Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Fun Interview Time!
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Currently.
We're living together in a cramped one-room apartment.
It hasn't been that long since we started living together.
But I think I've gotten pretty close with the dragon girls.
'It's not just me thinking that, right? No way my daughters feel otherwise.'
Anyway.
Separate from living together with them.
It's still a stretch to say I know them well.
Honestly speaking, I still don't know much about dragons.
That's why.
"Today, I'm going to examine you all myself."
I planned to learn about them through various checks.
At that bold declaration, the two excluding Cho-ryun immediately rebelled.
"Why should Dad examine me? No way!"
"Just thinking about it pisses me off."
Hwa-ryun and Su-ryun furrowed their brows.
The reaction was bad right from the start.
But even if the two refused, it didn't matter.
"Physical exams are mandatory for everyone. No exceptions."
"No! I'm not doing it!"
"Quiet. Everyone stand with your backs against the wall. We're measuring height first."
Refusal noted.
The girls grumbled as they stood with their backs to the wall.
I grabbed a ballpoint pen and drew lines on the wall based on the crowns of their heads.
Then, I wrote the date next to each line.
"Got it all down. Roughly around 120cm, give or take."
The girls peeled away from the wall to check the results.
Their reactions varied.
"As expected, I'm number one!"
"..."
"Wow, I'm the shortest!"
Hwa-ryun was the tallest, Cho-ryun the shortest.
It was an obvious result at a glance.
But the result itself wasn't the point.
This was to record how much they grew each day.
"Hmm."
Maybe dissatisfied with the rankings.
Su-ryun pointed at the line and said quietly.
"Dad, that's not my height. I should be taller."
"Knew it. Want to measure again?"
"Yeah, do it again. This time include the horns."
"What?"
I stared at Su-ryun in disbelief.
Su-ryun looked back at me like, what's the problem?
'This kid seriously thinks her height includes the horns.'
Her eyes were dead serious.
"A dragon's height includes the horns. I can't accept this result."
"It won't make much difference even if we do."
"I'm still including the horns."
Stubborn Su-ryun wouldn't back down.
Left with no choice, I measured her height including the horns as she insisted.
It went up about 5cm, and Su-ryun claimed first place.
"This is the right result."
"Hey, no fair! Me too! Dad, include my horns too!"
Losing first place ignited Hwa-ryun's fury.
Should've included the horns from the start.
I had no choice but to measure Hwa-ryun's height again.
Only then did Hwa-ryun's anger subside.
"Hmph, I'm definitely number one! Now the world makes sense!"
"Tch."
Hwa-ryun shrugged her shoulders smugly, while Su-ryun clicked her tongue in regret.
With the height check done, I moved on to the next: weight.
For reference, we didn't have a scale at home, so I planned to lift them myself.
I was pretty confident in this area.
"Hwa-ryun, come here!"
"No, put me down! How dare you touch a dragon's body like this! Get off!"
"Hmm, not much meat on you considering how much you eat. Lighter than expected."
"Put me down!"
She thrashed wildly, but I managed to finish the measurement safely.
Roughly a bit over 23kg.
Next up: Su-ryun.
"Su-ryun, come here... Where'd she go?"
"Su-ryun unnie ran to the bathroom!"
Smart kid.
But Su-ryun didn't know about the key.
I unlocked the bathroom door with the key and dragged out the hiding Su-ryun.
"You're way lighter than Hwa-ryun. Su-ryun, you need to eat more."
"...Annoying."
"Next, Cho-ryun!"
I picked up Cho-ryun and checked her weight.
"Su-ryun's the skinniest. I thought Cho-ryun would be since she only eats veggies. Feels like an elephant?"
"Elephant? Dad, that's too much!"
Calling a little girl an elephant was a bit harsh.
I apologized lightly and set Cho-ryun down.
After that, I did simple checks like teeth and eyesight.
Now it was time for the main event.
"Kids."
"Yeah, Dad?"
"I think we've known each other long enough. You all feel that way too, right?"
The girls exchanged glances and nodded faintly.
"But we haven't really had any proper talks just between us."
So.
"How about some one-on-one time? What do you think?"
They answered immediately.
"No way! Why should I!"
"Too annoying. Do we have to?"
"I like it!"
"...My mistake for asking. We're doing it anyway. Quiet."
Same old stubborn bunch.
Refusal noted.
And so, I began the interviews with the dragons.
***
First interviewee.
Red Dragon.
Yi Hwa-ryun.
She came up to the rooftop and faced me alone.
I handed Hwa-ryun a small plastic chair.
