Symphony for the Insect Princess

"But father wasn't like this before. I feel like he's... possessed now."

"..."

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. How about taking a lava bath?"

"Okay, let's go to the usual place—wait wait, Kapachiya!?"

Kapachia's body shrank rapidly, her scales and wings disappeared, and long, smooth golden-red hair grew on her head. She transformed into a human girl who looked no more than seventeen years old. Only the pair of sharp horns on her head revealed her identity as a dragon.

"You...you..." Psyche looked unbearable. "You really like turning into a human. What's so good about the human body? You're just a self-righteous ugly bug!"

“But humans are primates for a reason.”

"Bah! Just relying on their shallow knowledge and weak strength? If it weren't for the elders' strict order to forbid us from causing trouble easily, I really want to fly out right now and kill them—"

"Stop talking nonsense, Psyche! If anyone hears you, you'll get lectured again!"

"Yes, yes...it's really troublesome."

Chapter 125 Forbidden

"Stop talking nonsense, Psyche! If anyone hears you, you'll get lectured again!"

"Yes, yes...it's really troublesome."

Psyche sighed, and a few wisps of orange-red flames spewed out from the corners of her mouth, and the rocks next to her melted immediately. Of course, Kapachia was not affected at all. After all, although she had turned into a human form, she was still a dragon in essence, and a pure-blooded fire dragon at that.

Like Psyche, most dragons are born with pride and are unwilling to transform into humans unless necessary. Those like Carpathia who prefer to maintain their human form are actually outliers.

Ten thousand years ago, a civil war erupted among the dragon race, and many dragon species, like the humans they despised, turned on each other. Numerous dragons of various species and factions perished, and from that moment on, the supremacy at the pinnacle of Maya shifted from dragons to humans. By the time the Great Emperor Tia Levatin intervened and forcibly ended the civil war, the once-mighty dragon race had been reduced by 70%, and those who remained were mostly weaker young dragons and elders. Few mature dragons rivaled the might of sages or war emperors.

Ankara is one of them.

It survived, reaching its prime, and along with the few remaining members of its tribe, settled in the Holy Flame Sanctuary. Dragons have an exceptionally long lifespan, and Ankara, endowed with terrifying magical powers, lived even longer, surviving to this day. However, dragons have a notoriously low reproduction rate. To date, including newly born dragons, Ankara's clan has only about thirty members.

Kapakia, with Ankara's blood, is its biological daughter, while her childhood sweetheart, Psyche, is the daughter of another elder. The two have always had a close relationship. Kapakia possesses a delicate heart, a quality lacking in most Fire Dragons, while Psyche brings out the Fire Dragon's lively and fiery side to the fullest, their personalities complementing each other perfectly.

The biggest problem is... Psyches are more hostile to humans than their peers, especially their neighbors, the Zoroastrians.

If it knew about that, what would it do? I can't imagine...

"Kiya...Kappa Kiya? Are you distracted?"

"Uh, ah, nothing, just thinking."

"When I talk to you recently, you seem to be often distracted."

"Which 'recently' do you mean..."

One of the old jokes among long-lived races: How recent is "recently"? A few days for a human, perhaps years for a dragon or elf.

"By the way, you're not still worried about Lord Ankara, are you?"

As he spoke, even the usually calm Psyche showed a look of worry (although only dragons could understand the changes in dragon's facial expressions). He and the other dragons in the tribe had already noticed that Ankara now seemed to be increasingly absent-minded about everything around him, but no one dared to raise any objections to him. After all, the Flame Dragon King was a powerful being comparable to a sage or a war emperor, and the other dragons were not qualified to raise any objections to him.

"I'm indeed worried about it..." said Kapacia. On the one hand, she was worried about her father, but on the other hand, she was worried about other things.

"That's right... After all, it's Sakrolish, a demonic creature, the seed of disaster. If someone has been guarding it for nearly ten thousand years, even Lord Ankara would be affected."

"Not to mention it's the relic of the only female war emperor in history..."

In just a few words, the two dragons revealed the essence of the divine sword Levatin.

That's right.

