Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Picked Up a Cockatrice Egg (2)
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Today, I picked up eggs from the cockatrice's nest.
Two cockatrice eggs cradled in my arms.
Han Ji-su stared at me, having completed the mission without a single scratch, her expression one of utter disbelief.
"…Why would a cockatrice abandon its nest and run away? That doesn't make any sense."
"It probably didn't want to fight me."
"As if. Cockatrices are monsters that defend their territory. They wouldn't flee just because some other creature invaded their domain. They'd fight to the death."
Perhaps because her common sense had been shattered, Han Ji-su looked like she'd lost her cool, visibly confused.
In response, I proudly displayed the cockatrice eggs in my arms.
"Anyway, mission accomplished. Can I take these?"
"…Yeah, go ahead. If you want, the Association can help sell them. We'll take a commission, of course."
"Then I'll sell just this one."
I handed one egg to Han Ji-su.
She took it from me and glanced at the remaining egg.
"You're not selling that one?"
"Nope. It's my first trophy from my first mission on my first day."
"So you're keeping your first trophy."
"No, I plan to cook and eat it."
"…"
What the hell is this guy?
Han Ji-su was giving me that exact look.
It made me feel like some kind of freak, which wasn't great.
'What's the problem with feeding my daughter something delicious?'
I needed to get home quick and whip up something tasty.
Clutching the egg tightly, I cheerfully prepared to clock out.
***
Lately, it seems like I always come home carrying something.
I set the egg down on the floor for a moment and turned the doorknob.
Creak—
"Daddy's home."
The dragons were lying on the floor watching TV.
They turned their heads at the sound of the door opening and spotted the egg in my hand.
From their expressions, curiosity sparked.
"What's that!"
"…An egg?"
"Wow, it's a huge egg…?"
Thud thud thud—
They rushed over at the sight of the cockatrice egg and inspected it closely.
In the midst of it, Hwa-ryun raised her fist high and asked me.
"It's an egg! An egg! Daddy, can I just punch it once!?"
"No. This is valuable. Put that fist down."
"Hmph, how valuable can it be."
Hwa-ryun glared fiercely at the egg with a dissatisfied look.
"I'm more valuable than you! Don't act all precious, you egg!!"
I was dumbfounded watching Hwa-ryun yell at an egg that hadn't even hatched.
Just how much did she hate losing?
It was just a cockatrice egg, for crying out loud.
"…Everyone, just watch quietly. Daddy's going to wash up."
I left the egg in the living room and headed to the bathroom.
Inside was water that Su-ryun had prepared for me.
I used it to wash every inch of my body thoroughly.
Finally, I felt refreshed.
"Whoa, that feels nice."
The kids were…
Still staring at the egg.
I approached them, gathered around it.
Then, Su-ryun grabbed my wrist tightly.
"Daddy."
"Yeah, what's up, Su-ryun."
"Where'd you get this?"
"To explain that… I guess I should tell you what happened to Daddy today."
I explained everything to Su-ryun.
How I signed a contract with the Hero Association, entered the dimensional gate, encountered the cockatrice, how it got scared and fled, and how I ended up with the eggs.
After hearing the whole story, Su-ryun softly opened her mouth.
"That cockatrice mistook Daddy for a dragon."
The mana from my heart could resemble dragon mana.
And apparently, the unmistakable scent of dragons lingered around me, impossible to wash away easily.
That's why Su-ryun said the cockatrice could have mistaken me for a dragon.
"Fearing dragons is instinct. It must have been terrified. Fleeing and abandoning its nest is completely natural."
"Hmm, I see."
Problem solved!
Now I knew why the cockatrice ran.
It was because dragon aura emanated from me.
'…But then other monsters will run from me too.'
How do I explain that to others?
That part started to worry me a bit.
Anyway.
After Su-ryun heard the full explanation of today's events, just as I was thinking of starting on dinner…
"Father."
"What is it, Cho-ryun?"
"I oppose it."
Cho-ryun, who always supported me.
Suddenly spoke out against me.
It felt terrifying to me.
Unlike usual, her lips weren't curved up—they were downturned.
'Wh-why is Cho-ryun acting like this all of a sudden?'
Just as a drop of cold sweat started to form…
Cho-ryun said to me with a very serious face.
"Father, I like having three of us. It wouldn't be good if we increased."
"Wh-what are you talking about, Cho-ryun?"
Cho-ryun extended her slender finger and pointed precisely at the egg.
"That egg is a harmful egg. It'd be best to smash it as soon as possible."
Grrr—
As if checking the cockatrice egg.
Cho-ryun glared at it, clearly displeased.
Hwa-ryun loudly agreed with Cho-ryun's opinion.
"Yeah! We gotta smash that egg! Daddy! Smash it right now!"
"…"
Why did these kids hate the egg so much?
I couldn't understand their reactions.
Still…
"…Even if you didn't say anything, I was planning to smash it anyway. This is our dinner tonight."
