Tourist Information

For articles pertaining to Monster Girl Encyclopedia World Guide - Side I: Dragonia
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Spore
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Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 3)

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Hope you guys are hungry for more retranslations, because it's time to talk about Dragonia's food scene. As always, TL notes in relevant nested article!

Reverse Scale Bistro1
Spoiler
Location: Right next to the statue of Del Row in the heart of Dragonwing Street

You’re probably starting to work up an appetite by now, right? Let’s go sample some Dragonian cuisine in my number one lunch spot, the “Reverse Scale Bistro”!

Having come from such a harsh environment, Dragonian cuisine tends to be quite hearty, crafted to provide lots of stamina and essence generation essential for humans and dragons to really go at it! Thick, juicy slabs of mamono realm lizard meat! Incredibly powerful spices derived from mamono realm crops grown right here in Dragonia! A beautiful duet of flavors, served with a smile in ridiculously extreme serving sizes! There’s only one rule for your table manners when you eat Dragonian food: “wolf it down!2” We recommend scarfing down your food like nobody’s watching, focusing only on the meal in front of you and enjoying it to the fullest at every one of our eateries! The sight of a human gentleman sinking his teeth into meat like a starving male dragon will make the hearts of the dragons around you race, and you’ll naturally end up attracting them~

Ooohhh! It seems like there’s a gentleman over there looking to take on the challenge menu! It’s not just this restaurant, you know— a lot of places here in Dragonia offer special menus of super-sized meals, and if a man can clean his plate, they offer various “perks”. Even supposing that you get too full and can’t finish, there isn’t any particular punishment, and one of the dragons employed there will still take very good care of you, so you should give it a shot at least once! No need to be so worried; even if your tummy starts to hurt and you don’t want to eat anymore, I’ll take responsibility and look after you ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Litia~

【ADVERTISEMENT】
■ Starving Dragonnut
For those gentlemen who don’t eat much and instinctively shudder at the sheer mass of a Dragonian serving size, I recommend this: the starving dragonnut!

This nut, packed with dragon zombie mana and harvested only in the Dragon’s Graveyard, is also called the mamono realm walnut. Its hard shell is covered with fang-like spikes, but its contents are surprisingly soft, with a rich, fruity aroma, making them quite easy to eat. Eat just one of these, full of a dragon zombie’s “greedy mana”, and no matter how little of an appetite you usually have, a powerful feeling of starvation will overtake your whole body in a second, and you’ll end up seized by the urge to devour meaty, fatty foods.

After you eat it, the more filling food you devour, like our Dragonian cuisine, the more that insatiable mana in your body will start to mellow out into a feeling of pleasure, and you’ll be full of smiles, as well as food! This effect is really strong, though; if you give into the temptation of a dragonnut’s sweet smell and end up popping two or three in your mouth, even finishing a meal won’t satisfy that hunger. Instead, you’ll have another kind of desire for flesh, and it’ll stick around in your body for a while~ But rest assured— the sight of a man who just ate a hearty meal like that will no doubt attract a similarly “starving dragon”, coming closer in hopes that she’ll get to be his “dessert” ♥

Translation Notes:
1: The original translation calls it "pavilion", which is the hyper-literal meaning of 亭, but in truth, it's really just a common suffix/marker for restaurant names, hence why I went with "bistro".
2: The verb Litia uses is 食らう (as opposed to 食べる)- it's a really coarse, even somewhat vulgar way to say "to eat"! Dragons have no table manners!
Dragon Steak
Spoiler
Available at: “Reverse Scale Bistro”, the diner “Firedrake”

This dragon steak is the perfect representative of Dragonian cuisine’s many meat dishes!

Some visitors are very surprised when they hear the name “dragon steak”, thinking that it’s actually made with dragon meat, but of course, there’s no way we’d do that. The truth of that big slab of meat cooked to juicy perfection sitting on your plate is that it’s a cut from a mamono realm lizard, who live all throughout the Dragonian Territories! Mamono realm lizard meat has been a part of our culinary culture ever since the Mamono Lord’s succession, but nobody actually really knows why we call it a “dragon” steak.

According to one theory, the name comes from how some of the larger varieties of lizards have an overall look and sheer strength similar to a dragon’s ancient form, and another attributes it to how dragons cook the meat with their own breath1. There’s even another story that it happened because sightseeing adventurers mistook it for dragon meat and that rumor ended up sticking— there’s a whole host of theories out there. Whatever the reason, this steak got popular with its current name, and nowadays it’s known and loved as Dragonia’s most famous dish!

Mamono realm lizard meat is just as nutritious, if not more so, than the meat of mamono realm pigs, and when it’s cooked, the more you chew it, the more of those flavorful juices gush out. In addition, this steak is prepared with a mamono realm crop that’s cultivated in the Dragonian Territories called “dragarlic”. It enhances the fragrant aroma of the meat, and has an appetite-stimulating effect so strong that it makes you not even think twice about the amount of food on your plate!

Dragarlic’s famously strong smell can also turn a man’s bad breath into something you could call “a male dragon’s breath”, sure to attract a lady dragon! If a fellow were to eat one of these steaks before sex, his essence levels would be boosted enough to roll in the hay with his monster lover for days, and his breath could surely take down2 the dragon of his dreams ♥ A meat dish with the power to charm dragons— now that’s a dragon steak!

As an aside, on rare occasions there might be a tourist who is still a little confused about the name, and orders a steak by saying “lemme eat a dragon!”. Ordinarily, the restaurant will provide the gentleman with this steak, but if his hostess is a dragon still on the lookout for a husband, she’ll immediately drag him off to an inn, red as a beet, and he’ll end up actually getting a taste of a dragon ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Litia~

Translation Notes:
Just wanna say that I 100% approve of the "dragarlic" change. Sounds better and is more fitting in English. Sometimes going one-for-one with translations isn't your friend!
1: It's shown up once or twice before, but it's interesting to note here that whenever a dragon's magic breath is referred to, the word used is ブレス (literally "breath" in glossed English) rather than 息吹 ("breath" in actual Japanese). It may just be to reinforce that this is not the same as ordinary breathing.
2: The verb here is 仕留める, which specifically refers to like, taking down an animal or opponent in a hunt or fight or something.
Ryuudon1
Spoiler
Available at: Places like the ryuudon specialty restaurant “Drandon”

Dragon steak isn’t a bad pick if you’re looking to boost your essence for some intense “training” with a monster, but it takes time to make, and you’ll be waiting a while to get it. Me, I prefer ryuudon— comes out right after you order it.

Ryuudon’s a dish where sliced and simmered lizard meat is piled on white rice along with “salamaranth2”, a monster crop in the shape of a burning flame, and “tailleaf”, so called because it looks like one of our tails. One of its charms is just how convenient it is. All the ingredients are prepared in advance, and the meat’s already been simmering, so the employees here at places like this can provide a customer with a piping-hot bowl of ryuudon right after they arrive. It’s rather like dragon steak in that they both use mamono realm lizard meat, but a steak uses just the one cut. With ryuudon, you can get arms, back, thighs, ribs, sometimes even tongue— they all have their own distinct flavor, and you can enjoy them all.

Of course, this is a mamono realm dish— you don’t seriously think the best part is the meat, right? That salamaranth gives that meat an extra crunch when you eat it in one bite and certainly adds to the flavor, sure, but it’s not just some vegetable garnish. Salamaranth is also called “feverwort”. It raises the body temperature of whoever eats it, and makes them a little… worked up, too. If a man’s built up more essence from eating mamono realm lizard meat and then ate salamaranth, he’s going to keep getting hotter and hotter, and by the time he finishes up a bowl of ryuudon, his body’s going to feel like it’s on fire, and that the clothes on his back are just making it worse. When he finally throws them off… the first thing he’ll probably notice is that he’s pitching quite the tent down there. The tailleaf he’ll have ended up eating in a rush from the fever has that effect on men— gets their manhood really standing at attention. If a nearby dragon sees a man in that state, from her point of view, he just made himself into the perfect personal invitation for some mating.

Heh, starting to get it? If dragon steak is a dish that lets you eat a dragon, then ryuudon’s the one that gets you eaten. By the time you’ve finished your bowl, you’re forced into a position where you’re going to have sex with a dragon, like it or not, and no matter how hard you try to talk your way out of it, there’s no escaping a horny dragon. Ryuudon is the perfect fast food3— no matter how clumsy the man is at picking up a monster, this is the dish that makes it happen fast.

What? This one is on me, so eat up! As for what follows, well… a captain always takes responsibility for their troops ♥ … ah, perhaps a hole in the wall like this wasn’t the best place to take you for such a monumental occasion as our first time.

~Captain of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps Altoiris~

Translation Notes:
1: Lovers of popular Japanese foods might know "gyuudon", or beef bowl, and therefore recognize the obvious pun Will and KC are making, but I just wanted to note it here for those who aren't too familiar! Just like Ally here describes, gyuudon also is something of a peasant dish made of whatever simmered beef you can get your hands on ladled out onto rice. It's very tasty and easy to make!
2: The original is 竜火草, or literally "dragon-fire grass". A literal translation fails to capture that 草 as an agglutinative semantic chunk ender, despite literally meaning "grass", actually covers a wide variety of low-lying plants, from grasses, to flowering plants like primroses, even to leafy greens like spinach and chard! "Salamaranth" is another brainchild of my talented friend, and is a portmanteau of "salamander", a fiery reptilian with some dragon-y overlap, and "amaranth", a plant with edible greens that even has a species that ends with 草 in Japanese!
3: Altoiris calls it "junk food" verbatim in Japanese, but I went with "fast food" because I feel like there's a slightly different connotation in English: "junk food" is like chips and Twinkies, highly-processed and mostly shelf-stable snacks, while "fast food" is more like a quick-service meal.
Fried Mamono Realm Shellbug
Spoiler
Available at: Food stalls within the Dragonia Empire

It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes there are mass outbreaks of “mamono realm shellbugs” that devastate farms out in the Dragonian Territories, and when that happens, the Dragonia Dragoon Corps sets out as a unit to clear them out. On such occasions, we use the captured shellbugs as an ingredient, prepping them and cooking them whole with our breath, and topping them with a variety of sauces in order to make fried mamono realm shellbug.

The hard carapace that covers a shellbug has a fragrant flavor when cooked properly, as well as a satisfying crunch, and the meat inside is so soft and supple that it’s hard to imagine based on a shellbug’s appearance, with a flavor quite similar to the finest quality crab, shrimp, or similar seafood. The greatest features of this dish is the exquisite interplay of textures from the shell and the meat, and that the flavor changes depending on the nature of the dragon breath used to cook it. For example, fried shellbug prepared with a standard-variety dragon’s breath will have a spicy shell and hearty, fatty meat: the perfect choice for fortifying essence. In contrast, one cooked with a jabberwock’s pink breath will have a shell more like a cookie, and the meat takes on a texture rather like a fleshy fruit that leaves the person eating it feeling sweetly intoxicated.

