Type-Moon, Does a Small Cheat Count as a Cheat?

After the Triumphal Ceremony ended, Novia, as usual, had to pay out of pocket to host public banquets, games, gladiatorial beast fights, and other events. But in the end, following Nero's suggestion, he held a concert with her as the lead singer, letting everyone in Rome hear her heavenly voice for an entire night.

Novia, I Really Want to Eat

"..."

The Dragon of Albion lay bored on the ground. In this place with no distinction between morning and night, no sun or moon, only a faint aurora illuminated the sky.

Ever since her soul had suffered some damage while helping those weak humans last time, one hundred and forty-seven days and twenty hours had passed by human reckoning. Now, she could no longer speak.

That meant she could not use the 'spear' to converse with that human. The Strongest Dragon could only use the 'spear' to watch what he did.

The Strongest Dragon felt that during the time she could not speak, she had spent almost all of it watching that weak human lean back in a chair bathed in sunlight, pondering something. Or perhaps watching him read strange books while the autumn wind brushed past and fallen leaves drifted down.

Though that was a rather unusual kind of enjoyment, and it was not too bad, whenever the dragon closed her eyes, she felt that if she went to sleep, she would never see that human again when she woke up. After all, a dragon's body reacted very slowly to the passage of time, while humans were too weak and died quickly. That had been the case before fantasy disappeared.

Thus, the dragon kept her eyes open and watched. Yet whenever she saw that weak human's disciple come looking for him, she felt extremely uncomfortable, as though something that belonged to her was being quietly stolen away. Naturally, she could not understand why, until after thinking for a while, she finally realized—

At that final moment, this human had called the strongest me "you," rather than the respectful "you" he had always used before!

Was this... because he disliked her?

Disliked by a weak human? Hmph, whatever. There were plenty of weak humans. She did not need this one, nor did she need a weakling's affection...

But at the same time, the Dragon of Albion was certain that if she truly were disliked and rejected, she would definitely cry.

Two different emotions tugged at the dragon from within. To confirm that indescribable feeling, she had kept her eyes open all this time for that purpose alone.

In the end, the Strongest Dragon figured it out. Her feelings were very simple—

She absolutely had to teach this shameless human a harsh lesson. He had clearly acted so reverent toward her before, but in reality, he had simply used her and then kicked her aside.

What one-of-a-kind radiance, what sole light, what most noble starlight... they had all been lies!

After teaching him a harsh lesson, if this human could repent, then she could reluctantly bestow upon him a little of the Strongest Dragon's mercy. That was how she felt.

But she could neither speak nor leave right now. What was she supposed to do?

The strongest and smartest dragon came up with an excellent idea. Why not turn herself into a human? Before fantasy disappeared, those gods had loved doing that, mingling with weak humans every day. The Dragon of Albion had once utterly disdained it.

Now, though, this was merely because of special circumstances. Only this once, the dragon thought.

Very quickly, the dragon shaped her soul into a human form. In the end, it was only an incarnation; she could change back if she wanted. Once shaped, it would simply be fixed in that form. It was not a major problem. She did not think she would ever become a weak human again after this.

Afterward, the Dragon of Albion tried to contact the space through which she could see what that weak human was doing. Just as she expected, it worked. As long as she spent some effort connecting with the 'spear,' she could leave in this form.

As for height, weight, and such, having no good ideas for the moment, she thought that since they had not seen each other for one hundred and forty-seven days and twenty hours, she would transform like this. As for her appearance... the dragon raised her head and looked at the faint aurora illuminating the sky here.

She remembered that human saying she was his one-of-a-kind radiance, his most noble starlight, his sole light...

Then the light that sheltered the world where Phantasmal Species had taken refuge, shining alone at the very edge and sustaining both the surface and inner side of the world, suited the Strongest Dragon's status as well.

With everything resolved, the Dragon of Albion began her final action. This time, magical energy shone around her like surging tides.

Her body spun continuously like a carousel. A human silhouette emerged from the tides, swiftly growing into the shape of a person.

Amid the sea of magical energy, the 'spear' appeared. The dragon, now transformed into a human, grabbed it in one motion.

"Novia, human, the Strongest Dragon you have contracted is me, Albion!"

This human was ordinary, possessing almost nothing in which he surpassed others. As for the areas where he was inferior, two hands would not be enough to count them all.

That was why the dragon was confident. This human surely understood that meeting her was an extraordinary stroke of luck. Once she appeared, he would naturally regain his reverence for her.

Because she was the strongest, and absolute obedience to the strong was what the weak were required to do!

After dealing with Judaism, Novia had many things to handle. Not only did he have to help Emperor Claudius deal with government affairs every day, he also needed to properly manage matters concerning the rapidly spreading Christianity. It had spread quickly thanks to miracles, but that was precisely why the problems were troublesome. No matter what, the doctrine still had to truly take root in people's hearts.

For that reason, Novia had already invited Jesus's former eleven apostles, along with Paul, Martha, and others, to Rome for discussions. He had also sent Kouhaku to invite the current leader of the Burial Agency for talks. However, if that leader could not even defeat Kouhaku, then creating a new Burial Agency himself would not be impossible.

