Chapter 20: I Began Trading at the Age of Three

“Cyllene, what’s wrong?”

“I’m fine…”

Faced with Victoria’s inquiry, Cyllene merely lowered her head and replied sullenly.

“Oh, if something’s bothering you, just tell me. Later, I’ll take you to find some dragonfruit. Filling your belly will surely lift your spirits.”

Cyllene tilted her head in thought. It did seem true.

When her stomach was full, worries could be set aside for a while.

But when hungry, negativity and irritability crept in, and her mind would wander aimlessly.

Still, her current troubles weren’t due to hunger… at least, not yet.

“Thank you for comforting me, Victoria… I do feel a little… not exactly unhappy, but there’s a small fluttering in my heart.”

“A fluttering?”

“Well… you could say it’s the feelings of a young maiden, perhaps.”

Cyllene explained with some embarrassment.

“That sounds impressive.”

Victoria’s eyes sparkled like stars, clearly planning to claim the same excuse the next time she had troubles.

If Linden heard it, he’d surely find it grand as well.

“Victoria, by rights, this is where our paths should part. Linden broke my treasure, but you’ve helped me find a new one, so I don’t need to worry about offerings anymore.”

“But…”

The teal butterfly dragon began preening her feathers, while in her heart, she was building courage.

When embarrassed, whether dragon or human, one tends to busy oneself to avoid awkwardness.

She had hoped Victoria would press her further so she could continue speaking naturally.

But Victoria just stared at her with wide eyes, showing no hint of such awareness.

Resigned, Cyllene averted her gaze and murmured in a barely audible voice,

“But I don’t really want to part with you all so soon.”

Linden and Victoria’s constant bickering and friendly quarrels had shown her a different way of life.

So there were beings in this world who could be so joyfully carefree…

In her forest home, her kin spent their days either struggling to find treasures for offerings or flying about searching for next season’s bounty.

Everyone was always burdened by hardship, their cries nothing but complaints.

The once vibrant forest bore no joyful songs.

Without this chance encounter, she would likely have continued living the same weary, hopeless life as her kin.

I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the sun.

Cyllene couldn’t understand how these two could laugh so happily.

Did they not worry about offerings? Were they not afraid of the Red Dragon King? Did they not fear their bodies being torn to shreds by claws?

So many questions swirled in her mind, and this adventure was far from answering them.

She wanted to stay a while longer, to learn the dragons’ language Victoria spoke of.

Bridging the barrier of speech, to truly understand their thoughts.

Perhaps then, she too could grasp the secret of laughter.

Yet, seeing how close they were, she wondered if suggesting to join them might be inappropriate.

Her timid heart felt that saying she didn’t want to part was already a great stretch, and she was too shy to explain further.

But at that moment, the kind young dragon gently lifted her lowered head and said softly,

“Alright then, if you don’t want to part, stay with us.”

“B-but…”

Cyllene found it hard to meet those eyes as clear as the blue sky.

“You two look like companions who have traveled together a long time. Will my sudden joining be a bother?”

“How could it be! Linden and I only met yesterday.”

“Ah?!”

Cyllene exclaimed in disbelief.

“You can be so close after just meeting?”

“Of course! That just means we had the potential to be good friends from the start.”

Victoria proudly raised her head, eyes shining with pride.

“If you have to investigate someone’s personality, whether you get along, if their hobbies differ from yours, or if they like foods you dislike before becoming friends—well, then are they really good friends?”

“Many things are decided at first glance; the rest is just overthinking.”

“If your first impression is good, everything they do seems fine, and you feel you can play together.

On the contrary, if your first impression is poor, everything they do irritates you, and you look for reasons to quarrel. Even if you manage to become friends, if you fall out over some trivial matter later, you’ll feel your initial judgment was right.”

“Time deepens true friendship; playing together from day one to ten thousand and one days is never too much.”

“But if you force yourself to get along, the time just drags on unbearably.”

Watching Victoria speak so confidently, Cyllene’s eyes brimmed with envy.

Though Victoria was still a young dragon, and Cyllene, by age, was already an adult, she felt less worldly-wise in the ways of dragon life.

“Victoria, you know so much.”

“Hehe, naturally! I started traveling at three, gained some fame by five, and by eight was acknowledged by Grandfather Autaslav as the smartest and most clever little dragon, receiving the World Book.”

“To this day, I see myself as a genius young dragon. What I just told you comes from my experiences traveling. Good dragons don’t bully me because I’m young, and wicked dragons don’t give up their ill intentions just because I’m strong.”

“If at first glance you think you can cooperate and trade with someone, then even if the deal fails, there’s no danger to your life.”

“But if it’s a dragon you don’t want to trade with, just refuse outright!”

Victoria rambled on about her philosophy of success until she suddenly realized she had gone off topic.

She quickly steered the conversation back.

“Anyway, welcome to the team, Cyllene. I’ll teach you the dragon tongue for communication.”

“Thank you… Victoria.”

Cyllene felt a sting in her eyes.

Before, tears would only come when she was sad, quietly streaming in her nest.

But now, in this moment of happiness, where did this unexplained ache come from?

“All right, all right, no more crying.”

Victoria softly comforted the sorrowful young dragon before her.

“Since you’re joining us, I must share this good news with Linden.”

“Wait for me, okay?”

She glanced back; Linden was no longer where he had been, bent over cutting something in the grass.