What caused the once-mighty Dragon Clan—a colossal race that stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid—to decline so drastically that they had to compromise with feeble yet endlessly ambitious humans? Why did they even forge contracts to coexist with them?

No one knew the answer. Though many had researched it, none could solve the mystery.

Gradually, both humans and dragons stopped probing. After forging the path of symbiosis, they turned their efforts toward advancing the era.

The place driving this progress was called the Dragon Tamer Academy.

It was where humans and dragons coexisted. Everyone in this world knew that those who owned dragons graduated from this academy. They were revered as Dragon Tamers.

And after a millennium of stagnation, the gears of fate began turning once more. Would the arrival of this youth unveil the thousand-year secret?

···

“So tired! So far! That old geezer actually tricked me—sent me to some ‘Dragon Breeder Academy.’ Walked for ages and haven’t seen a single soul.” Illusionary Feather’s enthusiasm had long evaporated. Half an hour of walking, and all he saw… were trees. Endless trees. His high spirits had dwindled to nothing.

“He said there’d be flying lizards. Seriously? I haven’t even spotted a bird yet. If you’re gonna lie, at least make it believable!” Illusionary Feather grumbled under his breath, occasionally hopping, sometimes slithering forward like a caterpillar.

“That old man dumped me here while he went off ‘traveling the clouds’ alone.” Bent over in frustration, Illusionary Feather vented his resentment aloud.

Staring at the endless road ahead, he flopped onto the path, puffing his cheeks. Then he rolled sideways like a rolling pin, groaning, “Ugh, such a hassle… so tired… so boring…”

***BOOM!***

The thunderous crash froze Illusionary Feather mid-roll. In one fluid motion—a carp’s leap—he sprang upright. The instant his feet touched the ground, he’d already dropped into a sprinter’s stance. Only years of training could make such instinctive reflexes look this effortless. His eyes, once dull with boredom, now burned sharp and alert.

“Meh.” He brushed dust off his clothes, slumping back into laziness. “Two hundred meters to the left front, huh? Might as well check it out.” His tone was casual, yet he’d pinpointed the exact location. An ordinary person would’ve just mumbled, “Somewhere ahead…” or “Over there to the left…”

As Illusionary Feather strode toward the left front, his steps grew firm and purposeful—no longer wobbly, but dead straight and powerful.

He’d traced the sound to a grove within two hundred meters. Curious, he crept closer. Faint clashes reached his ears—clanging swords, explosive bursts.

—*A swordsman versus a sorcerer duel? Probably.*

Just five meters from the source, he spotted a large dirt clearing through the trees. Dust billowed. Silhouettes flashed. Sword glints and magic flares cut through the haze.

Illusionary Feather ducked behind a tree bordering the clearing, peering out with half his face exposed.

Through the dust, a golden-haired girl stood rooted, her wand spitting fire spells in every direction.

—*Fire sorcerer. High rank. At least Level Five.*

Darting around her, dodging and slashing, was a violet-haired girl—her gender obvious only from the long purple locks.

—*Swordsman. Knight Sword. Level Five or higher.*

—*Their strength’s evenly matched. Looks like training. And they’re in matching uniforms.*

—*They’re completely focused on each other… so…*

Illusionary Feather had no intention of disrupting their training. Carefully, he shuffled to the front of his hiding tree, plopped down, and leaned against the trunk. He crossed his arms over his chest, bent his right knee with foot planted, and draped his left leg over it—a picture of lazy insolence. His eyes tracked the free show, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

The two girls remained oblivious to the third presence, locked in fierce combat. Neither looked disheveled; their skills seemed equal. But appearances lied—the violet-haired girl held back, never unleashing her full power.

In truth, neither fought at full strength. Yet the violet-haired one clearly outclassed the blonde.

Their eyes locked. Both closed their eyes simultaneously. Less than thirty seconds later, they snapped them open.

—*Ending already?*

—*Should I make my grand exit when they clash?*

Before Illusionary Feather could decide, the violet and golden girls collided. Sword met wand tip. A shockwave erupted, kicking up dust. Nearby trees toppled like dominoes. A yelp pierced the air—“Ahhh! No—*thwack!*”—as the eavesdropper went flying. He slammed chest-first into a tree, slid down limply, and lay sprawled like a spineless creature, one leg twitching feebly.

Rolling onto his back, he found two pairs of eyes glaring down at him. He forced a bitter smile. “Uh… I was just lost! Heard noises and came to check. Didn’t know it was… this. I—I truly know nothing! Please don’t kill me!”

—*What’s with this guy? This isn’t some secret operation—he thinks we’ll silence him? And that outfit… a blue kung fu suit? That style died decades ago. Total bumpkin fashion.*

Indeed, Illusionary Feather wore a decades-old kung fu suit—the uniform of swordsmen from a bygone era. Modern swordsmen had long upgraded to sleeker gear. His looked painfully outdated.