Levatin is not a natural sword, its true identity is Saklorish - the great secret treasure.

The most amazing thing about Levatin is that it breaks the rule that "a fixed secret treasure will return to its unfixed state after a hundred years after losing its owner", and it has maintained the shape of a sword for thousands of years.

Different dragon species have different personalities. Fire dragons are generally hot-tempered and irritable, ice dragons are relatively calm, and water dragons are more kindhearted... But they all share one common trait: an innate desire for rare and precious treasures. A love of money is perhaps one of the most well-known characteristics of dragons, an instinct etched deep within every dragon's soul. Upon seeing a treasure, they want it for themselves, never giving it away. This instinct can only be suppressed, but never completely eliminated.

This was true for ordinary treasures, let alone the Great Secret Treasure? It was said that the dragon civil war was caused by a dispute over the Great Secret Treasure. Dragon knowledge can be passed down through blood, so every newborn dragon after the civil war will remember the cruelty of the civil war. It is this sadness engraved in their blood that constantly reminds them that the Great Secret Treasure is a disaster and should not be touched lightly.

However, today, Ankara, which has experienced the civil war firsthand, is...

"Don't think about these bad things. If you see something you like, pounce on it. If you see something you hate, kill it. This is how we fire dragons deal with things!"

"It's just your way of dealing with things..."

Two dragons (one in human form) chatted as they headed deeper into the Flame Vein.

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

late at night--

Just a few kilometers away from the lava abyss is the Boundary Tree. Amidst the yellow sand and rocks, there is only this towering tree, which is very conspicuous. Beyond here is the territory of the Zoroastrians.

During the great battle, Ditia Levatin was a member of the Zoroastrian tribe. Naturally, the Zoroastrians have always considered her sword, Levatin, a sacred relic. However, Levatin has been sealed beneath the molten abyss, guarded by the Fire Dragon King Ankara himself. Even if the entire tribe mobilized, the chances of successfully reclaiming it would be less than 30%. For years, the Ankara clan and the Zoroastrians have been locked in an endless dispute, with neither side yielding, resulting in casualties on both sides. Although direct conflict has now been avoided, the temporary ceasefire only maintains a precarious balance, and the atmosphere is filled with tension.

However, only at this moment, only here, only under this tree, will the tension between the two tribes completely dissipate.

The girl waited here.

Her bright and beautiful face is breathtaking, her beautiful black hair reflects the moonlight, her tan skin exudes an indescribable charm, and her slender figure is endearing. She is dressed in the traditional costume of the desert dwellers, a loose white robe embellished with gems, feathers and other ornaments, and a beautiful headdress on her head.

These characteristics all indicate that she is an authentic Zoroastrian.

And the person she was waiting for—

A light breeze blew over the head, and a shadow passed through the sky. Its wings instantly blocked out the moon. After circling for a circle to confirm that there was no outsider around, it landed with peace of mind and transformed into a human form in the blink of an eye - a beautiful girl with long golden-red hair.

Seeing the girl waiting under the tree, Kapachiya immediately smiled brightly.

"Mulline! I thought you weren't coming!"

"How could that be? I... have been waiting for you."

The Zoroastrian girl, Murien, immediately approached the dragon girl, Kapachiya. They approached, touched, and hugged each other face to face. Then, without any extra words, the two kissed each other.

Action speaks the best language.

In the past, Kapachiya could never understand why humans liked to have lips and tongues touch each other, which was just a simple contact of mucous membranes.

It was not until the first time it kissed Mullien that it discovered that kissing was so wonderful, so comfortable, and so... suitable as a carrier of love.

"Hmm...mm...chirp...chirp?"

"Woo...mm...chiu..."

It was unknown how long it took before this kiss and tongue intertwining that went far beyond friendship ended, and both of them looked at each other with an unsatisfied look.

"...Love you, Mullien."

"...Me too, Kapachiya."

The two smiled at each other, their cheeks blushing, and they fell hand in hand to the roots of the Dividing Tree, curled up together and looked up at the starry sky, the beautiful starry sky unique to Bufenia.

No further action.

There wasn't even a single word of conversation.

