Chapter 132: The Dragon’s Godfather Part 2

Thanks to Tondra's consideration, we were able to stay in its lair for the time being.

It was no small matter for a dragon to offer their lair which was the safest place for them. This showed just how much Tondra cared for the new generation. And also me, who was Legion's chosen godfather.

[Theo!]

"Alright, alright. I'm coming."

I put the stew which had been simmering for a while into a bowl. It was a cream stew packed with goat milk, butter, chicken, carrots, and broccoli. It was one of Legion's favorite dishes now.

"Here, it's still hot, so wait a bit before eating."

As I placed the bowl on the floor, Legion excitedly flapped his wings to cool the stew with the breeze he created. Honestly, he looked cute like that.

Legion had very clear preferences. He wanted to try the foods he had only observed but never tasted. Cream stew was one of those dishes. With eyes sparkling with anticipation, he carefully licked the cream stew.

Slurp, slurp, slurp…

"Do you like it?"

I patted Legion's head as he buried his nose in the cream stew and devoured it. Yes, eating heartily was much better than nibbling.

It reminded me of when I was raising Ayla. I carried her around all day and fed her warmed goat milk. Thanks to that, she has now become a very strong adult shadow wolf.

How long will it take for this one to grow up?

Since the growth rate of each dragon is so different, Tondra said that it couldn't give a precise answer. Some dragons keep growing until they die, so that said it all.

Anyway, it's a time of rapid growth, so I had to feed him well. After all, a healthy body is a healthy mind. In that case, I had to raise Legion to have a healthy body and mind so he wouldn't become the <Black Dragon Emperor>!

"Master!"

As I looked down at Legion with satisfaction, I heard someone calling me from afar. It was El who was carrying a heavy load on her back. Behind her were Ayla, Lloyd, and Aquila. I waved my hand to greet them.

"Wow, great job."

All three of them were carrying huge loads on their backs. It was all food for Legion. There was nothing immediately edible in the lair of Tondra who had been dormant for a long time. The surrounding area was a snowy mountain, so it was hard to find food. Therefore, we had no other choice but to go back and forth between the mountain range and the village. It would have been nice if we could open a portal, but since the magical barrier surrounding the entire silver mountain range was being maintained, it was not yet possible to open a portal between the lair and the village.

So, El, Ayla, and Lloyd had to travel back and forth between the village and the snowy mountain. Aquila also offered to help us. Using the shortcut Tondra had made, it took two days to travel between the lair and the village. El and Lloyd agreed to my request without saying anything, saying they could use this as training.

"Is Legion doing well?"

"Mmm, thanks to you, he is eating very well. He eats twelve meals a day."

"It's just like me!"

"…It seems so."

El certainly eats a lot too. Every creature I take care of seems to be a big eater. I shrugged and started sorting the food my companions brought.

"By the way, Aquila, how is the village atmosphere?"

Since Tondra returned, the situation for the Sherpas must have changed significantly. Aquila responded with a bright face.

"It's very good. Lord Tondra wrote a letter saying he would soon open the Silver Mountains. My grandmother and the villagers were all very happy. Although they're old and it's hard for them to come all the way here… they still want to climb it somehow, being Sherpas and all."

"They are really passionate."

"And we wrote letters to other family members who had left the village. It will take some time, but they will all return here. That's what it means to be a Sherpa."

"That's really great news. I'm happy to hear that."

Just thinking about the lively Sherpa village made me smile. Aquila who was also smiling brightly hesitated for a moment before speaking with difficulty.

"…. I really want to thank you."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"It's not sudden. I've been thinking about it constantly since I saw Rubaf… since I saw my father."

"…I'm sorry about your father."

"No, don't be. He finally found his freedom."

Aquila looked at me with slightly wet eyes, then gave a refreshing smile again.

"Thank you, Druid."

I took her outstretched hand and shook it. Is the reason she could speak so resolutely despite losing her beloved family because, as she once said, she herself was the 'mountains'?

I'm glad.

Just as I was about to get sentimental, something tugged at my pant leg. It was a black cat—no, it was Legion.

"Have you already finished eating?"

When I turned my head, I saw an empty bowl. Did he really eat all that? Impressive. I picked up Legion and patted his back as if he were a baby. Before long, Legion let out a small burp. Thankfully, no fire came out of his mouth.

