The First Meeting
The dragon wishing to settle at the lake was finally about to meet Lord Doyle, the ruler of this land.
It was an intelligent dragon—one that not only understood human language but could also hold a conversation.
Even when speaking with me, it had been calm, polite, and well-mannered.
I found it hard to believe that was just an act… but better safe than sorry.
I had to stay on guard, ready to enter combat at any moment.
With my wariness heightened, I returned to the lake and briefly explained the situation to the dragon.
“I appreciate it. Thank you for acting as an intermediary.”
“It’s nothing. More importantly, I’ll bring the lord here now.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
This dragon really was the picture of a gentleman.
—Speaking of which…
“There’s something I forgot to ask.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Your name.”
Calling it “dragon” forever would be inconvenient.
That said, if dragons didn’t use names to distinguish individuals, it might not matter.
I waited for its response.
“My name is Asletica.”
“Asletica… Got it.”
So, dragons had names too.
Well, if Asletica was intelligent enough to speak, it wasn’t so strange to think it had a name as well.
After telling Asletica to wait, I went back to the others who had been standing by at a distance and reported the situation.
Based on my judgment that it was safe, Lord Doyle finally took action.
“This is a lake I’ve seen countless times, yet… just having a dragon here makes the whole scene feel different.”
Coming face-to-face with a real dragon for the first time, even Lord Doyle couldn’t completely hide his tension.
I had told him beforehand that it was highly unlikely to attack, but standing before such a massive creature with sharp claws and fangs—no one could blame him for hesitating.
—But then…
“You must be the lord.”
“Yes, I am Doyle Tryon.”
Once a conversation began, he quickly regained his usual composure.
That was the mark of a true lord.
At his age, he couldn’t have had much experience dealing with such situations, yet he carried himself with remarkable dignity.
Perhaps it was his lineage, or maybe he simply had a natural talent for handling pressure.
“I assume your knight has already informed you, but I have taken a liking to this lake.
I wish to stay here for a while. Of course, I have no intention of harming anyone.”
“I understand. That’s fine.”
Lord Doyle approved the request without hesitation.
Not only were we surprised—Asletica seemed equally taken aback.
“I know I’m the one who made this request, but… are you truly fine with it?”
“Of course. You seem like a good person—er, a good dragon.”
Doyle answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
…Come to think of it, this reminded me of the first time I met him after arriving in Abbott.
I was a holy knight who had caused trouble in the royal capital and was sent into exile.
Most lords would have driven me away immediately, yet he accepted me without issue.
I had been shocked at the time, though now I was nothing but grateful.
And once again, the same thing was happening.
Even if the other party was a dragon, as long as Doyle deemed them “good,” he had no problem giving his approval.
“I am grateful.”
“You’re welcome. If my land has a lake so beautiful that even a dragon would want to stay here, that’s something to be proud of as a lord. As for the villagers, I’ll make sure to—”
“Lord Doyle!”
Before he could finish, Village Chief Ganun and several villagers came running toward the lake.
Apparently, they had been worried about him.
“This is perfect timing. I should make the announcement in front of Asletica.”
After calming the agitated villagers, Doyle informed them that he had granted the dragon permission to stay.
At first, there was an uproar, but soon, voices saying,
“If Lord Doyle says so, then it must be fine,”
began to spread, and the tension naturally subsided.
His reputation among the people was truly remarkable.
“A wise dragon living by the lake… Say, Senior, couldn’t we turn this into a tourist attraction?”
“You’d best not. Asletica is calm and kind, but dragons like that are extremely rare. On a global scale, most people still see dragons as beings to be feared. More than that, treating it like a spectacle would be cruel.”
“… Yeah, you’re right.”
Elina sighed and lowered her head in remorse.
It wouldn’t become a tourist attraction, but…
I had a feeling that Asletica’s presence would bring some kind of positive change to me and the villagers.
I had no proof, but it was just something I felt.
What do you think about this chapter?
