Grandpa's Victory in the Dragon Hunt
I secretly turned my head, missing Mom, and approached the silent Kailian standing behind me. I lifted my front paws and gently tapped her legs.
“Kyua.”
Butler, give me a hug.
Kailian looked down at me with her head bowed, her eyebrows twitching in surprise at the way I had acted so grumpy earlier when the carriage had arrived.
“What’s up with you, Blanc? You were so cranky in the carriage earlier.”
“Kyung.”
Don’t talk nonsense, just hug me already. I’m lonely right now.
Feeling even more pathetic, I sat on the ground with my hips planted and stretched out both front paws, prompting Kailian to break into a soft laugh. She bent her knees and carefully lifted me into her arms.
She should have done this sooner...
As soon as I was nestled in Kailian’s embrace, I buried my face deep into her chest. I didn’t want to spoil such a touching moment with my usual gloomy expression. I closed my eyes tight and let my body melt against her warmth.
“Why are you acting like this, Blanc? Are you actually sick somewhere?”
Kailian, clearly puzzled by my unusual behavior, gently stroked my chubby rear and back.
Feeling better now.
Her kind, warm touch gradually soothed the melancholy in my heart.
“Yeah, well. I have Mom and Grandpa, and the butlers too...”
Comforting myself inwardly while leaning against Kailian, Lina suddenly stepped forward.
“Blanc-nim... would you like to try this?”
Lina offered a piece of the finest smoked meat with a gentle, caring expression toward the gloomy Blanc.
Sniff sniff...
My sensitive sense of smell caught the sweet, salty aroma of the meat, and my stomach growled loudly.
...After all that tension-building.
“Kyua.”
Give it here.
I turned my head sideways, snatched the meat from Lina’s hand, and began chewing slowly.
The savory flavor of the meat and the subtle apple tang made my tail wag a little.
“Kyua.”
It’s delicious.
Kailian, who had been watching Blanc with worry over his shameless, awe-inspiring appetite, let out a helpless laugh.
“Haa... I’m genuinely dumbfounded... that pig... I’m the idiot for worrying. Eat well, eat plenty.”
“Kyungng... chomp chomp.”
When you’re sad, you eat from the belly first, you dummy.
Kailian clicked her tongue but stroked my rounded belly, whispering that everything was fine.
While I was chewing the meat under the gentle strokes of Kailian and Lina...
“Sob... oppa.”
Gumiho and Lumia, who had stopped crying and composed themselves, approached me.
The two mother and daughter were clutching each other’s hands tightly, as if they would never let go again.
Their eye corners were swollen red from tears, but their faces were filled with happy smiles.
I leaped down from Kailian’s arms to greet them.
Now I don’t smell any sadness.
As soon as Gumiho saw me approaching, she bowed her head with great respect.
“If it hadn’t been for you... I would have closed my eyes in that cave and Seolhwa wouldn’t have survived either... Thank you so much. I will never forget this grace.”
“Kyua! Kyhaang!”
I saved my own brother too, so what. I’m glad we met.
I puffed out my chest proudly and shook my tail in triumph.
“Oppa...”
Lumia rushed over and tightly grasped my front paws with her small hands. Then she rubbed her tear-streaked cheek against mine.
Your fur is all wet... I’ll endure it because of you.
“Thank you, oppa. Really, thank you. I’m so happy that oppa is my oppa!”
“Kyung, kyua.”
Yeah, I like that you’re my little sister too. I’m glad we met Mom.
I licked Lumia’s face and gently patted her head.
Kailian, watching the heartwarming scene from a distance, chuckled and joined in.
“Our Blanc really is a meat-obsessed pig... yet somehow manages to get important things done in every way.”
“Kyaaang!”
Who’s a pig?! And I like fish too, you know?
“Ahem, ahem.”
Emperor Karsion, who had been silently observing the situation, cleared his throat to break the mood.
“Good. Thanks to Blanc, we’ve found the lost family. This emperor is truly overjoyed. But Kailian, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You said you went out to hunt and exterminate a massive magical beast. Yet you returned empty-handed without seeing any prey?”
“Kyua!”
That’s right!
At the mention of Grandpa’s words, my two ears perked up sharply.
That’s right! I have to brag about catching the dragon!
