If only I were a newborn baby, I wouldn’t remember anything.
Because I possess the spirit of a grown god, I felt even more embarrassed.
He rolled his body from side to side, his ears turning bright red as he squirmed.
At that moment, a ripple in space was felt.
The creature looked at Christina peacefully, as if asking when it had ever rolled around.
“Have you been good?”
“Kyu.”
“Okay.”
When Christina saw the milk bottle she brought, her mouth watered.
She approached and gently lifted the creature’s lips to examine its teeth.
“It seems like your teeth haven’t fully grown yet. Is it okay to only drink milk? The Red Dragon’s child wanted to eat meat as soon as it was born…”
“Kyu!”
“Carnivorous, huh?”
The creature nodded its head.
“You understand me well. You’re very smart.”
Christina smiled and stroked the creature’s soft head.
“You seem to be the smartest creature I’ve ever seen.”
“Kyu.”
“Well, you can’t really compare it to a real baby. But the way you’ve been acting so far seems to have an effect.”
He made an effort to act childish and immature to avoid appearing too calm or mature, and it seemed to be paying off.
“Your eyes are round and shiny, and your scales are attractive.”
“Kyu, kyu.”
“That’s a relief.”
It was fortunate that his appearance, which could have been treated with disdain, was pleasing.
Even though he might look like a baby hedgehog, his glossy black scales were smooth and eye-catching.
“Hehe, you look happy. I wonder if it’s because of your mood or if you can understand what I’m saying. Probably not, but still.”
He realized he had been casually wagging his tail and stopped.
“Was I… happy?”
Feeling a sense of awkwardness, he inwardly cleared his throat and lowered his head.
He wasn’t sure how to deal with emotions he rarely experienced.
But he couldn’t just stay still, so he stretched his arms towards Christina.
In response, Christina held the creature, the hatchling, in her arms and lightly kissed its cheek.
“Are you asking to be hugged?”
“No, I… I wanted milk.”
But it was necessary to gain her favor. After contemplating for a moment, he closed his eyes.
“Kyuuk.”
As he embraced her, he tightly held Christina’s neck.
“You’re so adorable. You’re the cutest hatchling I’ve ever seen.”
“You say that every day.”
Anyway, he nodded his head satisfactorily, thinking that his performance was perfect.
“Now give me the milk.”
With a clear intention, he stared at Christina’s face, causing her to make a surprised expression.
“Oh my, get a hold of yourself. I forgot it’s mealtime.”
“Right.”
Since Christina’s milk helped him build strength, they always made sure to have regular meal times.
She carefully placed the creature’s body in the crib and searched her waist for a pouch.
“Here it is.”
She took out three bottles of milk, each containing one liter.
The creature’s eyes sparkled.
Christina opened the lid and handed it to the creature, which held it with its front paws.
He carefully tilted the bottle against his mouth, making sure the milk didn’t spill.
Glug, glug.
“Drink slowly.”
The creamy and smooth milk flowed gently down his throat.
“It tastes good. And it gives me energy, so I can’t stop drinking.”
In his previous world, he might have thought it was a tonic sold on the market.
He quickly finished one bottle and eagerly raised his head as Christina handed him another open bottle.
“If milk has such an effect, I wonder if there are more useful things?”
Suddenly, that thought came to his mind.
Episode 5… It was satisfying.
It was a story with a fairly high possibility.
In this world, he could only consume food that an underdeveloped baby could eat.
But his body would gradually grow, and as his teeth developed, he would be able to eat more solid foods.
There might be a medicine that had effects beyond his imagination.
“I hope I can find out.”
After finishing all the bottles, he felt full and his belly bulged.
“Kyu…”
He gently rubbed his belly with his short hands and lay down in the crib.
Whenever he tried to resist sleep, the instinct of his young body overwhelmed him, making him lethargically fall into slumber.
“Both this crib and this place are so comfortable.”
In his previous life, even when he found a territory and established it, he had gone through quite a bit of hardship.
Even though he was considered a god, the competition for good territories was fierce, so it was unavoidable.
Unlike other places, this place had an overwhelming raw energy that couldn’t be matched.
The conditions were ideal for practicing and controlling all things.
It was a bone-crushing training, but the effects were undeniable.
“It’s comfortable not to have to meet people unnecessarily.”
He had set up a barrier, but the sudden surges of energy were so intense that rumors spread, and no one dared to come near this place.
