The Mission

The dragonkin child was a vessel.

Imbued with magic to act as a medium for communicating with the benefactor from a safe distance. Through it, information can be traded to and fro safely.

The misdeeds of the benefactor’s allies were shared.

The benefactor was confirmed to be a part of the Hero Knight’s party, and just as was written in the Giora ruins dungeon, the party has gone awry.

Their story was true. They defeated the Demon Lord and brought an era of peace to Taelesta, but they became tyrants. Their leader, Kouki, went power hungry. He believed his accomplishments were enough for the Kingdom of Taelesta to worship him.

He got his wish. People adored him, statues were raised of him and his party, but it wasn’t enough…

He killed the king.

Nobody knew the truth about King Daiki Nakamura's death, and neither bothered to figure out why. After the queen fled for her life, Kouki usurped the throne.

Those with a slight inkling of King Nakamura’s death were removed. In fact, anyone who threatened his rule was removed.

Kouki’s allies were all reincarnated into this world, and they were to be the only reincarnated allowed to live. Kouki hunted down and killed every adventurer who showed hints of being a reincarnated.

Growing too quickly and developing abnormal skills, anything noteworthy was documented. The reincarnated were the only ones who could match Kouki’s strength at max level, so he eliminated them.

The benefactor had had enough of lying to the people he swore to protect, so he created the Giora Ruins Dungeon with his magic to find allies to aid him in stopping Kouki’s evil deeds.

Kaito’s party is those said allies, and stopping the Hero Knight, Kouki, is now their grand mission.

Oh, and one last thing…

The benefactor and traitor of the Hero Knight’s party is Shen.

*            *            *

“Shen?” Kaito questioned. “Do we know a Shen?”

“I don’t remember meeting a Shen when we were trapped at the prison,” Khrom added.

“Prison!?” Iori said, alarmed.

“Ah, yes,” Shen, talking through Fiona, responded. “You all did well in obtaining the forest relic and stealing the other relic from us when we had you captive. I hope to hear you have been keeping those relics safe.”

Kaito flinched upon hearing this. Khrom sighed with a smile, while Evona covered her mouth as she started laughing.

Shen heard the laughs. “Did something happen to the relics?”

Khrom explained what happened with the Demon Cult and how Kaito used the relic to wish Iori into existence.

“Oh… I see… I suppose you had no choice.” Shen was flabbergasted. “Well, at least the Demon Lord wasn’t revived.”

“S-so what’s our next job in stopping Kouki?” Kaito asked to change the topic.

“Oh, right! I want you to—” something prompted Shen to stop mid-sentence. “This is going to have to wait. I hear someone approaching my room. For now, take care of the dragon child. I’ll call back at another time for further instructions.”

Shen ‘hung up’, causing Fiona’s eyes to stop glowing. She slowly floated to the ground and stared at the group adorably as if nothing had happened.

Kaito crouched down and squished Fiona’s cheeks. “Time for Papa to take care of you, then.”

Fiona smiled.

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Kaito cared for Fiona at the farm stable, where he still slept, which was nice and remote. He regained custody of Fiona after she hatched from the egg, partially because Fiona really disliked Rachael.

Alisha, the lady in charge of the farm Kaito stayed at, eventually learned of Fiona, but she didn’t tell anyone about her. Instead, Alisha helped Kaito raise Fiona, providing enough meat to satisfy Fiona’s well-apparent, large stomach.

She ate A LOT.

“A growing child needs their food, I guess,” is what Kaito thought out loud about her appetite.

“If you feed her too much, she’ll get fat!” Iori proclaimed.

Iori also helped raise Fiona. She would visit the stable daily to check up on her and Kaito. However, to Kaito, the pace of Fiona's growth felt more like months.

Alisha told them how dragonkin grow out of infancy much faster than other races. In about two weeks, she was already the size of a seven-year-old and running about the farm. She could even produce small wings now! She would often mimic Iori’s floating when using them.

“They grow up so fast,” Kaito admired Fiona flying around the open farm land.

“You’re really getting into this father role,” Iori joked with Kaito as she sat on a fence beside him.

“Mama, Papa, look at me!!!” Fiona yelled from the fields.

Iori blushed. Even though Fiona’s been calling them that for a while now, she still hasn’t gotten used to it. It was as if the three were a family.

“How could I not act as her father when she calls me that?” Kaito declared.

Kaito ran out into the fields to join Fiona in her playing. Fiona noticed Kaito’s approach and abruptly turned in his direction. She flew past Kaito and into the air, creating a large shockwave.

Unknowingly, Fiona frightened one of the farm animals in the field. It was a cow-like creature with a large stone mohawk. In fear, the mohawk cow ran directly at Kaito. Kaito didn’t notice as he looked at Fiona flying in the air.

“KAITO LOOK OUT!!!” Iori yelled, seeing the cow’s approach.

Alarmed by Iori’s yelling, Fiona noticed the rampant cow and flew down to aid Kaito, who had yet to see the danger.

Suddenly, Fiona full-out transformed. She became a small, skinny dragon with white scales and sky blue accents.

The transformed Fiona swooped down and snatched up the mohawk cow in her mouth before Kaito was hit. Fiona gobbled up the cow as its ‘punishment’ for endangering Kaito.

“Oh, jeez,” Alisha witnessed the event unfold from afar. “Kaito, you’re paying for a new Hawkcow!” she jokingly yelled out.

Kaito stood in awe at Fiona’s transformation.

“Are you okay?” Iori asked as she was now next to Kaito, scouring his body for injuries.

“She’s beautiful…” Kaito said quietly.

“What?” Iori didn’t fully hear Kaito.

“FIONA TRANSFORMED INTO A DRAGON!!!” Kaito yelled in Iori’s face. “We have to tell the others! Come on, Fiona!”

Kaito ran off with Fiona as Iori remained floating in place, beet red. Kaito got way too close to her face, and she wasn’t ready.

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Kaito, the untransformed Fiona, and the now mentally recovered Iori found Khrom, Evona, and Rachael conversing at a park in town.

“Hey guys! Get this!” Kaito yelled out to the group.

Before Kaito could bring up Fiona’s transformation, Khrom publicized their group's current concern.

“Oh, good timing, Kaito,” Khrom started. “We just got this letter… It’s from Rina.”

Kaito stopped in his tracks. They haven’t heard from Rina in about a month. He slowly walked up to Khrom to retrieve the letter.

Kaito opened the letter and skimmed through it. One phrase stood out.

Kaito read out loud. “I’m sorry, everyone. I won’t be adventuring with you all anymore, as I will be marrying Francis…”

“WHHAAAAAAAAATTTT!?!?”