Chapter 8
After arriving home.
I washed the dirt off Terra, who was buried under a mound of it, then collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
It seemed all the fatigue I’d built up lately had hit me at once.
Well, a lot had happened all of a sudden.
Anyway, when I woke up, the first thing I saw was…
“…Is this really a hatchling?”
Terra was sleeping right beside me, hugging my tail tightly.
…Was it because of the form she’d taken with Polymorph?
Well, at least that’s a relief.
If she’d turned out to be a burly man after polymorphing, I would’ve made him sleep in the shoe cabinet.
“Mmm… Lady Goldie? Huh?”
“You awake?”
“Gasp… I-I’m sorry!….”
“It’s fine. These things happen.”
The moment she opened her eyes, she jumped in surprise and sprang away from my tail.
As is true of most creatures with tails, touching someone’s tail without permission is extremely rude.
The same goes for horns.
She seemed surprised herself that she’d been hugging it the whole time.
“Let’s eat breakfast first.”
“O-Okay.”
We were having mackerel for breakfast.
There wasn’t any particular reason. Ha-eun had sent it to me, and it was getting close to its expiration date.
Well, I might as well grill all ten of them.
Obviously, even in human form, dragons eat a lot.
Sizzle—
As the sound of mackerel grilling filled the room, Terra cautiously came over to my side.
“What should I do?”
“You? Just sit there.”
“But….”
“I’ll have something else for you to do, so just wait for now.”
“Understood.”
Was she worried about being in my home?
She could just relax.
And if I really did make her do something, I felt like I’d get reported for child abuse….
Clatter—
I brought out the grilled mackerel and a few side dishes, then set the table.
Terra, who’d been sitting at the table, looked back and forth between me and the food with shining eyes, as if remembering yesterday’s hangover soup.
Well, she’d probably spent her whole life eating dirt and rocks.
Just smelling such flavorful food would be enough to make her eyes spin.
“Don’t be shy. The fish has bones, so be careful.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Despite answering so promptly, she just sat there staring blankly at the food with a spoon in her hand.
…Come to think of it, she couldn’t use chopsticks.
It wasn’t until I found her a fork that she finally started eating.
“Is it good?”
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
Man, she’s easy to please.
Was this really the same one who’d fired a Heat Ray Breath at me yesterday?
She’d turned into a little kid who looked like she hadn’t eaten in days….
“So, about that. You’re an Earth Dragon, right?”
“That’s right.”
“As far as I know, Earth Dragons are experts at processing gems.”
“That’s right.”
“You can keep living in my home… I mean, my lair. So, when I need some gems processed, could you help me out?”
I hadn’t called Earth Dragons experts for no reason.
No matter how low their rank, there were definitely fields in which dragons could do things I couldn’t.
For Earth Dragons, that field was gem processing.
In a way, it was exactly the skill I needed right now.
A gem’s value could vary enormously depending on whose hands it passed through.
Besides, I was going to be responsible for her anyway.
Wouldn’t it be better if we both benefited?
“I’ll fix up a room for you when I have time, so you can use it. I’ll put down some of the dirt you brought yesterday, too.”
“Then… will you keep preparing meals for me?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll do it.”
I chuckled at her answer.
Maybe swallow your food before you answer.
“However, there is something I would like to ask of you as well….”
“Hm? What is it?”
“I don’t know if I dare ask, but… would you be willing to form a contract with me?”
Oh, a contract?
Hmm….
“Are you trying to raise your rank?”
“I would be lying if I said I had no desire to.”
The contract she meant was exactly the same kind I was planning to form with Ha-eun.
But if it was a contract between two dragons, rather than between a dragon and another species, it meant something entirely different.
You could call it a sort of sworn-sibling bond.
Of course, there were cases where they truly accepted each other as family, but….
Right now, she wanted to raise her rank.
The only way for a dragon to raise its rank was to form a bond with a higher-ranking dragon and earn the right to do so.
Of course, that only gave her the qualifications. She’d have to work hard on her own to actually rise in rank.
But…
“No.”
“…I thought as much.”
A contract was a very delicate matter and a major choice in both my life and Terra’s.
For starters, I could only have three contractors at a time.
And it would cost at least 100 million won, so I couldn’t just give away a spot lightly.
…But when I rejected her so curtly, she looked like she was about to cry.
Ah, seeing her like that in that form made me feel a little weak….
I’d meant to explain the rest a little later.
I might as well tell her now.
“That said, I’m not completely against it. If you listen to me and prove helpful from now on, I’ll consider it.”
“…! Understood! I’ll do my best!”
Her expression brightened again.
…Had I always been this soft on kids?
“All right. Looks like you’ll have a lot to do from now on.”
“What do you mean?”
“First, we have to pick a name for you. After you finish eating, I’ll start a stream.”
“…Pardon? A name?”
