Chapter 18: Bathing the Boss

Mayuna felt as though she had returned to the past, to a childhood when her parents were still alive. She saw the few memories she had of her family—one in particular, a rare outing before her parents left. Her parents, laughing, led her into a sea of flowers to admire the beautiful scenery. She, however, ran too fast and fell to the ground; her mother’s worried face was vivid in her mind, comforting her as she cried while healing her scraped knee with a touch of healing magic. Her father, smiling, remarked she was as mischievous as a boy.

“To think someone could set a trap for a Mage God like me—how interesting.”

It was only after these visions faded that Mayuna broke the illusion before her with a surge of magic. Just moments ago, she had been chatting idly with Ruby, but then a captivating fragrance drifted by, and her consciousness was swept back to the past. She was certain whoever had done this bore no ill intent, and thanks to them, she caught a glimpse of her parents’ faces, which she could no longer recall.

Her awareness snapped back to reality. She realized the opponent had meddled with the air, so she quickly cast a support spell called “Air Bubble” for herself and Ruby. Magic formed an invisible sphere around them, purifying the air before letting it inside—a simple but advanced purification spell.

“If you didn’t wake up soon, I was about to fetch an antidote,” Ruby said, finally relaxing when Mayuna came to. He wore a strange mask covering his entire face, with an extension below resembling a pig’s snout—an unattractive shape, to say the least.

“What are you wearing?” Mayuna asked instinctively. The mask instantly reminded her of the giant-headed fly, one of humanity’s most despised magical insects.

“A gas mask.”

“Dragon—a purple dragon?!”

Mayuna didn’t have time to ponder what a gas mask was, for she was stunned by the colossal creature behind Ruby. Its size dwarfed Melz, at least twice as large, with the build only an adult dragon could possess. But it wasn’t the size that shocked her—it was the dragon’s purple skin.

Dragons were among the easiest creatures to identify by their element: fire dragons were red, water dragons blue. This didn’t mean they could only use their own elemental magic, but their inherent magic was significantly stronger. Black dragons like Melz had no particular affinity, but their physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary dragons—they were, simply put, tougher.

The meaning behind a dragon’s color was no secret in human history. Yet, there had never been any record of a purple dragon. This breed appeared suddenly a millennium ago—no one knew its origin, nor why it had such a dazzling color. But soon enough, the dragon itself would reveal its nature.

The poison dragon—a terror more dreadful than the black dragon. Black dragons were feared for destroying half an empire at the slightest provocation, but the poison dragon had been on the wanted list for centuries before Douglas’s rise to fame, and even now remained a top priority for the Mage Guild. Anyone who slew a poison dragon would not only claim all its parts but also receive a handsome reward from the guild.

All this was due to the poison dragon’s crimes. Compared to it, the robberies committed by other dragons were mere child’s play. It loved to destroy water sources. Though humans in this world could create water for themselves, they understood the importance of natural lakes—if you wanted to eat fish, you had to catch them in a lake, after all.

The poison dragon appeared wherever there were clean water sources. The toxins it secreted could instantly turn a clear lake into a living hell. After it soaked, the water gave off a nauseating stench, and the surrounding forests became infested with poisonous wood and weeds. If left unchecked, the continent would be ravaged. Thus, brave mages formed squads to guard water sources, relentlessly pursuing the poison dragon whenever it appeared. Under human assault, the dragon grew a bit more cautious, and its last appearance was decades ago.

“Nice to meet you. I am Feloxis, the Poison Dragon.”

The poison dragon before them was unaware of the countless thoughts racing through Mayuna’s mind, and introduced herself in a soft, gentle voice.

“Nice to meet you? Over my dead body! Prepare to die!”

“Why are you suddenly shouting for blood?” Ruby held Mayuna’s arm to stop her from unleashing earth-shattering magic, puzzled.

“Let me go! It’s a poison dragon. Killing it is every mage’s duty.”

“Calm down. I know this creature has a notorious reputation, but the truth isn’t quite as you know it.”

“Go on, let’s hear what story you have to tell.”

Mayuna thought for a moment and decided to listen to Ruby’s explanation. Somehow, their peculiar relationship meant there was no suspicion between them—they trusted each other completely.

Through Ruby’s account, Mayuna learned something: there wasn’t a single normal dragon. Feloxis, the poison dragon, destroyed water sources for one reason only—she liked to bathe.

Yes, a rather ridiculous reason. If this were presented to the Mage Guild to lift the wanted order, perhaps the elderly chairman would be left fuming, beard bristling, and would throw Ruby out after a beating. Yet, reality was always so heartless.

According to Feloxis, she was quite desperate herself—it wasn’t her wish to be born a poison dragon. Her parents weren't poison dragons, merely ordinary dragons. The mutation happened because her mother, while carrying the dragon egg, accidentally ate a deadly toxic plant. The horror of a plant that could poison dragons need not be explained. Her mother survived the ordeal, but gave birth to a poison dragon, a breed unknown in all dragon history.

It was as if the Dragon God played a joke, granting Feloxis a toxicity strong enough to poison even her own kin, but giving her the temperament of a girl who loved bathing. She couldn’t stand her body covered in dirt. As a child, she could ask water dragons for help with her baths, but as she grew older, her bathwater became more poisonous. Cleaning up after her baths became a laborious task, and eventually no dragon would help her. She had no choice but to leave her lair and trouble humanity instead.

“You’re a girl too. What would you do if you couldn’t bathe?”

Feloxis’s eyes brimmed with grievance, her voice always that of a mature woman, letting Mayuna know that the poison dragon tormenting the continent for a millennium was, in fact, female.

“I’d probably go mad…” Mayuna replied honestly. There was nothing girls hated more than being unclean. Bathing was not only about washing away dirt, but also about being enveloped in warmth after exhaustion—a pleasure essential to life. If one day she couldn’t bathe, perhaps she would turn against the world.

“No wonder you know so much about dragons. Melz wasn’t the first dragon you’ve met, was it?”

Only now did Mayuna realize why Ruby, who lived deep in the mountains, knew so much about dragon habits. At first, she thought Dracon had told him, but now she understood he shared a secret with the poison dragon.

“I’m not a mage; I can’t produce water myself. That lake became my most important water source, and I couldn’t let her ruin it. So, before she went in to bathe, I made a deal with her.”

Ruby nodded. No one could imagine his hardships back then—having to negotiate with the strongest creature for his own survival. After persuading the poison dragon, he almost died from her toxic scent.

“Wait—the deal was…”

“Yes. I’m responsible for helping her bathe.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: Please add to favorites and recommend!
PS: You all keep mentioning the little dragon girl, thinking of Kana. There’s no Kana here, but there is a Lukoa.
PS: This book is under contract, you can tip now! Thanks to Masked Dance Heavenly Book Friend for the 100-tip.