Even If I'm Reborn as a Cute Dragon Girl, I Will Still Make a Harem-Chapter 47Book 6: : Denied Entry

This was something Lilith had overlooked. She had assumed that what was drawn on the map was all there was. But, as the old man who sold her the map had warned, trying to find something that didn’t exist on the map would only trap her within the limits of the map itself.

What she needed was a change in perspective.

If the mastermind behind the erasure of everything related to the dragons wanted to execute their plan perfectly, then everything had to appear seamless and logical. That included history and memories.

An island that once existed would still exist, even if it were erased from every map in the world. Unless, of course, it had been physically sunk into the sea. But if that could be done, why bother hiding it at all?

This meant erasing the location wasn’t the optimal solution.

To the mastermind behind this, the safest, cleanest, and most undetectable method was to… Keep the island off the map entirely. That didn’t mean simply deleting its coordinates—it meant ensuring the island never appeared on any map to begin with.

For example, by quietly trimming away what looked like the most useless edge of a map. As if using an invisible pair of scissors to snip off the same narrow strip from every map in existence.

The map would still function normally, and that one island would vanish from history, along with the trimmed edges of those maps. That was all it took.

“Yet, I was almost fooled,” Lilith murmured as she tore the world map into shreds and let the pieces scatter into the sea breeze. But it didn’t matter anymore.

*I’m finally going to find you, Dragon Island.*

She looked out at the open sea, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Now that the veil had been lifted, all that remained was time. With their current speed, Dragon Island would appear in her vision within three days at most! There would be no more surprises!

◆◇◆◇◆

Three days later.

Lilith stared out at the still-empty sea and shouted at Graybert angrily, “Are you sure you didn’t go the wrong way?”

“Of course not!”

Graybert wore the deeply wounded look of a man who’d been wrongfully accused. His expression practically screamed: *After everything we’ve been through, you still don’t believe me?* and *Can you pay me extra for this?*

“We’ve been following the direction you pointed out from the start. You were watching when we plotted the course.”

“Then it must’ve been because you wasted too much time charting and checking positions!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Miss,” Graybert groaned. “We were measuring coordinates while sailing at full speed. Charting was just a matter of updating the existing map—it barely took any time.”

He sighed. “And besides, how are we supposed to get back if we don’t record the route as we go?”

A pause settled between them before Graybert looked her directly in the eye and said, slowly and clearly, “How about we consider another possibility? Like… maybe the island you’re looking for doesn’t even exist in the first place?”

“Nonsense! Dragon Island definitely exists!” Lilith exploded.

Graybert flinched as she nearly leapt forward to cut him down. He instinctively shrank back and waved his hands in surrender.

“Okay! Okay! Don’t be mad—I was just saying…!”

Lilith scowled. “Stop talking and keep accelerating.”

“But, Miss… if Dragon Island really can’t be found, are you planning for us to stay out here forever?”

“What, you think the payment is no longer enough? Fine, I’ll increase—”

“It’s not about money this time.” Graybert lit what remained of his last cheap cigar, inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly.

“Actually, after this voyage, no one on board’s short of gold anymore. But Miss, most of the crew are old men who’ve been away from home for years. They can’t be drifting on the sea like this forever.”

“They can manage a few days. But when they’re this close to going home, every second feels like ants crawling under their skin. It’s the hardest part of a journey. How long do you think they can hold out like this?” he asked.

Lilith fell silent.

She glanced around the deck. The sailors moved with practiced efficiency, quietly working on their tasks. But every so often, she caught their eyes flicking her way, pretending not to listen, yet clearly straining to catch every word.

No one dared to ask any questions, but they were all waiting for an answer.

She wasn’t the only one who missed home.

“…I understand.”

“Really?” Graybert perked up.

“Just so you know—the money’s non-refundable,” he added.

“…Give me two more days. That’ll be enough.”

Lilith’s expression was unreadable. With that, her dragon wings unfurled with a sudden, violent gust of wind. The force sent Graybert tumbling backward onto the deck.

“Wait here. Two days.”

Her voice was soft, but it was already fading into the wind.

“Ouch… that hurt,” Graybert groaned, rubbing his backside as he got up.

“Damn it… Being a captain’s rough. I’m getting smacked around from both ends. Wouldn’t be surprised if that girl finally tears me apart one of these days…”

He paused. Then his eyes lit up, and a grin crept across his face.

“But then again… getting paid this much without working overtime? Feels like I’m robbing her blind!”

◆◇◆◇◆

High above the sea, the view remained the same—a vast, unbroken stretch of azure blue.

Under the sunlight, the ocean shimmered like scattered diamonds, glittering across the surface. As far as the eye could see, there was still nothing that could be called an island.

“This is so strange… why can’t I find it?”

Lilith rubbed her temple, a dull ache forming behind her eyes. She had been so sure she’d solved the riddle behind Dragon Island’s disappearance, but she realized that was not the right answer. It had just been her wishful thinking.

“So… was my reasoning wrong? Or is it something else entirely?”

With a beat of her wings, she surged forward. Doing something was better than doing nothing. The world blurred around her as she pushed ahead, the scenery rushing past in reverse.

But no matter how far or how fast she flew, everything remained unchanged.

She saw nothing but blue. The sky and sea melded into one endless gradient, just shades of the same color.

At one point, Lilith felt like she could never escape this blue cage.

“This is too strange.”

She had flown for so long, yet she hadn’t seen anything, let alone Dragon Island. She didn’t even see a bird or a fish in the sea.

Not long ago, she could still see fish leaping from the sea. But now, it was as if the world had gone still.

“But maybe… this is a good sign. The stranger things are, the closer I am to hope!”

She pressed on. And then, in the far distance, she saw a black speck on the endless blue.

It was… The SS Behemoth!

Lilith stopped mid-air, hovering in confusion. “How is SS Behemoth ahead of me?” She had been flying straight forward the whole time.

“Does that mean…” Like a thunderclap in her mind, the realization struck. She finally understood everything. But her heart wasn’t filled with just triumph—there was also an indescribable, lingering sadness.

That’s right…

This had nothing to do with masterminds or the erasure of dragons. She had already found Dragon Island. But Dragon Island had rejected her. She had been… denied entry by the very place she once called home.