The Dragon Dream Was a Pleasant Omen
Rune and Perdikion returned to Belianus’s mansion.
Rune explained to the others what had happened the previous night.
Jed muttered in deep regret.
“Can’t be helped. The ‘Orb of Water’ gains extra power at night. Since I’m not Amelia, I have to go when the tool effects are strongest.”
The noisy room felt foreign to Rand. He had moved rooms long ago.
Blackmi clasped her hands in surprise at the children’s story from Belianus’s family.
“Whoa… that must have hurt so much. Then what happened to Bella and Aquir?”
“They’re recovering well now. In a day or two they’ll be able to move around enough. Elves are more vulnerable to corruption than dragons, but luckily they recover quickly.”
“Hah… it’s a relief.”
Blackmi sighed dramatically and patted her chest.
“Nothing else happened here, right?”
“Yes! Mr. Jed told all kinds of funny stories and old hero tales. The story of the pretty rose princess was the best! I’ll tell you later, Rune-nim!”
Rune could see Blackmi’s way of expressing feelings growing clearer by the day.
Her vocabulary, hand movements, and gestures were increasing rapidly.
Rune noticed that the reason she talked so much now was because Jed was always willing to listen, and he looked at the dwarf with new eyes.
“You’re surprisingly good at childcare, aren’t you, Jed?”
“Hmmph! I’m very versatile, after all. A jack-of-all-trades, aren’t I!”
“Impressive. Just keep it up like that.”
Rune smiled faintly and gave his approval.
He especially noticed how carefully Jed spoke to Blackmi.
A few odd words slipped out, but he was trying to choose his words with care for her.
“Does Blackmi have any chores to do?”
“Hmm.”
Rune opened his mouth, lost in thought.
“First, they asked me to keep the elves’ corruption by demons a secret. Since they were once close to demons, it might affect their lives from now on. Just make sure it doesn’t leak out.”
“Understood!”
Blackmi covered her mouth with her small hand and sparkled.
“This is something that must be done, and actually the second and third are more important.”
“Eh? What are they?”
Her fox ears perked up curiously.
“You and Dullahan will have work together. Your brother will explain it in detail.”
At those words, Perdikion’s neck stiffened and he looked away.
‘…I get the feeling, but it would be more efficient if you handle it.’
After sensing the magic at the reservoir, Rune had already made a proposal to Perdikion.
‘Do that?’ he had protested, but in the end Perdikion had agreed.
Rune gazed at the difficult decision his sworn brother had made with a faint, yearning look in his eyes.
“Okay! It sounds like it will be fun. And the third?”
“That one I’ll tell you after the second goes well. I have to sync up with Perdikion.”
“Waaah! With Perdikion-nim? I’m so excited!”
Blackmi giggled and then noticed Baekya sprawled on the bed in the sunlight.
“Baekya!”
“Pii?”
Ploof.
Blackmi jumped down beside Baekya and wagged her tail.
“You’re still sleeping? It’s already morning!”
“Pyak!”
“Hurry up. We have to eat soon too!”
Baekya blinked and stood on its thin legs on the blanket.
Rune felt a twinge of worry seeing the strangely tired appearance.
“Are you okay?”
“Piruru.”
Baekya looked at Rune, then turned its head toward the window.
Beyond the bird’s gaze stood the giant World Tree.
“Piii…”
It was a weak cry.
Rune’s mind flashed with a sudden thought.
‘Could it be resonating with something like the Wave Dungeon?’
Because it was called the Sacred Tree.
Perhaps Baekya and the World Tree were communicating with each other.
‘If only I could truly communicate with trees.’
At that moment a knock sounded at the door.
It was the mansion’s servant.
“Everyone is here? Breakfast is almost ready.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Understood. However, Lord Rand from the next room… seems unable to get down right now. What should we do about it?”
“What kind of state?”
Dragons didn’t need to eat every meal, but today’s breakfast wasn’t just a meal. It was a discussion about what to say to the Elf King.
Rune and Perdikion had revealed themselves as dragons.
Even though Rand had lost dragon status, he still had to attend for their protection.
“That’s because he was drinking some wine.”
“…I understand. I’ll come down later.”
‘How much did he drink anyway?’
Even if the situation was unknown, if he was drunk enough to lose consciousness, there was a problem.
“Brother, I’ll go see Dullahan and Rand for a moment. Take Blackmi and Baekya downstairs first.”
“Got it.”
Perdikion answered, and Blackmi slid off the bed lightly.
Dullahan rose from his seat, holding Parallium.
“Pii.”
The white bird blinked once, then flew and landed on Blackmi’s head.
Blackmi stroked Baekya’s feathers with concern in her eyes.
“Mr. Rand’s stomach must be empty. Rune-nim, please make sure he eats with you. I’m worried too.”
“Okay.”
