[A/N: Hot stuff will take place after some more chapters coz I need the world building and background building done before that since I'm planning to make it a full fledged book with everything balanced!🫠]
When Aries leaned close to his ear and whispered those beautiful words, Yakumo couldn't help but let out a surprised, "Huh?"
"You don't need to say unnecessary things, Aries."
Whether the Black Dragon had heard the whisper or simply guessed that Aries would say something like that, no one could tell.
"I apologize. I spoke out of turn," Aries said, lowering her head respectfully toward the Black Dragon.
Seeing that, Yakumo sensed that she had only spoken out of concern and admiration for her master.
"You'll be on my side if I become your heir, right?"
Looking into the dragon's deep black eyes, Yakumo asked the question directly.
"If we form a contract, you and I will become bonded. Once that happens, I will become your strength. Or rather, you will receive my blessing. Like it or not, that means I will lend you my power. Even if you were to say you wanted to conquer the world… of course, I'd help you."
The Black Dragon stared straight into Yakumo's eyes and grinned, her voice full of confidence.
"Yeah, that would basically make me a Demon Lord…"
Yakumo had begun to grow used to the constant pressure this massive dragon gave off. Lately, it had become natural for him to respond with sarcasm. Still, he fully understood that if he wanted to survive in this world, he had to use every advantage he could get.
"I get it. I've got no one else to rely on here. I'll gladly accept the contract."
At those words, the Black Dragon smiled softly, like a child overjoyed by a gift.
From there, the conversation shifted back to an explanation of this world.
The dragon's blessing, she explained, wasn't the same as magic or skills. In terms of Yakumo's own world, it was more like a unique ability or a special power, a hidden trait that set him apart.
"Honestly, I don't know much about blessings, magic, or skills since those things don't exist in my world. Until I experience them myself, I can't say anything for sure."
As Yakumo spoke, sipping the tea that Aries had served him, the Black Dragon gave a sharp grin.
"Oh? So what you're saying is, you want to gain experience in battle right away?"
At the word "battle," Yakumo nearly spit out his tea.
"Pfft... Wait, what?! Battle? I've never even fought a monster in my whole life!"
"Relax. I'm not planning to throw you at a powerful beast right away. I'm guessing your level is still only one."
"Level? This world has levels too?"
Yakumo couldn't hide his surprise at such a game-like term, while both the Black Dragon and Aries looked completely unbothered, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Of course. Everyone in this world, humans and monsters alike, has a level. And the more experience you gain, the higher your level rises."
It was just like a game. Yakumo was even more overwhelmed, but he also realized something important: the higher his level, the better his chances of survival. His game knowledge told him that much right away.
"So… what exactly are you planning to make me do first?"
Though worried about what came next, Yakumo asked. The Black Dragon replied,
"Before that, we must carry out the ritual to make you my heir. Without it, I cannot grant you my blessing."
"So how do we do that? Is it something that can be done quickly?"
"Yes, it won't take long. Just stand over there, Yakumo."
As she gestured, Yakumo rose from his seat. The Black Dragon approached him.
"Let's begin the preparations. But first, let me say this clearly: the form you see now is a human version of me, the Black Supreme Dragon. It's more convenient than my true form, not only for daily life, but also for forming contracts like this."
"Yeah… I mean, I'd be pretty intimidated if a giant dragon tried to sign a contract with me."
"Exactly. Now, to seal this contract, I want you to give me a name."
"A name? Isn't 'Black Supreme Dragon' your name?"
"That's the name of my true form. For this contract, I want you, Yakumo, the one becoming my heir, to give me a name. That is how the bond is made."
"I see… so that's how it works."
Being suddenly asked to name someone left Yakumo unsure. He already knew he was terrible at naming things, he even struggled for hours just naming characters in games. But if he had to name her, he at least wanted it to be something that suited her. He began thinking hard, letting out a long hum.
He turned his eyes to the dragon in front of him.
