Noah felt herself being held, carried carefully. The sensation was unfamiliar.
Is it Dad...?
No, that didn't seem right.
There was a faint, unfamiliar fragrance clinging to this person—a scent of clean linen and something else she couldn't place.
Is it Mom?
That didn't feel right either. Her mother's embrace was soft, warm, and deeply comforting. This person's hold was secure but different, lacking that specific maternal tenderness.
Who is it...
Noah tried to open her eyes to see, but her body felt like lead, every ounce of strength utterly drained.
Luckily, she didn't sense any malice from the person carrying her. Perhaps a teacher from the academy had finally arrived to rescue them?
In her groggy state, she caught snippets of a conversation nearby.
"We can't rush straight in. The place is crawling with dragons up ahead." It was a girl's voice, youthful and clear, but laced with caution.
"Alright, there's a stone cave ahead. Let's bring the two of them there for now," came the reply from a young man.
"Got it."
Noah's mind, even in its exhaustion, latched onto the girl's words.
'Crawling with dragons'?
Why did she use that tone to refer to their own kind? In this perilous situation with the hammer-wielding monster, wouldn't they want help from other dragons?
Or perhaps...
Before she could follow that thought, a sharp buzzing filled her head, and she slipped back into unconsciousness.
.
.
.
When Noah awoke again, she felt a little clearer, though still profoundly weak. She opened her eyes slowly, finding herself in a secluded, damp stone cave. In the distance, she could hear the distinct sounds of thunder and enraged dragon roars echoing through the forest.
After a brief moment of disorientation, a small, tired smile of profound relief touched Noah's lips.
"Dad is here."
She didn't know why he had appeared in this exact place, but he always had a knack for arriving at the most critical, dangerous moments. It had practically become his signature.
"Oh-hoho~! The captain's little dragon girl is even cuter than in the photos! Poke poke! Ooh, so soft!"
In her half-awake state, Noah felt a gentle finger lightly prod her cheek. The touch was curious and playful, devoid of any harm.
"So cute! Let me poke her again!"
Why are you calling me cute... Noah wanted to protest, but her body refused to obey, leaving her completely at the mercy of this stranger. Even the Ancestor in her mind was silent. Was she dormant? (Noah hoped so).
With no strength to resist, she could only endure the mischievous poking.
"Rebecca, be careful. Don't wake her up."
"She's sleeping like a rock. I just want to touch her tail!"
Noah: ?
Oh no. It seemed she'd been found by some very strange people.
If given the choice, she'd rather fight the Dragon King for another three hundred rounds than be treated like a novelty pet.
But in her current state, there was nothing to do but endure her fate silently.
Moments later, she felt a cautious, gentle touch at the very tip of her silver tail.
She clenched her tiny fists under her cloak but made no sound. Who knew what these two would do if they realized she was awake?
Fine. Let them touch the tail. She would endure it!
Strangely, the sensation wasn't entirely unpleasant. In fact, the girl's careful, almost reverent touch was much softer than the times she and Muen had playfully—and far less gently—tugged on each other's tails.
"Ahhh, I want to kiss her. Her soft cheeks must feel amazing."
"Why don't you just take her home for the captain to raise?"
"Martin, no comments from the peanut gallery."
"I don't care! I'm kissing her."
Perhaps it was the dragon girl's otherworldly charm or the allure of her delicate, peacefully sleeping features, but Rebecca found herself utterly captivated. Unable to resist any longer, she leaned down and planted a soft, quick kiss on Noah's cheek.
Help! Some lunatic is treating me like a doll! Get her off me! Noah screamed internally.
"Rebecca, that's enough. Come help me keep watch. I can't cover the whole perimeter by myself."
Reluctantly, Rebecca tore herself away from Noah, running to the cave entrance to stand guard with Martin.
Finally, peace. Noah could now properly process what the girl—Rebecca—had said earlier.
She had mentioned the "captain's little dragon girl."
Could that captain be... Dad?
Her mom had once mentioned he was the last survivor of a disbanded human unit.
And based on their fascination with her tail and dragon features, it seemed these people weren't accustomed to being around dragons, especially not young ones. That would explain the intense curiosity.
A faint scent lingered in the air around where Rebecca had been—the smell of gunpowder.
It wasn't the overwhelming stench of explosives, but a subtle, clean trace, the kind that clung to... bullets?
Dragons didn't use firearms. Weapons like that were tools of other cultures, the kind used in carnival games in places like Sky City.
But Noah remembered her lessons. On Samuel Continent, there were races who, lacking inherent magical power, developed and relied heavily on tools and firearms to compensate.
If the scent was strong enough to cling to a person, it suggested regular, intimate use—likely tied to artillery or advanced firearms.
"Gunners..."
Noah recalled the section in her textbooks about this unique profession.
Like mages with their specialized branches, gunners were a distinct faction formed by those who mastered tool-based combat.
And among all the races, only one trained gunners in a formal, systematic way: Humans.
With that clue, combined with Rebecca's earlier comment about "dragons up ahead," the pieces began clicking into place in Noah's sharp mind.
If the "captain" was indeed her father, and these were his human comrades...
Memories and details assembled like a puzzle, forming a clear, undeniable picture.
"So that's it... Dad."
"Mm..."
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft groan beside her.
"Noah? Where are we?" Helena's voice was weak, thick with confusion.
"We're..."
"There's movement outside. Rebecca, we need to go. Now." Martin's voice was urgent from the cave entrance.
"Who's there? The people at the cave—why haven't they—ah!"
Helena's sentence was cut short as her vision swam. Within seconds, overwhelmed by weakness and shock, she fainted once more.
Noah gently shifted, letting Helena's head rest comfortably against her shoulder.
"Sorry, Helena. Just rest a little longer."
With that, Noah closed her eyes again, feigning sleep.
"Wait! Before we leave, let me kiss the little dragon girl one more time!"
"Absolutely not. We're leaving now."
In a swift motion, Martin hoisted a protesting Rebecca over his shoulder.
She kicked her legs in the air like a disgruntled fish.
"Little dragon girl~! I haven't kissed you enough! When you grow up, come find me—I'll be your super cool godmother!"
Noah thought to herself, with a mental sigh: Adults can be so very, very strange.
.
.
Shortly after Rebecca and Martin's departure, Noah heard new voices approaching the cave outside.
"Professor, over here! I heard noises coming from this direction!"
"Quiet, everyone! Proceed with caution!"
It was Kristina's voice.
Noah remembered her—before venturing deeper, Helena had shared a clue about a dangerous creature with Kristina and her partner.
"Noah! Helena! Where are you?"
"Helena!"
"Noah!"
Their professor and classmates were calling out, their voices laced with worry.
Moments later, a shout of joy and relief echoed into the cave.
"Look! Over here! They're here! They're safe!"