WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ My Girlfriend Returned as a Dragon ◈

Chapter 72: I Didn’t See Anything

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Minjun had known too.

When two people in love belonged to different species, certain difficulties were bound to arise.

Even Minjun had somehow maintained his relationship through one incident after another.

But listening closely to what they said, it seemed that in this world, two people of different species loving each other was itself a problem and a huge obstacle.

It was not as if a dog and a human were in love. They were both intelligent beings, a dragon and a human.

Was it really that strange for them to have feelings for each other?

Did dragons not often hide their identities and live as humans, elves, or other races for amusement?

‘Then there’s nothing strange about Sia and me either, is there?’

Since Sia and Rokan had never explained this in detail, Minjun had thought that his relationship with Sia was not particularly unusual.

But.

Their reactions gradually made him uneasy.

“What do you mean, even if her identity is discovered, it would be difficult to maintain a normal relationship?”

“Just what it sounds like. No race that is not a dragon, including humans, could possibly share true love with a dragon.”

Rangs, the fox beastperson who had teased Kutun, began explaining in a fairly calm tone.

“Before their identity is discovered, they can pretend to be an ordinary human couple. But dragons hate having their identities exposed during their amusements. So when they are discovered, relationship or not, they end the amusement and return to their lairs.”

“Since your girlfriend was human in her previous life, it may be a little different. But that does not change the fact that you cannot love each other normally like an ordinary couple.”

Kutun looked at Minjun with a regretful expression.

“That is what I know. To be recognized as a mate by other dragons, they must make a certain covenant. And I hear only dragons can make that covenant with one another.”

Kutun briefly added that they might be able to remain in a casual relationship without it, but could never develop into something deeper.

After thinking for a moment, Minjun asked, clinging to even the faintest hope.

“Even if we do not make that covenant, would there not be any problem with living together?”

Kutun wanted to give him the answer he wished to hear, but he could not.

“If there are no dragons other than your girlfriend in the world where you live, perhaps. We do not know much about the society of those great beings ourselves, so I cannot say for certain.”

Minjun’s expression immediately darkened.

Saying it might be fine if there were no other dragons meant that it would not be fine if there were.

‘What are the chances that there are dragons on Earth besides Sia and Rokan?’

He had heard that dragons were extremely reluctant to have their identities discovered while living for amusement, so finding them would not be easy.

‘No matter how many there are, there is a good chance they have already settled there.’

Minjun thought of Lia Black, who had tried to seduce him before.

The SSS-rank Hunter who had suddenly flown in from America because she wanted to see him, then had openly tried to seduce him after meeting him.

Given all the circumstances, Minjun thought it was highly likely that she was a dragon.

And if she was a dragon, it would not be strange if there were others as well.

‘If this hypothesis is right. And if other dragons have already found out about our relationship.’

Minjun considered every possibility that could follow from that.

The more time passed, the darker his face became.

If what they said was true, it would not be strange for dragons to interfere with his relationship with Sia at any moment.

What was more, Sia might already have been criticized by other dragons because of him.

Unfortunately, most of Minjun’s predictions were correct.

He had not said a word, his face grave, but Rangs, Kutun, and most of the others could more or less guess what Minjun was thinking.

‘How troubled he must be.’

Rangs looked at Minjun with genuine sympathy.

It was not a pleasant thing to hear while sober, so Minjun quickly emptied a cup of alcohol before him.

“There is one more thing I could tell you, but I recommend that you do not hear it.”

“No. Please tell me.”

“...Are you sure you will not regret hearing it?”

“Yes.”

What was done was done.

He thought that hearing one more shocking thing would not make much difference.

But Minjun was completely wrong.

“You and your girlfriend will not be able to conceive a child.”

“W-What do you mean?”

Thinking over what he had heard before, it was something he could have reasonably guessed.

But leaving it as a guess and hearing it directly from someone else were entirely different things.

“You are different species. How could you reproduce? Under no circumstances will a child be born between you and your lover.”

Should he have said he did not want to hear it?

Minjun’s breathing became rough.

“...Minjun, are you all right?”

“See? You should not have said that.”

