Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 121 – A Side Quest From The Dragons

“Mm~! Sis Selena’s food is always the best!”

Ignava beamed, his tail swaying contentedly as he dug into the sizzling dish.

With the earlier tension gone, the mood had lightened. We gathered in the dining room, sharing a hearty meal that filled the air with the aroma of grilled meat and spices. Ragnava had provided the monster meat, and Selena cooked with the precision and flair of someone who had done it a hundred times before.

“Are you saying your mother’s cooking isn’t delicious, Ig?” Marina asked sweetly, her smile carrying a subtle edge that made Ignava freeze mid-bite.

“E-Eh!? N-No way, Mother! Your cooking is amazing too!” he stammered, eyes wide with panic as he waved his hands defensively.

Ignava gulped when Marina chuckled softly, her amusement somehow more terrifying than anger.

Judging by his reaction, I’m not sure I ever want to try her cooking.

I made a mental note to myself.

Trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, Ignava blurted, “A-Anyway, Sis Selena’s immortal now, huh...?”

“Yes, Ig,” Selena answered, her voice calm but firm. “We won’t go into all the details, but it’s thanks to Freed. If he hadn’t been there two years ago, I wouldn’t be here now. He purified the curse that was killing me. So…”

She added with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Don’t even think about hurting him again, alright?”

“U-Ugh... I-I already apologized, okay!?” Ignava shrank under the weight of her gaze, and Marina’s now-matching expression of silent threat.

He huffed and turned to me instead, clearly hoping for an easier target.

“Oi, brat. If you ever make her cry, I’ll snatch her away from you!”

I met his glare without flinching, my voice even and low.

“Even if she sheds a tear, whether it’s because of me or something else, I’ll give her a hundred reasons to smile. So you don’t have to worry about her.”

“Hmph!” Ignava clicked his tongue and stuffed another bite into his mouth, clearly displeased but with no comeback.

“Enough about us,” Selena said gently, setting her plate aside as her eyes shifted toward Ragnava and Marina.

“Why didn’t anyone from your group visit last year? I was worried… I thought something might’ve happened.”

Ragnava exhaled slowly, his massive frame leaning back against the trunk behind him.

“Ah, that… It started five years ago. Marina had just given birth.”

“Oh?” Selena’s face lit up. “So you had a new hatchling? Congratulations!”

She offered a warm smile, but neither Ragnava nor Marina returned it. Instead, their expressions dimmed, casting a shadow over the moment.

“Thank you, Selena,” Ragnava replied, his voice quieter now. “But...”

Selena tilted her head. “Is something the matter?”

His crimson eyes hardened. “The egg was stolen.”

““Huh?”” Selena and I echoed in unison, our eyes meeting in disbelief.

Who would dare to steal from dragons, let alone from the Dragon King himself?

“Last year, the egg vanished from our nest,” Ragnava continued, each word tinged with restrained frustration.

“We began a search across the entire island, but we found nothing. That’s why we couldn’t leave. We’ve been searching non-stop ever since.”

Marina remained silent, but her fingers clenched tightly in her lap. A quiet sorrow clung to her like a second skin.

“I see…” Selena murmured, her voice soft with sympathy.

Her hand reached out briefly, resting atop Marina’s in a comforting gesture.

The cheerful warmth from earlier vanished, replaced by a heavy silence that settled like a storm cloud.

“Are you planning to resume your mission to free the slaves, Selena?” Marina asked, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity.

Selena nodded, resting her elbow on the table and propping her chin against her palm.

“Yes, we intend to continue. But for now, we’re taking things slower, traveling as adventurers. Helping the slaves will remain one of our goals, just not our main focus at the moment.”

Marina's gaze lingered on Selena for a moment before she spoke again, this time with quiet urgency.

“In that case… if you happen to come across a dragon egg during your travels, would you save it? It might be ours.”

“Marina,” Ragnava said, his voice firm but not unkind. “Don’t burden them with our troubles.”

“But—” Marina looked down, her fingers curling tightly in her lap, expression falling like a wilting flower.

Selena reached out and placed a reassuring hand over Marina’s.

“It’s alright, Ragnava,” she said calmly. “If we find anything like that, we’ll do everything we can.”

She turned her gaze at me. “Right, darling?”

I gave a small nod. “Of course, Len.”

I turned to Marina. “Um… Ma’am—could you tell us more about what the egg looks like? Any details could help.”

