"Where's Barghest? Have you taken her back already?"
Under the moonlight, beside the half-finished city wall, Mélusine smelled the scent of blood in the air as she asked Ian, who was beside her.
"I took her back."
Ian answered Mélusine's question while touching his own face.
"Hey!"
"That's a bit much!"
Mélusine, understanding perfectly what this meant, put her hands on her hips.
"Even if Barghest kissed you many more times on the way back, you don't have to act like this, do you?"
"Don't tell me you're still savoring it?"
"Mhm."
Ian nodded.
"Because no one has ever done that before."
"Never."
"No, you..."
Ian's response left Mélusine completely speechless.
This was especially true since she knew, in his heart, he was being completely honest.
"Forget it."
"Do whatever you want."
"But—"
Mélusine's eyes scanned him up and down.
"Why did you ask me to come out tonight?"
"..."
As if he had just thought of something, Ian spoke directly:
"Can you give me your hand?"
"Give you my hand?"
"Mhm."
Although she didn't know what Ian was planning, Mélusine still held out her hand.
"You... you're not planning on doing something, ew—"
The moment Mélusine held out her hand, Ian grabbed it and threw her into the air.
The next moment, he transformed into a dragon and took flight with her.
A fierce gale rose from the ground, blowing away the lingering scent of blood.
One dragon and one person (or perhaps, two dragons) soared into the skies over Camelot.
"You idiot!"
Mélusine couldn't help but complain as she watched the buildings shrink below and the clouds grow thinner.
"Why did you suddenly just take off!"
"Roar—"
Ian only roared.
But his flight speed slowed down noticeably.
And as his speed decreased, Mélusine could feel that he was intentionally passing over every part of Camelot.
The castle, the market, the taverns, everything.
Mélusine was not slow-witted.
She quickly understood Ian's meaning.
"Are you saying... you want me to take a better look at Camelot?"
WHOOSH—
WHOOSH—
The great dragon's wings beat noticeably faster.
"You..."
She still didn't fully understand Ian's meaning, but Mélusine's tone had softened considerably.
She could feel that he was doing something for her.
Come to think of it—
Although I've been in Camelot for a while now,
I've never really taken a good look at this place.
Since he's gone to this trouble...
Mélusine lay down on Ian's back.
A dragon's body was solid; even a place like its back was hard as a rock.
It was certainly not what one would call comfortable.
But...
Mélusine felt very happy.
The dragon's silhouette passed over the sky again and again, like a tireless whirlwind.
"Camelot's castle is still quite large—"
"Roar—"
"The market and all, it's very impressive—"
"Roar—"
"And the taverns scattered around the city are beautiful too—"
"Roar—"
"Can you answer me in a different way?"
"Hey, hey, hey! I didn't mean use body language!"
After a flight that was slightly long but sufficiently romantic, Ian brought Mélusine down to land gently on the old city wall.
Having returned to his human form, he appeared before her in the most sincere way possible.
"You!"
"Why are you not wearing clothes again!"
Mélusine's face was beet red as she looked at him.
This was especially true when her gaze fell upon that impossibly large part of him.
"Because this is how it was in the sea."
"Mother told me it was fine to be like this—"
"The sea is the sea, and the city is the city!"
Mélusine felt like Ian was going to drive her crazy.
His appearance was so normal and even quite attractive, so how could his mind be like this!
"You need to find a way to get some clothes on in the future!"
Just as Mélusine finished speaking, she saw Ian walking towards her, step by step.
A bad feeling began to spread in her heart.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
"If you come any closer, I'm going to scream for help!"
It was no use.
Ian continued to walk towards her, step by step.
"You're not mad about that, are you?!"
"I was just saying it casually!"
"If you don't want to listen, just pretend I never said it!"
Still no use.
The distance between Ian and Mélusine continued to shrink.
Until he had backed her against the wall.
Aside from that one time of ultimate humiliation, Mélusine realized this was the first time she had been this close to him.
She could even feel his breath, his heartbeat, and...
His... that.
It was pressing against her.
And it was harder than she had imagined.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"I won't agree to anything that goes too far!"
Mélusine grew more and more anxious.
"No! You can't do anything at all!"
"I am a member of the Knights of the Round Table, you're being very inappropriate right now, you know that?!"
It had no effect.
Ian was still getting closer.
Soon, Mélusine felt his gaze completely lock onto her.
Then came his words.
"Mélusine, can you not leave Camelot?"
"Eh?"
She had expected some kind of profane words, but never a plea like this.
Mélusine was a little confused.
"Ian, what do you mean?"
"Weren't you planning to leave Camelot?"
"When did I ever say..."
Halfway through her sentence, Mélusine suddenly understood.
Today, when the three Knights of the Round Table were discussing Artoria's ideas, she had expressed her doubts very seriously.
But Ian had taken it as a farewell to Camelot.
"If you're not satisfied with a place, you can't possibly stay, right?"
And so—
That's why he had taken her flying all over the place tonight without a second word.
"You idiot!"
"Who said I was leaving!"
Mélusine glared at Ian.
Once she understood his thoughts, her previous shyness vanished.
"I would never just leave Camelot like this!"
"I..."
Mélusine stopped before she could finish.
Because Ian was already hugging her tightly.
And from his mouth, there was only one phrase:
"I'm so glad."
"..."
Although the warmth of his body made the hug a little awkward, Mélusine could also feel her own heart beating wildly.
"Ian, do you cherish me that much?"
"What does 'cherish' mean?"
"It means that if you lost this person, you would feel restless and anxious."
"Then I must cherish you very much."
Ian's words were serious, but at the same time, they carried an indescribable feeling.
No.
She was the one with the indescribable feeling.
He would do something like this just to keep her from leaving.
Really...
Feeling his breath, Mélusine's reason gradually began to blur.
"No one will come here tonight..."
"And no one will know we're here..."
"Ian—"
Mélusine turned her face to the side.
But her hand had already slid down his waist.
"Am I allowed, like Morgan, to find out just how powerful this is?"