Symphony for the Insect Princess

I am……

"Are you a human? Or some other animal?"

……no.

"Is it a lonely ghost?"

……no.

"Or something else?"

...Probably not.

"You've even confused your own existence."

Maybe... I've been like this for a long time...

"But I know you still have things you want to do, your expectations, your wishes."

My wish?

"Yes, a wish."

Yes... I do have a wish that I have never, ever forgotten.

"In pure epistemology of philosophy, there's the phrase 'I think, therefore I am.' The fact that you think and have your own desires is the best evidence that you exist."

I remembered, you woke me up, so I remembered.

"Tell me, what is this wish that hasn't changed even after all this time? What are you looking forward to now?"

What I expect is——

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"We need to first understand dragons, especially the fire dragon species."

I knocked on the blackboard I often use for teaching. The principle of this thing is to melt the scraps of magic crystals into a thin layer like glass, and cover it on the dark wooden board. As long as the fingertips run across the surface and inject a little magic power, a pattern can be drawn. If magic power is injected again, the pattern will disappear. The process is simple, and the product is of good quality and inexpensive.

Before taking action, it is necessary to popularize some knowledge about fire dragons.

"What? It's so boring."

Sedraon, unfailingly impatient, yawned and lazily dozed off on the blanket on the ground. Aisia looked at me with sparkling eyes, but she was just looking at me, not interested in what I had to say. After all, these two knowledgeable women must know a lot about dragons.

Charlotte, who came from a wild background, only has fighting ability, and she doesn't even have a complete grasp of some basic knowledge. Qimila is not even a wild one, and her output depends entirely on running wild.

But...actually, I didn't expect them to be of much use during this trip to Bufenia.

"First, Phoenix and Elonmade, please tell us what you know about 'dragons' and what are their characteristics?"

"I me me!"

"Okay, Elon Made will answer first."

"It's big!"

"There are quite a few small dragons, too."

"Uh, then, it can breathe fire!"

"Only dragons can breathe fire."

"Can fly!"

"Earth dragons can't fly."

"And also... covered in scales!"

"Yulong has feathers."

"Lay eggs!"

"Elemental dragons are beings between matter and energy and have no reproductive function."

"…………yeah?"

Qiumila was confused. She had such a lack of knowledge.

But it cannot be said that she is completely wrong. Most civilians who lack magical knowledge only know this much about dragons.

"What about you, Phoenix-san?"

"I'm probably past the age of being a 'classmate'... My knowledge of dragons is really limited to common sense. Dragons are the pinnacle of magical beasts in Maya. Their power goes without saying, and their history spans hundreds of thousands of years. Many ethnic minorities still worship dragons as gods. Apart from individual cases, dragons' bodies are also the strongest of all magical beasts, with formidable strength, speed, healing abilities, and all five senses. The knowledge of each dragon is passed down through its bloodline, which is why they are born with magical abilities and vast knowledge. Greed is the nature of all dragons. They desire every treasure in the world and will never allow outsiders to touch their collections... That's all I know. The ecology, habits, strengths, and weaknesses of different dragon species are my specialized fields."

"Well, actually, this is enough, but I would like to add one more sentence——"

I cleared my throat and said seriously,

"Charlotte, you only need to keep two of the characteristics of the dragon race you just mentioned. Remembering these two is enough."

"Two?"

"First, dragons are magical beasts."

I held up a finger.

"Second, dragons are greedy for money."

Then he extended another finger.

"...I don't quite understand what you mean. Are you trying to say that dragons are just greedy monsters?"

"Dragons have existed for so long, and everything about them has become shrouded in a powerful and fantastical image. So I want to correct your perception—so-called dragons are not gods, nor are they super-powerful monsters. They are simply 'giant lizards that love treasure.'"

"Even if you say so..."

"There are so many insignificant things in this world that have been turned into myths, like dragons, while some truly great beings are despised, like insects."

"Are you praising yourself in disguise?"

"It's just an analogy," I shrugged. "Anyway, remember, dragons aren't that powerful, nor are they that smart. They can be easily defeated, bewitched, and deceived. Possessing a wealth of knowledge doesn't guarantee wisdom."

In fact.

This can be seen from the fact that ten thousand years ago, the dragon clan fought for the great secret treasure, which triggered a civil war and resulted in the death of 70% of them.

