The Black Dragon Lady Doesn't Want to Be a Mount

"Let's return to what we were discussing. You said I'm a dragon, right? Well, you were absolutely right."

Vidian no longer intended to hide her identity. Back then, she had merely been too lazy to explain and had wanted to tease Ailolin. In truth, she knew Ailolin had long suspected her.

"I am indeed a member of Dragonkind. I've simply left the clan."

"Left the clan?"

"Put simply, I was exiled."

"..."

If Ailolin understood correctly, exile usually meant someone had committed some unforgivable mistake and been cast out of their clan.

"Do you want to know about my past?" Vidian asked.

"If you can tell me, then of course I do."

"Then think about it slowly yourself." Vidian made a joke before speaking seriously. "You know, even though we've spent some time together, I've never considered you a friend."

"Huh? Why bring that up all of a sudden?"

"I only helped you grow because of the Mutual Aid Contract, so don't mistake me for your friend. Otherwise, you might do something presumptuous in the future."

"..."

Whether Vidian meant those words or not, Ailolin felt they had created a great deal of distance between them.

Or perhaps they had never been friends in the first place. Perhaps Ailolin alone had believed they were.

PS: The deleted scene was ridiculously cringey. It's hard to imagine I wrote it... It almost changed the whole book's style. That was close—I'm glad I deleted it in time.

Also, the warm style from the prologue will continue~ There won't be any grim vengeance or emotional knife-twists here.

Childhood Friend: Escape

The Warning bells rang throughout the city. Every resident sought a safe place to hide, while the City Defense Force and Imperial Guard Legion mobilized in full to begin clearing the city of magical beasts.

The magical beasts had appeared so suddenly that people had no time to react. Countless residents had already been killed. As forces stationed in the interior, even the elite Imperial Guard Legion lacked heavy armor-piercing weapons, making it extremely difficult for them to deal with certain large magical beasts with thick hides.

Magic scholars who had studied Teleportation Arrays all cried that it was impossible. A Teleportation Array had to be activated from both ends; one-way Teleportation Arrays had never existed in reality before. This was beyond their understanding.

No one knew why magic arrays had suddenly appeared in the city, but they all understood what it meant for monsters to pour out of them.

Death began spreading through the city. The magical beasts that crawled out of the Teleportation Arrays ran rampant through the streets. Their strengths varied greatly, and they came in all kinds of types—a complete hodgepodge.

Fortunately, the palace was currently the safest place. The elites of the Imperial Guard Legion and the Palace Guard had established a solid defensive line, and so far, not a single magical beast had managed to break through it.

The Imperial City was not the only place under attack. Every major city throughout the Empire had been invaded by magical beasts. However, the cities had no communication with one another and had no idea of each other's situation.

In Edafalon City, although the City Defense Force reacted swiftly, their strength was insufficient. They could only defend passively and wait for reinforcements from the Imperial legions stationed near Edafalon City.

Yet to everyone's despair, the Imperial legion encampments in Edafalon were simultaneously attacked by several large magical beasts. Their losses were severe, and they no longer had the ability to provide support.

These legions from the Empire's interior had no experience fighting magical beasts. Their bows, spears, swords, and other equipment simply could not pierce the defenses of some large magical beasts. The cumbersome Ballistas were destroyed by the beasts after only a few shots. The only force capable of inflicting meaningful damage was likely the elite Mage Corps, but their numbers were so small as to be negligible. They could not turn the situation around.

The Empire suffered tremendous losses everywhere. Most people had no idea what was happening and could only watch as magical beasts emerging from Teleportation Arrays appeared with alarming precision in city centers, military camps, and even legion outposts in the wilderness.

The commander-in-chief of the Edafalon City Defense Force had once served under Wilfen. Now that Wilfen was in the Imperial City and unable to return, he had to ensure the safety of Likaro and Doris.

With no hope of reinforcements and the city facing certain doom, he selected a dozen of the finest soldiers and the few mages they had to escort Doris and her daughter out of the city.

For now, the City Defense Force still controlled one of Edafalon's gates and was using it to cover the residents' escape. Before that gate fell, they had to get Doris and Likaro out.

Once outside the city, they would be much safer. Based on current observations, the magical beasts were appearing only in cities and military camps. There were not many in the wilderness.

After helping Doris and Likaro into the carriage, several mages climbed inside as well and poured all their strength into expanding a Magic Barrier to reinforce the carriage's defenses. The other soldiers rode before and behind it as guards.

"Mother..." Likaro lay in her mother's arms, her heart filled with grief.

Several small magical beasts had burst into the Duke's Mansion shortly after the attack began. Though the guards quickly killed them, Doris's right leg was injured in the process. Fortunately, the wound was not serious, though it would hinder her movement.

"My dear daughter, don't worry. My injury is nothing, and we'll reach a safe place soon." Doris comforted her daughter, then looked toward the commander of the City Defense Force. "After you send us away, you..."