Suddenly, Novia sensed a massive amount of magical energy gathering out of nowhere in his room. He prepared himself defensively and walked toward it, only to discover that it was coming from the hanging 'spear.' Thinking it might be Albion, Novia relaxed slightly.

After all, Albion had put in considerable effort to help him deal with Doro, who had used Solomon's corpse. He still needed to show some gratitude.

At the same time, an intense flash burst forth. It was not physical light, but immense magical energy capable of scorching spiritual senses.

The magical energy wove itself together, forming the shape of a human. A new figure slowly emerged from within the spear.

Her eyelids opened, as if she intended to take everything into her sight.

"...You are Albion?"

Novia quickly regained his senses and greeted her with a smile.

"Hmph, human, I..."

What is this... I want to eat. I really want to eat him. I want to eat him, devour him completely, eat him, all of him.

In an instant, the reason within the girl incarnated from the Strongest Dragon vanished, leaving only bestial desire.

She opened her mouth, bared her fangs, and viciously bit into Novia's shoulder.

I Really Want to Kill This Person and Tear Apart Her Soul

Sunlight streaming through the window illuminated the two figures.

The instant she bit Novia's shoulder, the lower half of Albion's face was dyed crimson by splashing blood as she immersed herself in the hot blood flowing through and around her throat.

Novia's body instinctively shoved Albion away, but the dragon girl's fangs forcibly tore off a piece of flesh, which she swallowed in one bite.

"Did you suddenly become hungry because you turned into this form?" Novia touched his shoulder, and the blood immediately stopped through magecraft, though the pain remained. "How about I buy you something you want to eat? But I imagine the strongest you probably would not like eating the meat of weak animals. What just happened should have been an accident."

Novia smiled, making a not-so-serious joke in this situation. Yet because those words came from the victim himself, there was no way to refute them.

Seeing the silver-haired girl's reason gradually return after she swallowed the blood, Novia could easily guess that Albion had expended a massive amount of magical energy to become like this, causing her to suddenly enter a state of "hunger."

Dragons did not get hungry and did not need sleep, but that was before mystery disappeared. Even after the Age of Gods, her original dragon body itself had been an enormous mystery, and the inner side was rich with mystery, which was why she had been fine. But now, Albion was merely a soul that had emerged through the 'spear.' The mystery within Novia's room, and even within this world, could not replenish her immediately, so her instinct for "survival" drove her to devour the nearest source of magical energy.

"..."

The girl lowered her head. Blood kept dripping from the corner of her bloodied mouth, and her body trembled.

Albion had originally wanted to say something and reprimand this human for not using respectful language when addressing her. But because of what she had just done, an indescribable embarrassment filled her. She did not even take in Novia's deliberate explanation until a gentle hand rested on her head.

"It's all right. If this can satisfy you, then there's no problem."

Albion slowly raised her head. Her silver hair swayed lightly, and her golden eyes shimmered on her pale face. They flickered uncertainly, as though she were still embarrassed. One hand touched Novia's shoulder, where she had bitten him.

"...Are you all right... Does it hurt...?"

"Though I would like to say it doesn't, there's no need to lie to you. It actually hurts quite a lot."

Novia spoke in a tone that blended calmness and sincerity, shrugging his shoulders.

"No... I'm sorry..."

Albion touched Novia's chest again, then looked away.

The Strongest Dragon's response was faint, but it could not be missed. After all, it would probably be difficult to hear Albion apologize to a weakling a second time.

"By the way, since you finally came out, how about I take you around for a walk?"

Novia winked at Albion, intending to show around the Strongest Dragon who had helped him so much.

"...Human, that wasn't a request. It was an order." Albion suddenly raised the corners of her eyes and fiercely grabbed the boy's chest with both hands. "But only this once! Take me with you."

"Mm, all right..."

Novia watched Albion drag him along with a strangely baffled look.

It was early winter, but a warm winter. Snow had not yet fallen. Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, was full of people everywhere. Some discussed tomorrow's matters, while others sat on benches built by who knew whom, feeding animals.

Every person who encountered Novia greeted him with immense reverence. Naturally, they also greeted the masked girl behind him, dressed in luxurious blue robes and walking with an elegant yet crisp bearing, her back straight and head high, because of Novia. Yet the girl remained silent, as if she could not hear them.

Novia understood the reason. When Albion had excitedly dragged him out at first, perhaps because it was her first time walking on human feet, she had been unaccustomed to it. On level ground, she had nearly stumbled as though something nonexistent had tripped her.

Seeing that, Novia extended his hand to her, as if saying, "Then let's go," with the natural ease of a knight.

After Novia persuaded her, Albion did not immediately destroy the road. She merely condensed a mask from magical energy and silently followed behind Novia, looking like a protective guard.

In truth, aside from her initial embarrassment, Albion wore the mask for another reason. She had discovered that even after having enough magical energy, she still wanted to eat Novia... a desire that had been born for the first time.