“If it can’t be helped, leave him, Rune. And don’t drink any alcohol…”
“I won’t.”
Blackmi and Perdikion left satisfied with Rune’s answer and headed to the reception room first.
Rune stood in front of the next room door and gave it a light knock.
There was movement inside, but no answer came.
As expected.
He opened the door and entered.
The sight made Rune shake his head twice.
‘No drunkard here.’
The room was thick with fruit wine scent.
One glass sat there, but from some point it had been drunk straight from the bottle. More than ten wine bottles lay scattered on the floor and table.
Red wine stains clung to the floor that should have been clean.
Rand lay sprawled on the bed as if dead, arm hanging off the side.
Clank, clank.
Even with Dullahan’s armor clanking as he entered, Rand didn’t even twitch.
—Oh dear. This isn’t ordinary. What kind of liquor did you drink like a dragon, dragon? Oops, you were a dragon originally.
“The line ‘drank like a dragon’ means even after drinking that much you were still fine. This is more like the liquor ate the elves.”
Rune stepped over the broken bottles to stand before the fallen Rand.
“Rand. Wake up.”
Rand swayed and only breathed out a strong alcohol breath without moving.
‘I drink well myself, but this isn’t the way.’
Frowning at the foul smell, Rune grabbed his shoulder again and shook him hard.
“Wake up, Rand.”
At that moment Rand stirred and let out a watery, slurred voice.
“…take me with you…”
“!?”
Rand’s elf arm reached out and pulled Rune toward him.
Since there was no killing intent, Rune had been unprepared and ended up in his arms, cursing inwardly.
‘What the hell is this guy doing?’
Rune clenched his fist, thinking a punch to the face would be pointless.
If he hadn’t heard the next words, the powerful uppercut forged through training with Christina would have landed on Rand’s chin.
“I… me…”
“?”
The voice was heavy with exhaustion and longing.
The man with a bruised heart muttered in regret and self-pity.
Because of his past task, Rune could not ignore the voice.
‘If I’ve known someone intimately enough to hug this much… this guy’s tent held only dragon-type items. Even a female body’s name.’
When he flew on the griffin, there were no other residences in the desert.
If he had been close enough to be seen regularly, he should have had at least one cup and proper food.
‘The food in the tent was mostly things for beasts. Since he was a tamer, it was probably food for his familiars.’
There was no clear evidence to confirm those were Rand’s familiars’ names.
First, Rune removed the golden bracelet from his wrist.
Receiving a hug from the same male elf gave him goosebumps.
‘My disciples would have punched him in the face without hesitation.’
Returning to his original form, the dragon shrank slightly in human shape, creating a gap.
Rune quickly pulled away, rubbed his scaled arm, and shoved Rand back onto the bed.
“Kyuueeh…”
‘His sleep habit is really bad.’
The instinctive chill remained, but Rune shook his body like a dog, trying to shake off the scales.
‘What kind of person makes me unconsciously touch him…’
Suddenly a name came to mind that could not be ignored.
‘Jena… no, it must be Jenuar Mille. Was it the scent of the past triggered when he entered the elf village?’
The name of the Elf Princess. Jenuar Mille.
The woman Rand had once married and taken as his wife.
From Rand’s obviously narrow relationships, she was the only one he could have formed such closeness with.
Seeing the dozens of wine bottles rolling across the room, Rune shook his head inwardly.
“Kyuuphu…”
‘Idiot. Live up to your age.’
Rune sighed and gathered the bottles, pushing them aside.
The pitiful, fragile voice that had sounded like he might get a concussion had been too much to ignore.
In the end Dullahan helped sort the bottles with him.
The armor clank and presence made Rand’s eyebrows twitch, and he slowly opened his eyes.
He watched a tiny black hatchling open all the windows to ventilate and pick up the bottles, and thought.
‘…a dream?’
Looking at the bottles with a pitiful gaze, then pushing them into the corner like a mischievous sprite.
At the same time he groaned in pain from the headache piercing his head.
“Ouch!”
Rune, sensing Rand’s presence, immediately put on the golden bracelet for transformation.
“Are you feeling better now, Rand?”
When he opened his eyes, a boy with black hair and red eyes appeared.
Rand clutched his throbbing head and muttered in a voice rough as sand.
“What… I thought I was dreaming of a dragon coming.”
“Really? It seems the dragon dream is a good omen here too?”
“Here too…?”
Rune shook his head, saying it was nothing.
“A big dragon like that, drinking and passing out.”
“…You wouldn’t know.”
On the outside he looked like an adult, but inside he was still a reckless dragon hatchling.
Well, just because you age doesn’t mean you live your age.
“Here, drink this. It’s honey water.”
Rune took a recovery potion from his spatial pouch, poured it into a cup, added broken honeycomb, and warmed the cup with fire power.