A few minutes have passed since our battle against the [Great Ruby Dragon]. We're back at Bai Hu's clearing in the , spending our free time resting from our long battle. We also take our time to enjoy Wind's meals and get to know each other’s [Familiars]. Of course, I told them about my Soul Stone failure now that cat's out of the bag. But I'm surprised that Wind also failed with his soul stone and got Soma through other means. Who knew that reward he mentioned back at my [Sign Creation Ceremony] ended up his second chance of getting his [Familiar]?

"But still, I'm surprised you haven't made a bond with that baby [Sapphire Dragon]," Razul said. "We thought you got yourself a rare [Familiar] like Wind's [Shadow Doppelganger]."

I smile and sigh. "I wish I could’ve. But he's still got his family and I'm not the type to separate family over my desire of getting my own [Familiar]."

"Still, you'll be a sitting duck against other players with their [Familiars]," Arthur said. "With your brother done being your [Guardian Player], you'll be at a big disadvantage if he's unavailable."

"Geez... Way to bring down the mood, Arthur," Wind sighs.

"Eh-he... Sorry." Arthur turns back to me next. "Besides, they're only NPCs. You'll be missing out on a lot of stuff."

"NPC or not, no means no." I turn to the baby dragon while he's eating Wind's roasted boar meat. "I don't want to force my wants on this guy. Like I said, he still got his Mom and I'm happy that he got reunited regardless. [Familiars] and items can be replaced, but family isn't. I'll get my [Familiar] somewhere else."

Wind chuckles in response. "You heard my brother. We can play the game we want. But if there's one thing neither of us will do, it’s upending others' lives for our goals. That's the way we want to play ."

He's right. Fiction or not, I have to respect others’ boundaries over our goals sometimes. It's not just a family rule. It's what Mom and Dad call "moral standards".

"Yeah, I guess so." Arthur grins. "Looks like you two are starting to shape up to be the "goodie-two-shoes" of [Isekai]!"

I tilt my head. "Goodie... two shoes?"

"Ignore him, Kazu. All you know is that we'll respect your wishes no matter how ridiculous you decide." Wind hums in thought. "Now what should we do next?"

I turned around and saw the great dragons. Rudra seems like he lost most of his bravado after his "punishment" as I noticed his scars and bruises around his scaly body along with his [HP].

> [HP: 283/1450]

As for the blue dragon, she’s enjoying a pile of meat Bai Hu gave them as if nothing happened. I guess out of both of them, the blue one seems to be the strongest. I'm surprised she was more lenient with her "punishment" and healed him afterward. I guess we shouldn't make her mad for the baby dragon's sake. Other than that, I should finish what I started.

"Um... Ms. Sapphire Dragon?" I call out.

[Call me , young [Insignis],] the great dragon says as she introduces herself. [My child told me how you taught him how to fly and challenged Rudra in an attempt to protect him. Normally, I would have scolded you and your friends for putting him in danger. But since this is Rudra we're talking about, I knew you did nothing to drag him against his will.]

"Uh... Yeah..." Arthur responds. "Sorry, I'm still having trouble adjusting to the fact we can understand monster speak."

Wind and I chuckle. While they didn't mean to take one of my [Hidden Quests] as an urgent type, I'm surprised Bai Hu has gifted them the same charms that we got from our first encounter with him.

"Same." Razul clears his throat before he continues. "Sorry to stick our noses again, but what will happen to Rudra now that he kind of shows some aggression to some adventurers?"

[Nothing much. Since it's only a misunderstanding, he will only get a mild offense for his desire to fight almost endangered innocent [Humans], [Elf], and [Insignis] adventurers,] Sephina explained. [He did apologize for his actions and show remorse for his reckless actions.]

Wind sighs. "He better be. I don't want to mention how we almost died over that hotheaded dragon's battle mania."

[HEY!!! WHO YOU'RE CALLING A MANIAC, HUMAN?!] The female great dragon turns to glare at him, causing him to crawl back. [Sorry...]

