Endless Daily Tasks and Pact Confirmation
Target: Sofia (Lv.660 / Light)
The contractor Breeder and the Dawn Dragon Sofia vow to aid one another until their fates are fulfilled, for the sake of mutual survival. Breeder shall provide mint-based desserts each month. Sofia firmly swears to cooperate fully to ensure Breeder's safe life at the academy.
The dense text floating before my eyes felt strangely familiar by now. It was like reading the terms of service for signing up to some app—packed with details, yet aside from the abilities and perks, everything else was information I already knew.
‘A contract tied together by mint, of all things…’
I found myself rereading the contents again. The terms were so unbelievable that I had to double-check. On closer inspection, the agreement was actually quite favorable. Still, what caught my attention more than the pact itself were the abilities and perks listed.
「Light Purification」 and 「Pioneer of Light」. These must be Sofia’s unique skills. ‘Light Purification’ was probably the ability she had demonstrated before—curing targets afflicted with status ailments. That much was easy to guess. It fit the saintess-concept heroine perfectly.
The perk name, however, was unfamiliar. Pioneer of Light…? The name alone gave no clue what it did. Maybe it was something that aided Gourmet Feeding, like Derke’s 「Dragon’s Touch」. Well, I’d find out eventually. It wasn’t urgent right now. What mattered was that the pact with Sofia had been successfully formed.
‘That makes two already… Still, forming a pact turned out to be easier than I thought.’
Of course, there had been no Dragon Heart transfer this time either. Instead of a heart, all I had received were a few passes of Sofia’s soft, moist tongue. That gentle yet dizzying sensation lingered in my mind. The kiss with Sofia—free of any mint scent—had been brief but intense.
‘It was a little one-sided, but the feeling was impossible to refuse—’
“Breeder oppa~? What’ve you been thinking about all this time-desu-yong…?!”
Derke’s voice cut into my lingering memory. The little dragon walking beside me tilted her head and peered at my face with curious eyes.
“Ah, huh? It’s nothing.”
“Huuung…? Your face is all red for something that’s ‘nothing’-desu-yong…!”
With a suspicious look and tone, Derke pressed closer to me.
“Ah? This…? It’s just from walking nonstop since earlier. Aren’t you tired, Derke?”
“Hung-! Derke hates liars the most-desu-yong-!”
“Derke…?”
“As expected, Derke prefers the tall, big-chested look like Sofia-senpai rather than her own small form… That’s what she likes, eiyap……?”
Even though she was still young, a dragon was still a dragon. Her intuition was sharper than her appearance suggested. My half-baked excuse didn’t stand a chance. Derke suddenly drooped her head with a gloomy expression. Then she glanced down at her own chest. Her green eyes shimmered wistfully, as if yearning for something she lacked.
“Something that big… is impossible for Derke-desu-yong……”
She spoke in a dejected tone while groping at her chest. It wasn’t as if she had nothing at all, but compared to Sofia, it was hopelessly lacking. Her jealousy toward the senior was oddly endearing. Unable to contain her frustration and disappointment, Derke kept grumbling to herself.
“But…! Still, Breeder oppa belongs to Derke……!”
A first-year openly keeping a fourth-year in check? She really was a bold newcomer. But this sulking version wasn’t like Derke at all.
“Derke? That kind of thing doesn’t matter to me. Really.”
“Heeet…? B-but Derke really has nothing-desu-yong……. As you can see, her chest is still……”
“No, I like you way more than Miss Sofia. You’re the only one who’s ever truly thought about me like that.”
It was the honest truth. I liked Derke’s pure nature. Sofia, on the other hand, still didn’t feel as close. She was ready to give everything for me, but that was only possible because of the mint-dessert contract as a prerequisite. At least, that was how I saw it. In contrast, Derke genuinely liked me without any conditions. Her pure heart alone gave her the clear victory. Of course, when it came to the sheer size of her affection, Sofia was overwhelmingly ahead……
“Huaaah……?”
Once my rather serious reply ended, Derke’s words caught in her throat. Even though it was still early spring, a vivid red blush had already spread across her face. With her silver hair and pale skin, the flush stood out even more.
“I-I also… like oppa the most in the whole world-desu-yong…!”
Derke finally managed to open her lips with difficulty.
“Hm? Derke?”
“Even if oppa is a dragon-hater, Derke doesn’t believe it-eiyap-! Oppa would never be that kind of person-desu-yong…! He’s not like that-desu-yong-?!”
Derke lifted her head and looked at me. She must have heard the accusation from the vice-principal. Yet her green eyes were filled with trust. True to her worship-level favorability, she believed in me completely.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a misunderstanding. I don’t even have memories from back then.”
“Really-eiyap…?! As expected, Derke was right all along-desu-yong-!”
