A Sweet Dragon Is Too Good for Kim Tae-hyun

"He's... he's so cute!" Lee Da-bi stared, completely enchanted by the baby Red Dragon.

The baby Red Dragon was indeed incredibly adorable. It possessed an innocent, pure cuteness that fully grown beasts like Yong-yong or Heuk-heuk could never hope to replicate, no matter how much they shrank their sizes!

— ...

— ...

The two dragons glared at the newborn with eyes full of jealousy.

Let's settle this with levels!

He can't even use magic yet...

But Tae-hyun remained cold and analytical.

"Don't let your guard down yet, Da-bi."

"Pardon?"

"Think about everything that influenced that egg before it hatched."

Da-bi closed her eyes and thought about it. Hmm...!

"He might open his mouth any second and start shouting 'All hail Phytos!' or 'All hail Sadiq!' Or worse, he might try to follow a Demon Duke..."

"Okay, that is actually terrifying."

"What on earth are you two talking about?!" Lee Se-yeon was utterly dumbfounded. How could they say such awful things to something so cute? "And why would a dragon follow a Demon Duke? He's a dragon!"

"Well, if you get a bad early education, anything is possible, right?"

"No, it's not!"

— Kyaho!

The baby Red Dragon let out a short squeak and squirmed, seemingly frightened by Se-yeon's shouting.

"Ah. Sorry. I should lower my voice."

"Should a dragon really be scared of something like that?"

"He's a baby! What is wrong with you!" Se-yeon scolded Tae-hyun. No matter if he was a dragon, he was still a tiny infant!

Yet, the baby Red Dragon clung tightly to Tae-hyun, refusing to let go.

"Hey, little Red Dragon. If you're going to worship Sadiq or Phytos, just tell me now. Let me mentally prepare myself."

— Kyahoo?

At Tae-hyun's words, the baby Red Dragon tilted his head. What is this father talking about?

"Hmm... is he not? He doesn't seem like a follower of Sadiq, Phytos, or a Demon Duke... But what if he turns into one when he grows up?"

"If you're just going to say useless things, give him to me! I'll raise him instead." Se-yeon reached out to snatch the baby dragon.

Instantly, the baby Red Dragon scrambled to hide behind Tae-hyun's back.

"...W-what did I even do? Is it because my Infamy is too high? Or because my dark magic stat is too high?"

"No... I don't think it's that. Calm down, Se-yeon." Tae-hyun was flustered; it was his first time seeing tears well up in Se-yeon's eyes. What was up with her? "He's just young, and besides, he's a Red Dragon. Red Dragons are naturally ill-tempered."

— Kyaho!

The baby Red Dragon smacked the back of Tae-hyun's head. Of course, it didn't do any damage.

"See? Ill-tempered."

— Master. I believe you simply provoked him...

Tae-hyun picked up the baby Red Dragon, cradled him in his arms, and gently rocked him. The baby dragon's anger melted away instantly, and he let out a bright, bubbly laugh.

"Hah. Easy."

"...!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Tae-hyun was shocked. He didn't care much about the Reputation, but the fact that he was gaining Contribution Points was a massive surprise.

Wait, I get Contribution Points for this?

Just cradling and rocking a baby dragon gave him Contribution Points. It felt so much like a free pass that it was almost shocking.

"Yong-yong. Heuk-heuk. Why don't I get Contribution Points when I treat you guys well?"

— ...

— ...

The two dragons, suddenly caught in the crossfire, fell silent.

— O Master... we are fully grown dragons...

— Master, look at our age...

The dragon race only awarded Contribution Points for nurturing young hatchlings. Once a dragon was fully grown, they had to fend for themselves. Whether they worshipped Sadiq or got scammed by Akisus, it was their own dragon life to live!

"Ah, I see. Then I'd better treat him extra well while he's still small."

— Kyarrr!

"First, we need to give him a name. Your name will be..."

"Is it Jeok-jeok-i?"

"No, based on his current pattern, wouldn't it be Ppal-ppal-i?"

Da-bi and Se-yeon whispered from the side. At their suggestions, the baby Red Dragon's expression turned dead serious.

— Kyaho!

"Looks like he hates those. Let's go with Bulbul-i then."

— Kyaho. Kyahoo.

"???"

"????"

Da-bi and Se-yeon were dumbfounded. Wait, he actually liked that? The naming sense was barely any different...!

Maybe he just likes it because Tae-hyun was the one who named him?

Wow. What a sweet dragon. He's way too good for Kim Tae-hyun.

Se-yeon felt a pang of pity. To think such a sweet pet had ended up with Tae-hyun. The poor thing was bound to suffer!

"Se-yeon. You try holding him too."

"Huh?" Se-yeon's eyes widened in surprise. "Is it okay?"

"...Are you planning to run away with him?"

"Of course not! Give him here. Let me hold him."

"Here you go."

— Kyahoo.

Bulbul-i went to her without any resistance. Se-yeon stroked the baby Red Dragon with an incredibly joyful expression.

— Kyaho. Kyaho.

Bulbul-i snuggled into Se-yeon's embrace with a look of sudden realization. Ah, is this person my mother?

"May I try touching him too?"

"Sure. Se-yeon, is it okay if she holds him for a bit?"

"Yes. Da-bi, please go ahead."

Se-yeon passed the baby dragon to Da-bi.

— Kyahoo...?

Bulbul-i looked thoroughly confused. Wait, is this person my mother too?

"Tae-hyun, Bulbul-i seems a bit confused. Is it really okay for me to hold him?"

"Hmm? There's nothing to be confused about. Aren't you just imagining things?"

"I really think he's confused..."

Da-bi stroked him anyway. Bulbul-i purred and shook his head.