This dish has a huge spectrum of flavor profiles depending on the species and nature of the dragon cooking it, and it’s known as a delicacy that can only be enjoyed during the aftermath of a shellbug outbreak. The day after the Dragoon Corps succeeds in capturing enough of them, a “festival” erupts in the Empire, with rows of stalls all lining up to sell their own fried treat. At first glance, it might seem like simple fare, but it’s actually only relatively recently become known throughout Dragonia. The tradition began when a dragon mount in the Corps let loose a blast of fire in order to capture a shellbug that ended up cooking it perfectly… and then she ate it by mistake. However, the acts of both catching and cooking them are extremely difficult undertakings, and even during the period of an infestation, there’s no actual guarantee that you can get your hands on fried shellbug.

First of all, the shellbugs of Dragonia are timid and notoriously quick to flee, not to mention their habit of relentlessly firing potent mana from their tails at anyone who comes near, so even catching enough of them to cook is not a simple task. The second issue you run into is maintaining a proper heat level. Occasionally you might see a mutant strain of shellbug that is nearly the size of a human, but typically they’re small, around the size of an insect— a large one, but still— so even if we try to hit them with intent to cook them, our aim might be off, or worse yet, we could burn them to a crisp. The third is that mana I mentioned— their poison, so to speak. If you just blast a captured shellbug as hard as you can, you’ll end up setting off the mana still in their body, so whoever eats it will immediately fly into a frenzy of lust without even having the time to enjoy the flavor first.

When a duo can overcome all of these setbacks by the expert coordination of rider and mount and manage to capture the shellbugs, the first batch you fry up is truly a meal that represents your bond. And, um… well, if you behave yourself, then this year… I was thinking, maybe you could try something I made with my breath… ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Leia~

Translation Notes:
You'll notice that I truncated "shelled bug" to "shellbug". Less clunky, a little more magical-sounding.
Draguette1
Spoiler
Available at: Every household throughout the Dragonia Empire

Draguettes are served in every household in Dragonia— they’re one of those crowd-pleasers. You typically eat them by dipping them in stews and soups.

They’re typically baked with our breath, extremely carefully, and fitting for the nickname “dragon spear”, the crust is rock-hard, but the inside is like, really light and fluffy. They’re a real pain to make, though. The flour that gets ground out in the Dragonian Territories has a quirk where it hardens when you hit it with dragon breath, so you need to be a hell of a baker to make sure that only the crust is crackly and the inside is soft.

Regulating our breath— our firepower, basically— is hard for a dragon. But that’s also why, if you can get that hard crust just right, you trap in all that heat and flavor, so a proper draguette always tastes freshly-baked. Well, actually… one of the best parts of this bread is all the learning through trial and error, making it with, y’know, a special guy in mind. Baking draguettes is more than just making food— it’s even been adopted into the regiment at the Dragoon Corps as part of domestic training. Y’know, they say that if she can make good draguettes, she’ll make a good wife… a-and like, I still end up burning them sometimes in class, but I’m confident that if you scrape off the char they’re pretty tasty!

A-anyway! Draguettes are really special to us dragons here in Dragonia. Back when Dragonia was being founded, ingredients weren’t nearly as abundant as they are now, and you humans… actually used the little flour you had to make these for us. Honestly, we get that humans are better at making bread than we are, and the stuff that we make is gonna be pretty messed up because we aren’t as good at the little details as you are. Still… to us, this bread is a special first meal, the first thing that humans gave us that we could all eat together as equals. That’s the whole point— to make them the same way you humans do, with love. Sure, even though it’s monster cuisine, it’s just normal bread with no crazy effects or anything, but… each draguette in Dragonia is filled with the love of the dragon that made it.

Isn’t that what they say all the time? “The most delicious meal is love”? So y’know… maybe it’s okay to get your hopes up ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~

Translation Notes:
1: I'm so proud of this one, guys. ドランスパン is a pun on the straightforward English word "dragon" and フランスパン, the "wasei eigo" (or Japanese word constructed using English words) for French bread... especially baguettes. Hence, "draguette".
Restaurant Chain: Loveride
Spoiler
Flagship Location: Dragonia Empire’s “Cloud District”

The Cloud District is a high-elevation monster residential neighborhood. It’s only a stone’s throw from the Valley of Bonds and the Corps HQ, and it’s a popular sightseeing spot for getting a great view of Dragonwing Street. Most of the monsters living up here are wyverns like me and Litia. Of course, there are a lot of new homes getting built around here for new couples, you’ll see somebody’s husband heading to town on a wyvern’s— or, y’know, his wife’s— back basically every morning.

Well, what do you think? Seriously, it’s not every day that you can be in a place with this good of views, and in such a convenient spot that you can go shopping or get to the Dragoon Corps right away if you go by wyvern-back! A-and, if- if- if- if y-you’re thinking about somewhere to live after you get married, I, I most definitely recommend this neighborhood, b-but… w-well, y’know, I mean, just, give it a thought, I don’t care! Since we’re here in the Cloud District though, you might as well check out my house— I mean, the place my mom and dad run.

It’s called “Loveride”— it’s actually a chain here in Dragonia with a few other locations. Ehe, did you know my mom’s a pretty famous wyvern around here? She was the previous captain of the Dragoon Corps; they even called her “the Great Wing”, if you can believe that. When she went to another country on a diplomatic mission with the Corps, she met a guy working as a cook— my dad, y’know— and after a red-hot romance that transcended species barriers, they got married.

When my mom came back to Dragonia with dad, she stepped down from the Corps and started up Loveride with him, the first restaurant offering food that caters to dragon and human couples. Thanks to everyone in the Dragoon Corps coming here ever since it opened, the sight of dragoons and their mounts happily eating together spread throughout the Empire, and the restaurant became a hit in no time at all. Of course, my parents make everything with love, so anything you pick off the menu is gonna be your trump card for deepening your relationship with a dragon. Y’know, ever since I was little, I was helping out here while my mom and dad went on and on about their sappy love stories, and I was always watching the couples eat. They seemed so… intimate.

Huh? Did you seriously just imply that I wasn't "just" watching?... W-well, excuuuse me! This is a place for couples, so it’s only natural, isn’t it?! Look, the details don’t matter— right now, just be honored that you get to eat with me for your first visit! Besides, once we’ve had a proper meal… I’ll have to introduce you to mom and dad ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~

Translation Notes:
N/A
Couple’s Fruit Mixed Juice
Spoiler
Available at: Every “Loveride” location
(Available in-store and to-go)

The thing I recommend before anything else to those young and kinda awkward dragon couples who visit the store is this special juice made from “couple’s fruit”. It’s Loveride’s best seller, and it’s even been featured in “Slow Life” as the “fruit juice that makes love bear fruit”1.

It’s made using a sorbet of the separated red and blue parts of a couple’s fruit before they ripen fully and become one— the two fruits represent the human and the dragon drinking the juice. When the juice is served, more of those separated fruits are floating in a fruit infusion made with “scaleflowers”, which look like dragon scales and have mana with a sort of acceleration property, so the fruits actually continue to ripen in the water.

With how close their faces are from those intertwined straws, the couple can enjoy the sweetness and sourness of each fruit, marveling together at how the flavors bloom into something new and incredibly refreshing. Eventually, while they’re so into that evolving flavor profile, that whole fruit that’s been ripening in the sherbet will fully dissolve into the juice, and they’ll fully be taken over by a couple’s fruit’s… special properties. Basically, they’ll start off all shy, just enjoying the juice, but by the end they’ll really wanna enjoy each other’s bodies. Okay, well, to be blunt, that whole “flavor transformation” shtick is kind of just a fun bonus, but… y’know ♥

Actually, when we recommend this drink, really proud dragons tend to get really fussy about sharing the same drink with someone else, so we’ve cooked up the whole flavor-change “excuse” for them. At first they get all red, drinking through the straw like they’re giving in, but at some point the couple will start to switch off straws, and she’ll start tasting the guy’s saliva that’s still on his straw and drinking the juice in earnest.

Before long, they’ll have their hands on each other’s waists while drinking, and finally they’ll forget all about straws and drink right from each other’s mouths… ahh, I’m so jealous— i-is what I would say if I was jealous, which I’m not! W-well, whatever, anyway! It’s also the perfect pick for monsters who aren’t really used to getting fawned on! It’s a miracle juice that can close the distance between you and your partner just by drinking it!

Hm, all this explaining has made me pretty thirsty— seems like a perfect opportunity to try it out… let’s give it a shot ourselves ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Syltia~

Translation Notes:
1: The verb 実る used here regarding love both refers to literal fruiting and figurative fruiting, like a plan bearing fruit, so I tried to give it that wordplay feeling with "fruit juice". It's a little clunky, but I tried.
Pamumu
Spoiler
Available at: Every “Loveride” location
(Available in-store and to-go)

Mmm, that heavenly smell of meat coming from those couples on the street eating that burger-like thing is just unbearable, isn’t it! Really works up the appetite, huh! Are you curious? You totally are, right? Well, that’s the flagship dish from Loveride, the restaurant that my lovely classmate Syltia’s parents run: the pamumu!

Pamumu is a dish made with roasted mamono realm lizard meat, wrapped up in a wheat flour flatbread1 along with salamaranth and “intimacy vegetables”, or as we call them “montatoes”! You can get them almost right after ordering them, so I guess you could say that they’re a kind of fast food like ryuudon, huh? But unlike ryuudon, which is a super hearty meal made to fill you up, pamumu really is just a light meal or snack. The salamaranth tucked in with the meat has even been soaked in alraune nectar, so its notorious “feverwort” effects are mitigated, too. Just like the soft and flaky montatoes, the greens are really just there to add another dimension to the textures and flavors.

But of course, a pamumu is more than a mere quick lunch! Its greatest charm of all is that right after the customer orders it, a wyvern employee cooks the lizard meat with her breath in front of their very eyes! And then, and then, a lizardman carves up that perfectly roasted meat with her incredible swordplay, or rather, her knifework, and slides it into that yummy fresh flatbread! Yes, pamumu is a meal with a show! The freshly-made, piping hot, soft and flaky pamumu is finally complete when it’s finished off with a secret sauce made from deluxe mamono realm herbs that Syltia’s own father invented when he was a cook in another country!

That intense, amazing smell goes all the way up into the very heavens themselves, tickling the nostrils of the surrounding dragons, especially the high-flying wyverns like me… it whets the appetite enough to get us drooling. If a wyvern who’s been made so utterly famished by that amazing smell were to spot a single man in the middle of eating a fresh pamumu… unfortunately, we just can’t control our dragon instincts! She’ll do an incredible nosedive from the skies just to get one bite… or, well, no, to eat the whole thing! Oh, p-please don’t look at me like that!

