"Good. That was helpful enough."
Deorgon said, nodding his head. I couldn't tell if he was a quick learner or just too lazy to bother. I licked my lips, feigning relief as I spoke to AA.
"What a relief, Sir Hero. We can go now."
"......I suppose so."
AA said, looking me over with a very peculiar gaze. AA, who had put her clothes back on, found her own garments crumpled in a corner of the room. It seemed the tight-fitting crop top and shorts were indeed her underwear.
Once she was fully dressed, her look resembled that of a hero from a 90s JRPG. She wore excessively large pauldrons on her shoulders and had something like inline skate guards on her arms and legs.
".....What are you staring at?"
AA's wariness had risen to the point where she was now guarded against my gaze. This time, I truly harbored no lewd thoughts, so I could answer confidently.
"Your armor is unusual."
"It's said to be a special handmade product from the Dwarf Kingdom."
Hearing that, I checked the armor's status window.
- Adel's Armor
Armor crafted by the dwarf master craftsman, Adel.
Defense + 230
Durability 36/36
Defense was an option not normally displayed in the status window, but 230 was a very respectable stat. The armor of an average knight had a defense of around 40 to 50. It wasn't exactly armor I coveted. The design was so tacky I'd probably avoid anyone I saw wearing it around the neighborhood.
"The design is a bit much, but it's good armor, so I use it well."
It was a relief she knew it was tacky.
Deorgon saw that we had gotten dressed and rose from his seat. Can I finally get my gift and leave? Can I finally go home now? I couldn't hide my joy at having finally survived a life-or-death situation. Deorgon looked back and forth between AA and me and spoke.
"Thanks to your excellent reenactment of sexual intercourse, my skill has reached an even greater level. I am about to go demonstrate my skill. I would like to invite you to be there."
"What?"
"What?"
Both AA and I couldn't help but be taken aback by the somewhat bewildering proposal. This dragon was talking about inviting us into his and his wife's bedroom. AA asked me.
"Are dragons normally like this?"
"I don't know."
"I thought you were some kind of dragon emissary."
"That was just bullshit. Forget it."
Deorgon looked offended, perhaps because our reaction was less than enthusiastic. He hadn't looked this displeased even when we were debating whether we could kill him or when we were punching each other in front of him.
"Are you saying you'll refuse my invitation now?"
"Ah, Lord Deorgon. By any chance... is that 'gift'..."
"Yes. I will give you the opportunity to witness this Deorgon's dragon sexual intercourse."
"Dragon what?"
"Dragon sexual intercourse. Don't make me say it twice. It is a great and magnificent ritual where dragons create their offspring. Once every thousand years, the dragons' god chooses a dragon to bear a child, and those dragons awaken from a long slumber to devote themselves to raising it."
In conclusion, it meant they were a fucking pathetic race that needed a god's permission just to have sex. And their method was a stupid fucking system where you had to win a random lottery once a millennium.
"You performed that sacred ritual last time by turning into a lizard?"
"We are not bound by race."
So this is why the Ain are a race of fuck-anything degenerates. I exchanged another look with AA. Deorgon said.
"There is no choice. If you do not witness my dragon sexual intercourse, I believe I will feel insulted."
It was the most obnoxious way of saying, 'Follow me if you don't want to die.' AA shook her head and said.
"We have no choice."
Watching dragons have sex wasn't that big a deal, so there was no reason not to follow. Though it was infuriating that he was fobbing us off with this crap as a reward.
Seeing that we had reached an agreement, Deorgon smiled with great satisfaction and said.
"Good. Then we will depart for the lair of my wife, Aty."
Deorgon once again drew a circle in the empty air. Space distorted, and a gate leading through a pitch-black void appeared. When Deorgon extended his hand towards us, his magic power reached out and enveloped us. He still tossed us through the space in his inconsiderate way, and as this was my second time, I managed to land naturally. Beside me, AA landed by performing a one-rotation breakfall.
She saw my stable landing and said.
"That's amazing."
"I've experienced it once before."
"Ah..."
"I was dragged here from the Northern Grand Duke's castle. Like this."
I made a gesture as if throwing a stone. AA let out a small laugh at my words. Deorgon, who followed behind, strode majestically between the two of us. He said.
"Let's go. First, I will introduce you to my wife."
I was secretly looking forward to it. Deorgon's central 'object' was fucking disgusting, but overall he was a handsome man with strong features. In that case, wouldn't Deorgon's wife, in contrast, be a beautiful woman with breasts as big as bowling balls? It was entirely possible.
Aty's lair, unlike Deorgon's cave, was very clean and felt like a place where someone lived. While Deorgon's cave had furniture crammed into one corner and even a messy nest, Aty's lair boasted a structure like a giant's living space.
