Martial Elf

I released a long breath after completing the Qi maneuvering.

The damaged circulation of my energy was recovering smoothly.

When I realized I had been brought into the dragon’s nest, I was worried about what to do, but I was free to move, at least within this limited space.

It had been two weeks since I was trapped here by the Gal Dragon.

The dragon’s nest was always as bright as day.

Even though the artificial light emitted by the gems on the ceiling filled the wide chamber, the ceiling was tightly closed without a single hole, preventing me from seeing the sky.

Moreover, there was no exit in sight, making it hard to understand the passage of time based only on the surrounding environment.

However, the body sensations of a master, whose physical control was free, acted as a sensory clock, allowing me to recognize that two weeks had elapsed.

‘Still, there is a faint breeze that continues to come in.’

No matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t find a single hole, yet I felt a steady breeze that ventilated this large chamber.

‘That means this space is not just what is visible to the eye.’

It is the dragon’s nest, which can create phenomena simply by speaking.

It must have been some entity that resembled an Elder Roa, so it was unlikely that where it resided would be ordinary.

I couldn’t be entirely sure due to the damage to my upper dantian, but I judged that this area, filled with the energy of the Gal Dragon, was akin to being within a formation.

‘Returning by spring will be difficult.’

The promise to return by spring for next year’s expedition seemed hard to keep.

In the first place, under the current circumstances, I couldn’t even be sure when I could leave.

But I decided not to think too hastily.

It was fortunate that I survived this defeat, but I had experienced something painful and humiliating beyond mere anguish.

‘…I must have been arrogant all this time.’

In my nearly eighteen years of life as an Elf, the only proper adversity I had faced was a life-and-death struggle with the Wild God in my childhood.

In that case, I ultimately won, and even the significant injuries that had nearly cost me my life were taken care of with my mother’s help, allowing me to shake off the dust after only a few days of recovery.

Since then, I had been steadily growing stronger, honestly thinking that the only being capable of defeating me in this world was my mother, and I was confident that I could surpass her if given about a hundred years.

Under the rule of the High Elves, Elves had settled into this world without great adversities.

After that, had there ever been anything in my path to make me feel a sense of crisis up to Pohelrn?

It had been a life that had progressed smoothly, like the protagonist of a novel.

That’s why I was under the illusion.

That everything would flow according to my desires.

In my previous life, there was a saying to be cautious of women, children, and the elderly in the martial world.

Isn’t that a funny statement?

More than half of the people in the world would fall into those categories.

The essence of this saying is to be careful since danger can arise at any time from an unexpected situation.

The beings in this world live with the threat of losing their lives at every moment.

Not to mention the beasts that live desperately in nature for survival, but also the humans I first encountered.

When the merchant Kyle and his companions encountered a wolf while traveling and were faced with death, it was the same.

Ordinary lives worry and prepare for the misfortunes and dangers that come at every moment when they act outside their group.

And many of them cannot escape those misfortunes and dangers.

But while I knew that intellectually, I had likely thought that such laws of the world would be an exception for me.

I thought that if I had been prepared for survival instead of victory, the outcome might have been a little different, but there’s no need to dwell on the ‘what ifs’ for something that has already happened.

And that wrong judgment led to my current situation.

It was fortunate I had survived, but I had sustained injuries that required long-term care and lost all my treasured possessions.

Moreover, the situation itself was humiliating and disgraceful for the first time in both my previous and current lives.

With a heart full of longing and determination, I tried to gather my spirit and body.

‘…It’s not gathering the spirit; it’s just feeling naked…’

I forced a bitter smile, making an unfunny joke in my mind.

Since awakening, I had been living without wearing a single thread.

It wasn’t as if I was exposed to everyone.

In this dragon’s nest, it was just the Gal Dragon and me.

The problem was the Gal Dragon’s lifestyle.

This beautiful golden dragon, contrary to its appearance, did not move all day long in its home, the nest.

Perhaps it was because it was not an ordinary being referred to as Elder Roa, but it seemed that it did not need food to sustain its massive body.

It didn’t even sleep.

What does a dragon that neither hunts nor sleeps do?

