One Day I Became a Hatchling
“What if Christina had been the one searching for them?”
She, too, was an elder of her clan—a Gold Dragon Elder.
At the very least, she would likely have moved to prepare for danger.
Rune could not imagine that Christina, who had seen the strange things he had seen, would have failed to reach the same conclusion.
She was the one who had chosen to protect this world.
As the finest balance-keeper of them all, she would naturally sense danger and do everything in her power to prepare for it.
One possibility after another clicked into place in Rune’s mind like pieces of a puzzle.
So that was it. That’s why she’d been talking like she already knew at least part of it.
It was too much to tell a young hatchling like Rune.
Besides, even if this world were soon to be engulfed in war, there was little a hatchling without a guardian dragon could do.
At most, he could protect his own body.
I wish I weren’t still so young.
But looked at another way, that was also an opportunity.
He could grow stronger from an early age, which meant he could become more powerful faster—and with a better advantage than anyone else.
It was just as Rune was thinking that—
“You don’t like being young?”
“?”
At Perdikion’s words, Rune blinked once.
Seeing Rune’s confusion, Perdikion said again,
“You were muttering about it a moment ago. That it’s a shame you’re still so young.”
Apparently, he had murmured the thought out loud without realizing it.
“Yeah. I was just thinking it, but I guess I said it without meaning to.”
“I understand. I’ve thought the same before.”
Perdikion nodded and went on.
“It’s certainly a virtue for a proper elder. But there’s no need to rush. There are things only you, as you are now, can do.”
Those were probably words he had once told himself when he was younger.
Rune looked at Perdikion with a fresh sort of surprise.
Well, would you look at that. He’s actually saying something decent for once.
He studied Perdikion for a moment, then nodded.
“Thanks for saying that.”
Amelia, who had been watching the two of them, seemed eager to help too.
“I, I think so too... Rune. W-we’re going to get even... stronger, so... I-I’m going to go for a walk right away...”
He understood what she meant, but not right now.
Rune told Amelia, “If you eat too fast, even good food will upset your stomach. Rest a little first.”
At that, Amelia nodded.
“Ah... O-okay? I got a little too... anxious...”
Even for dragons, training in a region of fire—their natural opposite—was grueling.
Proper recovery was essential.
Watching the mood among them, Perdikion made a suggestion.
“It seems each of us has our own tasks. Why don’t we eat lunch first?”
“Oh, yes!”
Heungmi eagerly nodded, throwing in her vote at once.
Aside from how easily energy transferred into her true form, eating was one of the great joys that kept cheerful Heungmi happy.
Rune suddenly thought of Dullahan, who was undoubtedly taking good care of her rose body.
Dullahan’s probably looking after Heungmi’s true form, that demon realm rose, pretty well. Maybe even while training with the kraken.
For a moment, Rune pictured his silent knight.
An existence that trained himself every day without ever once resting.
Since the man practiced as naturally as breathing, there was no need for Rune to say anything.
“Then I’m going to see Verdin.”
I should go train too.
With a hatchling’s body, he had time to train freely without others noticing.
He absolutely couldn’t waste it.
“Why don’t you rest a little instead?” Perdikion suggested, but Rune lightly shook his head.
“It’s something I want to do. I also need to check on Verdin.”
Rune had already given himself a proper explanation for the ghost dwarf’s existence.
“Verdin became a ghost because he was influenced by the darkness-clan power within me.”
I am of the darkness clan as well, so it’s not entirely wrong.
Jed chimed in brightly.
“Who would’ve thought, huh? A fortress that’s stood in one place for ages makes it easy for a ghost to settle in. I never imagined I’d meet Old Man Verdin again like this.”
A ghost. A ghost.
It was a phenomenon close to a soul’s lingering imprint taking on form.
In truth, several conditions were needed for it to occur.
But none of them knew those conditions precisely.
Telling them it had something to do with the darkness-clan’s power worked surprisingly well.
Especially the explanation that an old castle, having held so much time within its walls, made supernatural phenomena more likely—that had worked particularly well.
Perdikion spoke up.
“If there’s any chance it’s dangerous, tell me immediately.”
He said that because he suspected the power might be close to a curse.
Rune gave him a small nod.
“Okay, I will.”
It wasn’t true resurrection, but a castle was a structure with a very long history.
In ruins and ancient buildings, strange things often happened.
But the fact that a soul could linger within and still influence the world after death—that was also a power associated with black dragons, who were skilled in curse arts.
It wasn’t uncommon for the dead to exact revenge, cursing the one who had brought about their death.
