Luca was a small town on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

Luca Town had once been nothing more than a remote little settlement, but after several years of development, it had grown into a proper town.

With the Imperial Capital to its south, Luca Town benefited from its proximity. Many trade caravans passed through, bringing the town a fair bit of prosperity.

Ivory Mountain lay behind it, too, and many adventurers and hunters used the town as their base. So even though Luca Town didn’t look very big, it was surprisingly lively.

When they reached town, Erika was still nestled in Gladys’s arms. Her big red eyes darted curiously from side to side, and she couldn’t help feeling a little amazed.

“So this is what a town in this world looks like…” Erika couldn’t help murmuring.

European-style wooden houses lined both sides of the street. The main road was full of people, most dressed in old-fashioned clothes. Every now and then, someone would run into an acquaintance and exchange a polite greeting.

There were plenty of carriages passing through the streets, too. Their drivers hurried along, clearly busy making a living.

She’d gotten a rough look at the place last night, but it had been the middle of the night, with hardly anyone around. It hadn’t made much of an impression. Now, though, the scene made Erika feel as if she’d been swept into the current of medieval history.

It was high noon. The sun blazed overhead, and its ultraviolet rays beat down without mercy on the town, scorching the earth like a heater.

“Come have a look! Fresh-picked apples! Sweet and delicious!”

“Come on, come on! Our house-made wine’s ready for a taste! One sip and you’ll fall in love!”

“Hey, buddy, come try some! Here, have a taste—it’s free!”

…

The hawkers’ calls all around her caught Erika’s attention. Ever since she’d arrived in town, her eyes hadn’t stopped darting about. She really was like a newborn, finding everything fresh and fascinating.

It’s getting a little hot…

In Gladys’s arms, beads of sweat appeared on Erika’s forehead. She squirmed a little, uncomfortable, then tugged at the collar of her loose dress with one delicate hand, letting the cool air reach her skin.

Just then, a cool, jade-like hand reached through her ash-gray hair. Its fingertips felt chilly as they gently touched the back of Erika’s neck.

“Gladys?”

“This should cool you down a little.”

Gladys answered quietly. Her fingertips seemed to carry some kind of chilly energy. Sure enough, the stuffy heat in Erika’s body vanished as soon as Gladys touched her.

“Th… thank you.”

After thanking her, Erika realized that being carried through the street by Gladys had attracted quite a few stares.

“Look at that woman over there. She’s gorgeous! My goodness, is she from out of town? How have I never noticed a beauty like her in Luca Town before?”

“She must be. She’s carrying a child, too. I bet she’s married.”

“Maybe she’s the girl’s older sister. That woman looks so young—she doesn’t look like she’s ever had a child.”

“Who knows?”

“Still, the little girl she’s holding is pretty cute, too.”

“Dude, are you a pervert?”

…

The whispers reached Erika’s ears. Even though the two men were speaking softly, she could hear every word.

“You can put me down now, Gladys.”

Erika spoke softly and tugged at Gladys’s clothes.

“We’re almost there.”

Gladys looked down as she replied. “Don’t pay any attention to their nonsense. You can ignore them.”

That might be true, but Erika still felt uncomfortable being talked about.

Gladys glanced at the little girl in her arms again and murmured a reminder. “Erika, I’ll tell you again: when we’re in a human town, never show any signs that you’re a dragon. It’ll only cause trouble.”

“Why do humans reject dragons?”

“It’s simple. They see us as something different.”

Gladys spoke calmly. “Humans are the most numerous creatures in this world right now. That’s just how the world works: whoever has the numbers becomes the norm.

“In their eyes, we dragons are outsiders—outsiders powerful enough to threaten their lives. What do you think they’d do if they came across someone like that?”

After hearing Gladys’s words, Erika fell silent.

She was right. It wasn’t just this world; it was the same everywhere.

The ones with the numbers became the norm. Everyone else was treated as a dangerous outsider.

When she’d first crossed into this world, the first time she saw Gladys, she’d called her a “monster,” too. That was simply because, in her previous life, she’d been human, and the unfamiliar creature before her had frightened her from the bottom of her heart.

Suddenly, Erika felt bad for Gladys. What had Gladys felt when Erika had called her a “monster” back then?

She must have been very sad… probably…

…

Carrying Erika, Gladys arrived at a tavern somewhere in town.

The tavern was simple in design. The first floor was a hall for eating, drinking, and relaxing, while the second had rooms like an inn. For many travelers, this was a temporary home.

At noon, there weren’t any drunks passed out in the tavern hall. Most of the people there belonged to trade caravans and had stopped to grab a quick lunch on the road.

At last, Gladys set Erika down, gently placing her on a chair. Then, with tender care, she straightened Erika’s clothes and fixed her hair.

“I’ll go get you something to eat. Wait here a moment.”

“Okay.”

As expected, the two girls drew the attention of most of the people in the tavern.

But Luca Town wasn’t far from the Imperial Capital, and travelers from all over passed through. The laws here were enforced strictly, so nobody wanted to cause trouble for no reason.

Everyone just looked. No one seemed interested in approaching them or picking a fight.

Still, Erika and Gladys were simply too eye-catching. Plenty of people kept their eyes on them, unwilling to miss the sight.

Hah…

These grown men could stare at Gladys all they wanted, but why were they looking at me like that, too? Did people here go after little girls as well?

Erika pursed her lips but didn’t dwell on it. She sat quietly in her chair and waited for Gladys.

“Here.”

A little while later, Gladys returned with a plate of roast meat that didn’t look very appetizing.

The smell of roast meat drifted into Erika’s nose. She sniffed and couldn’t help wanting to eat. She’d eaten a lot yesterday, but she hadn’t had a single bite today.

She’d been about to reach for it with her bare hands, but when she saw there was only one plate, she drew back the little hand she’d already stretched halfway out.

“What about you, Gladys?”

“I don’t need any.”

Gladys gave a faint smile. She looked beautiful when she smiled, and she was always gentle with Erika.

“Go ahead and eat. I’ll go ask about renting a room.”

After hesitating for a moment, Erika nodded. She didn’t have much self-control around food. She wasn’t sure if her appetite had grown or if this body had always been a big eater… Either way, she couldn’t resist the lure of meat.