She gave me a normal hug, nothing strange about it.

Her arms wrapped around me, warm and steady, while rubbing her face lightly against my chest.

It felt natural, almost casual, and for a moment I just stood there, surprised by how simple it was.

I thought it was cute, that small gesture, so without overthinking it, I hugged her back.

My arms settled around her shoulders, and I let out a slow breath, letting the moment stretch.

We stayed like that.

Seconds passed, then minutes, and the hug didn't change.

No rush, no words, just the quiet closeness between us.

Her head rested there, unmoving, and I could feel her breathing, calm and even.

At first, it felt nice, grounding even, like time had slowed down just for us.

But as the minutes dragged on, ten of them by my count, that stillness started to itch at me.

My mind wandered, my attention drifted, and the warmth that was comforting at first became dull.

Eventually, I snapped back to myself and gently pulled away, breaking the hug.

The air felt cooler the moment we separated.

Lucy reacted almost at the same time, stepping back as if the spell holding the moment together had finally released.

"So," I said, shaking my arms a little, trying to sound casual, "did the spell charge, yes?"

Lucy's face turned bright red in an instant, the color rushing up to her cheeks.

She cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and nodded, trying to regain her composure.

"Yes," she said, her voice steady now, "My Ragnar energy is fully charged now."

The shift in her mood was quick.

Her eyes moved away from me and turned toward Emilia.

Her expression hardened, playful softness was replaced by something firm and commanding.

When she spoke again, her voice carried an authoritative tone that left no room for argument.

"Come here, pet," Lucy said clearly, "or we will leave you here."

Emilia, still under the potion, looked lost for half a second, like her mind was struggling to catch up.

It was as if only one neuron at best was working, firing slowly and badly.

Then panic hit her all at once.

Her eyes widened, her lower lip trembled, and she rushed toward us without thinking, her movements clumsy and desperate.

"No," she cried, her voice breaking, "don't leave me here."

She reached us, clutching at us like a lifeline, her fear raw and obvious.

Once we were all close enough, Lucy lifted her hand.

The air around us seemed to tighten, like the world was holding its breath.

The spell finished, and with a sudden flash of light, bright and blinding, everything vanished.

The next moment, we were falling.

It wasn't a long fall, but it was enough to knock the air out of my lungs when we landed.

Wet grass pressed against my hands and knees, cold and slick.

I groaned and pushed myself up, blinking as my eyes adjusted.

The smell hit me first, fresh earth mixed with something heavy and alive.

When I looked around, I realized we were in an open field stretching far in every direction.

The field was filled with cows.

At least, that's what my mind tried to say at first.

Large shapes, grazing, moving slowly through the grass.

But as I took a closer look, my eyes shot wide open, and my breath caught in my throat.

These weren't normal, everyday cows.

My heart started pounding as the details became clear.

They were cow women.

Human bodies mixed with cow features, each one of them had massive milkers. And a huge ass.

I really wanted to take one with me back home…

One of them was bent down in doggy style, calmly munching grass like it was the most normal thing in the world.

My breath quickened into sharp, rabid gasps before I could stop myself, shock running straight through me.

Lucy noticed immediately.

She stood beside me, completely calm, and gave me an amusing look, one eyebrow raised slightly.

There was a hint of a smile on her lips when she spoke.

"If that's your reaction when seeing cow women for the first time,"

she said lightly, "then what will you do when seeing a succubus?"

Her tone was teasing, but it snapped me out of my stunned state.

I cleared my throat quickly and forced myself to stand up straight, trying to look composed.

"No," I said, waving it off, "I was just taken aback by them."

Back in the Kobold tribe, we didn't meet one of them.

Lucy nodded, accepting the explanation without pushing it further.

She lifted her hand and gestured toward the distance.

Far away, beyond the rolling field, I could see the outline of a city.

Its walls caught the light, standing solid against the horizon.

"After overthrowing the nobles," Lucy said, her voice turning more serious,

"Those rebels took over the biggest city."

They're making a city-nation themselves, where, as they claim, it would be democratic.

Her words made my stomach tighten.

I followed her gaze, staring at the distant city.

My face hardened as the weight of what she said settled in.

"Are they nuts?" I asked bluntly.

"Don't they realize that's a direct challenge toward royalty?"

Lucy shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling easily.

"I kinda get them," she replied.

"They've been oppressed for so many years."

"They want their own home."

She paused, then her expression softened.

A small smile appeared as she continued.

"Besides, I'm sure when they meet the new king, they will drop this idea."

I looked at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Okay," I said, exhaling, "so let's make our way."

As soon as the words left my mouth, there was a sudden movement beside me.

Emilia rushed forward, her earlier fear completely replaced by excitement.

Her eyes sparkled brightly, almost glowing, and she grabbed onto my arm with eager energy.

"My time has come," she said, her voice filled with joy.

"Please, master, use me as your mount and let's make a cool entrance there."

Her enthusiasm was intense, almost overwhelming.

I stopped her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

Then I shook my head.

"We can't, Emilia," I said firmly.

"They would get scared seeing a dragon coming at them."

The excitement drained from her face just a little.

Confusion flickering across her features as she tried to understand.

I kept my tone calm, grounding, as the field stretched around us.

The distant city waiting, and the strange world ahead standing silent, watching our next move.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.