The Milk That Makes Everything Better
Even if it wasn’t complete satisfaction, it would have to do.
It was a pretty plausible story.
Right now he could only eat the food that a toothless infant could manage.
But his body would keep growing, and once his teeth came in, he would be able to chew whatever he wanted.
Perhaps there was some legendary medicine that worked even better than he could imagine.
That would be nice if I could find out.
After he finished every last drop of the final bottle, his belly felt pleasantly full and round.
“Hyeuwoo…”
He reached out with his short little hands to pat his belly, then crawled into the cradle and lay down.
When his stomach was full, sleep came like a wave.
He had tried holding it back a few times, but the infant’s sleep instinct was so strong that the harder he fought it, the more helplessly he was pulled under.
Maybe the cradle and this place are just too comfortable.
In his previous life, he had suffered plenty whether he was about to be chosen or after he was chosen.
Even with the title of Divine Son, the competition for the best sites had been fierce, so there was no choice.
The places that were avoided by everyone were the ones the most worshipped Divine Sons were pushed out of.
Every single day the weather changed several times.
The force was fierce and mysterious, and the natural disasters were so severe that within a thousand miles no human could survive there.
Wasn’t it funny that the very spot he chose for his training had been one that everyone laughed at?
-You’re going to the same spot as me?
-You’re really choosing the graveyard? As long as no one sees it, it’s fine.
-I know what you’re doing.
Because the Imugi already knew their attributes, he never bothered to answer.
If he really wanted to ignore them, he wouldn’t have had to constantly warn them away.
There were plenty of people who tormented him every time he tried to scout out a decent spot.
Even the fox spirit who used to get along with him had said,
-Sigh. It’s obvious. They’re just threatened because they can’t stand being seen, right? You’re not upset about it, are you?
-I’m not.
He had no need to waste his energy answering every single rude comment, and anyway he had chosen the spot for his own reasons.
Unlike other places, this one was flooded with raw, overwhelming power.
It was the perfect environment for training in controlling all things.
It was grueling—bones would crack—but the results had been certain.
It was even convenient, because I never had to face people.
He had set up a barrier, but rumors still spread because multiple people had died there from sudden whirlpools.
Everyone stayed far away.
Until it became an island that accepted offerings…
Oddly enough, the moment he began to tame the natural world for his training, the storms vanished and disasters became rare.
Thanks to that, the story spread among humans.
That the waters around the island where he lived were being protected by the Dragon King.
At least I was helping people while earning merit.
One day the island changed its name to the Island of Offerings.
Literal meaning: the island where offerings are given.
It was a completely dishonorable title that the Imugi had never wanted.
He hadn’t wanted to explain anything, so he simply stopped caring what humans called it.
They would gossip and whisper that it was ominous, but they wouldn’t come near the island anyway, so he didn’t mind.
Now that he thought about it, a little regret crept in.
If I hadn’t turned my back on them back then and talked things over, maybe things would have been different.
At the time he had brushed it off as typical human behavior—creating both objects of hatred and objects of longing at the same time.
They would call him the Dragon King whatever they felt like, expect a lot, and then get disappointed when he couldn’t deliver.
Watching them curse him and beg him to make things good for them made his brows furrow.
He had to keep earning merit, so he tried to bring peace to heaven and earth just like humans expected.
No matter how much of a Divine Son he was, he couldn’t always meet the highest expectations.
When they weren’t satisfied, humans would send offerings, but none of it mattered to an Imugi.
There were days when his power surged, days when he made mistakes, times when he couldn’t control the chaotic energy.
Every single time humans blamed him and cursed him loudly.
Thinking about it, I did want to help them as much as I could.
He had thought he wasn’t expecting anything, but it had still stung a little, and only now, after dying and being reborn, did the feeling finally hit him.
It couldn’t be helped. Our positions were different.
There were even days when he deliberately loosened his qi channels a little to accommodate their needs.
Every time the sea stayed calm for a while, then suddenly churned and disasters struck, humans began carrying offerings out to the boats and begging the Dragon King to forgive them.
A faint laugh escaped him.
I never asked them to do that… but I still wanted them to create the results they wanted.
Sacrificial offerings of mountains, gold and silver treasures, rare beasts, or even the heads of criminals.
Or so he had heard they later swallowed them whole.
They must have been desperate, but the price he had wanted was something they could never give him.
He had simply performed the training without asking for anything because he wanted to ascend.
Still, as he grew stronger as a Divine Son, the days when his power surged or he accidentally caused disasters decreased.
For nine hundred and ninety-nine years he had been faithful and carried out the fate he had chosen for himself.