It’s not unreasonable to worry.
Rune tried to reassure the others.
“But it’ll be fine. Verdin was a truly good dwarf even when he was alive.”
“I know. Verdin was... loyal to me until the end. He was never the sort to harbor malicious thoughts connected to a curse.”
He was not someone who would ever lay a curse.
Perdikion knew him better than anyone, which was why he was willing to let Rune go on his own.
After a moment’s thought, Perdikion warned him again.
“Rune, that power might become your Word of Power. Study it carefully.”
“I will.”
He’s a perceptive one.
Rune thought that inwardly, but kept his expression casual.
In fact, it was convenient.
Later, when he revealed his Words of Power, he could say his ability had awakened thanks to the incident with Verdin.
***
After a lavish lunch.
Amelia went out for a walk with Heungmi, combining it with training.
Perdikion immediately left to prepare for the adulthood tasks and hear the dwarves’ reports, and Jed went off to check in with the Gaetong-pa.
“It’s been so long since I had time all to myself.”
Hoo.
Enjoying the faint quiet of a place where scarcely any presence could be felt, Rune drew in a slow breath.
From here on, what he had to do was very important.
“Baekya. Get ready.”
“Chirp!”
At once, the small white bird flapped its wings and puffed out its fluffy body.
Those chest feathers. They’re like gold all by themselves.
That was right.
Today was the day he would finally harvest the phoenix feathers he’d been storing up.
Fortunately, Baekya was being very cooperative this time.
Well, I did feed him enough as payment for the feather harvest.
Rune slipped off the golden bracelet.
“Kkyu-hu.”
That feels nice.
Human form wasn’t especially difficult, but reverting to his true body was certainly refreshing.
Sometimes noble ladies came home from an outing all dolled up and collapsed from exhaustion afterward. He finally thought he understood why.
“Kkyuuuu!”
Dropping onto all fours, Rune lifted his tail toward the ceiling, planted his front paws on the floor, and pushed his hindquarters back.
Crack.
Pop, pop-pop.
My whole body’s stiff.
As he stretched out the kinks in every part of his body, the stiffness melted away, leaving him feeling not just refreshed but almost pleasantly loosened to the bone.
Once his body was ready, Rune extended his claws on his right front paw.
Shing.
To anyone who didn’t know better, it would have looked as if the hatchling was about to devour the white bird in front of him.
He’s been eating buttered potato chips, so he’s definitely more obedient now.
Rune looked over the bird’s body with satisfaction.
In fact, Baekya even looked as though he was urging him to hurry.
Good. I’ll respond to that expectation.
The hatchling’s blunt toes slid deep into the white body thick with feathers.
Whoosh.
Swish.
Feathers scattered through the air.
Beautiful feathers, yes—but now they had been severed from the source of life and could never return.
The feathers he gathered without mercy were tucked into the pouch Rune had spread open in advance.
There’s a certain pleasure to harvesting them.
Since he hadn’t tended the plumage in a while, he was even carefully straightening out the tangled feathers, and Baekya looked thoroughly pleased by it.
“Chirp, chiriiiiip.”
“Chirururururu.”
As if someone were scratching an itch, the bird even closed his eyes and seemed to savor it.
...Kkyu.
...Unbelievable. You used to panic and run away before.
Baekya shook his head left and right in response.
“Chirut, chirut.”
...
It was such an inscrutable expression that it practically read, When did I ever do that?
So now he’s acting innocent too.
Watching the shameless little thing blink at him, Rune calmly finished the harvest.
“Kkyu-kkyu.”
You’ve grown a lot too. See these feathers?
“Chirp?”
Baekya tilted his head and looked at the pouch full of feathers.
“Kkyuu.”
What’s inside is enough to make five of you, and still have leftovers.
“Chiru? Chiru!”
Seeing the bird flap its wings excitedly, Rune could tell it was genuinely thrilled in its own way.
The fact that a great deal of something had come out of his own body seemed to delight him immensely.
Rune cheerfully gathered the feathers and cinched the pouch shut.
“Kkyu.”
I had plenty of uses for these already, so I won’t have to worry about feathers for a while. Good work, Baekya.
“Pirorooro...”
Though they couldn’t truly converse, the bird somehow sounded as if he were singing with delight.
Then the Mokoji Stone flashed.
“Kkyu.”
I’m glad I had it set to silent.
If that damn thud! thud! thud! sound had echoed through this peaceful moment, it would have been unbearable.
Since he was reasonably free at the moment, Rune tapped the Mokoji Stone.
