A few days had passed since that strange encounter, and Saphru was genuinely troubled.
Reika had suddenly stopped talking to him altogether. Saphru was a boy who simply couldn’t quite think things through from another person’s perspective. Even when they faced each other, he would freeze up; unable to utter a single word, Reika would turn her back and run away at full speed, leaving Saphru nothing but shock. He had no idea what caused it all. It felt like he’d taken advantage of Reika on a whim, and now she was too embarrassed and scared to face him after he calmly pressed the issue—but Saphru couldn’t imagine any such human feelings at all. Yet there was no one he could confide in. There was absolutely no close friend he thought would be okay with hearing about his nakedness with Reika in such raw detail. Inside Saphru himself, he still hadn’t been able to make sense of what that encounter had actually meant. He’d started thinking it might take time for things to resolve themselves.
That is, until—
“Saphru… I said,” someone called out.
“Huh? Wha—?! Oh crap!”
One day, as Saphru wandered aimlessly outside town with nowhere else to go and no private joy to escape into, Reika finally cornered him again instead of letting him flee, and the person who approached him spoke up.
When Saphru turned around dazedly, he saw a massive pair of breasts and vulva right in front of his face. Saphru stood only about 130 centimeters tall, so when a tall, fully naked woman appeared close by, her body blocked his view of her head entirely; all he could see was down below.
She was completely naked.
“N-N-No… w-what the hell?!”
“What are you panicking about? Something bothering you?”
Saphru took a few steps back, got tangled in her legs, and fell backward until his head hit the ground hard—but since he’s a dragon, it didn’t hurt him at all. When he stood back up, he realized the naked woman was Airi, a blue dragon.
“N-No, what are you doing so naked?! This isn’t a bathhouse, and it’s broad daylight!”
“Hmm. So nighttime is better? …You know, when it’s dark at night, people and elves alike can barely see through it. That would actually be quite nice.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
“I wasn’t asking whether it was right or wrong for me to be naked,” she replied calmly.
“That’s not what I meant… well, kind of! But anyway, what the actual fuck is going on?!”
Saphru pointed wildly at Airi while utterly confused.
Airi looked down at him without changing her expression a bit, proudly exposing her soft-looking enormous tits to the summer sunlight, which were slightly drooping. Even though she wasn’t wearing a single sandal, her feet showed no sign of dirt—perhaps it was one of the mysteries of dragon skin.
“As for us, our clan traditionally doesn’t wear clothes inside the palace. We do put on bracelets, anklets, necklaces, or other ornaments during ceremonies, but in principle—”
“Well damn, you’re definitely someone from Andy’s group, right?! Didn’t Andy tell everyone to wear clothes when walking outside?!”
”…Let’s just say I completely forgot. It’s quite a bother. See, I seem rough on the surface, so if I make any sudden movements, my outfit tears right off. If I leave it undone, people get worried; and fixing it takes manpower, which is unbearable.”
“I get that,” Saphru muttered honestly.
He too found his pants crotch or shirt armpits ripping whenever he moved seriously. Also, when using fire spells derived from his breath, if he didn’t pay attention to the scale of the blast, his clothes would catch fire and fall apart into tatters.
With current sewing technology, clothing strong enough to withstand a dragon’s full-force movements is extremely rare. It’s less about foundational technical skill and more about whether you can find needles or fabrics that suit well enough. Even durable Northern Elf-made garments, which are tough yet flexible, become dangerous if worn while moving freely without restraint.
In that regard, the ace-level daughters around Andy carefully restricted their joint movements even during situations requiring sudden actions, trying not to strain their clothes unnecessarily.
It would be considered normal behavior for human women, but for dragons—whose strength and flexibility originally far exceed common sense—the need to alter their movements just to avoid damaging clothes was an incredibly frustrating burden.
Besides all that, this wasn’t really about whether being naked was acceptable or not.
“Anyway, damn it, put something on! This is weird!”
“You’re overreacting, boy. Just looking at a woman’s body shouldn’t cause such reactions. Older women like me are fine, but younger girls would be hurt if they’re unfairly shouted at for exposing their skin.”
