Bright Sunlit Veranda.
Sitting on the chair and gazing at the sun, a gentle smile crept onto my face. Spring had fully arrived.
‘What nice weather.’
As a person serving the sun, spring was the most exciting season among the four seasons. After all, I could soak in the warm spring sunlight to my heart’s content.
In summer, my heart wasn’t quite as lifted. The hot and humid temperatures and scorching sun meant “judgment” in our Order, so I had to be solemn instead.
Of course, both spring and summer were better than winter. Winter was a season that should be outright rejected.
‘…Maybe that’s not quite true?’
Actually, I once had a rough time due to wronging one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings and suffering in the cold.
Perhaps because of that memory, I still felt unpleasant whenever winter arrived. It was a kind of trauma.
However, I’ve improved a lot now. It was a distant memory from my maiden days, and now, as a mother of three, it was merely a fleeting recollection.
Musing over this, I suddenly recalled those old memories. Looking back after a long time brought a grin to my face.
“What’s so funny?”
The interrupting voice of a meddler broke my reverie. I gently stroked the back of Young Dragon, who was perched on my lap, and replied.
“Hekatrith, did you have four seasons in the world you lived in?”
“Four seasons?”
Tilting her head in confusion, Hekatrith soon wagged her tail and said,
“No, there were only two. One filled with scorching heat and another with tiresome cold winds. I made it that way!”
“…Is that so?”
It seemed she truly was an Evil Dragon. But for now, she was just a “baby dragon.”
‘Not bad!’
Evil Dragon or baby dragon, either way, it was a fun joke that could yield a great reaction if used on a broadcast.
I opened my smartphone’s notepad and jotted down the pun I had just thought of below “Pet Dragon Young Dragon” and resumed enjoying the spring weather.
The spring sunshine was delightful, and the cool breeze blowing in through the open window felt good as well.
On a day like today, I wanted to take the whole family out to the park. I felt I would have to make time for that later.
Unfortunately, I had work to do right now. It was a task I absolutely had to complete for the future of our Order.
“Hekatrith.”
Calling her name quietly, Young Dragon lifted her head.
“Why do you call?”
“It’s time to start again.”
At my words, the flapping wings suddenly stopped. Simultaneously, her tail drooped, clearly a sign of her displeasure.
However, I continued undeterred.
“Please tell me the reason for the Guardian Dragon’s existence. This time, keep it brief and to the point.”
I posed the question like a teacher, waiting quietly for an answer.
“……”
But there was no response.
Why was there suddenly silence? A puzzled feeling washed over me as I looked down to see her pouting red eyes staring back at me.
“What’s wrong?”
“…I memorized everything, so why do you keep making me say it?”
Her voice was filled with the exhaustion of annoyance. At this point, it was pretty much open dissatisfaction.
It seemed she had grown tired of the repetitive memorization. It was disappointing for me as a teacher.
“I am a great dragon clan. I do not need to keep repeating things.”
“This is my teaching method. If it bothers you, feel free to leave my side.”
If one dislikes the temple, the monk must leave. A monk who can’t do that simply has to accept and live with it.
That sentiment was reflected in what I said, and surprisingly, Hekatrith understood my intent and sighed. Then, she spoke softly.
“The Guardian Dragon carries symbolic meaning. It is the protector of the sun’s radiant light and a dragon that symbolizes the Order’s authority. In other words, it can be said to represent the Goddess’s sunlight.”
I took a moment to evaluate what I had just heard and then clapped my hands.
“Excellent.”
It was a summary that could perfectly be described as flawless. She had exceeded my expectations.
Indeed, Hekatrith wasn’t dull-witted. She was simply stubborn and had a bad temperament that made her hard to deal with.
However, she had become somewhat obedient.
To be accurate, she only started to follow my instructions well after I had set her down in front of Liam about three times. It seemed that the best training for villainous personalities was handled by our former hero.
“Please tell me the process of how you became a Guardian Dragon, Evil Dragon.”
I tossed out the second question. This time, Hekatrith answered without any pushback.
“I was defeated by Hero Liam and had a chance to converse with Pope Clitia Eluke. Through our deep discussion, I realized the Goddess’s grace and decided to soar under the guidance of sunlight.”
“Very good.”
Her answer was exemplary, and a satisfied smile crossed my face.
Now, Hekatrith had roughly acquired the fundamental qualities of a Guardian Dragon. The mental training over the past week had not been in vain.
Of course, she still had a long way to go.
‘Too evil to be a Guardian Dragon.’
The first issue was, of course, her black scales. Couldn’t it plainly be seen that they were far from the holiness of a Guardian Dragon?
I wanted her to turn white, but due to Quick Eagle’s comment that it would evoke “whitewashing,” I left things as they were.
I didn’t know what that was, but since it came from a hero, it must not be bad advice. To avoid any trouble, I decided to comply.
Additionally, her violent nature was yet another problem to resolve.
“Grrr! Why on earth am I doing such trivial matters!”
Just then, Young Dragon, who had been quiet for a while, finally couldn’t hold back and tried to throw a tantrum. But it was merely flailing, so I firmly pressed down on her head to subdue her.
“Hekatrith, you still lack faith, it seems.”
Fortunately, the solution was clear.
I put pressure on her wriggling head and closed my eyes. Then, I forced Young Dragon’s eyes shut and began to mutter.
“Oh precious sun, there is a sprout here that has not been able to erase the shadow of the heart.”
“I’m not a sprout; I am the harbinger of destruction… Ouch!”
