Chapter 227: Should I Take Her or Not?
Daenerys didn't tell Jhiqui that she had learned magic.
Instead, she made up an excuse—a suggestion that had come from Drogon.
The world was no longer what it had been over four hundred years ago during the height of the Valyrian Freehold.
Back then, magic had flourished.
People revered it and regarded it as something natural.
But in the present age...
Fear outweighed reverence.
Most people viewed magic with suspicion, not admiration.
If word spread that their empress could wield magic, it might provoke unease—or even outright rejection.
After hearing Drogon's reasoning, Daenerys recalled how wary she herself had once been of supernatural phenomena.
Reluctantly suppressing the urge to show off her new abilities, she decided to practice in secret for the time being.
Back in her room, she finished the dinner Jhiqui had prepared.
Still hungry, she asked for another plate of pastries.
Watching Daenerys devour so much food, then noticing the holes burned through her clothes, Jhiqui couldn't help glancing at Drogon, who was happily nibbling pastries beside the tray.
She couldn't help wondering...
Just where had he taken the empress that afternoon?
Why had she returned looking so disheveled—
And so exhausted?
Of course, a few pastries were nowhere near enough for Drogon's enormous appetite.
After eating only a couple, he flew off toward the grasslands.
Only there could he truly eat his fill.
Three hours later, he returned.
Daenerys was already nodding off with a book still open in her hands.
She had been excited after returning from the Kingswood.
But after calming down and reading for a while, sleepiness gradually overtook her.
She desperately wanted to crawl into bed.
Yet memories of the nightmares from several days ago lingered in her mind.
Without Drogon beside her, she didn't dare fall asleep.
So she forced herself to stay awake and continue reading.
Half-asleep, she finally noticed him returning.
Immediately setting the book aside, she stood, scooped him into her arms, stumbled to the bed...
And was asleep almost the moment she lay down.
Wrapped securely in Daenerys's embrace, breathing in the faint scent of the perfume lingering on her skin, Drogon made no attempt to wriggle free.
Now that his divine domain shield could completely protect her, there was technically no need for him to sleep beside her anymore.
But...
If he returned to his own little nest, Daenerys probably still wouldn't sleep peacefully, even without the nightmares.
Simply having him in her arms gave her peace of mind.
So Drogon quietly allowed himself to remain her living pillow.
With the experience he'd gained the previous night, his control over the divine domain had become even more refined.
He could now maintain the barrier at a constant size even while lightly asleep.
Over the following days, Drogon devoted himself to helping Daenerys practice magic.
Her progress was astonishing.
Before she had even mastered casting with her right hand, she had already begun teaching herself to cast with her left.
Soon afterward...
She started practicing firing spells with both hands in rapid succession.
Drogon had no intention of stopping her playful experimentation.
As long as she didn't burn another set of clothes, he was perfectly happy to let her enjoy herself.
Five days later, Daenerys's control over fire had improved tremendously.
As long as an opponent couldn't get close enough for hand-to-hand combat, even Daario would probably lose to her now.
Give her a little more real combat experience...
And even three Daarios might not be enough to defeat her.
That was the difference between an ordinary person...
And a true wielder of supernatural power.
To make up for her lack of battle experience, Drogon frequently sparred with her.
He feigned attacks, forcing her to react while improving both her casting speed and combat instincts.
Daenerys took every training session seriously.
Alternating between both hands, she hurled one fireball after another at Drogon.
Although he could effortlessly dodge every attack...
Sometimes, when several came in succession, he'd deliberately let one or two hit him just to encourage her.
It always made her beam with satisfaction.
Of course, Daenerys knew he was holding back.
Even so, every successful hit strengthened her confidence in her magic.
Seeing just how extraordinary her talent was, Drogon even began entertaining the idea of turning her into something resembling the Scarlet Witch of another world.
But before that...
There were more pressing matters demanding his attention.
The sinister presence was still lurking in the shadows.
The Frozen Sea and the Shadow Lands continued devouring the world little by little with every passing day.
How could he afford to spend all his time peacefully accompanying Daenerys as she practiced magic?