“Why the hell?!”
“If you react as though what you’re seeing is dirty, you’ll probably think your nakedness makes the other person uncomfortable.”
”…So… that’s true?”
“There are certainly such people. Look at the men of this town; no one reacts with any pretense when seeing a woman’s naked body. Even that old shoemaker knelt in prayer, trembling and acting as if he were grateful.”
“Hmm, but isn’t it odd that their self-esteem gets satisfied by that?”
Safuru thought to himself. He wasn’t familiar with human emotions, but he had at least some common sense.
No… wait. Safuru pondered this. Was there perhaps something wrong with his own attitude? Had the way things changed between him and Rika started from his behavior?
”…Hey, uh, listen to me for a sec…”
Safuru spoke in a hushed tone, averting his gaze from Aerli.
“Uh… let’s say, hypothetically… if you got close enough with a girl that you could have some smutty time together, and then suddenly she started avoiding you… would that be because of something like… giving her some weird stimulation?”
“It is hardly my place to offer advice on matters such as this.”
Aerli said sternly, crossing her arms. The gesture lifted her breasts, emphasizing their presence.
Safuru bristled at such an attitude, “Is that what you think of me?!”, but when he looked directly at them, his momentum vanished, and he turned away again. He couldn’t bear to stare; while he was certainly interested…
Aerli knew the correct answer even to vague questions that lacked a clear direction.
She had heard everything. Of course, she understood how far Safuru and Rika had gone with each other.
Furthermore, though she, as a dragon, lacked some human notions of modesty regarding Rika’s psychological state, her intelligence was still high enough to comprehend it within normal parameters.
However, even if she knew the correct answer, it wasn’t so presumptuous to step in and resolve their confusion for them on their own.
This struggle with doubt and misunderstanding, along with the process of seeking truth out of consideration for one another, felt like torture to those involved. Yet, one could not simply throw in the solution from the outside and move the conversation forward.
If both parties neglected the effort to connect their hearts, things might seem okay in the moment, but their actual relationship would never truly mature.
…Such feelings of consideration, when applied to Safuru, often came across as sarcastic or disdainful—traits inherent to dragons.
“I suspected you were about to say something like that. …And it didn’t pay off.”
“Get a grip, boy. …If you wish to build a good relationship with the other party, you must find the solution yourself. You cannot rely on others’ help. There is an answer unique to you and an answer unique to them.”
”…You know what I’m talking about but are just pretending otherwise. I hate that side of dragons here.”
“It is true that we have provided more than what Lady Maya requested from this town, yet that is unrelated to the matter at hand. You are a dragon as well. This isn’t about the relationship between dragons and humans; it concerns the dynamic between an older woman and a young man who has just begun falling in love.”
“Not just about me, you know. If I got more involved, Andy would probably be happy too.”
“Probably true. But we must maintain our distance. To prevent misunderstandings… The weight of relying on dragon power, as well as how to receive it, is known only by Lady Maya. Others should not touch upon this lightly. Should the people of this town, thinking they can utilize our strength, plot against the Northern Legion or the Trot Kingdom?”
“They can just stop asking for help then.”
“Even if we withdraw, the conflict they expected from us will remain. People will die either way—merely because we are here. …Do you still think that is acceptable?”
“There’s no need to choose such a stupid option…”
“Humans are connected to one another. As time passes, some will become allies of others, and eventually enemies. If one attempts to manipulate these human bonds for the sake of power by predicting what comes next, that is the corruption of strength.”
”…You’re just using complicated talk to escape from matters of the heart.”
“It may seem too difficult for you, a child… But I am not in the attitude of listening for answers from people. You must think it through yourself.”
“Aww…”
Aerli did not understand Safuru’s childish trickery: muddling together the ethics of dragons and his personal relationship with Rika, hoping to somehow draw out some concession.
“If there is one thing I can teach you, it is that it is not me who is running away. It is you and her.”
Shaking her massive bare buttocks, Aerli swept away.
Safuru watched her leave, chewing over the meaning… only to suddenly react once her skin tone faded from his vision.
“W-well, what does THAT mean!”