But don’t worry too much about it; a single wyvern who ate a gentleman’s pamumu will certainly recognize him as a “most charitable master”. No doubt she’ll owe him a debt of gratitude! If that happens, the wyvern will take the man home in order to repay the favor— they say that one good deed deserves another, so she’ll let him take a taste of her, making full use of her body so the man won’t be able to live without his new favorite meal ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Litia~

Translation Notes:
I just wanna say that I ripped my hair out trying to figure out what "pamumu" is punning on so I could try to make a suitable wordplay on it for English, but I came up with literally nothing. It's... pretty clearly some sort of gyro/donar kebab, but I couldn't find any weird niche Japanese name for those kinds of things anywhere! I might have to ask Will/KC about this one because it's driving me nuts. Anyway, that's why I left it intact from パムム. Also I want to eat this one real bad.
1: The term used is パン生地, which refers specifically to uncooked dough, and since nothing about frying or baking after the goodies were in there was ever brought up, that just felt insanely weird to me. I took a liberty and just made it "flatbread" to avoid further weirdness.
Chocohorn
Spoiler
Available at: “Loveride” flagship restaurant
(While supplies last)

This is a sweet known as a chocohorn, a rare item sold at Miss Syltia’s family home.

There’s a bounty of mamono realm crops that one can enjoy in the Dragonian Territories, full of fertile bright green mamono realms, but these chocohorns are made from one that’s particularly rare: “horn cane”. Like you might surmise from the name, horn cane grows from the ground and ripens into a horn-like stalk, and is only found in hilly areas that get plenty of mana and sunshine. Harvested horn cane is known to be used in various medicinal decoctions, but when toasted by the breath of us dragons, it tastes and smells like sweet confectionery.

These chocohorns are made from horn canes prepared in that very same way, coated with a mixture of “slimeshrooms"1 and chocolate. With its dark chocolate coating, this treat has a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, and on top of that, it always retains that just-baked crispiness. Due to how scarce horn cane is, chocohorns are only sold within the narrow window when it can be harvested, but the second Loveride announces their availability, everyone, young and old, even Her Majesty the Queen, comes to buy them up. Dragons from all over Dragonia come hunting for this confection in droves, and they form very long lines in front of the restaurant.

While it’s true that dragons are so dead-set on getting their hands on chocohorns due to their irresistible and addictive flavor, there's actually another reason. Horn canes coated with that slimeshroom mixture are so slippery that when we dragons, let alone humans, try to hold them in our claws, they slip right out— inevitably, if you’re trying to eat them, the only way you can do it is by holding them in your mouth.

Of course, trying to eat them that way all by yourself is… a challenge. So i-in other words, you eat chocohorns with— are you going to make me spell it out for you? It’s something you eat with a man you like! The dragon holds it in her mouth and the man eats it, and vice versa! It looks just like a kissing and, a-and, and just watching it makes me cringe! However, the flavor is unmatched, so there’s really no other way around it if you want to try it… here! I can’t believe I begged Miss Syltia to prepare one just so an ungrateful lout like you could… I-I mean, I would never do that. I just… happened to get my hands on this!

Just think of it as candy that has to be eaten this way and quit whining! N-now, take it from my mouth… ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Leia~

Translation Notes:
1: This is distinct in Japanese from the existing "sticky mushrooms" from WGII. Stylistic consistency with Brolen would make them "slimy mushrooms"... but if I had my druthers, sticky mushrooms would be called "stickycaps".
Tricoromille (Dragonia Branch)
Spoiler
Location: Dragonia Empire’s “Dragon’s Den Alley”

Ahem. First of all, let me make it abundantly clear that I have not taken you to Dragon’s Den Alley for any nefarious or underhanded reason. All of this, I’ll point out, is solely to take you to Tricoromille as a part of your tour. … I-I mean, yes, this is also my first time going to an establishment like this, but not to worry— I’ve done recon on the matter!

This is the Dragonia branch of Tricoromille, the greatest cafe chain in any mamono realm specializing in prisoner fruits, famous for its “prisoner fruit parfait” that consistently boasts first place in “Mamono Realm Slow Life”’s yearly sweets ranking, now at last establishing locations all across the land. The impetus for Tricoromille opening a location here in Dragonia was a conversation held at a get-together with the mamono realm nation Lescatie some years back. Originally, Dragonia was full of hearty dishes made to build up essence, but there weren’t any shops that could provide lovely sweets like this, nor any real sweets culture. This was a source of worry for Her Majesty Deonora for quite some time.

Hm… now that I think about it, as far as sweets-focused places in Dragonia went, the place that the captain before me, Sylvia, had opened, was probably the only one. At the time of the meeting, the lilim who represented Lescatie, the fourth daughter of Her Majesty the Mamono Lord, Lady Druella, recommended the Tricoromille cafe that had just been opened in Lescatie to Her Majesty Deonora.

Upon Lady Druella’s recommendation, Her Majesty went to Lescatie on her own two wings, and was terribly impressed by not just Tricoromille’s products, but their lovely uniforms made from arachne silk, and the adjoining inn, complete with luxurious beds, that allowed male customers to take unwed employees “to go”1. She immediately approached the founder of Tricoromille and asked her to establish a new location. And just like that, this cafe was opened in this neighborhood, where ever since, both humans and monsters have been visiting every day in search of a sweet moment.

This Dragonia branch has adopted many Tricoromille classics, like gifting a uniform to long-time employees, and the “take-out” system where male customers can bring an unmarried dragon home, but it seems like they’re rather committed to maintaining a “spirit of Dragonia”. Let’s see, let’s see… ah, I see, according to this guidebook, there’s an all-you-can-eat sweets buffet where even a dragon can satisfy themselves, excellent! And hmm, when you’d like to take an employee home… wh– “you can use Castle Dragonia in lieu of an inn”?! Her Majesty Deonora’s castle… even I’ve never stayed there! Apparently that up-and-coming idol group Dragon Heat even goes there for live shows sometimes… dammit, the Dragoon Corps needs way more perks!

Gghh… hey, look at this “dragon-sized parfait”... it’s the perfect amount for us to eat together, don’t you think? Well… everything’s an experience. L-look, I’m not enjoying this or anything, this is just another part of your training!

~Captain of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps Altoiris~

Translation Notes:
I LOVE ALTOIRIS SO MUCH. I need you guys to imagine everything from paragraphs two through four as her sort of badly paraphrasing from a visitor's guide that she's trying to hide from You that she's still reading.
1: Did you guys know that お持ち帰り, or "takeout/food for to-go" also is preexisting Japanese slang for taking someone you met at a bar or club home with you? Yeah, KC didn't make that innuendo up whole-cloth when he made Tricoromille in WGII.
Dragon-Sized Parfait
Spoiler
Available at: Tricoromille’s Dragonia branch

Prisoner Fruit Parfait (Dragon-Sized)
Only available at the Dragonia branch location: a dragon-sized parfait, ideal for dragon and human couples! This incredibly filling serving is an expression of all of our wishes as employees at Tricoromille to make an ever-so-sweet moment between a lovey-dovey couple last even a second longer! Please enjoy this sumptuous treat, chock-full of mamono realm fruits harvested right here in Dragonia ♥

【Horn Cane】
As part of a collaboration with Loveride, we are able to provide sweet and fragrant horn cane!

【Scaleflower】
Scaleflowers look just like dragon scales, smell as refreshing as mamono herbs, and even accelerate the effects of other magic goodies! They may be petals, but they’re quite edible— they’re as sweet and chewy as a gummy candy ♥

【Intoxication Fruit】 (AKA Mamono Realm Grapes)
The cultivar of mamono realm grape used in this parfait is “Dralot”1, one raised right here in Dragonia. These large, fragrant “dragon jewels” will make you reveal a whole new face with every bite of parfait you take ♥

【Draberry】
It’s the fruit of the scaleflower: draberries! This sweet yet faintly tart fruit will give a “charming breath” effect to any woman who eats it!

【Couple’s Fruit】
A fully-ripened, juicy, and plump couple’s fruit is carefully placed on the tippy-top of every parfait! The way you eat this completely fused, delicious “love elixir” depends on the couple— mash it into a cream for your parfait right away, or save it ‘til the very end for the final treat! Of course, in this cafe, we recommend going halfsies straight from your love’s mouth ♥

Translation Notes:
1: The "t" is silent, of course. I've romanized ドラロー ("doraroo") this way in order to make it a more explicit nod to preexisting cultivars of grape like merlot.
As always, feel free to ask any questions you'd like about the process/how I got what I got!
Last edited by Spore on 10 Oct 2025 17:05, edited 1 time in total.
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Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 4)

Post by Spore »

All of that talk of food has made me need a digestif. Time for dragon booze!

Before I post the next part, and the subsection's respective TL notes, I wanted to speak to two much more general things: one is just how redundant the terminology is in the original Japanese. It's persistent throughout a lot of MGE, honestly, but a lot of the specific terms just have 魔界 tossed up before them every time. This is two ideographs, two syllables (technically three morae but we don't deal in those) in Japanese, so it's not that much of a pain for them, but for us Anglos, that means a literal translation would see a million "mamono realm"'s tossed up all over the place, which is a much clunkier term, and also just something we can assume from context most of the time. I've omitted a ton of them because I think you can guess that a wine made from mamono realm grapes is going to also be monster-y.

The second is that 酒 is an umbrella term for any alcoholic beverage that, again, we don't necessarily have a word as short, specific, and elegant for. Even "liquor" doesn't have the same universality, as it doesn't really apply to wines and beers. You'll see a lot of talking around 魔界酒 here, lots of synonyms. Anyway, onto the show!

Mamono Realm Bar “Moonlight”
Spoiler
Location: “Dragon’s Den Alley” within the Dragonia Empire

Hello, and welcome to our humble bar~

From the best of Dragonia’s local liquor scene, to rare imported wine from other monster nations— at “Moonlight”, we supply a wide selection of potent mamono realm potables, all carefully selected by my sister and I. Ah, there’s no need to be so stiff~ It’s quite normal for the human guests at establishments like ours to be unfamiliar with mamono realm spirits, you know ♥

For now, let’s just have a nice little chat while we enjoy some of this good old Dragonian home cooking my sister Luna whipped up~ Our bar’s credo is serving our customers a pleasant conversation along with a “mamono realm cocktail” perfectly suited to what they need. You came here from another country, right? I’d just love to hear all about that ♥ Oh, but of course, my sister and I— and our fellow wurm employees— won’t keep you all to ourselves; being able to converse with your fellow guests is half the appeal of a bar~

There are plenty of dragons among our valued customers who look forward to nothing more than getting friendly with the humans who visit from other places… really, our drinks might as well be peanuts1. It’s not uncommon for a human guest coming here for the first time to stew over what to order, only for a dragon local to treat him to one of our cocktails of liquors and fruits from mamono realms like this.