She growled in dismay and turned back to us. [Other than that, rest assured that there will be no hostilities between the dragons and adventurers.]

I sigh in relief. If we killed Rudra back there, there would be a lot of consequences that could mess up our plans in the game. I'm glad he was too powerful for us to defeat him completely, not that I see it as a good thing.

"Okay, glad we got a happy ending from that fight." I turned to the baby [Sapphire Dragon] flying towards me and smiled. "Well, now that your Mom is here and you can fly on your own, it's time for you to go home."

[Rawr?]

I frown when I see his head tilted. I feel like I'm telling a kid that we're moving or changing their schedules. Now I know how my parents felt when they told me and Hayate that they canceled our plans to go to an amusement park due to personal reasons.

"To be honest, I'm so grateful I got to meet you and help you fly, little guy. But you have your own family to go back to. I don't hate you or anything, but I'm not the type to take you away from your mother out of my own desire to have a [Familiar]." I slowly back away and turn to Sephina while trying not to break into tears in front of everyone including the baby dragon. "So go. It's time for you to go back to your home."

Man... I'm already crying after saying all of that to him. But I already did my job to teach him to fly. I should go to Bai Hu and get my rewards from my last [Quest].

[Hold on, young [Insignis].]

I flinch. What does his mom want with me now? Is she going to be the one who gives me the rewards?

[I can tell that you have a selfless heart. Not only did you risk your life to protect my child, but you’re willing to sacrifice the temptations to take him as your [Familiar] to help me reunite with him. No wonder my child has taken a liking to you.] Sephina growls under her breath and after a while, she turns to the baby dragon next. [What do you think, child? Do you want to stay with the [Insignis]?]

The baby dragon looks at his mother for a while. Then to my surprise, he zips to me with a big hug. [Rawr! Rawr!]

[Fufu... It seems like he made his decision. And as his mother, I will respect his decision.]

My eyes widen with those last few words. "Are you sure? Are you going to be my [Familiar]?"

[Rawr!]

I can't believe it. She's letting her son stay with me like that?! "I-I couldn't..."

[Silence, young child. I told you, your kind heart is enough to earn my trust. When all dragons come to age, they will decide what to do just like all walks of life. As long they give their consent, becoming a [Familiar] won't violate our traditions,] Sephina calmly explains. [Rather, it helps us strengthen our trust and alliance with all of the countries and kingdoms in these lands. As long as you teach him everything that has to offer and come to our homelands sometimes, I have no doubts he will be in safe hands.]

I didn't know how much she cared for her kid when I first met her. But I looked closer at Sephina and her kid and it made me realize that she not only cared for her, but she trusted his judgment and was willing to let him go to stay with me because that's what he wanted to do.

[Also, I overheard from your friends' conversation that you have failed to procure a [Familiar] from those dreadful soulstones.] I quickly shrink away when she mentions it. Man, did she have to mention that?! Now I hear Arthur and Razul chuckling. At least until I hear some smacks behind me. [At the very least, my young child should be a good partner for a curious [Insignis] like you, Kazu.]

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Wow... I don't know what to say. I want my own [Familiar] and I thought I couldn't get one right now due to my soul stone breaking. But thanks to Sephina, I finally have my chance.

"Alright! I'll accept your offer, ma'am!" I answer with a smile. "I will not only protect him from any danger. But I will also train him to become the strongest and wisest [Sapphire Dragon] and partner!"

[Rawr!]

The dragon smiles back at me. [Then it's decided. My little fang, I permit you to become a [Familiar] to this young [Insignis].]

With that, the baby dragon tackles me with a big hug. [Rawr!]

He starts licking me by the neck, which is ticklish enough for me to laugh. "H-Hey! Hahaha! Not there! My neck is a "no tickling zone"! Hahaha!"

After a while, the baby dragon stopped licking me as I turned back to his mother.