"Here, sit."
"No."
Hwa-ryun said no and sat down.
Her words and actions couldn't be more opposite.
I locked eyes with the bundle of pride and asked.
"Hwa-ryun, how's living here?"
"The food's tasty!"
"...That's it?"
"Yeah!"
Not great, not bad.
But she's eating well.
That's the interpretation.
I decided to move to the next question.
"This might be a tough one—"
"Nothing's tough for me!"
"Got it. Not tough for you, then. What can you do?"
Hwa-ryun shouted proudly.
"Everything!"
Confidence: solid.
But not the answer I wanted.
I asked more specifically.
"That fire-breathing you show every day. The dragon speech from last time? Anything else? Like flying in the sky. Reading people's minds. Stuff like that."
"Hmm, I could probably do what you just said if I tried! But what I can do right now is something else!"
Whoosh—!
Hwa-ryun jumped up and looked at the sky.
Then, she opened her mouth toward it.
'Something feels off.'
I stood up to stop her.
"Hey, Hwa-ryun, whatever you're doing, stop!"
Hwa-ryun answered with something in her mouth.
"Eeeh? Once I start, I can't stop?"
"Swallow it back!"
"No way! I'm doing it!"
Hwa-ryun spewed a bright red fireball toward the sky.
Shwooo—
The fireball rose high into the sky.
Then, it wriggled and suddenly exploded in the air.
Boom—
Like fireworks.
It spewed massive flames, instantly lighting up the sky.
I smacked my forehead at the sight.
"What the hell. It's fireworks."
Everyone must've seen it.
We're screwed.
Oblivious to the mood, Hwa-ryun shrugged beside me.
"Hmph, how's that! That's a dragon for you! Fireworks like on TV! They said these are expensive! Dragons can do them for free! I know even cooler, flashier ones! Want to see?"
"...No. More importantly, Hwa-ryun."
"Yeah?"
"Go home."
I get the idea.
About Hwa-ryun's abilities.
Excluding practical stuff, she prefers flashy, powerful ones.
Abilities using eye-catching fire that draws attention and neutralizes foes.
Time to end the interview.
"Hwa-ryun, head home. Tell Su-ryun to come up."
"No way! Why should I! Hmph!"
Despite her words, Hwa-ryun went straight home.
And Su-ryun came up to the rooftop.
Must be habitual opposition syndrome.
"You called me, Dad?"
And so, the second one.
Blue Dragon.
Yi Su-ryun sat in the chair and met my eyes.
"Ahem, Su-ryun. How's living here?"
"Not bad."
"Anything you want in particular?"
"Hmm."
Does she have suggestions?
At the question, Su-ryun pondered briefly and said.
"Dad, I saw on TV. This world has something called the internet."
"There is internet."
"Yeah, I even saw it myself last time. You can get all sorts of info through that tiny smartphone. You saw those big human females too, Dad."
"...Do we have to bring that up?"
I'd rather keep that buried.
Anyway, Su-ryun continued.
"So, I want to access lots of info. Through the internet. I want a smartphone that can connect to it."
"A smartphone... That's kinda pricey..."
Too much for my budget.
Su-ryun piled on.
"For reference, I like the iPhone. Expensive, but good design. Not bad."
"That's a bit..."
"If not now, that's fine. But when you get home from work, lend me your smartphone. That'd satisfy me."
Anyway.
Hand over something internet-capable.
That's what Su-ryun wanted.
"I can manage that much. Got it."
"Then... thank you..."
Since we communicated well, Su-ryun gave a shy thanks.
Then, like with Hwa-ryun, I asked what she could do.
Su-ryun showed it through action.
"First off, that Red Dragon probably didn't explain properly, so I'll do it. Hwa-ryun unnie's abilities are all combat-related."
"Oh ho."
"And unlike other dragons, I handle mana well. I easily convert the mana in my heart to water and use abilities. Like this."
Su-ryun converted mana to water and soared high into the sky.
Then, rain started falling from the clear sky.
Drizzle—
"That's about it for me."
"Ooh."
Su-ryun didn't show it, but.
She seemed to crave praise deep down.
"Amazing."
"This is basic, Dad."
Seeing that.
I thought deeply to myself.
Haven't interviewed Cho-ryun yet.
But this...
'...Gotta start farming for sure.'
Smells like money.
Found an awesome sprinkler.
Or even better.
Her climate-control ability raised alarms.
'Hwa-ryun's is fine, but Su-ryun's must stay hidden.'
Especially from other countries.
Su-ryun's power could save or destroy a nation.