金瓶梅第2部

After Princess Iyuri's brazen confession left her human tongue, she granted Tycondrius a full, radiant smile.

Tycon took a deep breath as he patted the young woman's head.

She was as tall as he was. He tried not to let the fact bother him.

"Iyuri... do you even know what that means?"

"Hold on!" She shouted, "I know this!"

Tycon slowly tilted his head... "Young lady, there is no need to raise your voice."

"Bloodline memories, activate!"

"...It's not a Skill," Tycon rested a fist against his hip, "You either know or you do not."

"H-hold on... It means..." Iyuri crossed her arms, squeezing her chest in... "It means that..."

"...Would you like some assistance?"

"No, I got this... just.... It means..."

Suddenly, the hatchling grinned, "It means we have to make a mutual contract. And then-- And THEN you'll be required by the Laws to hang out with me. Like-- all the time!"

Tycon nodded slowly... "If the feelings were mutual, that would be... more or less correct."

They were not.

"And we have to make babies!" Iyuri nodded to herself, quite proud.

"Right."

Iyuri grabbed onto Tycon's arms at the elbow, "Let's get married."

Tycon smiled politely as he brushed her small hands away, "I'm not currently seeking a romantic partner at this time. I would like to be friends, though, Princess Iyuri."

"Can we still make babies?"

"No."

"Aw?" Iyuri twisted her lips, pouting cutely. "Okay~"

Tycon was glad that the young Princess was not stronger than he was. If she was... the situation would have been far more dangerous and he'd have escaped in haste.

He mentally placed Iyuri in the same category as the Shadow Snake Princess, Suka. Suka was attracted to him for his merits and social position. Iyuri was attracted to him because he was the first handsome and intelligent gentleman to show interest in her.

Neither were meaningful reasons... and he would not betray the trust of either hatchling Princess by taking physical advantage of them.

"Tell me about your relationship with the Thorne villagers, little one."

"There's no one else I like in the village," Iyuri insisted. "It's only you, BA-by. C'mon, you's gotta buh-lieve me!"

"Why are you speaking like that?"

"Bloodline memories. Why? Is it no good?"

"Don't do it again."

"'Kay," Iyuri smiled with chagrin, "The villagers throw people into the cave rivers. The Dragon God told me to take them and draw out their soul essences."

Tycon turned back to Iyuri so quickly he felt his neck strain. He had just heard something... both unexpected and incredible.

He felt his breathing quicken and adrenaline begin coursing through his veins.

...He furrowed his brows... and narrowed his eyes to incredulous slits...

"T h e .  w h a t ? "

"The Dragon God," Iyuri tilted her head, "S-sorry, did I misspeak?"

Seeing the fool girl's innocent face made Tycon's frustration drain out with a long, exasperated sigh...

"No," He massaged the bridge of his nose... "Just... don't do that anymore."

"Speaking?"

"Doing as the lizard god says," Tycon grimaced.

"Um... Okay," Iyuri nodded slowly... "W... why not? Because humans deserve to live, too?"

"If they wander into your lair, it is permissible to do as you please," Tycon shrugged. "However, we-- our kin do *not* do favors for the lizard god."

Iyuri's eyes widened as if realizing something and she bobbed her head up and down, "Why... is that?"

Tycon thoughtfully chewed on a piece of jerky before swallowing... "A long time ago... we waged war upon the lizards. Since then, our bloodlines have instilled in us a hatred for their kind. Grant that the feeling is mutual."

"That doesn't sound like a very good reason."

"It..." Tycon paused... "Huh."

...The young Princess' words struck an obvious chord that Tycon had not stopped to consider.

It was... an absolute wonder.

He had no issues with persons belonging to other species. He worked with Titanbloods and humans and Iredar and even Gorgons. He was known to be inclusive and benevolent, consistently winning popularity contests for 'best War Prince' to work for... surpassing War Prince Dragan by a significant margin.

Yet it was only dragons that he insisted be forced into nonexistence.

His hatreds were certainly influenced by his bloodline and his upbringing... but it was similar to his distaste for elves, general distrust of humans, and his absolute distrust in the reliability of Gorgons.

Could he change? Could Tycon grow stronger by accepting the fact that the dragons could *possibly* be useful to him as allies?

