Did I Really Make This?
Rune, back in his young hatchling form, reached out and easily plucked a single small scale from his arm. It was simpler than pulling out a single strand of hair.
“Please… come alive,” he whispered, placing the scale on the floor and setting a tiny sprouting seed atop it. Though small, the seed was just the right size to fit one scale.
At first nothing happened. Then the roots wrapped around the scale, drinking in its hidden mana until it pulsed with life. “Kyu-yah!”
Rune roared, clenching his right fist tight. A soft chuckle escaped him as he felt the familiar warmth of relief flood his chest.
‘Ha. Ten years of waiting for this, and it still feels surreal.’
A single seed should not have caused such a commotion. He had considered begging Christina to fetch more, but the thought of wasting precious time and mana on a replacement if it failed made him grateful to be alive now.
The excitement began to fade. He selected a few more scales of the perfect size, stepped back two paces, and watched the new sprout with a grin.
‘How could I get so worked up over something this simple…’
He shook his head, thinking his body and mind were finally syncing. A light laugh followed.
It had been a wonderful success.
‘As long as it survives, that’s all that matters.’
Watching the fragile sprout draw power from the black scales, he felt a surge of pride. Judging by the steady flow of mana, one or two scales should sustain it for a few days.
“Hold on, little one. We’ve both come back from the brink—let’s enjoy this life together.”
His hand had brushed the scale for only a moment, yet a strange warmth lingered in his heart.
Rustle.
The sprout swayed as if replying to his unspoken feeling.
Rune studied the plant for a long while before returning to the kitchen for the cooking lesson.
“Welcome back, Rune.”
“Sorry I’m late. What should I do?”
“I’ve found some excellent ingredients. Shall we try making steak today?”
‘Finally, real meat.’
The thought alone made his mouth water. The massive hunk of meat and cheese on the counter promised a feast.
Beyond them, the herbs Christina had just harvested fresh from the batch she had rejuvenated with her Word of Resurrection looked perfectly alive.
The neatly separated stems piled neatly in the corner like firewood made Rune’s eyes widen in curiosity.
Christina followed his gaze and murmured thoughtfully, “Strange… if such herbs existed, I would never have passed them by.”
Her eyes lingered on him, as if guessing the truth.
Rune quickly looked away, feeling slightly guilty.
Christina smiled and picked up the large piece of meat.
“Shall we begin the lesson then?”
“Yeah. I’m ready.”
She accepted his enthusiastic answer without further comment. Thankful that Ferdikion’s nighttime training had been moved later, he didn’t need to rush.
“Before that, let’s eat something small? Even just seasoning and resting the steak takes hours. Adding the soup and vegetables will only make it longer.”
Christina pulled out potatoes, carrots, and onions from the fridge and arranged them with a satisfied smile.
“These vegetables are exceptionally fresh. I gathered them so you could see the quality of the best ingredients.”
‘Those are the ones I practiced Word Magic on this morning.’
Seeing them brimming with life again, Rune suddenly wanted to slice them with a knife and get them over with.
Using the Word of Power on such ordinary vegetables still felt strangely embarrassing.
“They really are fresh. I could cook them right now.”
‘I should devour them and erase the evidence.’
Watching his eager reply, Christina smiled like a proud teacher.
“Then let’s start.”
They prepared the omelette, sandwiches, milk, and tea together. After tucking the sleeping Baekya under his arm, they enjoyed a peaceful morning meal.
In the afternoon they each spent their own time. Christina tidied the messy lair. Rune secretly checked the Black Rose garden during his spare moments. Even Baekya preened his feathers with rare relaxation.
As evening approached.
“Steak tonight, then.”
Ferdikion arrived a little late for the night training and settled into the familiar armchair, knife and fork in hand.
Despite his lack of interest in cooking, the moment he smelled the steak his eyes sparkled with recognition.
“Did you make this too?”
“Yeah. I seasoned and grilled it myself. Try it, brother.”
“It’s truly excellent. I’ll enjoy every bite.”
