Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Dragon's Slave (1)
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Seoul-01 District wasn't a place where ordinary people could live.
It was mainly home to those with a lot of money or a lot of power.
"Even so, it's not that different from 04 District."
Just because they were rich didn't make them all that special.
They were the same people, going through the same tough times.
What made 01 District better than other districts was its public safety and overall atmosphere.
"It's the only place where active heroes patrol."
Anyway.
That's how I ended up taking the subway to 01 District—to buy school uniforms for the kids.
I couldn't bring Mangmung along because of his fierce resistance.
'That aside, taking the subway every day is getting tough.'
Maybe it was time to buy a car.
I had to think about the kids' commute to school too.
"Hmph, so this is 01 District? Starting today, I'm the boss around here!"
The moment we arrived in 01 District, Hwa-ryeon declared herself the boss.
She grabbed a passerby and said,
"Hey! I'm the boss here! Got it!?"
"W-What is this kid...?"
The citizen looked flustered by Hwa-ryeon's antics.
I immediately pressed down on her head, forcing her to bow.
"I'm sorry! My kid's still too young and immature!"
"Gah! Let go!"
"I'm sorry!"
I bowed deeply on Hwa-ryeon's behalf.
Things felt off to a bad start right away.
"Sigh, they're gone. Hey, Hwa-ryeon. You planning to cause trouble the second we get here?"
"Hmph, I was just letting everyone know I arrived!"
"What's the point? You're not famous, so no one knows you."
"What? I am famous! What does Dad know!"
Hwa-ryeon insisted she was famous.
Of course, there was no proof.
She just believed it herself and said it out loud.
"Let's just hurry up and buy the uniforms. Then we can eat something tasty."
"Tasty food! Yay! Let's buy uniforms!"
With a whoosh, Hwa-ryeon shot forward.
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon sighed beside me.
"Sigh, to think that's my big sister. Unreal."
"Yeah. Having a violent sister and a weird one as my sisters... I can't believe it."
"...Weird one?"
"Uh, slip of the tongue."
Su-ryeon shot Cho-ryeon a sharp glare.
"...Cho-ryeon, you've been getting cheeky lately, huh?"
But.
Cho-ryeon quickly dodged the piercing gaze.
"Oh, there's a park over there! 01 District is nice because it has a bit of nature!"
She changed the subject, staring at the nearby park.
Su-ryeon bit her lip hard and said,
"...Watch yourself from now on. Keep it up, and I'll merge you with Mangmung into a chimera."
Su-ryeon's brutal threat.
But Cho-ryeon wasn't fazed at all and smiled brightly as she replied,
"Okay! I'll be careful, whatever that means!"
"..."
Su-ryeon turned away and walked ahead quietly.
I followed behind them with a warm smile.
"My daughters get along so well."
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon whipped around at the same time and shouted,
"No, we don't!"
"No, we don't!"
Even denying it in perfect sync made them look like they got along great.
Kids grow up fighting, after all.
***
The shop that sold Academy uniforms existed only in 01 District.
It was because the number of children in the world had started to dwindle, leading to many uniform shops closing down.
"Hmm, that's a bit weird."
"Why?"
"It's not just that reason, Dad."
However.
Su-ryeon seemed to think differently.
She crossed her arms and confidently began her explanation.
"Even so, having one shop monopolize Academy uniforms is abnormal. They must've made some deal behind the scenes. In exchange for granting the shop exclusive rights, there had to be something else on the table."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Any system with such a bizarre structure probably came from some adults making a deal somewhere. I'm right. That's how the world works."
Did Su-ryeon live for a hundred years already?
She spoke like she'd unlocked the truths of the world.
"Ah, there's the shop."
We arrived at the uniform store while chatting with the kids.
I confidently opened the door and stepped inside with them.
"Hello."
"Welcome."
As we entered the shop.
A kind-looking grandfather and grandmother were minding the store.
They pointed at the dragons hiding nervously behind me and asked,
"Are those kids peeking from behind going to enroll in the Academy?"
"Grrr..."
"...The thing you have to be most careful of in this world is old people."
"Hehe, I held Daddy's hand!"
The kids were chaotic from the start.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by my daughters' behavior, I replied,
"Yes, that's right. They're my daughters, enrolling in the Academy."
"Heh heh, they're the cutest kids we've had come in for fittings. My wife will take their measurements in the back. Follow her, please."
The kids slowly followed the grandmother inside.
As they disappeared into the back, they called out to me.
"If I'm not out in one minute! These people are attacking me! You hear me, Dad! Graaah!"
"No way it'll take only a minute, Hwa-ryeon."
Hwa-ryeon was dragged inside.
"I'll probably end up getting experimented on in there. I'll turn into a machine soon. This is our last conversation while I'm still sane, Dad."
"You watch too many movies, Su-ryeon."
Su-ryeon quietly went inside.
"Hwa-ryeon sis and Su-ryeon sis might be the last time, but I'm not! I'm coming right back, Daddy! We'll eat together!"
