Chapter 62
* * *
Meanwhile, around that time.
Asil, who had been taking a sweet nap in her baby dragon form for the first time in a while, had a short dream.
It was a dream where Edenber and Grandpa were looking at their empty wallet and wailing that they no longer had money to buy strawberries.
“Piyaaaa!”
No, strawberries!
Asil, whose cheeks were squished like a steamed bun against the cushion, bolted upright.
And she exhaled roughly, her entire body damp with cold sweat.
It was truly a tremendous nightmare. No money to buy strawberries!
Without strawberries, Asil would just be a hungry dragon, and a hungry dragon couldn’t use its strength. She couldn’t become a ferocious dragon.
It seemed like she was having this dream because of the absurd promissory note sent by the Skya Ducal House.
‘Bad human.’
Next time she saw the Skya Duke, she’d have to hit him hard. Asil clenched her fern-like front paw tightly and resolved.
After that, to erase the remnants of the nightmare, she went out to the training grounds to see the knight humans—
“Hah!”
“Hiyat!”
The knights’ training was anything but ordinary.
As if they were preparing for something.
Come to think of it, the maids had been talking about something like ‘hunting festival’ or whatever.
What was that? What were they hunting?
‘Not Asil, right?’
No way……. They weren’t planning to hunt Asil because they had no money for strawberries.
Recalling roast baby dragon for the first time in a while, Asil swallowed dryly.
In the meantime, Dylan, who spotted Asil first, came running over.
“You’ve come. I heard you’ve been sleeping a lot lately—is something wrong with you?”
“Pi, piya.” (Nooo, Asil is always a sturdy black dragon.)
It wasn’t that her sleeping time had increased; she was just creating an illusion of sleep to act as a human.
Asil blew away the wooden doll Dylan was swinging down with one front paw.
Boom!
See, Asil is always sturdy!
“Piya pi piya?” (But do the knight humans need money?)
She had mistaken the knights training as them collectively chopping wood because they had no money.
“Piya.” (Asil can help.)
She was willing to chop wood and even share a bit of the gold coins she had received a ton from Grandpa last time.
As a rich dragon, Asil puffed out her plump belly.
However, at Dylan’s following words, she tilted her head, unable to understand.
“No. Though there is prize money, more than that, I want to see how much I’ve grown myself. The others feel the same, I’m sure.”
“Piya pi?” (What prize money?)
“……Weren’t you talking with the hunting festival in mind?”
Otherwise, he couldn’t understand why money came up. Dylan blinked in bewilderment.
However, since it wasn’t the first time Asil said something offbeat, he explained the hunting festival from the beginning.
“The hunting festival is a festival where you hunt Arcs that inhabit near the capital for five days.”
Arcs were demonic beasts in the form of deer with enormous horns.
If you didn’t catch them in advance during this season, their numbers would explode, so the empire held the hunting festival every year.
Asil had vaguely heard about Arcs too.
They often appeared at the boundary of the beastkin forest and turned fields into wastelands, so the adults hated them a lot.
“The more Arcs you catch, the more recognition you get as an excellent knight. Last year, Duke Sunrize took first place. But this year…….”
He trailed off and glanced at one side of the training grounds.
Asil absentmindedly followed his gaze.
And upon seeing Edenber standing before the wooden doll, she hurriedly covered her mouth.
“Piyat!”
Oh my god, her husband was chopping wood!
She should have realized it from the time he wasn’t adorned with jewels all over his body like Arcian.
From the knight humans to her husband having no money—it was truly a big problem.
‘At this rate, Asil might never eat strawberries again in her life!’
Shocked, Asil yelled.
“Piya?!” (If you get first place there, they give you money?!)
“Of course. You receive an enormous prize. Not only does the family’s prestige soar—”
“Piya sat piya?!” (How can you get first place?!)
“It’s simple. By catching the most number of Arcs, or by catching the great Arc.”
“Pi!”
Good, got it. Asil would get first place and give money so her husband could buy strawberries freely!
Asil clenched her two front paws and struck a fighting pose.
