This lady, I thought that she was crazy. But now that I stopped and think about it, she might be on to something.

After my confrontation with the humans and Beastmen, I sent both of them away from the mountain. Then, I invited Tina to my abode at the mountain peak.

She explained to me her situation.

"After I died, I was sent here by an old balding guy above the clouds."

"Uh-huh."

So she met some kind of godly figure and she was reincarnated?

"He asked a whole bunch of questions. I don't remember all of it but I remember him asking, 'What do you want to be on your next life?' and I answered, 'I want to be strong and free, where people won't be able to hurt me anymore.'"

"Uh-huh."

Yup. Dragons are pretty strong. And this godly figure have control over her form in her next life? And it seems like she had some misgivings on how she was treated in her previous life.

"But I didn't expect him to turn me into, THIS!" Tina started sobbing again.

Hey, hey, what's wrong with being a dragon?

"So you were a human who got reincarnated as a dragon, correct?"

"And I'm also from another world."

"Okay. So you were a human from another world, who got reincarnated as a dragon, and then got transported to this world?"

"YES! Just like an Isekai anime! But I didn't asked to be reincarnated into a dragon! He should have been more specific with his questions!"

"Ee-si-kay? And maybe you should have been more specific with your answers. It was your fate that's at stake after all."

"WHAT?! THIS. IT WAS MY FAULT?!"

"And besides, what's wrong with being a dragon? You wanted to be strong? Very few can measure up to our strength. You wanted to be free? No one is as free as a dragon! Unless you got cursed or sealed because you abused that freedom, and get stuck in a mountain where your only entertainment was watching other creatures kill each other..."

That was depressing. I rather not delve into my backstory.

"The way you talk right now was kind of different from when you were talking to, uh, those other persons. It was kind of weird. The funny kind of weird! Not weird, as in, bad weird. A good funny kind of weird."

Wait, is that a good thing?

"I am a figure of the highest importance in this forest. I must appear to them as wise and noble or they might lose their respect towards me."

"Hmm..."

She started staring intently towards me. It was a bit uncomfortable.

"W-what about you? You seem a bit too indifferent now compared to how you were earlier. You know, the way you shriek when you saw me back there, and other things."

"Well, I don't know. I can't explain it, but you don't look as frightening now as I thought you would be. It was as if..."

Again, I'm not sure what to feel about this. Everyone in this forest should fear me, I mean, that was my purpose here. On the other hand, I want her to like me so that I can finally have--

"...as if you were not that strong."

What? I thought I heard her say something ridiculous just now.

"What did you say?"

"I said, it was as if you were not that strong."

"AS IF, WHAT?!?"

My roar resonated throughout the forest. Like thousands of thunder clapped at the same time. The earth trembled with intensity, trying to cushion my furious rage. I let out my anger and my power flowed out of my body. And while all those things are happening, Tina was just standing in front of me...

"HAHA, kukuku... BWAHAHAHA!!"

...trying her best not to burst out laughing. And she's not doing a very job at it.

She was unfazed. Even after seeing my power, even when I was obviously upset, she was unfazed. She even started laughing uncontrollably. But even after a seemingly embarassing moment for me, when my pride as a dragon was questioned, when I saw her laughing, it was like my anger was being quelched. It was kind of odd.

This woman is interesting.

I stopped my outburst and calmed down. There was a brief silence between us, but I can faintly hear her muffed snickers.

Now that I've calmed down, I started to feel embarassed about my earlier outburst.

"Hahaha. Sorry about that, O mighty and powerful mountain dragon. You're so easy to tease."

It's like she's still mocking me.

"It would be for your own good to avoid 'teasing' other dragons, Tina. Especially someone as powerful as me."

"Hahaha, I'll try."

Unbelievable. She'll try?! That's all she have to say after seeing my rage? Her reactions was starting to be alarming. Why didn't my power fazed her?

"You didn't get afraid after all of that?"

"I've watched a whole lot of animes with dragons and stuff before that I got used to seeing those 'furious rage' thing they do when they're angry. It was kind of amazing to see it up close though. And it also helped that I'm the same... size... as you..."

She suddenly became quiet. Why?

"Waaaa. I don't wanna be a dragon! I don't want this huge body! How can I wear cute clothes or go to clubs? Waaaa."

Now she started crying. Is it a human thing, to be this irrational?

She really was so interesting.

"WAAAAAAA!!"

And noisy.

To be continued...