Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 29

“Ugh!”

He didn’t want to jeopardize this hard-earned opportunity by letting his excitement get the better of him.

So, clinging to his last shred of reason, he resolved to prove that his intentions weren’t driven by ulterior motives.

Words weren’t necessary; a simple demonstration would suffice.

“Ugh! Fearless human, listen closely. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say that with any… intention.”

He yearned to reveal his true form, to prove he wasn’t merely human.

However, fearing the terror that a dragon might inspire in humans, he opted for a different approach.

Suddenly, Ji-kyun was bathed in a dazzling light. His physique gradually shrank and softened, his short hair cascading into longer strands.

Kang Chan stared, mesmerized by the transformation.

As the light subsided, Ji-kyun stood before him, utterly changed.

Kang Chan, startled by the sight, instinctively squeezed his eyes shut.

Ji-kyun, now with her eyes open, clicked her tongue at Kang Chan, who refused to look. “Hey! I transformed for *your* sake, and you can’t even open your eyes?”

Her voice, sharp and clear, was a far cry from the deep tones he’d heard before. But Kang Chan couldn’t bring himself to look.

For Ji-kyun was no longer a man, but a woman.

Moreover, she was a naked, green-haired beauty, unadorned.

Kang Chan, inexperienced and awkward around women, couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze.

“P, please… put some clothes on.”

Seeing Kang Chan’s face flush crimson, Ji-kyun smiled, momentarily forgetting her earlier annoyance. Having lived countless human lives, Kang Chan’s reaction struck her as endearingly innocent.

“More innocent than I expected, are we?”

With a hint of amusement in her voice, Ji-kyun manipulated the fabric of her discarded clothes, reshaping them into a new outfit.

“All done.”

At her words, Kang Chan cautiously opened his eyes, only to gasp again.

“Hoo!”

Ji-kyun was indeed clothed, but her attire was barely more concealing than nudity itself.

If anything, it was more provocative. She wore hot pants the size of his palm, practically underwear, and a flimsy, see-through t-shirt.

Her figure was unlike the delicate grace of elves.

Elves possessed a slender build, while Ji-kyun was slim, glamorous, and voluptuous.

Her face had softened, losing its boyish edge, but remained strikingly beautiful.

She was the epitome of a ‘bagel’ type beauty [a Korean slang term for a woman with a baby face and a glamorous body].

Her stunning face was framed by long, emerald curls, her beauty radiating even without jewelry.

Having lived as a human so often, Ji-kyun understood human preferences all too well.

Kang Chan struggled to maintain his composure, overwhelmed by Ji-kyun’s alluring appearance.

‘N, no way! How can a man suddenly become a woman?’

He mentally recited a mantra to calm his racing heart.

‘What’s in front of me is a man, what’s in front of me is a man, what’s in front of me… gasp!’

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Ji-kyun had closed the distance, her face mere inches from his.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Kang Chan’s face burned as he averted his gaze, trying to avoid looking at her beautiful face.

But his eyes were drawn to the tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage, forcing him to look at the ceiling.

“Where are you looking now? Look at me. Do you still think I’m a weirdo?”

Kang Chan no longer saw her as a man who liked men.

Now, she simply looked like a woman.

A very sexy woman.

“Not anymore, but… how can a man turn into a woman?”

“It’s a 10-circle high-level magic called Safe Change. It’s not a low-level magic like Polymorph or Hex that only changes the appearance momentarily, but a magic that only dragons can do that completely changes even the gender from the characteristics of the race. But what I want to tell you is not about this magic, but about our dragons. I’m telling you this to clear up the misunderstanding earlier. Usually, everyone knows about it, but you are unique in that you don’t know about our dragons themselves, so I have no choice but to explain it to you like this. Please listen carefully. Originally, our dragons don’t have genders. That’s because we are hermaphrodites. So, our original appearance is different from humans or other races in that there is no difference in gender. Of course, we don’t have feelings like sexual desire. We only imitate it depending on the situation.”

Kang Chan struggled to grasp the explanation, but one point resonated clearly.

Dragons were genderless hermaphrodites, devoid of sexual desire.

“Do you understand what I’m saying now? Can you understand now that I didn’t say let’s be friends to satisfy strange desires?”

Kang Chan nodded slowly.

