"I am coming with thee..."
"Wait... what?"
The dragon's enormous face remains just inches from mine, and its declaration is still ringing in my ears.
This is too sudden, but in that moment, I already know I've lost... to fate and to whatever force in this world keeps tossing insanity into my supposedly "cozy" life.
So, I can only let out a slow sigh.
"Fine, you can come with me."
The dragon's eyes glint with something dangerously close to smug satisfaction.
"Did I not already proclaim… that thou hadst no right to refuse?"
"Yeah, well… you did."
It bursts into laughter... again.
"MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Then brace thyself! Behold mine mortal form! Gasp and be stricken by mine unrivaled beauty!"
And suddenly, light begins to glow and spreads across the kraken's body, causing me to jerk as I instinctively shield my eyes.
"Gah... again?!"
That blinding glow is like a déjà vu for me because I'd experienced the same thing with Salacia back then.
And just like that, the colossal serpentine begins shrinking. Even through the blinding flare, I catch a glimpse of a silhouette… a tall, feminine figure, arms down, back arched, hips out like she's striking a dramatic pose mid-transformation.
Once the glow fades, what stands there is not a dragon anymore, but a woman.
She's just as beautiful as Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, and Salacia. Her hair is long, flowing red, and falling past her waist. Her skin is smooth and glowing with a faint golden undertone, which is the same kind Yomogi and I have.
And if Chantal's the tallest among the girls and Kimberly's got the largest bust, this dragon woman has just claimed both titles because she towers past Chantal and her breasts are bigger than Kimberly's. Of course, her hips are curvy and her butt is perfectly round, just like the others.
To emphasize her tall, curvy figure, she wears a sleeveless red dress, which I safely assume is a cheongsam, with gold floral patterns and very high slits on each of her thighs that reach her hips.
As for her dragon traits... since she's an Oriental dragon, she obviously doesn't have wings. And instead of curved horns like a Western one, she has those long, regal antlers arching from her head. Behind her, a thick red, scaly tail coils gently... and that's the only part of her body with visible scales.
When she opens her eyes, that sharp obsidian gaze glares up at me as she clicks her tongue.
"Tch. Even now, I remain shorter than thee. How irritating."
"Huh?"
"Tell me, who art thou truly? Some giant in disguise, mayhap?"
And I laugh awkwardly.
"Ahaha... I'm just human. I happen to be tall, that's all."
Seriously?
Even my height annoys her?
Yes, I know I'm tall... but that's not something to be mad about, right?
I didn't choose to grow like this, you know?
"I lose at everything to thee."
She mutters low to herself and clicks her tongue again.
"Tch… I cannot believe I am about to say this…"
She raises her head, eyes locking onto mine with a strange intensity that's not quite frustration and not quite surrender either.
"Mine king."
"Huh?"
"I shall be thy queen from this day forth. Be proud of thyself, for a queen such as I shall now bow before thee and obey whate'er thou desirest… whithersoever thou goest."
Hahaha... great. Congratulations, Motegi.
You're officially a king now.
"Umm... can you not call me that? I'm just a normal human, you know?"
She narrows her eyes sharply and responds without hesitation.
"No. I hath conquered mine kin, outlasted the fiercest of dragons, and ascended to the apex, unmatched and invincible. And yet, thou hast laid me low… humbled me. What else should I call thee but mine king?"
Honestly, I'm tired of debating it because I know it will be useless anyway. Just like how Salacia calls me "darling," I guess this dragon won't change her way of calling me "mine king."
"Alright, call me whatever you want."
"Very well."
A smirk spreads across her face, and I swear I see a hint of triumph in her eyes. And then, I turn toward the group and gesture one by one.
"Anyway… let me introduce them."
I point a finger at the wolfkin.
"She's Yomogi."
Yomogi bows deeply at her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, dairyū-sama." (TS: dairyū = great dragon)
Next up, I gesture to the pantherkin beside Yomogi.
"She's Chantal."
Chantal also bows at her.
"Dairyū-sama!"
Then, I point a finger at the elf.
"She's Kimberly."
Kimberly does the same thing.
"It's… an honor… to meet you... dairyū-sama..."
After that, I gesture to the automaton.
"And she's Pinna."
Pinna follows the others and bows deeply.
"Log: uploading new dragon companion… complete."
