>>29987
Translation Notes:
1: This founding mother is called "Lady Ryuusen" in the original (machine) translation. Naturally, there is no furigana telling us how to read it, so we can't know for sure the "right way". I, however, have written it as "Tatsuizumi", and here's why:
I wanted to avoid any and all ambiguity with the name of the village itself, due to the fact that in Japanese, the village is 竜泉郷, written with 竜 (our catch-all dragon kanji), and the name of the character is 龍泉, written with 龍, which is also the specific kanji used for this specific species of dragon. A Japanese reader would be able to immediately tell them apart as different, so we should be able to do this in English too.
Let's get back to what I mentioned before about the 'Chinese pronunciations' of kanji- "ryuusen" would also be the on'yomi of 龍泉. The kun'yomi (or "Japanese pronunciation") would be "Tatsuizumi". On'yomi is, as I mentioned before, the standard reading for compounds, but, and this is important, not so much for names. For a real-world example, read as a noun, 高原 would be pronounced as "kougen", and refers to plateaus. Read as a proper noun, AKA a name, 高原 would be pronounced most typically as "Takahara". Yeah, Japanese is a tricky language. Also there's apparently a sake brewery called Tatsuizumi! Cool!
I am giving you all of this information to back up my decisions because I am an autist and you'll just have to deal with that.
2: "Hostess" is a pretty meh translation for 女将, which refers very specifically to the female proprietresses of traditional Japanese establishments, but it's what I went with because it's what sounds the least clunky in English, even if I'm sacrificing that quintessential "this is a very Japanese thing" that 女将 implies. In the notes it goes.
Unfulfilled Souls
Dragon Zombie
Approachability: ★
Risk of encountering a wild specimen:★★★★★
There are times when especially proud dragons may end their lives as solitary beings, never having mated with a human man. In these circumstances, monster mana responds in kind to that most deeply-held lingering regret and amasses, causing them to come to life once more as dragon zombies.
The pride they possessed as dragons, along with their reason, has melted away in exchange for a body whose decay has been halted by mana. All that remains within them are the lingering attachments and regrets that they never mated with a human man, and thus, an avaricious desire to breed with a man who crosses their path and have children. Dragon zombies are always in heat, and once they catch sight of a human man, they heed their instincts and attack him in an attempt to have sex. Since their reason has rotted away, their intelligence is inferior to the time where they were once dragons, but once one is captured by a dragon zombie, there is no escape from their sheer brute strength.
Dragon zombies represent substantial danger to human men, but in Dragonia, the abundance of opportunities to mate with a human makes it so that dragons passing away alone is quite uncommon. In turn, witnessing such a peril within the Empire is exceptionally rare. But the same cannot be said of the Dragon’s Graveyard, located on the outskirts of the Dragonian Territories. It is where the remains of the dragons who fell victim to harsh training and military campaigns during the age of the Dragei Empire are buried. The Graveyard is constantly overflowing with the enduring sorrows and attachments of the dragons from that time who longed to build a good relationship with humans, and, due to the tremendous amounts of mana that were drawn to those feelings of resentment, all of the buried dragons were resurrected as dragon zombies.
These dragon zombies still roam the dark, mana-thick haze of the Dragon’s Graveyard to this day, and if a human were to step foot inside, he would end up as the recipient of their long-held lusts. Those captured by a dragon zombie, as a whole, will never see the outside world again. That being said, the physical affection of these monsters, within whom lingering attachment to humanity and grief swirl together, is on one hand a greedy devouring of the man’s body, on the other an admirable thing where they are devoted to serving the man in any way. If the captured man is able to fill the sad void that fuels her actions with his own fuckrod1, little by little, the dragon zombies will start to regain their powers of reason, and hearken to the man’s words.
Within the Dragonia Empire, fairy tales are often told about human men who conquer the ancient sorrow lurking in the hearts of dragon zombies, and build with them bright and happy homes. In actuality, there are cases where humans who have mated with dragon zombies in the Dragon’s Graveyard return to the Empire to live together after marrying them. These men, true saviors of dragons, are lauded as “dragon killers”2 by the people of Dragonia, and are treated similarly to heroes.
