"Aefina, you seem to be in high spirits," Aefina said, propped up on her elbows as she lay on the bed, watching me. Nia’s bed was incredibly comfortable—truly top-tier even by Earth standards. After rolling around twice, Aefina had refused to get up.

"Yeah... I feel really relaxed here. It’s hard to explain, but this place reminds me of home. And Nia’s practically a fellow countryman. It feels... familiar." I kept writing in my diary as I replied. The notebook was already looking worn after all this time. But what could I expect? It was looted from a pirate den—I couldn’t exactly demand it be impervious to fire and water.

"Luo Sa... are you homesick?"

"Yeah... Oh, right—I almost forgot. Aefina, there’s something I need to tell you." I hurriedly finished the last two lines, then walked to the bedside and sat on the floor, leaning against the bed.

This conversation needed seriousness. Sitting on the bed or lying down would’ve felt too casual.

Let’s be real: I’m a healthy adult man. Pretending I had zero thoughts about Aefina would be a lie. Normally, I could suppress those urges. But not when I needed to talk seriously.

"...Mm." A soft reply drifted through the quiet room, followed by a faint rustle. The sound crept closer from behind me—Aefina had shifted slightly toward me.

"First... I’m sorry. About what happened before. If I hadn’t stayed silent—if I’d said something—it might’ve been better." Apology first.

"I... was really looking forward to it," Aefina murmured. "You’re the second person who promised to protect me. The first was Mom. The warmth she gave me... I felt it from you too. I was happy. But I was also scared. Scared of losing you like I lost her... Mom and I weren’t strong enough back then. When humans attacked, she died protecting me."

"Before she died, she told me to run. She wanted me to live well. To do that, I needed strength. I want you to grow stronger too. I can protect you, but that’s not enough... If you were just a little stronger, we could survive together. It’s not that I won’t lend you my power. But the Sage said relying on others’ strength isn’t true growth."

...For Aefina, "living well" meant becoming strong? Given her past, that made sense. But Aefina... after everything we’ve been through, shouldn’t that mindset change?

"Aefina, I’m actually a transmigrator. Someone from another world." This not-so-secret secret finally spilled out. Protagonists in novels never reveal this—or some rule stops them. Guess I’m definitely not the protagonist.

"...Are you a demonkin, Luo Sa?" Aefina sounded puzzled. "I can’t sense any demonic aura..."

"No. It’s a place called Earth. People call it a beautiful blue planet, but honestly? I never thought it was that special. Maybe I just don’t appreciate beauty. Earth’s completely different—no magic there."

"No magic? Impossible?" Aefina couldn’t fathom a world without magic, just as I couldn’t grasp how spells worked.

"It’s true. Compared to people here, we were incredibly weak. Let me put it this way: Aefina, how long would it take you to run a hundred meters?"

"...A hundred meters..." Aefina fell silent. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the unit—it was too short to measure. How long does it take you to run one meter? For her, a hundred meters was just a serious hop.

"Where I’m from, the fastest runner takes nearly ten seconds for a hundred meters." Here, even a Level 5 adventurer—considered merely "skilled"—could do it in under six. True elites were leagues beyond that.

"How is that possible? You’d never survive a Monstrous Beast attack!"

"No magic means no Monstrous Beasts. Take bees: on Earth, they’re smaller than a finger. A bone bee the length of an arm would cause mass panic back home."

"Then... how did you get here? Opening a portal requires magic."

"Probably some god’s doing. Ask Nia—she might know. I was hit by a truck on my way home, then woke up here." The memory was hazy, but that was the gist. Stating my own death so casually felt... off.

"A truck?"

"A... large ground vehicle. Bigger than the dragon-carriage we rode last time. Very fast." Explaining trucks to someone who’d never seen a vehicle was tough.

"...Luo Sa... were you killed by this truck?" Aefina’s voice tightened.

"I don’t know. I remember the impact, but I doubt I survived."

"...You can die? Nia said those who come here after dying can still die again." Aefina had understood little of Nia’s earlier words, but she remembered this clearly.

