“We’re going to kill the Demon King.”
“Demon King…?!”
The nameless dragon couldn’t close her mouth in surprise at my words.
That’s how much the Demon King was not a being to be trifled with.
Of course, I hadn’t said it lightly either.
“Then, could it be…!”
“Yeah. I possess the Goddess’ Blessing.”
This was a fact I hadn’t even told Erina yet.
As expected, the two people were astonished when they heard what I said.
“What… do you mean? Seo-Hyun-nim also received the Goddess’ Blessing…?!”
“Yeah. The mark was engraved on me without my knowledge.”
I lifted up my pants to reveal my left thigh.
The black mark was still vividly drawn there.
“This is…”
Erina’s face turned pale.
She bit her lips tightly as if something unexpected had happened.
The nameless dragon was the same.
She shook her head nervously as if she couldn’t understand the current situation.
“Could it be that Erina also…?”
“Yeah. The same goes for both of us.”
She must have known too.
Displaying the Blessing couldn’t be done lightly.
There had to be a belief that it wouldn’t be told to anyone.
I believed she would understand in what way I showed it.
We are truly determined to exterminate the Demon King.
I wanted to let the nameless dragon know about this fact.
“How long do you plan to keep running?”
We managed to survive this time, but the pursuit from the Demon King’s army would continue.
She must not have the intention to live forever while being chased.
“Wouldn’t it be better to travel with us?”
Living as fugitives for a lifetime and then dying.
Or aiming for the Demon King with us.
Anyone could see which choice was wiser.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.
We couldn’t estimate how much hardship awaited us.
“Well…”
Seeing the nameless dragon hesitate, Erina interjected from the side.
“Just a moment! I haven’t agreed to this…”
“Erina. It’s impossible for just the two of us.”
Erina’s pupils trembled as if she couldn’t understand the current situation.
She shook her head roughly as if denying my words.
“No! It’s enough with just you and me!”
“That’s nonsense.”
No matter how strong Erina was, defeating the Demon King alone was impossible.
Even with my help, the chances of winning weren’t high.
Even if I asked the nameless dragon next to me, she would shake her head.
At least three or four were needed to form a party.
In that sense, the nameless dragon was an excellent companion.
“Not as strong as you, but strong enough.”
“But…”
“You’ll get the hang of it once you’ve fought directly.”
She was the first to block Erina’s attack.
Even while being heavily injured, she managed to block the attack.
Of course, Erina was the winner of the fight. But even I was surprised at how strong she was.
Her stats were also extremely high.
Among the companions we could meet early on, there was no one stronger than her.
In other words, she was an indispensable ally.
“…”
Seeing that there was no argument coming to mind, Erina closed her mouth.
However, Erina only stared at the nameless dragon with a look that said she didn’t want to die.
When the nameless dragon met Erina’s gaze, she lowered her head.
Seeing that, doubts started growing in my mind.
‘Is Erina really acting this arrogantly…?’
It was completely different from the usual demeanor I knew.
Even though it had been a year since I played the game, I hadn’t forgotten the protagonist’s character.
The protagonist was always kind and warm-hearted.
Even amidst the crumbling world and people losing their vitality, they always tried to smile brightly.
But Erina was behaving completely opposite.
“Erina. Can you come with me for a moment?”
In the end, I decided to take her aside for a brief conversation.
It wouldn’t make sense to suggest the nameless dragon to join us as a companion right away.
Convincing Erina first was the right order of things.
Erina quietly followed me.
The nameless dragon was far enough away that she couldn’t hear our conversation.
“Erina. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“…Sorry.”
As she stood in front of me, Erina’s attitude suddenly softened like a docile sheep.
The cold attitude she had been showing toward the nameless dragon disappeared like melting snow.
“Is it because you don’t like that person?”
At my words, she hesitated for a moment before looking at me with determined eyes.
“That woman is a dragon. They’re an endlessly arrogant and selfish race!”
“What…?”
“Please trust me. Don’t accept her as a companion. You must never trust a dragon.”
Erina’s words were quite shocking.
I couldn’t have imagined such racially discriminatory words coming from her mouth.
Could it have been a slip of the tongue?
But seeing her confident gaze and attitude, I realized it wasn’t.
Hearing her confidently discriminate against dragons made me feel uncomfortable unexpectedly.
‘The protagonist wouldn’t say such things.’
Erina didn’t realize what was wrong with her.
In other words, she was completely different from the protagonist I knew.
Were the Goddess’s words really all true?
But I wasn’t completely convinced yet.
Erina’s words weren’t entirely wrong either.
The notorious reputation of dragons was enough to be wary of.
For whatever reason, dragons were persecuted by all races.
“Then let’s do this.”
I decided to persuade the nameless dragon just once.
And if she refused, she would leave without any lingering attachments.
“…Okay.”
Fortunately, Erina accepted my proposal.
Though her displeasure was evident in her expression.
In an awkward atmosphere, we returned to the campfire.
When the nameless dragon saw us, she quickly got up from her seat.
“The discussion is over. And I’ve decided to accept you.”
Now, only the decision of the party involved remained.
“So, what do you say?”
“I…”
She hesitated for a while.
Erina’s and my eyes crossed in a tense atmosphere.
‘Please accept…’
Though I pretended to be calm, I was inwardly anxious.
After saying all this and being rejected would be quite embarrassing.