Thinking back over everything that had happened since arriving in this world, Drogon couldn't help wondering whether he was still cursed by the fate of an overworked office worker from his previous life.
He'd barely enjoyed a single carefree day.
Not long after hatching, he had been busy training his younger brother and sister.
Then came preventing Daenerys from falling into countless traps, helping her conquer the Seven Kingdoms and claim the Iron Throne.
After that...
Battling the Night King.
Defeating Adins.
And now... there was still so much left to do.
Now, every single night, he had to protect Daenerys while she slept, all the while worrying about the even greater dangers threatening this world.
The more Drogon thought about it...
The more he felt he truly had the fate of a workhorse.
Although the sinister presence had been kept at bay for now, who knew whether it might eventually change?
Today it merely harassed her dreams.
Tomorrow...
It might begin attacking directly.
If that happened, even his divine domain might no longer be enough to stop it.
Besides...
He increasingly suspected that the force tormenting Daenerys, the Night King, the Frozen Sea, and the Shadow Lands were somehow connected.
Unless he investigated personally, he would never feel at ease.
The problem was...
Because of the malicious presence, he couldn't stay away from Daenerys for long.
At best, he could only leave at dawn and return before nightfall.
He didn't know the exact distance between King's Landing and Asshai.
But he did know how far Qarth was.
Even flying from King's Landing to Qarth and back took well over ten hours.
Asshai lay even farther east.
Once time spent investigating there was added...
Returning within a single day would be extremely difficult.
Even so...
He had no choice.
The following evening, after returning to the bedroom, Drogon finally told Daenerys about his plan to travel to Asshai.
She stared at him in shock.
"Drogon... why are you going to Asshai? It's so far away."
[To save this world.]
He answered honestly.
"You..."
Believing he was simply refusing to tell her the real reason, Daenerys pouted in annoyance.
"Then I'm coming with you."
[What would you come for? King's Landing can't function without you. Besides, I might even return the very same day.]
Knowing she was speaking out of frustration, Drogon still tried to reason with her.
"Tyrion and the others are here. The empire won't fall apart just because I'm gone for a while."
Having spent every day buried in paperwork at the Red Keep, Daenerys had long since grown restless.
And after discovering magic...
She had become even more eager to see the world again.
If Drogon left on a distant journey, she would likely start suffering nightmares again without him.
Rather than staying behind...
She'd much rather travel with him.
Originally, Drogon intended to brush aside her request.
But hearing her reasoning...
An idea suddenly occurred to him.
If Daenerys traveled with him, he wouldn't have to worry about the sinister presence attacking her.
He also wouldn't need to exhaust himself flying back and forth every single day.
However...
The moment he thought about the horrifying mysteries of the Frozen Sea and the Shadow Lands...
He immediately abandoned the idea.
Naturally, he had no intention of taking Daenerys anywhere near either of those places.
But leaving her alone in somewhere like Asshai wasn't exactly reassuring either.
[Those places are too dangerous. It isn't safe for you.]
"I'm not afraid."
Daenerys proudly puffed out her chest.
"I know magic now."
[You may not be afraid, but I am.]
Drogon refused to believe that the little combat practice she'd gained by sparring with him was enough to keep her alive in a place like Asshai.
"No."
She folded her arms stubbornly.
"I'm going with you."
Seeing that Drogon still refused to agree, Daenerys resorted to shameless persistence.
Rather than rejecting her outright, Drogon fell into thought.
He genuinely wanted to bring her along.
He simply couldn't think of a reliable way to guarantee her safety.
Asshai was far too distant from King's Landing.
Neither Barristan nor Daario could accompany her there as bodyguards.
Then—
A flash of inspiration struck him.
If they couldn't...
Rhaegal or Viserion could.
The two younger dragons were far too large to remain at Daenerys's side constantly.
But guarding the outside of her room would be more than sufficient.
After all, Daenerys now possessed enough magic to protect herself from ordinary threats.
In that case...
As long as one of the younger dragons accompanied them, Drogon could leave it to guard Daenerys whenever he ventured into dangerous regions to investigate.
That would solve the biggest problem.
(End of Chapter)