“You don’t have a name I can call you by. It’d be weird to keep calling you Earth Dragon.”
I wasn’t very good at coming up with names, but I had an idea.
“I have a bad feeling about this… but all right.”
***
….”
“Hey, hey! Don’t mess around!”
- No, naming her after the boss is cool. “Goldie Roger”
- Since she’s an Earth Dragon, how about Earthworm?
- Nuooongㅋㅋ
- Puppy?
- [★SwordIsGood] How about Tororong?
- Dirt (Eat) Dragon
- [GonnaDie] How about Fold the Earth and Run?
“Sigh… Ha-eun, even you….”
[Earth Dragon Naming Contest]
I was sure it’d been a decent idea.
It had turned into a complete disaster.
There was nothing but people messing around.
Even Ha-eun was joking around.
“Hey, you guys! You can’t mess around with someone else’s name like that!”
- Aww
- We’ve always been serious
- [NotAtAllSuspicious] How about the most beautiful woman in the world?
- [LushGreen] Daesik
- [KoiKoi] How about Ogwang??
- Kwak Chun-ja, go for it
- [ThiefGirl] Daesik sounds good
Honestly, what a bunch of trash.
There’s no point in telling them anything.
[HarvestBumper donated 100,000 won!]
[Tororong is pretty good, though?]
“…Earth Dragon.”
“I refuse.”
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- That was a swift rejectionㅋㅋㅋ
- How can a girl’s name be Tororong?
- It’d be hilarious if the teacher called roll at school and went, “Tororong~”ㅋㅋ
“Then how about Tororong as a nickname?”
“What’s a nickname?”
“Um… like a handle? See, that person’s nickname is HarvestBumper. It’s used separately from their real name.”
“Like an epithet.”
“Something like that.”
A nickname could be something cute.
But I couldn’t let these guys pick her actual name….
Hmm….
A name that suited an Earth Dragon…
“Hmm… Oh! How about Terra? Terra, the goddess of the earth.”
- Isn’t Gaia the goddess of the earth?
- Terra’s a goddess tooㅇㅇ
- Not bad, actually
- [SamuraiKim] This is Korea. Give her a Korean name.
- What’s this guy’s problem?
- [★SwordIsGood] Terra’s really nice!
“What do you think?”
“I think it’s a good name.”
“Really? Then Terra it is! Don’t forget, I’m the one who named you.”
“Understood.”
I’d picked it in a bit of a rush, but it was still much better than the names the viewers had suggested.
All right, her name was settled.
Now, should we move on to the most important thing?
Swish—
“…? Where are you going?”
“I should check your abilities, too. I’ll go to a nearby Gate and mine some mana stones, so hang out with the viewers for a bit.”
“Pardon…?”
“I’ll buy meat on my way back!”
- ?
- Abandoning a child ㄷㄷ
- Now she’s making a little kid fill in for her on stream, too
- Boo, you’re trash
- Boo, Goldie
- [★SwordIsGood] Unnie??
Click—
….”
Left all alone, Terra looked around in bewilderment, then turned her eyes to the screen where the comments had been appearing earlier.
- Terra, what are we doing now?
- Should we play,, patty-cake with uncle,,^^?
[ChildProtectionCenter donated 50,000 won!]
[Have some snacks, Terra^^]
“Snacks? And what’s patty-cake?”
- Gasp
- [ChildProtectionCenter] Don’t use casual speechㅠ.ㅠ
- How about playing a game?
- The boss should have some games logged in
- Okay~ This is called clicking
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Explain it one thing at a time. And who are all of you? Do you live inside this stone?”
- I’m a spirit who lives here!
- Hold it like that and press the blue thing below
- Then hit the arrowㄱㄱ
- [HarvestBumper] Hey, you crazy bastards, what are you doing;
- It’s a free game, so it’s fine, isn’t it?
- [★SwordIsGood] N-no, Lady Earth Dragon? I mean, Terra…? You can’t just press stuff like that!!
“The arrow? You mean this?”
[Would you like to make an easy payment?]
- No, no, no, not that
- [★SwordIsGood] Please take your hand off the mouse!!
“Payment?”
Click—
[Payment complete.]
[Deluxe Starter Pack - 148,200 won]
- Ohㅋㅋ
- Huh
- Is this okay…?
- [★SwordIsGood] .
***
About two hours later.
I’d made a quick trip to an E-rank open Gate near my home and mined a few low-grade mana stones.
Then, as promised, I stopped by the butcher’s shop to buy some beef for dinner and went to pay.
“Oh, miss, it says you don’t have enough money.”
“What? Huh… that can’t be right.”
For some reason, my payment was declined due to insufficient funds.
I’d earned more than 700,000 won from yesterday’s stream and the Gate alone…?
And I’d only spent about 100,000 won on my way out just now.
I should’ve had at least 600,000 won left.
“Wait a second. How much is it?”
“Just 90,000 won.”