"Are you sleepy now?"

A baby dragon isn't much different from a human child. He burrowed into my arms and began to doze off. Eat and sleep. Is this routine going to continue for a while? At least he doesn't fuss about sleeping which is a relief.

…To think this little one is the future Black Dragon Emperor, Legion.

The flying death, the black flame of vengeance, the butcher of the desert… Legion had many nicknames because of his notorious reputation. All of them were grand and terrifying.

He looks so adorable when he's sleeping though…

Could this little one really become the evil dragon who would one day devastate Roshan and trample the Western Magic Tower?

If I hadn't accepted the request from the Western Magic Tower…

If I hadn't discovered the dragon egg in the Swamp of Death …

It's horrifying.

I hadn't even considered the possibility of Legion's future appearance because it was supposed to be so far off…

Well, it was the same for El too.

The attack on the Barak Empire by the <Silver Lion> Reinhardt was also a distant event.

Just as with El, wouldn't Legion become a completely different being from the game if I raised him properly?

He might become a savior instead of a disaster for the continent.

…Maybe all these encounters are chances given to me.

A chance to rescue those who were about to fall into the dreadful clutches of fate.

A chance to save the world from being destroyed by them.

-Beep!!!

"Ah, Beepy. The mood was perfect just now. What is it?"

I was trying to be serious. Beepy who was in my inner pocket sprang out irritably and started pecking at the head of Legion who was sleeping. Of course, a dragon's scales wouldn't get scratched by a small beak, so Legion slept soundly without a hint of waking up. Beepy seemed even more frustrated; he flew around furiously while pecking and scratching with his claws and flapping his wings. Eventually, I had to stop him.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Beepy."

Why was he acting like this? He never did this to Ayla.

Ah, could he be a territorial one? Is that it? Ayla is a senior, but Legion is junior to you? I chuckled as I tapped Beepy's beak.

"Stop bothering him. Legion is part of our family now."

-Beeeep!!! Beep!!!

It sounded like he was screaming, "I never agreed to this!!!" To calm him down, I took out a ripe wild snowberry from my pocket and handed it to him. Beepy who had been flapping irritably quietly folded his wings and started pecking at the berry.

"Beepy, you're the older one, so bear with it, okay?"

-Beeep!!!

"Shh. You'll wake the youngest."

Clearly still displeased, Beepy clutched the berry tightly and flew away to perch on Ayla's head. Huh. This little one has quite a temper. Who did he get it from?

[Grrr…]

I patted the head of the deeply sleeping Legion. I could feel the magical power he was unconsciously emitting. Despite being just born, his magic was pure and powerful. Normally, people wouldn't be able to sense it, but as his godfather, our souls were already bonded, so I could distinctly feel Legion's magic.

Pure, powerful, and immense magical power.

Even that wasn't the entirety of it. He was just born, after all. This meant that his magical power would only continue to grow in the future…

To be able to share a dragon's magical power, this is certainly an attractive deal.

As Legion grew, the possibilities for what I could do would become endless. Except for purification and holy-type skills like [Blessing of the Forest], I could use a dragon's magical power for most of my skills. And as it happens, the skills I acquired as my level increased were those that consumed a lot of magic power. I didn't become his godfather with this in mind, but… honestly, it would be really useful. I understood why Khalid was so envious.

Speaking of which, what should I do about Khalid?

Khalid naturally thought he would be the dragon's godfather. Not just because of my promise, but because he was the most powerful wizard among us. So, I also thought Legion would choose him. After all, usually, the godparents of dragons were excellent mages…

I've never heard of a druid being a dragon's godfather or godmother.

But what could I do now that things had turned out this way? I never had a choice to begin with. I had only spoken of the "possibility," so I never lied… Regardless, I'd have to find some way to compensate Khalid later.

[Theodore.]

Just then, I heard a voice calling me from above. It was Tondra. It seemed it had finished its inspection of the Silver Mountains, as cold air emanated from Tondra's scales.

"Welcome back."

[Thank you.]

"Would you like something to eat?"

[That sounds good. But first, there's something we need to discuss.]

Something we need to discuss?

I looked up at Tondra with a puzzled expression on my face.

[Follow me.]