Aerli raised a hand but offered no further reply.
Near the town, an odd duo of ogres and humans shouted something like “May we have your attention?” to Aerli, which Safuru heard. But he had lost interest in anything beyond that and cut off his senses’ focus.
What did she mean?
Safuru sank into a swamp of contemplation.
The next day.
In the end, Saphur couldn’t quite make head or tail of it; twisting his neck in frustration, he continued to wander the outskirts of town as usual. It was rather belated to ask why he stuck to the edges, but simply being inside the town meant getting dragged into games by street kids with bodies just like his, or having himself play with young girl-kin from the cat-beast clans. Even though Saphur kept insisting he was past forty, no one would have any of it. Physically, he’d have more than enough stamina to keep up with them regardless, but he wasn’t in any mood for play right now. There was a serious problem demanding his attention. …Without even noticing, Saphur’s attitude was only making Rika feel ever more keenly about what she’d done. If Saphur had just moved on immediately to playing with other kids and forgotten it all, perhaps Rika could have pretended to forget too and let the matter slide. But dragging that single moment around for so many days made it impossible for her to know how to play off such things naturally anymore.
“No… Damn it, I don’t get it at all…” And then, even as Saphur tried desperately to imagine what might be going on, he had absolutely no material to deduce a woman’s heart from, so no matter how much he thought, all that came to mind was just Rika’s face. He couldn’t figure out a single reason why she’d made that expression. To start with, there was no clue whatsoever as to why she suddenly decided to do something so erotic with him. It was plainly a waste of time, but since he’d been told to think about it himself, Saphur did just that. Even though he was highly intelligent, his roots were still childish.
Just then, passing by, was Baron Duran Goot of the Porka clan, clutching a tub, soap, and a washcloth in hand, smartly dressed in noble attire and a mantle despite the summer heat.
“What’s up with you, lad… no wait, you’re a dragon, right?”
“Are you… the Baron?”
“That I am. Though for a dragon, it’s probably just one of your names. Hahahaha.”
”…Just leave me alone. I’ve got a difficult problem to think about.”
“Oh? A difficult one. If a dragon is taking on a challenge, it must be something truly daunting.”
“Well… maybe not that severe… but someone told me I had to figure it out on my own.”
“Hmph. But what’s the point of wandering around here twisting your neck? Maybe you should think while soaking in a bath.”
”…Won’t help much, will it?”
“Not at all. It will.”
The Baron stated it firmly.
“Most problems get stuck because our values harden into place. Once we receive some new stimulation and reconsider from scratch, we often find ourselves thinking, ‘So that was the whole issue.’ And above all…”
“Above all what?”
“Have courage, lad. You’re still a child. Children are permitted to take on any challenge.”
The Baron reached out his hand powerfully toward the young dragon.
And then.
”…Wait a damn minute!?”
“Then do me the pleasure, ladies.”
The Baron, holding the bath set, gave an elegant bow to the Porka matrons and led Saphur into the women’s bath.
“What in the world are you doing!?”
”…Bringing courage and luck.”
The Baron muttered with a radiant smile and headed off toward the men’s bath. That muttered remark was meant only for the dragon, Saphur.
“The Baron himself coming down uninvited to the ladies’ bath is quite troublesome, really. But I do think it’s improper to ask His Excellency to wash a mere child.”
“I’ll make sure to give you a proper cleaning today, you old ladies.”
“E-eh? Yes…?”
Still dragging Saphur with him, the Baron marched straight up to the entrance of the women’s bath and turned to the city matrons he’d just encountered, saying with that same brilliant smile, “Seems he hails from a culture with little experience in bathing, so he doesn’t quite know how to wash his body properly. Could you all kindly give him a thorough lesson in proper bathing?”
Indeed, Saphur’s human town of birth and the dragon palace where he’d lived were both part of water-splash cultures; it was common for one to shed some dirt but climb back out before their bodies cooled down.