Finally, I glance to the kraken.
"And she's Salacia. Best healer and alchemist I've ever had."
"Hehe~..."
Salacia giggles, eyes twinkling with pride. And then, the dragon woman lets out a sudden, amused laugh.
"Hah! Truly, thou art a curious man… A pleasure to meet thee all, mine king's concubines."
"Ehhh?!"
And their reactions explode in sync as Yomogi's cheeks go bright red.
"C-Concubines?! No, no, no! W-We're not... I mean..."
Chantal's head jerks.
"Oi! That's a bit much, isn't it?! Don't just call us that!"
Kimberly gasps and puts a hand on her mouth.
"T-That's… not accurate…"
Even Pinna, normally unflinching, flushes slightly.
"The term 'concubine' implies a one-sided, subordinate dynamic centered around ownership. Our current relationship with Master is… emotionally mutual and built on shared affection and autonomy. The term is mismatched."
Meanwhile, Salacia just leans against me, pressing her chest into my arm.
"He doesn't treat me that way. Right, darling?"
"Y-Yeah, of course."
The dragon woman blinks and reels slightly.
"Impossible…"
She stares at them, then at me, and then at all of them again.
"These women… are not thy concubines? How is this possible?"
"That's just how it is. I love all of them equally. They're the people I want to live with… forever."
And then, the whole group turns red.
"Mou, Motegi-chan…"
"Y-You flattered me, Motegi-kun…"
"Motegi-sama… you're so... sincere..."
"Master… such direct confession is unexpected..."
"Fufu~... darling~…"
The dragon woman stares at me in disbelief.
"Thou art truly strange..."
In the end, I introduce myself.
"And I'm Motegi."
The dragon woman gives a small scoff, as if my name isn't interesting at all.
"Good. 'Tis fitting to know the name of the human who hath bested me in mine own domain. But I shall still call thee... mine king."
"Umm... okay."
Then, when I try to ask her a question...
"So, uh… do you have any other name? You know, besides 'Crimson Dragon'?"
She suddenly throws her head back and bursts into another thunderous, theatrical laugh.
"A name? MWAHAHAHAHA!! Nay!"
"Eh?"
Why is she so proud of that?
This woman... is really too proud of everything, even for just not having a name.
"Apex beasts such as I… are born nameless. We require not such trappings. If they hath chosen to call me 'Crimson Dragon' for the hue of mine scales, then that is mine 'formal' name."
Then, she points toward Salacia.
"Thou hast given this kraken a name. If thou wishest to name me also, I shall accept it."
After that, he places a hand to her chest.
"A gift from mine king is a treasure I shall carry until the stars extinguish."
And suddenly, the dragon woman closes her eyes and stretches her arms wide, chest proud.
"Come, then. Name thy new queen, mine king."
I freeze.
I mean... Seriously?
Is that how she says, "Please, give me a name"?
This woman... her superiority complex truly has no bounds.
And now I'm standing here, once again, just like what I did to Salacia back then, and facing the most difficult quest of my life... naming an unbelievably tall, gorgeous, voluptuous, and overbearingly proud woman.
Okay, let's see how my brain works.
Back with Salacia back then, her tentacled hair easily reminded me of seaweed, which reminded me of Neptune's sea-goddess consort... and that was what her name came from.
But this woman doesn't have any standout features, and she's just like... yeah, a normal dragon woman you always see in RPGs or anime.
Especially, like I said before, she's already a geographical contradiction because she's an oriental dragon wearing Chinese clothing but living in a desert. So no matter what cultural direction I pick, nothing's going to match her anyway. And again, naming a kraken "Salacia" was already a mismatch, since krakens are Scandinavian and Salacia is Roman, so why not keep the tradition going?
With that, I start thinking about her cave: The Cave of Thousands Snakes, with the literal meaning. And then, I remembered about a deity associated with snakes from India, but since the deity's name is obviously feminine... I think I should tweak it and make it a little more neutral.
With that, I gently place my hand on her head and speak clearly.
"From now on, your name will be Manas."
Her eyes flutter open slowly. She looks up at me with a strange softness, repeating the word like she's tasting it.
"Manas..."
Then, she smiles serenely.
"A beautiful name. If this is thy desire… then I accept it, mine king."
