Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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It felt as if I had returned to my hometown. The breeze blowing, the flow of mana carried by that wind, and even the brilliantly shimmering light of mana all began to gently envelop my body as if welcoming me for my arrival.

The very space itself was welcoming me. Where else in this world could such hospitality be found? I felt the tension in my body slowly dissipate and let out a languid sigh.

The landscape inside the basin was infinitely soft and refreshing. A vast field was adorned with plush grasses and beautiful flowers, while a clear lake situated at the corner emitted a faint light as if it had captured the moon in the sky.

It was a place that exuded comfort and coziness, as if all dangers of the world had been eliminated. I realized that the Dragon’s Cradle was indeed a sanctuary for young dragons.

“Looks like your friends have noticed you.”

“W-what?”

As I questioned Ronabes about my friends, the place I was standing suddenly changed. Just like I felt nothing as I moved to this spot, I found myself standing alone in the very center of the Dragon’s Cradle.

Although it was clearly magic, I could not feel the flow of mana. Despite having experienced it several times, this method of movement was still utterly unfamiliar to me.

Panicking, I looked around. However, I couldn’t spot Ronabes anywhere. Clearly, he had left me here and moved on elsewhere.

I sighed heavily as I felt the weight of the backpack on my back. The Dragon’s Cradle was excessively vast. It made sense, given that it was an area meant for large bodies like dragons.

Even when peering into the distant spots, all I could see were the bluish flows of mana and the hazy clouds that enveloped the surroundings.

There were no traces of other creatures aside from myself.

Ronabes had told me before he left that my friends noticed me. I was currently misunderstood as the child of a dragon. The “friends” Ronabes mentioned were undoubtedly referring to young dragons.

I heightened my tension and placed my hand on my sword.

Just because Ronabes had been friendly to me didn’t guarantee the same from the other dragons. I pushed away the comfort and warmth brought by the Dragon’s Cradle and sharpened my senses.

They are coming. Something with a giant presence. One, two, three… As I counted the numbers of the approaching beings, I swallowed hard and drew my sword.

Swoosh—

As the Fire Dragon Sword was drawn and a weak flame erupted, the clouds that covered the sky parted, revealing massive dragons.

Woooosh-!

As ten dragons flapped their wings in unison, a great storm erupted. Their simple gesture caused the nearby mana to react, carrying the essence of wind.

“Ugh…”

I crouched down, embedding my sword into the ground to avoid being swept away by the fierce storm. As the strong wind whipped my cloak and hair wildly, the dragons that had flown in landed gracefully on the ground.

Boom—!

With the appearance of the dragons, the surrounding mana surged violently. As a small flame flickered, blue ice fell upon it, and a strong wind swept everything away. The mana, which had endlessly changed due to their immense presence, ultimately returned to a pure blue form and scattered with the wind.

[It’s a child I’ve never seen before.]

[Who is it?]

[I can feel the energy of fire; isn’t that your sibling?]

[They must have come with Lord Ronabes. Could it be his child?]

Dragons of various scale colors raised their voices one after another. Each time their presence revealed itself, the mana around them would change in accordance with the color of their scales.

When the red-scaled dragon spoke, flames flickered, while when the blue-scaled dragon spoke, the temperature dropped endlessly, and frost covered the green grass beneath them.

Though all the dragons that appeared were clearly young, this was the effect. Now I understood why dwarves feared yet revered dragons so much.

At that moment, one of the young dragons that looked like the leader of the group crouched low, laying flat on the ground, as if trying to meet my gaze. Following suit, all the surrounding dragons dropped to the ground.

After matching gazes, the leader dragon asked me.

[Why are you in that form?]

Suddenly swayed by a powerful exhale that accompanied that question, I felt my body reel. I steadied myself and responded to the black-scaled dragon.

“Th-this form?”

[Return to your true form. Are you not ashamed to take on a human appearance?]

The leader, a black-scaled dragon, said in a commanding voice. As he spoke, the other flattened dragons exchanged glances and began to whisper softly among themselves.

[Is being in human form something to be ashamed of?]

[I don’t know; we should ask Lord Ronabes.]

[It seems Kaiman is ashamed of that.]

The expressions of the dragons shifted as they reacted to Kaiman’s statements. It seemed that this individual was indeed named Kaiman.

