Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Dragon's Lair (5)
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Tondra, emerging from his lair after so long, let out a massive yawn, stretched grandly, rubbed his eyes, and savored the outside air.
‘Feels a bit... like walking a dog?’
But voicing such a judgment to a great dragon might get him roasted on the spot, so best to keep it to himself.
“Master!!!”
El, who had been waiting near the entrance, came running over, waving both arms. She tripped midway, rolling once in the snow, and Ayla grabbed her hem in her teeth, pulling her up so they could run together. I ended up toppling backward from their assault.
“Ah, ow ow... Easy, easy, you two.”
Flat on my face in the snow, I laughed and stroked El and Ayla’s heads. Thanks to Tondra’s healing magic, their full-force charge didn’t hurt much.
El, who had spotted me and come rushing with a bright smile, was now burying her face in my chest, sobbing. She must have been really worried. Fair enough—things hadn’t looked good from below. This girl, who’d held a sword to Aquila’s throat without hesitation... Seeing her like this, she was still unmistakably a kid.
“Thanks, El. You bought me time, and that’s how I survived.”
“Sniff, waaah, I-I, I didn’t, do anythiiiing!!”
“You did your part perfectly. Good work.”
El let out all the tears she’d been holding back.
-Sniffle!
Snot too.
“And Khalid and Didier?”
“Th-they’re, sniff, over there recovering.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
-Woof!
With El and Ayla helping me up, I got to my feet. In the direction El pointed, Khalid and Didier were leaning against a rock, recuperating. They looked shocked to see Tondra.
“Tondra!”
“Tondra!”
They called out in unison. Tondra, enjoying the crisp Silver Mountains air, grinned again, baring his sharp teeth. That was his happy face, right?
「Oh, my old friends. Come to greet me all the way out here?」
While Tondra chatted with the mage and witch, I went to retrieve the goats I’d sheltered with [Forest Protection]. The trees, vines, and grasses had kept them perfectly safe. Though the inner vines had been nibbled a bit by the goats.
Not far off was a small hot spring area. We herded the goats there to prepare Tondra’s meal. Lloyd and I slaughtered them nearby. Ayla devoured the innards with glee, and we tossed the cleaned meat into the hot spring with splashes.
Next, we dumped in various prepared grains: a sack each of wheat and barley, plus some snowfield peas. We dropped in a lump of goat milk butter, planted an olive tree we’d grown—one I nurtured from seed—and shook the whole thing to add the green olives. Then Aquila and El tossed in snow cabbages they’d gathered nearby. And...
“Khalid, Didier. Mind giving me a hand?”
I asked them for powerful fire magic. The spring was already lava-hot, but we needed even more intense heat. They stared at me in disbelief, as if unable to fathom I was asking for fire for ‘cooking.’ Their eyes said, ‘You serious?’
“Yeah, I know how powerful you mages and witches are. But when it came to entering the lair, you weren’t much help.”
“......”
“......”
“So if you pitch in like this, I’d be grateful—and I’m sure Tondra would be too.”
Looking quite offended, they eyed the hot spring before finally chanting spells. Khalid’s green flames and Didier’s red ones enveloped the spring, and soon it bubbled like molten lava. The ingredients boiled together, and an absurdly delicious aroma wafted out.
Fire really is the key to cooking!
I had Lloyd chop the olive tree and fashion a giant ladle, then slowly stirred the spring like rowing a boat.
‘Too bad there were no tomatoes.’
Goat meat, goat butter, wheat, barley, snow peas, olives, snow cabbage, and a hint of salty spring water. Mix it all and simmer for an hour...
“...Phew! Done.”
A magnificent goat risotto was born.
Rich broth from the bones, hearty grains, fresh olives, sweet snow cabbage! Perfect hot risotto to soothe a dragon fresh from slumber. That fragrant smell... I pulled out the olive wood ladle and called to Tondra.
“Dig in!”
「Mmm...」
Tondra flicked out his blue tongue, smacked his lips, then brought his nose to the dragon-sized risotto and sniffed deeply. Satisfied, he dipped his tongue in lightly.