As for the matrons who had cornered Saphur and brought him into the undressing room of the women’s bath—though they called themselves “old ladies,” in Porka terms, they were actually around thirty, relatively young members of the clan with children Saphur’s age. While certainly not at an age to make flowers shy with their beauty, thanks to the rejuvenating effects of the sacred spring water, they looked no older than twenty to the casual eye. So, though they had fully developed limbs sufficient to harden even a lad like Saphur’s slender bit of junk, they proceeded to strip off their clothes right before him in short order. This was quite embarrassing. As usual, Saphur tried to look away, but no matter where his gaze shifted, he’d end up seeing perfectly smooth, unblemished ass cheeks, which only made it worse. There were three of the matrons. “Hey, kid. Since I’m going to wash you, why don’t you take your clothes off?”
“Eh, I-I don’t know… maybe it’s not such a good idea after all.”
“If you’ve come to Polka and still don’t even know how to bathe in the hot springs, you’re in the wrong place. There isn’t any other place worth visiting anyway.”
“I-I can join if I want to, but… um, I’d rather take the men’s bath…”
“There’s no need for boys to be so bashful. Don’t worry, we’re all mothers with sons, so we’re already quite used to seeing penises.”
The ladies each had their own pair of ample mounds, yet in the end, they all displayed their pretty breasts casually as if it were common sense, collectively stripping Saphil down until he was completely naked. Then, after looking at his erected penis, they exchanged glances awkwardly before whispering among themselves.
“Cute, isn’t she?”
“Are aunty’s still up to something like this?”
“You know that’s not you, right? You’ve got the least amount of breast tissue by far.”
“Don’t say that! You should praise my figure. And as for that ass, I won’t lose to anyone.”
Despite laughing lightly, Saphil instinctively tried to hide his body from their gaze. Or rather, they didn’t even bother hiding themselves; instead, one struck a playful pose and asked with a grin, “How’s this?” Saphil felt his face burning as he thought: I thought Trot people were more reserved about such things… but maybe that’s not true? Still, these weren’t some perverted creeps actively trying to harass him. There was no way they’d be scolding him every time a child’s little erection got hard out of nowhere.
In the end, Saphil was undressed by them and dragged into the bathing area. First up: a lesson on how to wash properly.
“Before getting into the water, rinse your body off first. Try to remove all dirt beforehand. Since this is an open-flow system, even if the water gets a bit dirty, it’ll be washed away quickly anyway… but still, as proper manners go—”
“Yes! Make sure to scrub thoroughly where grime tends to accumulate. The back of your ears tend to hold quite a lot.”
“Shall I wash your head for you? Is using soap bubbles a first time experience for you? …Oh my, you really like looking at those breasts, huh? You’re full of energy!”
“W-wait, d-don’t look like that!”
“Tie it down, tie it down.”
One of the ladies stretched out her hands directly toward Saphil’s face to wash his hair. There was no way anything else could be more cruel than having to avoid watching her breasts swaying back and forth as she moved her upper body forward.
Just then, another group entered the women’s bath area.
“Oh—there’s a boy here!”
“Oh, look at those little kittens. Count Noblesse asked me to teach them how to wash their bodies.”
“Can I get washed too?”
“You’re allowed, aren’t you? Since we’re here anyway, let’s give them a thorough cleaning from between their fingers all the way down to their butt holes!”
“E-what?! Even… even the butt holes?!”
“Just kidding! Open your eyes wide now—”
Soon, not only was Saphil being washed, but even the cat girls were helping out.
“Wait wait, hold on! I’m male here… why do everyone approach me so casually while naked like this?”
“I know, relax a bit already. With a tiny little penis like your index finger, who’d dare mock you?”
“B-but my pinky’s about that size at least! That’s beyond reasonable!”
“Let me get washed too! My colony doesn’t have any boys here, so I’m curious!”
“I want to join too! Oh, yours are way smaller than the master’s ones.”
One by one, the cat girls approached Saphil, though it wasn’t exactly them washing him anymore—they were treating him more like a toy.
And then, just there—
“Hmm, it seems quite lively around here…” came a voice.
“Ahh!”
As Saphil stood with his soap suds dripping down and lifted his head, he found Lica standing completely naked before him.
……Silence filled the air.
(TBC)