Monster Girls Redux

Posted: **05 Nov 2024 12:20**

I changed Sladracelli to Sli-Dra Jelly. It's simple wordsplay, スラドラゼリー = slime jelly (スライムゼリー) and Dragon (ドラゴン). The pronounce is off and Sladra Jelly would be closer, but then its meaning would be lost.

And it turn out that this short paragraph had several errors. The part about "stick your hand inside its body to get it." isn't in original Japanese text, and the Queen Slime is called "Royal Slime" and ""Slime Queens" (and it seems that the translator didn't aware that a queen slime can has mutiple bodies, or what slime jelly is).

Posted: **12 Nov 2024 11:02**

Hinami wrote: ↑05 Nov 2024 12:20 I changed Sladracelli to Sli-Dra Jelly. It's simple wordsplay, スラドラゼリー = slime jelly (スライムゼリー) and Dragon (ドラゴン). The pronounce is off and Sladra Jelly would be closer, but then its meaning would be lost.

Oh, thanks Hinami! I really didn't get that.

Posted: **31 Mar 2025 16:04**

Changing all LonQuan to Ryusen.

I also replace Dragon Lamp Flower section with modified machine translation. Notable, the word "bonsai" (盆栽) is nowhere in the original text, Instead, the words in quotemarks is "番いの儀" - Mating Ceremony. Since the rest ofthe text is clearer as well, I decide to replace it.

Posted: **17 Jul 2025 01:12**

What it is, my droogs! It's Spore, with retranslations hot from the oven!

Okay, I'm gonna be honest, this chapter of the book is very long; it'll take me a while to finish it, especially when I'm getting more hours at work. I've decided that, in lieu of getting it all done and uploading it all in one huge post, I'll get up chunks when I can! Today I've got the first two sections, those of the Dragoon Corps and Dragonwing Street, as well as their two subsections. As always, TL notes in the relevant nested article. Here we go!

Dragonia Dragoon Corps

Spoiler

Location: “The Valley of Bonds” in the Dragonia Empire

Calling all dragoon candidates! You are the ones who will protect the skies of Dragonia! Come forth, future dragon knights!

Would you like to defend Dragonia side by side with a lovely dragon?! Dates with your mount are also a part of your military training!

The knights’ dormitories are all private rooms where you’re guaranteed alone time with your precious mount! Spacious communal baths for leisurely resting your tired body after training! Three square meals a day! All guaranteed by the government, even for cadets!

“I became a full-fledged dragoon while I was dating a cute wyvern who enlisted at the same time as me!” – A (first-year dragoon)

Aha! Saw the flier and are looking to enlist, eh? As you can see from the one I’ve got on hand, the Dragonia Dragoon Corps are always accepting new applications– we’ve got a chronic personnel shortage, so the requirements aren’t exactly strict. If you can do a pushup without passing out and have even the slightest interest in being a dragoon, you’re welcome here. Me, personally, I’d like you to have love for this country and your eventual mount, but I suppose we can work on that while you’re here.

As you might be able to guess from the name, a dragoon is a knight who rides a dragon– a dragon knight, in other words1. Our history is ancient, and here in Dragonia it goes as far back as the days of the old Mamono Lords.. ah, I’ll spare you the details. What matters is that for all the humans who hear the word “dragon” and panic, there’s also a long tradition of friendly relations between the two species. At the very least, in this country, dragons and humans are very close, and it’s exactly that closeness, rather, that “bond” that is our mightiest weapon as dragoons.

Once you get to be a full-fledged dragoon, you’ll be able to race across this vast blue sky on your mount’s back, free as a gust of wind— of course, depending on the time and place, you’ll have to drive back invaders together with your dragon as well. That image of fulfilling your duties together as one with your mount, attracting looks of envy from all around you— you’d be just like a hero… which is all well and good, but it’s not the true spirit of a dragoon. It’s like I said before: all of that power exists because of the bond between you and your mount, and a dragon mount isn’t just military force. Rarely, though, we have the occasional git applying who fails to comprehend that, and well… that lot tends to get mounted themselves. Ah, apologies— you don’t need to hear me complain about my post.

Hey, at ease, soldier. The point is, all those wishing to join should strive as cadets to foster a strong bond with their future mount. That’s the most important thing for a dragoon.

To start, you ought to begin with simple skinship— in other words, getting to know each other. Sharing meals and a bed is as basic as you can get, of course, but bathing together and diligently washing your mount’s body after you’ve worn yourselves out from field training and the like is another duty of a proper dragoon. At first, this may not go so smoothly for you, given the fierce attitude dragons tend to have. You might get pinned down and ravaged. But, there’s no doubt in my mind that the more love you make, the more you’ll start to notice her true nature, and her weaknesses. Through all that training, if you can mount your dragon during sex and make her submit, make her truly acknowledge you as her rider2, then you’ll pass the entrance exam with flying colors. You’ll have officially joined the ranks of the dragoons.

Now, those are just the basics— got any questions? Ah, even better, one of our girls can just give you a detailed explanation of our schedule and housing facilities. That’s right, you only just arrived in this country; how about a date— sorry, a tour of the city with a dragon mount? Just going out and doing things with a dragon and working to build that strong mutual trust is part of a dragoon’s military training, you know. Recently, we’ve partnered up with the Dragonia Tourism Bureau and set our girls up with jobs over there; you should take this enlistment application form to their information center next door.

Cheers— and may the might of the Crimson Dragon dwell within you.

~Captain of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps Altoiris~

Translation Notes:
Just to make this all abundantly clear: this section is Ally addressing the scholar's apprentice. Her tone is slightly different and it's why she's not coming onto the "you" here.
1: Luckily "dragoon" sounds a lot like "dragon", so I was able to make this work, but what she was saying in the original was basically "just like it's written", meaning, of course, the kanji. 竜騎士 literally just means "dragon" + "knight", so it would be abundantly obvious from reading it.
2: This was originally 主人, which is honestly most accurately translated as "master" (and sometimes "husband", depending on context), but I just really chafed against that. The rest of the information is so insistent on the relationship between knight and mount being one where mutual trust and love is paramount, how they're fundamentally equal, and how you can't just like, break a dragon like you would a horse, and "master" really felt at odds with that for me. I went with "rider" because it acknowledges that a rider basically needs the thing it's riding, while still having the element of "the one doing most of the leading". If you guys would prefer "master" for the wiki I'm fine with it, but that's just my personal choice.

1. Lance Maintenance

Spoiler

All dragoons affiliated with the Dragonia Dragoon Corps are, as a rule, expected to master the lance1. Thus, the training regiment for the use of this weapon is considered the most intense of all drills within the Corps.

The lance is the quintessential cavalry weapon, while also bearing a special connotation for Dragonian dragoons. No matter how mighty a dragon’s power may be, the men have a solemn duty to protect their cherished mounts as riders and as husbands, and the “weapons” for that purpose is none other than their lances. It is both the sole means by which the dragoon can fend off threats to the Empire, as well as considered a symbol of manhood. Therefore, the emblem of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps is a joining of a lance and a dragon, symbolizing the unity of man and dragonkind. The knights of the Corps, in turn, must embody this, and himself fully become the lance that joins with a dragon2. In order for cadets to intimately internalize this ideal, they are provided with practice lances by the Corps, and its proper wielding is exhaustively instilled into them.

Equally opposite to proper care of one’s mount, careless treatment of one’s lance is strictly prohibited for dragoons. For example, even if it is only a practice lance, diligent maintenance and carrying it on one’s person at all times is mandated. The sole circumstance in which a dragoon is permitted to part with his weapon is when he can himself personify the lance that joins with the dragon– when he is mating with his mount.

Translation Notes:
As an extension of the prior note, everything in the rest of this section is written by the apprentice. I've reflected this change in narrator with a change of narrative voice. It's far more formal, literary, and detached.
1: 槍 indicates no difference in nuance that would make it strictly "spear" or "lance". I chose "lance" basically just because it sounds cooler... and because a Dragon-type trainer in Pokemon is named Lance. I thought that was funny and these are the jokes.
2: As some of you may be fully aware, 交わる can mean both "to join, to intermingle" and "to have intercourse". This whole bit is wordplay on that.

2. Morning Lessons・Afternoon Lessons・Field Training

Spoiler

Morning and afternoon lessons are divided into academic studies and practical drills. During classes, in order to learn one’s obligations as a dragoon of Dragonia, a cadet learns about Dragonian history, as well as dragons and their ecology and relationships with humans, and at times, they may also assist with fieldwork in the Dragonian Territories alongside a more senior dragoon. Practical lessons chiefly consist of lance-based combat drills, with the aim of learning proper technique for fighting together with a dragon. Both of these are indispensable in order to become a full-fledged dragoon, but the most essential matter is working together as knight and mount in order to directly deepen the friendship between them.

