Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Dragon's Godfather (2)
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We were able to stay in the lair for the time being, thanks to Tondra's generosity.
It wasn't an ordinary thing for a dragon to offer up their lair, the safest space they knew. It was a sign that Tondra cared about the new generation as well. And that included me, the godfather chosen by Legion.
"Theo!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."
I transferred the stew that had been simmering for a good while into a bowl. Packed full of goat milk, butter, chicken, carrots, broccoli, and more, this cream stew was one of Legion's favorite dishes.
"Here, it's still hot, so wait a bit before eating."
As I set the bowl down on the floor, Legion flapped its wings excitedly, using the breeze to cool the stew. Honestly, that sight was pretty cute.
Legion had very distinct tastes. It wanted to try all the foods it had only watched others eat without tasting during its time sealed away. The cream stew was one such dish. Its eyes sparkling with anticipation, Legion cautiously licked at the stew with its tongue.
*Lick, lick, lick...*
"Like it?"
I stroked Legion's head as it buried its snout in the bowl and devoured the cream stew. Yeah, better to eat heartily than to pick at it.
It reminded me of raising Ayla. I'd carried her around in my arms all day, warming up goat milk to feed her. Thanks to that, she was now a sturdy adult shadow wolf.
'How long will it take for this one to fully grow?'
Dragons had wildly varying growth rates, so even Tondra couldn't give a precise answer. Some dragons kept growing right up until they died, so that said it all.
Anyway, it was in the middle of a growth spurt, so I needed to feed it well. A healthy body houses a healthy spirit, right? Now that things had turned out this way, I'd raise Legion into a dragon with a healthy body and spirit—not the Black Dragon Emperor!
"Master!"
I was gazing fondly down at Legion when a voice called out from afar. It was El, loaded up with gear on her back. Behind her were Ayla, Lloyd, and Aquila. I waved hello to them.
"Wow, you all worked hard."
All three had massive loads on their backs. It was all food for Legion. Tondra's lair had been dormant for so long that there was nothing immediately edible inside. The surrounding snow mountains limited foraging options too. So inevitably, we'd have to travel back and forth between the mountains and the village. A portal would have been ideal, but with the mana field enveloping the entire Silver Mountains still under repair, opening one between the lair and village was out of the question for now.
That's how El, Ayla, and Lloyd ended up shuttling between the village and the snow mountains. Aquila had volunteered to help us too. Using the shortcut Tondra had hastily created, we could make the round trip in two days. El and Lloyd saw it as training and accepted my request without complaint.
"How's Legion doing?"
"Yeah, thanks to you all, it's eating its fill. Twelve meals a day, even."
"That's about like me!"
"...Yeah, kinda."
El's appetite was no joke either. Why were all my strays such big eaters? I shrugged and started sorting the food they'd brought.
"By the way, Aquila. How's the village atmosphere?"
With Tondra back, the Sherpas' situation must have changed dramatically. Aquila answered with a bright smile.
"It's great. Lord Tondra wrote a letter saying he'll reopen the Silver Mountains soon. Grandma and the villagers are all thrilled. It might be tough for them to come all this way at their age... but they're Sherpas, so they want to climb up somehow."
"Such passion."
"And he wrote to the other family members who left the village too. It might take a little time, but they'll all come back here. That's what being a Sherpa means."
"That's wonderful. I'm happy for you all."
Thinking of the once-fading Sherpa village buzzing with life again brought a smile to my face. Aquila beamed alongside me, then hesitated before speaking haltingly.
"...I really wanted to thank you."
"Out of the blue?"
"It's not out of the blue. I've been thinking about it constantly. Ever since that moment I saw Rubaf... my dad."
"...I'm sorry about your father."
"No. It's not like that. He finally found his freedom."
Aquila looked at me with slightly misty eyes, then flashed a clear smile.
"Thanks, Druid."
I took her outstretched hand and shook it. Even after losing a loved one, she could speak so steadfastly. Was it because, as she'd once said, she herself was a "mountain"?
'Good for her.'
Just as I started to get a bit sentimental, something tugged at my pant leg. The black kitten—no, Legion.
