Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Discipline is Difficult
Considering my position,
I was far more likely to be the one doing the disciplining than receiving it.
In this world, there were only two beings older than me.
Providence never showed itself,
and Creation, too, merely fulfilled its duties based on Providence, showing no interest in its creations.
The true overseer managing the creations was Rakiss, the chief god.
But Rakiss, gentle by nature from birth,
rarely scolded or interfered with me.
Above all, my old friend had always respected my judgments.
Moreover, with my nature as a dragon,
I held a far freer position than even Rakiss.
Gods maintain their assigned roles,
while dragons flow with the world's currents.
Even Providence didn't bother to control my choices.
The only one who ever intervened in my opinions was Rakiss,
but it was always persuasion between equals, not discipline.
So, between receiving and giving,
if asked which I was closer to, I'd have to choose the latter.
But the problem was, I had just as little experience in giving discipline.
Dragons are inherently free-spirited by nature.
There were many dragons under me,
but I only gave necessary orders, never demanding more or meddling further.
To begin with, I wasn't the type to meddle in others' lives.
Furthermore—
The next to be born after me was Bergatus, the Dragon of Order.
That child, grounded in order and principles unlike me,
valued established frameworks and rules above all,
and thus had taken the lead in establishing and refining the dragons' order.
Bergatus was extremely capable.
Matters that didn't get sorted under his watch were exceedingly rare.
In all those long years, the issues that reached me could be counted on one hand.
In the end, even on the giving side,
I had almost no experience.
'Who knew having competent subordinates would backfire like this...'
I pressed my throbbing forehead.
The time of the world.
The calamity of the world.
The origin of all dragons.
Despite all those grandiose titles,
I never imagined I'd be racking my brain over disciplining a single child.
But—
This time, I knew I couldn't just laugh it off.
I took a light breath.
Looking into the child's eyes, I spoke in a slightly subdued voice.
"Mertesia."
"......"
Her small shoulders flinched upward.
She pitifully hung her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands.
She looked so small and fragile—
that the words lingered at my lips.
The hesitation only grew.
"Haa..."
"......!"
Mertesia's shoulders flinched again.
Her tiny body, already trembling moments before, curled up even more.
Did even my short sigh feel like a rebuke to her?
"Wait a moment."
"......!"
Mertesia's head drooped further.
Leaving her like that, I rose from the rocking chair.
I figured I needed to reread what the parenting book said before continuing.
Cradling my aching head, I pored over the book.
It said not to scold emotionally,
to make sure the child understands why they're being disciplined,
and to clearly point out the wrong action.
And yet,
to listen to the child's side,
understand the reason for their action, and then set rules together with them...
'...This is hard.'
I understood why discipline was necessary.
The child who came looking for me covered in mud.
The child who waddled after me, unable to walk properly.
She got lost in the forest,
wandered searching for my traces,
and even slipped down a slope.
I couldn't even fathom how terrifying today must have been for Mertesia.
Just telling her "that was wrong" wouldn't suffice.
To ensure it never happened again,
I had to make her truly understand and accept it herself.
'Let's just try.'
I returned to the rocking chair.
After steadying my breath several times, I sat before Mertesia.
Her small back was still hunched.
She was holding her breath, wary.
I softly called her name.
"Mertesia."
"......"
Mertesia's gaze flicked toward me.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, pupils glistening with moisture.
I gently wiped her eyes and continued.
"Going into the forest alone today."
"......"
"Was extremely dangerous."
The child trembled faintly.
Did it sound like punishment?
I hadn't meant to chide,
but to her already frightened heart, even that might have seemed scary.
'I'm definitely clumsy in all sorts of ways...'
I took a breath,
and continued in an even softer voice.
"I understand you wanted to come find me."
"......"
"Now that you can walk... you wanted to come to me, right?"
"......!"
Her small eyes widened round.
Then, slowly, very cautiously, she nodded.
Relief at being understood?
Her pupils quivered, filling with tears again.
I gently caressed Mertesia's eyes.
"But the forest is dangerous. It's easy to get lost, and it's full of things that can hurt you."
"......"
"So... I want us to make a rule... um..."
Here, my words jammed again.
I'd explained why she was being disciplined,
and figured out her reason...
'What rule should we make...?'
The agonizing began anew.
What rule would prevent this from happening again?
Don't go out alone rashly?
Never go to dangerous places?
How to make sure the child followed without mistake.
Moreover—
Danger is unpredictable,
and not going out alone restricts her freedom.
"Ummm..."
"......?"
Mertesia blinked up at me.
Seeing me clutching my head must have looked so strange,
her gaze shifted from anxiety to worry in an instant.
At that moment—
A line from the parenting book came to mind.
'Act consistently in front of the child.'
If the guardian is inconsistent, the child gets confused, it said.
