It was still early morning, a long time before the sun rose.
During the time when everyone was asleep, the nameless dragon wished to go out into the streets.
There must be a reason why she wanted to go out at this hour.
“Just wait a little longer.”
I cautiously got up, careful not to wake Erina, and slowly got out of bed.
“I’ll grab my robe and head down.”
Nodding, I proceeded to the door first.
As expected, there was no one downstairs.
I worried that the door might be locked, but fortunately, it was open.
Stepping outside, the cold night air greeted me first.
Looking up at the sky, the moon and stars were shining beautifully.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen stars like this.’
When was the last time I saw such a bright night sky?
I realized that I hadn’t had the leisure to look up at the sky for a while.
The nameless dragon followed me immediately.
She was wearing the robe I had given her.
“So, where should we go?”
She hesitated for a moment before whispering quietly.
“Do you happen to know of any place where there are no people…?”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t familiar with the geography of the capital.
It had only been a week since I arrived in the capital.
During that time, I hadn’t had the chance to properly explore the capital’s interior as I was busy with quests.
“Let’s just walk for now.”
With a feeling of resignation, I started walking aimlessly.
I walked ahead, following wherever the cool night air led me.
I heard the sound of branches swaying in the wind and the crackling of firewood in the distance.
I walked the streets accompanied by sights only visible at night.
Although occasional patrols by guards could be seen, there was no one else walking the streets.
Turning my head, I noticed her walking beside me, wearing the white robe and black cloak I had given her.
In the early dawn, I hadn’t expected her to summon me, especially at a time when even the guards’ footsteps were sluggish.
‘Honestly, I thought you were leaving.’
Upon hearing her voice and waking up from my sleep, I felt unexpectedly nervous.
I thought she might be refusing to come with me, intending to leave.
I had stopped myself earlier from witnessing Erina committing murder.
Who would want to be with a companion who committed murder right in the heart of the capital?
It was only natural for the desire to be with us to disappear.
But she pleaded with me to accompany her to the streets.
At least it seemed she wasn’t thinking of leaving without a word.
“Hah… Hah…”
There was an irregularity in the rhythm of the footsteps we were taking together.
I looked next to her and saw that she was falling further and further behind.
She was breathing heavily, clutching the robe she wore inside out.
Her body trembled, and she pounded her chest forcefully.
Was she still unable to shake off the shock of the nightmare?
There was no sign of improvement at all. She had been like this since a while ago.
Her steps slowed down as if she found it difficult to calm her mind.
I narrowed the distance between us and gently placed my hand on her shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
“Sorry. My chest feels a bit tight…”
Her breath was rough, and she couldn’t speak properly.
Was there any way I could help her?
While pondering, I noticed her trembling hand through the robe.
I cautiously took her hand.
It was surprising to see her react with astonishment unlike Erina.
“…Thank you.”
I was worried she might push my hand away, but she accepted my touch without resistance.
Fortunately, her trembling body gradually began to calm down.
Her unstable breathing also started to stabilize.
We continued to walk together, matching our steps.
We passed through the center and headed westward.
Moving away from the downtown area, we entered the commercial district.
There was a fountain in the center of the street.
Memories of talking here with Erina came to mind.
It was the place where Erina confessed that she had the Goddess’ Blessing for me and asked me to join her.
‘Was everything you said back then a lie?’
Since I became convinced that Erina was deceiving me, I couldn’t trust her anymore.
Every action she had shown me so far raised suspicions.
“Why are you like this…?”
When I suddenly stopped walking, the nameless dragon looked at me with an anxious gaze.
After saying it was nothing, I started moving again.
We continued heading west, passing through the commercial district.
The streets gradually narrowed, and the presence of guards became sparse.
Even the sound of crickets around us dwindled.
Finally, we found a quiet and secluded space.
“I didn’t know such a place existed.”
There were big trees and benches.
The chairs, seldom used by people, were covered in dust.
It was quite a distance from residential areas.
Rather than dim, it was more fitting to call it a serene place.
We went under the shade of a giant tree.
I brushed off the dust from the old chairs and sat down.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Fortunately, her expression had brightened compared to before.
Her voice had become calmer, and the trembling had disappeared.
What kind of nightmare had she had to show such unease?
Before I could ask, she spoke first.
“In fact, memories from the past appeared in my dream.”
“Memories from the past?”
After taking a deep breath, she lowered her head in front of me.
The expression that seemed to be improving gradually darkened again.
“A long time ago, there was a time when I roamed around with other dragons.”