“You should have waited until later. How could you say something like that now?”

“Did he not ask first? It is better to take the beating first. He would have found out eventually anyway.”

“No, this would not have happened if you had not carelessly started talking about normal relationships in the first place!”

As the atmosphere rapidly worsened, Rangs and Kutun began arguing. Minjun waved them off, saying he was fine, though his expression was far from good.

He knew.

The solution to this problem was simple.

If he became the dragon he had set out to become, he could solve both the problem of being unable to have children and the problem of not being recognized by other dragons.

That was why he had worked so hard until now, and why he had achieved remarkable results in such a short time.

Even so.

He could not help feeling terrible.

“I’ll go get some fresh air.”

“Go ahead. The night sky in Elysium is beautiful too, so take your time looking around. Come back whenever you’ve cleared your head. We’ll be drinking until dawn today!”

Kutun spoke heartily, trying to change the awkward mood, while Rangs silently gave Minjun’s shoulder a light pat.

Regardless.

Minjun was in no state to appreciate their consideration, so he left the tavern with a blank expression.

For a while afterward, the tavern remained noisy with talk of Minjun’s situation.

* * *

As soon as I left the tavern,

I sat on a wooden bench some distance away and looked up at the night sky.

As someone had said, the night sky was truly beautiful, but perhaps because my thoughts were so tangled, it did not move me much.

“Sia knew all of this and still came to see me...”

She had spent two thousand whole years studying dimensional travel magic to come to Earth, knowing their relationship would not be welcomed even by her own kind.

All because she wanted to see me.

Along with gratitude toward Sia, I felt affection and a deep ache in my chest.

How terrified would she be when she heard that I had been sucked into a Gate?

Imagining Sia bursting into tears made my chest feel even tighter.

“How am I supposed to get back?”

A dragon statue that looked extraordinary at first glance, standing in the middle of this mysterious city called Elysium.

That statue could not have brought me here for no reason.

Yes, I understood that.

‘But it could have at least asked what I thought before bringing me here.’

Letting out sigh after sigh, I looked at Bellium’s statue in the distance.

Perhaps because it stood beneath the bright full moon, I could clearly make out its form despite the distance.

It was too late tonight. I should investigate the statue as soon as I woke up tomorrow.

There was nothing I could do right now, so I should calm this shaken heart first.

Out of habit, I took out my phone.

As proof that this was another dimension, it displayed that no network signal could be found.

Well, I had not taken out my phone to contact anyone.

I opened my gallery and slowly looked through the photos I had taken with Sia.

I thought seeing her photos might soothe my troubled heart, even a little.

Ah, while I had it out, I should take a picture of the night sky too.

When I returned to Earth and saw Sia again, I would tell her that I had taken a picture of the night sky from the dimension where she had lived.

I took a photo, then returned to looking at pictures of Sia when I sensed someone approaching.

Turning my head, I saw Estelle carrying a large amount of food in both hands.

“Minjun, may I sit beside you?”

“Yes. But what brings you here...?”

“I didn’t want you to get lost. And you looked upset earlier, so I thought perhaps listening to you might help, even a little.”

Estelle’s thoughtfulness made me feel somewhat better.

“And I thought we could eat together while we were at it. You didn’t eat much earlier, so I thought you might be hungry. Here, take this.”

Estelle handed me the basket hanging from her arm.

It contained sausages, bread, and various skewers.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. We should be thanking you. If not for you, who knows how many people would have been sacrificed... Just thinking about it is terrifying.”

“It was nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing? You did something truly great.”

Smiling easily, Estelle took out a skewer from her other hand and took a bite.

“I can’t even imagine how complicated your thoughts must be, Minjun. But eat first, then think about it. For now, try to clear your mind. What do you say?”

Estelle smiled as she chewed on her skewer.

Following her lead, I picked the skewer that looked the most appetizing and took a bite.

But then.

As I absentmindedly ate my skewer as Estelle suggested, I suddenly noticed something strange.

“Estelle, do elves not usually... avoid eating meat?”

Sia had told me that elves considered eating meat taboo and ate only vegetarian food, but Estelle was eating an assorted meat skewer.

