Chapter 7 I’m Jörmungandr, Not a Dragon

 

Living a long life is extremely tedious.

 

Even if one possessed the mind of an immortal, it wouldn’t change anything. After all, it’s been thousands of years. When I lived as a human for about 20 years, it felt like a long life. So, what would it be like if that extended for thousands of years?

 

Moreover, there’s nothing enjoyable here.

 

Even if there was, it would be impossible with this body.

 

There’s no way I could have smooth interactions with humans with the body of a giant serpent.

 

I was extremely bored.

 

I tried catching an animal and talking to it while pretending to be crazy, but it just trembled.

 

Later, it did manage to communicate a little, but I soon lost interest and stopped.

 

After that, I wandered around the place called the Inhuman Boundary and went on adventures, but that, too, only lasted a few years.

 

Before I could even call it fun, I reached a point where there wasn’t a place in the Inhuman Boundary I didn’t know.

 

Around that time, I chose to sleep.

 

At least, I thought sleeping was the best way to swiftly pass this tedious time.

 

That was the right answer.

 

No matter how hard I tried, time seemed to pass slowly, but whenever I slept, it passed by in millennia.

 

During that process, what troubled me the most were the memories of my past life.

 

A life born as a human, conversing and interacting with others.

 

Although those memories were minuscule compared to the current era, I still believed that my essence was human, and interactions with others seemed like a dream.

 

So, when they brought livestock.

 

I accepted them with joy.

 

Thinking back now, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I thought it was a kind of offering for worship.

 

After all, it was a common occurrence for humans to worship beings they couldn’t understand.

 

I was quite large.

 

And I looked mysterious, so I thought it was natural for humans to worship me.

 

‘But it wasn’t.’

 

It wasn’t simple worship.

 

It was more desperate.

 

It was a kind of bribe hoping for safety from a twisted god.

 

Moreover, they mistook me for a dragon.

 

Those ferocious and notorious fools. It makes sense now why they offered me sacrifices. Dragons are incredibly greedy and selfish creatures.

 

There are countless cases of dragons threatening humans and demanding sacrifices.

 

That must be why they offered me sacrifices.

 

To prevent harm to their kingdom.

 

If it’s not worship but a sacrifice solely for their safety.

 

I had no intention of accepting such things.

 

Of course, the livestock were quite delicious, but I didn’t want to be indebted to humans.

 

Debts always leave a sense of obligation.

 

It was better not to receive help.

 

It’s not like I was in a dire situation needing help.

 

That’s why I coldly acted to send that woman back.

 

Actually, I was also quite cold-headed because they sent a human as a sacrifice. Who would have thought that offering a human as a sacrifice, which I only heard about in stories, would actually happen?

 

Judging by their reactions, she must have been raised very preciously.

 

That’s why.

 

I tried to send her back.

 

But…

 

“…”

 

What happened?

 

The woman I tried to send back came deep into the cave again.

 

As I silently watched her, she flinched but then spoke boldly like a puffed-up squirrel.

 

“I-I’ll just stay here for the night. It’s dark outside.”

 

Ah.

 

Now that I think about it, it was night.

 

My vision was as clear as day, so I didn’t realize it.

 

Indeed, the night was dangerous for women. Especially in a forest where monsters roamed.

 

I nodded in understanding.

 

As I coiled up and closed my eyes as if I wouldn’t care, she hesitated for a moment before slowly moving towards the lake.

 

I heard the sound of water.

 

After a quick wash, she looked around for a place to sleep but there was no spot suitable for a human to lie down in this barren cave.

 

Her head, which moved around like a meerkat on patrol, drooped to the ground.

 

She seemed to have decided to compromise.

 

She sighed lightly and tore off large leaves from the trees growing near the lake, spreading them on the ground before sitting down.

 

It would still be hard, though.

 

She seemed somewhat satisfied.

 

After weaving grass to make a thick pillow, she used a leaf larger than her body as a blanket and began to sleep.

 

Even with my eyes closed, I observed the comical scene with my senses.

 

Then I chuckled and coiled around her.

 

The cave near the lake would be very chilly.

 

At least I could act as a windbreak.

 

[She seemed to have been raised quite preciously…]

 

To think she could sleep well in such a strange cave.

