"If that's true, then why didn't Grandeeney tell me?" Wendy asked.
"Uu—well, that, um..." Tohru's fingers waved around, her dragon brain unable to produce an excuse.
"Maybe she didn't want Wendy to be sad. After all, saying goodbye can hurt a lot."
Yuto found it funny as he glanced at his employee.
How is your brain this slow?
Wendy's eyes brightened after hearing his words.
"Right, right, right! Grandeeney must have left without saying anything because she didn't want Wendy to be sad! I'm a dragon. No one understands dragons better than me." Tohru followed Yuto's lead.
Her expression was firm, her tone filled with confidence.
The identity of a dragon, combined with that delivery, convinced Wendy. Color returned to her face.
She was willing to believe this explanation, when people were lost, they searched for something to comfort them.
"If Grandeeney really returned to the Dragon Realm... will I still be able to see her again?" Wendy asked, worry lingering in her voice.
To Wendy, Grandeeney was both mother and father. No one could replace her.
"Of course! Dragons place great importance on feelings and promises! Since Grandeeney raised Wendy, she must have regarded Wendy as her own child. A dragon would never abandon their own child! Don't worry, Wendy! Grandeeney will appear by your side again one day!" Tohru said with certainty.
Being comforted by another dragon made Wendy feel much better.
"Mm!" She nodded, with a serious expression.
"Boss, thank you for the meal. I'll be going back now."
With Tohru's assurance, Wendy seemed lighter in spirit. She climbed down from the stool, bowed to Yuto, and prepared to leave.
"All right. If you ever want to eat here again, feel free to come whenever you like. You can bring your friends too." Yuto smiled at Wendy.
"Mm! Boss, Tohru-nee-san, Nakiri-nee-san, Arato-nee-san, goodbye." Although Wendy was young, her manners were impeccable.
Aside from saying goodbye to Yuto and Tohru, she bowed to Erina and Hisako, despite the two not speaking much.
After finishing, the girl left.
A few sighs rose inside the restaurant.
"Tohru, in your world, if a dragon is dragged back to the Dragon Realm, what waits for them?" Yuto looked toward Tohru.
The dragon girl's expression carried a trace of sadness.
"They would be punished severely. Basically, they would never be allowed to come out again..." Tohru's voice was heavy.
Yuto understood.
He knew the answer would not be simple.
"If Wendy's world has a place like the Dragon Realm, then Grandeeney probably..." Tohru did not finish the sentence, but everyone understood her meaning.
Wendy was young. For now, leaving her with hope was the better choice.
...
Cait Shelter's Territory
Wendy quietly tried to return to her room, only to be discovered by an old man.
"Wendy, it's so late. Where did you go?" The old man's voice was gentle, and Wendy felt embarrassed.
"Eh—Guild Master Grandpa..."
Facing him, Wendy did not hide what had happened. To her, he was a precious family member; she did not want to lie to him.
After listening to her story, Robaul's expression shifted.
He let out a soft sigh, and a smile appeared on his face. "Next time, how about Grandpa goes to that restaurant with you?"
"Mm!"
...
The discussion did not end after Wendy left.
The Dragon Slayer Magic, guilds, and other things she mentioned stirred the curiosity of Tohru, Erina, and Hisako.
For Tohru, the name "Dragon Slayer Magic" was far too easy for a dragon to overthink.
Her expression was full of suspicion.
She had sensed Wendy's strength earlier. Although the girl possessed magic power within her body, to Tohru, it was insignificant.
Putting the words "Dragon Slayer" together with Wendy made it difficult for the dragon maid to believe.
In her world, humans had few chances to kill dragons. Most of the damage dragons suffered came from receiving assistance from various gods.
Those gods were powerful; their existence was the greatest threat to dragons.
That was why Tohru had been wary of Hestia.
In her world, a true chief god could kill a young dragon. Only when her uncles and elders appeared could the dragons hold the field.
"This so-called Dragon Slayer Magic is probably just an exaggeration." Tohru spread her hands.
As a dragon, how could she talk down her own kind?
Yuto smiled and said nothing.
"Magic... I am curious about it." Erina and Hisako were both ordinary people.
