As the sun gradually sank beneath the clouds, Shichen got dressed and recalled the familiar that had been flying around all afternoon back into his body.
"Come on back."
The giant, multicolored bird-beast was very obedient. Without complaint about having watched an afternoon's worth of "action scenes," it transformed into a mass of magic power and drilled into Shichen's body.
Shichen could clearly sense that inside his blood, it was as though some creature now resided.
At this moment, he truly became what he called the Fifth Primogenitor.
"Chen-dono…" Tohru rose from the cloud bed on her knees. She had been lying prone on it before.
Just now, Shichen finally realized his little wish of holding onto her tail.
He had to admit, Tohru's large, green tail was indeed thick and sturdy, and hugging it for certain moves felt great.
"Tohru, what is it?" Shichen eyed her with a satisfied smile.
Having reclaimed his dignity, he was now in an especially refreshed mood.
"Chen-dono… how did you get so powerful?" Tohru asked curiously.
"Didn't I say so before? I got stronger."
"When you said stronger, you meant this?" Tohru tilted her head.
"Ahem, well, not exactly that. It's only part of it."
"Oh… so that's how it is. Then next time, Chen-dono can take the initiative, right?" Tohru looked at him expectantly.
"Mm… this kind of thing depends on the mood. We can't just think about that all the time."
"But I'm really anxious to bear Chen-dono's child." Tohru stroked her fair, flat abdomen.
"…?" Shichen paused, then hurriedly asked, "Wait, can a dragon and a human even conceive?"
"I guess… it should be possible?" Tohru said uncertainly.
"…Never mind. Doesn't matter. You won't get pregnant for now, anyway."
Shichen let out a sigh of relief, thankful that just now he'd made certain preparations. He didn't really mind whether or not they had a child, but it was definitely too early.
"Huh?" Tohru stared blankly at Shichen. "Chen-dono, what do you mean?"
"It's just that I'm not ready to have a kid yet."
"Why…?" Tohru pouted.
"Don't you want to enjoy our two-person life a bit longer?" Shichen steered her attention away.
"Seems like that makes sense."
"Right? No need to rush on having children."
"All right, I'll listen to Chen-dono." Tohru smiled brightly again.
"Good girl. Now get dressed."
"Okay."
A glow shimmered over Tohru's body, and that familiar maid outfit appeared around her, enveloping her springtime charms. Even her previously loosened golden hair was now tied up.
How convenient indeed.
"We should go buy groceries," Shichen said, gazing at the evening sun in the distance, estimating the time.
It should still be a bit before Kasumigaoka Utaha finished school, so he could accompany Tohru to buy ingredients and see how the locals had been treating her.
Tohru also had no objections; she was quite happy that he wanted to come along.
The two left the clouds and shifted back to town via spatial magic—this time it was Shichen bringing Tohru back. Unfortunately, Tohru didn't show much interest; she didn't even ask him about it, so he couldn't very well brag about his abilities now.
On the way to the shopping district, Tohru clung tightly to Shichen, unwilling to release him.
He didn't mind. Her soft embrace on his arm felt great.
"Tohru, come to buy vegetables again?"
"Tohru, is that your boyfriend?"
"Tohru, fresh produce just in—want any? I'll give you a discount."
"Tohru, I've got freshly butchered beef—want some?"
Upon arriving at the commercial street, Tohru became a celebrity. Every vendor greeted her enthusiastically.
If they'd been young men, Shichen might have suspected they were trying to flatter her. But since they were all uncles and aunties, it made sense she'd earned goodwill from helping out.
Shichen just followed her lead. Tohru introduced him to the shopkeepers, and only then did people greet him.
He'd clearly come here before.
"Tohru, what's going on?" he asked quietly.
"I think it's because a while back I caught a thief, and then everyone got really friendly," Tohru explained.
"How'd you catch him?"
"Don't worry, Chen-dono, I didn't use magic. Just a bit of physical force."
"I see…"
It made sense—someone who can subdue a hated thief is bound to be popular among the shop owners.
"Chen-dono, is that all right?" Tohru asked worriedly.
"Of course. Even if you used magic, it would've been fine."
"But you told me not to reveal extraordinary powers."
"I did say that, but your freedom is more important. So long as you're happy. And if we're exposed, at worst we can leave."
"My freedom?" Tohru tilted her head, puzzled.
"I hope you can do as you like, live happily. If you're ever exposed, we can just leave."
"Chen-dono…" Tohru gazed at him, moved. She would have hugged him right then if not for her arms full of groceries.
Shichen smiled gently back.
They purchased many ingredients. Shichen never realized the café needed so much. Luckily Tohru was there.
He merely pretended to carry a few bags while storing most items back at the shop via spatial magic.
That was the correct way to use spatial magic.
Tohru noticed him doing so but didn't say much, making him itchy to flaunt his progress.
Soon they finished shopping. Shichen didn't head back with Tohru, instead parting ways and heading alone to Toyogasaki Private School.
He had decided to pick up Kasumigaoka Utaha after classes, wanting to surprise her.
Tohru had no desire to tag along. After a rapturous afternoon, she was very content.
Carrying only a couple of bags, Tohru strolled back in the direction of the café.
Yet, not long after leaving the shopping street, she suddenly sensed a spatial disturbance. She halted and looked up to see ripples in the air a few hundred meters off, like the surface of water.
Then, from that ripple, a white dragon—fair as a spirit, beautifully radiant—flew out.
It looked sacred, luminous, like an angelic presence.
Behind the white dragon, the ripple soon vanished as though it had never existed, if not for that white dragon's presence. Strangely, no one on the ground seemed to notice or even see the creature, as if they were blinded to it.
"That's…"
Tohru frowned hard, instantly recognizing the dragon—she'd met her before.
But that was impossible—how could she appear in this world?
There was no time to think. Tohru darted into an alley, cloaked herself in an invisibility spell, and transformed into her own draconic form, taking flight toward the sky.
Seeing Tohru, the white dragon hovering up high immediately took notice, excitedly flying toward her.
"Tohru-sama!"
"Kanna, what are you doing here?"
~~~
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