Additionally, on rare occasions, a hatchling3 who lost their life during the Dragei era will be resurrected as a dragon zombie with a childlike form, and out of curiosity, will leave the Dragon’s Graveyard and wander into the city of Dragonia. While these young dragon zombies are still lustful, they do not actually pose much threat to a human. If you ever find yourself meeting a little lost dragon zombie, one option available to you is to try to treat them with love, holding no fear in your heart and understanding their underlying loneliness and heart that longs for humans.
Translation Notes:
1: I know what you may be thinking- "wow, that sounds really vulgar in something that so far has had a very polite, professional voice! What a weird choice!" And that's exactly what I thought when I read 肉棒 in the original! 肉棒, literally "meat-rod", is a vulgar euphemism for the male genitalia. "Fuckrod" (or something similarly "dirty-sounding" like "cock") really is the best way to translate it, I promise I'm not pulling it out of nowhere. The original just saying "penis" doesn't capture the vibe lmao
2: Yep, this is literally ドラゴンキラー ("dragon killer", in English) in the original, so it was like that for a reason. This is almost certainly another bit of punning, because キラー can have a dual meaning, just like "lady-killer" in English. Another example specific to Japanese is マダムキラー ("madam killer"), which refers to a charming dude who specifically goes for older women; a cougar-hunter, if you will. So the double meaning that I think is happening here is both "MGE-ified version of 'slaying', meaning that the threat is gone" and "man who is considered popular and charming by dragons".
3: I went with "hatchling" because the original is 幼竜, another ~novel kanji compound~! Plus I wanted to avoid ambiguity. "Young" for a human can apply to teenagers, and "young" for a dragon could be like, 50. 幼 very specifically implies "very young", and in compounds for animals, refers to juvenile stages (幼虫, for instance, refers to insect larvae). Let there be no doubt in your heart for even an instant that these are dragon lolis.
Gladiators Nonpareil
Lizardman & Salamander
Approachability: ★★★
Risk of encountering a wild specimen:★★
Classified as monsters within the lizard family, lizardmen and salamanders are known as the “star performers”, leaving behind incredible legacies in the annual Grand Tournament of Dragonia.
During times of peace, they often refine their swordsmanship at the Dragoon Corps training grounds, which is open for use to those of the Dragonian Territories, or at the ruins of ancient battlefields; it’s not uncommon for them to challenge skilled adventurers visiting the area to a battle. The best chance to catch sight of them is, as one might expect, during the period in which the Grand Tournament of Dragonia is being held. When that time comes, they begin showing up in weapon shops and taverns within the Empire, looking for human men to participate in the Grand Tournament with them, and they’ll strike up a conversation with warriors they find promising.
Simply being recognized and approached by these high-caliber swordswomen is a great honor in and of itself, and the yearly sight of cocksure warriors huddled together in taverns, nervously drinking while they wait to be invited has become a staple of Tournament season here in Dragonia. The men these girls strike up conversation with tend to be warriors already possessing a high degree of skill, but at times, the monsters of the lizard family may also come up to a greenhorn adventurer as if picking out a weapon that suits them at a weapons shop.
The lizard family monsters of Dragonia also especially excel at teaching the art of the sword– by training a rookie as if he was a seasoned fighter during the short amount of time leading up to the Grand Tournament, they can make him into a worthy partner. If they were unable to get the results they were hoping for in the Grand Tournament, lizard family monsters will conclude that it was due to a lack of mutual understanding between them, and in order to get to know each other more deeply, will start to actively desire sex. It’s becoming common in Dragonia for these sorts of duos, after making love countless times and eventually becoming husband and wife, to achieve brilliant results in the following year’s Grand Tournament.
