Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

After days of observing this little girl who shared her name, Noah had come to understand a bit about her.
She was diligent, hardworking, not prone to showing her emotions, and never boasted or exaggerated. Yet, every time she mentioned her father, that man named Leon Cosmod, her face lit up with pride, firmly believing he could accomplish anything.

Noah couldn’t quite understand if this was merely a child’s admiration for her father or if the man truly was exceptional enough to command such respect.
She lowered herself slowly, resting her dragon head on her forepaws, assuming a relaxed, almost human-like posture.
“You really believe in your father that much?”

“Of course.”
“But if I showed you what ‘Ultimate Terror’ truly is, I doubt you’d still think that.”
Noa frowned slightly. “I’ve already told you, no matter how powerful this ‘Ultimate Terror’ is, my father—”

“Alright, alright. Let’s just go with what you said.” 
They locked eyes—a small girl and a massive dragon—both calm on the outside but brimming with hidden thoughts.
Noah's thoughts: This child has no concept of the Ultimate Terror; I’ll let it go.

Noa's thoughts: This old spirit has no concept of my dad Leon; I’ll let it go.
After a few moments of silence, Noah brought the conversation back to the previous topic.
“In any case, I need to use your body to gather the Primordial Power. This will benefit you, too.”

Noa raised an eyebrow. “How, exactly?”
“From what I’ve observed, you’re a classic dragon descendant—no, even more so. Your desire to grow stronger surpasses most young or even adult dragons, doesn’t it?”
Noa didn’t reply but didn’t deny it either.

“Gathering the Primordial Power benefits more than just me. It will grant you access to a different kind of strength, something ancient and powerful. Isn’t that worth it?”
“Only for me to end up as your puppet in the end, right?”
The ancient dragon shook her head. “If all goes smoothly, I hope to resolve the final crisis through you, rather than by my own hand.”

Noa blinked, a little surprised. “Why? This is your chance to revive your reputation as the Primordial Dragon King. You could be a hero to the dragon clan once again, not just a figure in myths and legends.”
“As you said, child, my days as a hero of the dragon clan were ten thousand years ago. This era belongs to you. You should enjoy its wonders, and its dangers should be yours to face. At most, I’ll use your body to… help things along,” she said, carefully choosing her words.
Noa fell silent, her gaze lowering to the water at her feet.
The once-still surface suddenly rippled, spreading outward and creating waves.

The white dragon noticed this as well.
“You’re uncertain, child. Think carefully about what I said. We have plenty of time.”
Noa lifted her head, looking straight into the dragon’s eyes. After a pause, she said, “I want to leave this place.”

Now that her thoughts had been exposed, Noa saw no point in continuing the conversation. She needed time to digest and consider what Noah had said.
Better to leave now and find a quieter place to gather her thoughts.
“No,” the dragon replied firmly.

Noa blinked. “Why not?”
“Because I haven’t gotten a breath of fresh air in ages.”
“And?”

“So, I’d like to borrow your body for a little stroll.”
“...”
“Relax. Right now, I can only control you for a maximum of two hours.”

Seeing Noa still hesitant, the dragon played her next card—a little moral coercion.
“Surely, the esteemed Silver Dragon Princess understands the importance of respecting one’s elders? I’ve been sealed away for thousands of years, and it’s so hard just to catch a breath and take a stroll. Sigh… kids these days…”
A huge question mark seemed to appear on Noa’s forehead.

She really couldn’t handle this ancient spirit.
Had she known, she would have let Konstantin take all of the dragon’s power back at the ruins. Then it would be him dealing with this annoying spirit, not her.
“P~ri~ncess~ I’ve been cooped up in here for days and feel utterly drained… cough cough~”

“Alright, alright! Just two hours. Not a minute more.”
“Perfect. Don’t worry, I’m a dragon of my word. Back in the day, when I said I’d end the civil war within three days, I didn’t delay a second.”
“Don’t get too excited. If you’re going to use my body, you have to follow my rules. Refuse, and I’ll take back the offer.”

“Fine, go ahead.”
Noa held up a finger. “First, no gathering Primordial Power. You’ve been sneaking around at night, using my body to gather energy, which has left me feeling exhausted every morning.”
She held up a second finger. “Second, you can’t leave the Silver Dragon Sanctuary. There’s a barrier outside. The second you touch it, my mom and dad will come rushing in, and they’ll drag me right back, which means they’ll discover you too.”

Finally, she raised a third finger. “Lastly, when you get up, be gentle. Don’t wake Moon and Little Light.”
“Can you manage that?”
The ancient dragon lifted her head proudly and patted her chest with a claw. “With such minor requests? Of course. I’ll stick to it.”

“Alright. Two hours, starting now.”
The moment Noa granted permission, the mindscape trembled.
The dark gold walls around her faded into darkness, and the water beneath her feet receded, as though it was flowing away from some hidden source.

In its place appeared a white, majestic palace, regal and luxurious, exuding a sacred aura.
Looking ahead, she saw a grand staircase.
At the top was a solemn throne.

“This is…”
“Welcome to my mindscape, child. Awestruck?”
Noa looked away, scoffing. “It’s alright.”

“Alright? You think my grand mindscape isn’t far superior to your… dingy sewer?”
“Who are you calling a sewer?”
“You! Child!”

“Then I’m taking back my offer to borrow my body!”
“No, no, it’s my sewer, Princess. My sewer.”
“…”

She fit right in with the Melkvey family’s knack for quick wit and changing expressions.
Noa could understand the logic behind the shifts in mindscape when control of the body switched.
“To keep you entertained for the next two hours, I’ll generously share the sensory experience with you.”

“Oh, thank you so much for ‘generously sharing’ the use of my own eyes, nose, and ears.”
As Noa’s voice faded, a magical projection appeared before her.
It displayed a dimly lit room, with moonlight pouring in through the window, her two sisters fast asleep beside her.

“Remember what I said—don’t wake them up,” Noa reminded.
“Yes, yes, I know.”
After so long, the dragon spirit felt whole again, with all limbs intact.

Fantastic!
She quietly pulled back the blanket, gently got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and opened the door, stepping softly into the hallway.
The corridor was empty, allowing her to stroll freely.

However, as she passed the room next door, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Where’s the rope? Where did it go?”
“How should I know? Do we really need rope, dragoness?”

“No rope, no captive play!”
“…Childish!”
The sudden voices startled Noah, and she quickly shrank back into a corner.

Thankfully, no more sounds followed.
A close call.
“Your parents are up in the middle of the night doing… captive… play? What is that?”

Clearly, the spirit from ten thousand years ago had little understanding of modern pleasures.
Not that Noa was any better—being a pure-hearted five-year-old who once thought kissing made people pregnant.
“I don’t know, but we need to leave quickly before they spot us,” Noa replied.

“Alright.”
The small figure darted down the corridor, heading outside to savor the fresh air and freedom of the night.