice, Sasha carried out his manna circulation whenever he could. One day, his manna circulation, which had started an hour before dawn, continued until noon. After a while, Lara also started her manna circulation. Selena said she did not feel good staying in the cave for a long time and climbed up a large oak tree at the entrance of the cave. Spica asked Id.

 

“What are they doing now?”

 

Id briefly explained to Spica the method of manna circulation, which he had created.

 

“What you call a manna hall seems similar to a Dragon Heart, even though the Dragon Hearts are made in the neck, not in the lower abdomen. I think the process of refining and condensing manna according to your method is exactly the same as the process of making a Dragon Heart. Now I understand why you are so strong. You use the manna condensed in your manna hall when you fight. I also want to learn your manna circulation method. My current polymorphous body is just like the actual human body, so, I think, I can learn it, too.”

 

Id did not know if it was alright for Spica, a dragon hatchling, to learn his method of manna circulation, but he decided to take it easy since he thought Spica’s mother would solve it even if there was a problem. As Id explained to Spica in detail how to breathe, circulate manna, and what pose to take during training, Spica immediately sat in the posture and started manna circulation. After a brief look at Spica circulating manna without difficulties, Id started his own manna circulation.

 

After a half-hour of training, Id opened his eyes since he heard a tremendous roar. Id looked around at his party. Having stopped their manna circulation, Lara and Spica looked at him, but Spica’s condition seemed abnormal. Her face was pale, and her hands were shaking. Id asked, holding her hands.

 

“What’s going on? Are you alright?”

 

“My mom is yelling at me to run away. I think she is in danger.”

 

Astonished, Lara asked,

 

“So that’s a dragon roar? Who could threaten a dragon?”

 

Spica was just trembling, shaking her head, without a word. Id left Spica to Lara and approached Sasha, still carrying out his manna circulation. As Id was carefully examining Sasha’s condition, Selena entered the cave and said,

 

“It’s a dragon roar. Spica, I think your mother is looking for you.”

 

As Spica said nothing, Lara replied instead.

 

“The dragon is not looking for Spica. It’s telling her to run away from danger.”

 

Id returned and told Lara and Selena. 

 

“Sasha seems to be at a crucial moment of his manna training. He is probably just a step away from manifesting his mana hall, so I don’t want to disturb him. Please, protect Sasha. I will go to Spica’s mother to find out what is going on.”