The students of their training are not limited to humans, either. The majority of the dragons serving in the Dragonia Dragoon Corps were originally unaccustomed to human weaponry, and therefore their skills were rather poor. In order for these dragons to at times fight as knights themselves alongside the men, the Corps will call upon lizardmen and salamanders as instructors, learning from their superior swordplay and deep knowledge of the weapons used by humans. One of the strengths of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps is that they’ve learned their school of combat directly from many husband-wife duos from the lizard family that have been invited from other monster realm nations as instructors; it is all because of this highly practical daily training that, when faced with a variety of external threats, they are able to quickly and flexibly adapt to the situation and respond in kind.
【ADVERTISEMENT】
Instructors Wanted!
Lizardmen & Salamander Couples:
The Dragonia Dragoon Corps is currently recruiting combat instructors to teach their techniques to novice mounts!
All candidates must have confidence in their skill with a sword; confidence in sex with your spouse is a plus.
On-site housing is guaranteed within the “Valley of Bonds”, the Dragoon Corps headquarters! Choose from three styles: a quiet cave, a city home in the Cloud District1 with incredible views, or a royal abode, repurposed from a former aristocrat’s mansion!
For those far away: if you contact us via written correspondence in advance, we will send a dragoon for transportation needs.
If you and your husband think that this is the job for you, please contact the Dragonia Dragoon Corps headquarters today!
Translation Notes:
1: Do you get there very often? Oh, what am I saying- of course you don't. 雲上 is how it's written in Japanese, or "above the clouds", but this sounded less clunky. Also a reference to a place called "Dragonsreach" just really tickled my brain but good.
(I don't have anything else to add, so can I just say that it's a really really cute mental image to think of all these tough guys being like "uwaah... I hope she finally notices me... uguu..." in a bar like blushing maidens? Because it is.)
>Guide to the Dragon Family: The Relationships Between Humans and Dragons
Dealing with a Dragon
Meeting
In Dragonia, where opportunities to meet and interact with dragons can be found all over, there are several things that one should keep in mind. Perhaps chief among them is being fearful upon one’s first meeting with a dragon, as was discussed in the description previously given on the dragon species. The danger that poses the greatest threat here in Dragonia is none other than the preconceived notion that humans bear of “dragons are terrifying beings”. If a human who is unable to dispel the image of the dragons of the age of the former Mamono Lords from his mind comes face to face with a dragon, it’s no great surprise that he would be terrified of their overpowering bearing and aggressive attitude, and end up drawing back in fear.
However, no matter what attitude any dragon may take, their hearts are full of feelings of love for human men. To fear them, then, is in their eyes tantamount to being told they have no appeal as a female; a dragon who senses a human’s feelings of terror will be left with a deep wound in her heart. Moreover, there have even been times where these feelings can inadvertently lead to the stirring up of the dragon’s natural sadistic urges. It’s a not at all rare occurrence that, because a man approached with undue fright, an ordinarily gentle dragon has their passions ignited with thoughts such as “I just want to bully him1 by assaulting his body with pleasure!” or “I want to make it so he can’t live without me!” and in that aroused state, carries him off to her home.
There’s nothing wrong with having feelings of admiration and respect for dragons, but in Dragonia, when you converse with a dragon, it is highly recommended that you are fully aware that keeping more distance than is necessary out of a sense of reverence is counterproductive, and that you treat dragons as if they are your close neighbors.
Translation notes:
1: "Bully/torment" was unambiguously the word used in the original Japanese (虐める), ditto with "sadism" earlier (嗜虐性, although that word doesn't necessarily imply sexual sadism as 加虐性愛 does, more like, idk, how a cat is kind of sadistic in that they like hunting for fun), but I think we're all well enough aware of the lore at this point to know that this doesn't necessarily mean the same thing in MGE as it does for us.
Ancient Forms
The dragons of Dragonia, who usually take on the appearance of women, due to their immense power, are also capable of temporarily reverting back to the hulking draconic forms they once had during the age of the former Mamono Lords. In fact, one can witness dragons in this transformed state all throughout Dragonia. However, as was previously explained, when it comes time to interact with human men, a dragon’s heart is the very essence of a woman in love, and they may show some resistance to the notion of being thought of as “a symbol of great power”. For them, their ancient forms are the “aspect of power” within them, and is such a delicate matter that, depending on the species and individual, some may not want to show it to anybody except their husbands.
