The Hatchling Is the Greatest!
Rune stared at the contract document, pen hovering uncertainly.
“...But why does this signature look so weird?”
The contract had already been scribbled over with childish doodles by the fairy’s little ones.
“This isn’t a signature. It’s a drawing.”
A sudden thought hit him. Rune lifted his head.
“Qyu.”
[Actually, you don’t have a name, do you?]
The fairy blinked its eyes rapidly.
[Yes, I do.]
“Qyu?”
Yes?
Rune looked at her in confusion. The fairy shot him a look that said he was an idiot.
[The Fairy of the Deep Night! That’s me!]
“......”
Of course. It was obvious now.
Even Dullahan had gotten a name after Heungmi started calling him “Rahan.”
‘The Fairy of the Deep Night. That isn’t a name. It’s just a title.’
Rune glanced back at the sloppy scribble on the contract and voiced his opinion.
“Qyuuu, quyyuu.”
[Why don’t we just pick one name for you?]
He pointed at the messy circle he’d drawn with the fountain pen’s feather tip.
The fairy pouted, clearly hurt by his suggestion.
[I don’t know. Do I need one?]
“Qyuuu...”
Rune let out a long sigh.
He said, telepathically.
[Of course you do. Contracts should be clear.]
This wasn’t some ordinary promise. It was a contract witnessed by a Gold Dragon.
If it wasn’t precise, he might drag Christina into trouble.
“Qyu.”
[You have no choice. I’ll name you. If you want, I can help you think of one.]
[Wh-what?!]
Her eyes went wide in surprise.
They sparkled like she’d just won the lottery.
Then she asked him again, doubtful.
[Help? You’ll help? You’ll actually make one?]
“...Qyu.”
[Right?]
If she wanted it, he could offer a little help.
They were about to name her in the middle of a dangerous contract. A sudden name change like that would definitely cause problems.
If she wasn’t annoyed, she’d be lying.
Still, her reaction was strange.
[You’ll make one? Suddenly like that. Kyaaah, I don’t know!]
“......”
Rune had only meant to help her think of one, not actually come up with it himself.
‘She wants me to invent her name?’
Looking at her, it was absurd.
He stared at her with genuine bewilderment. The fairy suddenly pressed a hand to her cheek and started spinning around.
‘Why is she acting like that?’
Rune decided not to speak rashly.
From her reaction, it seemed naming her meant everything to the fairy.
He dug through his knowledge.
‘Even if names are special, this is too much.’
The fairy was a spiritual being whose true nature was far more important than any name.
‘Knowing that her true nature is “The Fairy of the Deep Night” matters. The name is just one of many titles she’s been called.’
‘There are plenty of fairies connected to the night. So she just wants me to be specific.’
But the fairy kept staring at him, eager.
[I won’t accept it! Only if you give it to me!]
She looked like she might explode if touched.
After thinking it over, Rune suddenly realized something.
‘Because I’m the Master of Darkness?’
That explanation finally made sense.
Rune was the only heir and master of the Dark race.
It was basically saying he would be giving her a name from her own essence.
Noticing Rune hesitate, Christina stepped in.
“Rune, it looks like you’re taking this too lightly. You’re the Dark successor. Think about the weight of the name you’re giving her.”
Rune remembered a similar situation.
‘A Spirit King giving a name to one of his spirits.’
If the darkness was like the fairy’s parent, then Rune was higher still.
If he named her, her rank would rise.
‘And with a higher rank comes more possibilities.’
It was always better to have many abilities when working.
The fairy overheard and rushed to say something.
[Why? Why are you thinking? I’ll do great! I’ll be awesome!]
Awesome? What a joke.
Rune gave her a dumbfounded look.
[!?]
She started stomping her feet in agitation.
Finally, Rune looked at Christina.
“Qyu.”
[I’ll try naming her.]
[Then I’ll allow it. If that’s your wish.]
Christina nodded.
The fairy tried to put on her sweetest face.
[You’ll give it to me? A name.]
“Qyu.”
[Yes.]
[!]
Her eyes sparkled even more.
She was probably trying not to melt from happiness.
At the same time, her face showed her struggling whether to speak or risk upsetting Rune and canceling the whole thing.
“Qyuuyu.”
[Your name is Grace.]
[Grace?]
The fairy tilted her head at the pronunciation.
Rune nodded.
“Qyuuyu.”
[Yes. It means grace.]
[Hm, hmm! What? Grace...]
Wondering whether the fairy liked it or not, Rune watched her turn her head muttering “Grace.”
‘Elegance. Dignity. Something to show off about.’
It was exactly the right word for such a flighty little creature.
“Qyu.”
[Then sign here.]
The plump front paw of the hatchling pointed at the scribbled spot.
The fairy snatched the pen and drew two horizontal lines across the messy drawing.
[Gr... ra... ce. Done!]
Whoosh!
The moment she signed, the entire contract began to glow with light.
‘The rank is rising.’
Rune watched her change and finished his own signature.
The golden parchment rolled itself up and flew toward Christina’s hands.
“Then I’ll keep this contract.”
