Earl Lance!

Squid Girl abides by the unforgiving, primal laws of nature's jungle, a realm where the concepts of moral decorum and the survival dictates of human society hold no sway over her actions. In her eyes, these human rules are as insubstantial as mist, utterly failing to bind or influence her. Should she ever set foot in human world, the town or city unfortunate enough to host Squid Girl would soon top the charts for unexplained disappearances.

Cattle and other livestock might vanish without trace, sparking a frenzied whirl of investigations among detectives, mystics, and temple clergy, only for them to join the growing tally of the missing.

Fueled by a voracious curiosity, Squid Girl would undoubtedly seek to sample every unfamiliar sight and sensation the human world has to offer. Consider the chaos that would ensue from a sea creature, never before departed from the ocean's depths, suddenly thrust among us. Pigs, cows, and sheep? Unfamiliar creatures to her, she would likely ensnare them with her tentacles and devour them whole in a single gulp.

What about human children, seen for the first time? Curiosity might compel her to taste them gently before stowing them away as provisions for the leaner winter months.

And the myriad creatures of the forest, from birds to beasts? Never having encountered them, she would meticulously clean their fur before tossing them into her mouth to savor.

Even our architectural marvels would not be safe. Unacquainted with such structures, she might bite into a wall just to test its flavor.

Yes, this is the potential havoc Squid Girl might wreak upon her first foray into our domain. However, if she met a formidable human opponent, her instinct for self-preservation would kick in, driving her to flee. After all, the urge to survive is a deeply ingrained instinct shared by all living creatures.

Despite her simplicity, Squid Girl's presence is profoundly menacing. This is precisely why he hesitates to bring her into our world.

"Then I won't eat humans, and just go to see the human world you mentioned. Is that okay?" she proposed innocently.

"No," was the firm reply.

"Why not?"

"Because I have no plans to visit the human world anytime soon."

"When you decide to go, please take me with you. Consider it my heartfelt request."

At this, several tentacles, stretching over ten meters long, burst forth from the water and flailed about in the air. Lance quickly contained these severed appendages within a magical circle. These were not Squid Girl's limbs but belonged to other giant squids that shared her domain.

As the ruler of this marine territory, Squid Girl wielded absolute authority over its denizens, directing their fates at her whim.

"This is my reciprocation," she declared.

Fruit after fruit catapulted from Lance's draconic horns, arcing through the air towards the aquatic maiden, splashing down beside her in the sea. Lance remained unconcerned about the fruits drifting away; the dancing shadows beneath the waves were Squid Girl's tentacles, patiently waiting to catch them.

"Black Dragon! I am vexed! The terms of our agreement stipulated that you would escort me to the human world!" she protested vehemently.

"I refuse."

"My anger is real!"

"Shall we settle this with a battle?"

"I have no desire to fight you. Instead, I implore you, please, lead me to the human world for a glimpse. I promise to heed your commands there. If you forbid me from consuming humans, I won't. Whatever you ask of me, I'll comply. Please, don't view me as fully grown; I am, in truth, not yet an adult."

"Are you capable of that?"

"Yes, I am."

"Alright then. One day, when I venture to the human world, I'll be sure to come and fetch you."

"Black Dragon, I've grown rather fond of you, you alien from the deep sea. If that pesky neighboring eel, the one that zaps electricity and aims to devour you to transform into a dragon, dares to strike again, I'll stand by you and we can defeat it together."

"We'll talk more later. Let's go."

"Wait, just one more question."

"Go ahead."

"May I visit your territory in the sea to spend time with you?"

"No."

What a miserly Black Dragon. So miserly, indeed, that he took to the skies and flew away.

Later, the evil dragon threw a bonfire party.

The main dish was the octopus legs gifted by Squid Lady, transformed into a dish called "Sizzling Octopus." As he placed them on the hot iron grill, they hissed and sputtered, filling the air with their enticing aroma.

The entire island community was present, including Marly, Turtle, and her surrogate young dragon.