She had long, flowing black hair that gleamed with a mysterious shine.
Eyes so dark and deep that they looked like they could pull him in forever.
A flawless, alluring figure and sun-kissed skin that gave her an irresistible charm.
There was a noble elegance to her, a beauty so complete, Yakumo couldn't help but think she was like a piece of living black art.
After a while, Yakumo opened his eyes slowly and spoke the name he had decided on.
"…Noir."
Just a single word.
"Your name is Noir. It means 'black' in my world's language."
The moment those words left his mouth, the Black Supreme Dragon, no, Noir, was enveloped in a dazzling light. It lasted only a moment, then faded away.
"What was that…?"
But she didn't seem concerned in the slightest. In fact, she looked thrilled.
"Noir… Noir, Noir! Hmm! Yes, it's perfect! It has a beautiful sound, and the meaning, 'black', is just wonderful! Yes, it suits me perfectly! From today, I am Noir!"
To his surprise, it seemed that Noir really liked the name. Back in his old world, Yakumo had no sense for naming, so he couldn't help but wonder, could this be some kind of divine blessing? Maybe he had been gifted a better naming sense? While he was thinking such silly thoughts, he also felt a wave of relief.
Noir was happily celebrating now that her name had been decided, and Aries, standing nearby, smiled gently at her joyful master.
"Congratulations, Lady Noir," Aries said.
She lifted the sides of her skirt slightly, moved one foot behind the other, and gave a graceful bow, a respectful gesture to honor the naming of her master.
"Aries! Inform everyone in the castle at once! From today on, my name is Noir = Midnight Dragon!"
"As you command," Aries replied with a small nod before leaving the room.
Yakumo felt a bit overwhelmed by how serious everything had suddenly become, but when he thought of this as his first real step forward in this new world, he didn't mind Noir's excitement as much. In fact, it felt somewhat uplifting.
After the naming ceremony was complete, Yakumo was taken to another room, not as grand as Noir's study, but still far larger than what he'd ever expected.
"What's this place?"
"This will be your room from now on. Use it however you like."
"Huh? Seriously?"
The room had a huge desk that could rival the one in Noir's study, a sofa and table arranged neatly, a closet, and two doors separate from the entrance. One led to a toilet, and the other opened to a large, beautiful bathroom with a shower.
But the most eye-catching thing was the enormous bed in the back, big enough to make him wonder how many people were supposed to sleep in it.
"If there's anything missing, let Aries know. She'll get it for you."
"No, no… I don't think there's anything missing. This is amazing. Thanks."
"Is that so? Good to hear. Now then, it's time to change your clothes."
"…Huh? Change clothes?"
It was true Yakumo stood out in the castle, still wearing his casual modern outfit, but he hadn't expected to be told to change clothes out of nowhere.
"Just follow along for now. It's important for your training later."
"…Alright."
Yakumo gave a half-hearted reply, which Noir ignored. She clapped her hands together twice.
As if they'd been waiting for that signal, Aries returned, along with two maids Yakumo had never seen before.
"Lord Yakumo, allow me to introduce your personal maids. Starting today, Leo and Libra will be serving you."
The two maids stepped forward and gave Yakumo the same flawless bow Aries had done earlier.
"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Yakumo. I am Leo, ranked 8th of the Right Fang, Light Fang division. I've been assigned as your personal maid starting today. I look forward to serving you."
Leo was a beautiful girl, shorter than Noir but with a similar curvy figure. She had soft, shoulder-length amber hair and large brown eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Lord Yakumo. I'm Libra, ranked 10th of the Right Fang, Light Fang, and also your personal maid. I-it's an honor…"
Libra had deep bluish-black hair tied into a ponytail, sharp black eyes that gave her a serious look, and a body just as well-built as Leo's. She was about the same height as Noir.
"Personal maids? What does that mean exactly?"
"They'll serve only you. Honestly, I'd prefer to assign Aries to you, but since she's ranked 1st of the Dragon Fang, I can't afford to lose her. So after careful selection, these two were chosen."
