I was watching Seo-yoon chatting on the phone beside me.
“Wow, she speaks English well.”
Seo-yoon was conversing in English. She wasn’t completely fluent, but still pretty impressive.
When did she become so good at talking in English? It seemed she had been studying hard for a job during her time in that other world.
“I´ll talk to you later. Bye!”
Not long after, the call ended. I immediately started massaging Seo-yoon’s shoulders and asked, “How was it?”
“Not bad.”
Seo-yoon put down her smartphone and started typing on the keyboard. A document she had been working on was displayed on the monitor.
[Quick Eagle’s talking points for the media interview]
– Emphasize that the Evil Dragon can be reformed by detailing its past more thoroughly.
– Highlight that it can use various magics that would benefit society.
After reading through what she had written quickly, I nodded.
“It’s about time to set a release date.”
It had already been a week since the American Returnee, Quick Eagle, came to Korea.
On that day, the Evil Dragon invaded our world.
The final boss of the ‘Dread Dragon’, Hekatrith. The Evil Dragon that plunged the continent into endless war and death.
In terms of danger, it was rumored to be even more fearsome than the Demon King, planning to ravage the Earth. If this got out, many people accustomed to peace would be in for a shock.
“They must be causing a commotion.”
Luckily, Liam managed to fend it off right away, but my heart still raced at the thought. If our former hero hadn’t been around, the nearby Pacific nations would surely have suffered greatly.
That’s why we hadn’t made the announcement yet. We had to come up with a plan to ensure the public wouldn’t panic first.
It was the consensus of the three of us who were present at the scene.
“Can we really go public?”
At that moment, Seo-yoon suddenly frowned. Perhaps she was genuinely worried; she was examining the document with great care.
A lovely concern for the world’s peace. It warmed my heart.
I lightly smiled and patted my kind little sister’s back.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”
“…Are you sure?”
“Yes. Isn’t that why we’ve been discussing it all this time?”
Over the past week, we had kept in touch with Quick Eagle and developed strategies.
After the interpreting magic Liam cast ran out, it was mostly Seo-yoon relaying my opinions.
And thanks to that recent call, we finally reached a final decision on what to do. There was no reason to hesitate now; we had found the best way.
“Seo-yoon, please find a video editor.”
The fact that the Evil Dragon had appeared on Earth was set to be first revealed through our Order’s promotional video.
Former hero Liam effortlessly taking down a massive dragon. We hoped it would reduce the shock and also introduce our Order to the world.
This had been the plan since we began filming, but the real action came after that.
We had two strategies in mind.
The first was for Quick Eagle to explain that the Evil Dragon wasn’t as bad as it seemed deep down. Since it was the truth, there was no reason to hold back.
“We need to hurry if we want to align with Quick Eagle’s interview schedule.”
“Got it. I’ll try to find someone quickly.”
Nodding, Seo-yoon grabbed her smartphone and started typing. She still looked a bit doubtful, but she didn’t refuse the task.
Before long, her message was ready.
[Seo-yoon: We need to do some video editing; can you help find someone?]
It didn’t take long for a reply.
[Kim Yi-jeong: I’ll find someone by today]
[Kim Yi-jeong: Let me know your preferred editing style and payment, and I can find someone even faster.]
It was a response from Kim Yi-jeong, who had been hired as the external affairs manager after the recent incident. His message was different from normal; it exuded reliability.
So I was puzzled.
“Isn’t he working too well?”
Until a few days ago, he must have been a job seeker, yet here he was being super sharp. Compared to “I Want to Get a Job,” the contrast made it even more evident.
Could this be the power of consistent reading?
That made sense. He probably read a lot, leading to smoother speech and deeper thoughts.
“Seo-yoon, you should read regularly from now on. At least three books a month.”
Upon hearing my instruction as Pope, Seo-yoon’s eyes widened.
“Suddenly?”
“It’s not sudden.”
I sat on the bed and continued calmly.
“You’re my manager now. Isn’t it important to have some literary cultivation in a role like a Pope’s secretary?”
“…Just a little more playtime, okay? It’s only been a day since I quit.”
Having just left her job yesterday, our ‘Pope’s manager’ still wanted to take it easy. I could understand her feelings, so I let her be.
“Alright, just enjoy yourself until the end of this week.”
I was such a considerate boss. Where else could you find a patient employer like me?
“But you have to keep working on the iTube plans without stopping.”
“…….”
“Why are you glaring at me?”
“Let me play all I want.”
“I’m saying to handle your work while having fun. Is that too much to ask?”
It was a reasonable and flexible demand. As someone who pays her, I thought this was perfectly acceptable.
But Seo-yoon seemed to think differently. She looked at me with discontent and muttered.
“Old man.”
“……”
I met the defiant gaze of my little sister and frowned.
“This is why kids these days…”
No matter how much I thought about it, I hadn’t done anything wrong.
*
I demonstrated my benevolent nature by giving Seo-yoon her free time and stepped out of the master bedroom.
In the living room, Liam was playing with the kids.
“Where’s Dad? There you are!”
He was playing a game where he would cover his face and then reveal it again. Yet, surprisingly, Liam seemed happier than Rohan, who was just a kid. Why was he even more excited?