“Okay, thank you for understanding.”

A moment of silence hung between them.

The misunderstanding resolved, the atmosphere felt somewhat awkward.

Ji-kyun, a year older, broke the silence. “But you know, I’ve always been curious about something. Why do human males like this female’s breasts so much? I really don’t understand that. Do you like this too?”

Ji-kyun punctuated her question by cupping her breasts with both hands.

The gesture created a tantalizing silhouette beneath the sheer t-shirt, threatening Kang Chan’s fragile innocence.

“Ah, no, I don’t really….”

“Is that so? You’re quite unique. When I lived with humans on the continent in this form, wars broke out because of me. When I think of the two kings who fought like crazy to have me, I still laugh. Hehehe.”

At her mischievous words, Kang Chan blushed, lost in thought.

‘Maybe….’

While Kang Chan was seriously contemplating Ji-kyun’s words, Ji-kyun cleared her throat and spoke. “Anyway, can you please be my friend?”

Kang Chan met Ji-kyun’s earnest gaze. “If you were just lonely, there would be other people or your own kind, so why do you want to be friends with me so much?”

“That’s because you don’t know the dragon race.”

“Just because of that?”

Seeing Kang Chan’s puzzled expression, Ji-kyun elaborated. “You don’t know much about dragons, but dragons are stronger than any other race in this world. It’s like an immutable truth. But the world is rejected as much as it is strong. So, it’s really difficult for dragons to naturally get along with other races without hiding themselves.”

Ji-kyun conveniently omitted the more unsavory reasons why people feared dragons.

They are masters of murder, robbery, arson, and other violent crimes.

“Of course, if I asked another human besides you to be my friend, he would definitely try to be my friend with his eyes on fire. But such a human is just trash who wants the power of a dragon, not me, Ji-kyun. That said, it’s even more difficult for us to be friends with the same kind. Dragons are so selfish that they are very reluctant to interact with other dragons. Of course, I used to be like that too, but as I got older, I suddenly wanted to have a friend who truly understood me. That’s what I found in you.”

Ji-kyun pointed at herself, then Kang Chan, who responded in surprise. “Me?”

“That’s right. For some reason, I thought that you would accept me, Green Dragon G. Ji-kyun, as a friend as I am. You’re the only human who has ever been so confident in front of me, even knowing that I’m a dragon. So, I really like you.”

Listening to Ji-kyun, Kang Chan began to question whether the dragon before him was truly such a formidable creature.

He no longer felt fear, only a growing curiosity.

Perhaps befriending her wouldn’t be detrimental.

Having such a powerful ally would be reassuring, especially since he would be living alone here.

As Kang Chan weighed the pros and cons of friendship, Ji-kyun asked again, her tone serious. “So, can’t you please be my friend? If you don’t want to, I won’t bother you again.”

Kang Chan, recognizing the finality of her request, decided to accept.

“What am I that you’re so serious about it? It would be more of an honor for me to have a friend like you.”

“S, so you?”

“Yes, we are friends from today.”

“Oh!”

Ji-kyun, in her female form, rushed to Kang Chan and grasped his hand.

“Friends, you say? We’re friends, you say? Hehehe!”

“But.”

Kang Chan’s hesitant tone prompted Ji-kyun to ask, “Why? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s not that, but when I heard you talk. You seem to be very old, wouldn’t it be better to be brothers than friends?”

Ji-kyun burst into laughter, slapping Kang Chan on the back. “Hehehe! It’s okay! It’s okay! Just call me Ji-kyun comfortably, and from now on, you can talk to me informally. What’s the point of a friend using honorifics to a friend! Hehehe!”

Relieved of the obligation to use honorifics, Kang Chan still felt a bit awkward, but he complied. “S, shall I?”

“Of course, of course! Today, to commemorate our friendship, I’ll buy you a drink!”

“Alcohol?”

“Yes! I have a lot of very precious alcohol in my lair, and if I don’t drink it on a good day like this, when will I drink it? Hehehe!”

The mention of precious alcohol piqued Kang Chan’s interest, having only tasted low-grade liquor and homemade fruit wine.

“Then it would be better to go right away.”

And so, the two drank until they were drunk that night, forging an unpretentious friendship that transcended race and age.

The meeting of heroes that would be remembered in the history of the universe began with alcohol.