Dylan, looking at her in a daze, hurriedly added the rest.
“I’m sorry, but Asil cannot enter the hunting grounds. Divine beasts are prohibited due to fairness issues…….”
No way!
But she couldn’t just sit back and watch.
There’s a saying: if you have no teeth, use your gums.
If she couldn’t go in divine beast form, she’d go in human form.
‘I’ll definitely take first place.’
So she’d definitely earn money for strawberries!
Asil resolved firmly.
* * *
The long-awaited day of the hunting festival.
Arcian dressed up the humanized Asil prettily in an active dress and the like.
While doing so, he didn’t keep his mouth shut the whole time.
“To want to watch the hunting festival. The blood of a beast of prey doesn’t go anywhere. You’re the spitting image of your dad, Asil.”
“I’m Mom’s daughter too.”
“Do you know what Dad did at Asil’s age? He jumped off a cliff in front of everyone. He got hurt pretty badly because he couldn’t fly yet, though.”
“That’s not good behavior.”
Asil furrowed her brow and took a few steps back.
Oh my, her dad had been quite the troublemaker beastkin when he was little.
“Asil only takes after Mom.”
“Even so, thanks to that, he gained quite a bit of fame. That’s when he met Briana too.”
When he was falling endlessly after jumping off the cliff, Briana flew beside him, chirping noisily that he was a crazy dragon, which kept him from losing consciousness…….
Recalling that time, Arcian smiled fondly.
However, at Asil’s following words, he had no choice but to shut his mouth.
“But Uncle doesn’t take after you.”
“…….”
He had tried to emphasize the trait of fearless beastkin of prey, but it backfired.
Asil, scowling, grabbed his pants as if scolding him.
“You can’t jump off cliffs.”
“Yeah, I don’t jump off anymore these days. And even if I did, it’d be fine. Dad can fly now.”
“Still no. Say you’re sorry quick.”
“……Dad was wrong. But are you perhaps worrying about Dad?”
“Nooo.”
She was actually worried, but too embarrassed to say it truthfully, Asil primly shook her head.
Seeing Asil like that, Arcian shed tears inwardly.
Our daughter is so heartless, wondering who she didn’t take after from Briana.
Then, at the heard words, he flinched.
“But this looks exactly like Mom’s.”
Asil was pointing to the diamond ring on his left ring finger.
To the young Asil’s eyes, wearing the same ring looked very nice.
As if they had matched friendship rings.
‘Asil wants to wear the same one too.’
“Does Mom wear this too?”
“Yeah.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
Asil pointed to her own left ring finger.
Arcian seemed to ponder for a moment before snorting.
“She probably didn’t take it off because it’s a hassle. Dad didn’t take it off for the same reason.”
“Give it to Asil. Asil wants to wear it!”
“That’s no good. Instead, Dad will buy you something even prettier than this.”
Whenever he said it was a hassle, Arsian said he absolutely wouldn’t give it.
He even hid it behind his back.
“But Asil wants to wear the same ring as Mom…….”
“Dad will buy a new matching one. It’ll sparkle, shining really prettily. Dad’s is all worn out and doesn’t shine anymore.”
“Got it.”
As Arcian said, new was much better than old.
Now Asil could wear the same ring as Mom too! Feeling good, Asil nodded.
* * *
You could go from the capital outskirts where the hunting festival was held all the way there in one go via warp gate.
‘Asil will definitely get first place.’
So she’d make her husband rich enough that he wouldn’t need to chop wood!
Harboring such grand plans, Asil tightly held Arcian’s hand and moved to the forest where the hunting festival was taking place.
At the entrance to the forest path, the servants of the nobles who arrived first were setting up the base camp.
On the other side, those participating in the hunting festival were checking their weapons and horses.
People from the Monlepe Ducal House weren’t visible.
Seeing that the base camp was complete, it seemed they had gone somewhere else for a bit.
Instead, Asil spotted others she recognized.
“Are you really thinking of participating in the hunting festival?”
It was the two siblings from the Skya Ducal House, Briden and Liribet.
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By Anna 💓