Well, speak of the devil… seems like Luna is bringing you a drink from that table over there. Looks like that lovely dragon sitting over there has quite an interest in you!~ It’s quite trendy right now to have a little “liquor language”2 for each of our cocktails. This one your new friend has bought for you means “I won’t let you go” ♥ Well then, I’ll be getting out of your way now… I hope you enjoy your chat~

Oh, that reminds me… if the booze ends up getting the best of you, don’t worry about the other patrons and just have some real fun with her. Here at our bar, when a guest like you makes love to a dragon… those cute moans are the “secret ingredient” that makes the drinks taste even better ♥

~DTB Guide Sana~

Translation Notes:
1: I was pretty proud of this one. つまみ, in context, means "bar snack", the kind of light thing you'd just take to go with your drink. Peanuts are basically the go-to versions of this in an American bar, plus it's got the additional meaning of "something that isn't very important (especially in comparison to something else)" so it's the perfect fit for this context!
2: 酒言葉 originally. It's clearly riffing on 花言葉, or flower language! A red rose is love, and all that. I actually think that the original translation's "wine words" was a cute translation, but due to the aforementioned broadness of 酒, I went with something a little less specific that refers back to flower language.
Monster Cocktail|Cassidraberry1
Spoiler
Mana proof: ★★
Liquor language: “The courage for love”

This cocktail, made with a liquor of the Dragonian mamono realm grape variety dralot and topped with draberry, is the most popular cocktail in not just our establishment, but in bars all across Dragonia.

A cassidraberry has a gentle flavor profile and the light sweetness of a fruit infusion, making it go down smooth for just about everyone, and since there’s no aphrodisiac component germane to a more typical monster beverage, even humans can enjoy it without worrying about an immediate effect on their bodies. However, you mustn’t forget that it contains draberry— if a dragon drinks it, her breath will have a charm effect against men. In the case of our other valued monster patrons, it won’t necessarily transform her breath; rather, it strongly stimulates her desire to mate with a man, and every word she says and move she makes changes into something that tempts a gentleman to a night of passion.

Even for the monsters who just can’t be honest with her feelings towards a human and confess, just taking a single sip of this cocktail will allow her to proactively approach the man who’s caught her eye. There are very many dragons here in Dragonia who still don’t know what to do with themselves around men, so this cocktail is a special drink that gives them the impetus to properly entice a man ♥

The liquor language associated with a cassidraberry is “courage for love”. If a dragon patron recommends this cocktail to you, it means without room for any doubt that she’s quite fond of you— it’s a love message asking you to be brave and come a little closer ♥

~DTB Guide Luna~

【The Word Around Dragonia】
The “Lady Dragon Association” is a regular gathering of unwed dragons in the Dragoon Corps, typically focused on the prestigious Iris Squad.

Shouting “gimme a cassie2” as soon as they walk into the bar is more or less their catchphrase. There’s some evidence that occasionally intoxicated male customers find themselves enthralled by them and become dragoons the very next day.

Translation Notes:
1: This is a portmanteau of the aforementioned draberries from the parfait section, and カシス, which is how the Japanese refer to "crème de cassis", or just cassis liquor, a kind of liquor made from blackcurrants.
2: This was originally カシドラ, a shortening of the Japanese name, so I went with a shortening that sounds a little more organic to English-speaking ears (or... eyes, in this case).
Monster Cocktail|Little Wyvern
Spoiler
Mana proof: ★★★★
Liquor language: “Take me home”

This “little wyvern” is a cocktail typically enjoyed by married couples out on a date, ordered as the final drink of the night.

A little wyvern is a mix of a particularly strong brandy made from the white mamono realm grape cultivar “chardrannay”1 cultivated in the plateaus of Dragonia, fresh mamono realm lemons, and soda water infused with dragon mana. Even among other beverages enjoyed by monsters, it has a remarkably brilliant color, as well as a deceptively high alcohol content for how refreshing it tastes— the effects of intoxication come on exceptionally quickly, along with kicking your sex drive into gear.

The cocktail got its name from a young wyvern who was drawn to its lovely color and got up on her tiptoes to steal a sip. In a state of drunken fervor, she attacked a gentleman and ended up awakening to sex ♥ In fact, a little wyvern can knock out even the Dragonian dragons, who can usually hold their liquor quite well, so quickly that it got its other name— “dragon killer”.

A little wyvern means “take me out” in liquor language. If your lovely dragon companion orders this cocktail, it’s a rather forceful little show of courtship; she wants to mate with you as soon as she possibly can ♥ For that matter, if you’ve already taken an interest in a dragon you’ve met in our bar, please be sure to order her this cocktail. It’s just as common for men to order little wyverns for single dragon patrons as it is for dragons to treat the men they’re eyeing to a drink here in Dragonia’s bar scene.

A dragon who receives a little wyvern from a man, no matter how proud she may be, will turn bright red at that little sign of affection and, in order to meet what she sees as “a man challenging a dragon”, will drain the glass in one gulp. When this happens, the only thoughts swimming around in her tipsy head will be about the man who showed her favor, with her worked-up body heading towards him on its own ♥

That’s the other meaning of “dragon killer”, you know— it’ll help you “slay” that dragon of your dreams ♥

~DTB Guide Luna~

Addendum from an apprentice monster scholar
The men who order this cocktail all end up losing themselves and mating with a dragon without exception… Does this make it a “dragon killer-killer”?...

Translation Notes:
1: The original Japanese was also a pun/wordplay on シャルドネ, or "chardonnay", mashed up with "dragon" as one does. I did the same but on a different syllable.
Monster Cocktail|Salamander Kiss
Spoiler
Mana proof: ★★★★★
Liquor language: “Winner takes all”

Oh my, it seems like the gentleman and the salamander over there are really getting fired up over a drinking contest~ The cocktail they’re going to town on is a “salamander kiss”.

This one is made from a rich liquor of the ripest, largest fruits of the dralot mamono realm grape that we call “dragon rubies”1, and similarly perfectly ripened and merged couple’s fruits; with these, we can achieve the perfect harmony of sweet and sour flavors. That’s why the salamander kiss is sometimes referred to as the “ultimate mamono realm cocktail”, and it’s one of our signature drinks.

The most important part of the salamander kiss is the way that the final touch, a puff of dragon fire, creates a mana-rich flame for you to enjoy, dancing on the rim of the glass in a riot of color for a short while. As the flame gradually dies, so too does the color of the cocktail change, from a passionate red to as blue as a deep ocean, until it finally settles into a shimmering purple as the two colors combine. Human customers order this novelty of a cocktail that’s as fun to watch as it is to drink again and again, but there’s one “rule” that they must know in advance that I’ll explain for you now: the liquor language for a salamander kiss is “winner takes all”. In other words, when someone orders one, it’s roughly the same as a strong man declaring that he won’t lose to any dragon in the bar.

If a single gentleman ends up placing an order for one, a Dragonian dragon, full of confidence in her ability to knock back mamono realm spirits, will almost assuredly come to challenge the man to a contest of how many salamander kisses he can drink.

Because this cocktail’s alcohol content is actually extremely low, even a man who isn’t familiar with our drinks, feeling a flare-up of competitive spirit from watching a dragon drain glass after glass completely unphased, ends up ordering just as many servings as she will. But, the thing that the man will eventually start to feel isn’t drunkenness from the alcohol, but the dragon mana imbued in the dragon breath. As he’s repeatedly violated by all that mana, the dragon he’s going drink for drink with starts to seem more and more lovely to him, and eventually he’ll want to decide the victor not by a never-ending drinking contest, but by directly having sex with her ♥

Hmhm~ Seems like they’ve already gotten to that stage of the competition over at that table! I wonder if the gentleman will be able to “rout” that salamander~ This goes for you as well, sir— if you’re confident that you won’t lose, by all means, please try ordering this drink ♥

~DTB Guide Luna~

Translation Notes:
1: Interesting to note, this "ruby" is actually 紅玉, the more poetical and slightly dated native Japanese word for "ruby" (nowadays they just use ルビー, or "ruby" in English). I attempted to reflect this by finding a more archaic word for ruby in English (like "adamantine" for "diamond"), but I just didn't have any luck finding a word that wasn't way too obscure. Into the annals of notedom it goes!
Monster Wine|Char Dragonian
Spoiler
Producing region: The Dragonian Territories
Mamono realm grape cultivar: Dralot
Rarity within mamono realms: ★★

With its favorable climate and wide plateaus, Dragonia is famous for its flourishing industry in the cultivation of mamono realm grapes. Every year, at the wine competitions held in the Dragonia Empire, many monster couples who own and operate their own grape farms, both domestic and international, come together and delight the attendees with the wines that they’ve made with love in their vineyards ♥

Char Dragonian is a wine made using the dralot grape, which is widely cultivated in the Dragonian Territories. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it may just be the signature beverage of Dragonia. The stylish bottle that’s modeled after a dragon is very eye-catching, so you can spot it not just in wine bars and taverns, but in the Empire’s restaurants and souvenir shops as well.

It goes without saying that this wine gives the drinker a pleasantly tipsy feeling, but it also has particularly spicy notes that make it perfect for serving with our local red meat dishes. The aroma of Char Dragonian and the taste of the meat makes one think of Dragonia’s history, her dragoons, and the brave dragons who fight alongside them, lending you their bravery… as well as getting you drunk ♥

This wine, beloved even among the Dragoon Corps as an “aperitif”1 for their most important duty, is the perfect choice for raising your morale, getting you in the mood to muster up your courage and confess your feelings. We highly recommend it to our somewhat timid patrons who need a little push when it comes to love ♥

We would love nothing more than for you to enjoy a passionate moment as hot and heavy as making love to a dragon while sipping this classic Dragonian wine and truly feeling our land’s history ♥

~DTB Guide Sana~

Translation Notes:
1: This is originally 交前酒, a novel word/pun on 食前酒, or "aperitif". 食前酒 is literally "alcoholic beverage before eating", so naturally, 交前酒 is "alcoholic beverage before intercourse". I could have made this a pun, but I couldn't think of anything that wasn't insanely stupid, so I just left it as aperitif and tossed up some wink-wink-nudge-nudge quotes.
Monster Wine|Drané Ronti
Spoiler
Producing region: Castle Dragonia
Mamono realm grape cultivar: Deo noir1
Rarity within mamono realms: ★★★★★

In Dragonia, there are as many wines, each with their own wide variety of charms, as there are stars in the sky, and every day, they’re enjoyed by people who love to drink. Among all of the beverages available in Dragonia, however, there is one that boasts the highest level of prestige and tradition, spoken of by wine aficionados as “the wine you have to try at least once in your life”— this, the “Drané Ronti”.

The history of this wine goes back centuries. It has its origins in the man who ruled this land during the era of the Dragei Empire, King Dragei himself, who decreed that only members of the royal family were permitted to drink it, and made the servants at his imperial castle tend to his vineyards. Ever since the succession of the Mamono Lord, Her Majesty the Queen Deonora took over the fields of the castle that King Dragei once controlled, where she cultivates the grapes with her own claws and continues to produce Drané Ronti. This may surprise you, but growing grapes is something of a hobby for Her Majesty, and she invites not only her new allies but even tourists she’s seen around the city to sample the wine she’s lovingly made herself.

