Versatile: Alternate World

I still remember how destructive this dragon was in the past timeline. This guy singlehandedly burned all of the defenses on the anti-rebellion that we almost lost in the past timeline. But seeing this dragon again made my nerves a bit nervous. If this dragon nearly destroyed us in the past timeline, what could possibly happen as we face it now?

I remembered that this dragon specializes in the Flame elements and if we fight it here, this place will soon turn into an arena of flames. I won't be worried as I can easily absorb and convert the flames as HP due to the buff I added to my armor last time. But Harmless Sparrow and Sigma, have no resistance or immunity to flame attacks. If it stayed the same as in the past timeline, it would only take them a few minutes before they get defeated.

Should I tell them what to do or just let everything flow? Perhaps the latter is still the best option.

As we got closer, Sigma who has the sharpest nose of the three of us, smelled something.

"Guys, have you smelled that?" Sigma keeps on sniffing in the air.

Harmless Sparrow and I also sniff the air and I suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

"Huh? That smell..." Harmless Sparrow immediately caught on to the smell.

"That's grilled meat, right? I can't be wrong with the smell," I keep sniffing to make sure I am not just smelling stuff.

"Certainly grilled meat but I don't just smell meat but also some whiff of vegetables. Is someone currently doing a barbecue session?!" Sigma is currently conflicted.

"Calm down. We don't even know if it was a real barbeque smell we are smelling or it is just some kind of plant that emit that kind of smell," I reasoned though that clearly holds no backbone as this smell is clearly barbecue and not just a random smell.

"Guys, look at that. The dragon was actually not sleeping. It seems it was doing something and... guys, look, that's clearly smoke. Are you guys thinking what I am thinking?" Harmless Sparrow looked at us and the two of us started nodding.

That is clearly the smell of barbecue. So, does that mean this dragon is currently grilling vegetables and meat? We are not just smoking some weeds and seeing things here right?

Before we can approach, the dragon turned in our direction, and before we can even hide, the dragon locked eyes with us.

"Humans? Are you guys, explorers? What are you guys doing in my abode?"

I almost broke a sweat as the dragon started speaking. The dragon did not directly speak but is talking directly about our minds. This is not just something I have expected as dragons who can perform telepathic abilities are something known in the game as High Dragons. They are known to possess extreme intelligence. They are not just mindless monsters but they are known to be something that can be reasoned with. They also lived long enough in the world to know many things that people don't know.

Based on the voice I can hear on my head, the dragon is a guy.

Harmless Sparrow and Sigma are ready to fight but I signaled them to bring down their weapons. They have doubts about doing so but I just shook my head.

"We apologize for intruding in your abode, mighty dragon. We are one of the adventurers currently helping the nearby village. We came in here after the scouts discovered a dragon living here. Because they are afraid that the dragon would go on a rampage and burn down the village as a result, they want us to go and investigate whether we needed to fight the dragon and drive it away."

"Oh, so you mean me? That's understandable but next time, don't do this to other dragons. You guys are lucky that I don't really have any interest in fighting unless necessary. Since you guys seem to be only here because I am a dragon and are here to check out whether I was a threat or not is a sign that you guys are not here to hunt me down. You lot would immediately have attacked me before I can even explain," the dragon then turned back to what he was currently doing and flips one of the pieces of meat that is currently on a big flat rock before him that is already sizzling hot.

Harmless Sparrow could not resist and decided to go and ask.

"Umm, I don't mean to be rude... but are you currently grilling meat?"

"Hmmm? Yeah, I am. Eating meat and vegetables together while being heated up by flames is one of the best ways to consume food. Sure, it is time-consuming but it enhances the flavor of the food. I heard humans eat this way as well."

"Yeah. We call it Barbecue."

"Barbecue eh? I don't understand the naming but somehow it makes sense for some unknown reason. Anyways, since I am here eating, how about you also eat some food too? I have plenty of meat here with me and I am a bit lonely eating this alone. You guys could accompany me in eating."

"Wait, really? You would let us eat too?"

"Of course. When I was still a little kid, my previous master usually cook food this way with me on his side and we eat and laughed together. I kind of miss the feeling of it already. That it would be great if you guys could join me. You lot are not afraid of me despite being a dragon and if that is the case, perhaps you guys would be happy to join me at the feast.

I looked at Harmless Sparrow and Sigma. Compared to Harmless Sparrow who is clearly excited, Sigma is currently having mixed feelings based on the look on her face alone.

The dragon seems to have noticed Sigma's reaction and laughed.

"Hahaha, looks like everyone is not on the ride with my suggestion. That is fine especially since I am a dragon. But if you are not comfortable with eating meat from my source, how about you can just sit alone and talk with me? All I needed is a company to talk with."

I pat Sigma on her shoulder.

"I will go and cook then if you are uncomfortable with the dragon's meat to eat. I have some food here with me. We can just use that instead."

That's the only time SIgma decided to agree.

"Alright, fine."

We sit down in front of the dragon. Although the dragon is massive and the flat rock he is using to cook is massive, it was situated low enough for us to see how big the chunk of meat he was cooking was.

"I just realized that you guys seemed to be the wingless people I keep hearing about. So it was true that some people don't have wings on their back by default?" the dragon started asking to spark a conversation with us.

"We just arrived here after the Goddess Titania asked us to help out with the crisis in the continent," Sigma answered while still looking at the dragon full of the guard.

"Oh, the pioneers right? I heard that you guys defeated a massive enemy down the continent. It was the talk of all creatures about your deeds and that sooner or later, you wingless will also make their way to our continent as well."

"Was our arrival here in the continent shaken up the peace here?" Harmless Sparrow asked.

"Nah, this place is already chaotic already before you guys arrived here. Lately, it's a little bit more peaceful compared to the constant chaos I keep seeing from the monsters and some abnormalities here and there so I guess the presence of you wingless here, might have at least cut down the chaos quite a bit."

"You seemed to be not bothered by our arrival and you are not even much surprised," Sigma noticed.

"I may look big but I am once a pet by a wingless before. It was so long and my previous owner is already dead. Since his parents didn't want me, I decided to live on my own in the wild. But thanks to what my master taught me, I am able to survive just fine."

He then started flipping the big meat on the rock and the smell of the meat smelled good. It was like he put some kind of stuff on it like spices. After that, the dragon picked it up and opened his massive mouth, and with a massive chomp, he devours the meat and licks the sauce on his hands.

"Yum, I never get over the taste of the meat you hunted and grilled. Never understood dragons eating raw meat and not cooking them even though they can control flames.

I see now. Because of the dragon's friendliness, is enough of a reason for it to join the rebels. But based on his words, its either something threatened his home for him to participate or something else happened that made him change his mind and join the fight in the past timeline.