A Dragon's Devotion

Relief. The warm affection felt from within the egg. When I emerged into the world from that cozy mana...

'Mir-El.' That was the name etched into my new body. I was happy, sensing an aura so like that one's. Though much of my memory had faded, I loved her so much—the one who had reborn my corrupted soul. I saw her as my mother. No, she was my mother.

Even just catching feeble creatures close to puny goblins...

My mother praised and cherished me without reserve. I was happy. If this place was paradise, I wanted to be trapped here forever. Toss aside heavy duties and live eternally as her child.

'Sister, you've become a mere hatchling.'

When my brother from fragments of memory appeared. I was wary, fearing he'd force me to fulfill the duty I'd cast away.

'Well, a little won't matter. Rest easy.'

But unexpectedly, he seemed disinterested in me. Instead, he called my mother that one's vessel and declared he'd impregnate her with his child.

'No!!'

Baring my fangs, I lunged at an unbeatable foe, but he stopped me effortlessly with one hand. That's when I realized it. To protect my mother, I had to grow stronger. For now, I ate magic stones. But soon, I'd grow so powerful no one could touch us.

And today, my mother cried.

When the cave collapsed, it was too late to return to her. I fled into a tunnel swarming with goblins. The weaklings charged, but without mana, they were no match. I dispatched the horde, tore out their magic stones, and replenished my power.

'Wherever Mother is, I can sense her!'

I carved a path following the red thread linking me to her and leaped in. Was she worried? Would she praise me for wiping out the goblins? Eager to reassure her, I burst out—

and faced—

'Filthy humans dare!!!'

Trampling my precious mother. Indulging their vile lust.

Memories after that were hazy. First, I blasted the mana from one human's torso, exploding his upper body. Weak. So weak. Pathetically weak. But my dear mother was even more fragile than these filthy humans. So I protected her. I had to.

'She mustn't be exposed to such filthy desires!'

It was over in an instant. The time it took to crush the weak humans—

Then, belatedly covered in blood, I realized. Even this sight might terrify my delicate mother. Drenched in human blood, memories of being called an evil dragon made me shrink back.

Still, clinging to a sliver of hope, I approached slowly.

'Don't be scared. It's me. Mir-El.'

I couldn't even ask for a hug. I stood before her, hesitating, quietly awaiting judgment. If Mother scolded me, I could end my own life.

Tentatively lifting my head...

'Ah... She won't scold me.'

Those tear-soaked red eyes, like warm sunlight, held no reproach—only relief. Hot tears touched my face. Then I was pulled into her cozy embrace. Her relieved voice and racing heartbeat gradually calmed my excited one.

'I am an evil dragon.'

I acknowledged it, defining myself. A dragon that slays humans and shuns duty. I'd denied it before, but now I accepted it.

'So what if I'm an evil dragon? I'm Mother's daughter. That's enough.'

That's enough. So don't cry, Mom. I'm right here.

Her precious sobs in my ear. Her care for me rang deep, drawing a smile to my lips.

'I shouldn't, but... I'm happy.'

Mother's tears were so warm... and heavy.

"Grrr..."

A pleased rumble echoed softly from her embrace.

D-rank gate, rooftop of the opposite building.

A pure white figure perched on the railing, gazing down at the blood-soaked woman emerging.

"Hmm..."

At her feet lay her sister, unmistakably changed.

"She's imprinted after all. Foolish thing."

A stupid sister rejecting the duty from an incompetent god.

Yet the bravest choice.

"Happiness..."

Her sister seemed to have found hers.

"Enviable... Raguna. No, Mir-El."

A paradise on a leash... Seeing her sister, it didn't seem so bad.

"Heave-ho."

Arka rose.

"I promised to guard the home, so time to return~ Bulgogi for dinner? I'll give that a try."

Mulling dinner, Arka vanished with the wind.

Leaving the disaster site, heading for the gate entrance, black-suited Association staff rushed over.

"...Seol Yun Hunter, may we take you in for a moment?"

"Grrr..."

Mir-El growled warily, but I shook my head.

"Mir-El, it's okay. Don't. These people aren't bad."

"Grng..."

Only then did Mir-El rub her face against my leg and look away.

Mir-El must've been shocked too.

I could guess how she got out. Probably that teleportation she'd shown before. In the panic, my mind went blank, forgetting she could.

"I'm tired..."

Blood-matted hair and clothes felt stiff and gross. I just wanted to get home, wash up...

"Seol Yun Hunter, Association staff are pursuing the three wanted—"

"...Later? Can it wait?"

I pleaded softly, but the staffer was firm. Didn't seem to treat me like a criminal, though...

"Please, I beg you."

"...Then, could I wash up first? And change clothes?"

"...!! Understood! We'll prepare immediately!!"

I was involved in a crime, murder... The horrific scene flashed back, one I'd briefly forgotten. Yeah, I'd killed too. Investigation was inevitable.

"Ugh, Mir-El. Let's wash first and think. Eek... But I grabbed tons of magic stones. Let's have a drink..."

Comforted by the magic stones piled in my black shoulder bag, Mir-El nodded in agreement.

"Seol Yun Hunter! This way. We'll escort you!"

Avoiding stares from murmuring hunters, I tried boarding the prepared van...

"Are you Seol Yun-ssi?"

If not for the Byeolbit Guild members with the meteor emblem blocking us.