「...!」
“To your taste?”
「Splendid. It tastes like the dishes from that innkeeper in Angsar’s capital I used to frequent. Ahh, nostalgic.」
Looking pleased, Tondra plunged his snout in and devoured the goat risotto.
-Gulp~.
-Gulp~!
-GULP!!!
“...Well, shall we fill our own bellies?”
While making Tondra’s, I’d simmered a separate pot of risotto to share with the group. Unlike Tondra’s whole-goat version, the human-sized one—made with just ribs—was far tenderer and richer.
“...Eating makes me feel alive again.”
Maybe it’s that everyday act of eating that puts you at ease without thinking. Lets you relax and unwind. That comfortable feeling at mealtime is the best.
‘That’s what we do it all for—eat and live.’
「Whew, what a fine meal.」
The hot spring emptied in no time. Tondra licked his lips and grinned wide, his sharp teeth gleaming in the light. It was eerie enough to make you wonder if, without this meal, I might’ve ended up between those teeth.
“Glad you enjoyed it.”
「It’s been ages since I truly enjoyed eating.」
The higher the being, the pickier they get about food. Finding joy in meals grows harder. Just like how I’d sought gastronomic delights in this pseudo-medieval land, Tondra must have too.
‘That’s why I prepared this.’
Tondra, post-meal and freshly awakened, seemed in high spirits for a dragon. Good vibes for the conversation ahead.
‘Maybe broach it over dessert.’
I set a pot over the lingering campfire and simmered sap from ice moss trees with frozen red currants and wild snow mountain berries. Soon, a sweet syrup formed.
Pack clean Silver Mountains snow into bowls, drizzle syrup—simple shaved ice done. Cold white snow with sweet red syrup. Basic but effective. We sat around eating it. At first, everyone hesitated at eating plain ‘snow,’ but once I started, they followed. Tondra savored his massive potful bit by bit, smacking his lips contentedly.
「Truly wondrous. A druid enters my lair, awakens me. Didier, I thought if anyone woke me, it’d be you—or another witch your caliber.」
“The listening druid feels left out.”
「Take it as praise. As you know, my lair brimmed with potent spells. Breaching them demands deep magical knowledge. Even blessing-bearers from Kerayon struggle...」
“Traps anyone with wisdom could solve.”
「...Oh?」
“Of course, luck helped too.”
I smiled at Tondra. Without the subspatial ring, I couldn’t have broken the space magic—so not entirely wrong. Tondra eyed me with amused interest.
「Indeed. Time to ask. Wise and lucky druid, why seek me out?」
“Well...”
I paused dramatically.
“...Don’t be shocked.”
I opened the bag I’d cherished and carried. Tondra’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. I pulled out the dragon egg, bound tight in magical chains.
-Clink.
Unbinding them revealed the egg’s smooth ivory—or opal-like—shell. Despite everything, it was pristine, without a crack or scratch.
「...!」
Tondra looked stunned, never expecting a dragon egg. Makes sense—he hadn’t seen one in ages, maybe not even remembering.
“Found it in the Swamp of Death. Dragon bones were there too, but I couldn’t retrieve them.”
「Swamp of Death?」
“Yes. Probably meant as a sacrifice.”
「...」
Tondra lowered his head carefully, sniffing the egg deeply. I felt the mana waves around it ripple gently. He whispered to it. The egg vibrated faintly, resuming steady waves.
「Aha, oh ho. Hmm...」
Their private dragon talk continued. Tondra’s face shifted: grave, sad, smiling. We watched silently. What were they saying? Hopefully not ‘I don’t want to hatch.’
Tondra chuckled to himself, whispered again. The egg wriggled big. I couldn’t hold back.
“Tondra, what are they...”
「Shh.」
“......”
「Yes, I see. If that’s your will...」
Grinning toothily, Tondra nudged the egg with his nose. It rolled to me.
「The child has words for you.」
“...Pardon?”
「‘My godfather—I’ll choose him myself.’」