Sanria was humming happily as she walked towards the house with her cute and adorable master.

Her master took a human form albeit it seems that Magnus is limited to this age range.

She didn't care. She was finally with her master. It meant, she can finally enjoy life again.

Magnus was perplexed by his situation. After being asleep in the egg for a week, he emerged differently.

He still had his draconic form but there was something else.

Sanria and Magnus enter Gregory's house.

Magnus was still thinking when Sanria asked her a question.

"Master, is this form permanent?"

Magnus looks around and makes sure they are alone.

After he's done surveying the area, Magnus answers Sanria's question by reverting to his true form.

Quickly, the human child form breaks as its skin spreads open revealing golden scales and powerful wings. In a few seconds, Magnus has returned to his draconic state.

Magnus studies his surroundings and he concludes something he thought was impossible.

I grew older...

"Master! You've gotten bigger!"

Magnus was a bit tense due to the sudden change. Dragons did not grow this fast, doing so would have been a suicide in the previous age. The reason dragons were so powerful, other than their bodies, was due to their experience gained through countless years.

Magnus was feeling tense when the door to the house suddenly opened.

"Unhand that child you heathen!"

Magnus's body reacted and he moved his tail to strike the source of the voice. He made sure to limit his strength as to not kill his target.

Magnus and Sanria hear the sound of a body hitting the wood floor.

"Ma-master, that was the jester..."

Magnus turns around and he sees Melinoe's unconscious body.

"Oh... I see."

Sanria's eyes widen when he hears Magnus's sharp and primal voice.

"Master! I love your voice!"

"Thank you Sanria."

Sanria seems to stumble a bit when she hears her name from her master's mouth. She smiles.

"Oh, your voice... it's so..."

Sanria smiles dopily at Magnus. The young dragon ignores his rather peculiar dragonborn.

"Sanria, it seems your father is back home. Greet him."

"Oh!"

Sanria snapped out of her stupor and she senses her father's presence, in addition to three new individuals.

Magnus reverts to his childlike human form. He didn't like this form.

Too restrained... I'm not used to not having a tail.

Magnus felt uncomfortable not having a tail to balance his body. He also felt weak. He could summon a small fraction of his true body's strength but that did not assure him.

But... to learn from the humans, I need this form. I will learn to live with them... to see how we were defeated.

"Sanria, please give me clothes. I'm unable to create clothes yet."

Sanria quickly goes to find Magnus some clothes. Magnus is quickly dressed and he goes out of the house.

Sanria rushes towards her father so she can greet him properly.

Magnus stays on the porch where he can observe the quaint little village.

He saw the many village people do their everyday tasks. It was hard but it was a life with dignity.

Magnus inwardly chuckled. If he didn't have such a massive burden upon his back, maybe he would have taken a human form and explored the world under the guise of a traveling hedge mage.

Yeah... that would be satisfying.

Magnus saw Sanria and Gregory hug each other. It was a heartwarming image.

Hmmm?

Magnus saw a young man get scolded and beat up by other people. Considering their outfit and gear, they were not travelers or villagers.

Who are those?

Magnus was curious but he decided to wait. He can wait for Gregory and Sanria to come to him. He can ask them instead.

Magnus saw Sanria scowl.

She must be annoyed.

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Magnus watched the five individuals walk towards him. Sanria looked the same as usual but Gregory's strong body was impressive to look at.

Magnus wasn't fooled.

Gregory's muscular body was due to his awakened blood and years of working his body to support his daughter. Sanria's body was thin and toned but each fiber of her body was far stronger than Gregory's. Her strength was most likely due to the extreme purity of her internal energy.

Magnus sat on a chair overlooking the area. He waited for Gregory.

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Gregory was a bit scared. He saw his daughter's face. She smiled and while most would see it as innocuous, such as that simpleton Zack, Gregory has become aware of his daughter's trait, obsession.

He knew that when she wanted something, she would do anything to get it. Gregory knew that for the past week, Sanria only wanted one thing and that was to be with their master. Gregory didn't understand.

What could a young beautiful girl with all the talent in the world want with an overgrown reptile?

Gregory sighed. He didn't want to badmouth his master. It was rude of him to do so. And his master was so much more than just a reptile. His master was compassionate, merciful, and intelligent.

Gregory. Sanria

Gregory and Sanria suddenly stilled as they heard their master's voice in their minds.

Master?

Master!

Gregory tested the waters while Sanria eagerly replied to Magnus' call.

I am waiting on the porch of your house. Bring your acquaintances but do not call me your master as we speak.

Gregory and Sanria both answered in affirmative as they continued their walk.

"So, does this frontier village have any problems?"

Elisha tried to ask Gregory a question but Gregory was a bit out of his mind, thinking about his master.

"Sir?"

After Elisha called him, Gregory was snapped out of his thoughts.

"Oh... Ummm... we can talk about it later when we've returned to my house. So you three can get settled."

Elisha nods.

Zack, the young amethyst warrior, stared at Sanria with admiration. Jordan sighed as he tried to not hit Zack on the head. He was also enamored by Sanria's beauty but he wasn't about to jeopardize employer relations just for a girl.

Sanria ignored Zack while thinking about her master.

Hehe... my master is so amazing. His true form is majestic and powerful but his kid version is also cute and refined!

Zack kept smiling at Sanria, thinking that her smiling was for him.

"Gregory, Sanria, you two are back."

