Aino stood a short distance away, observing the intruding man.

Over the past few days, she had been wandering the forest outskirts, experimenting with her newfound magic by channeling her mana and running mental simulations to familiarize herself with the body’s magical abilities.

Tananorn had been a dragon who delighted in exploring magic, and its memories were a veritable treasure trove, filled with spells it had either stolen or devised over centuries.

Though Aino was still getting accustomed to her body, she found her strength was overwhelmingly beyond the creatures in this area.

Not only was she unmatched in the forest outskirts, but even deeper into the heart, there was nothing that posed a threat within her mana’s range.

During her wandering, she had come across this nearly ripe herb and the magical creature guarding it.

She had made a meal of the creature and taken over its place—now it was her turn to guard the herb. She spent her days around this spot, food never an issue, as many creatures were naturally drawn to the herb.

As the days passed and the herb neared maturity, a new kind of intruder showed up.

A human.

With Tananorn’s memories, Aino knew the languages of dozens of races, including the human tongue. Standing at a distance, she issued a warning.

“Stop.”

The man obediently froze, his muscles taut, and she noticed his palm gripping the dagger was beginning to sweat slightly.

He seemed anxious; though he’d been cautious in his approach, her presence appeared to have unnerved him… Was he afraid?

To him, she must have looked like a girl in her early teens, albeit with horns and a tail. This world was full of diverse races, so why was he reacting like this?

Aino had no idea just how dangerous this situation looked from his perspective.

For an experienced adventurer to be caught unaware by someone’s presence nearby meant that person’s abilities far exceeded his own.

In the wild, encountering someone much stronger often meant that one’s life depended entirely on the other’s whim.

Murder, treasure theft, racial animosity, or even hunger.

Confronting an intelligent being in these circumstances rarely led to anything good.

Carter had already abandoned any hope of obtaining the Nine-Wave Mango; the priority now was to escape with his life.

He slowly released his grip on his weapon and, in as calm a tone as he could muster, proposed, “I’m willing to leave immediately and pretend I never saw anything.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Naturally, Aino couldn’t just let him leave, but she also didn’t intend to kill him simply for intruding on her territory.

Carter hadn’t expected her blunt refusal, and the atmosphere turned tense.

“...My family is sick and needs the money. I mean no harm. Since this fruit is yours, I’ll search elsewhere for herbs.” The strange girl had been watching him intently, and Carter tried to find the most convincing words he could.

As Aino continued to observe him, still looking doubtful, he had to keep reassuring her.

She seemed reasonable enough, listening to his explanations seriously. Although her face was expressionless, he could sense she was genuinely weighing her decision.

After a long pause, Aino finally made up her mind.

“Very well, I’ll trust you for now. But if you betray that trust, the consequences will be dire.”

Her tone was a strange mix of threat and sincere warning.

As he was preparing to leave, Aino stopped him again, offering him an unusual red flower.

“Take this, and go.”

“…Thank you.”

After the adventurer departed, Aino slowly approached the herb.

She wasn’t sure if this had been the right decision. While conflicts between races were often inevitable, he had been polite, and she found it hard to strike him down.

If he did end up spreading word of her existence, Aino wouldn’t regret it. She had always followed her own convictions and wouldn’t dwell on a poor outcome.

In the end, if anyone was to regret things, it would be him.

As she sensed the intensifying energy of the Nine-Wave Mango, a thrill welled up inside her.

Just feeling its aura felt like a balm on dry skin, as if her mana was revitalizing, eager for this power.

With anticipation, her tail swished unconsciously.

A few days later, Aino decided to step into human territory.

She had lost track of how long she had been in this world, only noticing the cycle of day and night. She had been surviving alone in the forest for countless days.

In fact, the few words exchanged with the adventurer days ago had been her first interaction since coming to this new world.

She’d seen other humans before, but her race prevented her from approaching them. It wasn’t that she feared attack; rather, she worried they’d return with reinforcements. If a conflict escalated, attracting a strong opponent would be a headache.

There was another reason too—she was somewhat socially anxious.

How did people just casually greet strangers with such enthusiasm?

If the Nine-Wave Mango hadn’t been so appealing, Aino would have gladly handed it over just to avoid the discomfort of talking.

But unwillingness to initiate didn’t mean she was comfortable with complete isolation.

Since inheriting this body, she felt a change in her mentality. In the past, she would’ve never tolerated wandering the wilderness without any entertainment or social contact.

Now, she calmly strolled through the forest, crossing meadows, studying her mana and practicing spells from her memories, watching the days drift by.

Had her powers been weaker, she might have chosen to “retire” in solitude for a long time. After all, time meant little to a dragon.

But now, to be honest, while she lacked Tananorn’s historical, legendary might, she was already incredibly strong. She estimated that her current power was what Tananorn might have called “decent.” And with this “decent” strength, she could probably demolish a dozen cities before encountering anyone capable of challenging her.

Being this powerful made staying low-key nearly impossible, so she was interested in meeting some intelligent creatures. It was like when a gamer masters a game—they can’t resist the urge to test their skills against others.

You can’t hold back forever, right? Otherwise, what’s the point of honing your skills?

Before long, Aino reached the area between the city and the forest.

This place was a final gathering point for adventurers preparing to enter the forest. Adventurers from various towns would meet here, then set off in groups or spread out into the woods.

As a result, the area was bustling. Looking ahead, Aino could see the dense, dark expanse of the forest, while the city was visible behind her, dotted with faint human silhouettes.

For most, the hardest moment was leaving the city; every trip into the forest meant brushing up against death.

The happiest moment, however, was returning to the city safely, with bountiful spoils in tow.

Aino headed toward the city. From her perspective, everyone she passed looked grim and silent, focused on their path forward.

With her distinguishing features hidden, Aino appeared to be an ordinary young girl, her delicate face and petite form looking quite refined.

Initially, she’d worried about being stopped for an identity check and possibly taken as a non-human. But the guards seemed lax, as if only going through the motions.

And so, the black dragon quietly slipped into the human town.