Even the path we were walking on was made of well-laid tiles, and torches were hung on the walls. The corridor was wide enough for about 30 people to pass through in formation. In the wide corridor, only the sound of our footsteps could be heard. It was enough to make me feel as if I were walking through a giant, abandoned castle.
At the end of the corridor was a door. It was a huge, heavy door that seemed only a dragon could open. Deorgon stood before the door and said to us.
"Here. Wait."
And he disappeared beyond the door. He didn't close the door properly, so I could see Deorgon standing inside. On the other side, I could see someone's legs; they were very white and long, clearly the legs of a beautiful woman. Both of us, without exception, focused on the voices coming from beyond the door.
"So, you're saying we should show the humans us having sexual intercourse?"
"Not just sexual intercourse, dragon sexual intercourse."
"No, what on earth were you thinking, promising to show humans? Deorgon. I really like you, but every time you do something like this, I feel like I'm going to go crazy. Why do you always act without telling me? Are you ignoring me?"
".....No."
"And my dragonians. Why is there no news of our lovely dragonians that I gave birth to? You took them, saying you'd use them as errand boys for your sexual intercourse practice. Why did you bring humans instead of my dragonians?"
"They're all dead."
"All dead? You're saying all the dragonians are dead? No matter how far they've strayed from the original dragonians, you killed them all? A dragon!! A so-called Ancient Dragon!!! Couldn't even look after a single dragonian!!! That entire race, you killed them all!!!"
The entire lair rumbled and shook. Neither AA nor I could remain calm in this situation. Deorgon was getting chewed out by his wife, and if things went wrong, we were in a position to be killed by her.
The atmosphere was like walking on thin ice. It was as if we had come over to a friend's house only to find them in the middle of a marital spat. Deorgon said.
"....It wasn't me, the humans killed them."
"Of course the humans killed them! Do you not understand what I'm saying? What do you think I'm trying to say? The humans wouldn't have killed dragonians that were living peacefully, would they. Huh? What did you do with the dragonians! What the hell! Aaaaaaaaargh!"
We covered our ears at the scream that leaked through the crack in the door. The sound wave swept over our bodies like wind, and I had to drop to my knees from the excruciating pain that coursed through my body, starting from my heart. AA also staggered and collapsed to the floor.
Something metallic rose from my chest, and when I spat it out, blood streamed from my mouth. At this rate, we were going to get caught in their fight and die. I cast heal on AA and myself and barely managed to get back up.
"Well... for sexual intercourse practice."
"If you tell me you fucked a dragonian, I will cut off your genitals."
"I ordered the dragonians to fetch me a human woman to fuck."
"Right. So, did you have a good fuck? I bet the women were just dying of pleasure, weren't they?"
"They're all dead. For real."
"So you picked some bastard among the humans who's good at... intercourse, and learned from him?"
"That is correct."
"And you promised to show those bastards our sexual intercourse?"
"Dragon sexual intercourse."
"Aaaaaaaaargh!!!"
Once again, a scream swept through the entire lair. Every time Aty screamed, a sharp pain shot through me, as if my solar plexus was being struck by a sledgehammer. My body wouldn't last at this rate. I was seriously considering running away. If I kept taking these screams, I might actually scream to death myself.
"That damn dragon sexual intercourse! Dragon sexual intercourse! Did I ask for anything great? Huh? Did I ever say anything to you about valuing tradition? Did I complain about only having sex during my fertile period?! I said I just! I just wanted to enjoy it normally like the women of other races! What have you done for me since that time you turned into a lizard, fucked me, and came? I've waited 3000 years! I've waited 3000 years! I waited 3000 years because I love you! I endured 3000 years because of that damn tradition and whatnot! And now you're going to show those human bastards the two of us having sexual intercourse?"
"Not sexual intercourse..."
"If you mention dragon sexual intercourse one more time, I'm really going to kill you!!!"
"Understood."
"What can you even do? Are you good at making lairs? Are you a good fighter? Are you at least good at sexual intercourse? Or do you even do it often? Do you even love me? What do you really think I am? As an Ancient Dragon, I never knew I could be insulted like this. Seriously, I want to die. Why are you doing this to me? How could you do this? Am I just an ornament to you?"
Aty's voice was choked with tears. I never thought I'd live to hear a dragon on the verge of tears.
"I made a promise with the humans."
I never made any such promise. I felt like rushing in right now and screaming that I wanted to go home. After Deorgon's declaration, Aty's sigh could be heard.
"....Fine."
"I trusted you would understand."
"....I don't know. I don't know anymore. I don't even know if I still love you. I just, I think I've become strange, too."
"We are a married couple. Couples grow to resemble each other."
Deorgon's voice was still impassive. AA and I met each other's eyes and shook our heads. As expected, there wasn't a single normal bastard in this world. The door opened again, and Deorgon appeared.
"I have received permission. Come in."
Like I'd go in, you crazy bastard.