Free Web NovelDragon Knight — even the sound of the words feels grand, full of hope and temptation.
Vieya had once fantasized about finding a dragon to ride, but it always remained fantasy. On the road of adventuring, she only ever ran into low-tier winged lizards. Not cool at all. Seeing them ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) stirred nothing in her heart.
But Flaviel was different — wings spreading as she soared through the wind, her entire body wrapped in golden scales that reflected the moonlight in a dreamy haze, her movements elegant, her form perfectly shaped. She looked more like a “Weilong” fighter jet from another world than a dragon of this one.
Fortunately, the town’s anti-flight magic wasn’t very high-grade. For Flaviel, once the strongest grand mage, opening a backdoor through it was as easy as drinking sweet rice dumpling porridge.
The small street beneath them still had some signs of life; most of the windows lining both sides were glowing with light. But the night air was already so cold that no pedestrians could be seen.
Flaviel’s current dragon form was much smaller than what Vieya had seen years ago. If the previous one had been a blue whale, then the one she was now riding was merely a fully grown elephant.
The wind pressure on the dragon’s back was intense. Flaviel hadn’t cast any protective magic on her, so Vieya could only rely on herself. She had wanted to grab those perfect, mighty horns on Flaviel’s head as handholds — only to be warned off with a baring of fangs. Left with no choice, she wrapped her arms around the dragon’s neck instead.
Thankfully it was nighttime. If this were daytime, they would have instantly drawn a massive crowd. Even as a slime girl, she could easily imagine the envy and jealousy in the eyes of children and starry-eyed adults watching from below.
Maybe the next day, the long-lost legend of Dragon Knights would reappear on this land, sparking a feverish dragon-capturing craze.
Flaviel slowed her speed as she rode the air currents; Vieya lay quietly on her back. Flaviel seemed lost in thought, and Vieya had her own thoughts as well.
Neither spoke. Only the faint tearing of air sounded beneath them.
“You’ve been to my Demon King Castle, right? I didn’t build it myself, but I lived there for over ten years. In human terms, you could call it my hometown — a place with many of my traces. And with your current body, even if you went to the Demon King Castle, the Elders would consider you an even more suitable successor to the throne than my daughter. They’re actually quite easy to talk to. I used to go ask them for advice whenever something happened.” Flaviel paused. “Though, maybe I was just too childish back then.”
Vieya shook her head. “I haven’t been.”
In truth, Vieya had never realized her wife was the Demon King — the very target she was working so hard to defeat. After everything happened, she didn’t even know how to deal with it.
She thought she was simply tired. Sometimes being a slime who didn’t have to think about anything wasn’t so bad. Otherwise she wouldn’t have spent two or three years wandering around Monster Forest before coming out.
“When conflict broke out between us, I had already reached the final defensive line before the Demon King Castle. I must have really pissed you off. But I wasn’t thinking straight either — you had lied to me, and I was furious... I have never been as angry as I was that day. We ended up fighting. I stabbed you with my sword.”
“...I can vaguely guess that.”
Flaviel let out what sounded like a sigh, but the wind quickly shattered it. Her voice carried a trace of exhaustion.
“The day I decided to give you the ring, I had already predicted that outcome. I didn’t expect it to come so fast. I was preparing — preparing to hide it from you forever. I wanted to spend your whole Hero’s life by your side, idling away together, then choose a good time to tell you everything.”
“But it all came too quickly. You suddenly accepted the commission to slay me. When I saw how many of my people you killed along the way... I was heartbroken and furious. My territory’s people had never even stepped out of Monster Forest, yet they suffered a harsher blow than any other Demon King’s subjects. I hated myself.”
“I see.”
They continued flying beneath the clouds, the dragon’s wings stirring the air with a loud whoosh. Ahead of them hung an enormous silver moon, bright as a glowing jade plate, making one feel as if they were strolling along the sun’s edge.
“About my identity,” Flaviel suddenly asked, “you have no other questions?”
“No.” Vieya lay on the dragon’s back, her cheek pressed against the cool golden scales. Her voice was faint. “You’re the Demon King. That’s all.”
“We were strangers at the beginning. Yet I was the one who kept helping you — errands, fighting, problem-solving, settling conflicts within your party. I handled everything. Didn’t you ever wonder why? I had no reason to help you, yet I did.” Flaviel asked softly, “Now you know I have a background — that I was the leader of a force opposing yours. Don’t you want to know why I helped you?”
“If it were the old me, I would’ve asked.” The slime girl pressed herself gently against the dragon’s back. “But now, I don’t want to ask.”
“Why?”
Flaviel, unusually curious, tilted her head to look at Vieya.
“......”
Vieya didn’t answer. She only lay there, clinging tightly, her eyes closed, breathing evenly.
Asleep.
Flaviel suddenly felt both helpless and annoyed. She wanted to grab that lump of slime on her back and drop her from ten thousand meters straight into the river below — maybe that would wake her up. I bring you out for a moonlit flight, and you decide to take a nap on my back?
Who taught you this!?
Flaviel felt both amused and exasperated, with a hint of heartache mixed in. She circled above the city a few more times with Vieya, then flapped her wings again and headed back.
Still avoiding the front door — she slipped in through the window.
But this time, she didn’t return to her own room next door. Instead, she carried the slime girl into Jasmine’s bedroom.
The room was dark. No lamp was lit.
But Flaviel instantly sensed that the little one curled under the blankets wasn’t asleep — just pretending.
“Sigh. Look at your mother — she can sleep anywhere. And you, you’re seven years old already, still so tiny. Anyone hearing you’re a dragon’s daughter would think it’s a lie... sigh. Here, take your slime back. Rest early.”
“......”
Jasmine kept her eyes closed, pretending. But moments later she felt the blanket gently lift. A familiar pillow was pushed into her arms — then the “pillow” let out two soft hums, turned over, and wrapped her tightly.
This scent — Mom!
Jasmine felt a mix of happiness and confusion. But the most puzzling thing was the golden woman’s behavior.
She wasn’t stupid. She knew that golden woman had some connection to Mom. And based on the life-creation knowledge she’d learned, chances were high that she herself was the result of Mom and that golden woman mating and giving birth...
Yet she was terrified. Terrified that the motherly affection that belonged to her might be stolen away by this unfamiliar golden woman she’d never met.
“Rest early. Your mom said you have to be at the Magic Academy tomorrow morning at seven.”
Flaviel stepped lightly to the window, closed it, and her golden form began to fade.
Through the haze, Jasmine faintly heard the golden woman humming a song — very softly, but filled with an indescribable sorrow.
In the warm blankets, Jasmine held her mother tighter.
At the window, Flaviel’s body grew ever fainter, becoming almost transparent, but she kept gazing at the moon outside. Her tone was soft, yet carried a clear rhythm.
Sorrow, joy, parting, and reunion — all without mercy,
Before the steps,
Drip by drip till dawn...
Lyrics Jasmine had never heard before. freёwebnovel.com
Kind of beautiful.
Jasmine thought.
But in the instant the singing faded, she felt her mother’s arms tightening around her just a little more.
