Sudio stumbled into the local adventurers' guild, his once-pristine merchant's robe now tattered and streaked with dirt. His hair was disheveled, his face bruised, and his breathing came in ragged gasps. He had spent half the night fleeing through the wilderness, dodging monsters and bandits alike.
The boisterous laughter of adventurers filled the hall—men and women boasting of their latest hunts, clinking mugs of ale together. But as soon as they noticed Sudio's pitiful state, the noise gradually died down.
"Oi, what happened to him?" someone muttered.
"Looks like someone took a nasty beating," another chuckled.
Ignoring the whispers, Sudio lunged toward the nearest guild attendant, gripping their arm with desperation. "Please! I need to see the Guildmaster at once!"
The attendant recoiled, looking him up and down before exchanging a glance with a fellow guild worker. Sudio's frantic expression and battered state were enough to warrant attention. Within moments, two armored guild guards escorted him into the back office.
The Guildmaster of the town was a grizzled, broad-shouldered man with a well-groomed beard and piercing gray eyes. His desk was covered in reports, but the moment Sudio was ushered in, he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
He scanned the merchant's disheveled form before letting out a knowing grunt.
"Hmph. I remember you." His deep voice carried a weight of authority. "Didn't you just hire four adventurers for a goblin culling?"
Sudio stiffened.
This was it. The moment of truth. He could try to lie, pretend he had no idea what happened to those adventurers, but—no. That would only raise suspicions.
He forced a trembling breath, shifting into his usual performance of a panicked victim.
"It was terrible!" he gasped, voice shaking. "The goblins—no, they weren't normal goblins! They were organized! And worse… they had a dragon leading them!"
A heavy silence filled the office. The Guildmaster's brows furrowed slightly, but he said nothing.
Sudio pushed forward, feeding the moment.
"He was enormous! No—no, not enormous, but strong! A beast of fire and fury! Orange in color with green eyes! He commanded those goblins like a warlord! My hired men—" he let out a choked sound, gripping his own shirt as if reliving the terror "—they never stood a chance! The dragon slaughtered them! I barely escaped with my life!"
Inside, his mind fumed with frustration.
"Confound it all! If only those fools hadn't let that dragon escape! Now I have to give up my information for free!"
The Guildmaster remains silent.
He leans back, rubbing his chin, his gray eyes sharp.
Then—a deep, knowing sigh. "Every fifty years or so." he said flatly.
Sudio blinks. "Wh-what?"
The Guildmaster taps his fingers against the desk, thinking. "That's how often this happens. A dragon ends up taking charge of a goblin tribe. Last time, it took a squad of ten or fifteen men to bring them down. If they were all B-Rank or higher, six to eight would have been enough."
Sudio gulps. "Then you understand why we need to act immediately!"
The Guildmaster exhales through his nose, his expression unreadable. "First, let's verify the most important detail. All four of them are dead?"
Sudio nods quickly. "Without a doubt. Three C-ranks, one B-rank. They didn't stand a chance. He led them like a commander! It wasn't just some wild beast sitting in a cave—he was actively protecting them!"
The Guildmaster studies him carefully.
Then, he stood, walking to the window. His gaze turned toward the distant horizon. "An orange dragon with green eyes, you said?"
Sudio nods.
The Guildmaster closes his eyes for a long moment. Thinking. Calculating.
Guildmaster: "F-tier of course. It always is."
Sudio frowns. "What?"
The Guildmaster turns back to him. "If it were any higher than F-tier, it wouldn't have been cast out by its own parents if not immediately killed by them. Dragons are dangerous creatures, but their arrogance, and pride is their biggest weakness. They value only the strong in all things. If they sire young that is weak, they determine it is worthless and consider it trash. Goblins, kobolds, and even lizard men value these discarded F-tier dragons as a prize. It's actually rather pathetic. But effective."
A heavy silence fills the room.
Sudio gapes. "Then—then you understand why we should put a bounty on it—"
The Guildmaster raises a hand, silencing him. "No bounty. Not yet."
Sudio stammers. "But—"
The Guildmaster turns to his attendant."Send word to Guild HQ. Inform them we have a confirmed F-tier dragon backing a goblin tribe. No bounty yet. Just an intelligence report."
The attendant bows and quickly leaves.
Sudio gapes. "That's it?! You're just—just reporting it?!"
The Guildmaster smirks, but there's no humor in it."If I put a bounty on a dragon before verifying its actual growth rate, I'll have every two-copper hunter rushing in and getting themselves killed."
Sudio stammers, trying to think of an argument.
Then—a chuckle from the doorway.
A young man with black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a worn black cloak, steps casually into the room. Strapped to his back is a polished naginata, the leather straps of his gear crinkling softly as he moves.
He stops, crossing his arms, a lazy smirk playing on his lips. "A dragon, huh?"
The Guildmaster doesn't even look surprised.
