Hikari woke up with twin mounds pressed against the back of her head. A tail wrapped warmly around her like a vice grip. In her tired state, her hand held onto a plush thigh. She slowly blinked her eyes open to the small wooden room, realizing that the reincarnation hadn't been a dream.
How long am I going to squeeze this thigh!?
"Good morning, Master," the dragon said.
The elf retracted her arm. When facing situations like these, the only thing that will work is absolute confidence. Yes, playing pretend is the only way. Hikari retained her neutral expression and sat up. "Did you sleep well, Kurayami?"
"Yes, Master looks cute in her sleep."
Hikari stood up away from her dragon, quelling the thumping of her heart. It's a normal pet reaction. The adoration of her dragon reminded her of the strays she fed down the street from where she used to live, or at least, that's the way she tricked herself.
The dragon brought her face closer to her elf master, narrowing her eyes, and observing closely. Kurayami's warm breath tickled Hikari's skin. Her tight shirt seemed to amplify the two peaks on her chest. "Is something wrong, Master?"
Hikari closed her eyes and took a deep breath, stilling her heart. "Let's get some breakfast before we head out."
Kurayami's smile radiated in the morning light. "Yes, Master!"
They ended up eating breakfast in the inn. The food was a piece of hard bread and soup. If Hikari had to say, it wasn't good. It was a rather bland breakfast for her, but her face betrayed no emotion while eating it.
Hikari realized the great thing about her face was the ability to hide how she felt. Unless one was paying close attention, they'd not be able to discern any of the small movements of her face. She had no idea if this was something all elves could do. Speaking of, I wonder what elves are like in this world?
Despite the mediocre meal, she still tipped the remaining copper coins, leaving her with 4 silver from this world. After tipping, they set their sights on traveling to the capital.
There was the option of taking a request on the way, but Hikari didn't want to run into those adventurers again. It's not that she disliked them, but there was the chance Saber would try to return the bracelet.
The road leading towards the capital was rough dirt and rocks, but it beat traveling through untamed forests. Is it better to travel fast, or should I relish the journey?
When she learned the directions to the capital, she was told it would take 5 days to reach it on foot. However, Hikari was confident she could reach it before noon if she wanted.
After walking for a while and seeing the same scenery, she decided to up the pace. Every single class had a way to up movement speed in the game, and some races were born with innate abilities that achieved the same thing. There were also mounts you could get from gachas or events. Kurayami was one such dragon. The last way were items.
Hikari had a pair of wings she could adorn herself if she wanted, and it would provide passive flight without a mana cost. However, that was out of the question for her. It's one thing having her status say goddess, but it's another thing to look the part.
Kurayami didn't have such reservations. Sensing what her master wanted, a pair of black wings sprouted from her back. "Master, allow me to carry you the rest of the way."
Hikari's eyes widened for a moment, but she reeled her expression in. "No, I can use flight magic. It will cost almost nothing."
Kurayami frowned and appeared in thought for a moment. "But, Master, I was under the impression you wanted to hide your identity. Wouldn't it be better to allow me to carry you? I will appear as your servant, and you will retain your elf image."
The elf's mouth opened like a fish. True, if she carries me, I won't have to do anything. And it would be easier to observe the surroundings. Hikari placed a thoughtful hand on her chin. "Very well."
Kurayami smirked and wrapped her arms around her master from behind. "Thanks for the treat, Master."
Before Hikari could question her dragon's words, she was lifted into the air. The initial panic of flying was wiped away by the beauty of it. The ground became distant, and the trees shrunk. The wind brushed against Hikari's skin, sending a blissful pleasure down her spine.
Her dragon's wings created a calming flapping sound. While they were traveling a sudden thought occurred to Hikari. Couldn't I have rode on her back after she transformed, instead?
It would definitely be hard to hide a big dragon, but Kurayami was a dragon of darkness. She had several ways to hide herself if she wanted. Even among the highest level enemies in the game, most would not easily sense her dragon. Isn't this dragon too cunning?
Instead of thinking about her embarrassing pose—being cradled as if a baby—she looked at the ground.
"Oho, Kurayami, do you see that?" The elf asked and pointed towards a commotion on the road.
"Master, what do you plan to do? Shall we intervene?"
The elf looked at the spectacle where a carriage was under siege by an army of skeletons. A few knights were valiantly protecting the passengers, but they didn't seem like they would last long. With the elf's incredible hearing, she could hear their pleas for the people to escape without them.
Hikari knew that helping them was likely to bring her even more trouble, but if she left them alone would she be able to sleep soundly? For some reason, she felt that the resounding answer was 'yes.' If she left them, at most she would feel a bit regretful before it wore off. However, the light inside of her was calling to be used.
"Drop me down there, Kurayami." Though Hikari said that, she didn't expect the dragon to literally drop her into free fall, yet here she was, tumbling towards the ground at an alarming rate.