Since cadets cannot yet participate in flight practice, they also cannot head towards the Dragonian Territories on dragonback and conduct “field exercises”, procuring raw ingredients and materials and scouting. So, in order to build an intimate relationship with one’s dragon mount, touring around the city of Dragonia as a couple is treated as “field training”. This training ranks only below sex with one’s mount in importance within the Dragoon Corps, and any formal request to do so submitted to an instructor will be granted. Cadets out on field training do not need to return to the Corps grounds in order to do other drills, and they are also exempt from the dormitory curfew.

In addition, the intimate sight of mount and knight together is widely accepted as one of Dragonia’s major selling points as a nation where humans and dragons coexist. For reasons relating to the stimulation of the nation’s economy and public relations, cadets receive a stipend from the Dragonian government not as entertainment expenses, but for their field training.

Translation Notes:
N/A

3. Commendation Ceremony

Spoiler

Cadets acknowledged by their dragon mounts as “riders” are treated as full-fledged dragoons, and at the Corps headquarters, at a commendation ceremony under Her Majesty the Queen herself, they officially become members of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps. This ceremony, a shining moment for any dragoon, is where he will receive from the Corps his formal lance with which he will defend Dragonia, and from Her Majesty, be bequeathed the mantle1 that will serve as his uniform. After declaring his sworn oath to protect Dragonia alongside his dragon mount, the new dragoon is assigned to a unit most suitable for his draconic companion where he will attend to his daily duties.

Translation Notes:
1: 外套 unfortunately can mean a wide variety of different kinds of outerwear, from greatcoats to overcoats to cloaks. I translated it as "mantle" because a mantle is both a cloak-like garment, and the layer of the earth where all the lava is. Seemed fitting for a fire-enchanted thing!

Unit Examples

Spoiler

〇First Airborne Unit
Primary duties: Surveying the Dragonian Territories, guiding adventurers, search-and-destroy missions as well as dispatching orders regarding efforts that threaten the humans and monsters within the Dragonian Territories, various miscellaneous tasks

Otherwise known as the “Flying Dragon Squad”. These dragoons patrol the skies of the vast Dragonian Territories with their dragon mounts and keep the peace in Dragonia. One of the representative units of the Dragoon Corps. Though they may appear ostentatious, they seldom conduct air raids, and ordinarily put their high mobility to use in matters such as helping with miscellaneous tasks from the citizens of the Empire and deliveries to monster couples living in the remote Territories.

【Common Assignee Traits】
“Mount is a wyvern”, “outstanding marks in flight practice”, “travelled to a wide variety of places during field training”

〇Fifth Ground Unit
Primary duties: Search and rescue for victims of emergencies, procuring raw materials from forested areas, maintenance of roads that have become dangerous due to landslides, etc.

Otherwise known as the “Ranger Squad”. The majority of the unit is made up of wurm-dragoon pairs. Dragonia may become hellish the very instant the weather takes a turn for the worse, so the Fifth Ground Unit is a vital lifeline for those living here. All affiliated dragoons are, quite necessarily, experts in field operations. The unit that receives the most accolades regarding saving lives.

【Common Assignee Traits】
“Mount is a wurm), “dragoons who showed high cooperativeness with other cadets during training”, “prefers outdoor sex with their mount”

〇Special Unit Zero
Primary duties: Establishing diplomatic relations with new mamono realm nations, tours and public relations beyond the Dragonian Territories, escorting VIPs from other mamono realm nations, "bridal training1", etc.

Otherwise known as the “Iris Squad”. A special unit wherein the Captain of the Dragoon Corps has served concurrently as its commanding officer for generations. The current CO is the dragon Altoiris. The unit is shrouded in darkness, and made up of a small but elite number of “unwed”2 dragons— it is said that, because they tend to emphasize combat prowess, aloof single dragons gather there. There are also rumors that greenhorn dragoons who are perhaps too confident in their strength are thrown into this squad, where they are made to assist in extremely intensive “bridal training”.

【Common Assignee Traits】
“Exemplary dragoons”, “dragoons recognized by their mounts early in training”, “excellent marks in combat training (including nighttime practical training)”

※ The featured units and their respective assignee trends are no more than examples; there are dragoons without wurm mounts who get assigned to the Ranger Unit and play vital roles in the field.

【Rule I：Morning Training】
〇As a rule, all Corps members will get out of bed no later than noon. It is advised that one gets up as early as they are able, but taking into account circumstances such as spending an entire night mating with one’s mount, no especially stringent limits are imposed. Morning meals and training are all non-compulsory. However, roll-call is held every day at 10 AM, and all members are required to attend at least once every three days.

Translation Notes:
1: 花嫁修業, literally "bride training", typically refers to homemaking tasks, but I don't think that's what monsters think it means.
2: The term here is specifically 未婚, "unwed", which is even more specifically, "not yet wed". As in, has never married. This is a very odd distinction to me, given that monsters don't really get widowed and divorce never happens, so I don't know why this was chosen instead of 独り身 or 独身 which is more prevalent throughout the books. It'd be interesting to see if Will or KC can offer some clarification on the intended nuance here.

4. A Dragoon’s Armaments

Spoiler

Once a dragoon has become initiated into the Corps, he must occasionally undertake solo missions with his dragon mount apart from his unit. The only things that an unaccompanied knight can rely on are his bonds with his dragon and himself. As a result, the equipment that these men use possess special properties in order to protect both rider and mount.

■　Avowed Dragonlance
A lance presented by the Dragoon Corps upon a knight’s commendation, made from processing realmsilver and mixing it with “dragonium”. They are modeled off of the practice lances wielded by the dragoons during their times as cadets, so that they may use them with the same ease as if they have been sparring with them for months even after just receiving one. A “Rage Insignia” is carved upon the shaft, and by gripping it tightly, it grants the bearer a morale-boosting effect— along with explosively increasing his stamina so that he can mate with his mount whenever, in whatever state, and as many times as they desire.

It is also possible to augment one’s lance with many different kinds of runes; a dragoon may work towards making it truly his weapon of choice by paying a reasonable fee at a magic supply shop within the Empire to have new runes engraved upon it. For that reason, the lances wielded by dragoons, though quite similar in design, possess a great deal of differing properties, from “making what is touched by the spear temporarily invisible”, to “arousing the passions of the enemy pierced by the spear”, to “making one’s own essence extremely sticky and adhesive” and so on, all depending on the owner.

A dragoon rarely relinquishes his lance, but supposing he does, it’s customary for him to entrust it to his dragon mount. When a mount finds herself apart from her dragoon, she will undoubtedly think fondly of her dear rider as she comforts herself, and her lonely nethers, astride his lance. As a result, both the mount’s strong feelings of love for the dragoon and her dragon mana dwell within the weapon. If some third party were to attempt to take it, they would be summarily rejected by that mana, rendering the theft of an Avowed Dragonlance fundamentally impossible.

■　Mantle of the Crimson Dragon
The mantle bestowed upon a new dragoon by Her Majesty the Queen is a powerful enchanted garment, weaved from her own fiery breath. The mantle, a wreath of flame itself, is at all times highly heat-resistant, making it a tremendous boon during skirmishes with an invader, or fighting fires. In addition, it constantly maintains a certain degree of heat, and when a dragoon responds to a distress call, he may also recover the physical strength of the utterly exhausted victim by draping his mantle over their shoulders. This swaddled survivor is enveloped by a pleasant feeling of warmth, as well as the dragon mana within, which they will continually receive as it naturally promotes their body’s healing process.

In these situations, the survivor, still with the mantle he was granted, is almost always turned over for care and supervision by an unmarried dragon in the Dragoon Corps. If a male survivor, draped in dragon flame as he is with the vigor of his essence rising every moment, ends up receiving the tender care of a dragon maiden, it will be virtually impossible for him to keep his carnal desire in check. In this way, it is not at all a rare story told by aspiring dragoons that a similar incident was how he met his dragon wife, and his reason for enlisting. Dragoons constantly clad in their mantles are able to keep their composure by periodically having sex with their mounts in order to distribute this accumulated energy.

【Rule II：Sex with One’s Mount】
Cadets and formalized members of the Dragoon Corps alike should consider physical intimacy with their dragons their top priority. Getting to know each other’s bodies and forging close bonds through sex is also the most vital training for a dragoon. Therefore, this mutual strengthening must take place every day. As a general rule, it is advised for this to occur at least twice a day, in the morning and at night, but it is recommended that couples increase both frequency and duration according to their own discretion. In the case of this intimate time intersecting with other scheduled events, lack of attendance will be overlooked.