I was going to cook it myself.
Why did they keep insisting on just smashing it?
Cho-ryun went blank for a moment after hearing me, then suddenly lifted her downturned lips back up.
"…Father, that egg is our dinner tonight?"
"Yeah, I was going to cook it for you…?"
"Hmm, I see! Then it's fine! No problem!"
Smile—
Cho-ryun smiled brightly as usual.
The face she'd shown just moments ago was gone without a trace.
"…"
What was that Cho-ryun I just saw?
It felt like I'd glimpsed a side of Cho-ryun I wasn't supposed to see.
"Is something wrong, Father?"
"Oh, no. Nothing at all."
"Then let's eat! I'm hungry! Hehe!"
Cho-ryun grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen.
It looked like she wanted to deal with that egg right away.
Off to some unseen place.
'Is she checking the other egg…? Or is it jealousy…?'
I had no idea.
I couldn't pinpoint the exact reason.
***
For now, time to cook.
I hadn't really cooked properly before.
But after trying store-bought side dishes last time, I wanted to cook something myself for the kids.
With that in mind.
I grabbed a frying pan and put sliced pork backfat on it.
The fat would act as oil to keep the egg from burning.
First, I needed to render the fat.
"Hwa-ryun."
"Why'd you call!"
"Come here and breathe some fire for me."
"Hmph, such a hassle."
Hwa-ryun stopped watching TV and sat on the kitchen floor.
She looked up at the frying pan from below and breathed fire.
"Raaargh—!!"
"Good job! Keep it up just like that!"
"Raaargh—!"
As always, her firepower was impressive.
I inwardly admired it as I rendered the fat.
Once I had enough, the next step was to crack the giant egg into the pan.
"Hwa-ryun, take a break for a sec."
I cradled the egg.
Then, I smashed the giant egg against the edge of the table.
Crack—!
Not enough.
Crack—!
"There we go."
The cockatrice egg split open on both sides.
I poured its contents into a large prepared bowl.
Splash splash—
I burst the yolk and mixed the white and yolk with chopsticks.
"This should be right, yeah?"
I opened my smartphone midway to check a video.
Up to here, aside from the tools, nothing was wrong.
I started thinking I might have a talent for cooking.
"Hwa-ryun. Daddy might have cooking talent."
"Hmph, I could do that too!"
Honestly, yeah.
I hadn't even started the rolled omelet yet.
I slowly poured the mixed egg onto the frying pan.
Now for the real deal.
"Hwa-ryun, fire!"
"Raaargh—!"
Wait for the egg on the pan to turn golden.
Once it looked about right…
"Now."
Slowly roll up the egg.
Fill the new empty space with more egg.
Repeat, and a beautiful rolled omelet like in the video should form.
"One layer!"
"Raaargh—!"
"Two layers!"
"Raargh—!"
"Three layers!"
"Ragh—!"
"Four layers."
"R—!"
"Five layers."
"…"
And so on.
Until Hwa-ryun's firepower ran out.
Until she breathed heavily from exhaustion.
I finally set the frying pan on the table.
And showed the kids the giant cockatrice rolled omelet.
"It's done, kids! Cockatrice rolled omelet!"
Su-ryun approached at the word "done."
She alternated between my smartphone screen and the omelet, evaluating it.
It felt like facing a Michelin inspector.
"Daddy, this is all torn up. It doesn't match the video at all."
"…"
"It's not a rolled omelet. It's a torn egg scramble."
"…"
She was right.
Every time I tried to roll, the egg tore.
In the end, it just looked like a regular egg scramble.
Thud—
I slumped powerlessly into the dining chair.
"…Cooking's hard."
"Hmm, really? Looks easy to me."
But still.
Su-ryun forked a piece of the failed rolled omelet into her mouth.
"It's fine for me. The shape's weird, but the inside's the same."
"Su-ryun…!"
"…Don't say my name like that, all emotional. It's creepy."
Su-ryun grimaced and took another bite.
Cho-ryun also climbed onto a chair and started eating.
"Mmm, it's good? It's not veggies, but… this is delicious!"
Nom nom—
Cho-ryun happily munched on the rolled omelet.
Even if not veggies, eggs were fair game.
And Hwa-ryun, who'd worked the hardest today, clambered onto her chair.
"Move aside…! This is mine…!"
Gulp—
Hwa-ryun chomped and swallowed the rolled omelet roughly, then judged the taste.
"Ugh, almost died! The outside's totally weird! But it's edible!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, but it looks so ugly! Is this what the food's supposed to look like?"
Not quite.
Still, Hwa-ryun and the kids devoured the cockatrice rolled omelet with rice.
Every last one of them, enjoying it.
Watching them, I thought to myself.
'I should cook for them myself next time too.'
The cooking failed.
But seeing them enjoy my handmade dish.
Today felt more like a success than a failure.
Maybe success or failure didn't even matter.