Marina’s lips curved into a faint smile, despite the worry clouding her eyes.

“As Selena’s partner, you may call me Marina. The egg is blue, and it should be about as tall as this table by now.”

I glanced at the table between us, mentally measuring its height.

That size… for an egg? That’s massive.

“May I ask,” I continued, “how long does it usually take for a dragon egg to hatch?”

“Anywhere between three to ten years,” Marina explained. “The longer the incubation, the stronger the hatchling will be. That’s why we can’t predict exactly when it’ll happen.”

“I see. Then… if we happen to find the egg already hatched, is there any way to identify the dragon?”

“The egg’s color points to a water dragon,” Marina said.

She gently pulled back her sleeve, transforming her white skin into the shimmering blue scales on her arm.

“Its scales would resemble mine. If you see a young dragon with a similar hue, it could be our child.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “That’s helpful. Thank you.”

“If you do find it, whether as an egg or hatched, please return it to us,” she added, her voice low with longing. “We can identify it by sensing its mana. A child’s essence always bears traces of its parents.”

The pain in her voice lingered long after her words faded. I exchanged a glance with Selena. This wasn’t just a request, it was a mother’s plea.

“Then, since Selena has weakened… take these.”

Ragnava handed over several rolled scrolls to Selena.

“These are teleportation scrolls, attuned to our island. You can bring the egg there.”

Selena accepted them with both hands and a grateful nod. “Thank you.”

Then she glanced at me with a playful look. “One day, I’ll bring my darling to greet the other dragons. That’s alright, isn’t it?”

“You’re always welcome here,” Ragnava replied warmly. “We’ve had no dealings with other races in ages, only with you, Selena. Those we once knew have long died. If you wish to bring others, we trust your judgment.”

“That kind of trust… it’s flattering,” Selena chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“When are you leaving, Sis? And where are you going?” Ignava chimed in, pausing with a mouthful of food.

Selena glanced at the ceiling, as if imagining the road ahead.

“We haven’t decided exactly when to leave… but soon. Once we’re ready, we’ll head out. Our first destination will be the Rosenwood Kingdom, it’s the nearest country beyond this forest.”

She sounded confident, but I could only blink.

Since when did we make a plan like that? Not that I’d object. Honestly, maybe it’s better to just leave everything to her.

Ragnava’s brow furrowed.

“You used to reach that kingdom within a week, Selena. But in your current state… it might take years.”

“Wait—years? Really, Len?” I asked, surprised. “That far?”

“Yes,” she replied with a calm nod. “That’s why I want to leave soon.”

“Don’t you have a teleportation scroll that leads straight to the elf kingdom? Why not just use that?” I asked, still baffled.

“I do,” she said.

Then her lips curled into a mischievous smile. “But I’d rather take our time and enjoy the journey together. Is that okay with you, darling?”

A chill ran down my spine.

That smile… she was definitely plotting something.

The path wasn’t some sunny path lined with flowers. It was the dense, wild, and dangerous Amazon Forest. Not the kind of place you casually “enjoy.”

Still…

“Y-Yeah, that’s fine…” I muttered, smiling awkwardly.

But in my head, I was already preparing for the worst.

After our hearty lunch, Marina kindly packed extra portions of monster meat for our journey, a generous gift we gratefully accepted.

Once the goodbyes were said and the dragons had taken to the skies, silence settled around us. The clearing, once filled with laughter and warmth, now felt calm… and a little empty.

It was just the two of us now, Len and me.

She glanced at me with a sly grin. “So… are you jealous?”

I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t bother denying it. “Of course. Especially when he hugged you earlier.”

She leaned in, smirking. “So you’re sulking because another man hugged me, even though I’ve already allowed you to have multiple wives? Tsk, tsk. As expected of a man.”

She clicked her tongue playfully, clearly enjoying my flustered expression.

And why did she like to joke about letting me have a harem even though I only need her alone?

I let out a sigh.

“Haa… It’s not like I’m forbidding you. I’m not that possessive. It’s just… It made me realize there’s still so much I don’t know about you.”

Len chuckled, her eyes softening. “I’ll tell you everything about me soon enough. We’ll have all the time while crossing this forest, won’t we?”

She paused, then brightened. “Anyway, how about we talk about our spar? You were curious about what I used back then, right?”

I nodded, my curiosity reigniting. “Alright.”

As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows through the trees, I sat beside Len, ready to listen and learn.