Chapter 811: How to Entertain Guests 2
We could have opted to skip it and tour the Elf territory instead, but Princess Ran, displaying a mysterious sense of urgency, insisted we make the most of the opportunity, so we ended up heading to Misty Palace for a tour. We had managed to inform the blue dragons at Polka about this beforehand. That said, only a few were staying today—just Airi and Broll-san.
“I see. Well, it’s perfectly fine as a way to kill time. They call it the Dragon Palace and all that, but it’s really just a village”
“A dragon’s life is simple, you know. Eating, sleeping—if we choose, we can endure for years without much craving. We can’t quite develop the elaborate lifestyles of the other races”
“Ha, Haa……”
Both were dressed only in rough cloth wrapped around their naked bodies, chatting casually. After exchanging a brief glance with Maia, Airi struck a pose and transformed into a dragon.
“Now, let me give you a ride. What? On dragon wings, it’s a distance we’ll cover before a single song ends”
She extended a massive hand. I climbed onto Airi’s palm without question, but Princess Ran froze in place.
“……Is something wrong?”
“Ah, umm……well……get on there……huh? Umm, what about a palanquin or something?”
“……Would that be better?”
The dragon’s fingers were thick and sturdy, responding firmly to my movements. Unless I deliberately struggled, there was little risk of slipping off. But for Princess Ran, it might have been a bit too wild. But the 「Flying Sexroom」 needed flat ground to land on. As far as I remembered, there was no flat area near Misty Palace where a hut could be placed. The cave on the mountainside, reached by zigzagging up a slope a short distance from the forest, was the spot. Climbing the slope was quite a chore, and landing directly with the dragon was the easiest option.
“If possible……well, I’m scared of falling”
“Umm”
Something to serve as a palanquin. Is there anything? If I had time, I could use the planks I bought from Irina to make a makeshift palanquin—a platform about two meters square with a one-meter-high railing……but that’s impossible right now. No. Wait a moment.
“With a princess’s small frame……yeah. That should work”
Essentially, all I need is a box.
“You’re going to use this thing as a vehicle?”
“It’s a makeshift solution. I’ll lay down a proper cloth”
“Well, it wouldn’t budge even with a person inside……”
I’ll go to Jackie-san’s place and borrow one of the wooden crates he keeps around for scrap metal. About 80 centimeters square. Small enough for a petite girl to crouch inside without issue. Of course, it has no lid. She’ll have to stick her head out. Even this should feel safer than stepping onto the dragon’s hand with her own feet. Inside the box, clothes wouldn’t billow about, so even those concerned about appearing indecent could feel at ease. Naturally, it was sturdy enough to carry heavy items like swords or farming tools packed in. The fact it was a bit dirty……well, I’d cover it up with some decent cloth laid over it. There were quite a few leftover supplies the elves gave us during last year’s great invasion.
This makeshift litter……well, calling it a box seat was a bit presumptuous, but Princess Ran seemed to like it for now.
“It would have been better with a ceiling”
“But then it would totally look like kidnapping or slave smuggling or something……”
A girl completely sealed inside an 80-centimeter-square cube. Yeah, that’s definitely not good.
“I think it’s better than her flying out……”
“You’re overthinking dragon flight. They’ll land gently, no need for that level of caution”
“Well, even so”
Princess Ran tried to shrink down and hide inside the box. Her excessive reaction made me smile wryly, but then again, maybe that’s just how it is. I realized my own sensibilities were worn down. Dragons are enormous beasts—creatures that could crush ordinary people with the slightest movement. It wouldn’t be strange if, like a true beast, they suddenly bared their fangs even after seeming intelligent and friendly just moments before. That’s the normal sensibility, and interacting with them requires a life-or-death resolve. That gap isn’t easily bridged, and perhaps it shouldn’t be. For the sake of interacting properly with the dragons.
“……Well, whatever. Anyway, Airi, I’m counting on you”
“Yes”
Airi takes off, carrying me in her right hand and the box seat holding Princess Ran in her left.
Airi leads the flight, with Maia and Broll-san following behind. True to her word, we arrive at Misty Palace in just a few minutes. The wind pressure from the three dragons’ wings briefly clears the drifting fog around them, but soon the haze closes in again, obscuring their vision.
“The area around us is clear, yet only here is there so much fog……some kind of magic?”
“No. It’s said to be caused by a spatial distortion from an ancient elf barrier”
“It’s hardly an obstacle for us. In fact, it’s rather convenient that it hides the entrance and keeps the environment quiet”
Airi lowered Princess Ran’s box seat and me to the cave entrance. Then, Brol and Maia transformed into human form simultaneously, making three dragons in total. Princess Ran cautiously craned her neck to survey the surroundings, then stood up, causing the box to rattle.
