Lesson One
The Imugi who had accidentally become the friend of a baby Red Dragon clan hatchling lowered the white bird perched on his head with both hands and spoke.
“Before that, I have a question to ask.”
The bird in his hands blinked with puzzled eyes.
“Perdikion threatened this fellow with mana-filled fire. You know, right?”
It was an investigation into the chick of the fellow he was supposed to get along with.
“Perdikion?”
Christina tilted her head slightly.
“It’s a rather disconcerting story. He does suppress his emotions, and when he shows them, he becomes extreme. That part is true. But he has never harmed the young or weak.”
‘Well, if that were his temperament, he wouldn’t have kept us apart.’
Christina sank into thought, then opened her mouth as something came to mind.
“I’m not certain, but there’s one thing that stands out.”
[What?]
“This bird shares the same fire attribute as Perdidion. But it’s not his spirit beast, and it follows you. Perhaps that’s why it feels awkward.”
[And it’s supposed to not lay a hand on the young or weak?]
“It’s a hatchling phoenix. This bird isn’t as innocent and weak as you think. I haven’t told you, but it once showed me a wariness toward me.”
‘Now that I think about it, I did try to use power on Christina in my sleep, though I somehow calmed down.’
Christina’s words continued.
“In terms of latent ability, it’s no match for a dragon. Those with talent naturally sense things. Perdidion probably sensed that this being possesses power worth cautioning against.”
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at the baby bird.
“Perdidion is a child of exceptional talent worthy of being called a genius. Even if I can’t say the exact standard, the inexplicable feeling I get isn’t strange.”
An Imugi who had been a divine beast in his previous life could understand the story.
‘It makes sense. Among those with ability, there are those who sense destiny.’
There is such a thing as intuition.
Some instinctively sense the opponent’s strength, the flow of the world, whether the opponent’s power will become theirs or whether they will become an enemy.
“Right now, you might find it a bit hard to understand.”
Christina gently stroked the smooth scales of the young Imugi’s head, thinking the young one wouldn’t fully grasp her words.
“You’ll naturally understand in time. So for now, when you feel like laughing, laugh comfortably. When you’re upset, angry, unhappy, or happy, practice honestly accepting the emotions you feel in the moment.”
[Kyuwoo.]
The Imugi nodded. Only now did he guess why this fellow had sent him such an unpleasant gaze from the very first meeting.
‘At the very first sight, that arrogant look was because he instinctively sensed my power.’
Looking at the child, Christina saw a pure and earnest face as the young hatchling carefully considered other hatchlings of different ages.
It seemed so innocent that Christina’s heart felt purified.
The Imugi, unaware of her gaze, began sketching out how to become friends.
‘As the elder of the Shadow Clan, I came to help as much as I can. So the place I mainly see is this lair.’
It seemed fine. Christina’s lair, filled with the forest and abundant blessing mana, was inherently a place that brought mental and physical stability.
Changing the surrounding scenery alone would be enough to help.
Suddenly, the baby bird looking at the Imugi spread its small wings wide and cried out with enthusiasm.
“Piyaaak!”
It was a proud cry as if to show something.
Christina smiled and reached out.
“Yes. You too, please help well.”
While Christina’s hand stroked the baby bird’s head, the Imugi watched the bird with sparkling eyes.
‘There’s also a suitable stimulus element.’
He puffed up his chest feathers and looked at the enthusiastic white bird.
He grinned.
“Pii……?”
The bird, feeling some strange suspicious aura, raised a single black feather stiffly.
‘Perdidion can’t do as he pleases, and this fellow that flickers in and out for no reason could be a good catalyst for various situations.’
Even today, while showing reluctance and offering the last biscuit as a gesture of goodwill, he had displayed embarrassment.
That somewhat clumsy reaction was precisely the experience of acting as Perdidion rather than the elder.
He had lived while suppressing emotions and desires that didn’t match the expectations of becoming the clan leader.
He lacked experiences that would serve as fertilizer for growth.
‘The lesson will be taught by me. As I do it, the day when they truly see my true form will come. It will be good for that guy too.’
Perdidion would think I came to teach the Imugi who is his fellow elder-in-waiting, but in reality the one receiving the real dragon-rearing lesson is the immature Red Dragon chick.
***
The next morning.
Perdidion arrived with not a single hair out of place right after sunrise.
Fortunately awake, but unaware that he would meet Perdidion so early, the Imugi barely kept his spirits together and met him alone in the empty room of the lair.
As soon as he saw the Imugi, he rummaged through his pouch and pulled out something.
“Here, take this.”
[Huh?]
In front of the Imugi was a golden bracelet with a red mana stone embedded in it.