Because of their exposure to the flames that Queen Deonora wears, each and every grape in her meticulously managed “Deo noir” vineyard is extremely fragrant, and very high in dragon mana. Even just the nose of the Drané Ronti made from those grapes is enough to make your whole body burn like it’s been hit with dragon fire, pleasure raging through you like every inch of you has become an erogenous zone. If you were to actually take a taste, the mana in the wine that had been maturing for many long months will pique that instinct to mate with the person next to you, to have children and foster the next generation, and guided by that irresistible drunken haze, you’ll no doubt invite that special someone to some fun ♥

The perfect aperitif for love-making, Drané Ronti is even known for the high honor of being praised by Her Majesty the Mamono Lord herself. Every year, a special crate of it is presented to her castle in the Royal Mamono Realm.

Now that you’re here in Dragonia, the birthplace of the ultimate in mamono realm wines that’s enraptured even Her Majesty the Mamono Lord, why not take the once in a lifetime opportunity to sample it with your beloved monster bride and enjoy a perfect, dreamy moment? ♥

~DTB Guide Luna~

Translation Notes:
1: "Deo noir" is a very cute pun on "pinot noir" and "Deonora".
Monster Wine|Altoiris Tiare
Spoiler
Producing region: The Dragonian Territories
Mamono realm grape cultivar: Chardrannay
Rarity within mamono realms: ★★★★

One of the “featured” wines of this season is this “Altoiris Tiare” ♥

Just like with the wines that humans are familiar with, mamono realm wines are also often given the names of their producer, but for us, there tends to be a greater meaning when the maker of one of our wines attaches her name. As you may have expected, the most common case is when she’s on the lookout for a lover ♥ Here in Dragonia, being a good wine producer is another status symbol of being a good wife.

By naming their wines after themselves, many monsters are thinking of the future husbands they haven’t met yet, dreaming of the day where they can manage a vineyard together as a couple. There’s something of a “sales pitch” documented on those wine labels, inviting human men out to the maker’s vineyard— if you were to go there in person, you can sample the “first press”1 wines even fresher than what you can get in stores.

Of course, even young mamono realm wines can possess a strong charming effect, so you need to be careful. It’s not uncommon for a man to go out planning to do a simple wine tasting, but before he knows it, he’s making wine with a monster as a happily married couple ♥ The words on the label are written out in the mana of the single monster in question, so if she finds herself a husband, that written invitation will disappear completely.

Additionally, it’s become a custom here in Dragonia that if a wine producer finds herself a man, from that year on, the label will have both of their names. It’s for that reason that a wine like this, with only the producer’s name, will end up disappearing from the market entirely once she’s married. The wines made by married monsters who come to a deeper understanding of love has a certain sweetness to it, yes, but these light, young wines made by single monsters yearning for love, just like this wine’s producer have a charm that you can only taste right now ♥

You’ve probably picked up on this from the name, but this wine was made by the captain of the Dragoon Corps, Dame2 Altoiris, from grapes she’s cultivated in her very own estate. The flavors are surprisingly nuanced and powerful, but that sweet aftertaste that lingers on the tongue is just like that bittersweet taste of first love, the exact sort of trait of an endearingly awkward dragon. One of the most enjoyable aspects of a mamono realm wine is the way you can feel the love of the monster who made it in your mouth ♥

~DTB Guide Sana~

【Advertisement】
None of this smooth-talker, pick-up line nonsense! You!3 Yes, you, the one drinking this! You ought to come to my estate! I’ll let a man as brave as yourself sample a vintage I raised with all of my body and soul, filled to the brim with all of my mana!

~Altoiris Tiare~

Addendum from an apprentice monster scholar
Something truly astounding appeared on the label of this seasonal wine when I drank it… what a frightening woman.

Translation Notes:
ALTOIRIS WILL YOU EVER MISS?
1: As the folks on the Discord may have seen, I had a rant about this because while I know intoxication fruits don't exactly need to ferment and even a fresh-squeezed one is gonna make a pretty good wine, as somebody who enjoys wine myself, I found it nutty that "fresh" was touted as a special benefit for wine of all things. HOWEVER, what Will was sort of... transferring across booze-making traditions was "shiboritate" sake (indeed, 搾りたて is what is used verbatim). It's that first press, unrefined sake; it's considered a delicacy for those who are passionate about the stuff. Does it make sense with wine lingo/processes? Not even a little bit, but I tried to make it work.
2: Sana uses "-sama" with Altoiris, so I found "dame" to be the most fitting title for a dragon knight.
3: The "you" Ally uses here is 貴公; it's a little old-school, but in true Altoiris form, it's actually more commonly used by men, and to their social equals or even more likely, inferiors. My girl just cannot put away that captain intensity. She's the best.
Monster Wine|Lescatie des Rouges
Spoiler
Producing region: Mamono Realm Nation Lescatie
Mamono realm grape cultivar: de Rouge1
Rarity within mamono realms: ★★★★★
※ All imports and handling must be accompanied by a professional mamono realm wine sommelier.

Among the wines imported from other mamono realm nations, this “Lescatie des Rouges” is especially coveted in Dragonia.

The longer the mamono realm grapes raised in Lescatie, which boasts some of the highest mana concentrations even among other dark mamono realms, ripen, the more intoxicating richness and elegant flavor they hold. When it comes time to harvest, the vineyards are known for how mana will start to visibly rise like mist all across the fields, accompanied by a lush and refined smell that’s almost like a rose’s. The wine made from these de Rouge grapes is an increasingly popular variety among not only monsters, but all kinds of human enthusiasts, for its brilliant ruby color and mellow, lingering aftertaste.

However, while there’s very high demand, this grape is only grown in the castletown in the mana-rich heart of Lescatie, so it’s incredibly difficult to cultivate and maintain outside of a select few other mamono realms. As a result, it’s currently only very rarely available on the market.

Among the de Rouge grapes ready for harvest, the highest quality fruits are called “black diamonds”— with that jet-black gleam of theirs, they’re as beautiful as jewels. These special grapes are the result of one of the masses of concentrated mana rarely dropped throughout the city from the overflowing mana of Lescatie Castle landing on a vineyard plot randomly, instantly maturing and transforming them. Each berry from the top of the cluster to the bottom is exquisite, all equal in quality to the single, lowest fruit on a typical intoxication fruit.

If one were to put a fruit like that in their mouth, even, say, a strong-willed monster like a dragon, she’d suddenly become completely unable to think about anything but the man she loves. She’d be driven mad by those feelings and keep on instinctively making love to him with her mind in a fog like that for days ♥

Of course, they still require the utmost caution even after they’ve been made into Lescatie des Rouges, a wine that uses only these black diamonds. There’s a story about how once, a village merchant who just so happened to be contracted to import it was so enraptured by the bewitching beauty of the wine that he opened a bottle without thinking, and the entire village ended up becoming a dark mamono realm just like that ♥

Depending on the bottle, this wine has the potential to send every monster in the tavern… or even the whole city into a frenzy the second you open it. If you’d like to have a truly unforgettable night out, I can’t recommend this one enough ♥

~DTB Guide Luna~

Translation Notes:
1: Another bit of wordplay. Druella is spelled デルエラ in Japanese, and "de Rouge" is デ・ルージュ. The first two syllables are the same for both!
Monster Cocktail|Sun Light Moon
Spoiler
Mana proof: ★★★
Liquor language: “For a special someone”

Sometimes it’s the first step on a young monster couple’s path of love, sometimes the spice that sets the scene for a special moment between a husband and wife…
It’s our great pleasure as sisters to express these unique worlds through our drinks and deliver the perfectly tailored experience for our customers ♥

We’ve been taking care of more customers than we can count like that, but this is the first cocktail we’ve ever made for ourselves.
Our first cocktail dedicated to you and only you, our special someone… this little lake held within a single glass represents everything my sister and I have ♥

The lampflower and lemon-soaked horn cane is the moon.
The scoop of house-made corruption fruit sherbet is the sun.

And the liquor of dralot grapes garnished with fully-ripened couple’s fruit is the starry sky that connects us to you ♥
With the moon guiding you, gently enveloped in the scent of the lampflower, even though your thoughts are a little fuzzy from the liquor you’ve sampled, you can still see us crystal clearly ♥

That sherbet you’ve been eating while watching us, it’s made you aware of those naughty desires you’ve been trying so hard to suppress up until now… those thoughts of wanting to taste two dragons at the same time. It’s completely burnt away all that pesky “reason”~ Do you really think we’ve been teaching you all about mamono realm spirits just out of the goodness of our hearts? ♥
It’s already long been decided— starting tomorrow, you’ll be the one helping us serve cocktails to customers with us ♥

Now then, drink up, and let’s mosey over to our room, shall we? ♥
Our bar, our customers, and of course, about us… we’ll be giving you quite thorough lessons about everything ♥

~DTB Guide Sana & Luna~

Translation Notes:
N/A
And there we go! As per usual, please let me know if you have any questions!
User avatar
Spore
Posts: 0
Joined: 26 Aug 2024 02:59

Re: Tourist Information

Post by Spore »

It is finally time, gang. Time for the last section of the Tour Guide chapter. It's time to do some faitan. You know the drill about my notes!

The Dragonia Arena
Spoiler
Location: “The Bonded Hills”1 in the Dragonia Empire

This is the land that once was the flourishing Dragei Empire— while that nation is long gone, it’s an undeniable fact that it was full of powerful people. Dragonia was built with the combined efforts of dragons and humans, with the mistakes of the past as a cautionary tale and an inspiration. We strive to be a powerful nation as well, but in a much different way from our predecessor. In the first place, “power” and “love” are one and the same.

Take us in the Corps, for instance. The source of all of the power that the dragoons and their mounts wield is a strong desire to protect what we love. Of course, this isn’t just true for Dragonia— the root of the power of the monsters who attack humans all around the world is a strong feeling of love, a desire to take a human man as their husband. True “strength”, as we see it here in Dragonia, isn’t reckless violence or the means to take what you want. It’s for putting all of yourself on the line and expressing your unconditional love for your partner.

This arena, just like the Dragoon Corps, is a symbol of that power that embodies our beliefs as Dragonians, where the bonds of humans and dragons… no, not just dragons, of all monsters, are put to the test. The tourneys held nearly every day within these walls are certainly festivals for the art of combat, but you could even say that they’re celebrations of love, too. Even so, all of those competitions we hold regularly are just for the sake of our empire’s biggest event, the annual Grand Tournament of Dragonia. The Tournament is separated into two divisions, “singles” and “doubles”, and including the opening and closing ceremonies, lasts a full eight days— of course our Queen Deonora attends, but so do prominent lilim from mamono realm kingdoms across the continent, and above all else, the supreme being herself, Her Majesty the Mamono Lord.