Meanwhile, the girls were loudly chatting near the TV. Their subject was a newly acquired winged reptile family member.
“Come here, Young Dragon!”
Erina was hugging a dragon the size of her body and giggling.
“Slippery body!”
Ibailla was also nearby, stroking the dragon’s body, intrigued by its shiny black scales.
‘What a lovely sight.’
Watching the kids have fun with a pet was heartwarming.
I thought it’d be great to film this and upload it to iTube. Cute kids and animals were the ultimate clickbait.
However, the dragon’s speech was a bit inappropriate for just uploading it casually.
“Y-you foul creatures! Get away from me!”
The black dragon, Hekatrith, struggled amidst the twins’ hugs and yelled.
“I am the great evil dragon leading the Tronja continent to ruin! Kneel at once!”
Hekatrith demanded submission, fully living up to the ‘Evil Dragon’ moniker.
But it wasn’t very intimidating.
With its tiny frame and now cute face, the ‘Evil Dragon’ could no longer hold the imposing presence it once had.
In a word, it was adorable.
It had exhausted its energy while crossing dimensions, and due to my Sacred Spell, its powers were kept in check too.
“Yong-yong is scary!”
“Right?”
The weakened Hekatrith was no longer scary and had already become the twins’ favorite. You could call it ‘Pet Dragon Yong-yong.’
‘Good pun there!’
An amusing idea suddenly struck me, and I noted it down on my smartphone.
Then, Yong-yong jumped in fright when I approached.
“Y-you, stay away! Sacred power monster!”
“A rude dragon, indeed.”
It seemed I needed to establish some hierarchy.
I gathered my Sacred Power in my hands and scattered it into the air like snow, elegantly, like the Ice Queen from an old movie.
“So pretty!”
“So pretty!”
The girls laughed heartily. Unsurprisingly, the evil dragon couldn’t join in the fun.
“Gyaaaaak!”
The evil dragon, rolling around in agony, finally flopped onto the floor. Even that looked cute.
It seemed now that it was calm enough for a conversation, so I picked it up in my arms.
I started petting its cold, black scales gently, whispering quietly so the twins couldn’t hear.
“If you don’t want to get spanked, you should follow my orders willingly.”
Even with the speech correction in effect, I could manage this level of ‘negotiation.’
“D-do you think a mighty dragon like me would bow to a girl like you’s threats?”
Though it spoke confidently, its voice and eyes were trembling. For a final boss, it was quite lacking compared to the Demon King.
I kept a gentle smile as I continued to stroke the evil dragon’s head, subtly gathering Sacred Power in my hands.
“It would be wise to watch your mouth. I know about thirty-seven methods to make you suffer without killing you. Would you like to experience one right now?”
“…….”
As I spoke kindly, Hekatrith, who had been prickly until now, finally quieted down. Indeed, peaceful dialogue was the key to unlocking closed hearts.
“Now, let’s have a chat.”
“…Fine.”
“Hekatrith, do you remember what you said when I restrained your power?”
A blunt reply came back.
“You said if I followed your words, you’d let me live. And I’m following well, aren’t I?”
“Lower your voice. You’re being loud.”
“No!”
Maybe the sudden loss of power confused it. It still didn’t seem to grasp its situation.
It looked like some education was needed. In such cases, it would be easy to ask a pet behavior correction expert for help.
“Liam.”
I placed Yong-yong back down beside Liam, who had been playing with the kids.
“Y-you’re making me do wrong!”
As soon as I sat the dragon down, it flapped its wings and tried to cling to me, but it was too late. I turned away decisively for the sake of its education.
“Hey.”
Liam grabbed Hekatrith by the scruff and whispered softly.
Of course, he wouldn’t use violence. He wasn’t that kind of man who would resort to savage methods for pet training.
In the first place, there was no need to flaunt power. Only gentle conversation was needed for behavioral correction.
“Do you want to get spanked again? Want a taste of the Holy Sword?”
“…….”
“I’ll be watching, so behave wisely.”
The trembling Hekatrith shut its mouth and settled down. It looked at me with pitiful eyes.
I disliked it too, but was it so bad compared to Liam?
Indeed, our former hero was an excellent negotiation tool. It was incredibly convenient to corner the opponent like this.
“Come here.”
I picked Yong-yong back up in my arms. Then, with a soft smile, I made my request.
“You must become our Order’s Guardian Dragon.”
At my words, Yong-yong gaped, staring at me for a long time before finally speaking.
“What’s the payment? If it’s worthwhile, I will work hard!”
Regrettably, it still didn’t have a good grasp of its position.
Could it be that its intelligence was lower than expected? There was a strong possibility. Deterioration could greatly diminish one’s wits, and it was a more common occurrence than you’d think.
“I will certainly provide compensation.”
I smiled kindly and presented a mighty offer.
“You will receive the Goddess’s grace and attention.”
“…….”
In an instant, the dragon’s expression soured.
“Is that it?”
“There’s more.”
Of course, there was more. I winked sincerely.
“I will also bestow upon you my love.”
I considered it a valuable reward.
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