Not enough. She needed more. If she ate him, her soul would gain something immensely important...

The only thing gradually staining the girl's mind scarlet was that desire, which had arisen for reasons she did not understand.

"I still want to eat him..."

As though she wanted to brand it into her brain cells, Albion followed behind Novia, took a bite of the food he had bought for her, stared at his back, and murmured it again and again. Then, a thought suddenly arose within her.

If that was the case, if he truly was willing to worry with her, be lost with her, think with her, struggle with her—if he truly was willing to do that, if he was not a liar, then she would absolutely spare no effort to suppress this desire and not hurt him.

"Hey, human."

Her sudden resolution made Albion narrow her eyes slightly as she called to Novia ahead of her.

The reason for her sudden resolve was nothing significant. It was merely because the sight of this person looking at her and deeply lowering his head resembled, in some small way, how he had looked when he made that promise to her before.

"You said before that you would always stay with me—"

So she gathered her confidence and spoke.

"Mm-hm, mm-hm, isn't that Teacher? Who is this? Silver hair! Is she an acquaintance of Teacher's? Or perhaps a guard he recruited?"

The culprit who instantly chilled the silver-haired girl's heart was currently smiling as she questioned Novia.

This... human is so unpleasant. Her scent is disgusting, and she has been hanging around him for so long. I really want to kill her right now and tear her soul apart.

Nero's Confidence

It was early winter, but a warm winter. Snow had not yet fallen. For Nero, it should have been perfect weather to stay home and rest, yet she had deliberately come out. There must have been a reason.

In the crowded plaza, nearly everyone's attention had been captured by the silver-haired man who had arrived. Nero, who had hurried over, also fixed her gaze firmly on the person in the distance.

Novia, her teacher, and someone four years older than her. Four hours, twelve minutes, and twenty-three seconds had passed since they had parted within the palace. At first glance, there was no difference in his appearance, but Nero seemed to sense a slight change in her teacher... Was it because of the silver-haired girl behind him?

Honestly, though she could not clearly see the silver-haired girl's face due to the mask, her bearing alone made her stand out uniquely among everyone Nero had ever met. It was not merely that presence, but the aura around her that differed from that of humans.

Ordinarily, most people's gazes would probably be unconsciously drawn toward this silver-haired girl. Yet Nero felt instinctive displeasure instead. She felt that the girl's presence was like a declaration of ownership, just like the 'spear' her teacher used.

Though that spear was merely an inanimate object, it gave Nero the feeling that it was actually alive. That was why she disliked it so much.

Who exactly was this silver-haired girl? Martha and Paul had not mentioned anyone like her when they went to Antioch before. Moreover, Teacher had not left Rome since then, so how had he suddenly brought someone back with him?

Just as Nero carefully observed her from head to toe, she abruptly noticed the silver-haired girl remove her mask and say something to Teacher. Then Teacher turned toward her.

The blonde girl carefully watched the silver-haired girl's expression change. Her initial blankness softened; her brows lowered, and she trembled slightly like a pitiful little animal. She had made an important decision. From the expression Nero saw, the silver-haired girl's meaning was unmistakably—

"Mm-hm, mm-hm, isn't that Teacher? Who is this? Silver hair!" Nero instantly appeared beside them, blinked, and smiled as she patted the silver-haired girl's shoulder. "Is she an acquaintance of Teacher's? Or perhaps a guard he recruited?"

"This is Albion, my friend. You should greet her. This is my disciple, Nero."

Novia did not appear flustered by Nero's sudden appearance. He merely introduced them normally.

"So that's how it is! Mm-hm, mm-hm, hello, Lady Albion."

Nero spoke loudly, but only by listening closely could one notice that her final "Lady" sounded somewhat calm. It was not that she was deliberately expressing dissatisfaction. Rather, she had caught a scent—the smell of dried blood coming from her teacher.

She liked the warm scent faintly mingled in the air because that scent always lingered around Novia.

Whenever she smelled it, Nero found herself calming down inexplicably. She did not know why. Perhaps Teacher had used magecraft, but she had never asked. She simply felt that it was nice this way.

"...Hmph, I already knew."

Albion snorted arrogantly before putting her mask back on.

Nero instantly sensed that this Albion disliked her. The frequency of someone's blinks, the way they spoke, even the pitch of their voice, all faithfully revealed their inner emotions. Though such signs were extremely scarce in this unusually restrained person...

She could still read them. This Albion wanted to kill her.

However, Nero also wanted to kill this Albion, because the scent of blood on Novia had come from this person's mouth.

This person named Albion had actually hurt her teacher? She had bitten him until he bled? Why did this person not just die?

For an instant, Nero struggled to breathe. She suppressed the urge to kill Albion, stop her breathing, sever her neck from her body, and chop her into pieces.

Yet she also knew this person must be important to Teacher, or he would not have kept her at his side. If Nero acted on her own, it would cause Teacher a loss. Thus, she forcibly interlaced her fingers and spoke calmly.

"Albion, perhaps it's her first time here, so she may be a little unaccustomed to it."