I hit her babbling mouth to quiet her and continued my prayer.
“To be honest, while you are a dragon that can be killed, reflecting on your virtuous past, I wish to guide you back to the righteous path. Please bestow sunlight upon the unfortunate dragon who became an Evil Dragon.”
Once I neatly finished the prayer and opened my eyes, Young Dragon had calmed down. To be precise, she looked sulky.
“Ugh, why did I come here and end up like this….”
Her regret was amusing, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. How did she not foresee this, with her ability to glimpse over millions of futures?
Curious, I promptly asked, and she explained with a sulky look.
“I have always envisioned the future and made the best choice. I learned of this place while peeking at the future.”
“Did you see a future relevant to this one?”
“…Honestly, it’s a bit vague.”
“What do you mean?”
As I idly played with her black scales, Hekatrith groaned and flicked her tail.
“This was the only possibility among the millions of futures I envisioned that was dark enough to be hard to grasp the true content. It was only a dim shadow, making it practically impossible to guess.”
“…….”
That was suspicious. Although she couldn’t precisely say why, I felt an unsettling chill.
“Don’t you think that’s ominous?”
“Of course. But I had no other choice. All the other futures were ones where I died at the hands of that eagle guy and his allies.”
“I see.”
Now I roughly understood what was going on.
From Hekatrith’s perspective, it was the best choice. Surviving meant it was ultimately the right decision.
But why did this future only look dark? Could it be linked to ‘that’ which forced me to choose the route back?
‘…What a headache.’
With no clues, I couldn’t continue speculating. The more I thought, the more my head throbbed, so I decided to give up.
In the first place, there was no way for someone like me to uncover the reasons behind a phenomenon that even Hekatrith, who could see the future, couldn’t explain.
I would need to consult the Goddess later. That would probably clear up some uncertainties.
Once I organized my thoughts, I nodded slowly and opened my mouth.
“In any case, you can no longer use the magic to see the future. Since it doesn’t seem to work out either way.”
“Not at all! What do you think I am!”
She puffed up indignantly, and I replied courteously.
“You’re a dragon who came over dimensions to conquer this world, only to be easily subdued and have your powers sealed.”
“…….”
The unfiltered truth struck hard, causing her flapping wings to droop weakly.
‘Cute.’
As I watched, I found myself increasingly fond of her. I finally understood a little why people kept pets.
I scratched Young Dragon’s chin with a smile on my face.
“But can you really see it?”
“Of course! I can’t see far into the future, but I can foresee things close to now!”
If that were the case, it would be highly valuable. If she could selectively pick only the futures that favored me, it wouldn’t be difficult to attain my goals.
“How many futures can you see? Still millions?”
I asked with anticipation, but the Guardian Dragon suddenly averted her gaze. Then she cautiously opened her mouth.
“…I can see one future.”
“…….”
That was an utterly negligible foresight.
“I can see that too. In five seconds, I’ll pet you.”
After counting to five in my heart, I gently patted her tiny head. With care and affection.
“Eheh…”
Clearly enjoying herself, Young Dragon let out a silly sound before hastily shaking her head.
“That’s not the level of foolishness! This is a truly determined future!”
“Is that so? Then go ahead and see it right now.”
“Wait a moment!”
Yelling energetically, Young Dragon began to wave her front paw in the air and whispered softly in a language I couldn’t understand.
Then, with a loud hum, her eyes began to glow ominously with a pitch-black hue.
I stayed still, careful not to interrupt, fearing the magic would falter.
After waiting for some time…
“Hmm…”
After a little while, the black light faded.
But instead of eagerly announcing what she had seen, Hekatrith surprisingly fell into deep thought.
Was it a serious future she witnessed? As I anxiously watched, she soon opened her mouth, which had been previously shut tight.
“It’s not good.”
It was such a sudden declaration that I couldn’t grasp what she meant.
“What do you mean it’s not good?”
“It refers to you, specifically. You will soon face great hardship, so be cautious.”
“…….”
Great hardships? That was far too vague to be cautious about. When I asked for additional details, Hekatrith remained silent.
What could it possibly involve?
It didn’t take long before I knew.
“Mom, Mom!”
“Mommy!”
Suddenly, my daughters burst onto the veranda, each grabbing one of my hands and dragging me toward the TV.
-Love, Load! Fly Up!
An animated show featuring Erina and Ibailla was playing on the TV. It was a cartoon depicting idol protagonists and friends performing vibrant shows.
At that moment, my daughters pointed at the singing protagonist and exclaimed.
“Do that!”
“Do it!”
It seemed they wanted to mimic what they were seeing in the animation. Such a childish request.
With Liam’s magic, I could easily mimic that level of performance.
Just as I was about to nod happily, Erina sparkled her eyes and tapped my thigh.
“Mom, you do it!”
“…You mean me?”
Then, Ibailla chimed in softly.
“You’ll look the prettiest, so it’ll suit you well.”
“…….”
Could this really be the hardship-filled future?
I slowly turned my head toward Hekatrith on the veranda.
The Guardian Dragon met my gaze and slowly nodded. Regrettably, it was the truth.
-Love Explosion!
At that moment, the adorably dressed protagonist shouted energetically.
Turning my head back to watch the animation.
As the cute protagonist winked, fireworks erupted in the performance area. The vibrant charm of her teenage girl performance shone brightly.
And my daughters were asking me to do the same.
‘…Me?’
Just imagining it made my head spin.
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