"You know a lot of dragons, Joybringer?"
Raon's tail flicked lazily against Ludwig's forearm as Aoki helped his youngest daughter eat. The Great Dragon had shifted from offended specimen to curious child in less than a minute.
Ludwig adjusted his hold slightly, resting Raon more comfortably against his chest before answering.
"I know enough." He said.
Raon narrowed his eyes. "Enough is not a number."
"It isn't meant to be." Ludwig chuckled.
Raon made a small sound of dissatisfaction, then leaned back just enough to look at Ludwig's face properly.
"Are they strong?"
There it was.
Ludwig mused before he angled his head slightly so he could see the door. Then, the Ashfrost mountain came into view. White upon white. Snowfields carved by wind. Light scattering across ice like shattered mirrors.
It's beautiful, mesmerizing even. However, it was also deceptive.
Ludwig channeled his mana into his eyes and the world was forced to showed him what it hid from normal people.
Where ordinary sight saw snow and ice, mana sight revealed currents. Vast, slow rivers of pale blue drifting between peaks, silver threads of wind coiling through valleys, and darker veins pulsing deep beneath the ridgelines.
Ice, water, and wind.
The mountain was not just a sight given to the world by Mother Nature. It was a place layered with memories.
But the abundant mana was not what Ludwig looked at. His eyes were locking to father north. Even though he couldn't see far enough, he could still feel it. Though it was unknown even to him whether he really felt it or it was just memory tricking his mind.
After the presence, the name came.
Glacieth.
The true owner of Ashfrost Mountain.
He remembered the time when he was challenging her. The Still Sovereign had granted him the sparring. Not because he deserved it, but because living a long life meant fighting with boredom.
He had come prepared, spatial mana ready to displace him if danger came, while time mana was quietly working in the background, dancing with fate to buy him even one more second.
But no… Mike Tyson's quotes became true the moment he started fighting her.
It was like his first day as an adventurer once again. Nothing he had honed worked. Even his ever-so-reliable mana was not working.
That day was the first time he knew time and space could be frozen.
Ludwig let the mana drain from his eyes as he finished reminiscing and the mountains returned to its white glory.
"Yes." He said.
Raon waited.
"Very."
Raon's wings shifted against Ludwig's arm, restrained but unsettled.
"Stronger than me?" he asked.
Ludwig adjusted his hold again before answering. "That depends on what you mean by stronger."
Raon frowned immediately. "That is not a number."
"If you want a number, the answer is yes." Ludwig said. "If you want context, then it becomes complicated."
Raon studied him, clearly deciding whether he preferred pride or accuracy.
"Are they stronger than you?" He asked instead.
Ludwig did not look away.
"Most were."
The admission landed plainly. No hesitation, no performance.
Raon's tail went still.
"You fought them?"
"I fought some." Ludwig replied. "But I will not do so again in the near future."
"Did you lose?" Raon asked.
Ludwig shrugged. "I lived. I take that as a win."
Raon frowned. "So old dragons are stronger than you?"
"Yes."
"How much stronger?"
Ludwig looked at the face of the young dragon on his chest as he considered the answer.
"If we fought seriously, I would have to leave immediately." he said. "If I stayed, I would lose."
Raon's wings stiffened.
"Even now?"
"Yes."
Raon went quiet for a moment.
"Did they throw big spells?" He asked.
"They didn't need to." Ludwig continued. "That's the part people misunderstand."
Raon frowned. "Then how do they fight?"
"They don't fight the way humans do." Ludwig said. "Humans gather mana, shape it, and release it. Dragons don't always bother with that. Their mana is already everywhere around them."
Raon blinked. "Everywhere?"
"When I fought a flame dragon," Ludwig said, adjusting Raon slightly as he spoke, "The ground was already hot before he breathed fire. The air dried. Wood cracked. My boots started smoking without him casting anything."
Raon's eyes widened.
"He didn't shout a spell name. He didn't chant. The heat was simply there because he was there."
Raon absorbed that.
"Then, the frost dragon?" He asked.
"Cold before she moved." Ludwig replied. "The air cuts your lungs. Ice formed along my spatial mana. My time was also frozen, like she was able to stop time too."
Raon's claws tightened slightly on Ludwig's sleeve.
"And the others?" He pressed.