But the next moment, that serenity is gone as her hands slam to her hips and she puffs her chest proudly, looking directly at the girls.
"MWAHAHAHA!! Doth thou hear me, every one of thou?! From this moment forth, I am Manas, named by none other than mine king himself! Address me so, and be honored!"
Salacia claps excitedly.
"Manas~! Let's get along, okay~?"
"We do, Salacia."
But Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna look… awkward, like they're still overwhelmed by their new companion. Manas notices, but she smiles kindly.
"Fear not. I seek not thine reverence. He hath spoken of love and equality among thee. Call me Manas. I wish to walk… beside thee."
And with that, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna start to speak even though some of them still stammer.
"Then... welcome, Manas..."
"U-Uh, yes... Manas, it is."
"It's… a pleasure… to meet you… officially, Manas..."
"Understood. Registration for new companion name. Designation: Manas. Complete."
Then, Manas turns to me.
"Shalt we return to thy abode now, mine king?"
"You're actually coming with us?"
"Aye. I have chosen it. I desire to walk beside thee... and the others."
"Okay."
"Very well, mine king."
Without another word, she extends her hand, and in an instant, every treasure surrounding us disappears.
"'Tis done."
Yeah, it must be her [Storage] skill.
Apparently, people in this world have it, not just me. Even Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, and Salacia also have one, although Pinna insists on calling it a "program" instead of a "skill" because of her disbelief over magic or anything related to it. But what makes my [Storage] different is my dimensional inventory has no limit, and I guess this is my benefit for being an otherworlder.
"Shalt we depart, mine king?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
Then, I turn to the others.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
With that, we walk together out of the chamber and head back toward the entrance. However, I forgot to cast Dome spell, and I was too late to realize that this is the dim corridor filled with hundreds of snakes, still slithering along the walls and ceiling.
But strangely, none of them attack, which makes Chantal also curious.
"Hey, Manas... why aren't these things coming at us?"
And Manas just smiles smugly.
"Of course they dare not. These serpents have not laid fang nor coil upon me since the day I arrived centuries ago. Not once."
And that's enough to surprise me and Kimberly.
"Hold on, 'arrived'? What do you mean?"
"So… this cave... is not… your nest…?"
Manas nods.
"Aye. The cave and its serpentine denizens existed long before my arrival."
And then, she continues speaking.
"I hath battled all mine kin… and ne'er hath I known defeat. All were felled beneath mine might. Humans and ogres, too, came seeking glory, and none could withstand even a fraction of mine power."
She pauses for a moment before continuing to speak.
"In time, I wearied of battle. Thus did I wander in search of solitude, and I discovered this cavern. The serpents within did not rise against me, nor did they cower. They simply accepted mine presence. For centuries, they guarded me. Not a single challenger reached mine chamber. The serpents granted unto me the peace I sought for four millennia."
"Four millennia?!"
"Aye..."
It means... when Manas claimed she was as ancient as Salacia, she wasn't lying.
They're all 4,000-year-old beings.
"But now, the world hath shifted. Since thou hast bested me, I am no longer fit to dwell here."
So basically, she's like a warrior who conquered everything and reached the very peak but chose to retire out of pure exhaustion, and somehow, she found a place that understood her and gave her the rest no one else would. Her legend unclaimed for centuries… until I happened to walk in.
And maybe those rumors about the Crimson Dragon "guarding" this cave weren't quite right after all because she wasn't the guardian... it was the snakes all along, as she only happened to find this place and rested here.
Also, now that I think about it… that would mean the pilus follis laying their eggs safely here had nothing to do with Manas. It was probably thanks to the snakes after all.
Then, I curiously ask something that makes her burst into laughter again.
"So, about the other dragons you said... did they have wings?"
"MWAHAHA!! Aye! The winged whelps! Pathetic creatures who must flap their frail appendages merely to taste the sky! Whilst I ascend with but mine own coils, swift and unbound!"
"I see..."
And suddenly, Yomogi turns to me and giggles.
"Fufu... Motegi-chan, you really don't know there are many types of dragons, do you?"
I can't answer.
Because I really don't know. I thought that dragons in Nomah were only just the Oriental ones like Manas, but apparently they're the classic winged Western type too.
But to be fair, somehow Manas's arrogance starts to feel acceptable because she's not just bragging, but she's stating facts.
And mocking a little probably.