Dragon-san Wants a Friend

Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

Walking out of the teleportation circle, Aru Figura was greeted by the nostalgic scenery of home.

Looking through the window, the sun was already high in the sky. It was about lunchtime.

He was sure to turn back into his human form before teleporting, but just to be sure he turned around on the spot, trying to check his appearance right now.

The long jacket and pants he was wearing right now were order-made by Ligurila herself.

Recently, Ligurila was giving him lots and lots of newly designed clothes from her store in the capital city.

They were matching perfectly, especially since recently the red bunches in his long hair were becoming more and more noticeable.

Since when did he become so handsome that such fine clothes were matching him so perfectly like that?

After he graduated from the Signos Academy together with Elvie and his friends, he stopped wearing his magic-blocking bracelet, since there was no longer any need for him to wear it.

When he confirmed that everything was in order, he opened the door and entered the house, where a brown-haired girl was waiting to greet him.

「Aru, welcome back.」

「I’m home, Marca.」

Marca smiles at Aru while shaking her long hair. Over the last few years she changed quite a bit, becoming taller and more feminine.

Her curvy body was wrapped in a cute dress, accompanied by a pure-white apron.

Like that, she was giving off an aura of calmness and maturity.

「Were you helping out at the store again?」

「Yup, and thanks to the experience I managed to gather here, when the course at the Academy will be over and I submit my thesis, I may be able to graduate around this fall. Then, rather than doing anything else, Nec…… I mean, Master said that I could work here to gather more experience.」

Marca was sixteen at the moment, and she was considering eventually going to the capital city after graduating to continue learning the medical magic.

Although every magician could treat small injuries and bruises, but more complex illnesses and conditions required some specific knowledge and skills.

And depending on the magical power of the magician who was conducting the treatment, a completely new possibilities could open up.

Therefore, she was currently helping Nectar at the store to gain more general knowledge.

Her good-hearted nature made spirits love her, and she had a surprisingly good affinity with plants, which would mean that she would grow to be a splendid apothecary.

Honestly, Aru was grateful to Nectar for doing that, because even though he was a dragon, he was hardly suited to teach someone else about magic. But still,

「You don’t have to push yourself so hard, you know? After all, you still have so time before graduating.」

When Aru said that, Marca just shrugged her shoulders.

「Since both you and Brother graduated, I have nothing to do at school instead of studying. I would much rather learn new things here.」

Aru had a hard time to come up with an appropriate comment to that one.

「Because of that, it is hard for me to focus on learning at school. People out there are all nice to me, but it is tiring in its own right. If possible, I would also like to help you with your leyline maintenance in the future.」

Actually, when it comes to Aru, he would like to come back to school once more.

While he was thinking that, Marca got closer to him and gave him a slight hug.

「I know. And thank you for keeping the leylines well-maintained. Master said that he shall cook some meal soon since you’ve just came back.」

「Hooray!」

Then Aru walked to the room together with Marca.

It has been five years since the day of the catastrophe, which came to be known in history as “The Day of the Decay.”

*********

While Aru was carrying Elvie on his back and still maintaining the “Wake-Up Prayer”, he suddenly looked up to the sky, where a strange kind of wind began to pick up the white fog.

The “Eclipse” was fading away as if being sucked into the twilight sky, and in the meantime, flakes of something snow-like began to fall down onto the world from the sky.

At first they were on full alert, thinking that it was some kind of new kind of “Eclipse”, but they relaxed a bit once they realized that the flakes were restoring the damaged leylines and chasing the white fog away.

There was also a voice that kept on apologizing. It looks like Lava managed to successfully accomplish her mission.

The snow wasn’t cold, and once it fell down on earth, reinforcing it and making it stronger.

As soon as Aru heard Ficell’s voice informing him that the most of the cities that were devoured by the “Eclipse” were coming back, Aru released the spell and rushed to Nectar’s side.

Congratulations were in order, as well as blessings for the future.

But,

When he arrived at the old ruins in the middle of the sea, he saw an almost dead-tired Lute sitting on the ground, as well as the unfamiliar looking dragon with the appearance of a fair-haired young man.

「Please, Lava! Wake up, I beg of you……!」

There. There was a figure of black dragon with red mane resting silently under a tree with blissful expression on her face, lit by the sunset. Nectar was at the dragon’s side, pleading to her desperately and crying.

From that point onwards, each nation was thrown into chaos.

As for the countries that got swallowed by the “Eclipse”, more than a week have passed without them even noticing, but because of that they were out of the loop on the current situation. Various documents and diplomatic missions were being sent over to those countries to fill them in.

But it all got complicated rather soon.

Because of the God’s miracle falling all over the world, it was abundant with magic, and monsters were spawned from it in excess as a result.

Each nation all over the world was doing their best to get rid of the demonic scourge, and after a five-years-long struggle the matter was finally going to be settled.