Christina’s gaze lingered on Rune for a moment.
“Filling your heart with pure kindness, even taking in that fairy. I truly can’t match you in kindness.”
Rune just smiled innocently.
Honestly, he wasn’t pure at all.
‘Besides, that little fairy’s contract was literally life or death for me. I was just waiting for the right moment to act.’
His temper was a bit much, so maybe this could blow up into a villainous contract one day.
But now he didn’t worry.
Since Rune, the true master of the essence, had named her, it was basically a vassal contract.
‘In the end, I’m the only one who gains. No need to explain that.’
Looking at the fairy again, she had grown a little.
Her silver hair was longer and slightly curly.
Her eyes had a mix of purple.
The black fairy outfit had been redesigned with more elegant lines.
[Ah...]
Grace raised a hand, looked at herself, and stood there dazed.
[The hatchling is the greatest!]
“Qyuuu.”
[Call me Rune. That’s my name.]
[Great! Then Rune is the greatest!]
“Qyu.”
[Yes. Well done.]
Rune nodded.
The fairy suddenly glared at him with sharp eyes.
[Lie! You have no soul!]
Snap!
A white finger reached toward him.
Rune muttered to himself.
‘Tsk. What a troublesome one.’
That was fine.
Even with a higher rank, her core nature hadn’t changed.
‘Right. As long as I can do my job well.’
Since she’d been brought along to maintain the teleportation magic, her ability was the important part.
“Qyu, quyu.”
[Christina, I’m taking this one with me. Please take good care of the others for the lessons.]
Rune had trained her day and night for a week just in case she caused trouble.
Especially Perdikion, who had already mastered most of the lessons.
They were both classified as “graduating class” and had been tasked with helping the dwarves.
Christina still looked worried and handed Rune a pouch filled with various tools and a teleportation stone that allowed instant movement.
“Always be careful. And...”
For a moment Christina hesitated.
She placed one of Rune’s front paws on her own palm and covered it with her hand.
“Don’t give too much of yourself to humans.”
“...Qyu.”
[Yeah. I’ve already experienced something similar.]
Christina smiled a little sadly.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there back then.”
It was obvious why she was apologizing.
It had to be about Jed.
Of course, Rune had assumed it was only that.
But it wasn’t.
‘Such things happened even in my previous life.’
When he heard the achievements left behind by his disciples from the island.
Or when a human he had thought was decent passed away.
Or when he realized the one he had thought would become a close friend had actually been trying to devour the flesh and heart of a divine beast.
It was a dirty, bitter feeling.
‘They were all just children. Old memories come back.’
Rune let out a bitter smile to himself.
‘Probably the reason I protect hatchlings so thoroughly is similar.’
Rune shook his head lightly, as if telling Christina not to worry.
“Qyu.”
[I’m fine. I had a brother too. I’ll see him again someday.]
If he became a dragon and rose into the sky, and if he reached the level of an immortal, he might meet him again.
That was how he wanted to live.
Thick, concentrated thoughts and the stories brushing against his skin.
After drinking one glass of time itself, he still lived on.
That was the burden placed upon all beings who walk this path.
***
With everything prepared, Rune stood with Perdikion in one corner of the Black Room.
The warp portal made by Christina and the training had started humming.
Rune turned around suddenly.
“Are we all here?”
“Yes!”
“Ppiyak!”
Heungmi answered, holding Baekya on her head.
Heungmi wasn’t in the graduating class, but she was so popular with the dwarves that they had decided to bring her along.
Her past experience of visiting the human world when Jed was alive was also a good reason.
Next to Christina, Amelia waved her hand, shaking her blue hair.
“I-I’ll be back... everyone.”
“Hit! See you in class, unni!”
“Ppiit!”
Flap-flap!
Baekya, sitting on Heungmi’s head, spread her wings and rose into the air.
Amelia, who had secretly been jealous, let out a tiny “Puhu.”
“U-um! H-hurry... and get strong, okay?”
Clank!
Dullahan bowed his head in farewell too.
All Dullahan had left behind was Amelia’s lessons and the Fairy of the Deep Night, Grace.
[Why! Why now?!]
She had been complaining the whole time, so when she realized she was really being left, her anger boiled over.
Of course, Grace’s anger had other reasons.
She was pressing her right hand tightly against her own hair.
Rune swallowed a sigh.
‘Only a few strands. Still so temperamental?’
To create and maintain the path, a part of Grace was needed.
Like a feather from Baekya, a few strands of her hair would have sufficed.
‘Her hair would have fallen off anyway.’
Rune remembered the time Grace had screamed and caused a scene every time one strand was pulled.
Since she wasn’t actually hurting, it was just drama.
Rune spoke.
“Besides, I decided Dullahan would stay too. If he can’t properly handle this level of teleportation, it’s useless to bring him.”
The fairy looked at Dullahan, puffed out her cheeks, and had nothing more to say.
Then Jed stepped forward, rubbing his hands.
“This here, this reminds me of the old days! Kyaa. Back then I was also the guide dwarf who led the way!”
In truth, the one he was most worried about right now was Jed.