“But speaking of our own kind, do you two know any other Dragons, Mom and Dad?”

That got Aya interested. After those two unreliable parents had ditched him to go traveling, Aya had also thought about leaving the Beast Mountains where he was born to look for them. That was why he’d traveled the world sixty years ago.

But in the end, not only did Aya fail to find his parents, he didn’t meet a single living Dragon, either. Every now and then, he’d hear rumors from information brokers or tavern poets about sightings of giant Dragons, but by the time he reached the places they mentioned, he’d find nothing.

“We do know some, actually.”

Ruko looked troubled as she spoke. “But even Milovich and Hilyudalens… now that I think about it, it’s been a long time since either of them got in touch with us, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, it does seem like all the Dragons in the human world have disappeared over the years. Even the ones who were used to living alongside humans… Sabos, that old tavern keeper in Notting Town wasn’t there the last time we went, and the tavern had been sold to someone else.”

Anticas nodded. “Those guys we ran into a few days ago had the nerve to call themselves Dragon Slayers despite being so weak. This might have something to do with it. At some point, the other Dragons simply vanished without a trace.”

“Huh? Really? I thought Sabos still ran that tavern. I figured you got drunk that night and danced the Orc war dance on the bar, so he got mad and didn’t come out to see us, dear.”

Miss Ruko covered her mouth, looking surprised.

“Hey, can we not bring that up, honey?!”

Anticas looked as miserable as if he’d just stepped in shit. “Maybe that old geezer died of old age and returned to the Dragon Graveyard. He was getting on in years, after all.”

“Wait. So you’re saying it might really be true that the number of Dragons in the human world—or maybe the whole world—is shrinking?” Tiran asked.

“Maybe. Who knows? Dragons aren’t like most humans, who are weak as individuals. We don’t live in groups, and we don’t need to, so there’s no official census or anything. We can only guess based on how things feel.”

“Huh? If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean Aya’s the only one who can help Doris?”

The red Dragon girl, who’d been quiet for a long time, widened her eyes and sounded rather disappointed. Sure, Miss Doris—but could you maybe do something about the corners of your mouth? You’re barely managing to hide how thrilled you are!

“Not necessarily. There’s a way to find our own kind.”

This time, Anticas didn’t keep messing with his son. He already had the look of a handsome, mature man, and when he got serious, he came across as dependable,

“Actually, even if Doris didn’t need our help, I was planning to set out and look for some of our kind after we’d rested in Goldkust for a while. Most Dragons might not like traveling as much as Ruko and I do, but even the most reclusive among them should’ve left some trace of themselves behind.”

To be honest, the disappearance of his own kind made Anticas uneasy.

And considering what had happened to Doris’s parents, he couldn’t help suspecting the worst.

“All right. No more vacation, then. We’ll set out tomorrow and look for other Dragons.”

Anticas announced his decision as casually as if he were saying what they’d have for lunch tomorrow.

“You’re leaving? Just like that?”

His parents’ abrupt decision to leave caught Aya off guard. He’d been bracing himself for Doris to keep clinging to him and making him suffer.

Aya’s feelings were a little complicated.

How to put it? He still remembered how his parents had abandoned him to go traveling when he was little. But the moment they walked into the villa and he saw them again, he’d felt genuine joy at their long-awaited reunion.

And though they’d fought afterward and Doris had caused him plenty of trouble, now that they were suddenly announcing they’d leave, he couldn’t help feeling a little reluctant to see them go…

“Are you sad?”

Tiran’s teasing voice rang in his mind.

“I’m not!”

Aya denied it flatly.

“Oh, come on. Just admit it. There’s nothing embarrassing about it. Besides, this is telepathy—we’re connected, so you can’t fool me.”

The princess giggled. “If you don’t want them to go, then go with them. I’ll come too. We’re still on vacation, so I’ve got time. Going with your parents to look for clues sounds like a fun puzzle game.”

“So you’re only coming because it sounds fun?!”

Even as Aya sighed in exasperation, he did feel a little more at ease.

“Dad, I’ll go with you.”

“Huh? It could be dangerous. You sure your head and your skills are up to it, you little punk? Don’t come crying to Dad to rescue you.”

“…You bastard! Duel me! I’ll fight you again—if you’ve got the guts!”

Sure enough, talking to parents like these was enough to cure low blood pressure.

Still, his parents were only teasing. They didn’t object to their son coming along… As for Miss Doris,

“Hey, put your legs down. You’re still wearing a nightdress.”

Tiran reached out without hesitation and smacked the little butt of the red Dragon girl, whose strawberry-print panties were showing. This wasn’t how you showed your wholehearted support. “And I’m coming too, so give up on trying anything with Aya while you have the chance.”

“Hmph… Bleh!”

Unable to win an argument or a fight against Tiran, Doris could only pull a face at her before making a quick getaway.

“That girl… Whatever. It’s settled, then!”

But the moment he finished speaking, a long, piercing whinny shattered the quiet of the mountain estate.

There was no mistaking it. That deep, forceful whinny had to come from a warhorse. Judging by its ragged breathing, it had just finished a long-distance gallop.

But none of this made sense. This was a vacation estate—why would there be a warhorse here? And even if there was one, were the estate guards just standing around doing nothing? Why would they let someone ride in and disturb the guests?

“Her Highness the Second Princess! Is Her Highness the Second Princess here?!”

As Tiran wondered what was going on, a series of knocks came from outside the villa’s front door, along with the voice of someone just as out of breath.

Huh? They’re looking for me?

The princess froze as she opened the door.

In the villa’s courtyard, among the beautiful flower gardens, stood two tall brown horses, their bodies drenched in sweat. At the door stood a knight wearing a uniform she recognized.

“A knight of the Kingdom Cross?”

She didn’t even need to see the badge. The red-and-white knight’s uniform and its emblem decorated with a holy silver cross were enough to identify him. No wonder the estate staff hadn’t stopped him.

But… why would a knight of the Kingdom Cross come looking for her?

“Yes!”

The knight snapped to attention and saluted. His solemn expression left Tiran a little confused.

“By order of His Majesty Granzon, Her Highness is to return to the royal capital immediately. A top-level war mobilization order has been issued.”