Transported to a small village by mundane means, now I've engaged in a Q&A with the Demon Lord?!

Thankfully, my rest was a very peaceful one. Honestly, with how much information I've needed to process all at once, I really needed it.

Yet, as I stir awake, the first thing that I see is not Exgrave, nor even their bedroom. I'm still on the same pillow as before, yet now I'm in a straw hut in what appears to be some sort of cave. It's a very spacious cave, sprawling out into seemingly endless tunnels. But, a cave nonetheless.

I doubt that Exgrave was just trying to abandon me, given I'd said I wasn't opposed to their whole 'world domination' thing, so what's going on, here?

...I just noticed something.

There's a plush rabbit beside me. Ears red, body black; it appears to be hand made, and very well-loved on top of that. Who's is this?

I guess it's mine now.

...

It is very soft.

...

Compulsively, I feel the urge to bite on one of the ears.

Well, why not?

My eyes idly wander while I do so, trying to make out more details. Mixed between the browns and beiges of the hut and the grays and dark blues of the cave are small mingling dots of varying bright colors. Red, blue, green, yellow, all that and more in a rainbow of differing hues. I figure they're other life forms, but since I've just woken up I can't exactly tell of what species.

"Pento awake?" A small voice rings out inquisitively, before stepping into view.

Ah, kobolds. I see.

...Pento?

A lime-green kobold child approaches, crouching down to observe me. I stop teething on the plush to observe her in kind. She tilts her head, seemingly interested by my two-toned scales.

poke

poke poke

Hey, I get the curiosity and all, but it still feels weird to be poked at. Even if you're a kid, shouldn't your mother be telling you to not poke strangers?

I don't have the energy to resist; not that I would know how to do so without being mean to a child, given I still can't speak.

"You're weird."

Says the little girl poking me.

"Khil, be nice," an older voice gently chastises the girl. "That's our goddess you're calling weird."

Goddess...?

I don't know if I like the sound of that. I may be a dragon, but I'm nothing special. Dragons must be viewed in high reverence in this world, or something.

"Oh... goddess."

I don't think she actually knows what that word means.

The older kobold has red scales, and what appears to be a spear slung over her back,covered in fresh blood. Varying scars adorn her body, so I figure she must be an important member of... wherever I am. Some sort of huntress, at least.

The dead deer she's carrying alongside her seems to suggest as much.

"Here you go, goddess." She looks away more meekly, speaking to herself. "This is good, right? Never thought I would see a dragon in my lifespan..."

Well, don't mind if I do. I'm starving.

I'll spare you the bloody details, though. I never ate any raw meat in my past life of course, but in my new form I don't feel any revulsion towards the idea.

...

Part of that scares me, to be honest. It makes me feel like I'm going to lose my sense of self.

But for now I'd rather just focus on how nice my meal tastes. I'd rather leave existential dread in the last world, if I can help it.

Having gotten my fill, I'm already primed for another nap. The huntress lady sees this and, after wiping the blood off my face (as best she can, given on closer look she's also covered in blood herself) she ushers Khil off so I can sleep in peace.

After who knows how long, I wake up once again, this time with another plush beside me. Where are these coming from?

...Oh wait. That's not another plush. That's Exgrave.

...

They're soft like a plush, at least.

...

munch

"H-how dare you munch on my ear?!" I hear their voice ringing in my mind.

"Oh, sorry. Thought you were a plush doll."

"I'm insulted, Penelope-- to reduce the mighty Allogor von Exgrave to the level of a mere- wait." They stop in their tracks, looking at me with a surprising amount of dread.

"Did you... did you bite Rabby's ear too?"

I look at them incredulously. "That's your plush?"

Their visor furrows, as if to hide their true emotions.

"Of course. Did you think I was born without a soul? I had a childhood, too-- even if our circumstances were far different from each other."

"You know, fair." I mentally laugh it off.

"Anyway," I figure to ask. "Where are we, exactly?"

"Poi Village." Exdeath responds, tiredly curling into my body in a way not unlike a plush being cuddled into by their owner. ...I guess even demon lords need comfort, too. "A village of kobolds, of course; Not too far off from the castle. It was the best accommodations I could find for you given both my reputation and physical situation."

"I'm not complaining. I appreciate it, even." A shocking amount of consideration for someone who pulled me in by chance and wants me to take over the world for them.

My curiosity takes over. "How did you get me here, though?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes. An old friend of mine helped in that regard-- I am sure they will show up at some point. They're a busy sort."

"Right." I wonder what kinds of friends they would make. I'll have to see later, I guess.

"If any other questions linger within your mind right now, speak now or wait for another time." They say with a yawn.

"You have any idea why the kobolds think I'm a goddess?"

"From what I have gathered, within their folklore exists a two-toned dragon with scales not unlike your own."

"Huh. Are they a good dragon?"

"I had asked as such, though none seemed to have a conclusive answer. Some view you as a goddess, others simply as a mythological being."

"I suppose that it is up to you to decide, in any case." They added with a huff.

They're not wrong, I guess. I've got my whole life ahead of me. It feels as empowering as it does terrifying, really.

Besides that, I guess I've only got one more burning question.

"Suppose I were to follow along with the whole world domination thing. What's our plan, exactly?"

They look at me, seemingly taking in my expression for a moment, before closing their eyes once more.

"We build an army. Make a name for ourselves as a force for those society oppresses. Then..."

"We take out Brysen Powers."

"Brysen Powers?"

They sigh, pushing themselves in closer to me.

"The boy who took my life."

"Sorry."

"It is fine. I had always made plans to resurrect in the event I was defeated."

Still seems like a sore spot, though.