Translation Notes:
N/A

Dragonium

Spoiler

Where to Buy: magic shops on Dragonwing Street (as ore)
Price: Reasonable to rather expensive

This little beauty is a rare ore mined out in the Dragonian Territories we call “dragonium”.

When it comes to the ores you can dig up in mamono realms, the first thing that most think about is “realmsilver”, which contains mana. This dragonium here is what happens when an underground vein of realmsilver is somehow forced to the surface, exposed to the dense dragon mana in the atmosphere for years, and eventually crystallizes from all of that potent energy.

You can only mine this ore out of places where the air is particularly thick with mana– in short, you have to go poking around in dark mamono realms for it, and because of the danger that represents to humans, it’s considered extremely rare. Dragonium is mostly seen in places with a surplus of mana, like the caves and ruins of our dark mamono realms, but the most well-known lodes would be in the Dragon’s Graveyard, which also happens to be where the dragon zombies are. Every year you’ll get a handful of cases where people witness adventurers who’ve been blinded by their greed heading off for the Graveyard in search of dragonium, but it’s not particularly hard to imagine how well that goes for them.

Dragonium has a unique property we call “dragon’s breath”, and when you mix it with other precious metals, it takes on an ability to diffuse mana. For example, armor and shields made using dragonium reduce a mana-imbued impact by dispersing it, and if you process it into weapons like swords and spears, attacks that utilize mana will ripple out far wider, or something like that.

These properties are indispensable even for us dragoons. Sex with a dragon tends to be intense, and more often than not, humans who haven’t become incubi yet will end up even more drained than they would from ordinary sex from being bombarded with dragon mana, not to mention our extraordinary physical strength. In those cases, if someone's wearing jewelry made from dragonium that touches the skin like a pendant or choker, those feelings of exhaustion after a workout like that will be somewhat reduced, and there’s far less strain on the body.

Of course, these same perks also mean that you have to handle dragonium carefully. I’ve already made it clear that it makes mana disperse, but the ore itself has mana in it– strong mana. If someone with more ambition than sense and no experience with controlling mana were to get his hands on a chunk of dragonium, or a weapon made using it, on a whim, he’d be completely unable to handle any of that latent power. It’ll end up spewing mana out in a wide range, along with his own essence.

If that happens, the only thing you’ll end up showing off is how delicious you are to the hordes of horny monsters that you’ll be attracting. Situations like those are why many of the interested parties coming to buy up dragonium weapons are monsters who already possess some amount of power, like the demons of the Radical Faction. If a single man happens to purchase a dragonium weapon available at the market, he may have to prove the strength of his essence to the vendor in order to test his mettle, or undergo personal training. Even in our Dragoon Corps, you’re only permitted to wield a dragonium weapon after you’ve become full-fledged.

Heh, I don’t mean to brag, but my weapons and armor are also made with dragonium, you know. Of course, members of the Corps also get a dragonium lance when they earn their titles. I’m sure you’ve taken some interest in the ore that’s even called the symbol of our nation’s might, haven’t you? I think now’s the perfect time for me to give you an in-depth lesson so you can become a full-fledged dragoon ♥

~Captain of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps Altoiris~

Translation Notes:
I just think "realmsilver" sounds cooler, more succinct, and more magical than "mamono realm silver".

Dragon's Lifeblood

Spoiler

Where to Buy: “Firedrake’s Breath” direct sales office
Price: Affordable

What’s the matter? Tired? Ah, right, you’ve had to do a lot of walking, and most of it uphill. No, nothing to worry about. If anything, it seems that I of all people let this first leave I've had in a while get me in too high of spirits. To think that I ended up neglecting my duty of keeping you safe is… shameful.

That’s right! I’ve got just the thing. Here, drink this. It’s “Dragon’s Lifeblood”— every member of the Dragoon Corps is supplied with it. Haha! Don’t get spooked by the name, it’s not our actual blood. It’s a fruit infusion1 that contains just the slightest hint of Her Majesty the Queen’s mana. Of course, even though it’s just a mamono realm fruit infusion, that doesn’t mean it’s completely harmless. Here in Dragonia, we put a lot of pride and effort into our cultivation of mamono realm grapes. Our grapes were originally raised simply by sucking up the mamono mana from the earth, but one of the methods introduced to us from our diplomacy with Lescatie is having a monster with exceptionally high mana directly raise them during the cultivation stage.

If you’re any good at guessing, you’ve probably already figured it out, haven’t you? This infusion is made from grapes raised directly by Queen Deonora herself! All varieties of infused water made using mamono realm grapes have an intense color, but the Dragon’s Lifeblood is a particularly fiery red, as if it’s symbolizing Her Majesty the Queen. There’s mamono realm wine made from the very same grapes on the market as a luxury item, but… well, it’s strong stuff. So strong that it can, say, cause a disturbance where a flock of dragons fly into a mating frenzy and start attacking human men, and we dragoons have to be dispatched.

It’s for that reason that Dragon’s Lifeblood is infused along with a blend of nectar courtesy of the alraunes living in our plateaus and mamono realm herbs with calming effects. It blessedly neutralizes the strength of the grapes and it’s available as an infusion that can be enjoyed by everyone from kids to adults in just about every establishment in Dragonia. Even when it’s been watered down as much as it has, the effect’s got to be pretty outstanding if we supply our troops with it, right? Take a swig and your physical strength, willpower, and vitality will recover right away— anyone feeling exhausted or lethargic will get the same sense of pleasant refreshment as if they’d just woken up from a good night’s sleep.

You could also say that the way it makes your essence levels bubble up like magma in a volcano is a pretty welcome side effect, heh. By drinking this, even a whelp with no endurance who can’t handle a night with a dragon can take on three straight days of sex. How’s that? Pretty reassuring, right?

O-oi, don’t give me that confused look. As far as taste goes, it’s got the same richness of a concentrated mamono realm grape, as you can probably tell from the way it looks, but the herb blend gives it a light, refreshing feeling. It’s really quite drinkable. Just relax and take it. If you do, you’ll be overflowing with essence— no doubt you’ll want to take out some of that excess energy as soon as possible on a dragon.

What’s the matter, aren’t you going to drink it? T-true, yes, I’ve already had some of it, but– but rest assured that won’t impact the flavor or the effect! There’s no issue, so go ahead and drink it! Come on, DRINK IT! GET BACK HERE!

~Captain of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps Altoiris~

Translation Notes:
Can I just say that Altoiris is my favorite? She is my favorite.
1: 果実水 is literally "fruit water", meaning fruit-infused water. Y'know, the stuff you make with those huge mason jars with spouts. Much weaker than actual juice, but still pretty refreshing, which is probably part of the reason why the effect isn't nearly as crazy as the wine. Honestly, I'd really like to try this stuff. "Juice" specifically would have been 果汁 or simply ジュース (literally "juice").

Dragonwing Street

Spoiler

Location: Dragonia Empire city center
Primary facilities: Restaurants, inns, magic supply shops, arms and armor shops, etc.

Well, here we are at “Dragonwing Street”. There are a lot of these steep roads that lead up to Her Majesty’s castle on the summit, but this is the big one– the main street of the whole Empire. It got the name ‘cuz of all the little streets that branch off and spread out from it… y’know, like wings.

Given that it’s the Empire’s main street, there’s always a ton of people coming and going around here, y’know, tourists like you, travellers from other monster nations, adventurers, hawkers, even dragoons and their mounts. It’s lined with all kinds of souvenir shops, restaurants, inns… not to mention the magic supply stores and the weapon and armor shops— well, basically, in short, if you want literally anything in Dragonia, you can probably get it here. When it comes to Dragonian tourism, this is kind of the classic spot.

It’s also the go-to choice for dates for dragons and humans. It’s every dragon’s dream to walk through here with a guy… or like, that’s what they say. From the moment I decided to show you around, I wanted to— I mean, I thought you seemed like you wanted to come here, so I took you straight here without you even having to ask me to! You should be thanking me!

Ugh, anyway. One of the most noticeable things about this street is just how wide it is, which, duh, it is the main street, but it’s actually so we can use it for things like taking off and landing when we transform. The government here actually decided to put proper places for takeoff in places that get a lot of foot traffic like here, and on the roofs of some shops and the like, to keep you humans safe. We also use Dragonwing Street for the Parade of Triumph after a pair-bonding ceremony, so we built it even wider with that in mind.

