Not Sleeping Yet
“Kyuu?”
Did you make this in just one day?
“Hee hee. There are still a few spots that need touching up, but even a creature with as strong a life force as the kraken can't hold out in that jar forever, so I hurried a bit. It's been ages since I tackled a project this big.”
Rune glanced at Christina, who smiled as if she'd truly enjoyed the work, then back at the massive swimming pool she'd built.
And that's when he noticed something peculiar.
At the farthest end of the pool, there was a special portal installed.
Don't tell me... is that connected to the ocean?
He raised a front paw to point at the warp portal, and Christina gave a subtle nod.
“You noticed, huh? I figured if we're raising a kraken, it needs to be connected to the sea. That warp zone links to part of the deep ocean.”
Hoo.
Christina's abilities went beyond what he'd imagined.
Only possible because this lair is made of Gold Dragon scales... impressive.
Christina's lair, filled to the brim with mana every time the sun rose, always brimmed with magical power.
Enough to maintain a large-scale warp hole open at all times.
Rune quickly surveyed the excellent aquaculture facility Christina had created.
“Kyuuu. Kyu?”
Could I maybe have one of these too?
“Of course you can. Is it for those giant clam monsters?”
Rune looked up at Christina with innocent eyes and nodded.
He couldn't completely hide the glint of greed, but it passed for the gaze of an expectant child.
“Kyuu.”
Yeah. Could you?
To raise giant clam monsters that produced precious pearl mana stones like the ones in his old aquarium, he'd had to limit their numbers.
But with Christina's help, he could breed far more.
And it's not just them. The deep sea has plenty of alchemy ingredients too.
Ingredients that normally required hunting sea monsters to obtain—he could gather them freely.
Just thinking about it was delightful.
Christina chuckled and stroked the young hatchling's head.
“Of course. But in return, could I ask one favor?”
A favor?
Rune looked up at her quizzically, and she smiled softly, her eyes crinkling.
“Once the giant clams are breeding well, I'd love to experiment with using them for food. Would that be alright?”
Oh. Right, I asked her before not to use my clams as cooking ingredients.
The number in his aquarium hadn't been enough for culinary use.
But if Christina built him a breeding pool, their population would grow enough for that.
“Kyuu.”
Yeah, go ahead.
“Thank you, Rune.”
Christina expressed her gratitude with a pleased face.
At her command, the Dullahan tilted the jar and released the kraken into its new dedicated pool.
Splash!
Whoosh!
Thanks to the power of the Happy Fragrance Box Stained with Darkness, the kraken now felt unwavering loyalty to Rune.
Rune had ordered it to obey Christina's instructions faithfully.
Christina watched in fascination, then smiled pityingly at Rune's drooping, sleepy eyes.
“Then I'll wait for you to wake up. Go on and get some rest now.”
“Kyuuuk.”
Yeah. See you when I wake.
Rune waved a front paw, then let out a massive yawn, mouth stretching wide with a kyaaah.
No more tasks left. Perdikion might come by today, so maybe just a quick greeting on the Mokoji Stone.
Perdikion had visited every day until yesterday, sharing meals with him and even offering to sing a lullaby if sleep wouldn't come.
Of course, a lullaby infused with Word Magic was guaranteed to work.
The guy who hates singing... or rather, was too embarrassed to even mention it.
He'd thanked him for the thought but declined, and Perdikion had seemed oddly hurt.
Rune couldn't quite understand it.
Using a future Fire Clan Elder as a lullaby nanny? He's already busy with the upcoming adulthood rite and the changing atmosphere in the lair.
When he'd refused again, saying he'd just accept the intention, those eyes had narrowed sharply, glaring.
A quick message might ease the sulkiness.
***
Much later than his original bedtime.
Rune clutched a fluffy pillow and his subspace pouch in his front paws as he entered his Black Room.
“Kyuuuuh.”
Didn't expect Amelia and Perdikion to be so chatty.
Making a group chat to greet them separately had been a mistake—it was too lazy.
Both Amelia and Perdikion bombarded him with messages like it was a competition, making it hard to find a break.
The conversation only ended when they realized he was truly dozing off.
Finally time to try this.
He pulled out the Happy Fragrance Box Stained with Darkness.
Two main factors influenced a dragon's sleep period.
One was growing the body enough to fully absorb newly gained power.
The other was recovering fatigue.
The power I gained is quite burdensome for a ten-year hatchling's body.
His mental strength had been tempered by nearly a millennium of training in his past life.
