Seijo ni Narunode Nidoume no Jinsei wa Katte ni Sasetemoraimasu ~Outaihi wa, Zensei de Watashi wo Fu

     A few days after the monstrous incident in the hall, the Holy dragon is sitting on Liz’s head. It buried its head on its white wings and groaned.

     “Don’t you feel that the holy dragon has become a little smaller?” Priest Lloyd, who was sitting in front of Liz in her room, asked seriously.

     ‘Is it bad?’

     Liz glared at him. She doesn’t feel like it’s getting any smaller or not. The holy dragon has shrunk to less than a tenth of its original size. It’s now as big as her palm.

     “It suddenly shrunk down yesterday.” She sighed, explaining to him what had happened.

     After the monstrous event in the hall was over, Natalie was brought to the clinic in the royal palace. Liz couldn’t accompany her since it’s outside the temple.

     A doctor who had checked up on Natalie’s burn on her face, saw the priest accompanying her and shook his head with a stern expression. After all, even if the burn itself heals, there’s scars that will remain.

     ‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’

     She bit her lip, quite impatient and worried. She wanted to see Natalie off.

     “Liz Stefan! Please come here for a moment.” said one of the priests. As she approached him, he looked at the holy dragon, “The white flames of the Holy dragon have broken the floors and walls of the hall. I’d like you to take it somewhere as we’re about to repair it.”

     ‘What should I do? I have to find the place of the holy dragon.’     

     It’s too big to fit in Liz’s room and if it’s left in the backyard, it may get wet from the rain.

     ‘I need a spacious room somewhere’

     At that time, the tip of the dragon’s nose poked her back. She looked at it, the dragon looked upward as if saying “look” and—

     Liz was shocked, she couldn’t believe what she had seen. As soon as she looked up, the body of the holy dragon shrunk.

     “Eh?”

     In front of Liz was a small holy dragon, the size of her palm. It spread its wings proudly on the floor, chirping “kyu” in a cute voice.

     —”Heh” Lloyd, sitting in front of Liz, had his cheek on his palm, appearing to be quite impressed, “It’s good that it’s not about the size of a room. Indeed, it is a Holy dragon.”

     “Well, it is great—”

     “What’s the matter?” Lloyd frowned, his brows furrowed at Liz.

     The door of her room opened, excited faces of the candidates can be seen.

     “Hey Liz, can you please show me the holy dragon?”

     “There it is! It’s on her head. How cute!”

     “I was terrified when it was big, but now that it’s gotten small, it’s adorable”

     It’s very popular.

     Liz certainly thinks that the smaller dragon is cute. Short white fur, pure white body, and red eyes. 

     It flies and jumps around using its small wings and walks around the floor with its short little legs. Its original sound when it was big isn’t known yet but the little one gives out a small squeak ‘kyu’ that would tickle your chest.

     ‘but -‘

     In response to the cheers of the candidates, the Holy dragon would spread its wings with its eyes wide open and neck stretched out, tilting its head to the side. 

     “It’s too cute!!”

     ‘I’m not convinced.’

     “Don’t you feel a bit bruised for them being afraid at first? It’s a holy dragon.” Lloyd asked.

     “No, I agree that it’s a holy dragon.”

     “—I understand. The fruit will be worthy and suitable for the person. Since there’s a bit of a problem with Liz’s character, then the dragon’s personality isn’t distorted, right?!　You see, Liz told a lie during the fruit  monster incident,that the holy dragon spoke directly to her head and, above all, she’s always very cold to me.” Lloyd said as if speaking to the little dragon.

     ‘What is he saying?’

     On top of Liz’s head,  the holy dragon, with a clear expression, bent its head once more, “kyu”

     In the dining room on the second temple, bright sunshine was shining through the windows.

     As Liz sat at one of the long tables for lunch, the chief priest approached her along with his priests.

     It is quite unusual to see them in the dining area

     “I’m sorry that I have been absent during such a difficult time. The sacred dragon—oh, there.”

