However, in stark contrast to my confusion, the black dragon greeted me cheerfully.
"Zabiria... right?"
Yeah, this high, clear voice belongs to Zabiria.
"Eh? Have you already forgotten me?"
The large, beautiful black dragon lowered its head dejectedly.
I hurriedly stroked the dragon's scales.
"N-no, that's not it. Zabiria, haven't you grown? Your wings and body are impressive, and your scales are shining brightly. You're completely different from four months ago."
"Hehe, it's because I'm in my growth spurt. I'll get bigger."
"Growth spurt? E, how old are you, Zabiria?"
"Zero years old."
"Z, Zero—!!"
A baby declaration, of all things!
Since dragons are known to live long, I thought you'd be older.
"Z, Zabiria, it's okay—Fia Mama will take care of you. Do you want to eat something—?"
"Hehe, dragon and human ages are different. In human terms, I'm about 12 to 13 years old. And in less than half a year, I'll become an adult dragon."
"A, a, really? So, you're still going to grow?"
"Yeah, probably about twice my current size."
U—n. I clutched my head.
I was worried that Zabiria might be bullied by other monsters, so I thought of bringing him back if he agreed, but this size is a bit difficult. Besides, he wouldn't even fit in my room.
Zabiria looked at me curiously and asked,
"Did something happen? Can I help?"
"I thought about bringing you back with me, but you're much bigger than I expected, so I was thinking you wouldn't fit in the building."
"Eh? You'll take me with you?"
Zabiria's blue eyes sparkled.
"Yeah, that was my intention, but Zabiria's size..."
"Then, I'll get smaller!"
Saying that, Zabiria shrank rapidly and eventually became small enough to fit in my palms.
"Z, Z, Z, Zabiria. What are you doing? Is your body okay? Won't this affect your growth spurt?"
"Yeah, it's fine. This isn't reverting to a juvenile form due to injury; it's just shrinking."
"H, huh—..."
Honestly, I didn't understand the difference, but I decided to go along with it. The problem was...
"Zabiria, can you change your color? Black-winged creatures are only black dragons, so even if you shrink, the black color might be a problem."
Zabiria looked dejected.
"...Sorry, Fia. I'm proud of my black color, and that pride prevents me from changing it."
"I see. Then... hehe, I have an idea! Zabiria, can you hunt bird-type monsters?"
"It's an easy task, but, Fia, I've never seen your good ideas lead to good results."
While saying this, Zabiria returned to his original size. Then, he asked me to cover my ears, and when I did, he opened his large mouth and roared.