So he'd pondered aids to help physical growth and power absorption.
Use this scent box to release fragrances that promote deep sleep, growth, and fatigue recovery.
Of course, the box couldn't produce scents infinitely.
And he didn't want people coming and going in his room while he slept.
After consulting Christina, they'd agreed: once a year, on the day he sent Jed a batch of materials, she'd personally replenish the box with flower-extracted oils and candies.
That should boost recovery without burden.
He couldn't help but grin at the thought of waking refreshed even after little sleep.
Dragging his drooping tail, he wobbled over and added the flowers and sweet honey jelly he'd brought.
A faint fragrance began to spread.
Blinking sleepily, he lay down on the blanket infused with the blessing of light that Christina had procured herself.
It cradled him softly from neck to tail tip, with the warmth of sunlight to boot.
Incredibly comfortable.
This is really nice...
Rune savored the sensation on his back in a daze.
A cozy blanket made from fur infused with light mana.
A gift from Christina, prepared for his hatchling sleep period.
It warmed him gently at night and enhanced deep sleep during the day—an artifact through and through.
“Kyuuu.”
Sleepy. At my limit.
He patted the blanket to fluff it to the perfect thickness.
As he flopped down, a pleasant energy enveloped him.
“Ah! Lord Rune! Time for bed?”
“Pya!”
Heungmi had snuck in with a pillow, Baekya in tow, and approached his side.
“Kyuuuuw.”
Not yet.
Rune made a bit of space with half-closed eyes.
Even his telepathy was thick with drowsiness.
“Hee hee.”
Heungmi's two tails swished gently.
Baekya fluttered quietly beside her, minimizing the sound.
“Lord Rune, I wish Heungmi could grow up quick too.”
Suddenly?
It was odd for the usually carefree girl.
“Kyuu.”
Why do you wanna grow up so fast?
Heungmi answered his casual question.
“Hmm. 'Cause everyone wants to grow, right? Amelia-unnie too. So maybe growing means good things happen.”
True, Perdikion, Amelia, and even Rune often talked about growth.
To Heungmi, who knew little of the world, it made sense.
I don't think so... Being bigger isn't always better.
“Then why does everyone wanna grow?”
A question without a right answer.
Rune pondered briefly before replying.
They want to grow because they're not satisfied with who they are now.
Heungmi blinked, lost in thought.
“Then... Heungmi loves how things are now. So I don't need to grow more?”
Innocent words, but the answer wasn't simple.
Rune shifted a little.
Pondering woke him slightly.
That might be fine. But even if you want to freeze this moment forever, time won't stop. Things around you change bit by bit.
“They change? Even you, Lord Rune?”
Heungmi peeked up.
To the little fox beastkin demon girl, Rune had always been there since birth.
Suddenly, she felt he might change and leave her behind.
Unaware of her feelings, Rune let half-formed thoughts flow.
Are you scared of changing?
“Hmm~ Not sure. But I hate if the moments with you, Rai, Uncle Jed, and Baekya by my side change as time passes...”
Her fox ears drooped limply.
Rune continued to the gloomy Heungmi.
Everyone feels the same. They'll all want to stay by your side, so don't worry.
“You too, Lord Rune?”
Of course.
Heungmi's eyes sparkled as she reached a tiny, cute hand through the blanket.
“Hee hee. Promise!”
“Kyuuu.”
Yeah.
Rune extended a paw to her pinky and thumb.
Heungmi pressed her pinky to his toe, then stamped the jelly pad firmly.
Satisfied after a moment, she grinned and lay back down.
“Heungmi wants us all to keep having fun together forever. We can, right?”
Who knows. floated in his mind.
Did he need to say it?
As an Imugi, achieving goals meant holding one desire for ages until it manifested.
Ascension had failed, and he'd lost his life.
Can't see even an inch ahead.
Yet he'd gained a new life.
How to tell the young Heungmi?
After thought, he spoke.
In stories I know, wishing on a shooting star makes it come true. Next time we see one, we'll wish together.
“Yay! Heungmi will too.”
Crunch.
A small head shifted.
Invisible, but Rune knew she gazed at the lair's ceiling too.
By day, it held soft sunlight; now, calm moonlight and twinkling stars.
Heungmi.
“Yes?”
One thing always needed to achieve what you want, I think.
“What’s that?”
Be honest with yourself. If you don't know what you truly want, your thoughts and heart pull apart. That's usually... the hardest part.