I cautiously withdrew my Fire Dragon Sword, aware of Kaiman’s displeasure. While Kaiman didn’t seem happy, it was not unfriendly toward me. Just as Ronabes mistook me for a young dragon, it appeared that these young dragons also mistook me for one of their kin.

Still, I must not forget the purpose of coming here. I took a slow breath and opened my mouth.

“Um, everyone…?”

[Everyone?]

[How cute.]

The dragons, who had been exchanging glances and conversing amongst themselves, suddenly turned their attention toward me. Receiving the gazes of such colossal beings all at once was somewhat daunting, but I had to continue speaking.

I pulled out the plant encyclopedia from my bag and showed it to the dragons.

“Do you know where the plant written in this book is located?”

[Me! I know!]

The dragon that answered my question had scales that shone like gold. It waved its tail like a hand, excitedly waving it around.

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

The golden winds generated from its tail engulfed the surroundings. I took a step back to avoid the golden grass as I asked the golden dragon.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you guide me there?”

[Sure, I can do that.]

The golden dragon easily accommodated my request. However, Kaiman, the leader of the young dragons, stepped in front of it.

[I haven’t heard your name yet.]

Kaiman seemed intent on hearing my name as he fiercely shook his tail and spread his wings. He looked down on me with a frightful breath.

In his gaze, I felt an unexplainable obsession. I broke into a cold sweat and barely managed to respond.

“Se, Seris.”

[Seris… A wonderfully dignified name for a dragon. Very well. I shall guide you there.]

At that moment, all the dragons that had been lying flat spread their wings and took to the sky. Flying for dragons isn’t simply about using their wings to ascend into the heavens.

The mana around them responded naturally to their wing beats, completing a sort of flying magic. A rough storm arose once more, pushing my body back.

“Ugh, ugh…!”

As ten dragons took off in unison, it felt as if a massive continent had blanketed the sky. Were they really going to guide me by flying?

Just as I was frowning and tightening my cloak, the ten dragons that had lifted into the air turned to fly in the direction I anticipated.

Whoosh—!

The fierce storm that erupted with their wing beats blew me away, and the dragons began to disappear into the distance.

Mouth agape, I shook my head and hurriedly started running in the direction the dragons vanished. If I could ride on a Nightmare, I might chase them down faster, but I couldn’t summon a Nightmare in such a dangerous place.

Using my knight’s emblem and two enhancements through mana, I rushed across the field at a remarkably fast pace. Although I was sprinting as fast as possible, it was evident I couldn’t catch up to the dragons flying in the sky.

I bit my lip. Naturally, this would be expected behavior from the young dragons. They must have thought they could follow me, believing I was one of their kin.

If they realized I was a human, they might turn hostile. I had to act as dragon-like as possible, mimicking their behavior.

Spinning my body in a swift motion while rapidly accelerating, I drew the Ice Dragon Sword from my waist and hurled it forward. When the powerful force and rotation combined, the Ice Dragon Sword shot forth like a flash, and I leaped onto it with all my strength.

Thud-!

After a light landing, the Ice Dragon Sword sped up even more. As I rose higher through the clouds, I found myself in a position overlooking the Dragon’s Cradle at a glance.

“Wow…”

Clouds swirling and concentrating in one place, with a massive flow of mana below it being sucked in. It was as if everything in this world was moving for the sake of the Dragon’s Cradle.

As I stared in awe at the overwhelming landscape, I quickly shook my head. I had no time to admire the scenery. I needed to gather everything I could before the dragons uncovered my true identity.

Swerving rapidly downward, I arrived at a secluded part of the cradle. There really was an abundance of the plant known as “Dragon’s Breath” that appeared in my plant encyclopedia.

Just as I descended and landed on the ground, a handsome man with long black hair suddenly appeared, showering me with a bundle of Dragon’s Breath.

“Th-this is… Who are you?”

“This is the plant you wanted. I handpicked it myself, so don’t forget to express your gratitude.”

As I stuffed the soft plant into my bag, I began to count the number of dragons. Out of the ten dragons, only nine remained. The one missing was Kaiman, the leader of the young dragons.

It seemed this man who had presented me with the Dragon’s Breath was Kaiman.

Wasn’t he reluctant to take on a human form? As I tilted my head in confusion, the golden-scaled dragon asked.

[Kaiman. Aren’t you ashamed to be in human form?]

Kaiman did not answer.