"There was a storm dragon." Ludwig said. "The sky never stayed still. Lightning would form without warning. Wind pressure shifted constantly. It wasn't about throwing one big attack. It was about surviving the environment long enough to approach."
Raon was listening very carefully now.
"And an earth dragon." Ludwig continued. "You think you're standing on solid ground. Then the ground decides it belongs to someone else. Stone moved. The earth shook. Footing became a tedious job that needed careful calculation."
Raon swallowed.
"So they don't try to hit you?"
"They do." Ludwig said calmly. "But the dangerous part isn't the strike. It's that you are already losing before the strike happens."
Raon stared at him.
"How?"
"Because you are inside their element." Ludwig answered. "And their element listens to them more than to you."
Raon went quiet.
After a moment, he asked, "Did you ever win?"
"I survived," Ludwig replied. "Sometimes I forced distance. Sometimes I outlasted them long enough that they grew bored. Once, I managed to land a decisive blow before the environment stabilized."
Raon perked up at that. "So you did win!"
"Against one." Ludwig said. "But that guy is a young dragon."
Raon narrowed his eyes. "So old dragons are unfair."
"Yes."
"That is cheating."
"That is aging." Ludwig corrected.
Raon looked displeased by that answer. But then, he buried his head deeper to Ludwig's chest before murmuring in low voice.
"Do you think my element will listen to me like that when I grow old?"
Ludwig looked at the young dragon. It was so uncharacteristic of him to be this serious about something else beside food.
"If you survive long enough and deepen your core," Ludwig replied, "the answer is yes."
"Hmmm…" Raon hummed. "How long do you think I have to wait?"
Ludwig considered the question more seriously than Raon's tone suggested.
"That depends on you." He said. "From what a kind dragon told me, dragons don't grow stronger just because time passes. Your core deepens when you survive. Like when you learn, when you restrain yourself instead of burning everything the moment you're annoyed."
Raon's wings twitched faintly at that.
"So… not just waiting?" he asked.
"Not just waiting."
Raon frowned against Ludwig's chest. "How long did the ones you fought live?"
"Hundred or even thousand of years. Ludwig answered. "But some were longer."
Raon lifted his head slightly. "Hundred of years are too long."
"For humans, yes." Ludwig said. "For dragons, it is maybe, the second bite of the meal?"
Raon went quiet, clearly dissatisfied with the scale.
"I do not want to wait that long." He muttered.
"You don't have to." Ludwig replied. "You only have to survive them."
Raon blinked.
"What?"
"You do not need to be the strongest dragon tomorrow." Ludwig continued. "You only need to make sure you are still alive tomorrow. Then the next day. Then the next year."
Raon narrowed his eyes, processing the logic.
"So I should avoid fighting old dragons."
"That would be wise."
"But you fought them."
"Well, don't be like me?" Ludwig said with an amused tone.
Raon stayed quiet for a few more seconds after Ludwig's last line, his forehead still pressed against the fabric of Ludwig's shirt.
"Well." He muttered at last, "I will survive longer than you."
"That is the correct order of things." Ludwig replied.
Raon huffed, satisfied enough with that outcome. The earlier weight in his voice eased. His tail resumed its slow, lazy movement.
"And when I am older," he added, lifting his head, "I will not fight old dragons. I will fight middle dragons."
"That's smart." Ludwig said dryly.
"Yes."
"Very strategic."
Raon nodded, convinced.
The conversation thinned naturally after that. No grand conclusion. No dramatic vow. Just a child settling into a decision he would likely revise next week.
But just because something was ending, it didn't mean Ludwig was free to do anything he wanted.
After all, he ran a restaurant. A place people could come and go whenever they wished.
Ludwig didn't even turn when the bell on top of the door gave out a soft chime. The restaurant had told him who was across the door.
"Yo!" Came a casual voice. "Smells good in here."
Rimuru walked in as if he had always belonged there, hands tucked loosely behind his head. He wore a simple dark coat today, nothing regal. The sunlight from the doorway caught briefly in his blue hair before the door closed behind him.
To some, he appeared like he entered alone. But to Ludwig, he knew a particular wolf from Tempest was hiding in his shadow.
Rimuru took two steps in before he paused. Clearly noticing four familiar faces on the bar seats.
"Oh?" His bluish eyes sharpened slightly. "New customers?"
Aoki straightened instinctively. Tsumugi's curiosity flared. Momo froze mid-swing of her legs. Rin hid half her face behind her sister's sleeve.