On afternoons when the weather’s good, you’ll see things like restaurants taking advantage of how wide the street is and setting up open-air terraces where customers can enjoy their meals, and the lizardmen at the weapons shops doing product demos with their husbands to show off their magic weapons’ power to charm men. For the most part, the couples tend to clear out when the sun goes down, but the inns and taverns that the wurms run all light up their lanterns, and those places start to get busy.

Apart from how lively it gets around here during the day, a relaxed Dragonia evening enjoying a good meal and wine also has its charms… but if a guy like you who’s never so much as kissed a girl1 just wanders around by himself here, the single dragons working the inns might offer a free night as a way to draw in customers. They tend to toss in a meal too, so if you haven’t decided on a place to stay, it’s not a bad deal, but… as sort of like their idea of a lodging fee, you’re gonna end up attacked. S-so, you know, if you decide to take them up on their offer, don’t come crying to me!

I-I mean, I guess if you’re having trouble finding a place to stay, I guess I have no choice but to show you some inns with really good food since you can’t seem to do it yourself, but… y’know, a double room is plenty spacious, and there’s no extra fee, so there’s no need to worry ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~

[Insert Wilmarina pic here lmao]
※ A monster couple from another mamono realm nation visiting on their honeymoon.

Translation Notes:
As a whole: man, I know I mentioned it in her little profile illustration snippet, but holy cow, Syltia, you gotta mind your manners. I tried to get across the vibes of a young lady who knows her stuff, but just has zero interest in making her actual tour guides all that professional or even polite, which is 100% how she comes across in the Japanese. She's not very good at her job. And very, very tsundere. Real fun to translate, though.
1: This literally made me laugh to read. 女っ気がない is a hilariously messed-up thing to call a guy, especially an honored customer; it literally means "has no female presence" and when used to describe a man and not, say, a bachelor pad or a workspace with no female employees, it means not merely that he's single, but that he's chronically single, has little to no romantic experience, and/or has no game or luck with the ladies. Basically this girl is calling you maidenless right to your very face. Take a chill pill, Syltia! I'm honestly worried that the way I translated it wasn't mean enough.

Necklace of the Pair Bond

Spoiler

Where to Buy: Magic supply shops on Dragonwing Street, etc.
Price: Inexpensive to moderate

Hey, look— see that jewelry hanging from the necks of those guys walking over there? Those are called Necklaces of the Pair Bond; they’re magic jewelry made from our claws. Well, I say “jewelry” but they’re not really something us girls can wear. It’s a human man thing, so obviously I have zero interest!... well, I guess since they can be dangerous too, I’ll have to tell you a bit about them.

There are a lot of places in Dragonia where you can either get a craftsman to make a necklace for you, or buy from a huge variety of pre-made ones. As for the necklace itself, first some, s-some weak dragon who m-ma… married a human man provides the claws to her husband, and then at the shop they do stuff like using magic to engrave runes into it to make the complete pendant. If you do it that way, the processing fee doesn’t actually end up being that much money, but if you’re gonna buy one that’s already made, it can get pricey, s-so I really don’t recommend that option at all!

Since the necklaces use our claws, no two are the exact same. There’s a lot of different kinds you can get, too, from ones that have enchantments to make the claw’s natural beauty even more striking, to ones with simple protective charms like “slightly increasing strength” or “fire resistance”— I mean, I guess you could say that it’s something that contains the power of us dragons, so it’s no wonder that they’re as amazing as we are.

But, a Necklace of the Pair Bond is more than just a symbol of strength. It’s a symbol of love, something for a human husband that makes him feel like his dragon wife is always by his side. Some of the people who come to Dragonia, of course, are top-notch adventurers, and sometimes even the ridiculous jerks calling themselves “dragon slayers”1. That bunch usually all just want gear that has the power of dragons, so they’ll come in and do stuff like buying up the necklaces, but… oh, don’t tell me you want one, too! I already told you: absolutely not!

I-I mean, yeah, depending on which one you want, it’s not like there aren’t ones you can get pretty cheap, but! There are pre-mades that are made with the claws of single dragons who are still in search of a human husband. If you buy one of those and put it on, you’re gonna naturally attract that dragon to you. There are even times when you might even find yourself being influenced by the mana that’s still in that claw of hers and seek her out on your own! I-if, if that sort of thing ends up happening to a weakling like you, you could maybe even end up falling for her right away, and she’d treat you like her most, most, most precious treasure, a-and you’ll never be able to leave her ever again!

So, so, that’s why it’s a piece that you should never treat as an impulse buy, and under no circumstances should you ever buy more than one! B-but… y-y’know, if you’re really deadset on it, it might be okay for me to give you one of my claws… ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~

Translation Notes:
1: Interestingly enough, referring back to my notes from the monsterization section, Syltia uses both 竜殺し and ドラゴンスレイヤー (the latter only in a parenthetical, meaning that she almost certainly didn't actually say it and it's literally just for our benefit as readers to know that she's talking about Those Ladies) to refer to the dragon slayers here.

Dragon Orb

Spoiler

Where to Buy: Magic supply shops on Dragonwing Street, etc.
Price: Affordable to rather expensive

There are all kinds of products available in Dragonia’s magic supply stores, but the ones that stand out the most are definitely these dragon orbs. The actual orb part is a high-quality “magic gem”, and it’s typically attached to a pedestal with a design that’s usually modeled after a dragon— claws, fangs, even a whole dragon itself. There are two kinds of orbs available for sale: the first is a glowing one that has both the orb and pedestal imbued with color. As you can clearly see, the colors swirl around inside the orb; isn’t it pretty?

A spell of ever-flow gets cast on these dragon orbs, y’know, meaning that the mana inside the orb is always slowly shifting around, flickering a little like the flame of a lamp. It really is pretty like this— and one of the customs here in Dragonia is to decorate the front of your home with them as porch lights and magic wards. At night, all of those dragon orbs lined up in front of the houses makes for a really magical, honestly gorgeous scene. The Dragonian nightscape is famous for it. Hey, I see that suspicious look on your face, so lemme just say this now: when I said “magic ward” before, what I mean is it’s for married couples, and it says “hey, I already have a monster wife”.

What the— you IDIOT! That clear one is off limits, put it back right now!

You listening?! Another name for this kind of dragon orb is, is c-courtesanite…!1 In order to fill it with mana, you need to put it in your bedroom, and radiate a lot of pure mana during intense… bedroom activity. That’s why a guy buying something like this, for us monsters, means that he’s, y’know, giving us a nighttime invitation! Do you get it yet? If a single guy buys an orb like that, you’re gonna look like you’ve hung a big, stupid sign around your neck that says “please attack me!” to the other dragons around here. Look— see how the colorful ones are pretty expensive, but the clear ones are cheap? That’s why there are a lot of adventurers who’ll just buy one out of curiosity, but those guys usually get snatched up by horny monsters within a day, or get worn down into sex by some really intense dragon claiming she’s gonna “protect” him… hell, they might even get pounced on by the shopkeeper!

… I, I, I’m really glad you’re interested in the orbs, r-really, I am, but… taking on a really wild night all of a sudden, you really do need a lot of stamina, y-y’know, there’s a lot of steps and prepwork and stuff. B-but, but you know, once a year they hold a big dragon orb exhibition here in town, so if you really think about it, you might as well go on and buy one now… ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~

Translation Notes:
1: For the Sana & Luna profile, I told you guys that 夜伽 is really hard to translate well, and here it is again with 夜伽石! Or literally "be entertained in a sexy way all through the night by a lovely lady-stone". When in doubt with novel kanji compounds, go for wordplay, I say. "Courtesanite" is a pun on "courtesan", the kind of gal who'd do the above activity, and "quartzite", a real mineral. 石 can be used as a suffix similar to "-ite" in English, so I found it fitting! Shout-out to my huge-brained friend for helping me with this one lmao

And that's it for now! As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Posted: **17 Jul 2025 15:18**

Spore wrote: ↑17 Jul 2025 01:12 What it is, my droogs! It's Spore, with retranslations hot from the oven!

Okay, I'm gonna be honest, this chapter of the book is very long; it'll take me a while to finish it, especially when I'm getting more hours at work. I've decided that, in lieu of getting it all done and uploading it all in one huge post, I'll get up chunks when I can! Today I've got the first two sections, those of the Dragoon Corps and Dragonwing Street, as well as their two subsections. As always, TL notes in the relevant nested article. Here we go!

Thanks for the translation!

The shift in tone when Altoiris is talking to the Scholar's Apprentice does bring me a question that I've always had. The book is normally considered to be written by the Scholar's Apprentice, what with his opening remarks and the afterword.

