The Karma of the Mint Chocolate Maker

1. The surface of the cake slowly meets my tongue. The first sensation is a bumpy texture. Tiny chocolate pieces greet me first. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before I chew, the rough surface already promises an interesting mouthfeel.

—Tap…! Just by touching it lightly to my tongue, a sweet yet slightly bitter taste spreads across my entire tongue. As expected from the continent’s finest chocolatier, the quality of the chocolate is beyond words. Even when crushed like this, the flavor remains unchanged.

‘What a truly moving flavor…….’

The chocolate melts gradually on my tongue, wrapping my mouth in a smooth sweetness. But this isn’t what I was hoping for. If this were enough to satisfy me, I wouldn’t have even started. The chocolate is nothing more than a supporting actor for today’s main ingredient. The real star is not the luxurious chocolate, but the stimulating, addictive mint.

“Haaah……?”

While savoring the sweetness, I carefully press my tongue against the cake, and a refreshing cream floods my mouth between the chocolate layers. It’s not ordinary whipped cream—it’s packed with mint cream.

‘Yes, this is it—! The taste I wanted……! The unique aroma and flavor of mint have melted so naturally into the cream……?’

It’s enough to make my golden eyes sparkle. A shiver runs all the way to the top of my head. This intense stimulation is exactly why I’ll probably never be able to quit mint for the rest of my life. Someone might think I’m making a fuss over a mere dessert, but for me, born into the Dawn Clan that has served the Primordial Dragon for generations, it’s an enormous stimulus.

After all, our clan that serves the god cannot defile our bodies with drugs or cigarettes. That’s why mint itself is stimulation to me. Its sharp, refreshing scent is the driving force of life. It’s the only thing that gives me a thrill on par with narcotics.

The sharp aroma and taste of mint were a fresh source of stimulation I discovered near the end of my second year. It became a new thrill for me, someone who could never be satisfied no matter how many high-class desserts I ate. Before I even became an adult dragon, mint saved me from nearly falling into boredom with life. Mint, peppermint leaves.

Until now, I had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only ever encountered it in tea form. No one had ever attempted to make a dessert with mint. Even if a few had, finding someone with the same refined palate as mine was difficult. Meeting a chef skilled enough to satisfy me was like finding a needle in a desert. It was an unavoidable field where tastes diverged so sharply.

I considered making it myself, but it was impossible at the academy. There were too many eyes watching, and more importantly, I didn’t know how. So I had to settle for mint tea. And even that, I enjoyed only occasionally in secret.

Reading while sipping mint tea in the lounge was an irreplaceable ritual for me. Yet I had always restrained myself, strictly controlling my enjoyment of mint. I wanted to drink it every day, but I simply couldn’t. It wasn’t just because of the people around me—I was afraid of becoming too accustomed to it. It was my one and only source of stimulation in life.

That’s why it had been something I only indulged in on rare occasions……

‘To think the day would come when I could enjoy mint in such a perfect dessert form? And paired with luxurious chocolate, no less……?!’

—Crunch! Using my teeth, I begin chewing the cake in earnest. The chocolate on the surface makes a sound as it breaks. It reminds me of its presence again, even as I focus only on the sharp taste of mint. Along with the crunchy texture comes the sweetness asserting itself. Was it because there was so much chocolate? It doesn’t lose to the sharp flavor of mint at all. More than anything, the sweetness pairs surprisingly well with the refreshing taste of mint.

‘H-how can these flavors harmonize like this……?’

Mint and chocolate mix in my mouth, creating a texture and taste I’ve never experienced before. Every time I move my jaw, it feels like fireworks are exploding in my head. I’m happy. Thrilled. Moved. Even more than the first moment I encountered mint.

How should I even describe this emotion? A flavor so difficult to put into words even in Draconic awakens a feeling of pure bliss within me.

—Crack…! It feels as if something has snapped in an instant. An intense stimulus sweeps through my head. It’s like the sensation of attaining a great realization. A massive wave made of mint washes over me. This is a taste even I, a dragon, can barely endure. It feels as though the Primordial Dragon who created this world has bestowed a blessing upon me.

‘I… I can’t take any more…….’

—Thud……! The moment I dared to try understanding that taste, my vision darkens completely. I must have lost consciousness from being overwhelmed by the flavor……

‘Just who is this Breeder who created such a dessert……?’

Ahh, even my consciousness is starting to fade now.

*

2. “I-insane…? What the hell just happened?”

Swear words slip out before I can stop them. I put so much effort into making this dessert, only for her to collapse after not even five seconds?

“……”

Right now, before me lie Sofia and Diora, both unconscious. The event happened so quickly that only a cold silence remained inside the cliffside cave. Diora’s reaction was something I had expected from the beginning. Still, I believed there was nothing to worry about. Because I thought Sofia would handle it.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I had done all this trusting only in Sofia.

‘But even Sofia collapsed so helplessly? Did I really put something wrong in it?’

Was Sofia not actually a mint-chocolate fan, but someone who purely enjoyed mint on its own—a natural(?) mint lover? Damn it, I don’t even know what I’m saying right now.

“My lady! Lady Sofia…? Please open your eyes! Are you all right……?!”

I immediately approached Sofia and checked her condition. Then I tapped and shook her shoulders. In my panic, I grabbed and shook her more roughly than intended, but there was no reaction at all. Normally, a mere human like me daring to lay hands on a dragon so rudely would have warranted severe punishment. But this wasn’t the time to worry about that. Who knows if she went into shock from the mint chocolate? This happened because of the dessert I made, so there’s no way I can deny responsibility. In short, it was all my fault, so I couldn’t help but feel anxious and impatient. I tried to gain a powerful backer, only to end up risking my own life instead.

“What the hell is going on all of a sudden……?”

While I was shaking Sofia’s shoulders, countless system messages flooded my vision. I had no choice but to let go of Sofia for a moment because of them. After all, Sofia had apparently been successfully conquered just like that? She fainted after eating the mint chocolate chip cake, yet suddenly it’s a successful conquest? I can’t make sense of it at all. Anyone would think her reaction was a conquest failure. What’s even funnier is that her favorability had instantly jumped all the way to the ‘Worship’ stage.

“This isn’t the important part right now……!”

—Swish……! I cleared away all the messages, laid Sofia down in a proper position, and checked her condition.

“—Haa, haa……”

Her pure white robes rose and fell with her breathing. A bit of light green mint cream still clung to the corner of her mouth. Judging by the steady movement of Sofia’s benevolent and ample chest, her life didn’t seem to be in danger. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Thankfully, she was still breathing. Even so, I couldn’t just leave her like this. There would still be remnants of cake inside her mouth. I needed to secure her airway before those remnants blocked her throat. She might be fine now, but if left unattended, foreign matter could cause her to suffocate.

—Slide……! Recalling the first-aid techniques I learned during reserve training, I tilted Sofia’s chin upward. Then, without hesitation, I brought my face close to hers. Saving her was the top priority. And just as my lips were about to reach Sofia’s face—

—Smooch…♥

“……?!?!”

Our lips met in an instant. I hadn’t even fully lowered my head yet, but my lips had already touched Sofia’s. Anyway, that aside……

A faint mint scent was now spreading from my own lips.