Abyssal Chronicles

"Meliora, are you... the Sacred Dragon Heart?"

Looking at the sad-looking little girl next to Yuan’er, Yumo shared her thoughts after a bit of thinking.

Yumo’s guess wasn’t baseless.

Everyone knows that the Dragon Heart, a treasure of the academy, is kept in the central forbidden palace. But now, inside the palace, they didn’t see this treasure. Instead, there’s a dragon girl mysteriously resting in the center?

Although the Dragon Heart is said to be a massive stone containing the power of the Dragon King, and Meliora is clearly a flesh-and-blood dragon girl, Yumo couldn’t help but connect the two.

After all, sacred objects taking on a form aren’t unheard of, like the elves’ Holy Sword, Eshufier.

Besides,

Isn’t she kind of like that too?

She can change from a big building into a girl. So, the Dragon Heart becoming a dragon girl? It seemed possible.

Thus,

Yumo’s gaze on Meliora became sharper, making the latter shiver. The tears she had held back seemed ready to flow again.

"Dragon Heart??"

Murmuring to herself, Yuan’er also looked at Meliora with curiosity. While she was happy to have a new friend, her main reason for coming here was to find the Dragon Heart.

If her new toy... I mean, friend, is the Dragon Heart, wouldn’t that be fun?

Then Mengxi would get the Dragon Heart, and she’d be with mom, and they’d all go back to the Winter Forest.

Then,

’Wouldn’t Meliora also go to the Winter Forest?’

’I will have a friend my age!’

Thinking this, Yuan’er’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

She couldn’t help but poke Meliora’s soft cheek:

"Meliora, Meliora, are you the Dragon Heart?"

"..."

Even though the question was innocent and just out of curiosity, to Meliora, it felt threatening. From the conversation between the mother and daughter, it was clear they were here for the Dragon Heart.

In Meliora’s eyes, Yumo was here to destroy the Dragon Heart, to end the battle from over 800 years ago.

’They’re here... to... to kill me!’

If they found out she was the Dragon Heart, she’d surely be in danger!

She concluded this in her anxious heart.

To survive,

She couldn’t let them know her true identity!

She had to hide her identity as the great leader of the dragon clan!

At this moment, to hide her identity, Meliora decided to act completely clueless, like an innocent little girl. To do this, she let go of her restraint and let her body’s instincts guide her actions.

Now, she wasn’t mighty Dragon King anymore, just a regular dragon girl...

To make her act more convincing, Meliora put her pride aside.

While she kept her head down, Meliora was frantically telling herself:

["I’m not... I mean... I’m not the Dragon King... I’m just a silly little girl... just a silly little girl... a silly, cute, harmless dragon girl who might cry at any moment..."]

...

...

"Huh?"

Noticing Meliora being quiet and looking down, Yuan’er, puzzled, playfully tapped Meliora’s cheek:

"Meliora, why’d you go silent?"

"Sorry..."

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re talking about? Dragon... Dragon Heart? What... what’s that?"

After her self-hypnosis, Meliora replied in a naive and innocent tone.

"Huh? Meliora, you don’t know what the Dragon Heart is? Even though you’re a dragon too."

"I’m clueless. What is it? Is it edible?"

"Jeez, Meliora, you’re such a goofball."

Yuan’er, hands on her hips, said, "You can’t eat the Dragon Heart! It’s super important!"

" Important?"

"Yeah, it’s like a big rock, kept in this off-limits place."

"Big rock? Off-limits?"

Meliora blinked her eyes cutely, pouted, and shook her head as if trying to remember something. After a moment, she seemed to have an ’aha’ moment:

"Oh! I think I know what you’re talking about!"

"Huh?! You do?"

"Yes! But... the big rock that was here has already been moved by the headmistress!"

"Huh? Moved? So, the Dragon Heart isn’t here??"

Hearing this, Yuan’er blinked in confusion, not quite believing her ears.

"But, isn’t this the school’s forbidden area? If the Dragon Heart isn’t here, where could it be?"

"Well... the headmistress said that this place... isn’t really forbidden anymore... it just pretends to be on the surface..."

"Huh?"

...

"Pretends to be? Meliora, what do you mean?"

Before Yuan’er could ask, Yumo leaned down and gently asked.

Meliora, looking a bit nervous, lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers:

"It’s... it’s... I don’t really understand... but... the headmistress said this place is just pretending to be off-limits... to confuse people... As for where that big rock you’re looking for is... I... I don’t know..."

Looking like she felt bad,

Meliora was sweating a lot, and she started speaking more softly.

"Oh? Is that the case?"

Yuan’er clapped her hands, sounding surprised:

"So, this isn’t a forbidden area, and the Dragon Heart isn’t here? That explains why there’s hardly any security outside, not even one guard... It all adds up now"

...

...

While Yuan’er was pondering, Yumo squinted her eyes, thoughtfully observing the very nervous dragon girl. She watched how she interacted with her daughter, noting the subtle changes in her facial expressions and sensing the shifts in her aura.

After observing for a while,

Yumo sighed with relief, "So... that’s how it is..."

After a brief sigh, Yumo didn’t say much and slowly stood up. The butterflies around her suddenly disintegrated, turning into energy that flowed into her. Then, with a mixed expression, she looked at her daughter:

"It seems I overthought things. Meliora isn’t the Dragon Heart. Plus, there’s no security nearby, so it’s safe. Yuan’er, if you want to play, stay here for a while. I need to handle some work now, so I’ll be leaving."

"Okay Mommy"

"Remember, don’t play too long. Be back in time for dinner, or Grandpa Sebastian will be upset."

"Got it, Mom!"

The pink-haired girl nodded obediently.

"Meliora, please get along with Yuan’er."

Yumo’s gaze shifted to Meliora, who quickly nodded in response.

After giving a few more instructions, Yumo turned and headed towards the palace’s main door, seemingly not wanting to disturb the two kids any longer.

...

...

However, as she reached the door, as if recalling something, Yumo playfully and affectionately looked back at her lovely daughter:

"Hey, Yuan’er?"

"Yeah, mom?"

"Do you like Meliora?"

"I do!"

Yuan’er didn’t think twice and hugged Meliora, who was a bit shorter. Meliora was surprised as Yuan’er happily rubbed their faces together:

"Of course I do! Meliora is so cute and funny... And she’s not like those creatures in the forest... Meliora is strong... and won’t break easily~ Hehe~"