There’s no greater honor than to become the champion of this Tournament… no small number of participants who are out to make a name for themselves in front of the Mamono Lord and her daughters and snag a high-ranking position, either. That’s why when the Tournament rolls around, you see every possible kind of warrior, not just us knights from the Corps, come out of the woodwork to enter— from the proudest fighters in the Empire, to brawlers hailing from other countries, even wild dragons living out in the Territories. Dragonia ends up being completely overrun with tourists who’ve come to watch a good fight and sometimes even last-minute participants who didn’t bother to preregister.

Winning a tournament that attracts as many skilled fighters as this one is no easy task. That said, there’s one thing you need to remember: whether you’re a human or a monster, when you think of the things you love, you’re capable of drawing out power above and beyond your usual limits. The only sure-fire training a participant hoping to go all the way can do is cultivating their love.

… why the hell are you just standing there listening like none of this concerns you?! The first day of the Grand Tournament is fast approaching as we speak! It’s absolutely essential that we deepen our own bonds and cultivate our love! At this rate, there’s no way we can even think of winning!... licking our wounds so to speak in the infirmary wouldn’t be so bad, I suppose… but what can you ever hope to achieve with such a negative attitude?! I’ve already made arrangements at an inn for us— tonight, you and I are going to get some real training in ♥

~Captain of the Dragonia Dragoon Corps Altoiris~

Translation Notes:
1: This could also be translated as "Hills of the Pair Bond", as it's still 番, but I went with this because it sounded less clunky.

Basic Rules of the Grand Tournament of Dragonia
Spoiler
○ This tournament, officiated by none other than Her Majesty the Mamono Lord, welcomes many esteemed guests with deep connections to other mamono realms. The goals of this event are to embody the bonds between humans and monsters by showing their love through battle, and to display the current state of mutual understanding that has broken through the barriers of species, as well as possibilities for the future.

○ The only weaponry permitted for use in this tournament, in both the single and double matches, in principle, are those made from realmsilver. Using a weapon made of any other material, or any other action that seeks to directly inflict physical injury onto a competitor’s person is strictly prohibited.

○ Use of any kind of magic is also subject to the same restrictions as described above: any offensive magic used with intent to injure a competitor is forbidden. Additionally, there are special limitations regarding the use of magic. Refer to the magic usage protocol.

○ As a general rule, singles matches proceed in a one-off format, limited to one round, but both the “unwed league” and “couples league” of the doubles matches determine the winner via knockout in a tournament format.

Translation Notes:
Based on the precedent that I've ascertained, these explanations are in-universe written documents, almost assuredly written by the apprentice, as they are in plain rather than distal form.
■ Singles Matches
Spoiler
Eligible combatants: Unmarried humans, unmarried monsters
Win condition: Rendering one’s opponent unable to continue fighting using realmsilver weapons

【Overview】
The singles matches, held over the first three days of the tournament proper, are one-on-one bouts between humans and monsters. All participants require an iron will to never surrender no matter what difficulties they may face, just as the warriors of the Dragei revolutionary army, fighting alone for three days and nights as one after another their companions fell around them, once had. In addition, because the defeated humans or monsters are treated as spoils of war, and in many cases combatants become a mated pair right in the very arena, humans and monsters who already have spouses or lovers are disallowed from competing.

A human warrior triumphing over a monster opponent is exceedingly difficult, and even in rare chance that he has succeeded, it’s nearly inevitable that he, still riding the heat of the battle and feeling the effects of being bombarded by mana, will reach out to the prone body of the defeated monster as his “trophy”, and they’ll usually end up making love right then and there. Conversely, while there may rarely be a victorious monster who leaves the arena without touching the completely helpless she’s defeated, in those circumstances, the men who lost will be taken to the infirmary, where they will instead receive another monster’s “medical attention”.

There is an understanding among the dragons that this tournament is a place where one can quickly encounter a strong man, and those in the lizard family of monsters tend to devote a particularly high degree of passion to these singles matches. Typically, the matching of the contending humans and monsters is determined by the tournament organizers, a committee formed by the attendants who serve directly under Queen Deonora. However, on rare occasions, the Queen herself will decide on a whim to personally enter monsters whose skill level is far beyond a human’s as a “trial”, or a dragon zombie might be attracted to the abundance of powerful mana and interrupt the planned matches, so the singles matches are well-known for being the most prone to some sort of disturbance.

Translation Notes:
N/A
■ Doubles Matches
Spoiler
Eligible combatants: Unmarried humans and unmarried monsters, OR monster couples
Win condition: Rendering either member of the opposing team unable to continue fighting using realmsilver weapons

【Overview】
Saved for the second half of the tournament is the doubles matches, where humans and monsters form pairs and fight two-on-two with an opposing human-monster duo. With its participants representing the knights and dragons who fought together during the Dragei Revolution, these doubles matches bring the rising fervor of the Grand Tournament of Dragonia to a climax. The event is divided into two leagues, with the first being the “unwed league”, where single humans and monsters are chosen by lottery according to the compatibility of their mana or quirks acquired from their respective occupations and become impromptu “partners”. The second is the “couples league”, where couples regardless of marital status1 register in advance to do battle with each other. In both cases, what is being tested is not the power of the individual, but the pair’s collective power, as well as the depth of their love and caring for each other.

Given that such fierce battles often involve releasing mana with all one’s might, it’s rather common for the victors of these battles to be overcome with emotion and begin mating right in front of the massive crowd. That love-making, no matter how obscene or how much passion it instills onto the entire arena, is one of the qualifications for a truly great duo. On the other hand, the losing pair will be taken together to the infirmary, where, sharing a bed, they have particularly sentimental sex, as if consoling one another. In this way, it’s become a tradition of the Grand Tournament of Dragonia that those who lose in the unwed league will become a couple, and, entering in the following year into the couples league, have an incredible comeback, showing off their ardent love in a way that garners the envy of those around them.

The threshold for entry for the unwed league is quite high, as it demands the immediate cultivation of bonds and love which typically takes years. Therefore, the pairs who manage to catch the eyes of other spectators in a spectacular fashion within this format may receive special recompense from particularly important guests, or even the attention of a scout.

Securing a triumphant victory in this tournament is an incredible display of power, as well as proof that a couple has a bond of love that everyone acknowledges, and for monster combatants, it’s one way to be accepted into the precious few members of the Mamono Lord’s Royal Guard, an elite group that countless monsters aspire to be a part of.

Translation Notes:
1: The two terms being differentiated here are 夫婦 ("married couple/husband and wife") and カップル (from English "couple"), so basically "married" or "dating".
Liliafrau
Spoiler
~Dragon Swordswoman of the Azure1 Flame~ Liliafrau
Danger level: ★★★★
Habitat: Dragonia Arena
“So hot… my body is burning… oi, you. You’re a warrior, aren’t you? How about a match? ♥”

【Emergency Bounty】
At this occasion, I, speaking on behalf of the committee and recognizing your combat skill as particularly outstanding even among those participating in the singles battles, request your aid in dealing with a powerful dragon.

The opponent I would like you to defeat is the salamander Lilifrau. Also known by her alias “The Azure Flame”, she is the one of the Dragonia Empire’s preeminent swordswomen, sometimes even referred to as the second coming of the master swordswoman Drandina, a lizardman who once reigned undefeated in this arena.

True to the nature of those in the lizard family, who seek out strong opponents, Liliafrau is perpetually eager to throw herself into combat with skilled fighters. Last year, as well as the year before that, she participated in the Grand Tournament of Dragonia, crushing her opponent with her fearsome swordsmanship, and yet, despite her victory, she left the arena without so much as touching the man.
Having never found a husband, the flames of battle that smolder inside of her have never gone out, and these days, she wanders around the city, popping into bars and smaller arenas at random to repeatedly engage in somewhat excessive “playing with fire”2.

As a dragon myself, I understand her heartfelt desire to take only a strong man as her husband, but I cannot continue to ignore that her “hubby hunt” has reached the point that she’s scaring quite a few people in the Empire. If things continue as they are, Liliafrau may just show up at this year’s Grand Tournament wielding her insatiable blade.

If you have the courage to face any dragon without fear, and flames of love that burn hotter than those of her fighting spirit, I sincerely hope that you will take up your sword and confront her.

~Committee for the Grand Tournament of Dragonia~

Translation Notes:
1: The kanji used here is not 青, the most typical one for the color blue, but 蒼, a rather uncommon and poetic one that often refers to lighter shades (青 covers a whole gamut). They're pronounced the exact same, but their nuances are different. Naturally, I had to pick a fancier shade of blue!
2: 火遊び, literally "fire-playing", refers to both literal playing with fire (like fiddling with matches and lighters), and also reckless behavior, frequently with the additional nuance of rashly flirting and pursuing love affairs that might be dangerous, or at least won't end well. It's a good double-entendre for a salamander.
Marietta
Spoiler
~Black Lily of Sorrow~ Marietta
Danger level: ★★★★★
Habitat: “Oath Lake” in the Dragonian Territories
“Look at me, feel me— please, just for this moment, let me hear your voice, let me see myself reflected in your eyes…”

You, human. Are you enjoying our great Empire? Enough of that caution— I haven’t summoned you here to eat you. From what I’ve heard, you intend to participate in this year’s Grand Tournament, yes? …Hm, judging by your appearance, it seems you’re more than ready. Those resolute eyes of yours… it’s no wonder why my attendants are all talking about you.

There’s something about you… it will take you far with the dragons here. However. There are those among the dragons participating in the Grand Tournament whose hearts simply won’t open, even when they try to show their true strength and speak of their love. As you surely already know, us dragons once reigned as great monsters worthy of being rulers of this land, and clashed with you humans for quite some time. At times, we ravaged your kingdoms, but at others, you returned the favor.

Even in a world where we dragons had no desire whatsoever to harm humans, our very existence would still become a threat, and many of us bore unjust treatment as symbols of evil. In our Dragonian Territories, there are still dragons who remember being driven out of their homes and yet suffer from their wounded hearts. Even now, when monsters and humans can live hand in hand, they still live out their lives apart from our world.

That girl, Marietta— she’s one of them. Treated as a cursed dragon from birth and rejected by humans her whole life, she still suffers to this day, torn between wanting to love humans, and being unable to do so. Her single pleasure in life comes once a year, when she goes against human men in the Grand Tournament. Her body’s sole reprieve from a year’s worth of lust is during that single, short-lived battle, the moment where a man rushes towards her. To her, participating in the tournament is a release of all of that pent-up desire. Year after year, she knocks her opponent unconscious without any sense of restraint, and scurries back to her home. The dragons of this land are like my daughters, and when I thought about the same sad cycle repeating again this year, I wanted to do something, anything… but no matter what I try to say, nothing could ever reach Marietta’s heart.

I take it you’ve surmised what I’m going to ask, yes? I’ve put my faith in you, human— please, save Marietta.

What…? What happens if you lose the battle?... You’re already quailing before the fight has even begun! If you’re going to be like that, I’ll tell you where she lives— if you can’t win against her, just keep visiting her however many times it takes! You’re by no means dashing, nor are you particularly gallant… candidly, your physical appeal as a whole is below average. But what matters is that your love for dragons runs deeper than anyone else’s! You’ve something special in you, like that man1 did, and it’s the only reason why I’ve deigned to trust you with this task! BEFORE MY VERY THRONE! Why are you hanging your head like some shameful whelp?! If you’d consider yourself a male dragon, you’d accept my request without any whining and go!