“……So this is the Dragon Palace……”
“Yes. Maia was born and raised within this cave”
“……I imagined a place of greater luxury. This is……”
“Like some barbarian tribe, perhaps?”
Several dragons emerged from within the cave. Leading them, smiling gracefully, was Michela, a dragon of Airi’s generation.
“N, No, it’s just”
“No one ever comes to see a place like this. It’s filled with darkness inside; we don’t even float light here unless necessary. What meaning would there be in decorating such a place to impress anyone?”
Though she said this, Michela cast a lighting spell for us, who couldn’t see in the dark, and floated it. As expected, Michela and the dragons behind her wore nothing but a few metal ornaments.
“Naked……”
“Oh dear, should I put something on?”
Michela gave me a sidelong glance with a smile. I shook my head.
“We’re the guests here. I won’t argue with the rules of the place”
“Huhu. It would go against your tastes too, wouldn’t it?”
I glanced at Michela’s breasts from behind and to the side, covering my embarrassment with an ambiguous smile. Her body remained stunningly erotic, combining mature allure with unearthly skin radiance. The dragons accompanying her were mostly males, their dicks hanging out—but I pushed that thought out of my mind. Non-erect penises aren’t exactly imposing. ……Or so I thought, but Princess Ran was visibly flushing, clearly unsure where to look. Well, of course. She’d likely lived a life where she never got close to naked men. But this too was cultural stimulation. There was no danger, so let her enjoy the culture shock.
The palace interior was a cavern composed of faintly bluish-white rock. Apparently, this wasn’t made of some special stone, but rather covered in luminescent moss. It wasn’t enough to see the scenery without light magic, but it did add a very slight blue tint to the shadows.
“So that moss itself was brought in by dragon hands from somewhere?”
“You’ve guessed correctly. To be precise, it was presented to us by the elves. Apparently, it grows in part of the territory managed by the Gold Clan. Our Blue Dragon Village, while not exactly known for its flair, thought it acceptable to add that much embellishment”
“Dragon aesthetics are hard to figure out sometimes—whether they’re just understated or what”
The Crystal Palace, which casually places giant crystals all over the village, is another example. It’s puzzling to us humans how they can embrace such a simple lifestyle overall, yet assert themselves in that particular direction with their interior design sense. And then, aside from the rocks appearing blue, the houses are just ordinary stone structures……no, houses scattered within caves. Come to think of it, that doesn’t make much sense. But somehow, proper houses stand side by side. These are caves with ceilings averaging 8 to 10 meters high. Even houses with roofs built inside don’t feel out of place. But if you stumbled in here unaware, exploring with a torch in hand, you might start questioning whether this is real. Knowing it’s the Dragon Palace is fine, but who in their right mind would build such grand houses inside caves deep in rugged mountains? And for what purpose? It’s completely baffling. And if naked men and women suddenly appeared from that darkness, even if you weren’t a dragon, you’d probably be genuinely terrified and want to run away.
“Hyaaaaaaaaaaa”
Like Princess Ran here. While following the first group to greet us, led by Michela, we turned a corner and bam—Juline, Asti, and the older male dragons all emerged naked at once. The princess, who seemed to think no one else was there, let out a shrill scream and fell flat on her butt.
“Try not to scream so much. It echoes”
“A, Au, aaa……auau”
“Alright, alright. It’s fine, they’re not scary people”
He helped the teary-eyed princess up.
“Could you make it brighter? It’s a bit cruel to scare her so much”
As I addressed the dragons, they all nodded in unison. They stretched out their hands and chanted a spell together. Suddenly, the space, which had only one light source, was filled with over a dozen lights, transforming it into brightness like daylight. Then, as if on cue, the dragons knelt down, bowing their heads.
『Welcome, Great Rider, Andy Smithson-sama. We, the blue dragons, extend our heartfelt welcome』
Their voices were perfectly synchronized.
“……Great Rider? Is that a thing now?”
I extended my hand to the kneeling, naked beauties with a wry smile. Taking my hand, Michela laughed.
“Oh, absolutely. That’s why we must insist on the honor of entertaining you and surrendering ourselves to you, even more than our fellow iron-clad kin”
“……Are you still holding a grudge about me turning all the silver dragons into female slaves after Maia?”
“No, no. ……I simply believe your sincerity will reach me someday”
Yeah. I do hold a grudge. Sorry. It’s not that I dislike you. I’ve even thought about just letting it go at this point. But today isn’t about that, so please don’t press me further. I beg you.