Chapter 134: Chapter 134: The Dragon’s Godfather Part 4
– Whiooooo!
The seemingly endless accumulated perpetual snow was continuously being sucked into the space ring gifted to me by Tondra. The internal size of the space ring was beyond estimation.
…Indeed, the abilities of a dragon are extraordinary.
Though I felt sorry for Khalid, there was an insurmountable wall between humans and dragons. No matter how skilled a wizard in Solen might be, in comparison to a dragon, they were just weak humans.
Perhaps if it were Claude, the future head of the Eastern Magic Tower and an archmage recognized across the continent…
Khalid would be furious if he heard this, wouldn't he?
Thinking about the arrogant wizard's scowling face made me chuckle. Of course, I could never say such things in front of him unless I had a death wish.
Anyway, the space inside the ring seemed more than ample; it was perhaps enough to fit a house or two with room to spare. This was practically a national treasure… Tondra was indeed generous. I should maintain a good relationship with the dragon.
[Theodore.]
"Ah, Lord Tondra."
They say even tigers appear when you mention them. Could it be the same for dragons? When I heard Tondra's voice, I stopped operating the space ring and looked in the opposite direction. Tondra, who was folding its wings and idly scratching its claws, was looking down at me with an expression that seemed to say, "Are you really having fun with such a childish toy?"
[Where is Legion, and why are you alone?]
"Ah, Legion just finished eating and fell asleep."
Legion had devoured an entire horned buffalo and then went to sleep. I had roasted three legs, steamed the ribs, and boiled, fried, grilled, and steamed the rest of the meat with various seasonings! My back had nearly broken from the work. After eating all that, he chewed on the bones like a dog with a bone and then fell asleep. Despite being less than a month old, he ate more than El and Ayla combined.
Thanks to this, Legion grew rapidly. He went from being the size of a cat to the size of a calf in just a week, and in half a month, he surpassed Ayla in size. The insane amount of food I offered had done its job well. His scales shone like they had been polished with shoe wax; they were gleaming even without light. This was a clear sign of being well-fed.
[In that case, for a moment…]
"Huh?"
[Excuse me.]
Tondra pressed the tip of its claw firmly on the crown of my head. Then, its unique magical power surrounded my body with blue lightning. The blue lightning started from the crown of my head where Tondra's claw touched and spread slowly to my neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, waist, thighs, knees, and ankles…
-Tzap!!!
At that moment, I was pushed upward again with a violent explosion. The black flames that started from my toes to drive out the blue lightning blazed violently up my ankles, knees, thighs, waist, stomach, chest, shoulders, neck, and finally the crown of my head.
-Whirr!!!
And finally, it exploded from the tip of Tondra's claw that was touching the crown of my head. Tondra smirked and withdrew the claw pressing on my head.
"…Could you please explain what just happened?"
[I was checking if the soul bond with Legion was progressing well.]
Soul bond!
To properly share magical power between a dragon and its godparent, a perfect soul bond was necessary. It was the unification of two souls as if they were "one body".
"Hmm, so, how is it?"
[It's beyond excellent, excessively so.]
Tondra murmured as it blew on the slightly scorched tip of its claw. Beyond excellent, excessively so—was that a compliment or an insult?
Tondra explained that the better the "connection", the stronger the soul bond would be, and as a result, the greater the effect of sharing magical power would be. To ensure this "connection" could take place smoothly, Tondra had given the young dragon its lair, which was free from any disturbances.
Thanks to this, we were living stably in Tondra's Lair and the "connection" between me and Legion developed smoothly, our soul bond strengthened, and the magical power sharing proceeded "perfectly".
[I was very worried, but at this rate, you can leave in a month.]
A month.
This is the time when a dragon undergoes its first molting. Once the first molting is complete, the dragon can freely use various types of magic, including dragon tongue. It seemed Tondra intended to send us back at that time.
This place is comfortable, but we can't stay here forever.
I too decided that it was the right time, so I nodded my head without saying anything.
[As I've already said, Theodore, Legion needs your help. He may look strong to you, but he is still young and fragile.]
"I will take care of him wholeheartedly. After all, I am his 'godfather'."
[That's good to hear. Even if you leave the Silver Mountains, if you ever need my advice and help, use 'that' anytime.]
"That?"
Legion pointed at my hand with the tip of its claw. Apparently, the space ring had another function. Something like a direct line to the dragon? That's amazing…
[Now, return to Legion.]
"Yes, Lord Tondra."
It felt more like becoming a nanny than a godfather… Would Legion grow up to be a dignified dragon like Tondra?