“It’s a transformation artifact. According to Christina-nim, I heard your intellectual ability is quite high. Since it contains the ability to transform into human form, it should be useful, so I brought it.”
‘Fine.’
His sense was quite good.
The Imugi received the bracelet and fiddled with it.
“You still can’t handle polymorph magic, so it will be useful.”
‘Polymorph…… It’s similar to transformation magic, but it changes to the exact desired form.’
The knowledge acquired through Christina’s transmission came to mind.
“I used this when I was still young. Just imagine your form and pour in mana.”
‘It seems genuinely useful. It’s not a common artifact. It seems I sensed the need to talk to educate.’
It wasn’t kindness, but a tool for proper education.
The Imugi nodded and put on the bracelet.
It fit his body perfectly, and his hands changed into human hands.
“Oh……”
“Does it feel strange?”
“Yeah. Not at all.”
‘If possible, it would have been better to transform into a bigger guy.’
The Imugi, now a seven-year-old boy with black hair and red eyes, nodded.
Although the height difference was still noticeable since Perdidion was in his late teens, being able to speak and use both hands comfortably felt very convenient.
‘It was this easy to talk. I feel relieved.’
He had refrained from using telepathy magic so that the other young hatchling, Perdidion, wouldn’t sense it, making the convenience of language communication even greater.
“It’s convenient. Thank you.”
Perdidion looked at him with a cold expression.
When the Imugi noticed something restrained in his gaze, he turned away, but the Imugi guessed the inner thoughts.
‘Receiving thanks must have felt awkward.’
The Imugi secretly smiled and fiddled with the bracelet again.
“Pii!”
Perdidion, who had thrown a glance at the small bird that flew in beside the Imugi with sparkling yellow eyes, strangely frowned.
“That bird, don’t come. It interferes with the lesson.”
“Actually, this fellow wants to take the lesson together.”
“What?”
Perdidion’s eyebrows twisted fiercely. He muttered a small curse under his breath and openly revealed an unpleasant feeling toward the Imugi.
“So you want to learn with this bird?”
“Yeah. Christina said it’s fine if you’re okay with it.”
When mentioning Christina, Volga twitched, and upon hearing it required Perdidion’s approval, his face turned rigid and he rejected it outright.
“Why should I approve of that? It seems Christina-nim showed mercy to your childishness. As a fellow elder, this bird chick will only hinder the learning.”
“Pii-yak!”
Hearing the dissatisfied chirping, Perdidion clenched his fist and glared at the chick as if looking at a nail sticking out annoyingly.
“Don’t make me angry and get out on your own. You’re just a lowly chick.”
Ignoring the eyes that seemed ready to chase him away, the white bird puffed up its round body and spat out a puff of breath.
Papak!
The sound of sparks flying from their clashing gazes was intense.
‘He’s really angry.’
Getting angry isn’t necessarily bad, but getting angry at a young bird like this was a problem.
A ruler who doesn’t know when to get truly angry and when not is nothing but a vicious tyrant.
“……Brother.”
The Imugi’s eyes, now cold, looked toward Perdidion.
Perdidion’s mouth twitched as if he was about to erupt, his eyebrows twitching.
“What? What kind of insolent eyes are those? That’s not the kind of look a guy who came to learn should have.”
‘Calling him the elder of the fire clan.’
Internally very dissatisfied, he had to suppress it.
“……”
[Pii?]
The Imugi drooped his shoulders, pulled the white round body of the young bird close, and quietly looked at Perdidion.
“That’s, it’s a bit harsh. It’s still just a young bird.”
“Showing no respect and barging in while getting angry is the essence of the enemy. Those with malice must be thoroughly subdued.”
“Brother, look.”
The Imugi showed the bird with both hands.
“Where did you see that this fellow threatens you? Rather, what…… isn’t it kind of cute?”
A hatchling phoenix that might grow strong in the future.
It was truly a fellow that would only become strong after a few hundred or a few thousand years.
Right now it was just a newly hatched young bird, and the same applied to Perdidion, who grows stronger with time.
“It only uses fire power. This fellow is just a bird. And the reason this fellow is cautious is because you are stronger.”
“What?”
Perdidion’s face, dyed with anger at the Imugi’s words, showed confusion.
He had always been told by his father Pasiyas that he was weak and incompetent and received harsh corporal punishment.
To Perdidion who had gone through that, the words “because you are strong” were a first.
“Because you are strong, this tiny guy is being cautious toward me. If you act more terrifyingly, he feels greater threat and charges.”
“I…… is that so?”
Perdidion, with a confused expression, let the Imugi hug the bird.
It was as if the young hatchling wanted to protect the baby bird.