Dozens of black-suited hunters surrounded the Association staff. The lead man announced curtly to the flustered staffer.

"From Byeolbit Guild's admin office. From now on, we protect Seol Yun Hunter's safety. The Association will receive our formal stance in writing from our lawyer later."

"This is an Association-led case! We have priority investigatory—"

"So?"

The Byeolbit man removed his sunglasses, pressuring the staffer.

"You're detaining Seol Yun Hunter?"

"Not detaining, protecting—"

"Good then. For protection, who better than Byeolbit Guild?"

"..."

The staffer clenched his fist, scanning around. Even without the guild master and main raid team in Chuncheon, everyone here was at least A-rank. Their standby force outpowered the Association's on-site numbers overwhelmingly. Under 'protection,' nowhere in Korea was safer.

"..."

Speechless, the staffer got a light pat on the shoulder from the man, who smiled.

"We'll formally protest in writing with our lawyer later. Excuse us."

"Un...derstood."

Bowing to the forceful attitude, the Association staff vanished swiftly.

"Now, then—"

The man's gaze turned to me.

"You're safe! Thank goodness!!"

"Eh...?"

The man who'd set a heavy mood suddenly burst into tears.

"We're alive!!"

"Hanam City nearby, right? Whew, thought we were goners."

"Hurry, report! Target secured!"

"Any injuries? Wounds?!"

"Hello?! Guild Master!! She's safe and secured!!"

"We're aliiiiiive!!"

They whooped and hollered in joy. I just stood there, dumbfounded, unable to keep up.

"Byeolbit Guild will escort you."

The sobbing man composed himself, introduced politely, and guided me to the van.

"I'm AA-rank hunter Ryu Hyun-seung. Kim Tae-hoon's lackey."

"...Huh?"

Byeolbit Guild HQ, 9th floor hunter lounge's spacious shower room—rented out entirely.

Blood clinging to hair and body washed away in hot water. At my feet, Mir-El who'd come in with me slid around the slippery floor like it was ice skating, fascinated.

"Pffft."

Only now did it sink in—we were truly safe. Tension melted away.

"Ugh, maybe I shouldn't hunter anymore...?"

First goblins. Now fellow humans. Kept getting tangled in weird crap.

"But no work, no money."

So what if I awakened to some weird EX-rank? Couldn't do jack for Mir-El.

"Sigh..."

To boost forces, did I have to... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠give birth? Why was my power pregnancy-only? This damn skill.

The cooldown—ovulation cycle?—was approaching. Confusing as hell.

Arka's child... Hmm...

If I bore Arka's kid, was the family tree right? Arka's sister was Raguna, now my daughter Mir-El. If Arka bore my child? It'd be Mir-El's niece/aunt from her sibling. What messed-up dragon pedigree...?

"Ugh, whatever. Even so, birthing for power-ups feels off..."

If I had to have a kid, I wanted to raise it with love, not purpose.

"Status window."

"Huh?"

Opening ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the status window after ages, a new skill appeared.

"Dragon Imprint?"

Probably unlocked some condition linking to Mir-El...

Did she know? Bored of sliding, she was now splashing in the tub. I asked.

"Mir-El. Know what Dragon Imprint is?"

"Peep?"

She tilted her head, clueless.

"Never mind, keep playing."

"Peep!"

Sigh. That fun, huh? Mir-El flapped happily, doggy-paddling.

"Pffft."

Her cuteness washed away all worries with the water.

"Yeah, whatever... Think later."

A new skill meant getting stronger. Maybe protect Mir-El...

Creeeak— I shut the faucet. Twisting before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the mirror, the blood was all gone.

"Good."

Hosing the floor blood into the drain, about to enter the tub—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Urgent footsteps.

"...-nim! Inside... just a sec..."

Someone's hasty voice outside the bathroom.

"Seol Yun!!"

Slide!

Barging in yelling my name. Kim Tae-hoon.

"You're alive!!"

Steamy haze filling the bathroom escaped into the cooler outside, clearing my view. As steam faded, my pale-skinned, beautiful nude form emerged, poised to enter the tub.

His frantic eyes scanned me top to bottom. But no filthy lust like before—just worry and anxiety.

That gaze didn't make me scream like some virgin. It was Tae-hoon, after all? We'd hit saunas together.

"Tae-hoon, Tae-hoon."

"...Y-yeah, speak."

His voice trembled at my call.

"Settlement: 100 million."

"..."

But that was that, this was this.

"200 million?"

"Ah, leaving now."

"Yeah, prep 300 million~ Or I sue. For real. Kyaa~ Pervert~~!"

"Shit! I'm going!"

"Pfft!"

Slide!

Tae-hoon slammed the door fleeing. I sank into the tub, unable to hold back laughter.

"Puhaha! Mir-El, your uncle was super worried~ Right~?"

"Peep~"

How rushed was he, covered in gate dust? Didn't see details, but seemed in raid gear from entering the gate.

Then, scolding voices outside.

"Even so, bursting in while a lady's showering? Rude, no matter your relationship."

"No, Guild Master, it's not—"

"Quiet, out now. And you wash up too, Tae-hoon. Confirmed safe? Go!"

"I said I know! Stop hitting! Ow! Really hurts!!"

Dull thwacks and Tae-hoon's relieved, cheery voice faded.