The first night at my new property arrived peacefully. After the Dragon King returned to the castle, we all spent some time getting to know the mansion better. Although it was not as large as the residence I had in the Human Kingdom, it was comfortable and had everything we would need to spend a long period in that place.
The servants also began organizing the final details of the house. Some checked the storage rooms, others prepared the bedrooms, and the kitchen was already beginning to receive the first food supplies brought from the castle.
After dinner, the women decided to rest for a while. Scarlett and Rai'kanna went to explore the back of the property. Elara talked with Lyannis about how they could organize future crops. Liriel analyzed the concentration of mana around the mansion while her assistant asked several questions about Purification magic.
I decided to go outside to get some fresh air.
The mountain air was fresh and pleasant.
I slowly walked toward a small hill near the house. From there, it was possible to see practically the entire property.
The stars were beginning to appear in the sky.
The moon illuminated part of the mountains.
It was a quiet place.
While I was observing the landscape, I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned my head.
It was the Dragon Princess.
She calmly walked over until she stopped beside me.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
I smiled.
"Not at all."
She looked toward the horizon.
"The view is even more beautiful from here."
"I agree."
We remained silent for a few seconds, simply observing the mountains.
She was the first to speak again.
"My father was very happy when you agreed to take care of these lands."
I looked at her.
"I hope I don't disappoint him."
"I don't think that will happen."
Her tone of voice conveyed a great deal of confidence.
I decided to ask a question.
"Do you usually visit this region?"
"When I was a child, yes."
She smiled as she remembered.
"I liked flying over these mountains."
"Then you know this place well."
"I do."
She pointed toward some more distant regions.
"That valley has a very beautiful river."
"In the other direction, there are ancient caves."
"Farther north, there are mountains where several magical beasts live."
I listened to everything carefully.
It would be important to know these lands well.
After a few moments, I asked another question.
"What was your childhood like?"
She seemed surprised.
"No one had ever asked me that."
I smiled slightly.
"Then consider this the first time."
She gave a small laugh.
"It was peaceful."
"My father was always busy ruling, but he never failed to make time for me."
"My mother passed away when I was still young."
"Since then, I learned many things from the elders of the kingdom."
Her gaze became distant for a few seconds.
"I also learned how to fight."
"I learned how to fly."
"And how to control my transformation."
I nodded.
"I imagine it was difficult training."
"It was."
She smiled again.
"But it was also fun."
I looked at her.
"And now?"
"What do you want for the future?"
She remained silent for a few seconds, thinking.
"I want to help my people."
"I would also like the other kingdoms to get to know the dragons better."
"For a long time, we lived in isolation."
"That caused many people to develop the wrong ideas about us."
I agreed.
"Unfortunately, that happens."
She took a deep breath.
"I would like there to be more cooperation between the kingdoms."
"Without fear."
"Without prejudice."
Her words reminded me of everything that had happened since I began my journey.
Dwarves.
Elves.
Fish-men.
Now dragons.
Each people had its own culture.
Each kingdom faced different problems.
Perhaps bringing them all together really would be important to face the Demon King.
She then looked directly at me.
"And you?"
"What do you want after all of this is over?"
I looked at the stars again.
"Peace."
She waited for me to continue.
"I've spent a lot of time traveling."
"Fighting."
"Protecting people."
"Discovering new places."
"When this war ends, I finally want to live a few peaceful days."
She smiled.
"That sounds like a simple dream."
"Maybe that's precisely why it's so difficult."
She nodded slightly.
"The world has changed a lot in recent years."
"I hope we can change that."
We continued talking about various subjects.
We talked about the Human Kingdom.
She asked what life was like in the capital.
She also wanted to know more about my travels.
I told her a few stories involving the Adventurers' Guild.
She listened to everything very attentively.
At one point, she began laughing when I told her about a mission in which an adventurer had mistaken an ordinary boar for a magical beast.
"He really did that?"
"He did."
"And what happened?"
"The boar chased him for almost half an hour."
She laughed even more.
"I can imagine the scene."
The conversation continued naturally.
It was easy to talk to her.
She was curious about practically everything.
After some time, I looked at her.
"You know..."
She turned her eyes toward me.
"The king told me quite a lot about you."
She seemed a little embarrassed.
"I imagine he did."
"But after talking with you..."
I paused for a moment.
"...I realized that you're a very kind person."
She became completely red.
"Thank you."
"You're also very devoted to your people."
She lowered her head slightly.
"I'm glad you think so."
I smiled.
"I think any kingdom would be proud to have a princess like you."
She took a few seconds to respond.
"That was one of the most sincere compliments I've ever received."
The wind began to blow gently again.
The leaves of the few nearby trees swayed slowly.
She took a deep breath.
"I think I should go back."
"My father will probably ask how my first day here went."
I nodded.
"It was a pleasure talking to you."
"The pleasure was mine."
She took a few steps back.
Before leaving, she looked at me again.
"I hope we can talk again tomorrow."
"I hope so too."
She smiled once more.
Then she partially assumed her dragon form.
Large red wings emerged from her back.
With a gentle push, she took flight and headed toward the castle.
I continued watching until she disappeared among the mountains.
I slowly returned to the mansion.
The lights were still on.
The women were talking in the living room while Liriel explained something to her assistant.
I greeted them all before heading to my room.
The next day would be the beginning of the real work on those lands.
It was time to discover whether all that effort would truly transform that place into a prosperous region.