The Warmth of Milk and Warm Thanks
“Yeah. I’ll make sure to wake up right on time.”
“Of course. It wouldn’t make sense for me to become a dragon without my little brother there, would it? Not that I’m telling you to wake up early on purpose. Don’t stress about it—just get some good rest and come back, Rune.”
It sounds contradictory, but… whatever. I get the sentiment.
Just then, Heungmi had wandered off with Baekya to pick out some bread, saying she wanted to show it to Dullahan too.
At that moment, Perdikion cleared his throat with a deliberate ahem, as if he had something more to say.
“And… in that illusion.”
“?”
Rune looked at him curiously, and the red-haired boy, who seemed conflicted, groaned and furrowed his brow.
“Lune Eclipse, was it?”
He remembered.
Rune had thought he’d forgotten and let it slide.
Rune nodded.
Ahem. “Right. The fact that you kept your oath, even staking your True Name on it. A truly noble act, befitting one who bears the Seal of Fire.”
“Thanks.”
“Perdikion Frey.”
Huh?
Rune blinked and stared.
“Your True Name, big bro?”
“Yeah. We had a deal, didn’t we?”
I did say I’d share mine if he told me his… but I didn’t expect it like this.
Before, even if Perdikion meant well, Rune had worried it might leak to his father, Pasiyas.
But Perdikion had now resolved to live free of his father’s influence, forging a completely different path.
Recalling that, Rune felt it was okay for him to know now.
Rune chuckled and asked,
“Nice name. What does it mean?”
“Mother said it means ‘origin and prosperity,’ while Father said ‘prosperity through battle.’”
Heungmi was holding up a loaf with a hand heart, and Perdikion continued as he took a bite.
“They each have their own ideas, I suppose. But it doesn’t matter which.”
He spoke in a pleased tone, swallowing the bread.
“I’ll rule my lair my own way. Just like you said—somewhere peaceful where anyone can speak their mind, and hard work yields fair rewards.”
Perdikion’s expression as he said this looked remarkably mature.
Well, he is growing fast.
Rune felt a warm satisfaction, looking forward to his Adult form.
“I’ll be cheering for you.”
After the meal, Heungmi and Baekya, stuffed and content, headed off to sleep.
Perdikion returned to his own lair, and Christina stepped away to clear the dishes.
Left alone in the drawing room, Rune removed the transformation artifact from his wrist and reverted to his true form.
“Kyuu huu.”
Is it because sleep time is approaching? Even the transformation artifact feels cumbersome now.
He stretched lazily, swishing his tail.
He had a light tea time planned with Christina soon, and he didn’t want to look too tired.
It was for reporting on how the Water Clan matter had concluded—and discussing what came next.
“Rune.”
“Kyuu.”
[Come on in, Christina.]
Christina entered carrying a tray herself, dressed in light indoor clothes with a comfortable nightgown draped over.
Hot milk and black tea steamed gently.
“We can talk after you rest a bit. You look tired.”
“Kyuu kyuu.”
[I’m fine.]
It won’t take long anyway. Better to wrap it up quick.
If he dozed off now, they might not talk again for quite a while.
“Kyuuu…”
Slurp.
It felt like ages since he’d had warm milk.
“Kyuuu.”
So warm and nice.
Holding the cozy milk mug in his front paws, he watched Christina add a bit more syrup to her tea.
“So, how was the commission?”
[Not easy. But it was a good experience.]
Christina nodded, brushing her golden hair behind her ear.
[At first, Perdikion and Amelia didn’t get off to a great start. Once we sorted that and entered the dungeon, this Deep Night Fairy born from the Dark Clan’s power showed up.]
Rune glossed over personal embezzlement or things too incredible for a young hatchling like him.
He covered the initial friction between Perdikion and Amelia, the Deep Night Fairy, and by the time he reached Perdikion’s past seen in the darkness, Christina raised her first question.
[Perdikion thought the dwarves had desecrated his mother Kuzna’s grave. He hated them for a while because of it.]
“That’s true. But it turned out to be a misunderstanding later. Someone had secretly left one of Kuzna’s items in the dwarves’ forge. They were just trying to take it away quietly, knowing the truth would only enrage Pasiyas.”
Christina cast a bittersweet glance, noting the many sacrifices the dwarves had made to clear the misunderstanding.
[Did they catch the real culprit?]
Her slow headshake carried deep regret.
“If you don’t mind, let’s save that story for later. When you’re a bit more grown, there’ll be time.”
[Got it.]