Marly belched infernal flames, helping the dragon prepare the sizzling octopus.

Turtle served a dual purpose, acting as both a guest and a makeshift dining table.

The dragon assigned tasks: she, the young dragon, was to wash vegetables and stoke the fire.

Two types of alcohol were on offer, one a mild fruit wine for her and Turtle, while the dragon and Marly opted for the potent white liquor.

The delightful scent of the octopus cooking and the crackle of the firewood gave Lucia a moment of reflection. She mused that if only their neighbors weren't those fearsome deep-sea monsters, it would be quite pleasant to stay here longer. Better yet if she could stop accidentally bumping into Turtle. She didn't need to learn the dragon language just yet, but she still had to manage the tricky task of 'hitting Turtle'. Continuing at this rate, she mused, might prepare her well for future challenges, like taking on a griffin.

Her thoughts wandered until her gaze settled on Lance, the dragon who seemed to thoroughly relish his existence. He knew how to savor life's finer things, eating, drinking, and playing. Such a dragon's life seemed enviably splendid.

This brought her to ponder why Lance, evidently not weak, lived without a family.

"Lance, do you have a family?"

"No."

"You're so formidable. Why not start a family?"

"I can't afford them."

Lucia nearly burst into laughter, reminded of a previous conversation about bounty hunters in the human world.

"Poor bounty hunters," she thought, recalling how they claimed, 'With enough money, even the gods will be crushed underfoot.'

Would the slogan of a financially destitute evil dragon be even more outrageous if someone were to endow him with a vast fortune? Perhaps.

Indeed, the poor evil dragon tends to keep things understated.

That night, when I inquired about his thoughts on acquiring wealth, he confessed a certain reluctance: "I fear the gods might crush me if I flaunt too much fortune."

"But imagine this," Lance teased, "if you come into money someday, you could give me a substantial amount to help you start a family. How about that?"

His reply came with a smirk. "When you have money in the future, just hand it all over to me. I'll manage it for you."

"???" I was taken aback. Was he jesting about coveting a young dragon's future wealth?

"Just try it," he chuckled, handing me two skewers of grilled octopus. That evening, he didn't just stop at grilled octopus; he also prepared octopus balls and various grilled meats.

It seemed he sensed my earlier fright. Tonight, he intended to use the feast and the fruit wine to soothe my nerves, ensuring I wouldn't be plagued by nightmares.

Taking a skewer, I offered it back to him. "Try some."

"No, I'll eat after everything else is cooked. You go ahead. Drink more fruit wine too, there's no class tomorrow. Drink until you're merrily buzzed and can sleep soundly."

"Okay."

I couldn't wait to pop open a bottle of fruit wine. Back in the imperial capital, a glass of milk was my nightly ritual, sometimes accompanied by a little red wine to aid sleep. Since being brought to the island by the evil dragon, I hadn't had milk or wine; just self-hypnosis to lull myself to sleep.

Tonight was different. I was determined to savor several bottles of fruit wine.

After all, I wasn't one to babble drunkenly. I'd simply drift off to sleep once I'd had enough.

It was perfect.

The beach set against the bright moon, the warmth of the bonfire, delectable food, the tangy sweetness of the fruit wine, and the fresh fruits, it was shaping up to be a splendid evening.

Suddenly, Turtle nudged me with its shell, a silent plea for some fruit wine. I obliged, opening a few more bottles and sharing some sips with Turtle.

"Lance, the diamond bracelet on your horn seems to be glowing."

"Really?" He looked puzzled, then noticed it too. "Ah, it appears I've received a message."

A square jade seal, intricately carved with mythical beasts on all sides, emerged from the glowing ring and hovered in midair.

The seal projected a beam of light, casting words of light and shadow into the night: [My Lord Viscount, we have assisted Grand Duke MacDonald in his successful rebellion. To express gratitude for your support, the new King has elevated your title.

From this day forward, you shall be known as Earl Lance.]

"???"