<Lord Rune, are you there?>
The yellow letters told him it was Jed.
Did something happen with the Gaetong-pa?
Come to think of it, he had left Grace alone with the Gaetong-pa dwarves, so he was a little concerned.
That was why he’d sent Jed in the first place, but now he wondered whether trouble had arisen after all.
<Yeah. Did something happen with the Gaetong-pa?>
Surely they hadn’t gotten drunk.
Or maybe Grace had said she wasn’t going to work.
As Rune waited, Jed’s yellow letters slowly rose again.
<The Gaetong-pa? They’re doing fine.>
“?”
If the Gaetong-pa were doing well, then there wasn’t really any problem.
Rune touched the keyboard again with a puzzled feeling.
<Then why are you contacting me?>
As expected, Jed brought up something completely different.
<Look at this, Lord Rune.>
Then, after a while, Jed sent over some odd symbols.
<ㅇ>
<ㅅ>
<ㅇ>
“...?”
What was that supposed to be?
Rune stared at the strange symbols, unable to think of what to say.
<No, it’s not working. Maybe the combination hasn’t been registered?>
Reading the yellow letters that appeared next, Rune still couldn’t tell what Jed was trying to do.
>
<ㅅ>
>
<Huh. This isn’t working.>
It looked like he was trying very hard to do something by himself, but Rune had no idea what his intention was.
In the end, Rune simply asked,
<What exactly are you trying to do?>
<Well, you know that thing Heungmi was doing the other day, using Baekya as an example?>
Baekya? That little goblin flame—no, the spirit—who was always with Christina.
<That’s strange. I know it worked before. Maybe it’s a problem with speed or something.>
If someone could translate Jedese, that would be wonderful.
“Kkyuhuuuu...”
Thinking that, Rune let out a long sigh.
Then Jed’s yellow letters began forming something.
<>ㅅ
<Ooh! It worked! This is it!>
Just as Rune was about to scold him, he finally understood what Jed was aiming for.
Run away if you can
<So you’re trying to recreate that weird symbol thing Rai uses?>
At Rune’s words, Jed’s yellow letters flickered.
<That’s right. It’s been stuck in my head for a while now, and I’ve been itching to try it!>
It was a little absurd, but considering Jed’s personality, it wasn’t strange at all.
Rune sighed, a soft kkyu-hu, and tapped the Mokoji Stone.
<Check on the Gaetong-pa and Grace first.>
<Ah!>
“Ah!” indeed.
Rune’s eyes narrowed.
So he forgot.
Feeling the urge to sigh, Rune said,
<You really never stay focused, do you?>
At once, Jed’s typing sped up.
<No, no! I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t forget! I should have told you first, but I got so absorbed in this brilliant idea! You know how loyal I am to Lord Rune, don’t you? Surely you’re not misunderstanding this, are you? I absolutely did check properly...>
If left alone, it looked like he might spend half a day talking to nothing but his own mouth.
Honestly, a dog would stop eating shit before this guy would shut up.
Rune let his own feelings speak through black letters.
<Why don’t you show it through action instead of just talking?>
The chatter-filled lettering immediately fell silent.
Then much slower yellow text began to appear.
<Yes, sir. To get to the point, the Gaetong-pa dwarves are working while being shouted at by Lady Grace.>
<From day one?>
At Rune’s question, Jed’s yellow letters flickered.
<That’s right. It seems the dwarves are good at craftsmanship, but when it comes to handling darkness, they’re lacking compared to Lady Fairy Grace.>
<That’s true.>
The dwarves might have more experience, but Grace, being darkness itself by nature, was an absolutely gifted expert.
Thinking of that, the fact that the dwarves were getting scolded while their skills improved actually meant things were moving in a good direction.
Jed’s yellow text continued with an oddly submissive air.
<Of course, I, too, am a dwarf who would grind down to bone if it were for Lord Rune. As the dwarf who led the first reformist faction, I’ve spared no advice whatsoever where it was needed! All of it came from loyalty toward Lord Rune—only and purely loyalty!>
Rune narrowed his eyes.
“Kkyuu.”
What a faithful little money grubber.
If he relayed that exactly as it was, the man would probably leap up and shout that it wasn’t true.
Rune wasn’t so free that he wanted to answer every little thing one by one.
In any case, if there wasn’t a problem with the work, that was enough.
In fact, for a man obsessed with money, he had done well in building up Rune’s wealth, not to mention the materials he had acquired through the desert black market.
Thanks to him, I can use all kinds of materials without worrying.
