NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10
Chapter: 10
The dinosaurs that fully accepted Thetis’s scales and changed their appearance… Nah, it’s more fitting to call them Blue Dragons now.
Anyway, these Blue Dragons are pretty amazing, right?
“Thank you for bestowing your scales upon us, Mother.”
Looks like they’ve gained some smarts with their transformation.
“Um, Mother?”
“Isn’t that how you refer to the one who gave you scales?”
At that, Thetis turned to look at me.
Well, thinking about how Thetis and the others call me ‘Mother’ isn’t so wrong.
“But….”
Thetis keeps glancing at me. What’s with that look?
“Calling me mother… means you should call your mother ‘grandmother’? Is that what you mean?”
“Is that what was concerning you?”
“But! Mother is beautiful! In the stories you’ve told, grandmothers are old and wrinkly, losing all their beauty. But you’re so shiny and lovely right now!”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Seriously, what does beauty even have to do with dragons? The definitions of beauty are as vague as a cloudy day.
“I don’t care. Call me what you like.”
“Yes! Mother!”
Whether those Blue Dragons call me Grandma or not, who really cares?
The important thing is that they’ve transformed into a new intelligent life form after accepting the scales.
“It seems giving out the scales turned out better than expected. I guess I’ll head back now.”
I followed them just in case anything went wrong, but if it’s all good, then I can take a hike.
“Ah, but what about the names for these kids…?”
“Shouldn’t you name them, since you’re their mother?”
With that, Thetis paused for a sec before nodding slightly.
“Yes. Since they’re my kids, I’ll need to name them, just like you named us.”
I just smiled at Thetis.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
When the other kids heard that Thetis spread her scales.
“If we give our scales to dinosaurs, they’ll become like us? Then I want to do that!”
“Yeah! Me too!”
Sharing scales suddenly became the coolest thing among the other kids.
“I don’t mind sharing, but you better choose wisely who to share with.”
“Huh? Can’t I just share with anyone?”
Ifrit… Seriously, think a little!
“Sharing your scales means you’re spreading your power to other dinosaurs, making them your children. You get the importance of that, right?”
“But Mother also shared her scales with us?”
“And that’s how I made you my little ones.”
Though it makes the spot under my jaw feel ticklish.
“Anyway, choose carefully who you give your scales to. Pick ones who will follow you and who can handle your power.”
The other kids nodded in agreement.
Sharing your power isn’t something to just rush into.
So, the kids went off to find dinosaurs to give their scales to.
Each kid had their own interesting criteria, but to simplify…
“I chose those who, like me, want to fly in the sky.”
Sylphid brought over dinosaurs that were eager to fly.
“I brought kids with brave flames! They’re super courageous!”
Ifrit seems to have brought over dinosaurs with fiery personalities… or just wild temperaments, maybe?
Is that a good idea? They seem a bit menacing.
“I chose those who love nature like me. They’re gentle too.”
The dinosaurs Yggdrasil brought were pretty much nature-loving mellow types.
Feels like the kids are bringing in dinosaurs that reflect themselves, huh?
“All dependable and good kids. Although they hardly talk.”
Sagar picked out the quiet and reserved ones.
But these kids are so quiet, they practically don’t say a word.
“I chose those who want to be beautiful, just like me! Kids who want to mimic me!”
The kids Shamash brought looked like they were positively flaunting their golden scales.
But with the whole concept of beauty being so unclear right now, does Shamash really think of themselves as the best example of beauty?
Well, confidence is a good thing…
“I chose kids who want to be a family. That made the numbers quite high!”
“Erebus… your scales…!”
Erebus arrived with a squad of dozens! Seriously, there are practically no scales left under your jaw! You’ve got just one silver scale I gave you left!
“It’s fine. If I can widen my family, this is a small price to pay.”
“If that’s what you say, I won’t question it… but I just hope you know when to hold back.”
I guess Erebus really values family, maybe because of all the stories I shared.
Honestly, I was worried they might bring back shadows that looked just like him. But this is way more positive.
A lot of dragons being born is great, but…
“What about those kids?”
I pointed in the direction of dinosaurs that couldn’t fully accept the scales’ power and hadn’t turned into dragons.
Some were standing on two legs with front legs transformed into wings, a bit smaller than dragons, and there were others crawling with no wings at all.
They look a little pitiful, but what can anyone do? It’s their own fault for not having the strength they wanted.
Even if I wanted to help… looks like there’s nothing I can do.
“Those guys were prepared for this much when they accepted it. Even with those transformations, they’re much stronger than before.”
I glanced at the dinosaurs that didn’t become dragons. They looked pretty sad, but maybe they’re content in their own way.
Well, if they’re okay with it, that’s what matters.
“Let’s call the ones with wings wyverns and the ones without wings drakes.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Wyverns and drakes, classic fantasy fare.
The names might be a bit questionable for those who didn’t become dragons, but they really do fit.
“What do you plan to do with those kids?”
“Um… we can’t really do anything. They’ve already accepted a bit of the power of the scales and changed.”
“What about the scales?”
“We retrieved what we could. Erebus scattered his scales so far that many were just lost…”
“That was kind of expected.”
“True.”
Well, if Erebus says all’s good.
Here’s hoping the scales we couldn’t collect won’t cause any trouble.
And so, dragons started popping up in the world.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Dragons are great and all, but…
“Another fight happening?”
“The reds attacked first!”
“The blacks invaded our territory first!!”
“We were just passing by! We even told Ifrit!”
“I didn’t hear it!!!”
And chaos reigned supreme.
Especially the hot-headed red dragons and the unruly, numerous blacks— they were the true troublemakers.
Hah, what a complete mess.
“Oh, great Creator Dragon, please give us your judgment!”
“Who’s the Creator Dragon? Who, I ask?”
“But everyone calls you that. Aren’t you the divine dragon who’s been around since the world began?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Being called with such grand titles puts a lot of pressure on a dragon, you know?
“Although a black child did invade the territory first, they did tell Ifrit beforehand… So, I think it’s Ifrit’s fault for not passing the message correctly.”
“What?! Why?!”
“Or, it’s that red child’s fault for attacking without checking with Ifrit, even though they could have.”
“But….”
Honestly, it’s undeniable that the red child messed up by attacking without getting the whole situation.
“From now on, no more attacks without thinking. You’re not mindless beasts, so try solving things through dialogue instead. Don’t just go for violence.”
The red child, sensing the error of their ways, nodded sadly.
“You too, black child. Don’t just jump into fights because they attacked first. Try resolving things with words.”
“But…”
“Even if the other side is at fault, you still fought back. You know the red’s temperament, right?”
“That’s… true. But when they attacked first, I just reacted….”
“This time, I’m siding with you because the red’s fault is clear, but remember, any fighting is fundamentally wrong.”
The young dragons seem to think a little better than actual beasts, yet they’re still incredibly wild.
But hey, at least they can communicate somewhat.
So, I found myself playing mediator among all these dragons. What a wild ride!