"Rest assured, Madam. We will continue covering the residents' evacuation. We swear to live and die with Edafalon."

After saying that, he gave Doris and Likaro a military salute before returning to the front lines to command the fight against the monsters.

The escort team carrying Doris and Likaro also set out. Seeing the ruined buildings along the streets and the corpses of humans and magical beasts scattered everywhere, Likaro could not help clenching her fists.

These people were clearly innocent, yet their lives had been cruelly taken from them...

The carriage moved quickly. When it reached the city gate, the City Defense Force soldiers promptly cleared a path, allowing the convoy to leave the city.

After escaping into the open wilderness, they indeed found no trace of magical beasts. Holding Likaro, Doris asked the squad leader riding ahead, "Where are we going now?"

"Madam, the situation is too chaotic right now. We should find somewhere safe. How about following the main road south?"

"South?"

Doris thought about it. If they kept heading south, wouldn't they reach the Southern Wilderness? That was where magical beasts gathered.

However, the Wilderness Legion, one of the Empire's elite legions, was stationed on the outskirts of the Southern Wilderness. Her second son was also serving there as a general, but...

No one knew whether the defenses of the Southern Wilderness had been breached. Although these magical beasts had appeared through Teleportation Arrays, they could not contact the troops stationed in the Southern Wilderness. If that place had fallen too, it would be disastrous.

But there was truly nowhere else to go now. Doris ultimately decided to head for the Southern Wilderness. If its defenses had really been breached, they should see fleeing soldiers in advance and still have time to react.

As Likaro watched the city grow farther and farther away, she felt terrible. She and her mother could escape danger under the protection of elite soldiers, but what about the ordinary people in Edafalon City?

The City Defense Force did not have the ability to escort every resident to safety. They could only do their utmost and save as many as they could.

At that moment, a longing for strength surged within Likaro. If she could become as powerful as the protagonists in adventure novels, powerful enough to rival a Demon King capable of destroying the world, then she could protect everyone she wanted to protect.

The group headed toward the Southern Wilderness. They encountered no magical beasts on the way, and just as everyone began to relax...

As they passed through a dense forest, several crossbow bolts suddenly shot from the bushes and struck several soldiers at the front of the group.

"Bandit attack!"

The squad leader shouted and charged into the brush, cutting down several ambushers with his sword. But when he saw their faces, his own turned pale.

Pivents? What were they doing here?!

"Everyone, be careful! Enemy scouts!"

The squad leader immediately warned the others. At that moment, many Pivents rushed out and engaged the soldiers escorting Doris and her daughter.

The mages traveling with them had already joined the battle. Doris realized that the situation was extremely critical. Though the carriage was protected by a Magic Barrier, the soldiers outside were badly outnumbered. Staying inside would only mean waiting for death.

So she hugged Likaro tightly and told her, "Daughter, take this chance and rush into the bushes beside us. Then run with all your strength without looking back, understand?"

"No, Mother, let's go together..."

"Foolish child, my injured leg can no longer walk." Doris kissed Likaro on the forehead, then said through tears, "Go!"

"Mother!"

The sounds of slaughter outside grew more intense. No one knew why so many Pivents were lying in ambush here. If she did not run now, it would truly be too late.

Doris drew the dagger at her waist and pressed it to her own throat. "If you don't go, I'll die right in front of you!"

"No! I-I'll go!"

Likaro's tears poured out uncontrollably. She clenched her fists, looked deeply at her mother, then ran desperately toward the bushes beside them through her tears.

The enemies noticed Likaro and prepared to chase after her, but the loyal soldiers blocked them once more. Those soldiers bought Likaro precious time to escape with their lives.

Likaro's small figure quickly vanished into the dense undergrowth.

Childhood Friend: Survive

The sounds of fighting grew farther and farther away, but Likaro did not stop. She ran with all her strength, unaware even as the lush grass and branches tore her clothes and skin.

As she ran, tears streamed down her face without end. Everyone, including her mother, had given her a chance to survive.

Why were soldiers from an enemy country in a place like this...?

Likaro's mind was already growing hazy. The desperate run had drained all her strength, yet her mother's words still echoed in her ears—

Run. Run with all your strength. The farther, the better.

Bang!

Unsteady on her feet, Likaro tripped over a rock. The place where she fell happened to be a small slope, and her body rolled down it.

It hurts...

The ground nearby was not soil but gravel. Many sharp stones pierced Likaro's body, and blood immediately seeped from the wounds.

There should no longer be any pursuers behind her. And even if they came after her, Likaro no longer had the strength to run.

Likaro did not even have the strength to get up from the ground. Feeling the pain throughout her body, she began to sob quietly.

Despair and helplessness flooded her heart. This was not something a child could bear, no matter how brave or mature she was compared to others her age.