He just exhales sharply and turns to the door."You really need to stop sneaking into my office, Kurt."
Kurt shrugs. "And you need to lock your damn door. But you were saying? About a dragon?"
Sudio's eyes narrow. "Who's this?!"
The Guildmaster sighs. "A pain in my ass. But a useful one."
He gestures toward Kurt."Kurt. The Guild's bloodhound. He doesn't take posted quests—he tracks down problems before they become catastrophes."
Kurt tilts his head, studying Sudio for a moment before ignoring him completely. "Sounds fun. And I want to track it before the Kingdom gets involved."
The Guildmaster folds his arms, watching him carefully. "Fine. Track it. But no reckless heroics. I want information first."
Kurt grins wider. ""Me? Reckless? Guildmaster, you wound me."
The Guildmaster fixes him with a level stare. "I mean it, Kurt. Dragons—even F-tiers—are dangerous. Don't get cocky."
Kurt bows dramatically. "Noted."
The Guildmaster turns to Sudio. "Well? You have your answer, little man. Now get out of my office."
Sudio grimaces as he gets up and leaves.
Kurt watches him go. He doesn't speak right away—just lets the silence settle. Then, casually he looks to the Guildmaster."Why is he alive?"
The Guildmaster doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers. His gaze flicks to the door, then back to Kurt. "Exactly. That's why there's no bounty."
He exhales, shaking his head. "That slimy little weasel is hiding something. His story wasn't completely true."
Kurt steps forward, placing both hands on the desk. His brown eyes gleam with sharp amusement. "So what's the plan?"
The Guildmaster leans forward, voice measured. "Proceed with your hunt of this dragon." He glances at the reports scattered across his desk. "Sudio might have lied about the details, but one thing wasn't a lie."
A pause. His gaze sharpens.
"There is a dragon leading a goblin tribe. And I want to know everything about it."
Kurt nods. "And you will get your answers." He then departs the room.
Then, after a moment, the guild master walks to the window, staring out toward the forest beyond the town.
He mutters, almost to himself. "Nothing ever changes."
The kobold chief gestured again to the human tied to the pole — bruised, battered, and gagged — near the fire. His voice carried a smug, eager pride.
"Well?" The chief grinned wide enough to bare his jagged teeth. "Would you say this meal is... enticing?"
That smile told Hibana everything. The kobold desperately wanted him to accept the offer — yet there was fear behind it, poorly masked. Fear that Hibana would refuse.
But the very idea of eating a human being struck Hibana hard. Memories — fragmented yet vivid — surged through him. Images of crowded streets, convenience stores, vending machines... the mundane world he once knew. The world where he was Tetsuo Arata. A Human.
His dragon body didn't recoil — dragons wouldn't hesitate to devour a human. But Hibana's mind twisted with revulsion, his memories clashing against his instincts. The thought made his stomach churn. His throat tightened, and he nearly retched.
"That's not food," Hibana said at last, his voice sharp and strained. His claws twitched from the sheer disgust. "That's a person... and I'm not eating him."
The kobold chief's smile faltered. His wide, toothy grin wavered, his expression flickering between confusion and disbelief.
"...But… this is free food." His voice stumbled slightly, like a man questioning reality itself. "A dragon always takes the offering…"
A smaller kobold behind him muttered, voice uncertain.
"Maybe he not real dragon?"
The kobold chief's head snapped around.
"No!" He barked. "He's real! The appraisal spell doesn't lie!"
The tension twisted thicker. Hibana froze, unsure how to respond. He knew what dragons were supposed to be — and he knew what rejecting the offer made him look like.
And then he saw her.
Tsu.
Her hand was on her sword, her body wound tight like a spring about to snap. She had heard enough.
Before Hibana could speak, her blade lashed out — swift and merciless.
The nearest kobold fell in two pieces, crumpling to the ground before the others even realized what had happened.
Panic erupted. The kobolds shrieked, scattering behind rocks and twisted trees, scrambling to get away. Hibana gasped, his wings flaring instinctively. He turned sharply to Tsu, rage building in his chest.
"What are you doing?!" he barked.
The human — still tied to the pole — squirmed violently against his bonds, muffled shouts breaking through the gag.
Tsu spat on the kobold's corpse, then turned her blade on Hibana.
Her glare was cold and sharp, her voice steady and unshaken.
"You were thinking about it, weren't you?"
Hibana's anger surged, but he forced himself to breathe. His voice wavered, still raw with frustration.
"No! I wasn't —"
"Don't lie to me, dragon," Tsu cut him off, stepping closer. Her grip on her sword tightened. "You're just like the rest of your kind."
Hibana turned away from Tsu's blade. His breath came hard and fast — but that didn't matter. Not now.
He stumbled forward and fell prostrate before the kobold chief, his wings pressed flat, his claws scraping the dirt. His head touched the ground.