Actions,
values,
standards of right and wrong.
All derived from the guardian's words and demeanor.
So hesitating like this
was no different from blurring the standards I needed to convey.
'I don't know.'
I'm still ignorant of human common sense.
So I could only give consistent advice that I myself could accept.
I smiled faintly and opened my mouth.
"...Sorry. I was thinking it over."
"......"
"We said we'd make a rule, remember."
"......!"
Mertesia's small body flinched.
Her eyes looking at me grew more serious.
I straightened my posture.
I needed to be concise, easy for the child to understand.
Organizing my thoughts, I spoke carefully.
"First, from now on, always tell me where you're going before you move. Whenever you want to go somewhere or do something."
"......"
Mertesia nodded slowly.
This much she already followed usually—
"Next, when I'm going somewhere dangerous like today..."
"!"
"Don't follow. Wait for me."
"......"
Mertesia's lips quivered.
As if those words clashed within her heart.
But in the end, she pressed her lips tight and bowed her head deeply.
I didn't blame her hesitation.
Understanding can't be forced,
and acceptance always takes time.
Above all—
The parenting book said this.
Rules must be acceptable to both child and guardian.
So...
We needed a compromise she could accept.
What Mertesia couldn't accept was holding back her desire to come to me,
and I proposed the rule out of worry she'd get hurt, being so fragile.
After much thought, I slowly spoke.
"Let's get strong."
"......?"
"Strong enough to walk anywhere, no matter the danger, without a care."
Mertesia's eyes widened.
As if she understood my words, yet didn't.
I smiled leisurely and continued.
"I suggested this rule because I'm worried you'll get hurt."
"......"
"You want to come to my side, right?"
Mertesia's shoulders trembled slightly.
Her lips quivered, then she nodded cautiously.
"But not now. You can't navigate dangerous places yet."
"......"
"So let's get strong. So next time, I can naturally take you along."
"......!"
"...And if you get that strong, I won't mind if you chase after me then."
As soon as I finished,
Mertesia burst into tears.
She nodded repeatedly and burrowed quickly into my arms.
Her trembling hands clutched my clothes tightly,
her small forehead gently pressing against my chest.
I slowly wrapped my arms around her tiny back.
'Good...'
Was it the tension releasing?
My head throbbed, and memories swallowed me.
I steadied my dizzying vision.
And then,
before my eyes—
"Mm, so cute."
was the future child.
Adult Mertesia was
playfully stroking my tail, grabbing hold of it.
A mischievous smile,
eyes different from now.
Yet her touch on the tail was strangely persistent and subtle.
Soft,
slow,
never letting go.
Perhaps because of that.
A non-existent sensation tickled my skin.
The me in the memory shuddered my tail similarly.
"Stop. It tickles."
"Shh. You're just too cute."
Mertesia stuck out her tongue slightly and steadfastly caressed my tail.
My back tingled for no reason,
all nerves concentrating at the tip.
The me in the memory, feeling it all directly, frowned.
"What's cute about it."
"Well, it's all plump like this."
"...Plump."
"And it wiggles just a little every time I touch it. So cute."
At her playful words,
the me in the memory furrowed my brows and turned away.
"...Stop."
"No."
Unfazed by my firm tone,
Mertesia rubbed her face even more affectionately against the tail.
"Mm, soft and smooth, cool yet warm... Ah, this part's especially squishy."
"I've told you a bunch of times that's because the nerves are concentrated there... Ngh...!"
The me in the memory bit my lip, unable to continue.
Because Mertesia stuck out her tongue and licked the sensitive spot persistently.
A moist, hot sensation.
My body in the memory trembled involuntarily.
'...Too vivid.'
Because it was a sensitive area?
The texture felt real,
even giving the illusion my skin was reacting for real.
Then—
The voice of Mertesia in the memory rang out.
"...Cute."
"What's... Ah..."
"Row. Cute enough to eat right up♡"
"...What? Ngh!"
Something hot and soft lightly nibbled the tail tip.
This is dangerous.
The moment I thought that, my vision returned to normal.
"......?"
"Ah..."
Before me was the small, fragile Mertesia I knew,
looking up at me worriedly.
'...I shouldn't judge based on future memories.'
It's just preparation for any possibility.
Thinking that, I looked at the young Mertesia and spoke.
"Um..."
"......?"
"Can we add one more rule?"
Mertesia nodded.
Hesitating, I slowly voiced the rule that came to mind.
"...If you ever want to eat my tail, ask me to cut it off for you."
"?!"
"No matter how fast it regenerates, getting it chewed up and swallowed is kinda..."
Mertesia instantly made a tearful face.
Her eyes moistened in a flash,
and she shook her head vigorously as if to say no way, hugging me tightly.
Comforting her, I once again realized how hard it was to set rules.