[Judging from what you discussed earlier, you should have a [Cracked Core Gem] with you. Normally, you only need to chant the [Familiar Bond] incantation,] Sephina instructs. [But since our kind is too advanced for you to handle, it would be better if you use it to aid you with the ritual.]

Makes sense. It's a good thing Bai Hu stopped me before I thought of using it as a rock to throw in case of emergencies.

[You know the incantation, correct? All that's left is a name for the young dragon,] Bai Hu said. [Do have any suggestions?]

A name, huh? Calling him "Drago" might be too obvious for me. I want to give him a name enough to stand by my side. Sapphire... Blue eyes...

...Wait, I got it! I raise the dragon in the air just like the scene from The Lion King.

"Saphi! From now on, your name will be "Saphi"!"

[Rawri! Rawri!]

I chuckle. Seems like he loves his new name. He even tries to pronounce it even though he can only roar. It's a matter of time until he learns to speak like Bai Hu and his Mom.

"Hey, Kaz! You should finish it off with an incantation!" Arthur calls out.

"Don't get too impatient, dude. Give Kazu some space, will you?"

Right, the incantation. I should finish it off and begin our new lives as traveling partners. I took out my gem while Saphi flew out from my arms and I held my hands up to him.

"I call on the spirits that govern between man and monster. Let me bond my soul with the [Sapphire Dragon] so we can become eternal partners."

The gem starts floating out from my hands and a magic circle appears below us.

"I promise myself to care for their wellbeing and I accept the responsibilities of their fate. To this day, I name this creature and myself as his master, !"

As the circle glows brighter, both of our bodies glow purple and our auras start to leak out as they connect. Then, they merge together into a light blue string and explode in a bright white light.

> [NOTICE]

>

> [You have successfully bonded [Sapphire Dragon ].]

Success! My very own [Familiar] is now flying right in front of me! I quickly hug Saphi in glee just as another window pops up next to me.

> [QUEST COMPLETE!]

>

> [You have completed a [Hidden Quest], [A Dragon Who Dreams of Flight]!]

>

> [Because you have tamed a [Dragon-class Familiar], you have received the title, [Dragon Tamer].]

>

> [You have selflessly protected a baby dragon from danger! You have received the title, [Dragon Protector].]

Wow, those are a lot of titles. I don't know how many Wind got earlier, but I'm glad I’ve achieved something out of kindness from my heart. This isn't the [Familiar] summoning I had in mind, but I'm glad everything went well for all of us.

"Welcome to the club, Saphi," Wind said with a smile. "I forgot to properly introduce myself. I'm Wind and this is Soma. Those are my friends, Razul and Arthur."

Both of them wave at Saphi and he returns with another happy roar.

"And with that, our mission for today is complete!" I declare. "Although... Since we're all here together, should we ask him about some updates?"

"Thanks for the reminder." Wind turns to Bai Hu next. "You heard the mage. Are there any updates regarding the past incidents?"

Bai Hu nods. [As a matter of fact, it's the reason I took too long to join you and your comrades earlier. I forgot to mention that Sephina is the sister of the [Sign Sage of Glimmer's] [Familiar]. I told her everything that occurred for the past few months and as I feared, the isn't the only landmark that was almost destroyed.]

[I can't share too much since it's confidential, but I can tell that the other landmarks were struck by the same plague. So far, the soldiers and magicians of their respective kingdoms nearby quelled the corruption. But until the , they mostly contain them and there's a chance it might return.]

Wind and I hum after listening to them. "In other words, the forest was only fully purified because both of us stopped the source of the miasma, right?" I guess.

[I'm afraid so.] Rudra slowly approaches us. We would have drawn out our weapons. But after seeing his "punishment", we didn't act since he might have learned his lesson. [The chaos was so severe that both the Ruby and Sapphire Dragons worked together with the [Mana Guardian] to quell it.]