"Careful selection? Who chose them?"
Aries stepped forward and answered.
"All of us maids, Lord Yakumo."
"Wait, all of you? Uh, alright then… I feel kind of bad, but thanks. I'll be in your care."
Yakumo bowed his head, and both Leo and Libra bowed again nervously.
"By the way, what's this Right Fang, Light Fang thing?"
Aries stepped forward again.
"All of us in the maid unit, the Dragon Fang, were created from Lady Noir's dragon fangs through magic."
"Wait, dragon fangs?"
"Yes. Even if the supreme dragon's fangs break or fall out, they grow back. Those discarded fangs were used as magical mediums to create us in human form. The 'right' or 'left' simply refers to which side the fang came from, and we're divided into teams based on that, each with different responsibilities."
"I see… so the three of you here are from the Right Fang. And there are ranks too?"
"Yes. I am honored to hold the 1st rank. In total, there are twelve members in both the Right and Left Fang units. Together, we are known as the Dragon Fang Knights, the strongest fangs."
Hearing Aries speak so calmly about being part of the strongest warriors made Yakumo shiver a little. His instincts were telling him these women were no joke.
Then Noir suddenly raised her voice.
"Anyway, back to the topic! Time for your first task, maids, help Yakumo change clothes!"
"Yes, Lady Noir," Leo and Libra answered in unison, then silently approached Yakumo… though Libra seemed to be breathing a bit heavily. Yakumo instinctively stepped back.
"Hey, I can change clothes by myself, you know."
"Come on, Yakumo. Don't take their first job away from them. Just let them do it."
Noir was clearly enjoying this, grinning all the while.
"Then at least wait outside. It's not like a guy changing clothes is anything interesting to see."
"No way! This is my chosen heir's body, I have every right to observe it."
There was no hiding her amusement now, and seeing her so eager, Yakumo decided, fine, let her look.
Though Yakumo was usually laid-back and liked to joke around, when people tried to mess with him or mock him, he had a habit of pushing back twice as hard.
So when Leo and Libra removed his shirt, layer by layer, and finally pulled off his undershirt, leaving his upper body bare, he could hear them all gasp.
Yakumo smirked inside.
*Victory.*
Though he looked slim, Yakumo's body had been trained since childhood at his grandfather's dojo. He worked out regularly, and his torso was covered in well-defined muscle, with visible six-pack abs, a lean, athletic build.
"…So, what am I supposed to wear now?"
The women, who had all been staring with red faces, suddenly snapped out of their daze and scrambled to get his clothes ready.
After being helped into his outfit by the still-blushing maids, Yakumo found himself dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt with gold embroidery on the collar, black pants, and black boots. Over the shirt, he wore a lightweight black coat with intricate golden stitching, tied loosely at the waist with a belt. In his old world, it would've looked almost like a military uniform.
"Wow! That looks great on you!"
"Yes, it really suits you, Lord Yakumo!"
"You look so dignified, Lord Yakumo…"
Noir and Leo praised him, while Libra blushed and added her own shy words. Even Aries, who usually had a calm, unreadable expression, had a faint blush on her cheeks as she looked slightly away and said:
"…It suits you very well."
*Too cute…*
Yakumo felt his face flush in response to Aries' unexpected display of emotion.
"S-Seriously, thanks for the amazing outfit."
Feeling a bit awkward but grateful, Yakumo looked down and spoke quietly, trying to cool his heated face.
"Now that you're ready, it's finally time to start training!"
Noir declared with energy, already walking toward their next destination.
Yakumo was about to comment on how fired up she was, but then remembered what she'd told him earlier, that the outfit had magical enhancements, giving him some resistance to physical and magical attacks. That thoughtful gesture made him sincerely thankful.
And so, Yakumo, Noir, Aries, Leo, and Libra, five in total, stepped out of the castle, heading toward what looked like a fortress…