"...Wait. Is it really okay for me to bring him along on my quests?"

If he follows the Avatar → He will only learn bad habits → He will become a crooked Red Dragon → Quest Failed!

"What if I leave him behind?"

He will feel abandoned by the Avatar → He will become crooked → Quest Failed!

"......"

— Kyaho?

"...Looks like I'll have to do my absolute best."

— Master. May I also try holding him once?

"You're not planning to attack him, are you?"

— O-Of course not!

"......"

Heuk-heuk cradled Bulbul-i in his front claws and whispered.

— I am a Black Dragon, far older and wiser than you. You would do well not to mess with me. Black Dragons are superior to Red Dragons. Black Dragons are superior to Red Dragons...

An attempt at brainwashing!

Bulbul-i stared at Heuk-heuk with a look of pure disdain. At the very least, he was absolutely certain this dragon was not his parent.

— Kyaho.

"How about we add some lyrics to this part?"

"...I can't use that song anymore."

"When did you even write that!?"

"Wouldn't it be better to write something about the Hungry Chaos? It'll make it easier to receive buffs."

"That would definitely be the best option."

— Kyahoo.

"Yes, yes. You're bored? Go play with your big brothers over there."

— Kyahoo!

Bulbul-i huffed in anger. A Gold Dragon and a Black Dragon were definitely not his brothers!

"Don't be so harsh on him. Here, come sit next to Towang-i."

Da-bi picked up Bulbul-i and set him down next to Towang-i. Bulbul-i looked bewildered at the rabbit, sensing an overwhelmingly powerful aura radiating from it. What kind of rabbit is this?

— Kyahoo?

— Karreung!

Towang-i growled in annoyance. Bulbul-i had clearly mistaken him for prey. How dare a wet-behind-the-ears Red Dragon look at him like that...!

— Kya, kyaho.

Bulbul-i shrank back, thoroughly intimidated. It seemed there were far too many strange creatures hanging around his father.

"Alright, it's finished."

"Composing a song really doesn't suit my aptitude. That was exhausting," Se-yeon said with a weary sigh. Normally, she would never have agreed to do something like this...

"Thanks. I'll make sure to repay the favor next time."

"Sure. ...Wait. How are you going to repay me?" Se-yeon, who had answered without thinking, suddenly snapped her head up.

"What do you mean, how? Well, I should repay you with whatever you need, shouldn't I?"

"I... I see."

Hearing the tone of Se-yeon's voice, Tae-hyun whispered suspiciously to Da-bi.

"Don't you think her being flustered is highly suspicious?"

"Isn't that just how Se-yeon usually is?"

"She might be laying a massive trap for me..."

"I don't think she's doing that..."

— Kyahoo.

As Tae-hyun stepped closer, Bulbul-i leaped into his arms. Tae-hyun caught him, cradled him, and asked:

"By the way, Yong-yong, Heuk-heuk. When does a dragon fully grow up?"

— Uh... Master. That varies greatly from dragon to dragon...

— If their level rises quickly, there is a high probability they will grow up faster.

"Hmm. Leveling up, as expected."

Tae-hyun stared at Bulbul-i, deep in thought. How do I level this guy up? He would have to find a way to share quest experience with him.

"Come to think of it, Se-yeon. What's your next quest?"

"Once this is over, I have to manage things on the Empire's side, and then find a certain Necromancer NPC... Wait. Why are you asking?"

"I just asked without thinking, but honestly, I didn't expect you to actually answer."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Se-yeon stared at Tae-hyun, utterly dumbfounded. Both the asker and the answerer were flustered!

"I only asked because the World Cup players' roster needs to be prepared soon..."

"Ah. That's true."

"I heard you two are the ones selecting them?"

At Da-bi's question, Se-yeon waved her hand dismissively.

"It's not exactly selecting them. Rather, they're just taking our opinions into consideration during the selection process..."

"No, we are the ones selecting them, Da-bi."

"......"

Se-yeon glared at Tae-hyun. Here she was, trying to phrase it nicely so as not to sound arrogant...

"I already told Da-bi, so what's the point of hiding it?"

"You... you told her?"

"Didn't you tell your team?"

"If you tell your teammates, wouldn't it just make things awkward for everyone?" Se-yeon asked, looking puzzled. Being in a position to select teammates was by no means a pleasant task. If someone got cut, you would have to face their resentment and disappointment directly. Se-yeon had tried to keep her mouth shut as much as possible around her own team members.

"Not really. I'm just going to tell them and cut them."

"......"

Tae-hyun could drop Cain without even blinking an eye. That was the difference between him and Se-yeon!

Seeing his cold pragmatism, Se-yeon felt a sudden wave of self-reflection.

Kim Tae-hyun has that much faith in his teammates...

"Um, Se-yeon. I think you're misunderstanding something. This isn't some display of profound trust..."

Da-bi, completely exasperated, stepped in to clarify. Se-yeon's expression made it clear she was wildly misinterpreting the situation.

"?"

The Bard NPC who was supposed to deliver their reward was approaching, but no matter how they looked at him, he didn't seem like an ordinary NPC.

"T-That NPC is...!"

"Who is he?"

Nam Seol-yeon blinked in sheer shock.

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have no idea."

"......"

"......"

"Se-yeon... your cousin is quite the prankster..."

"No, really. There isn't a single NPC in this Tower that I don't know," Nam Seol-yeon quickly explained. As a top ranker who had started her journey in this very location, she knew every single NPC here.

"He is one of the Tower Masters..."

"???"

"...'s grandfather."

"Ah."

Nam Seol-yeon finally understood. If he was the grandfather of a Tower Master, it made perfect sense why she had never seen him before!