I couldn’t let that hopeful gaze down. Besides, it really wasn’t something I knew about. Being called a dragon-hater out of nowhere? If it wasn’t because of the post I made to customer service, then it wasn’t my fault. Strictly speaking, it was something the original Breeder had done before I possessed him. …….
—Rustle, rustle.
Before I knew it, the lively chatter had died down, leaving only the sound of footsteps on grass. Even the insects and birds had gone quiet. After exchanging what felt like confessions, the atmosphere had turned awkwardly silent. We must have walked for another thirty minutes or so.
“Haa, we’re finally here.”
We had at last set foot on the familiar (?) academy campus. I never thought I’d be this glad to see it. The western sky was already tinged with sunset. Right—dinnertime had arrived. The hour when everyone gathered at the dining hall after finishing their daily tasks.
“O-oppa…? Derke will go on ahead-desu-yong-!”
“Huh? Let’s go to the dining hall together. I’ll walk you there.”
“I-it’s fine-desu-yong…! Derke has something to do with her friends-eiyap…!!”
—Tap-tap-tap-tap!
With those words, Derke dashed straight toward the dormitory. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything earlier? I had only wanted to convey my sincerity, yet now things felt strangely awkward between us. Still, if I brought her a tasty snack tomorrow, she’d probably smile again right away.
“Anyway, I should hurry before it gets any darker……”
I headed alone toward the dining hall. Not because I was hungry, but—bitterly enough—to take care of the remaining work. Overtime after the regular shift. It felt like even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough. Honestly, I wanted to rest, but this wasn’t something I could brush off lightly. After all, Raylin’s condition-based rapport quest was still pending. The deadline was tonight. I stepped into the dining hall, partly to replenish energy after the hike.
—Today’s dinner is better than it looks?!
—I don’t even like spicy food, but this is delicious…!
—This is the first time I’ve had cafeteria food twice in one day……!
—Is it thanks to what the seniors said?
—By the way, when are the fourth-year seniors coming back? Did something happen today?
—You didn’t hear? The entire Diora-senpai line got wiped out today?
—What? No wonder I barely saw them this afternoon……
While heading to the back of the student cafeteria, I overheard the girls’ lively chatter. Normally, complaints and grumbling dominated the air, but today’s reactions were unusually positive. The army stew must have gone over better than expected.
—Clack!
Smiling faintly at the chatter, I entered the staff dining hall.
“Sniff sniff sniff…!”
The moment I stepped inside, a familiar aroma hit my nose. A spicy, tingling scent that was both savory and nostalgic, with a hint of something foreign. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to stir memories of home.
—Slurp slurp slurp…!
Looking at the bowls of the staff members who were already eating, I saw them filled to the brim with bright red broth and ingredients.
‘That Ram Rat guy actually pulled it off like I told him? Even with the recipe, making hundreds of portions must’ve been tough……’
—Shhhrrrk…!
I ladled out some army stew and smiled in satisfaction. The red color looked good, and there were plenty of sausages, minced meat, and diced ham.
“Hmm, the cheese seems properly mixed in too.”
Settling down, I lifted a spoonful of broth and took a sniff. It was nicely spicy and sharp. Honestly, the foreign scent was still strong—inevitable given the local ingredients—but it was a huge improvement.
“Oh?”
After stirring the bowl a few times, I spotted thick udon-like noodles. He had added pasta noodles just as I instructed. They were a bit overcooked, but the overall composition wasn’t bad.
‘Good. If he followed instructions this well, it shouldn’t be inedible at least.’
—Slurp…!
I took a sip of the broth first.
“Khaaah……!!”
The very Korean reaction slipped out on its own. I hadn’t tasted it yesterday, but the flavor was definitely richer and more appetizing. There were still a few shortcomings, but this was a massive leap forward. No wonder the girls had been so satisfied.
The sausages were cooked perfectly, and the pasta noodles weren’t bad either. My hand kept moving without me realizing it. Maybe because it had been so long since I’d eaten soul food? Even if it was a downgrade of real army stew, it was a fitting reward after today’s hard work.
—Gulp!
Just as I was about to finish off the entire bowl, a voice called out.
“Breeder…! I’ve been waiting…!”
—Thud!
The moment I set the bowl down, a bald little rat appeared in the seat across from me. The sight was enough to kill anyone’s appetite, but I was still glad to see he was alive and well. His bald look was still weird, though.
“Ah, Ram Rat. Congrats on surviving another day.”
“It’s all thanks to you…! Anyway, if you’re done eating, come inside the kitchen!”
“Huh? What’s the rush? Did Miss Raylin already arrive?”
Ram Rat twitched his long nose and pointed toward the back of the kitchen. He looked like something urgent had come up.
“Not that, but… earlier this afternoon, the young lady left something for you to deliver-!”
“What? For me?”
“Yes! I tried to handle it myself, but…! I can’t deal with this-! So help me out!”