"His fellow man regards him fondly as a hero and a savior. Yet, to anyone who isn't human, he and his friends exist as figureheads for the status quo."

"Do we have to kill him?"

"Not necessarily. So long as we can convince the world that all races should be treated equally, it matters not how we depower Brysen. I am only singling out him and his friends as they directly benefit the wealthy fools who use oppression to maintain their influence."

"...And you're a villain, how?"

"I do not fit within the conventional norms of this world's societies. I chose to stand against those norms."

"We're kindred spirits, then."

"Oh?" Their ears perk.

"My world was full of injustice and inequality too. ...It was too much for me to handle." I tense up slightly, even after choosing my words carefully.

"I shall not push any further."

"What are we up against, when it comes to Brysen and his group?" I change the subject, not wanting to linger on my past.

"In what way?"

"Like, combat-wise, I guess. What do I need to look out for?"

"Ahh. Well, Brysen is a swordsman-- though his aptitude may need to be held in question. I had caught him trying to sneak spells in our last encounter, so we will need to keep that in mind."

"Then there is Toko, a feline dancer. Very fast on her feet, that one."

"A feline...?" Now my ears perk up.

"That is what I said, yes. Why? Are you into feline women?"

"No, I..." I sigh. "Go on."

"...Well, after that is Aria- an elven ranger. She has a fondness for laying traps- meaning you'll need to keep a close eye on your surroundings when we declare war on them."

"Noted."

"There is also-"

They're interrupted by a tall individual walking in- having to bend down a bit to fit within the hut. Long flowing hair, dark flowing robes, and no clear indications of gender; I'm guessing they're a human, but I'm not entirely sure.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Exgrave leaves my thoughts, opting to acknowledge the newcomer out loud. "Greetings, Elioxus."

"Devil?" They respond with a faux-incredulity. "Would that phrase not fit you more than me, Allogor?"

"Bah. You and I both know there's a difference between a devil and a demon."

"I know, I know; I'm merely speaking in jest." The two laugh it off.

Then, Elioxus looks towards me. "Hello there, Pento."

There's that name again. Yet this time, it's coming from an adult. What gives?

They crouch down, placing a hand to my forehead much like Exgrave did before.

"Where did this 'Pento' come from, exactly?" I ask, now that I can communicate with them.

"Forgive me," Elioxus says with a bit of an embarrassed smile, "but Penelope isn't exactly a dragon's name. I figured it would do better for your image. If you don't like it, you need not go by it."

Definitely a weird first impression to make, but I guess I can't be too mad. I'm a new person, so fitting in might do me some good.

"That makes sense, I guess."

"But yes, aside from that, I suppose I should introduce myself. You may refer to me as Elioxus Kindlemare, an old friend of Allogor." They curtsy.

"They were the one who helped carry you here." Exgrave adds.

"Though, I have to ask- why were you speaking of me? Not that I mind, of course."

"Penelope wished to know about your associates." Elioxus nods in acknowledgement.

Wait, 'associate'? Meaning...

"You're a friend of Brysen?" I ask.

Their smile fades, a dourness taking over.

"As Allogor said, an associate; nothing more." Their smile returns, possibly forced. "However long that lasts."

Exgrave trusts them, so I should too. But... they're still working with Brysen.

"We have had our differences in the past, but Elioxus here is one of my oldest, closest friends. They're on our side."

"On top of that, I've simply grown tired of Brysen. To put it bluntly, he's a bit of an immature kid. Bit tired of him constantly cracking jokes about my undergarments."

I figured as much-- or at least, that he'd be an annoying type in some way, if he's using magic to seem like a more skilled swordsman than he actually was.

"Undergarments?"

"He's a bit of a pervert. I'm not a sex-adversed individual, I can appreciate crass humor from time to time, but it can get repetitive after a while."

"Ah... I think I get it."

They curtsy again.

"They were the one who helped carry you here." Exgrave adds... again.

What's... happening?

"Though, I have to ask- why were you speaking of me? Not that I mind, of course."

Didn't this already happen?

Yeah, after this, Exgrave said something like...

"Penelope wished to know about your associates." I speak alongside them, causing them to trail off in confusion.

"How did you... how did you know what I was going to say?" They're taken off-guard.

"You said it before, didn't you?"

"Huh?" Even Elioxus seems confused.

"Yeah, because I was confused that we would be working with someone who themselves works with Brysen, and Elioxus said-" I recount the conversation up to this point. "-and then after talking about your undergarments we just... went back in time, or something like that."

The two sit in silence, unsure of what to say. I guess in their perspective, I just predicted an entire conversation, right down to the details.

Exgrave even steps away, looking unsurprisingly unnerved.

"...One moment."

Elioxus crouches down so that the two of them can touch foreheads together, presumably to talk things over in private.

I mean, I don't blame them. But couldn't they have just stepped aside and whispered to each other like normal people? It just looks weird like this, and I don't like the idea of them talking about me so close to me.

After a moment passes, Elioxus speaks up.

"Perhaps you have some latent powers of time travel, Pento. It would make sense, given your infant body, that you would not have full control over it. We'll just have to wait and see." They try to smile reassuringly, but it honestly just comes across as them being creeped out and uncomfortable.

"I should take my leave, though. I would not want Brysen to get suspicious, after all."

They curtsy once again, this time more self-consciously, before departing.

"...I require some rest, myself." Exgrave laments. "I suggest you do the same, if at all possible." They move back to cuddle into me, having seemingly moved on from the incident. Or, maybe they're trying to move on from the incident, given they're not pressing as snug into me as before.

...What in the hells was that all about?

...

...They're right, though. I do need some rest.

I close my eyes, trying to pretend none of that just happened.