Bye-bye.
Cho-ryeon waved goodbye and went in.
"Why are they all acting like it's the last time they'll see me? It's just getting uniforms fitted."
They must watch too many dramas and movies.
The grandfather chuckled at my daughters' antics and said,
"Your daughters are so fun. My kids used to be like that too."
"Ugh, it's not easy. Raising kids is tough. Take your eyes off them for a second, and they cause trouble. They're still like kindergarteners."
"But isn't it fun?"
The grandfather smiled at me.
His deep eyes seemed filled with nostalgia for his own past.
I vaguely replied,
"...Well, yeah, I guess."
"Looking back, those days were the best. Even if they feel tough in the moment."
"..."
Hearing from a wise elder what I told my own kids felt strangely profound.
'In his eyes, I must look like a kid. I wonder if the girls feel the same about me.'
Just then.
While passing the time chatting with the old man.
I opened my smartphone to check for messages.
"My followers still aren't growing. What's the problem?"
Weird.
Other heroes had huge numbers.
As I sensed something off and checked my phone.
"Oh, I got a text from the elves."
I hadn't noticed it because of vibrate mode.
I decided to check the message from the elves.
"Dragon Slayer... starting to move... taking the subway to 01 District...?"
The elves had been tracking my location in real time.
But the tracking messages had stopped at some point.
"Why would the Dragon Slayer, who's been quiet until now, suddenly...?"
More importantly.
Of all places, heading to 01 District?
An ominous feeling washed over me.
My senses sharpened.
Ding.
"Welcome—oh, you're by yourself?"
"..."
One person opened the door and entered the shop.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"You're here, dragon. I can smell it, faint as it is."
"..."
The Dragon Slayer had found us.
'Of all times, when the kids are here...'
I stood up and glared at the Dragon Slayer.
He glanced at the grandfather, then headed back outside as he said,
"Change of venue, dragon. Come out. If you don't, we'll do it here."
"...Wait outside."
The Dragon Slayer left the shop first.
I followed him out after leaving a word with the grandfather.
"Tell the kids I went to grab some snacks."
'I'll win no matter what.'
I'd promised future Su-ryeon.
I absolutely wouldn't die.
We couldn't repeat the same future and let the kids suffer in hell.
***
I followed the Dragon Slayer outside.
A short distance away.
He fixed me with murderously cold eyes and asked,
"What kind of life have you lived in this round of amusement?"
"?"
What was that supposed to mean?
Had he finally lost his mind after hunting dragons for so long?
The Dragon Slayer asked me again, ignoring my silence.
"Dragons. Your lives are always the same. You mimic humans. You see us one-and-done humans as ants. You treat humans like toys, nothing more."
"Wait, are you calling me a dragon right now?"
"...While reeking of dragon magic so strongly. Are you seriously claiming you're not a dragon? Shameless."
The Dragon Slayer didn't even recognize me as human from the start.
Well, even I thought my face had changed a lot after molting.
More importantly, he saw me not as human, but as a dragon.
'Doesn't matter either way.'
The Dragon Slayer had to die regardless.
If I died, my daughters would suffer in a hellish world.
They'd spend their lives in excruciating pain as black dragons.
"Dragon Slayer."
"You know me?"
"I lost last time. But not this time. Unlike you, the weight on my shoulders is different."
I clenched my fist, channeling magic into my hand.
Ready to unleash it at any moment.
"...Good, dragon."
The Dragon Slayer drew a massive greatsword from his back as he faced me.
"I'll kill you and have my revenge. Get out of the human world, dragon."
And then.
"You mentioned the weight on your shoulders? Sorry, but mine's far heavier."
Boom!
The Dragon Slayer leaped high into the sky, gathering power in his ankles as if shaking off a heavy burden.
He swung the greatsword with full force and shouted,
"Disappear—Dragon Slave!"
At that moment.
Boom!! The city shook with a deafening explosion.
Even after so long, the Dragon Slayer was as formidable as ever.
But that didn't mean I was the same as before.
I absolutely could not die in this fight.
***
"Daddy, when's he coming back? He said he'd get snacks! I'm hungry!"
Grrrowl.
Hwa-ryeon's stomach growled.
"He's late."
Su-ryeon waited calmly, playing on her handheld game console.
"I wonder when Daddy will be back."
Cho-ryeon sat in a chair, kicking her legs as she anxiously waited for Dad.
The kids were passing the time in their own ways, waiting for Dad.
Boom!!
Then a massive roar shook the shop.
"W-What was that all of a sudden! What's going on!"
"...A huge magic reaction."
"What is this...!"
The kids jumped in shock at the sudden blast.
They quickly composed themselves, exchanged glances, and rushed outside.
"Daddy!!"
"...Daddy's in danger."
"D-Daddy...!!"
Sensing their parent's peril, the kids ran with all their might.
To them, their one and only Dad was more precious than anything.
He held the same value as their own lives.
Even dragons only had one set of parents.
They raced toward the direction where they felt Dad with everything they had.