[But as you can tell, the aftermath is temporary and we have to explore other options without making sacrifices with our alliance and trust to the other [Ancestries],] Sephina added. [If this is left unchecked, a great calamity will befall not only , but the whole .]

"Does this whole corruption thing have something to do with the bandits though?" Arthur asks next.

[We're not sure. But maybe the folks might give you some answers.] A cylinder glass container suddenly appears next to Bai Hu and floats to us. [This is the sample one of the [Royal Magicians] wanted. You can deliver this to her if you have plans to go to the kingdom. I heard there's a tournament meant for adventurers and [Familiars] alike.]

I smile and nod. "Yeah. That's actually our next destination after getting our [Familiars]. We'll see if we can find more clues there before the culprit strikes back!"

[Rawr! Rawr!]

I hear a sigh from Wind as he grabs the container and says, "We promise to deliver this safely to Dahlia."

"Yeah! Besides, I heard she might be planning a few dates with mw- ARGH!!!"

I sigh next as I watch Razul dragging Arthur away. Wind mentioned he’s got a "thing" with the [Royal Magician]. Then again, I shouldn't think of those things in case they mess me up.

[And before you depart, young Kazu...]

To my shock, one of the large blue crystal-like scales suddenly disappears from her body and reappears in Sephina's hand and she hands it to me.

[This scale should aid you in your journey ahead. I sense you have a knack for crafting magical tools. So you can create some marvelous or hand over to an experienced blacksmith for your brother to use.]

I'm almost speechless to see a scale almost the size of a book now in my hands. "You shouldn't have! Besides, are you hurt from plucking that from your..."

But I was interrupted by a boom of laughter from her. [Worry not, Kazu. I was in the middle of molting my skin anyway. Some of the scales tend to fall off on their own and it would be a waste to leave them behind. I trust your judgment from here on out, young [Sign Creator].

[Sign Creator], huh? If that's what she wants, then I won't ignore her gratitude. "Thank you for your help, Sephina!" I eagerly bow to her. "I promise I will use it responsibly."

[Ooh, ooh! Take mine as well!]

As soon as I heard Rudra's voice, another scale quickly fell over me. It would have crashed to the floor if I hadn't caught it in time. This time, it's a red ruby scale that is the size of a suitcase.

[Consider that an apology girl, young [Insignis],] Rudra says. [That should give you more power than your old tools. Use it whatever you want!]

I can hear growls from Sephina and Rudra also notices judging by how he glanced at her with his widened eyes.

[I-If you don't mind, Sephi.]

Sephina growled disapprovingly. [As long you behave once we get back to our lairs.]

"Uh... Thanks?"

Apologies and hostility aside, I quickly check their descriptions next.

> [Sapphire Scale]

>

> [A scale from a [Sapphire Dragon], known for its beauty and water magic. The quality, strength, and mana of the scale depends on the dragon's age and strength,]

>

> ----------------------------------------

>

> [Ruby Scale]

>

> [A scale from a [Ruby Dragon], known for its fiery strength. The quality, strength, and mana of the scale depends on the dragon's age and strength.]

I'm already having ideas about what to make from looking at them. I'm looking forward to it once we get to .

"We should get going. It's getting late," Wind reminds us. "We'll see you then, guys."

I nod and wave at the friendly monsters. "We'll contact you once we get to the kingdom!"

[I'm sure you will. Take note of the new surroundings beyond the borders. Be careful and wish the blessings of to you, adventurers!]

"Yeah, yeah! Come on, it's time for us to show off our [Familiars]!" Arthur shouts.

"Come on. Give them a break for once," Razul groans. "Mine has already seen your attempt earlier."

[Attempt?] Soma asks.

Wind sighs. "You don't want to know."

Here we go again... Other than that, we said our goodbyes to Bai Hu and the dragons.

Tomorrow, we'll finally leave and travel to the very first kingdom in ! With Saphi and Soma by our sides, we're ready to level up for our next adventures in the game!