Ludwig shifted Raon slightly so he could face the entrance more comfortably.
"Rimuru," Ludwig said, tone easy. "Perfect timing."
Rimuru walked closer, gaze moving over the family in quick, careful assessment. Not hostile. Just attentive.
"And this is?" He asked.
"Aoki." Ludwig began, gesturing lightly with his free hand. "A biology teacher. That's Tsumugi, Momo, and Rin, his daughters."
Rimuru smiled immediately, warm and bright. "Nice to meet you."
Aoki inclined his head. "Likewise."
"And this guy is Rimuru." Ludwig continued, "He governs a nation called Tempest."
Rimuru waved casually. "I try to."
Tsumugi's eyes widened. "Governs?"
"It's a long story," Rimuru said cheerfully. "Started as a small village. Got out of hand."
Ludwig continued before the conversation could spiral. "By the way, these four are from a version of Earth."
Rimuru blinked.
"Oh?"
"The timeline is complicated, I'm so confused when I heard their explanation." Ludwig added. "But the important thing is, they are currently alone on Earth. Humanity is gone and cities were reclaimed by nature."
Rimuru's smile faded slightly.
"Gone?" He repeated.
Aoki nodded once. "As far as we can determine."
Rimuru looked at the children again.
"That's… rough." He said quietly.
"Well, to be honest, we still have electricity in our house." Tsumugi interjected. "So it's quite nice. Just quiet."
"Too quiet." Momo added under her breath.
Rin didn't speak.
Rimuru nodded before he walked closer. "So the planet just… took everything back?"
Aoki gave a small, tired smile. "That is one way to phrase it. Subways flooded. Highways cracked. Forests grew through office towers. Wildlife thrives."
Rimuru's eyes lit up faintly.
"Wildlife thrives?" He repeated.
"Yes."
"No monsters?"
"None," Aoki said. "Just animals."
Rimuru looked thoughtful.
"That sounds… strangely nice."
"It is. Like we have a private Earth." Tsumugi admitted. "But also lonely."
Rimuru nodded slowly. He then jumped into the bar seat before angling his body to look straight at the four. "What's it like? Walking through a city with no one in it?"
Aoki blinked twice, maybe didn't expect the question. Then, he chuckled. "Confusing at first. I tried to think about what happened, but nothing made sense. But then, it became normal. And, well for me, I can see animals in their purest habitats, so that's exciting. Ah also… You stop expecting footsteps behind you. Stop expecting traffic noise. The wind becomes the loudest thing."
Rimuru nodded.
"I'd want to see that." He admitted. "A world without constant conflict."
"It's not peaceful because people solved things, though." Aoki said. "It's peaceful because people are gone."
Rimuru's expression shifted subtly at that.
"…Yeah." he said. "That's different."
He rested his chin in his palm for a moment, thinking.
But then, his eyes landed on Raon who was still on Ludwig's hold.
"Oh. Dragon."
"Yes." Raon said proudly. "Great Dragon."
Rimuru blinked once, then nodded. "Cool."
Raon seemed mildly disappointed by the lack of awe.
Rimuru turned back to the family.
"If it's really just you four…" He said thoughtfully, "Then your Earth is… open."
"In what sense?" Aoki asked.
"No politics. No borders. No competing powers."
"Just gravity and weather." Aoki replied.
Rimuru smiled faintly. "True. But just for you."
He straightened then, leaving no room for Aoki to ask what he meant.
Ludwig saw what he did. What he planned. The seed he sown.
As long as it's with no harm in mind, Ludwig could let it slide.
Of course, his decision also came from the fact that he wanted to see Earth again. No matter how bad its condition currently is.
"Anyway…" He said, glancing toward Ludwig, "I walked all the way here without lunch. That should count for something."
"It counts as poor planning," Ludwig replied.
Rimuru grinned. "Then fix it."
Ludwig adjusted Raon under one arm and stepped closer to the counter while Rimuru's eyes wander to the menu.
"Hmmm… This wild mushroom rice sounds interesting." He murmured.
Ludwig nodded once.
"Made with Ortus-grown grains and some mushrooms from Jura Forest. Finished with a drizzle of sesame oil and a soft-poached egg."
Rimuru's eyes brightened.
"Perfect."
Ludwig turned toward the kitchen. And behind him, conversation resumed.
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