With that, everyone was trying to walk their respective way.

But the star of the show, Lava Figura, was yet to awaken from her slumber.

*********

Once they entered the living room, they could smell the lovely fragrance of food.

While Aru inhales the delicious smells, Nectar emerged from the kitchen while wearing an apron.

「Welcome home, Aru. How was your work?」

「There are still places around the world where the godly snow didn’t melt. It was really hard getting rid of it.」

In order to bring the leylines back to their former stable condition, all of the godly snow needed to be disposed of, otherwise it would interfere with the maintenance process. All the dragons were working towards locating those remnants and disposing of it.

The process of actually getting rid of it was rather complicated and tedious, but nevertheless it had to be done. Without it the world would never return to its full stability, even if at the first glance everything was looking okay.

And since Aru’s knowledge in maintaining the leylines was not all that great, he was given the job of travelling around the world and locating the giant piles of leftover snow.

「Cheers for your hard work!」

Aru sighed upon hearing that, while Nectar smiled calmly.

Seeing him like that right now, Aru couldn’t help it but feel relieved.

The heartbroken and crying Father he saw at that time was nowhere to be seen now. ƒr𝙚𝙚𝘸e𝚋𝐧૦ѵ𝒆𝒍.𝒄𝒐m

However, there is no denying the fact that the godly snow was what saved the world. And they had Lava to thank for that. And the fact that her body didn’t disappeared meant that she was still here with them.

「The seasons have changed around the world and the flow of time is also different. So maybe her soul will come back to us one day.」

It was just like Gramps have said. Aru was still able to feel that Lava was still somewhere out there.

So as long as they were concerned, all the signs were indicating that Lava was not dead, but just slumbering. But that fact alone was enough to bring peace back into the hearts of both Nectar and Aru.

Then, once Aru have graduated, they moved their summer house to the island where Lava was laying dormant, just so that they could be able to meet her anytime they wanted.

Looking out the window, you could actually see the tree Lava was resting under, with its crimson leaves gently swaying in the wind.

Its form wasn’t really decided yet. That is because Ficell, Aru’s grandfather, planted it only recently.

It was supposed to be the mechanism of adjusting the magic circulation around the world in form of a tree. It could take almost any kind of shape, but in Gramps’s words it would almost certainly resemble the Evergreen tree if it will grow for long enough.

The only thing Nectar chose was the flowers that were growing around the tree. They were a sort of commemoration of Lava’s achievements.

They were blooming for only a short while, but once they were, you could watch them non-stop.

With that, Lava should feel right at home.

Even now.

「Now, let’s go and help out as well! Hmm, oho?」

Aru wanted to help in preparing the meal, but just then the doorbell rang.

The sound was familiar, and Aru went towards the door.

「I’ll open the door!」

Said Aru while Marca’s expression became curios why he would do that.

Opening the door, Aru saw a young man with dark hair and dark eyes and sunburned skin standing right in front of him.

Aru seemed to be amazed at this encounter, and his mouth immediately turned into a smile.

「El-senpai! Long time no see!」

「It really was a long time…… And I am no longer your Senpai.」

「For me, El-senpai will always be El-senpai. Or would you rather for me to call you by your name?」

「Ah, sure, I like that.」

Elvie smiled, probably taking that for a joke.

Aru laughed as well, but at the same time he felt a little bit disappointed.

「I knew it! If it isn’t my brother! You’re late!」

Before Aru could comment on that, Marca appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere.

「I know it’s a shame, but here’s all the materials that Nectar-san asked for. I had to go back to our house in Hibernia, and it takes some time.」

Elvie said that while offering his sister the materials, and Marca seemed satisfied with that.

「But, I’m actually glad that you picked up such pretty specimens. Thank you.」

「Always a pleasure. Senjiro-san was supposed to come together with me, but some urgent job came up and he had to take it.」

It was the usual small dragon Vaas that said that while coming out of Elvie’s backpack and sitting on his shoulder.

「How are you doing, Marca?」

「Long time no see, Vaas.」

「Vaas! I’m so glad to see you! Thank you for always taking care of my brother!」

As Vaas flew towards her, Marca reached out to him and hugged his body.

He may not look like it, but Vaas was in a rather good mood, Aru couldn’t help but to notice that.

Aru knew that Vaas was always acting in a relaxed manner in front of Marca.

Marca also laughs with great joy.

However, Elvie didn’t seem to incite that at all.

That’s why Aru spoke to Elvie once Marca and Vaas left the entranceway and got into the living room.

「Since you are here, why don’t you stay for dinner? We could talk about many things without having to rush.」

「Are you about to eat now? If Nectar-san’s okay with that, we might as well.」

「You think that my invitation isn’t good enough?」

「No, no! By all means, please join us!」

Both Aru and Elvie turned behind, seeing the spirit in apron walking towards them with a bright smile visible on his face.