After we finished talking, Kathe agree to take us back.

  Her house was quite far from the capital.

  “But why don’t you just stay here for the night?”


  The vampires were all dead and we had cleaned the place up.

  The door was fixed and we had a good discussion.

  It was now midnight, and the sun would rise in a few hours.

  “I’m grateful for the offer, but……”


  “Yes. A lot of people will be worried if we stay any longer.”


  It was one thing for me to stay, but Eric was the king. And Goran was the grand master of the guild.

  They couldn’t stay without so much as a message.

  “I see. That is too bad. I shall take you back then.”


  “Thank you, Kathe.”


  “Don’t mention it!”


  Kathe flapped her wings happily.

  She rose into the air as soon as we were on her back, then she shot forward at a great speed.

  “Three days on foot. One or two days by horse.”


  “It wouldn’t take that long if you could change horses on the way……”


  “I can arrive in three hours.”


  Yes, Kathe was very fast.

  I talked to her from on top of her back.

  “Is it difficult to turn human?”


  “No, not exactly.”


  “I see. Well, you should turn human whenever you visit the city.”


  “I know!”


  Eric listened to us and said,

  “As we have established the new Ancient Ruins Protection Committee, I think it will be necessary to issue an official identification card and not a temporary one.”


  “Oh! Thank you!”


  Kathe seemed very pleased.

  “I will be able to visit Locke whenever I want with that card.”


  “You can visit whenever you like. And you can contact me with the bracelet.”


  “Yes, yes. I know!”


  Kathe flew happily. And we arrived in the capital in no time.

  She landed a short distance from the city so that people would not be scared.

  “Now…… I should turn back into a human.”


  Kathe turned into a human after we got off of her back.

  While she was naked, she put on her clothes without a look of embarrassment.

  “I think I’ll go to Locke’s house since I’m in the neighborhood.”


  “I don’t mind…… But don’t you have to go to your palace?”


  “It’s fine. I sometimes leave it for a whole year.”


  “I see.”


  Time was very different for dragons.

  Goran entered through the gates first. He told the guards that they were with him, and no questions were asked.

  “Though, I shouldn’t really be doing things like this……”


  “Still, Eric can’t tell them that he’s the king.”


  “Hmm. Perhaps I should have an identification card made for myself as well……”


  Eric thought.

  It was just as the east sky was starting to become red that we arrived at my mansion.

  In spite of the time, everyone came out to greet us.

  “Was everything fine?”


  “Yes, it was peaceful.”


  Nia said with a sleepy smile.

  After that, I took Shia, Serulis, my apprentices and Philly to the drawing-room.

  Lord Gerberga and Grulf were also there.

  I explained to them everything that had happened. When that was finished, I took the machine out of the magic bag.

  “Philly, please look at this.”


  “Hmm?”


  “It’s the famous trash can.”


  “Ah, this is a fine piece of machinery.”


  “So you think it could make those automated magic machines?”


  “It should be possible. However, I think that it would be difficult to gather the materials.”


  We would not be able to make some machines of our own then.

  “I don’t mind, as long as the dark ones don’t get any more of them.”


  Eric said with a satisfied nod.

  At least we had prevented them from getting any stronger.

  “The problem is the Evil Dragons.”


  “And the most high king. We can’t forget that.”


  Eric and Goran said.

  “That is important too. But do you have any information on the dark ones who have infiltrated the kingdom?”


  “I’m sorry. We don’t have anything yet.”


  “I see.”


  “The privy council is doing everything that they can……”


  “We haven’t found anything at the Adventurers Guild either.”


  Kathe listened to this as she hugged her tail.

  She patted it with both hands and then said,

  “Hmm. You humans sure have it rough.”


  “We do.”


  “But things are not so complicated for us. You can count on me.”


  “Thank you.”


  Kathe chuckled smugly.

  Just then, Milka jumped to her feet.

  “I know! I shall put on some tea!”


  “I will help you!’


  “Uh, me too!”


  Milka, Nia and Luchila dashed off to the kitchen.

  My apprentices were hard workers.

  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Lord Gerberga hopped onto my lap.

  “Hello, Lord Gerberga.”


  I said as I petted him.

  “He is so cute.”


  Kathe seemed to have taken to him as well.

  She started to pet him from the side.

  What was Grulf doing now?

  I suddenly wondered and searched him. He was in the corner of the room.

  “Grulf. Come over here.”


  “Grrr.”


  “Are you still afraid of Kathe?”


  “Groof!”


  He barked, then approached us as if to prove that he was not afraid of her.

  And so I petted him.

  “You are quite cute too, Grulf!”


  Kathe said as she petted him. Grulf tensed up immediately.

  I guess he really was scared.

  “Grulf. You don’t need to be scared of her.”


  “Grrr.”


  “Exactly. I am not scary at all.”


  So saying, she picked Grulf up off of the floor.

  Even as a human, she was incredibly strong.

  “Grrooff!”


  Grulf barked with surprise.

  While he was still a puppy, he was almost the size of a horse.

  He did not have much experience when it came to being picked up.

  “Ah, you are so fluffy.”


  “Grroof.”


  But Grulf seemed to be rather happy about being carried.

  His tail wagged.

  I guess they were friends now.

  “Kathe, you should probably sleep here before going home.”


  “I am rather tired……I think I will…… But, are you sure?”


  “Of course.”


  “I am glad to hear it!”


  The small wings on Kathe’s back began to flap in the air.

  I hadn’t really noticed it until now, but she had wings even when in human form.

  Her tail was also moving.

  She was probably fighting the urge to start bashing the floor. But this wasn’t her house, so she had some restraint.

  She was a very polite dragon.

  “I brought the tea!”


  “And I brought the sweets.”


  Milka, Nia and Luchila came into the room with the trays.

  Kathe drank all the tea and ate the cakes.

  “It’s delicious! I would expect no less of your house, Locke! I would not have been able to sleep if I was hungry.”


  She said happily.