However, the style of quite a few sections feel like more of a direct peek into the tour of a man with his guide than a book written by someone. Like the section with Syltia introducing Dragonwing Street. It really doesn't feel like there was anybody, be it the apprentice or another member of the Tourism Bureau, there recording the conversation she is having with her tourist.

I mean, there's a " ~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~" at the bottom as if it was a written document, but at the same time the text's descriptions are more indicative of a scene that is meant to be happening right then and there.

Given that, I've always wondered if the book is an actual in-universe document or if it's a collection of some in-universe documents in some sections (such as the "Dragonia Visitor's Pamphlet") and direct looks at the events in others.

Is it anymore clear in the original Japanese text?

Posted: **17 Jul 2025 19:34**

Spore wrote: ↑17 Jul 2025 01:12

Apart from how lively it gets around here during the day, a relaxed Dragonia evening enjoying a good meal and wine also has its charms… but if a guy like you who’s never so much as kissed a girl1 just wanders around by himself here,

Translation Notes:

1: This literally made me laugh to read. 女っ気がない is a hilariously messed-up thing to call a guy, especially an honored customer; it literally means "has no female presence" and when used to describe a man and not, say, a bachelor pad or a workspace with no female employees, it means not merely that he's single, but that he's chronically single, has little to no romantic experience, and/or has no game or luck with the ladies. Basically this girl is calling you maidenless right to your very face. Take a chill pill, Syltia! I'm honestly worried that the way I translated it wasn't mean enough.[/spoiler]

If you wanna go for a more rude version of a guy like you who’s never so much as kissed a girl how about "a loser like you who’s never so much as kissed a girl" or "a guy like you who’s never even noticed by a woman"
or even "a loser like you who’s never even noticed by a woman" but that may be a bit too rude

Posted: **18 Jul 2025 08:18**

Cx2 wrote: ↑17 Jul 2025 15:18
Spore wrote: ↑17 Jul 2025 01:12 What it is, my droogs! It's Spore, with retranslations hot from the oven!

Okay, I'm gonna be honest, this chapter of the book is very long; it'll take me a while to finish it, especially when I'm getting more hours at work. I've decided that, in lieu of getting it all done and uploading it all in one huge post, I'll get up chunks when I can! Today I've got the first two sections, those of the Dragoon Corps and Dragonwing Street, as well as their two subsections. As always, TL notes in the relevant nested article. Here we go!
Thanks for the translation!

The shift in tone when Altoiris is talking to the Scholar's Apprentice does bring me a question that I've always had. The book is normally considered to be written by the Scholar's Apprentice, what with his opening remarks and the afterword.

However, the style of quite a few sections feel like more of a direct peek into the tour of a man with his guide than a book written by someone. Like the section with Syltia introducing Dragonwing Street. It really doesn't feel like there was anybody, be it the apprentice or another member of the Tourism Bureau, there recording the conversation she is having with her tourist.

I mean, there's a " ~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~" at the bottom as if it was a written document, but at the same time the text's descriptions are more indicative of a scene that is meant to be happening right then and there.

Given that, I've always wondered if the book is an actual in-universe document or if it's a collection of some in-universe documents in some sections (such as the "Dragonia Visitor's Pamphlet") and direct looks at the events in others.

Is it anymore clear in the original Japanese text?

This is just my opinion on the read, but I personally think that we're dealing with concurrent framing devices, and not just the one. There has to be a You who the dragons are coming onto, that the readers can project onto, so that's the You taking the tour. At the same time, the apprentice is trying to make sense of where he's at, and he cannot be the You, because as Side II will reveal, he's gonna alp. The girls cannot have a fruitful relationship with him because he's already got the Gay Thoughts in his heart, and I don't think that Will didn't plan that from the beginning. After all, why would he ditch Dragonia without taking along any of his potential dragon GFs, who are explicitly horny for their client, if he's the You? That's not very romantic of him

There are a few other reasons that have to do with the nature of self-insertion, of blank slates, and of the ethos of the series that make me think that this is the most likely, but the most important point is that the apprentice says nothing in his note about engaging with the Bureau. He's not like "luckily I found a most helpful group who promise to help me with my research", he's like "I gotta leave this cave eventually, huh". Likewise, Eude is addressing You and not saying that she's trying to help the apprentice, like say, Runya Runya does in the beginning of WGIII. That's why I think the purpose of the dual intro and afterward notes from the two different sources are there to establish these simultaneous adventures/framing devices. The fact that Altoiris acts surprised and immediately assumes that the apprentice is looking to be a dragoon like she's never seen him before, despite the fact that she's already had her introduction to You, is another indicator, like his introduction to the Corps was just that flier.

Last point, I believe only parts of this book are in-universe documents, and those are the parts that are written by the apprentice as his notes (my reread is going as I translate, so there could be more, but yeah). The rest are all just like, little vignettes, scenes where you're only reading one side of the conversation- hence, the stammering, the conversational cadence, etc., etc. The tag at the end just lets you the reader know who's talking.

Posted: **19 Jul 2025 18:01**

Spore wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025 08:18 This is just my opinion on the read, but I personally think that we're dealing with concurrent framing devices, and not just the one. There has to be a You who the dragons are coming onto, that the readers can project onto, so that's the You taking the tour. At the same time, the apprentice is trying to make sense of where he's at, and he cannot be the You, because as Side II will reveal, he's gonna alp. The girls cannot have a fruitful relationship with him because he's already got the Gay Thoughts in his heart, and I don't think that Will didn't plan that from the beginning. After all, why would he ditch Dragonia without taking along any of his potential dragon GFs, who are explicitly horny for their client, if he's the You? That's not very romantic of him

There are a few other reasons that have to do with the nature of self-insertion, of blank slates, and of the ethos of the series that make me think that this is the most likely, but the most important point is that the apprentice says nothing in his note about engaging with the Bureau. He's not like "luckily I found a most helpful group who promise to help me with my research", he's like "I gotta leave this cave eventually, huh". Likewise, Eude is addressing You and not saying that she's trying to help the apprentice, like say, Runya Runya does in the beginning of WGIII. That's why I think the purpose of the dual intro and afterward notes from the two different sources are there to establish these simultaneous adventures/framing devices. The fact that Altoiris acts surprised and immediately assumes that the apprentice is looking to be a dragoon like she's never seen him before, despite the fact that she's already had her introduction to You, is another indicator, like his introduction to the Corps was just that flier.

Last point, I believe only parts of this book are in-universe documents, and those are the parts that are written by the apprentice as his notes (my reread is going as I translate, so there could be more, but yeah). The rest are all just like, little vignettes, scenes where you're only reading one side of the conversation- hence, the stammering, the conversational cadence, etc., etc. The tag at the end just lets you the reader know who's talking.

Thanks for the answer, and yeah, this is what most makes sense to me too.

Some sections are from the perspective of the apprentice and those probably were written down by him. Others are actual in-universe documents that we get a look at (e.g. Deonora's diary). And a big part of the book is just actual scenes of the tour as it happens.

Posted: **20 Jul 2025 03:15**

Cx2 wrote: ↑19 Jul 2025 18:01 Thanks for the answer, and yeah, this is what most makes sense to me too.

Some sections are from the perspective of the apprentice and those probably were written down by him. Others are actual in-universe documents that we get a look at (e.g. Deonora's diary). And a big part of the book is just actual scenes of the tour as it happens.

Yup! Deonora's Diary, the pamphlets, the written guides; those should all be understood as in-universe documents. The way they're written in Japanese is indicative of this especially (with the pamphlets using distal form and having the earmarks of written Japanese rather than spoken Japanese, because they're specifically written to be read by clients). I think the "oh this is all the apprentice" was an assumption/misconception from the original translation. Honestly, I don't think we should be thinking of the apprentice as even the editor/compiler of the in-universe documents, because the written guides are all being presented to You over the course of Your formal tour. He has a much, much lighter presence in this than was originally assumed.

Posted: **24 Jul 2025 05:46**

Hello again guys, got the next two sections finished!

Today it's Dragon's Den Alley and Ryuusen Village. Notes in the proper section!

Dragon’s Den Alley

Spoiler

Location: a few minutes’ walk from the “Wurm’s Kiss” statue on Dragonwing Street
Primary facilities: Magic supply shops, jewelry stores, taverns, inns, brothels, etc.

Just down this backstreet from Dragonwing Street is “Dragon’s Den Alley”.

This is Dragonia Empire’s foremost obscure sightseeing spot… that is, it’s famous as the place where dragons and humans mate, and there are many establishments for achieving that goal and shops for aid in taking it even further. Fitting for the way they talk about it, this part of the city is rather different from Dragonwing Street in that it’s always dark, even in the middle of the day— dragon mana is thick enough in the air to materialize as a mist, enveloping the narrow stone street in an enchanting aura. H-however, it’s not as if I had any evil intent in bringing you here! This is the preeminent danger zone in the Empire! It’s because… yes, because this is a hidden gem that only I can guide you through!

