Valkar's anger was written all over his face, but even with fear gnawing at him, Mo Chen didn't back down.
What? Do you want him to say, "Oh, alright. If you say I'm a female, then I must be one"?
Absolutely not.
Anything but the man's pride.
Mo Chen held his ground—until he looked into those darkening eyes, watched the smoke curling from Valkar's nostrils...
...
Mo Chen:"..."
Screw man pride.
If he died here, what good would pride do him? Would it shield him from the wrath of this raging dragon?
Or perhaps resurrect him after he was burned to ashes?
Sorry, not even bones would remain. What resurrection are we talking about?
Just as regret began to consume Mo Chen entirely—and he was this close to shouting, "I'm a female, don't kill me!"—someone stepped into the clinic. Or house.
It was hard to tell what this place was exactly.
"Lord Valkar, I heard you were here. Did you come to see me?"
The newcomer was a... delicate-looking young man. Well, slightly delicate—if "delicate" meant weighing ten times more than Mo Chen.
And don't even ask about Mo Chen's weight. As a grown man and athlete, he was far from light.
"Lord Valkar, um, is there... anything you'd like to ask of me?"
The newcomer didn't seem to notice the seething rage of the adult dragon standing before him.
How could he, when he acted like a bashful maiden, looking everywhere but at Valkar's face?
For a moment, Mu Chen made the mistake of thinking this boy was in love with Valkar and trying to "seduce" the man.
(You weren't wrong, dear.)
"Lord Valkar," the boy continued, "you've come to this humble tribe... is it because of me? Are you—uh, I mean... are you here to join my husbands?"
Yes, what you're thinking is exactly right.
This slightly (just slightly) chubby man, with short light-brown hair and stubby legs—whose only "small" feature may have been his brain—was named Rova.
His round, pig-like face reminded Mo Chen of the pigs his grandfather used to raise.
Yet, somehow, Rova was considered the most beautiful female in the tribe, thanks to his large, dark eyes.
Of course, they were large. Was there anything small about him?
(...Let's not count that—it's unusable anyway.)
For reasons unknown (perhaps the tribe's collective blindness), Rova had managed to attract seven strong, handsome men into his harem within just two years of reaching adulthood—well, female adulthood, in their terms.
Naturally, aside from his beauty, there was another reason for Rova's popularity:
He possessed Grade C spiritual energy, which ranked among the top three spiritual power levels for females.
In this world, the danger was everywhere—not just from beasts but also from something called "corruption," which plagued male beasts.
When a male beast lost control over his spiritual energy, it devoured his mind. He'd fall into a frenzy, destroying everything—including himself.
Only females could heal this corruption, blessed by the Beast God with strong spiritual and healing powers.
They could mend spiritual damage and also treat physical injuries.
But not every female had such abilities, and their strength varied.
Like beasts, they, too, were ranked.
(We will talk more about that later.)
Meanwhile, Rova had been eyeing Valcar ever since he learned of his power. His confidence was... baffling.
As the most beautiful female in the tribe and the one with the strongest mental power, he believed that even if he couldn't match the city females, he wasn't bad at all.
Besides, Valkar was a dragon—and not many females would be willing to marry one.
He should be honored that Rova was ready to let him become the eighth husband.
What a perfect match—a pig face and a pig brain.
Truly complementary.
"Get lost."
Valkar's voice boomed with fury.
His thoughts were already a mess, torn apart by the rejection from the female he loved. And now, this vile, ugly female dared approach him?
"Lord Valckr, I—"
Rova began to scold the man, demanding to know why he was being so rude, but he stopped mid-sentence.
It happened the moment his eyes finally moved toward Valkar... only to land instead on the delicate, beautiful figure lying on the clinic bed.
That slender body.
Those soft, light-brown eyes framed by long lashes.
That pale skin.
That long, silky black hair...
[Damn it. Is that... a female? How can someone look like that?]
Rova fell completely silent.
Not because he had nothing to say—but because his tongue refused to move.
His mind was racing with questions and words, but he stood frozen, staring blankly at Mo Chen.
[Again. Again, you attract all the attention.
Again, you enchant everyone, make them love you.
Will you attract suitors everywhere you go?]
[No. No, I won't allow it. You belong to me—only me].
Even though he knew Rova was a Female, Valkar didn't like the way he was looking at Mo Chen.
The dragon's possessive instincts stirred once more.
This time, Valkar didn't allow Mo Chen to leave. Not when he heard the magician Bal's pleas, not when he saw the fear in Mo Chen's eyes—and certainly not when he felt the boy struggling against him.
Valkar lifted Mo Chen effortlessly, cradling him with one arm as he headed out. No—he didn't walk. His long, thick purple tail slithered smoothly across the floor, carrying him forward with unsettling ease.
"No! No! Let me go! I said let me go!" Mo Chen squirmed, kicking and pushing against him. But with strength equivalent to that of a chicken, it was clear he was no match for the serpent man—or rather, the dragon-like being that now held him.
Just as Mo Chen was on the verge of crying in despair, his eyes caught sight of something near the wall: a single roller skate.
"My skate! My skate! Stop, I want my skate! My skate...!"
Perhaps it was the urgency in Mo Chen's voice, or perhaps Valkar felt his ears were about to burst from all the shouting, but at last, he gave in—partially. Without halting his slithering pace, Valkar reached out with the tip of his tail and picked up the roller skate before gliding out.
Mo Chen, who had silently witnessed the entire maneuver, could only stare.
Mo Chen: "…"
Can tails really be used like that too...?
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Author's Note – Irato-san has something to say:
Valkar: "Oh, tails can be used for many things, in many situations. Come here, my wife, I'll show you."
Mo Chen fled at lightning speed—if not for his life, then certainly for the sake of his poor little chrysanthemum.
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