He had already established the Musketeer Merchant across the continent like a golden treasury belonging to Rune.
And not just that—he could procure artisan-made dwarf goods for Rune whenever he wanted.
Thinking of that, Rune’s mood softened a little.
<The passage has to be completed before your brother’s adulthood tasks can begin. And while you’re at it, you should help raise the skill of Grace and the Gaetong-pa dwarves, but make sure it gets finished as quickly as possible.>
Of course, he didn’t forget the warning.
<If things don’t run properly, you’d better not think about leaving for the continent in one piece.>
Black letters rose and vanished, as if pointing to a possible future.
Jed swallowed nervously and tapped away at the Mokoji Stone with great haste.
<As if there could be any doubt! Just trust me, Lord Rune!>
Rune was honestly impressed.
Was there anyone less trustworthy to say “trust me” than this guy?
He’s practically the living symbol of unreliability.
Still, this did seem like a matter he could leave in Jed’s hands.
More than anyone else, he was the one who cared about the reformist dwarves on the continent.
It was only ironic that, as a man faithful to his own desires as much as to money, he also happened to be dependable.
I’ve checked the important matter. Maybe I should see what Jed was trying to make with those picture symbols.
If he ignored it and ended the conversation now, it was obvious Jed would want to come back and talk his ear off about it later.
The man was already talkative; once he got started, he’d ramble all night if necessary.
It was less exhausting to keep the exchange going through letters at a bit of distance.
There was another reason too: Rune wanted to leave room for Jed to feel free to toss out wild ideas without hesitation.
Rune went through all the symbols Jed had begun posting.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t just >ㅅ
The thought didn’t end there.
These would be useful in situations where you can’t write words, or for people who don’t know letters well. Well... there’ll be some who use them simply because they like them, like Jed.
Rai, who had stayed with Rune since just after his birth, had expressed emotions through a variety of little pictures.
And Rune remembered most of the characters he had seen since childhood.
Suddenly, Rune remembered something and muttered,
“Kkyuu.”
Come to think of it, what I saw earlier—it was something like this, wasn’t it?
After fiddling with the Mokoji Stone a few times, Rune completed a pictographic character.
<(￣_￣)>
Seeing the black mana-script—or rather, the picture—Jed replied,
<Ooh! That’s right! Though there probably aren’t many who’d spend mana so casually like that. Still, isn’t it fun?>
In other words, it wasn’t all that practical, but it was funny and amusing, so he’d thought to try it.
<Really? To me, it looks pretty useful.>
At that, Jed asked back,
<Huh? What would you even use it for?>
Well, he didn’t have an immediate use for it yet.
With a faint smile, Rune typed back,
<Jed. Think of more things like this and keep a record of them.>
At once, Jed’s yellow letters sparkled.
<Ooh. Lord Rune, as I expected, you really do like this sort of thing because you’re still a child, don’t you?>
What exactly was he imagining?
Since he was in a hatchling’s body, Rune decided not to make a fuss and brushed it off.
<Just that I thought you’d actually made something worthwhile for once.>
As a hint, Rune told him the benefit he had in mind.
<There’s no guarantee everyone we meet in this world will know how to read, is there?>
From what I’ve heard, even people in underdeveloped regions don’t know letters very well.
They might know enough to get by, but that wasn’t the same as truly knowing how to read.
Jed understood Rune’s thinking and gasped in admiration.
<Ohooooo! I never imagined you’d think of that!>
After that, Rune and Jed experimented with several more picture symbols.
Most could be made with only a few simple lines and dots.
At this level, even children could use them.
Rune’s gaze drifted to Baekya, who looked refreshed now that so many feathers had fallen away.
I’ve got the perfect one to test on.
“Kkyu-hu.”
Had he read something in the red gaze of the black hatchling?
Baekya blinked and looked up at Rune.
“Ch... chirp?”
“Kkyukku.”
I’ve always wondered. No, maybe I should say I was certain.
“Chirp?”
Staring at the white bird, Rune said,
“Kkyu.”
You understand what I say.
“Chirp. Chirp?”
The bird tilted its head.
It was the kind of gesture that could be interpreted either way.
But Rune only narrowed his eyes.
“Kkyuuuu.”
Well, even if he doesn’t understand everything, that’s fine. He must have some level of intelligence.
Right there, he quickly made a set of word cards.
With magic added in, they came out rather neatly for something made on the spot.
Rune said with satisfaction,
“Kkyu.”
This is a special lesson.