~Queen Deonora of the Dragonia Empire~

Translation Notes:
1: She's talking about Dell Row here! I wonder what their relationship was like. Couldn't have been love, or else he'd be here as her hubby... but she clearly thinks highly of him.
The Dragonian Territories: A Dungeon Introduction
Spoiler
Sure, it’s not so bad checking out the capital city, but if you’re coming to Dragonia to do some sightseeing, you’re seriously missing out if you aren’t exploring the natural beauty of the Dragonian Territories! Throughout all these untamed forests, you can see all of the rare and unique plants that can only grow because of all of our dragon mana, and if you go even deeper into the wilderness you can look out over the breathtakingly beautiful Lake Ryuusen, or Dragonia Falls— it’ll knock you off your feet just like the breath of a great dragon!

When afternoon rolls around, I really recommend popping into one of the little bistros that the farmer couples out in the prairies run. You can take in the great outdoors while eating lunch with the freshest monster veggies the Territories have to offer! And at dusk, you can see Dragonia’s untouched landscape, all of the fields are dyed gold by the evening sun! Don’t forget about nighttime, either! Sitting on top of a little hill, looking out over all the lampflowers in full bloom— it’s an unmissable date spot… or something like that. Y’know, everyone always talks about the stuff in Dragonia Empire, but the Dragonian Territories have a ton of sightseeing spots that make use of the unique charms of nature.

Weeell, if I’m trying to sell you on the Territories, I have to let you know it’s… “as is”. Sure, there are wild dragons around… and it’s usually just a liiittle bit dangerous for an adventurer to go poking around by themselves… but! That’s exactly where we tour guides come in ♥ As long as one of us is here, your odds of getting attacked by a wild dragon go way down, and even if you’re in an area with terrain that’s too harsh to push through by yourself, we can join forces and overcome it together!

So, are you all ready for an adventure? From here on out, it’ll be just me and you ♥ The moment you enter a dungeon, there’s no telling what could be inside! ♥

~DTB Newbie Guide Lyra~

Translation Notes:
Poor, poor Lyra. This is the only bit she gets in the whole book. It's honestly kinda weird to me that she's not the one who gives us the intro to the Grand Tournament, given how much they hype her up for it in the intros. As much as I love Altoiris, I would have given it to Lyra. Makes more sense. Anyway, tone-wise, she's not nearly as hyper-conversational/casual as Syltia, but she doesn't use distal form like Litia. I tried to find a tone that was still as chipper as Litia is but less... overtly polite/professional.

Ruins of the Dragei Empire
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Lizardmen, dragons, etc.
Inhabited by (other monsters): Succubus, witch, living doll, etc.
Most dangerous monster1: Dragon
Primary collectibles: Mysterious dragonslag2, precious metals, dragon scales, etc.

○ One can see the ancient vestiges of the once-flourishing Dragei Empire in the Dragonian Territories. The villas and guest homes of the former aristocracy that dot the landscape, even in their ruined states, still boast timeless architectural beauty, speaking eloquently to just how much luxury they enjoyed at the time. However, in the current age, the new masters of these lands are the dragons, wielding fearsome might. Though it is said that there are still countless treasures lying in wait in the ruins, breaking into a dragon’s manor, possibly inhabited by yet more monsters, causes some trepidation even among the most reckless thieves.

【Mysterious Dragonslag】
These oddly-shaped curios, usually made of iron or bronze, can be found relatively easily in the ruins. What they actually are are the results of wild dragons releasing their fiery breath on a whim, the blast hitting a structure and melting it down, and as such, are not particularly valuable in and of themselves. However, among these melted masses, there are rarely those that possess incredibly artistic forms, and are traded at a high price among some enthusiastic “dragonslag collectors”. Perhaps there is a certain romance to the notion that these were created by a dragon’s breath. It’s not something we dragons quite understand ourselves, but there appear to be many tourists who take them home as a sort of lucky charm.

【Dragon Scales】
Out of the items that one can find in the Dragonian Territories, dragon scales may be among the most valuable. Even though they’ve fallen out, the scales still contain dragon mana, and see frequent use, especially among human warriors, as protective talismans, and even as symbols of power. It’s quite often the case that during the yearly Grand Tournament of Dragonia, men who possess one of these scale talismans have a fateful reunion with the dragon who originally owned it ♥

Translation Notes:
As a general note, it's... really hard to get what's being communicated vis-a-vis framing device and narrator here. As I mentioned before, plain form tends to be the earmark of the apprentice, while distal form is for pre-existing written material, presumably provided by the DTB proper. The opening remarks denoted by ○ are all in plain form, leading one to believe these are observations from the apprentice, but the item descriptions are all distal (there are one or two conversational markers like the heart at the end here, and an odd use of ね at one point, which is weird because it's in-universe text). It's a very strange pattern (and again, neither voices are Lyra. Sorry, Lyra). Being candid, this section also has a fair bit of errors and typos, including forgetting their own terminology for things, so it could honestly just be Will running out of steam and letting it slip his mind.
1: The most literal way to translate this would have been more like "monsters to watch out for" or "monsters requiring (particular) caution", but this honestly felt more natural to the format.
2: My translation of 竜塊, another novel compound. 塊 means "mass" or "clump", but I went with "slag" because it produces a pleasant rhythm with "dragon", and it's also a mostly useless byproduct of mining and smelting, so I found it fitting.
■ Underground Waterways of Dragonia Falls
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Lizardman, etc.
Inhabited by (other monsters): Queen slime, sahuagin, bubble slime
Most dangerous monster: Queen slime
Primary collectibles: Sahuagin scales, slidra jelly, water dragon scales, etc.

○ Behind Dragonia Falls, there is a series of underground waterways that lead to a massive floodgate once controlled by the Dragei Empire. At the time, the Empire had a grand and ambitious plan, one that flew in the face of the very spirits of the land, to control nature itself through the use of these floodgates. The colossal water wheels that still turn deep in the heart of the waterways, marking the eternal passage of time with each revolution, tell the story of this empty dream, of ambitions vanishing into the frothing water. Now, these subterranean passages are nothing short of a kingdom for those monsters who prefer the murky gloom of the water’s edges. According to a certain rumor, the water wheels are said to still be properly maintained to this day by “water dragons” who lurk in the waterways, bringing abundant blessings of water to the Dragonian Territories. Whether or not such tales are true, though, seems to mean little to those who visit these tunnels and end up becoming subjects of its kingdom.

【Slidra Jelly】
A kind of slime jelly that can only be obtained from the “dragon” division of a queen slime inhabiting the waterways. Slidra jelly is infused with dragon mana, albeit only a small amount, and it is characterized by its popping texture and a refreshingly sweet flavor that fills one’s mouth. Due to the incredibly limited avenues to acquire it and its phenomenally addictive properties, slidra jelly has been dubbed a “legendary flavor1”, and is one of the mamono realm delicacies that is hardly ever available on the market. Queen slimes are rather intelligent, and quite social, so negotiating for jelly is relatively easy. That being said, the dragon divisions are extremely true to their sexual instincts, which makes direct negotiation in this circumstance a challenge.

Translation Notes:
"Slidra" sounds a bit like "hydra". I think that's cute. Fitting, to boot.
1: 幻 literally means "phantom", but it can also mean, as it does here, something particularly rare/fabled.
■ Outer Reaches of Ryuusen
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Ryuu
Inhabited by (other monsters):
Most dangerous monster: Ryuu
Primary collectibles: Salamaranth, ryuusenite, etc.

On the outskirts of Ryuusen Village, in the remaining Eastern Wastes that are perpetually cloaked in a veil of steam, there still remains the untouched “source” of Ryuusen’s springs that has never been made into a resort. The waters of its hidden open-air baths known as “secret springs” are said to grant to all those who bathe in them the happiest days in their lives, and to all those who drink, the power of the dragons themselves. Lured in by these stories, year after year many adventurers disappear into the steam of the hinterlands of Ryuusen. Perhaps the last thing these adventurers saw was the fabled secret springs. Or, perhaps, it was the naked body of a ryuu enjoying a bath herself. There’s nobody around who can say for sure.

【Ryuusenite】
An ore primarily mined around Ryuusen Village’s spring source, even chunks of rock around the size of pebbles contain a high concentration of ryuusenite. A particular property of ryuusenite is its friability— it crumbles easily when strong force is applied to it, and by putting these small pieces into a bathtub filled with hot water, the mineral properties of Ryuusen within the ore dissolve and create a simple dragon spring. For that reason, ryuusenite allows guests to enjoy the benefits of a dragon spring in their very own homes, and has become the ultimate staple of Ryuusen Village souvenirs. There are many monster couples who come to the village every year to stock up on ryuusenite stones in order to make their bathtimes particularly obscene.

Translation Notes:
As a cultural note more than anything, the ryuusenite thing is a nod to how in real-life Japanese hot spring resort towns, one of the most souvenirs are packets of the distilled mineral salts from their local springs for putting in your bath at home, especially for a particular spring's purported health benefits.
■ The Pillar of Heaven
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Wyvern
Inhabited by (other monsters): Gryphon, thunderbird, harpy, black harpy
Most dangerous monsters: Wyvern
Primary collectibles: Dragon lampflowers

○ The most eye-catching structure in all of the Dragonian Territories is the Pillar of Heaven, towering over its surroundings and piercing the clouds. For Dragonia’s dragoons, known for their bravery, scaling the tower with one’s mount is the qualification to lead a unit. When happening upon such impassable sights as the tower’s crumbling staircases, the only way to overcome them is on dragonback. Even if he were to be attacked by a ferocious wyvern who had made her home there, a dragoon would continue to strive to communicate with dragons and connect with them on a deep level as he strives to reach the top. Conquering the tower is a perilous undertaking even for experienced dragoons— the average adventurer attempting to do the same would be, from any perspective, an act of folly tantamount to suicide. Yet still, more and more of them head towards the Pillar of Heaven, for at the top are the Bells of Happiness, said to have the power to grant any wish.

【Dragon Lampflowers】
A kind of lampflower that can only be found growing in the highest reaches of the Pillar of Heaven. Perhaps because the only nutrients available to them in such thin air is the mana of dragons, they are distinguished from ordinary lampflowers by their red petals and a slightly more intense glow at night. Here in Dragonia, dragon lampflowers are used as bouquets in the pair-bonding ceremony, as well as, by being planted on rooftops, guiding lights and waypoints for dragons on nighttime flights so that they won’t lose sight of their destinations. In addition, they also see use as magic tools that witches and dark mages attach to the ends of their brooms; while an ordinary lampflower emits a faint glow inside a lantern, the dragon lampflower’s light is stronger, making it a popular item among those who are passionate and proactive about love.