Let's do our best until then.
***
[Theo. Me. Food.]
"Just wait a bit."
[Theo. Me. Quickly.]
"I said wait."
Four well-prepared pigs were placed on a large iron rod and sprinkled with various spices. Two were generously coated with chili powder for a spicy flavor, while the other two were seasoned simply with salt and pepper.
"Alright, Legion. Remember what we practiced? Don't burn them. Cook them very gently."
[Theo. Me. Remember. Gently.]
"The fate of tonight's dinner rests on you. Can I trust you?"
[Theo. Me. Trust.]
Legion flapped his wings and wagged his tail excitedly. Then, he settled down and opened his mouth wide before spewing out black flames.
Whoosh!!!
If people knew we were using a dragon's breath to cook roast pork, they'd be stunned.
But with that powerful fire and perfect control…
With such a perfect living gas burner, it would be foolish for me to roast four pigs myself.
Legion tilted its head this way and that, cooking the pigs evenly as instructed. The pig skin sizzled crisply, the pork turned a delicious golden brown, and the aroma became mouthwateringly fragrant.
"Alright, Legion. Let's lower the heat now."
[Theo. Me. Smaller. Fire.]
Legion cautiously reduced the intensity of his breath as if gently blowing. While the delicious roast pork was being finished, I prepared the side dishes.
I brushed butter on potatoes and corn, roasted them to a crisp, diced and fried carrots mixed with mayonnaise, and prepared rye bread loaded with walnuts. I also made a creamy soup with assorted mushrooms.
For drinks, we had snow strawberry juice chilled with perpetual snow and black beer from the village. The beer was for the adults, while the juice was for El, Ayla, Beepy, and Legion.
"Where did I put the cinnamon powder?"
I coated the rims of the black beer glasses with sugar and cinnamon powder. When taking a sip, the blend of cinnamon flavor, the sugary sweetness, and the bitterness of black beer created a heavenly harmony. Ah, I used to drink this often!
"Ayla, the meal is ready, so please call everyone."
-Kuun!
[Theo. Me?]
"Legion. You did really well. Now sit and wait; I'll get your portion ready soon."
We moved all the roasted pigs onto the large table and placed the dishes around it. Just then, Lloyd and El who had been repairing the bridge for a while came in from outside, They were covered in snow from head to toe.
"Achoo!"
"Oh no, El, you'll catch a cold. Have some soup first."
"Sniff, thank you, Master."
"Lloyd, please eat first too. I'll take care of the kids before I sit down."
I gave a whole roasted pig to Legion, another to Ayla, and half a piece of rye bread to Beepy. Then I grabbed a beer and returned to the table.
"Have you already started?"
"Oh, Tondra."
Tondra arrived right on time. With a dazzling silver hair and an elegant demeanor, Tondra who had polymorphed sat gracefully at the table and took a sip of beer.
"Hmm. This is an interesting method."
"Let's just say it's a tradition from my hometown."
I smiled and sat down opposite Tondra. Thanks to roasting it all at once, the pigs were overflowing with juice. There were also sweetly roasted potatoes and corn, tangy carrots, and healthy rye bread. Not a single dish was lacking. I cut a rib from the spicy roasted pig and asked Tondra as I placed it on her plate.
"By the way, Tondra, there's something strange about Legion's scales."
"Scales?"
"Yes, they seem less shiny and appear dull."
"Ah."
Legion nodded his head as if he understood.
"It looks like it's time for him to shed. How long has it been?"
"About two days."
"Then it will be tonight or tomorrow night."
"What do we need to prepare?"
"Nothing. Just stay by Legion's side."
"That sounds easy yet difficult at the same time."
Well, if there's a problem, I can call Tondra. I shrugged and continued eating the ribs. The juice is incredible. When it feels a bit too greasy, a sip of beer… Ah! This could go on forever!
But tonight, I have to watch over Legion's shedding process…
I had to hold back. As his godfather, I had to show restraint. I smacked my lips and turned my gaze away from the beer. I could drink beer anytime, but Legion's first shedding would only happen once.
Is this how a father feels…?
I let out a small chuckle and glanced over at where Legion was. Unlike Ayla, who tore into the meat savagely like the shadow wolf she was, Legion ate the meat neatly and almost like a noble. When our eyes met, he bared his sharp teeth in a smile.
[Theo. Delicious.]
…Now, that sight only seemed cute to me.
[A/N: Sorry guys, I really have no clue as to the gender of Tondra and Legion. But from the flow of the story I am assuming Tondra is female and Legion is male.]
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