 

Her adaptability was commendable.

 

[Hmm…]

 

In the ever-cold cave.

 

A small breathing sound softly echoed.

 

Though that breath was very faint.

 

For some reason, it seemed to carry a warm warmth, allowing me to fall asleep contentedly for the first time in a while.

 

* * *

 

“Hmm…”

 

Elyserede turned over, feeling the texture of leaves at her feet, and slowly opened her eyes.

 

The small makeshift sleeping bag she made near the lake. Although it was hastily made with large leaves, it was surprisingly soft and pleasing.

 

Of course, compared to the bed she used to sleep in, it was terribly shabby, but it wasn’t so bad.

 

It reminded her of sneaking out to the garden and making a bed out of grass to sleep, making her chuckle.

 

Then, she placed her hand on the glossy black wall next to her and stretched with a refreshing yawn.

 

[Awake?]

 

“Ah!”

 

She was startled by the sudden deep voice and let out a scream.

 

Looking up urgently, she saw a huge dragon.

 

Black scales and blue eyes.

 

Elyserede finally realized that the wall around her was actually the dragon’s body.

 

But… why was it coiled around her?

 

Was it planning to eat her?

 

[I have no intention of doing that, so relax.]

 

“Ehem…”

 

[By the way, what are you planning to do?]

 

“What?”

 

[I asked how you plan to return to the kingdom.]

 

“Ah…”

 

Realizing what he meant, Elyserede sighed.

 

That’s right.

 

This was a forest where monsters roamed.

 

Even if it was daytime, it wasn’t an easy forest for an ordinary woman to walk through.

 

Moreover, the kingdom was quite far.

 

It would take at least three days and nights of non-stop walking.

 

And the meaning of that was clear.

 

She was trapped.

 

With a terrifying dragon.

 

Although, he didn’t seem that terrifying.

 

Elyserede thought as she looked up at the dragon.

 

Blue eyes.

 

The more she looked, the more she felt drawn to those mysterious eyes staring at her.

 

Though he was overwhelmingly huge compared to her. He was strong enough to swallow her whole, but for some reason, he didn’t seem scary.

 

Was it because she knew he wouldn’t harm her?

 

No, was he really a dragon?

 

In myths, dragons were described as having very bad temperaments. They destroyed villages just because they were in a bad mood, loved shiny things to the point of obsession, and were very greedy, always wanting to take whatever they desired.

 

‘But…’

 

Compared to those myths, he was very gentle.

 

Although they had only met for a day, he didn’t seem particularly greedy.

 

‘He even showed subtle consideration.’

 

Elyserede quickly realized that he coiled around her to block the cold wind from outside the cave.

 

As soon as he moved away from her, a chilly wind blew into the cave.

 

Honestly, the first impression was extremely scary.

 

But now, that fear had faded.

 

“Are you a dragon?”

 

She asked.

 

[No, I’m Jörmungandr.]

 

“Jörmungandr?”

 

[Hmm… how should I explain? I’m a kind of giant snake.]

 

A giant snake that causes natural disasters depending on its mood? And even scared Hans, the hero, like a frightened puppy?

 

It sounded odd.

 

But Elyserede quickly accepted it.

 

After all.

 

There was Cerberus, the hellhound from hell, and the fallen evil dragons, so why not a giant and mighty snake?

 

She nodded.

 

Anyway, he wasn’t a dragon?

 

Indeed.

 

He did seem different from the ferocious dragons.

 

Her doubts were cleared.

 

So, the kingdom wouldn’t be threatened by a dragon anymore!

 

All that was left was——

 

———grumble.

 

“Ah.”

 

The loud sound echoed in the cave.

 

Elyserede’s pale face flushed with embarrassment.

 

[Hmm.]

 

Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten anything all day…

 

She fanned her flushed face and shook her head.

 

Right now, solving this hunger was more important than other thoughts.

 

Elyserede stared at the lake.

 

“…”

 

How could there be no fish?

 

She looked around.

 

Aside from the grass around the lake, there wasn’t a single tree in the desolate cave.

 

The only visible creatures were small ants crawling at her feet.

 

“Um, is there anything to eat…?”

 

[Hmm, there’s nothing suitable for humans.]

 

Elyserede’s face turned pale.