After a moment of silence, the response I received felt a bit anticlimactic.
“Could you give me some time to think…?”
***
“Hah…”
Who would have thought things would be resolved so easily?
In the end, the nameless dragon’s decision to postpone her choice marked the end of the discussion.
I never imagined there could be a refusal within a refusal in that situation.
‘I’ll think about it until tomorrow.’ was the vague response I received.
Neither Erina nor I could bring ourselves to laugh at the awkward answer.
But judging by her attitude, it seemed unlikely she would accept the proposal.
So, I decided to hold onto her a little longer.
“Where are you going?”
The nameless dragon, who had been hiding, was startled by my words.
“Were you… awake?”
“I was keeping watch in case any monsters appeared.”
It was a lie. Of course, there was that reason, but I also noticed she was about to leave without saying anything.
As I tried to sleep, I noticed her checking if I was asleep.
“And you’re leaving without saying anything?”
“…I’m sorry.”
She couldn’t even look at my face and lowered her head.
I wasn’t particularly angry. Just a little disappointed.
I thought we had become closer, but perhaps it was too presumptuous.
“Why are you leaving without saying anything?”
“If I’m with you…”
“Do you think you’re a burden?”
It was an exaggerated assumption. If anything, I wanted her to be with us, so why was she worrying alone?
But I had an idea of what she might be afraid of.
The nameless dragon was being pursued.
If I made her my companion, I too would become a target of the Demon King’s army.
“I’m a dragon. If I’m with you, a persecuted being everywhere…!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
We would continue to face the Demon King’s army in the future.
Wouldn’t it be better to have three instead of two facing them?
“If rumors spread that you’re traveling with me, you might be driven out of the capital.”
“Just hide well.”
The capital’s security wasn’t that strict.
As long as she hid her horns well, she could get in.
Of course, it might be a bit risky if she got caught.
“…I might.”
“Don’t say you won’t be of any help.”
If she agreed to accompany me, she would be an invaluable ally.
She was so attractive as a companion that I was willing to take on all the risks I had mentioned so far.
On the other hand, leaving her alone was also dangerous.
If she were captured by the Demon King like the first time we encountered each other, it would be a disaster.
All our efforts would have been in vain.
“I have no destination and I’ll be alone in my injured state? Anyone would try to stop you.”
“But Erina-sama…”
“I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about that part.”
I knew Erina was wary of her.
I didn’t expect the relationship between the two of them to improve right away.
Still, I wanted to take full responsibility.
Even as I took Erina with me, I wanted to be with the nameless dragon.
Call it greed if you will.
When else would I be greedy if not now?
I wanted to pull both of them onto my side.
“You really…”
I hadn’t made the companion offer lightly.
Finally, she seemed to realize my determination.
“Do you think it’s okay for me to be with you…?”
Half right, half wrong.
If I had to choose between yes or no, it was closer to no.
“It means I want your help.”
“Huh?”
“Help me. I need your strength. It’s usually impossible to kill the Demon King with ordinary skills.”
She is not an ordinary NPC. She is not a weak ally either.
She is a character with innate strength, who has served as the boss in the first round.
She could be considered the best companion one could ever find.
“Do you need my strength…?”
“Yes.”
There was a moment of silence. However, the atmosphere had changed from before.
Finally, she looked at me with determined eyes.
“I am a dragon. If you become my ally, it means you must walk through the hardships that I alone should endure.”
It was already a prepared decision. Even if there were twists and turns in life, it wasn’t frightening.
“If rumors spread that you are with me, you may be rejected by the world.”
In a world that would perish if left alone, what importance did reputation hold?
The trust of one person was more important than the trust of everyone.
“And… I am not as strong as you think. I don’t even have a kind heart.”
The nameless dragon was underestimating herself too much.
Objectively speaking, she was strong.
And she had a warmer heart than anyone else.
“If you need someone as inadequate as me.”
Confirming my determination, I approached and extended my hand first.
She grasped my outstretched hand. Then she bowed her head.
“I will do my best from now on.”
That’s how I met my second companion.
***
The next day, the nameless dragon was by my side.
Erina seemed to have had a restless sleep, blinking her eyes with a tired expression.
The nameless dragon was the same. She looked around with sharp eyes.
There was no way I could sleep peacefully either.
It was a busy night with a lot on our minds.
Still, much had been resolved in just one day.
“Preparations are complete.”
It was time to return to the capital.
Unlike when we left the capital, the group had grown to three.
Erina glanced briefly at the nameless dragon and said nothing.
I gently pushed her hesitant back.
Whether she gathered courage or not, the nameless dragon approached Erina.
“Erina-nim.”
“Why are you like this?”
Despite her still cold tone, the nameless dragon shrank back.
Still, she didn’t stop speaking.
“I’ll do my best from now on.”
At her words, Erina sighed deeply.
She didn’t turn her head to respond.
Then the nameless dragon cautiously extended her hand.
It seemed she was also trying to get along with Erina.
“It’s fine.”
But Erina only glanced at the offered hand before turning away.
The nameless dragon smiled awkwardly with an embarrassed expression.
‘It won’t be easy.’
It seemed that it wouldn’t be easy for the two of them to get closer.
Ignoring the nameless dragon, Erina approached me.
And as if throwing a tantrum, she whispered as she embraced me.
“I told you to try persuading her just once…”
It seemed Erina was awake after all.