Likaro's smooth, delicate skin had long been scraped raw by mud, gravel, and blood. It was winter now, and the weather outdoors was freezing, with cold winds howling. She gradually began to feel cold and exhausted. How wonderful it would be if she could sleep beside a warm fireplace...

Likaro felt as though she had fallen to the bottom of an icy lake. Her body grew heavier and heavier as she slowly sank. It seemed that, because she was underwater, even her breathing was gradually stopping...

No!

Likaro suddenly opened her eyes, and a faint strength surged within her once more.

Relying on that strength, she pushed herself up from the ground. Then she picked up a broken branch nearby to steady herself and began gasping for air.

Injuries like these would not kill her, but if she slept here, she would never survive the winter night's cold.

Be strong. I have to be strong.

The magical beast invasion had already felt like the sky falling for Likaro. All the beautiful things she once had vanished before her eyes in an instant. How could she not be sad?

But if she thought hopefully, perhaps her mother was not dead? After all, the Edafalon Lineage was a great family of the Empire. Once the enemy learned her mother's identity, they would surely imprison her instead.

Though she was only a child, as a child of nobility, Likaro knew very well that when two countries went to war, capturing nobles to exchange them for ransom was commonplace.

But those were only Likaro's hopeful guesses, because she did not want to believe the terrible possibilities in her heart.

Her father was in the Imperial City with no news of him, while her two brothers were each serving in the military. If any one of them had been traveling with her and her mother, this would never have happened...

Likaro did not know the way. The surrounding area looked like a forest, but it definitely was not one in Edafalon. After escaping from Edafalon, the carriage convoy had already traveled far away.

Though Likaro could barely walk now, she definitely could not go far.

Although it was still daytime, the icy wind cut to the bone. Likaro knew she had to find somewhere sheltered from the wind.

Perhaps the gods were watching over her. Likaro spotted a large tree several dozen meters away, and it actually had a hollow in its trunk. If she hid inside, she could avoid the freezing wind.

Likaro could still manage that distance. She struggled over to the tree, set down the broken branch she had been using for support, and crawled into the hollow.

The tree hollow could easily fit Likaro, and it was much better inside than outside. At the very least, she was no longer exposed to the cold wind.

Likaro curled herself up to stay warm, hugged her knees, and began to cry. She was in a miserable state, utterly lonely and helpless. There was no one who could help her, and she did not know whether she would survive.

The wounds cut by gravel and stones had stopped bleeding, but they still throbbed faintly. Dried blood stained Likaro's clothes and skin. Looking at the blood that had flowed from her body, Likaro felt for the first time just how cruel this world was.

At nine years old, she had always lived in a safe environment and had never encountered real danger. She had even become good friends with the legendary Dragonkind in the forest. Those experiences had been no different from those of a heroine in a beautiful fairy tale.

But in the brief time since the magical beast attack, Likaro truly realized that her life had been so wonderful only because someone had always protected her.

If she had not been the child of a noble family, she likely would have already become like those commoners in Edafalon City—either dying in a magical beast attack or fleeing the city under the threat of death, praying to survive...

Likaro had once longed for the stories in adventure novels and enjoyed the feeling of defeating evil villains. But now, merely falling down and suffering these injuries, seeing her own blood, was enough to make her afraid and terrified.

The Likaro of her fantasies could defeat villains who wanted to destroy the world, but in reality, she had no ability to resist danger at all. She could not even protect her mother.

Curled up inside the tree hollow, Likaro cried. How she wished this were only a nightmare, and that when she woke up, her mother would be beside her bed, gently stroking her head...

It was very cold outside now, and Likaro began to feel hungry. But she could only endure it, because her strength had not recovered and she was simply unable to search for food.

Time passed slowly. To Likaro, each day felt like a year. The sun was about to set, and the temperature outside was growing even lower. If she went out and failed to find food, then got lost because she could not see the way at night, things would be even worse.

I hope tomorrow will be sunny...

To conserve her strength, Likaro decided to sleep until morning. Before that, however, she crawled out of the tree hollow and gathered a large amount of dry grass from the surrounding area. After shaking off the snow on it, she piled it inside the hollow.

Even inside the tree hollow, she might not be able to withstand the cold of the night. So Likaro could only use every method she could think of to survive.

That effort drained more of Likaro's strength, but fortunately, the pile of dry grass made the tree hollow warmer than before. At the same time, Likaro curled up as tightly as she could and buried her entire body in the grass.

She should be able to hold out until morning. Likaro no longer cared whether her surroundings were clean or tidy. She only had one thing to do now: try her best to survive.

So she endured the hunger and tried her hardest to fall asleep.

PS: I haven't thanked everyone for your votes, blades, and rewards in such a long time, so sorry about that. I genuinely forgot to thank you at the end of the chapters, and only just remembered now... (honest)