“Until it becomes an island to offer sacrifices…”
Strangely enough, when he started to control nature for his training, storms began to disappear, and natural disasters became rare. As a result, rumors spread among humans. It was said that the sea near the island where he resided was being protected by the Dragon King. “It was good that he accumulated virtue while benefiting humans.”
From that day on, the island he lived on became known as the “Island of Sacrifice,” a literal island where sacrifices were offered. It was an ignominious title that he never wanted. He simply ignored whatever humans said, turning a blind eye to their words, believing that it would reduce the number of people coming to the island, even though there might be rumors of ominousness.
However, upon reflection, he felt a slight sense of regret. “What if I hadn’t simply turned my back on them and tried to have a conversation?” At that time, he dismissed humans as beings who created both reverence and fear, who were both the objects of resentment and the desired objects of hope.
Calling him the Dragon King and having expectations, humans expressed both disappointment and anticipation. Seeing them begging and wishing for their well-being, his brow involuntarily furrowed. Although he had to continuously accumulate virtue in order to fulfill humans’ desire for peace in the world, no matter how much he might be a divine being, he could never fully meet their highest expectations.
In such cases, without fail, humans sent offerings, but it was something irrelevant to him, the weaponless one. There were days when he intentionally let go of control to a certain extent, and on those days, the once calm sea churned and disasters occurred. Humans started offering sacrifices, believing it to be the wrath of the Dragon King. Suddenly, a bitter laugh escaped him. “I never asked for what they wanted, to create the results they desired for themselves…”
It is said that they sent mountain offerings, precious treasures of gold and silver, rare objects, and even the heads of sinners to be heard later. It might seem desperate, but the price he desired was not something they could provide. He simply aspired to ascend and performed his self-chosen duty without expecting anything in return.
Still, as he grew as a divine being, his power increased, and the occurrence of natural disasters caused by mistakes decreased. For 999 years, he had been diligent and fulfilled his self-imposed mission to bring peace to heaven and earth. “I didn’t know that the price would disappear like a bubble.”
Feeling his tension dissipate, he yawned, realizing that his mind had become more preoccupied. “Well, it’s just a past that’s already gone.” Since he had embarked on a new life, he resolved not to die unjustly and to become strong enough to live for himself, without the need to help others. “From now on, I’ll live for myself.”
He couldn’t be blamed for being selfish. After all, isn’t it natural to be deceived by anyone you trust without caution? Even if the world changed, his perception could not. The reason why Christina, who appeared to be a powerful divine being, was initially difficult to believe was because of that. However, watching her come twice a day, checking on him and bringing fresh milk, he felt a consistent affection.
“Besides, she’s helping me. Actually… it’s impressive that she consistently delivers milk even though it’s not her own child.” From the moment he first saw her, there was something different and memorable about her presence and impression. Being sensitive to the energy that exists as it is, he could be sure.
“Although she seems to have her own story… she can’t be just someone who delivers milk.” Just seeing her for a month, he knew that Christina was not an ordinary person. Sometimes, when he heard her talking to the weaponless one, she seemed experienced and knowledgeable among the Dragon race and the human world and other races.
“Thanks to her, I’ve learned various information about this world. It was a great help in getting to know it.” There were also personal stories. The story of the Red Dragon’s child, who had the greatest age difference, and the difficult situation of the Blue Dragon. The pitifulness of the Green Dragon, and so on. None of these were trivial stories. If he knew that he understood every story she told, he wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about them freely.
“She probably thinks I won’t understand, so she feels comfortable talking about it.” Frankly, he didn’t want to hear about other people’s affairs, but it wasn’t difficult to listen to the stories. Moreover, listening was his way of showing consideration for the weaponless one.
“Sometimes, just letting out one’s story can alleviate a sigh.” It wasn’t his way, but if it helped her, he could pretend not to know and listen to her comfortably. “Thanks to her, there are hardly any words I can’t understand now.” What used to be sporadic disruptions completely disappeared recently. It was an unexpected gain. Hearing clearly eased the frustration he had been feeling. Of course, if there’s something to gain, there’s also something to lose. He still had to do things he wasn’t used to.
“Little one, smile. Can you smile?” For some reason, he made the request for that ‘smile’ every time he came. “It would have been an unreasonable request if I were the same as before… But now, I can gain a lot by pleasing her. It’s reasonable to return what you receive.”