Truthfully, while there’s always going to be a degree of danger regarding being targeted by a dragon, there are also many well-known establishments that can’t do their business out in the open here— shops that deal in magical tools imbued with the unrivaled power of the dragons, armories specializing in cursed weapons, eateries serving food with effects too outrageous for others to see at Dragonwing Street.

When it comes to Dragon’s Den Alley, it’s fairly well-known that the wares they push are high-quality and… potent. There are monsters who come to Dragonia just to shop here, to the point that there are Radical Faction monsters who set up shop with their husbands, spreading their own magic creations in hopes that they’ll spawn more monster couples. The Dragonia Dragoon Corps would probably exercise some degree of censorship if stores like that were to operate on the main street, but as a general policy, we encourage intimate relations between humans and dragons. Dragon’s Den Alley is, to exaggerate somewhat, treated like a “holy land” for the birth of new monster couples, so the district continues on in its current state while the Corps looks the other way.

Better yet, just see for yourself— looks like the couple in each other’s arms in that dark corner is a young dragoon and his mount… maybe they’ve come as a part of their field training, but it seems like there are more than a few partners who sneak away from their drills behind their instructor’s back to come here for a little rendezvous like this… ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Leia~

Translation Notes:
Overall, Leia's voice is... well, she's constantly using plain form, which is telling, but she's not nearly as overtly rude as Syltia. She's honestly been the biggest challenge to write for; it was a struggle to make her sound distinct from both Syltia and the generic narrator/apprentice narrative voice. She's a little more aloof than she is rude. I'm kind of disappointed she didn't keep up the "tries to use keigo" gimmick of the first blurb.

Also I chose the title "Dragon's Den Alley" instead of the more literal "Dragon's Bed Alley" like it was before, because "dragon's den" is a set phrase in English that denotes a dangerous place, and I found that extremely fitting for Dragonia's red light district.

Dragonflute1

Spoiler

Where to Buy: “Diabordello”2 in Dragon’s Den Alley
Price: Extremely expensive

Listen— don’t leave my sight for any reason. Diabordello is a huge black magic shop that deals in some of the most extreme magical items available in Dragonia, and like one could probably guess from the products they carry, there are many lustful monsters among both the employees and clientele. If you’re with a guide like us you have some degree of safety, but if a single man chooses to enter the store by himself, you should know in advance that that’s the equivalent of stepping into a mamono realm dungeon without any preparation. Many of the wares in this shop contain powerful lingering sentiments that have long since reached the level of obsession and resentment, but this dragonflute is exemplary of that.

At first glance, a dragonflute looks like nothing more than a transverse flute with some frankly excessive embellishments, but it’s made from a dragon’s shed claws and bones. Of course, even though they’re just the shed parts left behind as new ones grow, they still contain residual dragon mana— and they’re quite rare, certainly not the sort of thing that you can just go out and find.

However, there’s a dark mamono realm in northern Dragonia called the Dragon’s Graveyard, and as the name might imply, they’re constantly scattered around the whole area. It’s safe to say that almost all of the dragonflutes sold in Dragonia are made from those gathered materials. But, the ones that fall in the Graveyard come from the dragon zombies, still full of lingering regrets that they didn’t find a human mate, so the sentiment that remains inside of them is especially strong. Dragonflutes were originally made by a master craftsman skilled in magic, using the shed claws and bones that the husband of a dragon would provide, and would only be completed after a long and painstaking process.

The timbre of a dragonflute changes depending on how it’s played— if you play it gently, it becomes a melody that rises to the heavens like a dragon’s call, and the sound will always reach your beloved dragon’s ears no matter the distance between you. Not only can you communicate through this music, but in the unlikely event that the flute’s player is in danger, his wife will immediately take to the skies in her massive ancient form and come rushing to her husband. If you play it with power, on the other hand, the song becomes a dragon’s roar loud enough to make the ground around you shake, and you can also temporarily borrow the power of the dragon that resides within the flute. In other words, the dragonflute is an incredibly powerful tool, a crystallization of the love between a husband and wife, and originally, certainly not something you could buy in a store like this. That’s why the dragonflutes like those being sold here are… particularly terrifying.

If a human man with no bonds with a dragon were to start playing a dragonflute, the melody becomes a mating call, ultimately summoning a dragon zombie full of unfulfilled longings. Not just that— the man will be taken over by the passions of dragons past inside the flute, and be unable to repress a desire to make a dragon into his female, and he and the dragon zombie he summoned would end up mating as if they were hungrily devouring each other. What’s even more terrible, these dragonflutes currently on the market contain such strong emotions that they end up naturally attracting single men, who will no doubt feel compelled to play it.

… I’ve really only been talking about the dangers of dragonflutes up until now, but a flute that has been made through the official process produces beautiful music. There are quite a few magic supply shops in Dragonia that specialize in dragonflute sheet music, and we frequently hold competitions where entrants vie to produce the most beautiful sounds. W-well, there’s also, you know… the trick to playing a dragonflute well is to understand a dragon’s feelings well, and to be aware of the quality of their calls. O-or in other words, the more you know about your wife, at what times does she call in what tone, the more skilled of a player you can become… you— you know what, that’s enough! How thick could you possibly be?!

~DTB Newbie Guide Leia~

Translation Notes:
1: The real name, 竜魔笛, would be most accurately translated as "dragon magic flute" but let's face it. That's a mouthful, and if a dragon's involved, I think we can rest assured that it's somehow magical in nature. What's really interesting to me as a tidbit is that 魔笛 is the set phrase for a magical flute (and the name of the Mozart opera in Japanese!), and 竜笛 (lit. "dragon flute") is a real kind of flute in Japanese gagaku (or traditional court music), making this two flutes in one! Because the latter flute is not widely known to any English speaker outside of the most knowledgeable of traditional Japanese music, I felt safe just calling it "dragonflute".
2: The name of the shop is 魔娼館, or literally "magic/demon brothel". "Diabordello" is a portmanteau of "diabolical"/"diablo" and "bordello", and I am pretty dang proud of it. All about that wordplay.

Wedding Collar

Spoiler

Where to Buy: Jewelry stores in Dragon’s Den Alley
Price: As much as a dragoon’s first month of pay

Dragon’s Den Alley has no small amount of shops specializing in magic adornments and jewelry stores aimed at us dragons. Well, I say that, but even though we dragons originally hoarded treasure, we felt no need to decorate ourselves, so we weren’t really interested in things like that. But, Dragonia is a city where dragons and humans coexist. Given that, there are those of us who like to show off, and even a handful of dragons who always seem to be worried about what other people think. Above all else though, as expected, it’s just rather nice to receive a gift from a man who you’ve deemed worthy. Not just between husband and wife, but for single dragons who have only ever been treated as the subjects of “awe” and “dread”. Being suddenly treated as a woman by men by receiving such lovely jewelry is… unfamiliar to us, but certainly not bad. Among the many gifts like that a dragon can receive, one of the most meaningful is the “wedding collar”, a symbol of eternal love similar to the “Necklace of the Pair Bond”.

There are shops dedicated to designing and selling these collars, a gift you can only receive from your husband, and there are an infinite variety of styles to choose from— from something as… unrefined as only having a realmsilver plate with the dragon’s name carved into it, to ones inlaid with dragon scales and magic gems. Of course, while the whole process takes days, there are even shops that work with manufacturing made-to-order wedding collars with the client couple’s own magic gems.

Depending on how you look at it, it may seem like, l-like the dragon has been made into little more than a pet dog, but a dragon wearing one of these collars is proud, attracting looks of envy from others around her. This is a simplified explanation, but wearing a wedding collar is proof that we’ve found a male dragon who we deem mightier than ourselves, the man we have to search for even if it takes a lifetime… It's proof that we’ve found a husband.

All of us, to a greater or lesser degree, have our pride and dignity as the “rulers of the earth”, and needless to say, that’s not something that changes depending on whether or not you get a husband. But, contrary to that pride, in the deepest parts of our hearts, there’s… a certain loneliness to having to be strongest, and a need for others to understand that. No, more simply, it’s a masochistic desire to be dominated by one’s beloved human man through his power and lust, to be forced to surrender, to be treated whatever way he likes as his female— a desire that is very hard to confront, but harder to fight.