—*How quaint. After all these years, someone still wears this? Huh. Blue hair, violet eyes… actually kinda pretty.*

Illusionary Feather read their gazes: curiosity from the violet-haired girl, disdain from the blonde. Both weapons were trained on him—one sword, one wand. The sword was deadlier; the wand showed no signs of activation. One slip of the swordswoman’s wrist, and he’d be bedridden for months.

To save his neck, he broke the silence. “If… if you promise not to kill me, could you just let me go? I—I have a grandfather to care for, so…”

—*Sorry, old man. You’re my human shield today.*

“Ara?” The violet-haired girl flinched, jerking her sword back just before it pierced him. She flashed a mischievous grin. “My apologies. But mind telling us why you’re here? Ordinary folks don’t wander this deep unless they’re heading to the academy.”

—*Phew. She was bluffing.*

“Well…” Illusionary Feather beamed a dopey smile. “My grandpa brought me here. Told me to find this ‘Dragon Breeder Academy.’ Said they’ve got tons of free food!”

“I see. Sorry for mistaking you for a villain.” The violet-haired girl sheathed her sword with an apologetic bow. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Belka Rohlin, StudentCouncil president of the academy you mentioned—but it’s actually the *Dragon Tamer* Academy.” As she spoke “Dragon Breeder,” she carved the characters into the dirt with her sword. Then she etched “Dragon Tamer” beside them.

Illusionary Feather squinted at the words, then looked up. Only now did he truly see her: waist-length violet hair, crimson-red eyes radiating warmth, not seduction. A porcelain-skinned, oval face framed by an approachable smile. Around 1.7 meters tall—impressive for a girl. Her top was white with silver trim and black buttons, hugging a well-developed bust. Her white skirt, edged with lace, ended high on her thighs, revealing black thigh-high stockings. That tantalizing strip of skin between skirt and stockings sparked the imagination. Altogether, a stunning beauty.

“Oh! So it’s *this* ‘Tamer’ character!” Illusionary Feather blinked, snapping out of his daze. “But how’d you know my ‘Breeder’ was wrong?”

“Well…” Belka chuckled sheepishly. “I used to mix them up too.”

“Ah, got it.” Illusionary Feather nodded sagely. “Bit late for introductions—I’m Illusionary Feather. ‘Illusion’ like a phantom, ‘Feather’ like a bird’s.”

He turned to the golden-haired girl. She looked away with a huff. “Lily Puls,” she muttered, voice dripping with tsundere pride.

Her uniform matched Belka’s. From the side, he glimpsed her fair cheek, lively black eyes, and a petite, straight nose. Her bust was modest compared to Belka’s, but still ample. Slightly shorter than Belka, she was undeniably a tsundere beauty.

He memorized every detail in a glance—lingering longer would earn him “pervert” labels.

“Uh… could you two step back?” Illusionary Feather kept his head down. During their introductions, they’d crept closer. One upward glance now, and he’d see everything—white, black, or polka-dot panties.

“Pervert!” Lily Puls hissed, stumbling backward. Belka Rohlin also retreated politely, her gaze shifting with mild suspicion.

—*Huh. He actually avoids peeking?*

Illusionary Feather stood, dusted himself off, and thanked them before turning toward the main road.

“Wait!” Belka called out. “Illusionary Feather, if you don’t mind… we’re heading back to the academy. We could escort you.”

He spun around, eyes gleaming. “Really? Do you have flying lizards? Or super-fast running lizards?”

“You idiot!” Lily snapped before Belka could reply. “They’re *dragons*! Flying ones are *Flight Dragons*. Fast runners are *Swift Dragons*. Memorize that—and stop sounding so uncultured!”

“So *that’s* what they’re called!” Illusionary Feather beamed with childlike wonder, as if a teacher had just revealed a profound truth.

“So… you *have* them?” His daze returned, hopeful.

As if answering, two dragons spiraled down from the sky. Illusionary Feather craned his neck. One was fiery red, radiating raw power. The other was cerulean, darting through the air with far greater speed.

—*First-stage evolved Flight Dragons. The red one’s a Blazing Crimson Dragon—mid-stage. The blue’s an Agile Azure Dragon—late-stage, even for its tier.*

“Cat got your tongue?” Belka teased, watching his stunned face. Her laugh was melodic, almost hypnotic. Illusionary Feather felt himself drifting.

To cover it up, Illusionary Feather blurted another silly remark: "I got scared after seeing those flying lizards."

Hearing this, the two dragons in the sky gave very human-like looks of disdain, then continued circling.

"You!!!" Lily snapped, looking ready to explode. "Stop calling Scarlet a 'flying lizard,' or I'll have her breath attack burn you to a crisp!"

—Charcoal. Illusionary Feather pictured himself charred black, and the hairs on his body stood on end instantly.

He shook his head, gazing up at the two massive flying dragons. "S-so, how do we get up there? And why do they seem to have names?"

"Just call them to fly lower," Belka said, waving at the agile blue dragon overhead. It obediently descended. Pointing at it, she added, "Dragons are intelligent beings too, so they have names. This is my dragon—Swift Rohlin."

"I see, I finally get it," Illusionary Feather nodded, eyeing the dragon that had lowered but was still too high to climb onto.