...Would he?

No.

Tycon would purposely choose to remain bigoted and prejudiced. He'd rather hate and distrust the disgusting beasts unless proven otherwise. It would be foolish of him to risk offering peaceful intentions only to invite suspicion and an inevitable betrayal.

That was his choice to make.

Concerning the hatchling, however... he would not guide her as such. She was part of the next generation. Perhaps she would make the change for the better.

"It is not a good reason..." Tycon closed his eyes and sighed... "If anything, understand that the prejudice exists. However, you must remain vigilant, young Princess...

"Surely, there are goodly creatures amongst the lizards' flights..." He continued... "--but one who asks you to kidnap humans and twist them with magic against their wills is not one of them."

"Y-yeah. That... that makes sense," Iyuri folded her hands, far less confident than earlier. "The things I make with the dra-- no... the lizard magic makes them roam around and make my swamp dirty. But... but that's only because they don't have their hearts anymore!"

The young woman was being oddly protective of her corrupted humans.

Tycon narrowed his eyes, "And just *how* did the villagers convince you to do that?"

"I um... well... I wanted to stop... and... I let the last one go because she was protected-- She was a hatchling, so that's fine, right?"

"Yes, yes," Tycon waved. "I met the girl. Strange child. The topic, Iyuri."

"Um... err..." Iyuri fidgeted nervously... "The... the lizard god... he said--"

"The lizard god is *not* a good individual," Tycon scolded, unintentionally raising his voice.

Iyuri dropped to her knees and pressed her face against his waist, "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I won't do it again! Please don't be mad! I love you!?"

That was not appropriate.

Also, why did she form that last statement into a question?

"No, it's..." Tycon sighed again as he tried to pry Iyuri away... "It's... it's fine. Stop... crying, you."

Yet again, Tycon had demonstrated his aptitude at making women cry. It was not a trait he was fond of.

Her tears had soaked through the abdominal area of his recently dried shirt. It was cold and uncomfortable.

"You didn't know, Iyuri," He smoothed out the young Princess' black and blue hair... "Don't do such a thing again... or rather-- let's make it right."

Iyuri... in her peculiarly adult human form stepped back, wiping at her tears... "O-okay. No more twisting humans into evil, shadowy, bog creature versions of themselves with lizard magic."

Tycon very much wanted to scold her. It should have been quite obvious that the lizard gods' plans were... evil. Princess Iyuri might have been misguided, but she was clearly... not that.

She needed a better role model.

Considering that Krysaos would depose the sea god in the near future and Tycon and his allies had killed the snake god... it would be foolish to leave Iyuri on her own... to be plausibly influenced by a different, equally selfish and possibly treacherous god.

He planned to send her to Nyctis, the Shadow Snake Queen. Amongst his allies, her Reign was the closest to their location. Considering Iyuri's Metal-Rank and her uncommonly pure bloodline, the act might even earn him her favor.

Flicking his wrist to summon a clean handkerchief, Tycon dabbed at the young Princess' tear-stained face, "Is there anything else that accursed lizard god asked you to do?"

"I.. I won't listen to him, anymore," Iyuri nodded as she pumped her fists excitedly... "No more supplying their hatchery with soul essence to magnify the bloodlines in their eggs!"

What?

Tycon felt an oncoming headache as he tried to piece together Iyuri's actions and their widespread results.

The villagers... sacrificed some of their own... and blamed the hatred of the sea god.

The lizard god asked Iyuri... to take those sacrifices, take their hearts and soul essence... and use it to strengthen the villagers' brood.

"The... eggs, then?" Tycon nodded... "You're telling me... the lizard-blooded villagers have a hatchery?"

"Yup!"

...He'd incorrectly assumed that the villagers had live births. It shouldn't have been surprising, since having human-type forms did not correlate with methods of reproduction. While Medusae, Shadow Snakes, and Sea Serpents gave birth to live young, Yuan-Ti, Sahuagin-- and apparently the Thorne villagers laid eggs.

Iyuri bared her teeth in an innocent smile, "They're dragons! Or uh... lizards! And the dragon god! --the lizard god said to help them!"

Tycon eyed the young Princess warily.

"--which I won't do, anymore!" She added. "Ah promissse."

"Thank you."