Ferdikion cut the steak with practiced ease, a surprisingly refined expression on his face. Seeing him, memories of the old Ferdikion surfaced.
‘He’s changed so much.’
The hot-tempered dragon who would have laughed at his words or guarded his food with silent threats was now naturally accepting shared meals.
‘Sharing food is an important experience in its own right.’
The size of the sliced steak made Ferdikion’s eyes widen.
Rich mana surged through every bite, and the flavor was so intense his head spun.
A paper-like ringing filled his mind. He inhaled two or three pieces at once.
“This is… truly delicious!”
Halfway through, he looked sadly at the disappearing slices, his eyes misty. Even Christina’s eyes widened slightly as she tried a bite and covered her cheeks.
“Oh my. It’s beyond anything I imagined. How could it taste like this?”
‘I wonder what she would say if I told her it’s Word Power applied to the highest-grade ingredients.’
Covering the truth, the steak was nothing short of heavenly.
Rune had questioned the same thing while slicing his own.
“Peep!”
Baekya, nibbling on the soft potato salad, suddenly puffed his neck feathers and brightened his eyes.
“Pee! Ppeee!”
The bird shook his fluffy tail feathers happily and finished both the salad and the steak in seconds.
“Even the vegetables roasted with fire are delicious. I’ve never tasted such a magnificent meal before.”
“You’re right. It turned out better than expected.”
“I’m truly impressed. When you said you wanted to try on your own, I was curious how you would manage. I never imagined you would enjoy it this much.”
Ferdikion finished the last of the steak with a conflicted expression.
He drained the drink as well, then set the glass down on the table with a decisive clink.
“You really made this?”
“Of course.”
No point in lying, and the genuine surprise in his voice made the question natural. Ferdikion understood perfectly.
“I have a request.”
“?”
Rune blinked in surprise as Ferdikion’s gaze stayed on him.
Ferdikion nodded and spoke without hesitation.
“Could you recreate this flavor in my lair?”
“Your lair?”
A hatchling leaving his home for the first time was unusual.
Ferdikion looked between Christina and Rune.
“Yes. If Lady Christina is willing, I would like to formally invite you to my lair. I want to share this taste… with my lair residents.”
Christina let out a small gasp.
A Red Dragon elder candidate inviting someone formally into his lair was shocking enough. Asking a young Black Dragon hatchling for help made it even more so.
But Rune felt only unease.
‘Being invited to the Fire Clan lair is good…’
This steak had been prepared by lifting the highest-grade ingredients with his Word of Resurrection.
‘I could ask Christina for ingredients, but revealing my ability to a whole lair of residents is impossible.’
Though reluctant to refuse the Fire Clan, he had decided to decline. He and Ferdikion were already close; another invitation would come later.
Before he could refuse, Ferdikion paused, then spoke seriously.
“Rune, you said it yourself. Protecting life is important, but so is protecting their hearts.”
“I… did say that.”
A bad feeling rose in his chest.
But Ferdikion’s eyes were earnest. Refusal was impossible face to face.
Ferdikion set the utensils down and clasped his hands calmly.
“I tried to understand their feelings as you asked. It wasn’t easy. In fact, it felt harder than before.”
“Mmm.”
‘Yeah. Even I, who had never sung before, would struggle to perform in front of others. I lacked experience.’
The dragon who had only recently begun to express his own emotions naturally could not be expected to react perfectly to others’.
Seeing his hesitation, Ferdikion continued urgently.
“I don’t ask for much. Not many. Just my closest companions. I’ll ask Lady Christina for ingredients too, but I’ll prepare as much as I can myself.”
“How many companions does your brother have?”
“At most a few. If it’s too many for one sitting, we can divide them into smaller groups.”
The number was manageable.
Plus, a hatchling barely a year old rarely got to visit another dragon’s lair.
Rune thought carefully and smiled inwardly.
‘This is actually a perfect chance to practice Word Magic naturally.’
Sneaking practice around Christina had been limited anyway.
The Fire Clan lair housed master craftsmen who forged weapons with fire. Killing two birds with one stone.