It didn’t feel like reminiscing about faint memories of childhood.
Rather, she seemed to be immersed in regret, her face soaked in sorrow.
“At that time, I was so arrogant.”
“…”
“I thought I was strong and freely harmed others.”
She began to recite her past mistakes as if confessing them in a solemn ritual.
Her words were quite shocking.
She slaughtered monsters and animals, insulted elves, picked fights with others, and unintentionally committed murder.
“Even then, I believed, ‘It’s not my fault; they died because they were weak.'”
Yet she didn’t stop there.
That’s how strong dragons were. There was no one who could stop her.
But everything changed after the Demon King appeared.
“Since being chased by the Demon King, I’ve endlessly regretted my past.”
Everything was an illusion. She wasn’t strong.
She wasn’t a superior being compared to other races.
She was just a pathetic creature lost in arrogance.
“Even belatedly, I tried to rally the dragons to resist the Demon King.”
Considering the situation of the nameless dragon, it didn’t seem like a good ending.
She continued her story with a trembling voice.
“I became the leader and led my comrades. But they didn’t acknowledge me as their leader.”
As if being driven out by betrayal wasn’t enough, she said her wings, a dragon’s pride, were torn apart.
After that, she became a fugitive, endlessly chased by the Demon King’s forces.
“It’s a sad story.”
The nameless dragon always hid her back.
Perhaps she herself didn’t notice, but I knew.
Even when changing clothes or wearing a robe, she subconsciously avoided exposing her back.
It seemed suspicious, but I didn’t know there were circumstances like this.
“Maybe it was the result of my arrogance.”
Why did she cling to the title of a leader like that?
Until then, she hadn’t been able to shake off the arrogance of her youth.
“Since then, I’ve lived fleeing from the Demon King for my entire life. I’ve never had a moment of peace for decades.”
In a situation where danger chased her everywhere, it was inevitable for her to become sensitive.
Anyone would lose their sanity completely if they were running away lonely without anyone’s help.
“But then I met you.”
“…”
“I thought I would never be able to make comrades again. But you gave me hope.”
I could see her face through the robe.
Her lips were trembling.
Her eyes were shimmering as if she would shed tears soon.
Would she be betrayed?
Would she disappoint her comrade?
Would she be alone again?
That’s why she seemed so hesitant about my proposal.
“Of course, I can’t erase the past.”
There were violent times in the past.
There were moments of arrogance followed by regret.
She lived as a fugitive for many years after being betrayed by her comrades.
But all of that was in the past.
“However, we can’t keep clinging to the past forever.”
You can’t erase the past.
The scars deeply ingrained in our hearts will remain as scars even with time.
Yet living a life consumed by regret wasn’t right.
It’s not right to be tormented alone until the end.
“We just need to do better from now on.”
I couldn’t predict how she would take my words.
Still, I hoped she would understand the sincerity I showed.
I hoped she could shake off some of the lingering regrets of the past.
There was a moment of silence.
Branches swayed with the wind.
A faint sob was heard in the quiet street.
She didn’t lift her head, hiding her face with the robe.
I waited quietly until she calmed down.
How much time had passed?
The nameless dragon finally raised her head.
Her eyes were swollen red.
But she wore a more relieved expression than before and even managed a small smile.
“I was a little surprised to hear something I’ve never heard before. But thank you anyway.”
Had no one ever said such words to her before?
I could imagine how lonely she must have been.
But accepting someone as a companion was a completely different matter.
“Last night, Erina killed someone.”
“Yes, I know.”
“And we argued.”
“I saw it all.”
“But still, you want to join us…?”
Although I had proposed it first, even I found it hard to believe.
I had no right to stop her from leaving, even if she did.
In fact, anyone would hesitate to accept her as a companion.
Moreover, I knew that she hadn’t had positive interactions with Erina.
Honestly, even until the moment I fell asleep, I was halfway giving up on recruiting her as a companion.
I had thought that saying our last goodbyes at dawn was inevitable, preparing myself for it.
But she didn’t leave as I expected.
And the nameless dragon was looking at me with a confident gaze.
“I want to help you defeat the Demon King.”
She said to me with a solemn voice.
She wanted to kill the Demon King and gain her freedom.
That was my goal too. I had to kill the Demon King and ascend to Heaven to save the Goddess.
But with our current state, we couldn’t reach the Demon King.
Both she and I needed each other’s strength.
“I want to prove my trust not just as a simple companion but through a contract.”
The nameless dragon kneeled before me.
“Would you please be a Dragon Knight for me?”