Just sitting next to the one you love is the ultimate happiness.

Kapachiya likes this feeling, the spiritual connection that transcends the physical and language.

"The night sky is beautiful."

"Um……"

When they were together, their conversations were mostly meaningless. They had a tacit understanding, having known each other for six months, but rarely inquired about each other's family affairs. Mullien was a delicate young woman, and Kapachia was a rare fire dragon with a pessimistic disposition. At first, the two of them seemed to be licking each other's wounds, but over time, their feelings grew, eventually becoming what they were now.

This is taboo.

It is a relationship that will never be allowed.

Neither the family nor the secular world will allow it.

Kapachiya has this awareness.

It is not an exaggeration to say that there is a feud between the Ankara clan and the Zoroastrian clan, not to mention that the two are of the same sex. She has forcibly crossed the double taboo for love.

Love can make people lose themselves and their minds - this statement is probably not without truth.

I do not know how long it has been……

"Hey, Mullien, are you okay?"

"I am afraid……"

A hint of uneasiness flashed in Mullien's large, pure black eyes. Kapachiya certainly noticed it. Like her, she had only dared to sneak out of the tribe in the dead of night to meet her lover. If she didn't go back...

"...Let's stop here for today."

"Um……"

The two embraced once more, but this time, feeling the urgency of the deadline, they only briefly embraced before quickly parting. Watching Mullien vanish into the night, Kapachia transformed back into dragon form, hiding in the clouds and flying towards the lava abyss.

But it, with its always keen perception, did not notice it.

From the two people's secret meeting to their separation.

The ants that crawled out from the rocks and the yellow sand gathered in the dark and kept watching them.

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

"Hmph~Hmph~Hmph~~~"

In a good mood, Kapachia hummed a song as it walked through the curtain of lava. As a fire dragon, it felt as comfortable in the lava as taking a hot bath, which made it feel even more relaxed.

It was wonderful to see the ones I loved.

Every time the two of them meet, they have to make careful preparations, to make sure that no outsiders will discover their disappearance, to grasp the length of time, and... In short, there are as many things to pay attention to as a mountain.

That is why every secret meeting is so precious.

unless--

"Hey, Kapachiya."

"——!!!"

As it transformed into a human form and walked through a wide rock tunnel, it was stopped by someone from behind.

“Psyche!?”

"Tsk, who do you think it is?"

Turning around, he saw his childhood friend squatting there, staring at him intently.

"It's so late and you're still not sleeping?"

"This is what I want to ask you. We share the same cave after all. I woke up in the middle of the night and found you were not there. I was about to go out to look for you when you came back."

"Ah, well, I'm sorry... I've been feeling a bit antsy these past few days, you know, about Father's affairs. I couldn't sleep, so I went outside to look at the stars and enjoy the breeze."

"……Yeah?"

"of course."

Carpathia tried to remain calm, and Psyche continued to stare at it, but after a while, Psyche lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"...Yeah, if you say so, then so be it."

"Really? Let's go back to bed!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dragon Girl: Caught between girlfriend and childhood sweetheart

Chapter 126 Fire Worshipers

As the sun rose over the horizon, the dark blue sky in the east turned to indigo, then to light blue, and finally to bright white under the rays of the rising sun. On the horizon in the morning light, numerous tents and minarets rose from the ground, ancient and beautiful.

What a wonderful world.

"Although I've heard of it before, but... the exotic customs are really extraordinary." Sai Zhuoang sighed.

"Compared to the scenery of Kasolu, which I'm already tired of seeing, it really has a unique flavor." Aisia also said.

Zoroastrians.

Although it has declined now, the buildings left by our ancestors are still well preserved and have great value as ornamental objects.

"Well, the bright morning light really doesn't suit me..."

Charlotte, however, was a bit sullen. As a necromancer, she had a poor compatibility with light and fire. To some extent, the Zoroastrians were the natural enemies of necromancers. In this Holy Flame Sanctuary, the power of necromancy was at least a notch lower.

"Amazing! It doesn't suit my aesthetic, but it's still amazing! It would be even better if it were a castle that gave off a 'boom, boom, boom' feeling!"