… I, however, am different. I am the exception! It’s not at all like I’m jealous or anything of the sort! Rather, it’s… well, if I could experience it a little bit I might enjoy it, but I just don’t know if it suits me… ugh, let’s just go! If you’re idling around in a place like this, you don’t get to complain if you get pounced on by some out-of-control dragon and dragged over to some dark corner!

~DTB Newbie Guide Leia~

Translation Notes:
N/A (did you guys know I used to work at a jewelry store? Ah, memories!)

Ryuusen Village

Spoiler

Location: The former “Eastern Wastes” of the Dragonian Territories
(Dragon-based shuttling services from a Tourism Bureau office available)

If you were to ask me, “Litia, what’s the spot you most recommend in Dragonia?”, I’d say “Ryuusen Village” in a heartbeat!

In this region, created by Lady Tatsuizumi during the founding of Dragonia, all of the ryuu living here have established their own unique hot spring resorts. Ryuusen Village is a place where you can experience the customs and traditions of the faraway eastern land of Zipangu! Things like the “ryokan”1 the ryuu operate their hot springs out of as inns, and the “yukata” the monster couples you see wearing as they walk down the street are all a part of the Zipangu culture, you know. Isn’t it just so elegant? Hey, you’re probably getting a little hot and bothered without even knowing it, aren’t you? I think there’s a certain sexiness to a dragon in a yukata; if you’d like, I could change my clothes right here… ♥

—oh geez, seems like I ended up getting a little too excited myself! Ryuusen Village is extremely popular among sightseers and couples, and plenty of monsters love to stop by themselves, like dragons wrapping up a day of intense drills, lizardmen done with their sword practice, and salamanders, who just love a long, hot soak. Everyone who visits this village comes to rest their bodies at their bath of choice… or well, that’s one of their goals, but whether it seems like one or not, this is a mamono realm! A mere hot spring district, it is not!

In Ryuusen’s plentiful hot springs, you can get a different exciting benefit depending on the bath! Even the humans who visit will tell you that that’s their goal~ Well then, instead of just telling you about them, let’s go take a dip and check out the benefits of these baths for ourselves! A bath is worth a thousand words, or something like that! ♥

Translation Notes:
Overall, Litia is really fun to translate for. She's simultaneously very polite, always using distal form and keigo when appropriate, as well as always referring to others by "-san", and extremly energetic and cheery. Definitely the born tour guide among them.
1: My policy as a translator is generally to rely as little as I can on just leaving Japanese untouched, with the important exceptions being iconic and distinct cultural products, and if the setting is Japanese or clearly Japanese-coded. The term "ryokan" falls within the former category; it's a specific, traditional, and quite famous kind of inn that almost always features a good Japanese meal built into the cost.

■　Open-Air Dragon Pot Tub1

Spoiler

Here we are, the dragon pot tub! Sure, it seems a bit more like a bathtub than a hot spring bath, but let’s not worry about the details. For now, feel free to hop on in~

What’s got you so embarrassed? Almost all of the springs here at Ryuusen Village aren’t segregated by gender, so it’s only natural that you’ll be bathing with us monsters. There are all kinds of natural baths here, but every resort has a dragon pot tub like this prepared, a huge pot filled with hot spring water for two. Something as silly as a “pot tub for one” doesn’t exist! Every single one of these baths in Ryuusen are for a pair to relax in. Monsters and humans, shoulder to shoulder, pressing their skin tightly together and heating up in the hot water is just proper bathing etiquette, you know! ♥

Hm, if a man were to take a bath by himself in a pot tub, huh… oh! Look over there!

Did you see someone flying into that hot spring? That was one of the single dragons who made their homes in Mount Ryuusen, towering just behind the village. You can see all of Ryuusen Village, and its hot springs, from up on the mountain! As you can probably imagine, the dragons that live up there can see when a gentleman is taking a “bath for one” veeery well. Or rather, they’re looking for it! It’s totally normal for a dragon to hop in with a man like that— the tubs are built for two, after all. Here, even the most stubborn dragons who just can’t be honest with their feelings can take a bath with a man under this perfectly proper pretense2— a perfectly proper chance to get a husband~

I’m sure by now that single gentleman is probably a little shocked… but also pulling the dragon towards him, warming each other up. Hey, there’s no point in trying to keep your distance like that! You can’t get away from me in this tiny little tub ♥

Translation Notes:
1: This is a combination of two different kinds of iconic hot spring resort staples but with "dragon" shoved in: 露天風呂, or an open-air bath, and a つぼ湯, (lit. "pot bath"). The latter is definitely a one-person situation, but not in MGE world. Honestly, "pot tub" as a pun works way too well.
2: Good golly, do we have to evoke sociology now? Okay, so "pretense" is a very inadequate translation for 建前 or "tatemae", which is a really, really, really important concept in Japanese culture. To oversimplify, it's your outward face that is determined by your role in society and what is expected of you (so naturally, a dragon might find herself very beholden to that). It's almost assuredly evoked specifically here (even in quotations, originally, always denoting something that Will/KC wants to focus on) because this is the Little Tokyo of Dragonia, so they can be more obvious with the Japan-specific terminology. Despite the quotations, I did not let it in the translation untouched because it's not a well-known and easily understood concept, and I didn't want to bring everything to a screeching halt in order to explain it.

■　Raging Bath

Spoiler

Let’s continue our hands-on tour with this Raging Bath! The original property of the very first springs here in Ryuusen Village was this “raging effect”. The many hot springs that derived from them are now known collectively as the “Raging Bath”, and they’re known as the springs with the greatest variety in Ryuusen Village! Alrighty, please hop on in! I really, really, really recommend this bath for humans… well, human men.

When a gentleman gets in the hot waters of this bath, the warmth in his body bubbles up. The longer he soaks in it, the more intensely the benefits will manifest. There, a gentle yet comfortable heat will leisurely envelop his whole body, just as if he was in a sauna, and before long, it’ll all converge on his most sensitive parts. Even if he leaves the water after a long enough bath, the manly rage awoken in his penis won’t die down at all. The raging mana from the bath permeating his manhood continues to radiate heat, causing waves of intense lust! Now, let’s just suppose that a dragon without a shred of clothing on her was right in front of a man in that state… ♥ No doubt he’ll surrender himself completely to the desire that feels like it’s going to explode inside of him, and try to soothe all that swelling in his lower body using that dragon~

Not to worry, of course! The raging effect doesn’t just make a man’s libido and essence potency skyrocket. Believe it or not, a man who spends a lot of time in the Raging Bath will start to produce pheromones that let the female dragons around him know that he’s a strong male dragon! It’s also perfectly natural for a dragon to immediately melt into just a horny female lizard when she sees a penis as hard as a vicious dragon claw and gets pinned down by force… No matter how much she tells him no, or tries to resist, she’ll most likely be completely unable to go against her instincts to be ravished by a man and to want to conceive his child ♥

Translation Notes:
N/A

■　Cloudy Bath

Spoiler

Aw, was the Raging Bath not quite to your liking? Well, there are also hot springs that stir up the desires of dragons instead of men!

That is… the Cloudy Bath! With the kind cooperation of our dragon exchange students the jabberwocks, this bath is the result of using their pink breath as the heating element instead of a boiler! This milky-white bath starts to bubble and foam when a monster uses it, and before long, her face and body will be stained with white. To men, this bath only imparts a gently sweet aroma, but for us, it’s a strong scent reminiscent of a man’s essence.

A monster immersed in this Cloudy Bath will also start to feel immersed in an illusion that they’re being showered in essence, and eventually that desire for the real deal will become unbearable. By the time a monster leaves this bath, her mind will be dyed as pink as a jabberwock’s, and all of her self-restraint will be useless when she sees a man’s naked body before her~ So of course, the monster pounces on the man without any hesitation, wholeheartedly stuffing her cheeks with his penis just to get covered with essence as quickly as she can, and painted white by the real cloudy white stuff1 ♥

Translation Notes:
1: This may be too obvious to even warrant pointing out, but the bath is called 白濁の湯, 白濁 meaning "cloudiness/turbidity", and 白濁液 (lit. "cloudy fluid") is codified Japanese slang for jizz. There you go.

■　Bath of the Water Goddess

Spoiler

The Bath of the Water Goddess is awfully popular with our good dragoons! It’s a special bath that the ryuu hostesses who run the resorts have consecrated with a prayer of divine protection. A monster who bathes in this spring, even a dragon or a vampire, will have their immense pride and stubbornness completely washed away, and their temperament will temporarily become that of the good-natured and devoted monsters of Zipangu!

