Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Even at Dawn, the Cult Comes Knocking (4)
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【Mi-ra Owner is the prettiest in the world.】
"Whoa!"
I finally did it!
I did it!
I somehow managed to grip the pen straight and write a sentence in proper handwriting.
As expected, I'm a dragon! There's nothing I can't do!
"Hehe!"
I proudly showed my doodle notebook to the owner with a smug grin.
"Oh… That's actually pretty decent handwriting?"
The owner, finally giving me my first praise, smiled warmly and tickled my chin.
"Grrr…! Now I'm a handwriting master too!"
I might even become a world-class calligraphy artist at this rate.
A dragon artist earning billions off a single letter…
"Good job. You worked hard on your writing, so I'll make you a hamburger."
The short, intense lesson ended, and lunchtime arrived.
The owner tied on her apron as usual and took her place in the kitchen.
"I'll help too!"
"Huh?"
I spread my hands wide beside her, eyes sparkling as I looked for ways to pitch in.
Just freeloading like this was starting to prick my conscience.
I had to help where I could.
"Sure? Then could you shred some cabbage?"
Surprised by my unexpected offer, the owner gave a motherly smile and pulled a whole cabbage from the fridge.
"…Where's the knife?"
"Knife? Just tear it apart with your hands."
A fact I'd just learned for the first time.
You could shred cabbage by hand.
"The kid-size portions you eat? Tear it to about that size."
The master's order came in: kid-size shreds.
"…Hehe."
I glared murderously at the cabbage clutched in my tiny hands.
This thing. You've grown all plump and puffy, huh.
Ripe and perfect for eating.
"Farewell!"
I gripped the cabbage tight with both hands and yanked.
Crunch— The cabbage slowly split apart under the overwhelming force.
Splat!!
"Meng?!"
It shattered into hundreds of pieces, scattering across the kitchen floor.
"Lua, what was that noise…!?"
The owner, startled by the sudden bang, witnessed the carnage.
"……Hic."
I stood at the edge of the cabbage massacre(?), looking every bit the guilty puppy.
This… wasn't on purpose.
Is cabbage really that fragile?
Someone must've enchanted it with explosion properties. Ahaha.
"…Lua, you!!"
"Piyaatt!!"
The owner delivered a stern flick to the dragon girl's forehead.
"How did you make the cabbage explode?!"
"…J-just pulled on it…"
"Does pulling make it explode? Huh?"
"R-really… Hic!!"
"No lying allowed!"
Strength control wasn't just for holding pens.
"Meeeeng…!"
She yanked my cheeks, and I let out a cute squeal.
Hello. This is the dragon who can't cook.
After cleaning up the mess, lunch was cabbage overload burger.
All the ingredients were in exact portions—except the cabbage, which was three times the amount.
Just looking at the white shreds poking out from the bun made my tongue tingle with cabbage flavor.
"Yum…"
"Tasty…?"
"…Yes!"
Still delicious…
The owner's burgers were so good to begin with that adding extra ingredients didn't ruin the balance.
It was a bewildering slice of daily life, but…
"…Pfft."
"Ehehe…"
This was what true peace felt like.
Crunch— I bit into the cabbage-stuffed burger with an innocent smile.
"Sauce on your mouth again."
"Uung…"
Spotting the sauce on my lips, the owner gently wiped it with a tissue.
My tail wagged cutely at the natural skinship.
"All done!"
"Good. Was it tasty?"
"Yes!"
"No messing with food next time. Got it?"
As the enjoyable mealtime wrapped up, the owner petted my head, pulled me into a tight hug, and headed straight for the sofa.
"Myaaang…"
"What am I gonna do with you, you little disaster magnet? Hm?"
Completely trapped in her arms, she poked my cheeks.
She stroked my horns, petted my tail.
"Should I just gobble you up?"
The owner lightly nipped my ear with her teeth.
"Hyaa?! Owner!?"
"Ang nyang. Lua's getting eaten~."
Usually the cool beauty type, but with her defenses completely down around me, she was getting playfully mischievous.
"Unyat! Hiyak! N-not there…!"
I wriggled to escape, but every little nibble on my ear sapped my strength.
This… this was…!
Critical! Critical distance!!
My brain's command center was on fire, mini Luas scampering around screaming.
'Emergency!! Lua's rationality is melting!'
'Mi-ra Owner… heung…!'
'Snap to it! The assault isn't over yet!!'
The cool mini-captain Lua, sporting an eyepatch, tried to take charge…
"Got all grubby in just one day. Wanna bathe together?"
"…!!!"
…but the joint bath declaration utterly broke mini-captain Lua, leaving her slumped on the floor.
'…Ehe, ehehe. Bath with the owner…'
(For the record, my face was beet red as I meekly nestled in Mi-ra Owner's arms.)
"Lua? Lua?"
"Y-yes…"
I answered in a tiny voice.
"What's wrong all of a sudden? You're burning up."
"N-nothing… It's nothing…"
"You'll catch a cold like this. Let's wash up quick."
The owner scooped me up and carried me to the bathroom.
The hamburger-munching dragon has no regrets left, even if she dies today.
Whirr— The hairdryer hummed as pink locks whipped around.
"Lua. How do you want your hair styled?"
"Huh?"
The freshly fluffy Mi-ra Owner was drying my hair and asked.
Hairstyle, huh…
"…As cute as possible, please."
"Cute it is. Gotcha."
Since the owner loved seeing me cute, I requested maximum adorableness.
"I'll do it like mine when I was a kid."
Her skilled hands worked deftly, and soon cute twintails were complete.
"Kyao!"
Fatal cuteness levels! Iru-a of Lua's Hamburger charges forth!
"No standing on the chair."
"Keng!"
Too excited atop the chair, I got a light chop with her hand.