Unexpectedly, the dragons didn't just dip slightly. First, the explosive red dragon—Scarlet—landed at their original fight spot. The area barely fit one dragon. Lily stepped onto Scarlet, who then took off. Clearly, she had no plan to share a ride with Illusionary Feather.

Next, Swift descended. Belka climbed on first, stroking him as he prepared to rise, signaling him to wait. Then she looked at Illusionary Feather and invited, "You come up too."

"But he doesn't seem to welcome me. I'll walk," Illusionary Feather halted, seeing Swift's glare that said, "If you dare approach, I'll swat you away."

Indeed, the noble Dragon Clan typically submits to only one master. Even for sharing a ride, it depends on your bond with the master. And right now, Illusionary Feather clearly had no close ties with Belka.

"Come on, Swift. Let someone interested ride occasionally," Belka coaxed surprisingly, eager for Illusionary Feather to join her.

Swift turned his head away, seemingly agreeing. Only then did Belka urge Illusionary Feather to hurry up.

Excited, Illusionary Feather stepped onto the dragon's wing. His steps were quick but light, considerate of the dragon.

Once on Swift's mountain-like back, the dragon took off in a little huff. Illusionary Feather steadied his body against the occasional shakes, thinking falling off would be terrible.

When they rose level with Scarlet, Lily said with displeasure, "President, why let that guy ride Swift? He looks really unhappy."

"Aren't you the same, little Lily? And he's already up here," Belka replied, watching Lily's frown. If she could see Swift's face now, she'd spot his thought: "If my master said, 'Wouldn't going down be troublesome?', I'd descend and say it's fine." But no second half came, so he flew on helplessly.

"Why add 'little'?" Lily blushed, urging Scarlet forward.

Meanwhile, Illusionary Feather lay leisurely on the broad back, right leg bent, left leg resting on it, gazing skyward. A pair of black lace-trimmed panties appeared in the air.

"Ahh!" Illusionary Feather cried, sitting up instantly. The dragon's speed and noise meant only Belka heard him. Lily, still blushing on the other side, couldn't. Swift would assume he'd been hit by a bug and was gloating—never guessing it was his master's panties. If he knew, Illusionary Feather would surely be thrown off.

"Oh my, so you can get shy? Your face is all red," Belka teased without care, the culprit whose panties a boy had seen.

"B-B-Belka, what are you doing? Suddenly coming over like that," Illusionary Feather said, blushing from embarrassment.

"Ah, so cute! With such a pretty face, why wear dowdy clothes? Change, and even little Lily might be charmed," Belka asked many questions Illusionary Feather ignored.

"Do you find teasing me fun?" Illusionary Feather asked seriously. "Yes, very fun," Belka replied airheadedly, completely defeating him.

—She's just acting cute. Ignore her, ignore her.

—Though she does look good like that.

"Ahhh~" Illusionary Feather scratched his head, closed his eyes, and lay back down.

"We're here! Get up and look. The view from high above is beautiful," Belka's voice came soon after, her tone eerily identical to before.

He'd learned his lesson and didn't open his eyes immediately.

—What if it's black again?

So he rolled over using his signature rolling-pin technique—he was quite skilled at it.

Belka's soft laughter from the dragon's head reached his ears. Opening his eyes, he saw her standing there, no longer airheaded but elegant.

"I'm really wary of you," Illusionary Feather muttered.

He walked to the neck area but went no further. Only the master could stand on a dragon's head—it was a centuries-old truth.

Peering past the wings on both sides of the neck, the scene below truly surprised him.

Buildings of uneven heights dotted the landscape. People of all kinds bustled about. The expanse was so vast he couldn't see its edge.

Spotting vehicles driving back and forth on streets, he pointed and said, "Grandpa mentioned only the Dragon Tamer Academy has Magic Vehicles. Are those them, Belka?"

Belka had joined him. Following his finger, she explained warmly, "Yes, those are Magic Vehicles—masterpieces of Magic Engineers. But they're only used heavily here. Outside, there's almost none due to no magic power replenishment."

Illusionary Feather looked away, glancing sideways. "Belka, where's Lily?"

"Oh my, Lily? She went to class—morning lessons. You called her so affectionately just now, 'Lily'—how long have you known her?" Belka smirked wickedly, eyebrows curving.

"No, it's not like that. But it's really nice here," Illusionary Feather panicked, changing the subject. A rare envious expression crossed his face.

"By the way, where are you headed? Visiting relatives or studying?" Belka suddenly recalled he hadn't stated his academy purpose.

"This? Actually, the old man said to see an old lady named Maria Bella Rult," Illusionary Feather remembered his reason.

"What? Calling Maria Bella Rult an old lady? Few dare address the Academy Head like that. And that 'old man' is your grandfather, right?" Belka said, astonished.

"Anyway, that's it," Illusionary Feather replied casually, resuming his gaze downward.

It was likely class time; no other flying dragons filled the sky besides theirs.

"You really should see the Academy Head," Belka affirmed in her usual tone. "Swift, proceed to the Integrated Tower."