For dragoons who simply can’t get a dragon to acknowledge him as her rider, and for the mounts who just can’t be honest with her feelings about her dragoon, there’s no better bath! This spring’s effect is only temporary, and the monster’s personality goes back to its original state around the time she leaves Ryuusen Village. Nevertheless, the loving memories of the calm and gentle love they made in the bath will remain forever! It’s not uncommon for dragoons to become full-fledged with this purifying bath as the impetus, by finally being able to convey your true feelings with your dragon mount without putting up a front and mutually accepting one another ♥

Translation Notes:
N/A

■　Bath of Reincarnation

Spoiler

As we’ve seen, there are plenty of hot springs with various exciting benefits here in Ryuusen Village! But, there’s one among them known for its truly special effect: the signature bath of “Tatsuizumibana”, the first and most storied resort run by Lady Tatsuizumi herself, the Bath of Reincarnation!

The Bath of Reincarnation is the “First Spring”— the oldest in all of Ryuusen Village. Naturally, dragons have been using this hot spring to heal their bodies since the time of Dragonia’s founding. Rare among the springs here, this bath doesn’t have a naughty effect that you’d expect from a mamono realm like all the other baths do. However, due to all that dragon mana that’s been permeating through the Bath of Reincarnation, as well as Lady Tatsuizumi’s blessing, it has the incredible effect of rejuvenating the bodies of those who bathe here, completely healing any kind of wound. It’s precisely because of these miraculous medicinal properties that are effective on all kinds of ills that we call it the Bath of Reincarnation! Those who have had their chronic illnesses completely washed away by this spring will definitely feel as if they’ve been reborn!

But that’s not the only reason why it’s called the Bath of Reincarnation… and to that end, a human woman would need to be very careful when she relaxes in this one. The longer she soaks in this bath, the more dragon mana will spread throughout every nook and cranny of her body, and the stronger the benefits will become— to put it another way, it’s like she’s being surrounded in the embrace of a whole bunch of dragons. If she stays in the spring long enough to start feeling dizzy, her body steadily becomes more accustomed to dragon mana. Constantly subjected to all that mana, her thoughts will start to slip away from the heat, and the boundary between herself and a dragon will get hazy. The woman will lose track of time, and by the time she comes to and gets out of the bath, she’ll find that she’s become a dragon herself! Just as the name implies, the Bath of Reincarnation can cause a human to be “reborn” as a dragon… a one-of-a-kind “draconization” hot spring ♥

Translation Notes:
N/A

Ryuusen Manjuu

Spoiler

Where to Buy: All over Ryuusen Village
Price: Inexpensive

Don’t you think there’s a wonderful aroma in the air? Here we are, right at the source— you can’t talk about Ryuusen Village without mentioning Ryuusen manjuu!

Did you know that they’re almost always sold in a two-piece set so that close married couples and sweet young lovers alike who came to do some sightseeing can enjoy them together? The snack known as manjuu originally comes from Zipangu, the region that Lady Tatsuizumi hails from. It was nothing like we’d ever tried before, but we were completely won over by its deliciousness. Nowadays, it’s popular as Ryuusen Village’s trademark treat: a perfect souvenir for humans and dragons alike, and the go-to choice for a date menu.

While the manjuu’s dough may look thin, the dough was steamed using water from the hot springs, so it’s nice and plump while still firm and toothsome. When you put a fluffy manjuu in your mouth, the first thing you’ll be able to savor is that good, springy texture. Of course, that’s not all; the main source of that delicious smell is the filling, which is actually a cream made from perfectly ripe “prisoner fruit”! Because prisoner fruit can enhance the loveliness of those who eat it, similar to the beautifying effect that the hot spring water used in the dough has, one bite of a Ryuusen manjuu will turn any lady into a hot spring beauty in a second! Her cheeks will faintly flush; as her body heats up, she’ll naturally open up her yukata a little bit, looking up through her eyelashes at a gentleman as if beckoning him… she’ll start to radiate that sort of sexy charm! This sweet treat definitely gets a lot of attention from women!

Oh, oh, please take a look at this! This is “Mamono Realm Slow Life”, a monthly magazine out of the Royal Mamono Realm— this issue features Ryuusen manjuu as a delicacy that’s getting a lot of buzz! It’s to the point where a lot of people are coming just to take a manjuu sampling tour~

Prisoner fruit is the classic choice for a Ryuusen manjuu filling, but for those guests who just don’t like sweets, folks who need a palate cleanser, or most importantly, gentlemen, they also sell a version with a “mandrago” filling. Mandrago is a mamono realm crop gathered out in the Dragonian Territories spicy enough to make even a dragon scream, but oddly enough, people are known to really get addicted to the stuff. It’s a terrific match for the subtle sweetness of the manjuu dough! In contrast with the prisoner fruit manjuu, these ones that use plenty of mandrago leaves have a crunchier texture, and because they’re also made with a stewed mix of seven1 other mamono realm vegetables, they’re actually quite filling. What’s even better, the mandrago they use is gathered by hand by the Dragonia Dragoon Corps themselves first thing in the morning, so you can’t ask for better freshness! By the time you’ve eaten the whole thing, you’ll be filled up with essence and then some— you might even end up pouncing on the lovely lady next to you!

Gosh, I’m so sorry— got a little worked up again back there. Anyway, the really incredible thing about all of the Ryuusen manjuu you can get all over the village is that each establishment uses their own spring water, so no two buns have the same flavor! Sampling all the different manjuu at the shops, getting a little sweaty in the shade of a nice tree, and then heading to a hot spring for a nice, relaxing…– doesn’t that sound wonderful? It does, right? I think we’d both like to try some, so let’s go eat! Or rather, I’ve already bought us a set!

C’mon, don’t be shy! Open wide, please! Say “aah” ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Litia~

Translation Notes:
1: This probably a reference to "the Festival of Seven Herbs", a Japanese traditional holiday where they eat a rice porridge made from the "seven spring herbs".

Bitter Holstaur Milk

Spoiler

Where to Buy: All over Ryuusen Village
Price: Inexpensive

Speaking of sweating it out as a couple in the hot spring, there’s nothing better for it than this! Tadaaa— it’s holstaur milk! Bitter holstaur milk, to boot!

This dream product could only be made possible by the fresh holstaur milk kindly sold to us by the hardworking ranchers in the Holstaur Dairy Cow Association, and the finest, carefully hand-selected mamono realm beans sourced from the Royal Mamono Realm! Alrighty, put your hand on your hip and chug it down! That’s the dragon way1 around here!

It’s all perfectly alright; holstaur milk is chock-full of nutritious goodness, but the mana concentration is actually rather low, so it’s safe for humans to drink. Did you know that sometimes it’s even on the market in anti-monster states? This flavor really creates a perfect balance between the bitterness and aroma of mamono realm beans and the mellow, rich taste of holstaur milk. The milk itself has been chilling for a long time too, so it really clears your head after a hot soak!

Ooh, but what’s more, there’s a great little bonus too! See, please take a good look at the lid of the bottle. The wooden lid has all kinds of patterns carved onto it, like the flags and emblems of different mamono realm nations! Because each hot spring that sells bitter milk has a different pattern on the lid, collecting milk caps is another one of the joys of a hot spring tour! Look, I’ve even got this special wooden box for my collection! Check it out!

Hm? Instead of cooling off, your body’s getting even warmer? That’s only natural— mamono realm beans, when well-roasted and mixed with water, are a powerful aphrodisiac, you know! ♥

If you were to mix it with regular water, it’s so strong that with just a sip it becomes almost impossible to think clearly and you’ll end up attacking your special someone, but luckily, because holstaur milk is so mild and well-rounded in flavor, it neutralizes the effect. It’s a pleasant aphrodisiac, juuust strong enough to make you really start to want that cute monster girl right next to you!

So, shall we go work up a sweat again? ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Litia~

Translation Notes:
Alright gang, I'm gonna be candid— I have no earthly idea why they called it "bitter milk" when it's clearly coffee milk, a coffee-flavored milk that isn't actually all that bitter at all, which is very popular in Japan. Mamono realm beans are just coffee beans but horny. It's actually kind of funny for me to think of KC and Will going "no, 'coffee' is too modern a word. We need a different name for it."
1: Look at that, another untranslatable pun! 流儀, "ryuugi", means "way (of doing things)"; just like before, they replace 流 with 竜 which is pronounced the same way. Also sub-note, cold milk (especially coffee milk!) after a hot spring is as quintessentially Japanese as drinking beer at a barbeque is American. It shows up all over Japanese media, and yeah, drinking it with a hand on the hip is part of that stereotypical image. Seriously, even Irasutoya has us covered.

(Why indeed?)

Definitely a little more cultural stuff to explain with the Ryuusen talk, but it's fun! As always, let me know if you have questions!

Monster Girls Redux

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Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 1)

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Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 2)