I shot her puppy eyes begging "cute so no scold," but she just kneaded my cheeks like dough.
"Mueeeng…"
"Sigh… What if you grow up a total glutton?"
With realistic worry, she stretched my cheeks long.
"Wan mawwy hambewgew…"
"You can't marry food, I keep telling you."
"Hing…"
Rejected on the hamburger marriage again.
Surprisingly, I'd been serious about it.
Having lived as a man past thirty, marrying one? No way.
And marrying a woman felt weirdly off with my gender swap.
(For the record, I felt deep familial love for the owner.)
Mom…? Sister? Big sis? Guardian?
Unclear label, but definitely something words couldn't capture.
Anyway. Today gave me energy to last a lifetime—no, forever.
"Then I'll live with you forever…!"
"Hm? You'll need a ton of money for that."
"I'll earn it all!"
"Good. Make me a billionaire before I turn grandma."
I snuggled into her soft embrace, rubbing cheeks as I made my promise.
I'd make the shop boom and turn Mi-ra Owner into a human cultural treasure—and ruler of the universe.
"Oh yeah. Lua, you haven't been up to anything weird lately, right?"
"…Hic?!"
Midst my aimless coquetry, she hit me with a sharp question.
Did she find out I snuck out last night?
"Lately, Grandpa's been weird, and so have you. Both super suspicious."
"Just your imagination…!"
I sweated bullets and tried to play it off, but the owner kept her axe-glare fixed.
"Really?"
"…Yes!"
She'd obviously worry, so I absolutely couldn't let the Arhat Nirvana Cult thing slip.
I feigned innocence with a bright smile, acting oblivious.
"Myaaang…"
The owner swept her snowy white hair behind her ear, stretched my cheeks reeeally long, and eyed me suspiciously.
"Guess it's just my imagination. Ok…"
Thank goodness, the suspicion was fading…
"…thought so? Spill it!"
"Piiiit?!"
…Nope. She yanked my cheeks harder and demanded the truth.
"Snuck out at dawn last night! And this morning, weird cult talk with Grandpa!"
My shoddy scheme clearly couldn't fool the owner.
"Tracking that Arhat Nirvana whatever, right? Obvious. You lied about the anomaly alert for that."
She released my cheeks and fixed me with cold, truth-demanding eyes.
"So…, well…"
I couldn't hold her gaze, hung my head, and spilled every truth.
From beating the kidnappers to investigating the cult bus convoy—everything.
"…Sigh. You should've told me sooner if stuff like that was going down."
The owner pinched her brow and let out a heavy sigh.
"Sorry… I didn't wanna worry you…"
I glanced cautiously and apologized. Soon, she gently petted my head.
"Still, tell me next time. We're family, right?"
"…!!!"
Family.
The word from Mi-ra Owner's lips made tears well up unconsciously.
"U, uuuee… Ue…"
Don't cry…!
Crying would shatter my dragon pride… pride!!
"Hueeeeng…!!"
Swept away by the tsunami of emotion, I bawled like a toddler.
What a leaky tear factory.
"Sorreeey…!"
Hugged tight by Mi-ra Owner, joyful tears streamed down.
The crying dragon.
"…Sniff."
"Better now?"
"Y-yeah…"
Tears dried, I basked in her comfort.
"So. Tonight, you're investigating that cult with Grandpa?"
"Yesh it ish…! But how'd you know…?"
My snotty voice garbled as I tilted my head.
How long had she been onto us?
"Obvious. Grandpa's pulled sudden stunts like this before."
"Grandpa has…?"
"Yeah. He's a big shot in the Management Bureau, y'know."
"…?"
Management Bureau?
Grandpa was Bureau?
Brain.exe stopped. Funny face frozen.
Then… what the heck had I been doing?
Tightrope walking blind this whole time.
Every grandpa action a test? Massive conspiracy flashed by.
"…Hic!"
Imagined anomaly disassembly-reassembly show; chills down spine.
"Pfft… Don't freak. If you were in real danger, Grandpa would've jumped in."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. Totally."
As my tail quivered in panic, she reassured me.
Right—Grandpa had endless chances to capture me.
First anomaly like me; maybe wanted to observe.
Trust built now—no more worries.
"Anyway, don't get hurt. I'll wait safe at home."
"…Yes!"
Her words done, I nodded fiercely, steeling resolve.
Arhat Nirvana Cult scum… Dragon with backup burns you all.
Blazing spirit; tail flapping nonstop.
That night.
"Been waiting, kiddo?"
"……Ssak?!"
"…? Why so jumpy. Ain't our first rodeo."
True to his word, Grandpa arrived on his cyberpunk autobike at dawn. Instinct locked my body stiff.
"Cold? Remake that furnace burger?"
"N-no…"
"…Hm, got it. Hop on. We'll talk en route."
I hopped lightly on back; bike shot up the building wall.
"Remember that Anomaly Association you mentioned?"
Anomaly Association.
The group the piper rat anomaly talked about.
"Looked into it solo, but intel's thin—still hunting. …But."
"…But?"
"Snagged info: Arhat Nirvana Cult and Association have a connection."
A cult consorting with anomalies?
Anomalies who saw humans as food—why team up?
"Cult's probably kidnapping folks under 'proselytizing' cover, offering 'em to anomalies."
"Arhat Nirvana sacrificing people to team with anomalies?"
Grandpa nodded, cranking the bike faster.
"Where we headed, Grandpa?"
"Subuti branch of Arhat Nirvana Cult."
"…Subuti branch?"
"Yeah. Not core base, but their Yongsan-gu outpost. Plan's infiltrate, grab solid intel."
Seemed like one of their hideouts.
"Almost there."
Grandpa's bike veered toward Yongsan Park.