     The Holy Dragon is sitting on the table, eating Liz’s lunch—or rather, eating without her permission. When the priest spoke to him, it raised it’s head and gave out a “kyu” before it immediately returned to its meal, eating only all the meat, and leaving the vegetables.

     The chief priest looks at the plate in front of Liz, she just silently eats the leftover vegetables as the dragon throws the vegetables back to the plate in front Liz.

     The chief priest laughed, “I thought the holy dragon is very noble and unapproachable, it actually seems friendly and quite harmless.”

     Liz wanted to voice out that what he said was true, when it was huge, the holy dragon was intimidating that she couldn’t even properly approach it.

     Then, the tone of his voice changed,  “Natalie will soon go back home after her treatment at the hospital. I’ve heard all about what Grace and Toma have done that night, The obstruction to the selection of the next saint – This case was that your sacred fruit was intentionally removed and sabotaged in the hall, but Natalie was actually deceived. She has lost her qualification as a candidate for the next saint. In addition, Natalie’s sacred plant has already died.”

     “Yes, Um…What has become of her burn marks?”

     The chief priest silently shook his head greviously, “The redness and some blisters have been removed, but her scars may remain for the rest of her life.”

     “Is that so…”

     —After the chief priests left, Liz looked at the holy dragon with a serious face.

     “Holy Dragon, please,”

     She had been asking for it since before. The little dragon slowly rose up, as if it knew that there was no other way.

     “I’ll give you more meat this time.”

     It looked at Liz, as if not buying her bribe of meat, but it still quickly jumped from the table to her shoulder.

　* * * * *

     Liz was waiting, leaning against the wall of the first tower in the Second Temple. She heard that Natalie’s parents are coming to pick up their injured daughter.

     The sun is just above her head, a warm soft breeze blows through the flower beds.

     When the little dragon was flying around, it got tired and went to rest on Liz’s shoulder. Natalie and her parents walked with the priest, who acted as their guide. It is forbidden to go in and out of the temple during the selection especially those who are not related with the event,  but they have an exception since it’s due to an injury.

     Their carriage is waiting outside the temple. Natalie’s back is hunched, looking down. Beside her are her parents, a man with a mustache and an elegant looking lady.

     Natalie’s right cheek is covered with a white gauze for treatment, it’s quite big, it covered her neck up until below her eye and it looked very painful. Natalie had a dark expression hovering on her face. 

     “…Liz.” Natalie noticed Liz, she stopped and stared at her with wide eyes.

     Liz slowly smiled,”Are you going home now?”

     “Yes.That’s right…”

     Natalie’s father, who was silent, was staring at Liz. He glanced at the priest guiding them.

     “Yes.” the priest nodded.

     Then, her father took a step forward and deeply bowed his head to Liz. “My daughter, Natalie, has done you wrong, I deeply apologize for her actions Miss Liz Stefan.”

     Natalie’s mother, who’s holding onto Natalie’s shoulder, also bowed her head.

     “Whatever the circumstances that had happened, it was unforgivable.” Natalie’s father continued in a quiet tone filled with grief.

     Next to her mother, who still had her head down, Natalie had tears flowing down her face. The three of them were shaking in front of Liz.

     Eventually, her father glanced at Natalie, “You must apologize again, Natalie.”

     Natalie gently trotted forward, her mother supporting her back. In a faint small and hoarse voice she apologized, “I’m sorry, Liz. I’m very sorry…”

     There was no sign of her former vigor. Her brightness and vitality was left in the hall that night. It never returned.

     Liz looked up at the sky. There certainly was the weight of the holy dragon on her shoulder. Perhaps it has eaten too much that she could feel its claws on her shoulder. She glanced at the holy dragon, and it looked back at her with a ‘ready’ expression.

     “Natalie, there’s something I’d like to try. Could you take off the gauze on your face?” she slowly asked her in a careful tone.