I never thought the price would vanish like smoke.
Relaxing made his mind wander, and he opened his small mouth in a yawn.
Well, that’s in the past now.
Since he was about to start a new life, he had sworn to become strong enough not to die unfairly and to stop helping people just to earn merit.
From now on I’ll only live for myself.
It was selfish, but he couldn’t blame anyone for it.
After all, the world hadn’t changed—only his perception had.
Even Christina, who looked like a powerful Divine Son, hadn’t been able to fully trust him at first.
But every day she came twice, checked on him, and brought fresh milk, and he could feel her steady heart.
Plus she’s actually helping me. Literally… delivering milk every day for something that isn’t even her own child is incredible.
From the very beginning he had sensed something different in her presence and demeanor.
Because he was sensitive to raw power, he knew it was true.
There’s obviously a reason she’s been taking care of me… but she couldn’t be just a milk delivery woman.
Even after only a month he had seen that Christina wasn’t someone who could be idle.
Whenever he overheard her talking to the Imugi, he could tell she was wise, experienced, and knowledgeable not only in the human world but also among other non-human races.
Thanks to that I learned so many things about this world. It’s been a huge help.
There were also personal stories. Tales of the Red Dragon’s children, the Blue Dragon’s difficult circumstances, the Green Dragon’s sorrows.
They were all heavy stories.
If she knew he understood everything, she probably wouldn’t have spoken so freely.
She’s talking this way because she thinks I won’t really understand.
Honestly he didn’t want to listen to other people’s problems, but listening to them wasn’t too difficult.
Moreover, the Imugi himself had felt a kind of consideration.
Sometimes just letting out the story is enough to ease the heart.
It wasn’t his usual way, but if it helped her, he could listen without pretending.
Thanks to her, I’ve almost stopped hearing those rare, unintelligible sounds.
The faint, broken noises that used to slip in had vanished recently.
It was an unexpected blessing.
Now that he could hear her easily, he felt strangely relieved instead of frustrated.
Of course, there was always a price to paying.
He still had to do things he was not used to.
“Hey. Smile, okay?”
Whatever the reason, the “smile” request she made every time she visited.
That would have been an impossible request from me before… but now that she’s warmed up to me, I gain a lot in so many ways. If you receive, you have to return.
His pride as a legendary Divine Son still resisted, but today he made the decision for the sake of practical benefit.
“Hyeu… woo.”
He folded his round, almond-shaped eyes into half-moons and grinned with his mouth wide open.
“Hyeuaaaa!”
“So cute!”
Christina gently touched his cheeks and stroked his head, smiling back with pure delight.
Well… if I’m satisfied, that’s enough.
He knew it was necessary, but he still couldn’t stop the shame rising from deep inside.
Unable to meet her eyes head-on because his heart was racing, he covered his face with his front paws and rolled his body over, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“You’re so embarrassed. You’re adorable.”
Damn it. I can’t treat a benefactor so casually.
He turned his head away, hiding his fidgeting mouth with his tail, and curled his body tight.
Seeing the adorable, shy face of the baby, Christina burst into delighted giggles.
“Because you’re so smart and cute. I want you to live happily every day. I hope you live an amazing life.”
Her words carried such warm emotion.
It’s amazing that someone can say something so sincerely.
Listening to words as sweet as sunlight left him no choice but to admit it.
Christina was kind and warm-hearted.
In his previous life he had never felt anything like it, so he didn’t know what to call it.
After she left, he still lay there lost in thought.
I must repay kindness with kindness and return favors, but…
He wagged his tail, thumping the cradle.
When I feel this way, what am I supposed to do?
He searched his memories for anything that might help in this situation.
Come to think of it, the fox spirit said something similar once.
The capricious, free-spirited fox spirit was beautiful and cruel, pure and yet ruthless, yet she had approached the Imugi without any preconceptions.
She had been a bit troublesome, but he had let her stay because she never crossed the line.
He had never expected her to last this long.
Some Divine Sons had laughed at the idea of a Divine Son and a fox spirit getting along, but the fox spirit was far better than those who mocked and belittled them.
She was a strange one, but that was true back then too.
One day she had suddenly appeared at the place he was training and played with him, making a clicking sound.
Then she asked,
-Does training feel fun?
-What?
The fox spirit’s tail swayed gently.
-I want to ascend, so I’m stuck here doing what I want. Are you happy because you’re doing what you want?
For some reason he couldn’t answer right away.
The fox spirit caught the hesitation and pouted, muttering, “Idiot.”
Why does she say that?
The Imugi didn’t like the meaning behind her words and furrowed his brows in reply.