"..." I’d never considered that. Even after Nia’s warning, it hadn’t sunk in. Novels never mentioned transmigrators dying twice. But if Nia was right... maybe I would?

Aefina stayed quiet as the room’s warmth turned icy.

"Uh... Aefina..."

"..."

"Aefina?"

"Mm."

"What I just said... it’s not that I meant... wait, yes it is. I meant to say—I didn’t mean..." The awkwardness made me fumble.

"Back home, there’s no magic. Everyone’s weak. Usually, transmigrators get powers—gifts from whatever god sent them. To keep them from being weaker than locals, or even stronger. Jumping worlds doesn’t magically teach magic."

"But me? I’m just ordinary. No, powerless. Your strength, Aefina—it’s unimaginable to me, like a world without magic is to you. I’ve tried to gain power the normal way. But I can’t sense magic. My body has limits. Effort alone won’t break them."

"So calling me ‘Sloth’? That facial expression I can’t mimic... wanting things I don’t deserve—like power—that’s ‘Greed.’ Thinking I’m the protagonist, a weakling dreaming of standing alone? That’s ‘Pride.’ The Seven Deadly Sins really are convenient... Who says you can only have one?" I rambled, even laughing at myself. Anything to kill the awkwardness.

"I didn’t know... I asked too much of you. I’m sorry." Aefina’s voice was gentle, almost like a confession under the moonlight.

"Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong." Those words had echoed in my ears long ago, when I was drowning in self-loathing and apologies. Now I was saying them to someone else. How the tables turn. What would that person say if they knew? Probably laugh at me.

"The Sage said the same thing. Even your tone is similar. You really are alike." Aefina had mentioned the Sage often. She must’ve shaped her deeply.

If not for the Sage, I’d never have met Aefina. I’d love to thank her someday.

After my words, Aefina suddenly sat up, climbed off the bed beside me, and stood before me. I was sitting on the floor, back against the bed. Her movement made me turn—and from that angle, the first thing I saw were her smooth, slender legs bathed in moonlight, radiating startling allure. As a normal adult man, my gaze snagged instantly.

"Luo Sa?" Her voice pulled my attention upward—*very* upward.

"Luo Sa, stand up..." When I did, she asked, "Do you... have a surname?"

"Surnames work differently where I’m from. Luo Sa is my full name. ‘Luo’ is the surname; ‘Sa’ is my given name."

Aefina’s expression turned solemn, but her eyes dropped below mine.

"The trial period is over. It’s been long enough." Honestly, I’d nearly forgotten about that.

"After observing you... your performance has been... quite good. Well, not quite... still good." She’d tried to praise me, then downplay it, then correct herself—ending with the awkward hybrid "still good."

"Since you’ve passed... I agree to continue traveling with you. If you’re willing too, let’s keep this bond... Let’s form a contract." She’d aimed for a grand, solemn tone, but after stumbling, she gave up and spoke bluntly. Her awkward sincerity was unbearably cute.

"Since I passed, I’ll rely on you from now on... No—please keep protecting me." Of course I wouldn’t refuse. *Let me sign a contract with you to become a magical girl!*

"Mm." Aefina began tracing symbols in the air. White lines lingered where her fingers passed, like drawing on invisible paper. She chanted softly:

"I, **Aefina Siglith**, hereby form a pact with **Luo Sa** at this time and place. Witnessed by the Great Dragon: no abandonment, no betrayal, no separation. For eternity."

She met my eyes. "You can still back out... If you accept, give me your hand."

Aefina had spoken in authentic dragon tongue earlier. Judging by the content, it seemed like a very serious contract.

“Of course not,” I said, reaching out my hand to Aefina. She clasped my hand with hers, fingers interlaced. A faint white light then emanated from our palms, and everything settled into calm.

'Why does it feel like newlyweds vowing in a church?' I thought.

“It’s over… Luo Sa, let’s sleep,” Aefina said. She quickly climbed onto the bed and buried her head under the covers. This reaction was pure shyness.

Neither Luo Sa nor Aefina knew then that this contract was one only mated Great Dragons would sign. That meant my earlier feeling was correct—this contract was indeed like spouses vowing to each other.