The so-called dragon is probably the dumbest and easiest beast to deal with in the world.

So my focus from the beginning was not on the so-called Fire Dragon King Ankara.

At this time-

"The patriarch has arrived."

The curtain at the door was lifted by the male servant and the old woman walked in.

Her expression was clearly grim, as if she was desperately trying to suppress her anger. Her face was wrinkled, making it hard to look at. Meanwhile, her entire body was emitting fiery waves of magical energy, a truly terrifying sight.

I glanced at the other four people, stood up and walked out, and went to her room with the clan leader.

The furnishings in the clan leader's room were simple, even lacking a sense of life. She snorted coldly and sat on a felt mat beside the low table, pointing to another one, which I immediately sat on.

"You seem to be in a bad mood, Patriarch?"

"Humph, it's all because of the 'good news' you brought me..."

"You have obviously verified what I said."

"I carefully checked the patrol roster for this period of time...there's definitely something fishy going on!"

"Just to confirm, you don't—"

"Of course not! Although I really want to tell her the truth and teach that unfilial granddaughter a lesson, but..."

"But we should make the best use of things that can be used, right?"

"..."

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. At this moment, she had suppressed her anger and at least she looked the same as usual.

"As you said, use everything you can. If it leads to a good outcome... we can talk about that girl later."

"right?"

"So……"

The old woman gave a reptilian, uncomfortable smile.

"As for how to use it, that's the point we want to discuss, right?"

"Please monitor Miss Mullien's every move during this period. If you discover her moving—"

"I'll let you know immediately, of course."

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(So, what is Nier planning?)

(Huh? You’re so close to her, and you don’t even know?)

(It's just me sending out love waves unilaterally. Nier is really a heartless person~ But she is more beautiful like this)

Aisia was slowly sipping the tea she brought, Sedroon was napping on the felt, Charlotte was sorting the clothes she took out of the luggage, and Qimila was concentrating on studying a thick book called "Dragon Related".

At least that's what it seems.

(What about you, Charlotte? What exactly is Nell's plan?)

(She didn’t tell me either. I think she would tell you guys who are more reliable.)

(Where is Qimila?)

(I don’t know either… We’re friends, but you don’t tell me anything…)

Everyone seems to be doing their own thing, but in fact they are holding a mental meeting.

This is a very sophisticated short-distance communication magic. People who are marked with the corresponding magic mark can communicate directly with each other through thoughts, and the encryption process makes it extremely difficult for the content to be leaked (Sedron and Aisia provide technical support). Nellis previously specifically stated that if you can communicate silently, then don't speak.

(Let's coordinate a little. What instructions did she give you?) ← Sedraon

(Let me do nothing and wait for her orders. It’s so boring.)←Qimi

(She said she would have a 'heavy job' for me soon, but told me not to worry) ← Charlotte

(Fufu, she said she'll go out with me tonight soon! All that patience has paid off!) ← Asia

(You must have misinterpreted her meaning, didn't you? Well... What about you, Sedraon?) ← Charlotte

(It's you and Miss Ai's combination, saying 'go out with me in a few nights' and 'I'll have some heavy work after that') ← Sedroon

“Whaa ...

(Silly you! Don't make a sound!)

(What the hell is going on! Where’s the world we agreed on for the two of us? Do we have to add a third wheel? Could it be—no way!? Ni’er likes threesomes? With someone other than me? I can’t accept that!!!!)

(Light bulb? You mean me? You're asking for death!)

(Wait wait wait wait, you guys are sob, stay away from me——)

(Don't start without saying anything!)

……

……

……

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"There's an old saying on Baseline World Earth: 'Older people are still wiser.'"

"Hmph, I'll take this as a compliment."

"It's great to be able to reach a consensus so quickly. Well, good night."

I bowed, turned around and left, accompanied by a male servant back to my room. During this time, I could feel the patriarch's gaze constantly shooting at me from behind.

"That's it."

"Okay, goodnight, Miss Zelah."

The waiter moved behind me, and I drew aside the curtain of our room—

——The next moment I immediately bent backwards, and the flying pillow hit the waiter's face.

This strong man, whose strength was estimated to be at the level of a war spirit, was hit by a pillow and flew out. He fell heavily to the ground, and two front teeth fell out of his mouth.