It Didn't Seem So Bad

"That's just a name for them. People have coveted the Dragon Race's powerful bodies since ancient times. Some even devised ways to seize them." The little girl sat on Zheng Yichen's claw, calmly recounting events he could never have known about in this world.

"Some people worked together to research it, and they succeeded. Dragons have exceptionally strong souls, with traits unique to the Dragon Race, so taking over their bodies isn't easy."

"But young dragons are different. Their souls are far weaker than those of adults, and certain methods can erase them. That was when young dragons began disappearing in large numbers, secretly captured."

"When the truth came out, the Dragon Race was furious. Everyone connected to it was struck down without mercy. Even when they banded together to fight back, they were all wiped out."

"Near the end, some who had seized dragon bodies tried to conceal their identities and slip into the Dragon Race to escape pursuit. But even after taking a dragon's body through secret arts, their souls remained vastly different from a dragon's."

"Many secret arts can hide those differences, but there's one thing they can't overcome: Dragon Aura. It isn't tied only to a dragon's body; its connection to the soul is even stronger. Unless soul and body are closely matched, Dragon Aura can't appear."

"Some Cursed Dragons used rare treasures to give themselves a false Dragon Aura, but they couldn't disguise how well their souls matched their bodies. Certain investigative methods could reveal the truth."

"...Like the dream I had earlier?" Zheng Yichen's mouth twitched. Though the little girl had skimmed over much of the story, she had made the Dragon Race's attitude toward Cursed Dragons clear: better to kill one by mistake than let one escape!

Otherwise, they would never have wiped them all out.

"That's one method. Entering your dreams is difficult." The little girl looked up at Zheng Yichen. "But unlike a Cursed Dragon, your soul matches this body perfectly. Unless someone uses a spell that traces the essence of your soul, you can basically ignore it."

"You mean if I find something that can produce a fake Dragon Aura... I'll be completely safe?"

"The Dragon Race collected almost all the treasures that can do that." The little girl glanced at him and delivered a fact that left him nearly hopeless. "So your identity would be easy to expose. The Dragon Race holds an absolute hatred for Cursed Dragons. Even if you avoid fighting and hide the fact that you have no Dragon Aura, the slightest suspicion will make them investigate until they get to the bottom of it."

"And your problem is bigger than that." The little girl fixed her blood-red eyes on Zheng Yichen. "The origin of your soul. I've visited many planes, but I've never seen anything like the objects in your dreams. Does your soul belong to this world?"

"..." Shit. I feel like I'm going to die! Zheng Yichen stared back at her in silence, feeling as if several buckets of ice water had been dumped over him. What did a transmigrator fear most?

Having my identity exposed before I'm strong enough, of course!

Not only has my identity been exposed, it's been exposed to a "fake little girl" who seems incredibly powerful and knows far too much about this world.

"Even without your identity as a Cursed Dragon, a soul suspected of coming from beyond this world would be enough to make many powerful beings wring every scrap of knowledge out of you, no matter how weak you are."

"Including you?"

"Knowledge isn't what I seek." The little girl glanced at Zheng Yichen and dropped the subject that was making his future look bleaker by the moment. "In any case, I've taken a liking to you. Stay by my side."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No," the little girl said flatly.

"My name is Zheng Yichen. Uh, family name first, given name second." Considering the customs of this world, Zheng Yichen added the explanation.

"Lolise... No family name." The little girl considered his name for a moment before answering quietly.

No family name... All right. Maybe she's some unusual kind of being who doesn't need one. But what am I supposed to feel when a fake little girl says she's taken a liking to me?

Thinking back to before he transmigrated and comparing it with now, Zheng Yichen could only conclude that going out more really did improve his luck with women.

Though his current "luck with women" was strange and came with plenty of misery.

"We'll live here for now. I'll teach you some things during this time." Lolise patted Zheng Yichen's claw. "Your soul is unusual, and it fits this body perfectly, so you'll need to cooperate with some experiments. They'll benefit you."

"I still can't refuse, can I?" Experiments with lab mice or research materials were one thing; most people could accept that. But when the subject was himself, he couldn't help feeling resistant.

"It's for your own good." Lolise jumped down from Zheng Yichen's claw and returned to the spot where she had slept earlier. She pulled his wing over herself. "I'm going to sleep."

"...Okay." Zheng Yichen still had plenty of questions, but he shook his head and rested it on his claws again. With so much on his mind, he couldn't be as calm as Lolise. He couldn't sleep!

He didn't know whether he had given himself away too easily or Lolise was simply too formidable, but she had seen straight through his origins. There might still be things she didn't understand, but those were only the things known to his soul from another world.

And what had happened earlier had taught him something else: now that he wore a dragon's body in this world, people wouldn't simply leave him alone because he didn't want to hurt anyone. That would remain true even after he grew stronger.

If he faced a stronger enemy, even winning would probably send his chances of being exposed as a Cursed Dragon soaring. Zheng Yichen didn't know whether any Cursed Dragons still existed in this world.

The bird that stuck its head out got shot first. If his identity was exposed, he would probably face not just human hostility, but an endless pursuit by the Dragon Race... How was he supposed to live like this?

Just thinking about it made his head ache. Honestly, as a pacifist, he would much rather everyone sit down, chat, and play games. All that fighting and killing was far too violent.

This world is so dangerous. If only there were a way back to my own. With all those gloomy thoughts swirling in his head, Zheng Yichen's eyelids gradually drooped. He would deal with the future one step at a time.

For now, things didn't seem so bad. He even had a cute, unusual fake little girl as his teacher...