Gregory was caught off guard when he heard the young voice. He looked towards his house and saw a beautiful doll-like human waiting for them. If not for the peasant clothes he was wearing, Gregory would have believed that the child came from royalty.

Jordan and Elisha, who were keeping their guard up, immediately saw the handsome child.

Their jaws dropped as they saw the unbelievable beauty that was Magnus.

Zack was too enamored with Sanria to notice the appearance of an equally beautiful entity.

Gregory was shocked too. He thought his master would take an older form, a wise old man or a handsome bachelor. He was not prepared to see an extremely beautiful child.

I feel weird calling a young-looking child... master.

"Come in, it is getting cold and you two shouldn't stay outside."

Magnus walks towards the house's main door. Sanria was the first one to snap out of it and she quickly follows. But before she could do anything, she feels a tug on her sleeve.

Turning around, Sanria saw Elisha's eyes looking at her with obsessed eyes.

"Is that young boy your brother?? Yo-you know! I'm a graduate of the academy, I-I have pretty good credentials. If he ever becomes a bachelor... I-"

Jordan smacks Elisha on the head and the mage falls. Sanria heaves a sigh of relief. This snaps Gregory out of his thoughts.

"I apologize for the poor attitudes shown by my teammates. They are weak against beautiful women and handsome men... or in this case... a very beautiful young boy. It's usually in control but you two are... extraordinary."

Gregory sighs.

"It is okay Jordan. Take her in, please. Just make sure they keep it in their pants."

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The three amethyst adventurers entered the house.

Jordan was carrying an unconscious Elisha. Zack was too focused on Sanria to help.

Once inside the Wood's quaint home, Jordan put down the drooling mage girl that he was disappointed in.

Jordan sighed as he put Elisha on one of the chairs.

"Jordan, this mission is going to be important to us."

Jordan turned towards Zack. He saw that the young man was serious.

What? He suddenly became serious.

Jordan looked around and noticed that Sanria wasn't there.

Oh... this slimy...

Zack returned to his normal self the moment Sanria left his sight to make tea.

"Yeah... it is important Zack."

Zack nodded resolutely.

"Once we finish our first mission, we'll have money to spend... I'm gonna buy a ring and propose to Sanria."

Jordan sighed again. He felt like he was aging faster each time Zack did his shenanigans.

Gregory sat on the other side of the chair with Magnus. Jordan watched the handsome and beautiful child drink water.

He's too beautiful... Who is he? Is he the requester's son?

Magnus was aware of Jordan's appraisal and he stared at Jordan's eyes. Jordan felt a bit unnerved and scared of Magnus's eyes.

Jordan didn't like being afraid for no reason, especially of a 12-year-old child.

If Jordan knew Magnus's true form, he would have felt some relief because anyone with a right mind would be afraid of a dragon.

But as of now, Jordan did not know what Magnus was. He just felt like he was staring at something alien and wrong.

"Ahem."

Gregory called the attention of Jordan and Zack. Jordan woke up Elisha. Elisha woke up from her dreamy stupor. When Elisha saw her surroundings, she quickly panicked. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her lips.

She muttered apologies as Gregory prepared to explain the situation to them.

"So! What are the details of the requ-"

Zack tries to break the ice but his brave front quickly crumbles to a dopey mess when he sees Sanria go towards them, wearing a light pink apron that she sewed in her free time.

Sanria first serves tea to Magnus, then to Gregory, then to Jordan, then to Elisha, and lastly, to Zack. Magnus, Gregory, and Jordan's cups were made of fine porcelain. It was an heirloom the family has had for many generations.

Elisha and Zack looked at their clay mugs. It was a bit ugly. Zack didn't mind but the mage had some qualms about it.

"Ummm, excuse me? Are there any other cups?"

Sanria smiles.

"So sorry, we only have the three."

Elisha frowns.

"Then why did you give it to Jordan??"

Jordan raises an eyebrow as he drinks some of the tea.

Don't pull me into this mess woman.

Jordan ignored Elisha.

Sanria smiled again.

"Oh, I just felt like the one that knows how to control their saliva should have the fancier cup."

Elisha's scowl deepened as she prepared to shout.

"Enough."

Gregory's voice was deep and powerful, a gift he gained from his awakened blood.

Elisha settled in her seat while Jordan stiffened a bit. Zack was too focused on Sanria to notice.

"Let's talk about the job."

Jordan, the more responsible of the three, nods. Elisha nods as well.

"What do you want us to do sir Gregory?"

"As you already know, there was a forest stampede. That never happens. That has never happened in the time I was the chief of this village."

"So, you want us to investigate this?"

Gregory nods towards Jordan.

"I don't want it to ever happen again."

"That's a very general request sir. Any specifics?"

Gregory thinks. Before he could speak, Magnus speaks.

"The danger posed by an animal stampede is very high for the village. If an animal stampede were to come through here, we would not survive. Many of our crops, homes, and supplies would be destroyed. Now, the request is for you three to look for the source of the animal's duress. Not only to look for it but to deal with it in a way the stampede never happens again."

Gregory accidentally coughs out some tea.

Jordan and Elisha stare at Magnus with shock.

Magnus realizes why everyone is shocked and he continues.

"Isn't that what you wanted to say, Gregory?"

Gregory wipes his mouth and he quickly nods.

"Yes yes yes. That is indeed the request."

Jordan pulls back. He closes his eyes.

This quest is weird.