The kobold chief peeked out from behind a tree, watching with wide, disbelieving eyes. The rest of the kobolds — armed with crude weapons and trembling with fury — looked ready to charge at Tsu. They bared their teeth, growling low and deep.
But the moment Hibana bowed… everything stopped.
The kobolds froze. Their snarls turned to murmurs. Even the gagged human's muffled shouts faltered as he stared in astonishment.
Tsu's blade wavered. Her mouth opened slightly — not in anger, but in stunned disbelief.
Hibana clenched his teeth, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.
"Forgive her… forgive me," he pleaded, voice shaking. His claws dug into the dirt as he bowed deeper. "No more bloodshed... please!"
The kobold chief staggered out from behind the tree, still gripping his spear. His wide eyes never left Hibana's bowed form.
"You…" The chief's voice wavered, caught between rage and confusion. "You're a dragon... Dragons don't bow to anyone!"
Hibana's head snapped up, his eyes fierce with defiance.
"Maybe they should!" he shot back, his voice sharp and firm.
The air hung heavy — the weight of his words seemed to crash down on everyone at once. The kobolds faltered, unsure. The crude weapons in their hands drooped. The tension that had moments ago been on the brink of chaos… cracked.
Silence.
Hibana walked up to the human, his steps slow and careful.
"I'm going to free you," he said softly. "Please don't try to run."
The human, still shaken, gave a stiff nod. Hibana reached out and began tearing through the ropes with his claws. The bindings fell away, and Solryn let out a shaky breath, rolling his sore wrists.
The kobolds crept out of hiding, but kept their distance. Their weapons remained lowered, but their eyes stayed wary.
Hibana turned to the human.
"What's a human doing all the way out here near the Cursed Lands?"
The man scoffed, brushing dirt from his robe. His voice held a sharp edge.
"Why...would you help me?"
Hibana shook his head. "Why? You're alone, and you're dressed like someone of importance. These kobolds didn't just happen across you." He met the man's gaze evenly. "What were you doing out here?"
The human exhaled slowly. He looked at Hibana, then at the kobolds, and finally back to the ground.
"Well… since I'm probably going to die anyway, I might as well tell you." His tone was bitter. "I'm Solryn, an apprentice mage. I was chasing a literal faerie tale... and I nearly died for it."
"A faerie tale?" Hibana tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Solryn's tired gaze hardened. "I was researching the barrier of the Fae Wilds to the west."
"The Fae Wilds?" Hibana asked.
Before Solryn could answer, Tsu scoffed.
"Pfft. Another foolish mage trying to enter the Wilds." She crossed her arms. "A waste of time."
Solryn shrugged. "Perhaps... but I found an old book. It spoke of the Wilds — long ago, dragons visited there, and they were welcome."
Hibana's brow furrowed. "Dragons?"
Solryn nodded. "That's what the text said. I thought maybe it had something to do with a particular magic signature they gave off… or maybe something about their body shape — who knows?" He sighed heavily. "Anyway, I was experimenting with different magical energies to see if I could match the lock… if there was one."
His expression darkened. "Then these fu—" He caught himself, eyeing the kobolds. "...these kobolds grabbed me. They kept demanding to know how to get in. When I told them I didn't know, they tied me up and dragged me here."
Hibana nodded, taking it all in. Then, an idea sparked in his mind — a wild idea, but one that felt... right. His lips curled into a faint smile.
He looked from Solryn to the kobolds, then to Tsu.
"Well... you're in luck, Solryn." His smile widened. "I am a dragon. So... let's go find out!"
"What?" Solryn blinked.
Hibana turned to the kobolds next, his voice steady.
"I know what you want," he said firmly. "And I want it for you too." He gestured to the ragged camp — the broken shelters, the scraps of stolen food, the desperation in their eyes. "You want a home. A real one. A home that's better than this place."
His gaze hardened with resolve. "So if I am welcome there… I'll make you welcome too."
The kobolds stared, their wide eyes filled with disbelief. They didn't speak — they couldn't. For creatures who had always believed they were worthless, hearing a dragon promise something so selfless seemed... impossible.
Hibana turned to Tsu. "This feels right," he said softly. "I don't know why... but it does."
His green eyes met hers — calm, yet determined. "Surely you understand what longing for a home feels like?"
Tsu's fingers flexed against the hilt of her sword, but she said nothing.
"You can come along if you want," Hibana added. "Or you can keep heading to the Cursed Lands. It's your choice."
Tsu exhaled sharply, tension draining from her shoulders. "Very well," she muttered. "But I still think this is a waste of time."
Hibana smiled faintly. "Maybe… but we won't know unless we try."
With that, he turned to Solryn.
"Lead the way."
As they set off, Hibana glanced back at the kobolds — battered, weary, yet hopeful. For the first time in a long while, they weren't just surviving.They had something to believe in.