For these reasons, wishing to see a dragon transform into her ancient form immediately after meeting her may end up giving her a bad impression; conversely, she could take it as an unabashed confession, as if what was said was “I want to see every part of you”. In other words, asking for such a transformation is equivalent to declaring “I’ll take full responsibility”. In this instance, even if you find yourself set upon by a frenzied dragon, please know well in advance that you did so at your own peril.
There are certain risks attached to referring to a dragon’s fully draconic state, but on the day to day where they appear as women, showing interest in their horns and claws, or their large wings and tails leaves a particularly good impression. For dragons, one’s horns and claws are the body parts that most represent their pride as a species, and a man taking notice of them is proof that they are attractive as dragons.
That being said, in the chances that one would like to build an even more intimate relationship with them, while the “draconic” symbols no doubt matter, what would be best would be to give their “female” symbols– their breasts, hips, buttocks, and the like, of which they are even more proud– your attention. Dragons tend to prefer a strong, unflappable attitude, so staring straight at these feminine aspects without any hesitation and praising them out loud without getting bashful is the first step towards an exceptionally smooth relationship.
No matter what kind of dragon she may be, in her heart she can’t help but want to become close with the man she’s come across, and the clumsiness with which she fails to express that well is a part of a dragon’s appeal. When encountering a dragon here in Dragonia, it is necessary at times for a man to actively touch her skin, gently caress her breasts or buttocks while whispering to her about their charms, and be the one to guide the dragon himself.
Dragon Marriage
Most human men who have built up a close relationship with a dragon will, by mating with her and coming together in the “Pair-Bonding Ceremony1”, become a dragon couple recognized throughout the empire. A human man who has become the beloved companion of a dragon will receive powerful dragon mana countless times during sex and become an “incubus”, and in Dragonia, these incubized human men are officially treated as male dragons. From that point on, he wears a “Necklace of the Pair Bond1” crafted from his dragon wife’s own claws around his neck.
The Necklace of the Pair Bond is, for the dragon wife, the mark of a happily married woman who has found the one and only male dragon for her in her lifetime, and for the man, proof that he is a gallant male dragon as acknowledged by a female dragon. The Pair-Bonding Ceremony is a wedding ceremony wherein the new couple exchanges necklaces with one another and puts them on for the first time; it has become customary to hold the ceremony at the top of “the Pillar of Heaven”, a tower that pierces the skies of the Dragonian Territories. In Dragonia, which cherishes its founding principle of the coexistence of humans and dragons, the Pair-Bonding Ceremony is a rite that demands precedence above all else. For that reason, a day this ceremony is held is always declared a citizen’s holiday, and in celebration of a newly married couple, and thus, the advent of a male dragon, dragons from all across Dragonia gather at the Pillar of Heaven in order to watch the ritual to its very end.
The singular remaining element of the culture of the Dragei Empire is the “Dragoon Corps Parade of Triumph”, which is held after the necklaces are exchanged. The Parade, where members of the Dragoon Corps march, full of magnificence and valor, leading the procession of the dragon bride and groom to Her Majesty the Queen, is considered “the triumphant return of the dragons”, and there is no small amount of monster couples who visit Dragonia as tourists just to see this procession. And so, being watched intently by swathes of people both Dragonian natives and visitors, under the authority of Her Majesty the Queen, the passion of the ceremony reaches its peak when the pair exchange a kiss, pledging their eternal love. The dragon bride and groom, completely enveloped in thunderous applause, ceaseless cheers, and the amorous cries from monster couples who wound up having sex in the heat of the moment, finally embark on a new chapter of their lives.
Translation notes:
1: I've elected to go with "Pair-Bonding Ceremony" and "Necklace of the Pair Bond", as opposed to what the original translation gives as "Couples Ceremony" and "Necklace of Pairing". This is because the word used specifically for both is 番い, which doesn't refer to a human couple, but an animal pair. "Pair bonding" is the specific term used in biology for species wherein mating pairs form strong bonds and typically/ideally mate for life. I found this highly fitting for MGE dragons!