For now, resolving the primary doubt was enough.
The milk had cooled a little. Rune warmed it back to a perfect temperature with his paw.
[Oh, and I figured something out about my mana key.]
Rune laid out his thoughts for Christina.
[The fairy said he sent me an invitation. Didn’t make sense at first, but now it clicks.]
He conjured a mana key in his paw to demonstrate.
Wonder flickered in Christina’s eyes.
[The fairy’s power was creating paths in darkness-filled dungeons. Anywhere the Dark Clan’s power reached, even moving monsters.]
The Water Lair, shrouded in darkness.
The kraken that should’ve been in the field must have been swallowed into the dungeon via the fairy’s dark path.
No wonder the field only had that mad flounder and saury besides one Leviathan— all the real monsters were crammed in the dungeon.
He recalled the passage where he and Dullahan had hunted alone for three hours, flooded with monsters the fairy had collected.
Of course, he skipped that part.
Even if he’d grown stronger, no need to get grilled on how just two of them took down all those beasts.
“So it’s a key that opens hidden paths.”
[Yeah. And it claims ownership of the path found. The one linked to the Water Clan lair happened because I made the key with dark mana.]
Places like the Deep Night Fairy’s path or the Desert Black Market—impossible to reach normally.
The key sought out such paths and forced open the door.
It was unpredictable what it might connect to, but used well, it could uncover routes no one else could.
Jed’s ancestor’s black market path passed ownership down generations, so it stayed stable… Mine should link stably to Amelia’s lair too.
He wondered what a fire-mana or water-mana key might yield.
If not for sleep period, he’d test it.
“Kyuu haam.”
Smack.
He was still just a young hatchling, unable to resist sudden drowsiness or yawns.
“Oh dear. You must be very sleepy.”
[No, I’m good. This much is nothing.]
Christina chuckled softly at his reflexive reply.
Ahem. Rune cleared his throat and continued with the rest, straight facts.
When he reached Baekya acting unlike itself and bowing gracefully, even the quietly listening Christina looked puzzled.
“Baekya acted strangely, even briefly?”
[Yeah… Its head feathers turned blue, and the vibe was different. It even did this elegant bow it never does.]
She pondered briefly, tilting her head slowly, then offered her view.
“My guess? It was the lingering echo of the invited Water Spirit King that dwelled in the dungeon. That weird sound from the whole dungeon earlier probably ties in too.”
An intriguing perspective.
Rune listened intently.
“Phoenixes are fire-attuned by nature, but Baekya was born from part of your power, so it has darkness too. The Black Dragon clan’s darkness brushes close to death. That echo, already gone from this world, could briefly borrow Baekya’s body because of it.”
Possession… no, more like a descent.
Hard to confirm from one instance, but it sounded plausible to Rune.
Baekya had taken all the power he’d personally cultivated at birth.
Now I can harvest feathers and tears forever, which is great, but back then, losing a month’s worth stung.
As Rune reminisced, Christina praised him warmly.
“Probably wanted to borrow Baekya to give thanks.”
“Kyuu.”
Rune nodded readily.
His hunch had been right.
Felt like scoring a great artifact, but yeah—gratitude in return.
Part of him wished for more; greed knew no end.
Artifacts like the custom-attuned Orb of Water weren’t easy to come by.
The tale neared its end.
[Final boss was the kraken. Caught it with the capture jar trap I commissioned from Jed. That’s a gift for you, Christina.]
Wanted to prove I could snag a Giant Kraken.
For a young hatchling’s feat, it was impressive.
It showed his strength—and repaid her daily kindnesses.
Christina smiled gently with her eyes.
“Clearing a dungeon and still thinking of me. I felt it when you brought dwarf jewelry from the Red Dragon lair too—such a thoughtful heart.”
The warmth in her kind smile showed genuine appreciation for his gift.
[I know you’ve looked out for me a lot. I’m truly grateful.]
If his first dragon hadn’t been Christina, he wouldn’t have grown like this.
After thanks, Rune shared the expedition’s results.
[In the end, Amelia purified the dungeon, and I properly completed the Seal of Darkness.]
“You worked hard.”
His personal gains, achievements, even his vassals’ growth from the hunt—the rewards were substantial.
Above all, earning favors from the Blue Dragons was a card he could play later.
With an elderberry-tinged breath, Christina’s dignified voice followed.
“She’ll need time to recover, but with Amelia’s strength, it’ll be fine. The water’s energy was unstable before, but now a new, steady flow can take hold.”
