Chapter 20: Journey

The moon reveals its full beauty after hiding for who knows how long. I make sure to tie Fia several notches against a large tree that no matter what she does, she wouldn’t be able to break free. Then her anguish begins with a loud scream. She pleads for my help, but one look in her eyes is enough to make me take a step back. Fia looks at me with feral animosity while chewing on her bottom lip. It’s exactly like what Minerva had told me: that Fia wants to eat me.

“I’m sorry.” I hold her face with both hands and kiss her brow. That gesture succeeds in calming her down for a single second, so I use that chance to give her a light and quick blow on the stomach. With a thud, her head hangs down like she has no energy. Good. I don’t want to see her suffer anymore than that.

As I return to camp, I see the image of Minerva’s back shook slightly, so I pull out a blanket from inventory and wrap it around her.

“You’re a weird human,” Minerva mutters in front of the fire.

I sit on the same log and nudge her thigh with mine. “I figured Dragons are cold blooded, are you?”

“Uh-huh.” She nods simply, as if lost in her own thoughts, and I find her self absorption endearing.

At one point she would act wise and talk about her vast experiences in this world. Like how the land below changed so differently over the passage of time, how its residents changed their culture, and so much more. Yet on other nights, she would act like an innocent girl without any care in the world. It feels like she has some sort of switch to flip. But I never forced her to talk. I have always respected other people’s privacy; that wouldn’t change no matter what world I would find myself in.

Since there’s no point in staying awake, I decide to retire for the night. But something unexpected occurs. Minerva suddenly grabs my hand, causing me to turn with a puzzled look. She has this face of a maiden muddling over something a man like me couldn’t help but ask what is wrong.

It seems like Dragons aren’t the same type of lizards that hatches from an egg. For as long as she could remember, they only have one purpose: to observe and guide this world. Obviously, that also means that Dragons don’t have their own family. Though Minerva tells me they have a father figure, she couldn’t really compare him to what humans and other races have.

“Dude, I have a favor to ask. Can you grant it for me?” Her stare prolongs and her grip remains. But to choose this night out of all the others, there must be a reason.

I give her my answer after clearing my throat. “As long as it’s within my capabilities, why not?”

Her eyes, her crimson eyes tell me exactly how she feels. “Then… would you stay with me tonight and watch over me sleep?”

That one sentence is enough for me to guess the rest. Her insecurity comes from watching how I have always comforted Fia. However Fia’s more like a little sister to me while her… Minerva… well, she’s a woman on my strike zone. When I think about these two differences, it’s quite clear that I couldn’t grant her request. But it also doesn’t mean that I’d just decline.

“Is that all you want me to do?” She watches me but doesn’t say anything. Minerva just nods. So I tap my thighs and gesture her to sit on my lap. She fidgets for a few seconds before finally heeding her urge. Afterwards, I carry her to where I had laid the sheets down. It isn’t something I would call a perfect bed, but for camping outside, it’s more than perfect.  

I lay her down with extreme gentleness, as if I was handling an expensive gem, and position myself on her side. The moon, high and above, lightens the sky so bright it’s hard to view the stars.

Minerva shifts and lays her head on the line of my arm instead. “Dude, may I call you brother?”

I release a composed snort. “I don’t mind, but that’s a little weird, don’t you think?”

She narrows her eyes to me, pinkish lips pouting. “Why do you think so?”

“Look, Minerva, if my understanding is correct, aren’t you centuries older than me?”

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“That’s correct…”

“So…”

“Uh-huh…”  She pauses, so I know I have to agree.

“Oh, forget it. Call me whatever you wish.”

In return, she shows me a bright smile. “Okay, Brother.”

That night I tell her about my favorite hobby. I raise a hand and point a finger at the sky. But with the moon as it is, it’s difficult to search the skies for stars. Still, I do what I can before a small yawn slips out of Minerva’s mouth, informing me it’s bedtime.

Minerva reaches for my back and doves me closer, until her breasts are smashing against my chest. But I know it isn’t the time to feel excited. I grab the strands of golden hair covering her eyes and tuck them behind her ear. After a slight nudge of my lips on her forehead, I wish Minerva a goodnight sleep.

[Dragon’s Blessing Learned]

[Dragon Sibling Acquired]

* * *

The next morning, Fia’s back to normal although she goes limp in my arms as soon as I untied her. So instead of making her work like normal, I have her regain her lost strength.

Minerva starts a fire with her magic and cooks some herbal soup for her. After all, according to Minerva, this roadside is full of natural herbs we could use for cooking and some others could even work as spices. Still, no matter how tasty it sounds, I don’t want to eat this breakfast lacking in protein. But when the two force their spoons on me, I just have to submit myself.

“There’s a farming village nearby. If we leave now, there’s a chance we might reach it before sundown,” I say.

Minerva puts a halt on massaging my shoulders and asks, “Brother plans to stop at this village?”

“That’s the plan. Sorry if I didn’t inform you two beforehand.”

“It’s okay. I’m Master’s slave after all.”

“I’m fine with it as well.”

After setting our destination, we leave the camp on the same manner as before. Surrounded by trees so large they hide the skies, we follow the road along the river. With this, no matter how bad I am with directions, there’s no way I would get myself lost.

So far, we haven’t encountered any monsters. I heard from the old man that there are those who make a living by clearing the monsters in forest and roads like these — an adventurer. Too bad, I even thought of hunting some on the way to level up Fia.

Oh well— "Huh?!"

But then, the shrieking of birds shatter the stillness and something — a spear charged with electricity — lances towards us at an incredible speed!

“Aegis!” Multiple layers of circular shield appears in front of us as Minerva invokes her skill’s name. But the spear rotates and shatters a blue wall. Sparks fly as it tries to pierce yet another shield, but Minerva manages to shove it off with a huff. She looks at me with a glare and says, “Get away, hurry!”

Minerva jumps off the horse and flips twice in the air to avoid another shot aimed at her. I have no time to think, only to follow the orders she had given to me. Fia and I retreat a few ways back, and once we have gained a comparable amount of distance, we get off the horse and tie its rein to a nearby tree.

“Fia, stay here and wait for me to return, alright?” I search the abyss for semi-level artifacts and find [Artemis] — a black bow. I don’t have the time to figure out how it works; I just hand the bow and its arrows to Fia.

Fia holds onto my shirt before I could jolt away, yet she’s not pulling. “Master, last time you run off like this, you ended up at death’s door. Please, I don’t want to see that happen again.”

I let out a long breath. “Fia, I know that, but I can’t just leave Minerva by herself.”

“I understand,” Fia says as she releases me.

I don’t know what’s about to occur, but this is also something I couldn’t just backed away from. Pulling out two mythril swords, I return to that area of malevolence as fast as I could.