It did nothing.

It simply stayed at the center of the nest all day.

And that idling dragon watched everything I did.

I wanted to suggest it go outside and hunt instead of just staying at home.

I knew that the Gal Dragon was of a different species and that it regarded me as a pet, but being observed all day by an intelligent being… was truly unbearable.

It wasn’t just a feeling of being exposed; it was an actual situation of being naked, so even if there was no intent behind it, it genuinely felt awkward.

With a troubled heart, as I relaxed my crossed legs and stood up, I caught sight of the dragon’s eyes, which were as usual fixed on me with interest.

‘What on earth is so entertaining that it keeps staring?’

After waking up, I hadn’t spoken to the Gal Dragon even once since that conversation.

However, if I couldn’t escape from here immediately, I felt the necessity to improve my environment until I could escape.

◈ ◈ ◈

“Do you wish for clothing?”

“Indeed. I do not need the food you promised, but it would be nice to have clothing to cover my body.”

“Is clothing referring to the green material that once covered your body?”

I nodded, and the Gal Dragon tilted its large head.

“Is that truly necessary? There is nothing here to threaten you, and the temperature is warm, so you need not worry about losing your body heat to cold winds. If you have that energy wrapped around you, you shouldn’t get hurt, right? It seems to me it would just get in the way.”

“The reason for wearing clothing is not simply…”

“Is it because of the monkey that became the material for abilities acquired postnatally? Without fur to protect your body, is there an instinct to cover vulnerabilities or shortcomings? It may be an instinct that manifests regardless of the strength of the body.”

“…Not really.”

In the midst of its explanation, the Gal Dragon began speaking to itself with great enthusiasm as if it found it interesting.

After some time, the Gal Dragon calmed down and spoke in a more composed manner.

“Still, I prefer how you appear now. When you go outside, the color of your bare white skin looks better than the common color of grass covering the world. It matches well with your hair as well.”

“Could you please choose your words a little more carefully?”

I could only gasp in shock as it casually used words that could be easily misunderstood among humans.

“I do not understand what the problem is. Isn’t it a compliment to you?”

“…At least such compliments should be reserved for romantic partners among beings with similar intelligence and culture.”

“Hm. That’s difficult.”

“And regarding clothing, it serves not only to maintain body temperature or to protect the body but also to indicate social status.”

“Social status?”

“You may not know how long you have been here alone, but humans usually live together and share relationships with others. Thus, when distinguishing between oneself and others, various elements are used.”

“Is clothing one of those elements?”

“It isn’t always the case, but one can somewhat estimate a person’s status through their clothing. However, what’s crucial here is the fact that one does not wear clothing at all. In human society, under normal circumstances, even the lowest beings cover themselves with rags.”

“That is the minimum requirement to belong to society, then.”

Seeing that the Gal Dragon was starting to understand, my voice naturally brightened.

“In human society, there is practically no situation where a human is naked, except for when a despicable person distorts themselves or commits atrocities that harm the well-being of society and faces severe punishment.”

“Oho… indeed.”

Of course, there was another reason, but honestly, I didn’t want to bring it up.

The Gal Dragon nodded as if it had understood something.

“So, even when you appear in your natural state, you have been showing signs of unease every time I see you? I initially thought it was the confusion from not adapting to your new abode.”

“…Did you realize that?”

“I had been watching the flow of that unique energy moving inside you every time you curled up in strange ways.”

“H…”

“I see. So your natural appearance is rather uncomfortable for you, huh? I thought I was being considerate to the best of my ability. It seems that effort may have had an adverse effect.”

The Gal Dragon spoke with a somewhat regretful tone.

“Still, I find your original appearance a bit more to my taste. It’s a pity. If it’s not too uncomfortable for you, could you remain as you are? After all, there won’t be any other beings entering this place.”

“…Please. I’m not a pervert who feels comfortable exposing myself to the world.”

“It was visually entertaining, but I’m a little disappointed.”

With a regretful tone, the Gal Dragon made a hair-raising comment without malice, and afterward, it responded that it would get what was necessary if I asked for clothing.

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