"Already done eating?"
I turned to see the bowl licked clean. All that, already? Impressive. I picked Legion up and patted its back like a baby. Soon enough, it let out a small burp. Fortunately, no fire came out.
"Getting sleepy now?"
Dragon hatchlings weren't all that different from human babies. It nestled into my arms and started dozing off with little nods. Eat, sleep. Was this our routine for a while? At least it wasn't fussy about bedtime.
'...To think this little guy is that Black Dragon Emperor Legion.'
Flying death. Black flames of vengeance. Desert slayer. Legion had a laundry list of terrifying nicknames due to its infamy. All of them grand and fearsome.
'But sleeping like this, it's just adorable...'
Was this really the dragon that would later turn Roshan into a wasteland and crush the Western Mage Tower?
If I hadn't taken the Western Mage Tower's commission...
If I hadn't found the dragon egg in the Swamp of Death...
'Chilling.'
Legion's rise was so far off that I hadn't even considered it...
Well, same went for El.
The Silver Lion Reinhardt's assault on the Barak Empire was way in the future too.
Just like with El, if I raised Legion right, maybe it could become something completely different from the game?
Not a continental calamity, but a potential savior.
'...Maybe all these encounters are opportunities given to me.'
A chance to save beings on the brink of tragic fates.
A chance to save the world from destruction at their hands.
*Pip!!!*
"Ah, Pipi. The mood was perfect. What's up?"
I'd just gotten serious when Pipi burst out of my inner pocket in a huff and started pecking at the sleeping Legion's head. Of course, dragon scales weren't the type to scratch from a few pecks with that tiny beak, so Legion slept on peacefully without stirring. Pipi, even more annoyed, buzzed around frantically—pecking with its beak, clawing with talons, flapping wings to smack. I had to intervene.
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Pipi."
Why was it acting up? It never did this with Ayla.
Oh, wait—seniority? Ayla's the senior, but Legion's your junior? I chuckled and tapped Pipi's beak.
"Stop bullying it. Legion's family now too."
*Pipiiiik!!! Piip!!!!*
It was like it was screaming, 'I never agreed to that!!!!' To soothe it, I pulled a ripe wild winterberry from my pocket. Pipi, flapping irritably, eventually folded its wings and pecked at the berry.
"Pipi. You're the big bro—or sis? Big sis? Anyway. You're the oldest, so bear with it, okay?"
*Piip!!!*
"Shh. You'll wake the baby."
Pipi must really hate it, clutching the berry and flying off to perch on Ayla's head. Whew. What a temper. Who'd it get that from?
*Grrr...*
I stroked Legion's sleeping head. I could feel the mana it was unconsciously emitting. Pure, powerful mana, even right after hatching. An ordinary person might not sense it, but as its godfather with our souls bound, I could feel Legion's mana crystal clear.
Pure, powerful, immense mana.
And that wasn't even its 'full' potential. It had just hatched, after all. Meaning its mana would only grow from here...
'Sharing a dragon's mana—definitely a tempting offer.'
As Legion grew, so would my options expand endlessly. I could use dragon mana for most skills, except purification or holy ones like [Forest's Blessing]. The skills I'd gained from leveling up were all mana hogs anyway. I hadn't become godfather aiming for this... but honestly, it'd be incredibly useful. No wonder Khalid nearly died of envy.
'Speaking of, what to do about Khalid.'
Khalid had assumed he'd be the dragon's godfather. Not just because of my promise, but because he was the strongest mage among us. I'd thought Legion would pick him too. Dragon godfathers were usually great mages, after all...
'I'd never heard of a druid being a dragon's godfather or godmother.'
But what could I do? It was done. I hadn't had the choice anyway. I'd only mentioned the 'possibility,' so no lie there... Still, I'd have to compensate Khalid properly later.
"Theodor."
Then a voice called from above. Tondra. Having circled the Silver Mountains, its scales radiated cold chill.
"Have a safe trip back."
"Thanks to you."
"Care for a meal?"
"Good. But first, we have business, you and I."
Business?
I looked up at Tondra with a puzzled expression.
"Follow me."