Even though their statuses were noble, something supernatural like magic fascinated them.
"Magic is convenient. No matter what you're doing, it can come in handy." As Tohru said this, a flame sprang to life on the tip of her finger with a soft whoosh.
That little flame danced on Tohru's fingertip like a tiny spirit, yet the heat radiating from it warned everyone nearby that it was dangerous.
Yuto looked at Tohru, who was clearly showing off, maintaining his calm expression and a faint smile.
Erina and Hisako stared at the cluster of fire with obvious envy.
This was a true mystery surpassing their understanding.
Tohru, feeling pleased with herself, moved her finger past the two girls. Both of their gazes followed the flame's movement.
With a soft whoosh, Tohru extinguished the fire.
"Moving objects around is also convenient, like this." A green glow appeared in Tohru's palm, and the chopsticks on the counter floated into the air.
"All right, Tohru, don't play with the chopsticks," Yuto spoke with amusement.
The dragon girl returned the chopsticks to their original position, smiling sheepishly.
The way she scratched her head made her look cute.
After witnessing that magical scene, Erina and Hisako found it difficult to calm their hearts.
Erina wanted to ask Tohru if she could teach her, but she could not bring herself to say it.
This was a common problem among young ladies from prestigious families.
Fortunately, beside her stood an understanding maid.
"Magic... is it something we can learn?" Hisako looked at Tohru with a pleading expression.
Tohru crossed her arms, with a proud expression.
"I won't teach magic to humans!" She refused decisively, there was no room for negotiation.
Hisako and Erina's faces fell.
Yuto smiled.
He had seen through Tohru's behavior. She only wanted to show off.
Although Tohru was old, she did not possess the maturity one might expect from that age.
Sometimes, she carried the air of a little girl.
Yuto did not dislike that.
On the contrary, he liked Tohru that way. Who could refuse a simple, innocent, silly dragon maid?
"Of course, if Boss wants to learn, that's different! I'll teach you seriously!" When Tohru noticed Yuto from the corner of her eye, she changed her tune.
He was the only one she treated specially.
"I'll pass." Yuto smiled and refused the offer.
There were already plenty of mysterious things within him: Yuuka's youkai essence, a goddess's blessing, all kinds of strange items.
He had become someone who could no longer be described as an ordinary person.
And all those things he had passively accepted.
From beginning to end, he never begged his customers for power.
That was good enough.
He was not the protagonist of a hot-blooded battle manga. He was only the owner of a small restaurant.
What happened around him was merely ordinary everyday life.
"That's fine too. Anyway, Boss has me by your side. If you ever want to learn, just say so!" Tohru sounded proud and cheerful.
Erina and Hisako stood nearby, truly envious!
Clatter—
The restaurant door was pulled open.
The moment Yuto saw who had arrived, his gaze softened.
Although he had only briefly interacted with these two girls last night, their experiences and the world they came from moved him.
"Chito, Yuuri, welcome," he smiled as he greeted them.
Yuuri still had a rifle strapped across her back.
The two wore oddly designed military uniforms and different helmets. From head to toe, they gave off the dusty, weather-beaten air of travelers.
It seemed the girls had gone through another long journey.
"Uu—this place is warm~" Yuuri stretched lazily.
Chito let out a relieved breath.
They had been freezing all day.
"Is it cold where you are?" Yuto asked as the girls sat down at the counter.
Yuuri propped her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands, while Chito looked calm, a trace of comfort on her face.
"Mm. It snowed in our world. We spent a long time driving through the snow today, but we moved slowly," Chito spoke in a measured voice.
"That must have been rough," Yuto sighed.
"Actually, I still like snow. When it snows, the world feels pretty." Yuuri smiled in her usual silly way.
Her nature was optimistic, and she did not seem to care about difficult things.
"If Yuuri had to drive, then Yuuri wouldn't like snow anymore." Chito glanced at Yuuri.
"Then how about this? When morning comes, I'll drive!"
"No."
"Eh? Why?~"
"Because Yuuri is an idiot. You'd crash the vehicle."
"Ehhhh—"
Yuto smiled as he listened to the two girls talk.
His heart felt light.
The girls traveling through an empty post-apocalyptic world seemed to be in good moods today.