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“…A p–pact?”

*――――Yes. I have made a pact with the King of Regulus.*

It all went back to yesterday, when I had a conversation with Mr. Valka.

Amid the sweltering, blazing heat, I did my best to stay conscious as I listened to his story.

*――――Let me tell you an old tale. I was the one who first made this desert my home. The man who came later tried to drive me out.*

“You… you didn’t get mad?”

*――――Oh, I was furious. For a mere human to show such disrespect, how dare he? But that king was strong. Our battle raged for three days and three nights without a clear winner.*

“Whoa… That’s incredible.”

I couldn’t gauge Mr. Valka’s true strength just by looking, but it was obvious—taking down a dragon this massive and this hot would be a huge challenge.

If it were my master, she’d probably pass out from the heat alone. To keep fighting in this for three whole days, you’d have to be ridiculously tough.

*――――At that rate, the damage would have only continued to escalate. So I offered a ceasefire, under certain conditions.*

“I see, I see… I see!”
“You’re the only one hearing the story, missy, but you don’t look like you’re following a word of it.”
“I’m fine! I got it! I mean—I will get it! Just give me a sec to process everything!”

*――――Should I slow down a little?*

“No, it’s okay! I’m just overheating a bit, that’s all!”
“Senior disciple… water…”

Stell cooled my boiling head with a water pillow conjured through magecraft.

Even on a normal day, I wasn’t the sharpest thinker—but in this heat, my brain was practically melting. Just trying to make sense of the telepathic conversation was enough to give me a fever from overexertion.

“A–And this promise… what exactly was it?”

*――――In exchange for ensuring a resting place for me, I agreed to entrust the hidden treasure buried in this land after my death.*

“A treasure…?! If it’s something that important, you should really tell him yourself!”

*――――Heh heh, but that’s not quite it. I had actually intended to break that pact, because of your arrival.*

“B–Because of me?”

*――――Yes. I thought, if it must go to someone, I’d rather leave it with another dragon than let a human have it… But to think I would end up summoning such a small, earnest soul by mistake.*

The mistake had been caused by the dragon gem I swallowed.

Even so, Mr. Valka didn’t seem angry at all. In fact, it looked more like he was chuckling softly, amused.

*――――If this is fate, then I suppose I might as well follow it. And so, little one—go, and bring the king here with your own hands, you who are now the master of fate.*

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“…I see. So he is passing on, my old friend.”
“Yes, that’s why we need to hurry!”
“No need to panic. A dragon’s life force is resilient—he should still have time. You mustn’t measure their sense of time with a human ruler.”
“O–Oh, really…?”
“Indeed. Still, it’s also true that I must see him soon. You’ve done well, I might not have made it in time to witness his final moments otherwise.”
“I–I’m glad if I could be of help, but… um, about that treasure Mr. Valka mentioned…what is it, exactly?”
“Ah—Momo, you’re really going to ask that?”

I’d ended up missing the chance to ask Mr. Valka because of the double-whammy of heat and heatstroke, but my curiosity got the better of me.

I mean, it was a treasure important enough to stop a battle that had gone on for three days and nights. Of course I wanted to know what it was!

“Yes, a most natural question! A dragon’s treasure is the kind of thing you hear about in fairy tales—your curiosity is most admirable!”
“Ehehe, well, thank you…”
“Wait, are we sure that was a compliment?”
“And now, the true identity of that treasure is—I don’t know either!!”
“You don’t know?!”
“Ha ha ha! I chose to keep it a surprise until the time came! If I had known the details, I’d have wanted it no matter the cost!”

Despite how cheerfully he laughed, the king’s words didn’t feel like a joke. If he had known, I could tell he really might have done something drastic to claim it.

“――――Now, allow me to ask a question of my own—pink-haired girl.”
“Eh? A-Ah, yes!”

The moment he said that, a sharp prickling sense of dread crawled up the back of my neck.

The king’s pupils narrowed like a cat’s as he stared into my face, eyes glinting with curiosity.

“*How did you manage to speak with Valka?* I find it hard to believe he would open his heart to an Outlander.”
“…………U-Um…”

Should I tell him the truth? No—that’s probably a terrible idea. Telling this king about the dragon gem felt incredibly dangerous.

The gleam in his eyes reminded me of those elementary school kids I’d gone beetle-hunting with during summer break.

If I kept talking without thinking, I’d probably be the one ending up inside the bug cage.

“U-Um, well… how did you talk with Mr. Valka, Your Majesty?”
“I am able to speak with him via telepathy thanks to our pact—but only at close range. That is why I find it strange… Why would my friend take an interest in you?”
“M-Maybe it was just a coincidence…?”
“No, that can’t be it. There’s a faint wavelength coming off you… too weak to notice before, but—is it the same as a dragon’s? Ah, no, it can’t be… Unless—could it be? So strange! How bizarre!”

Even as I tried to dodge the question, the king kept leaning in, unraveling the mystery on his own.

This was bad. He was going to figure it out. He was going to realize I had the dragon gem. And once he did, I’d probably end up locked in some dark underground cell to be dissected and—

“――――Hey. Who said you could put your hands on what’s mine?”

Just as the king’s face drew so close our noses nearly touched, the ceiling—complete with its hanging chandelier—suddenly came crashing down.

Bathed in the glittering shards of glass reflecting sunlight, I saw a head of white hair and heard a voice I could never mistake.

“…Momo, feel free to break his nose. I’ll allow it.”
“M-M-M-Masterrrr!!!”