At the resolve in Rune’s voice, Baekya let out a flustered cry.
“Chirp, chirpyaaah?!”
“Kkyu-kkyu.”
It’s better if you get stronger too. Even if not, this is useful as a way to convey what you mean clearly.
Rune gazed at the cards and added,
“Kkyuu.”
I’m not asking for Words of Power. But if even simple magic becomes possible with these cards...
That was right.
Rune intended to turn the command words that activated mana—magic language itself—into these pictures.
In a way, it’d be similar to a magic scroll.
On the surface, they would look like word cards for teaching children, or a sketchbook filled with pictures.
But what if their true form became a magic-infused scroll or artifact?
They’d be useful even in the middle of battle.
Of course, for all that, it was still just a bird.
There was a good chance this grand plan would fail.
But there was no harm in trying.
If nothing else works, I can at least be satisfied if communication gets easier.
However, Baekya glanced at Rune, then began to flap his wings as if trying to slip away.
Thud.
At once, the hatchling’s two front paws caught the bird’s body as he started backing off.
“Kkyuuuu.”
Where do you think you’re going?
“Chirp, chiriiii... chirurururu.”
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Baekya had started to sweat cold.
But Rune’s resolve was firm.
There’s a saying in the world I know: if you don’t work, you don’t eat.
“Chirp!”
Grip.
As Rune tightened his paws, the plump white bird looked at him with nervous eyes.
“Kkyu!”
Let’s do this.
“Ch... chirpyaaah!”
Baekya, who had always been a free bird.
That day, Baekya ended up training with Rune by playing a word-card game.
After some time had passed, Baekya flew out the window to carry out the task Rune had assigned him.
“Chirut. Chirurururu.”
The white bird fluttered weakly toward Verdin’s kitchen.
Just from the sound of its cries, it almost sounded like a mournful chant.
Verdin, who was cooking dinner in the kitchen, looked up in surprise, wondering who on earth would come here.
Tap-tap.
Tap-tap-tap.
—Eh? No, isn’t that Baekya?
The sound was coming from outside the window.
A small, white, plump bird was tapping at the glass with its beak.
Since they were already acquainted, Verdin opened the window.
—No, what brings you here... are you perhaps hungry?
Thinking the bird couldn’t possibly understand him, Verdin muttered to himself, and Baekya stared at him quietly.
Then he extended his left leg.
—This looks like a letter.
The ghost dwarf painstakingly unfolded the paper and read it.
—Attach what the bird indicates to its leg... I see.
He had come bearing instructions, though the content was rather peculiar.
—Lord Rune sent you, didn’t he?
“Chiru.”
Baekya blinked and gave a light chirp.
Verdin muttered in some bewilderment,
—Well, well... after all I’ve seen in life, and now in death, there’s no end to the strange things...
The impression he had of Rune, as a ghost dwarf, was that he somehow didn’t seem all that much like a hatchling.
But now, seeing this, perhaps that wasn’t entirely true.
He was playing with the bird in a way that was unmistakably childlike and adorable.
Yet Verdin soon shook his head.
Even this may have some meaning behind it.
That was when it happened.
“Piit.”
Baekya let out a tiny cry and this time extended the feathers on his chest.
—?
Looking more closely, there was a tiny pouch there.
“Chiiii-chiiii.”
The bird cried softly and flew to perch atop a side table.
Then, flapping his wings and gesturing with his beak, he seemed eager to explain something.
—You want me to shake the pouch hanging from your neck onto the side table?
“Chirp.”
At that, Verdin obediently removed the little necklace and opened the mouth of the pouch.
Thump-thump.
More than a dozen slips of paper spilled onto the side table.
What is this?
As Verdin looked on in confusion, Baekya lifted his beak.
Then one by one, he bit down on the paper cards and let them hang there.
Cut
it
for me
And with that, there was also a little hand-drawn “potato” card.
Then the white bird trotted over and poked at it with his beak.
It was a baby potato.
The drawing looked as if it had been made by a ten-year-old child, but the meaning was perfectly clear.
—So you want me to slice this baby potato and put it in, then.
“Chirp.”
As if that were correct, Baekya watched him quietly.
Verdin, surprised once by the fact that the bird wasn’t merely a bird, and twice by the fact that such training was even possible, looked back and forth between the cards and Baekya.
—A clever little bird, you are.
With a hearty laugh, Verdin sliced the potatoes and tied them on.
At the same time, Rune, left alone, was in conversation with Christina.
Since they had never communicated so frequently before, it was only natural that Christina would feel a little lonely.