I dashed toward Gumiho, tail wagging wildly, and clung to her leg with a slap.
“Kyaaang! Kyua!”
Give it to me quick! It’s the perfect time to show off!
Startled by my urgent demand, Gumiho took a step back.
“T-that... no... it’s too narrow here! It’s too big to take out from here.”
Despite Gumiho’s protests, I wrapped my legs around her leg and looked up at her.
“Kyua! Kyaaang!”
The size is about the same! And I sealed it with ice, so it’s smaller now!
Before arriving at the palace, I had re-sealed the dragon after capturing it again, tying up the oversized beast so tightly that it had shrunk considerably.
If not now, I won’t get to see Grandpa’s surprised face! Grandpa wants to see it!
While I was pestering Gumiho, Lumia approached with sparkling eyes.
“Mom! I’m so curious what oppa caught! Can you show me just a little?”
Gumiho, overwhelmed by the request of her beloved daughter to the benefactor, let out a deep sigh and surrendered.
“Haa... I can’t disobey... Alright, alright. Your Majesty, please step back for a moment.”
Gumiho pulled out a small, luminous glass bead from the pouch hanging around my neck with a resigned expression.
“Hey! Wait!”
Instantly sensing the impending disaster, Kailian and Lina both reached for their heads and groaned in unison.
“...Just do it... I don’t know.”
“...This servant has tried her best, Goddess.”
Gumiho flicked her fingers and tossed the bead into the wide open space of the imperial palace garden.
With a flash of light, the seal on the bead shattered instantly.
“...What is that?”
Emperor Karsion’s face, which had been admiring the dazzling light bursting from the small bead, soon twisted in shock.
BOOM!!
With a deafening roar, a massive dragon appeared where the bead had been.
The dragon, its limbs bound and its jaws shattered, hung limply in a pathetic, majestic form.
“......?!”
KUWOONG!
The colossal dragon crashed onto the grass and the entire imperial palace trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
“A dragon! A dragon appeared in the palace!!”
“Protect Your Majesty! Quickly take care of the divine beast!”
The once-warm imperial palace garden instantly became a chaotic battlefield.
The royal guards panicked and drew their swords, their faces pale.
The chamberlain screamed and tripped over.
“Eh... ugh...”
At the sight of the massive dragon that had suddenly appeared before him, Karsion was instantly reminded of his past when he had dragged the bodies of magical beasts into his office and turned it into a mess. His vision swam with dizziness.
The emperor staggered backward, unable to steady himself from the revived trauma.
“B-Blanc... again... ugh...”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The guards quickly supported the trembling emperor. They alternated glances between the dragon and Blanc, who stood beside it with a bright, cheerful expression as if to say, “Did I do well?”
Tap tap tap!
I dashed under the wobbling Grandpa, planted my hips on the ground, and looked up at him.
“Kyua! Kyhaang!”
How is it? I released it because you wanted to see what I caught, Grandpa! This is something I caught all by myself?
I puffed out my chest and proudly demanded praise while looking up at Grandpa.
“The grass will be fine in a moment if I turn on my sacred energy and run around.”
“......”
Karsion panted heavily, alternating his gaze between the enormous dragon and his own grandson, who was wagging his tail at his feet and begging for compliments.
“H-hah... hehehe...”
Grandpa barely regained his composure and burst out laughing like a madman.
Why is he like this...?
Grandpa bent at the waist and lifted me, who was sitting on the ground, high into his arms with both hands.
“Good... our Blanc is truly amazing... You really caught a dragon?”
“Kyua!”
I caught it in one shot!
Grandpa stroked my head and back roughly, showering me with coarse praise.
“Why is this... my fur is all tangled, and the strength is even greater than usual.”
I glared at Grandpa with displeasure at the unusually rough petting.
Puuk!
“Kyung?”!!
Why are my cheeks being pulled!
Grandpa suddenly pinched my cheeks with two fingers and pulled them outward.
“Among all the assassination attempts I’ve faced, you were the best.”
Grandpa gritted his teeth and refused to let go of my cheeks.
“Kyua! Kyawung!”
You were supposed to show me! Why are you doing this!
I flailed my front paws in protest, but Grandpa refused to release my cheeks.
I showed it because you asked to see it... I’m genuinely upset...