“Oh, this? Yes. Elves are originally a vegetarian race. I was too, but when I happened to try a bite of meat, it was so delicious.”

“Then the other elves...?”

“As soon as they found me eating meat, they were horrified and dragged me to the elder. It would not have been strange for me to receive a harsher punishment, but fortunately, I was merely exiled. That is how I eventually settled here in Elysium.”

She spoke calmly, but how much must she have suffered?

Come to think of it, Elysium was a city Bellium had created for exiles.

At first, I had thought she was one of the city’s original residents. So that was what had happened.

Hearing Estelle’s story comforted me somehow, while also making my heart ache as I wondered what unseen pain the cheerful-looking residents here carried.

Because of that, Estelle and the other residents reminded me of Sia.

People who were different from others, excluded because they could not be understood. Or their descendants.

Thinking of them that way made me feel a little closer to the people of this city.

After the story ended.

Perhaps Estelle did not want the already heavy mood to become worse, so she smiled brightly and said this place now felt more like home to her. Then, as if nothing had happened, she took another bite of her skewer.

“By the way, Minjun, what were you doing a moment ago? You seemed to be handling some fascinating object.”

“Oh, this?”

I took out the phone I had put in my pocket and showed it to her.

“This is called a smartphone. It is something common in my world...”

I gave her a simple explanation as I showed her the smartphone.

“That is amazing. I cannot sense any mana from it, yet it can be used to contact others, watch videos, and do... so many things. With such a small object.”

“That’s right. Ah, it can take pictures too. Since we’re talking about it, I’ll show you.”

I opened my gallery and showed her photos I had taken with Sia.

“Is this your girlfriend, Minjun?”

“Yes. She’s incredibly pretty, right?”

“Pretty is not enough to describe her.”

Estelle’s praise made me want to boast about Sia even more.

Maybe it was because I had been drinking. Or perhaps I simply wanted to do it more because I was upset.

“Ah, come to think of it, there’s a picture in this case too.”

I showed Estelle the instant photo I had placed in my phone case, one I had taken with Sia before.

Perhaps unfamiliar technology fascinated her, because Estelle looked at it with wonder.

“The way you two look at each other is so sweet.”

“Of course. We can’t live without each other. That’s why I have to return to my home somehow.”

Looking at Sia’s photos and talking about her only strengthened my desire to return to Earth.

“Is there... really no way?”

“I think it would be difficult. As you said earlier when speaking about your girlfriend, even a dragon at the pinnacle of magic requires two thousand years to master dimensional travel magic freely.”

I had asked just in case, but as expected, I did not receive the answer I wanted.

When my expression darkened, Estelle seemed to want to encourage me.

“Still, if there is anything we can do to help, we will do all we can! You are our guest, and our hero!”

“I’m grateful just to hear you say that.”

It seemed I had made a good impression on the people here because of that battle.

“Then tomorrow, I would like to learn more about that statue. Could you help me?”

I thought investigating that statue might give me an answer.

“Of course! I’ll speak to Adil! He manages the statue.”

Estelle answered immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

“Ah, and Adil is also a historian with extensive knowledge of Elysium’s history, so he will probably be a great help to you as well.”

“That’s good news.”

“But Minjun, may I ask why you want to investigate the statue?”

Having cleanly finished a skewer, Estelle picked another one from the basket as she asked.

“I think I might find a clue to returning home if I learn more about that statue. I do not know exactly what it is, but I feel that the statue and I are connected somehow. I do not know why, or precisely what connection there is.”

“What makes you think that?”

Then again, perhaps it was difficult for Estelle to understand.

The city’s founder being a dragon, the fact that I could use part of a dragon’s power, and the fact that my girlfriend was a dragon.

It might have been a stretch to think I was connected to the statue based on those facts alone.

“You saw it during the battle earlier, did you not? There was a thin, long strand of something like aura connecting me and the statue.”

At my words, Estelle tilted her head as though she did not understand.

“Aura?”

“Yes. Didn’t you see it during the battle with the wyverns? It was thin, but its color was luminous enough to stand out.”

“...Was there something like that? I didn’t see anything.”

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