【Paintings of Temptation】
The Pillar of Heaven has stood since the age of the former Mamono Lords, but in truth it is still unclear exactly when, by whom, and for what purpose it was built. Nonetheless, when one considers the many paintings still left intact within the tower of knights on dragonback, it could very well be that at one time, long before even the Dragei Empire, dragons and humans coexisted just like they do now. More importantly, perhaps, is that these paintings are known to be magic— if one gazes upon them for a long time, a desire to become a dragoon just like what is depicted erupts inside of them. There seems to be no small number of adventurers who endeavor to reach the top of the tower in search of treasure who end up wishing to enlist as dragoons instead after they have been captivated by one of these paintings, and as such, they’ve become indispensable advertising for the Dragoon Corps. To that end, it is said that as a theft prevention measure, the Corps has enlisted the aid of the wyverns living in the Pillar to keep watch over the paintings at all times. If some scoundrel were to choose to make off with such a painting, he will be immediately pounced upon by single wyverns.

Translation Notes:
N/A
■ The Dragon’s Graveyard
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Dragon zombie
Inhabited by (other monsters): Zombie, lich, wight, etc.
Most dangerous monsters: Dragon zombie, wight
Primary collectibles: Dragonnuts, dragonium, dragon claws, etc.

○ In the age of the Dragei Empire, countless dragons lost their lives to the oppressive powers of the time, and their bodies were buried in a wasteland far to the west by humans who feared the dragon’s curse. This wasteland, which still exists to this day in the Dragonian Territories, has become the Dragon’s Graveyard by the dragon zombies there, fallen dragons from the old Empire who were reborn from their powerful feelings of regret. The regret that brought the dragon zombies back into this world is not a desire for revenge or deep resentment against humans. Rather, it’s a sense of remorse, so intense as to call single-minded, that they could not find mutual understanding with humans, which led the Dragei Empire to its doom. Nevertheless, because of the deep love they hold for humans, dragon zombies are known as extremely dangerous members of dragonkind. Once a man steps foot into the Dragon’s Graveyard, they’ll inevitably become the prey of a dragon zombie who, to atone for their previous life, adores humans and seeks to reproduce through mating.

【Dragon Claws】
In the Dragon’s Graveyard, one may spot the shed claws of dragon zombies. These claws, which continue to contain dragon mana, are prized as an exceptionally efficient ingredient in aphrodisiacs, so they fetch a high price among monster merchants. However, if a human man wishing to make an easy sack of gold gets his hands on a dragon claw, the mana still dwelling within will act as a dread compass, guiding his feet towards the very dragons that shed them.

Of course, if a man can bring himself to surrender the claw right away, he may be able to shake off the dragon zombie and escape the Graveyard, but parting with such a valuable treasure that was acquired at such great pains may be easier said than done.

Translation Notes:
N/A
■ Lair of the Grandwurm
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Wurm
Inhabited by (other monsters): Aka oni, dwarf, satyros
Most dangerous monsters: Wurm
Primary collectibles: Satyros wine, inebriation fruit1, drasco glasses2, etc.
“Hey boss— got a good lead for us. There’s this place way underground Dragonia Empire, a citadel from the old era, still sitting there just the way it was from back then. The whole thing’s ruled by the wurm queen, and she’s just as strong as the Queen of the Empire herself. They all call her “Grandmother”, and it’s become a massive nest, crawling with wurms. It’s real dangerous, yeah, but in the underground fortress in the heart of the nest, there’s something called the “Queen’s wine cellar”, where rare booze from all over the world is just sitting there for the taking. Of course, if you get caught by a wurm down there, you’ll end up getting dragged to this terrifying interrogation chamber and broken like a horse. But, I’ve heard that there’s some truly godly stuff in that cellar, the kind that, if you sell it, even your kids’ kids will be livin’ the high life… what do you think? Is it worth the risk?”3
The man who relayed this information is now working as a wine cellar guard together with a wurm, so it’s rather hard to tell that he was once an adventurer.

【Inebriation Fruit】
A mamono realm fruit that is spotted all over the Lair of the Grandwurm. It bears a remarkably similar appearance to the “intoxication fruit”, also known as mamono realm grapes, but inebriation fruits are characterized by their slightly irregularly-sized berries and a slightly sweet scent, similar to that of mamono realm wine, that it fills the air with. Dropping the fruit directly into an alcoholic beverage has the effect of strengthening the intoxication it brings. It’s used as a secret ingredient by monsters who love to drink to add extra depth to their beverages, but for humans with no tolerance for mana, just the smell alone can cause powerful feelings of drunkenness. Supposing one were to be tempted by the inebriation fruit’s sweet aroma and actually sample it, they will immediately become as besotted as they’d be if they’d been having an all-day bender, and even walking becomes a difficult task. If a man in that state were to stagger into a nest of lusty wurms, needless to say, it’s not hard to imagine what happens next.

【Drasco Glass】
A magic tool used in the Wurm Queen’s castle in the heart of the Lair. They are wooden drinking vessels made from “earth-dragon ivy”, the plant which bears inebriation fruits, imbued with the Wurm Queen’s own mana. Anything poured into this vessel is infused with intoxication mana; even ordinary water takes on the rich flavor and feelings of pleasant intoxication of a mamono realm wine. To put it simply, this is a near-holy treasure that can turn water into wine.

There is a problem, however. The earth-dragon ivy that the cup is made from subsists off of the wurm mana found in abundant supply in the Lair of the Grandwurm, and by extension, can only grow there. If any being other than a wurm attempts to take one to the surface from where it belongs, the very cup itself will wither away.

Translation Notes:
1: An intoxication fruit is 陶酔の果実, with 陶酔 straight-up meaning "intoxication", which is fairly neutral, and honestly, can easily refer to someone who's just a little buzzed. However, what I've translated as "inebriation fruit" is 泥酔の果実. 泥酔 is more than just tipsy. 泥酔 is trashed. 泥酔 is blitzed. 泥酔 is dead-drunk. Because both compounds end with the same kanji, I chose a word that also ended in "-tion" that also implies a much stronger sense of drunkenness than just "intoxication".
2: "Drasco" (ドラスコ) is a straightforward portmanteau of "dragon" and "frasco", the Portuguese word for a (laboratory) flask that the Japanese use as a loanword also. I don't know what particular meaning it has other than ドラスコグラス having a certain rhythm to it, and honestly, I just left it untouched.
3: This fellow (yes, it is a fellow, the original translation gets it wrong) speaks in a slightly rough Kantou-ben, using the slangy version of the しまう auxiliary ちまう, which is more germane to men. I tried to capture a bit of that.
■ The Ancient Castle of Dragrinde
Spoiler
Danger level: ★★★★★★
Inhabited by (dragons): Dragon, lizardman, wurm, etc.
Inhabited by (other monsters): Gargoyle, cursed sword, demon, devil, dullahan, living armor, etc.
Most dangerous monsters: Demon, dragon
Primary collectibles: Magic gems, precious metals, works of monster art

○ With the fall of the Dragei Empire, this land was left in ruins, but before the dust could even settle, the mighty dragons began to live there. The dungeon that is permeated with the strongest mana even among the ruins, that became a dark mamono realm before any others, is none other than Dragrinde Castle, built by the richest royal family of the old Empire. The enormous castle, actually consisting of four castles grouped together within its towering ramparts, has become the most dangerous place in the Dragonian Territories, inhabited by not only wild dragons, but even monsters of the Radical Faction such as demons.

Nevertheless, the Order’s private army will dispatch units to the castle fairly regularly, in vain hopes of defeating the Radical Faction housed there. This implies that within the citadel’s walls, there still lies something of great importance to the Order, despite the fact that it is now a mamono realm.

There has never been a single case in Dragonian history of Order soldiers charging towards the mana-rich fog that shrouds the ramparts of Dragrinde Castle returning home safely. However, perhaps it is precisely that reason that drives dream-chasers to come to such a wicked place, even knowing the dangers that lie within.

Addendum from an apprentice monster scholar
Dragrinde, the noblewoman who once owned this crumbling castle, was by all reports a strong-willed woman, possessing grit enough to be a passionate critic of the Empire’s class system of the Voli and the Gradi, and even oppose King Dragei to his very face.

Records speak of her being perhaps the most beloved aristocrat in the Dragei Empire, possessing both tremendous economic power and the magnanimity to often distribute her own wealth among the poor. However, after the collapse of the Empire, when many of the Voli fled the land, there is strangely no record that Dragrinde was among them.

Dragrinde was the sole member of the nobility who did not desert their lands, and her noble spirit was recognized to be the very same as that of a dragon— even now, she lives on in her ancient castle in this new form. It seems to be a rather frequently-told tale in Dragonia.

Translation Notes:
N/A
And with that... we're done with the guided tour! Please let me know if you guys have any questions, like usual. I'll get started on the Immigration Bureau section when I can!
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Hinami
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Re: Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 3)

Post by Hinami »

Spore wrote: 03 Aug 2025 04:32ドランスパン is a pun on the straightforward English word "dragon" and フランスパン, the "wasei eigo" (or Japanese word constructed using English words) for French bread... especially baguettes. Hence, "draguette".
Well, that's clever and easily missed pun indeed. Japanese use pan as catch-all term for bread. A big example is Yakitate!! Japan manga/anime.

[If it isn't for ドランスパン kana, I would not see it.
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Hinami
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Re: Tourist Information

Post by Hinami »

【Dragon Lampflowers】
Should we change to "Dragon Lamp Flowers" for consistence with WG2's Demonic Lamp Flower?
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Hinami
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Re: Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 4)

Post by Hinami »

Spore wrote: 08 Aug 2025 19:32 Addendum from an apprentice monster scholar
Question for consistence, but I think this is the student? There is possibility that we have another mamono scholar in training who worked with the Tourism Bureau on these documents, but the chance is very slim.

If that's the case, it's also kind of funny that the only articles the student/apprentice inject his opinion are all about booze. Either they make him relaxed enough (unawared that he's 100% safe from mamono), or he's just a mild alcoholic and can't help himself.
Spore wrote: 03 Aug 2025 04:32 Dragon Steak
[...]
Mamono realm lizard meat is just as nutritious, if not more so, than the meat of other mamono realm beasts,
Noticed an error here. I checked the Japanese text, and it's mamono realm pig (魔界豚), not mamono realm beast (魔界獣).
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Spore
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Re: Tourist Information (retranslations) (pt. 4)

Post by Spore »

Hinami wrote: 09 Oct 2025 11:51 Question for consistence, but I think this is the student? There is possibility that we have another mamono scholar in training who worked with the Tourism Bureau on these documents, but the chance is very slim.
Definitely the apprentice, perhaps I should change it to be clearer :)
Hinami wrote: 09 Oct 2025 11:51Noticed an error here. I checked the Japanese text, and it's mamono realm pig (魔界豚), not mamono realm beast (魔界獣).
Fixed, thank you for letting me know! Sometimes I get in a pattern when I'm transcribing and I don't notice things like that.
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