[Would you like to sell 9 low-grade mana stones?]
[Sale price - 90,000 won]
“Please run it again.”
I sold a few mana stones to cover the bill, and when I stepped out of the butcher’s shop again…
Ring-ring—
“Hello? Ha-eun?”
Ha-eun was calling me.
“I-I finally got through!… Unnie, there’s a huge problem!”
“Hm?”
“W-Well… Terra played a game on stream….”
“And?”
“Um… you left easy payment turned on, unnie….”
Easy payment?
Oh.
No way.
“…She’s spent 580,000 won on Fantasy Story so far.”
“What?”
…This won’t do.
Terra, you’re exiled from my lair starting today.
***
Click—
I hurried home as fast as I could and flung open the door.
“Why won’t this work?”
- Looks like you’re out of money?
- Was the boss broke?
- Guys, this is a crime;
- Isn’t it the boss’s fault for not turning off easy payment?
- What bullshitㅅㅂ
- Uh, hey, look behind you
Smiling, I approached her as she was so absorbed in the game that she hadn’t even noticed me come in.
“Terra?”
“Oh! You’re back? Look at this! My combat power keeps going up. I can’t believe there’s something like this….”
Grasp—
I placed my hand on top of her head.
Then, as I slowly moved it, my hand touched her rock-like horn.
“W-Why are you doing that…?”
“I was just wondering how I could break this thing off.”
“W-What?!”
- Gasp
- Child abuse caught on camera ㄷㄷ
- Don’t say that while you’re smiling;
- Boss, calm down!!!
- [★SwordIsGood] No, unnie! At least turn off the stream first!
- ? No, stop her
“Do you know what you did?”
“Um… uh….”
“You took things from the treasure in my lair and used them without even asking?”
“…!! W-What treasure? I didn’t take anything—”
“Not all treasure is visible to the eye.”
I gently wrapped my hand around Terra’s right horn.
Her body trembled, and she looked up at me.
“I-I’m sorry. But… if I’ve offended you, Lady Goldie, and used your treasure without permission… I deserve whatever punishment you deem appropriate….”
Then this little girl squeezed her eyes shut and said she’d accept her punishment.
“Sigh….”
I’m seriously going to lose my mind.
What am I even doing to a kid like this….
She probably hadn’t even known what she was pressing.
“…?”
I let go and spun the chair Terra was sitting in around to face me.
“I guess it’s my fault for leaving without explaining things properly. Sigh… I’ll think about that later. First, let’s do something else.”
“…What?”
“Here, do you see this?”
I took eleven low-grade mana stones out of my pocket and showed them to her.
I’d originally brought twenty, but after selling some at the butcher’s shop to cover the bill, I only had eleven left.
Still, someone like Terra, an Earth Dragon, should be able to show me something.
“These are… ore containing mana.”
“Can you process them?”
“Process them? …Understood.”
After I handed over all the mana stones, she rolled them around in her hands, then suddenly opened her palm.
The mana stones floated slightly above it, as if they were levitating.
“What kind of power would you like me to give them?”
“Let’s keep their shape for now. Keep the energy the same, but compress them to increase their hardness.”
Terra gave a small nod, tensed both arms, and opened her dragon eyes.
It seemed her true form gradually showed through when she used her power.
Tap—
Tap-tap—
The floating mana stones flew toward one another and collided, shining as if they were forming a tiny star.
They clumped together as if forcibly assembling a puzzle, forming one large mass, and then…
Thump—
The processed stone soon dropped into Terra’s small palm.
“Done.”
“Let’s see. Show me.”
[Would you like to sell a Mid-Grade Mana Stone (Specially Processed)?]
[Items with the (Special) tag will be purchased at a higher price.]
[Sale price - 500,000 won]
“Oh… as expected of an Earth Dragon.”
She turned 110,000 won into 500,000?
Of course, it was a little short of the 580,000 won I’d spent, but wasn’t this basically a goose that laid golden eggs?
No, since she was a dragon, was she a dragon that laid golden eggs?
Well, that wasn’t important.
“Great! Let’s keep doing this from now on.”
“Yes!”
“And from now on, if a payment prompt pops up on the computer, don’t touch it. That uses my treasure, okay?”
“O-Okay….”
“Since you understand, you’re now serving a life sentence. You’re not getting out until you die.”
I had a good idea.
Maybe I could set up a computer in her room, feed her nothing but fried dumplings, toss rocks her way, and make her process them.
Money duplication!…
…Actually, maybe that’s a bit much.
- What did she do?
- Was that a Mid-Grade Mana Stone just now…?
- It looked a little different, though?
- Yeah, they don’t usually glow that much
- What, so alchemy is real??
- [★SwordIsGood] Dragons really are amazing. They surprise me every time I see one;
“It’s an industry secret, guys. You’ll get hurt if you try to find out.”
As I said that, I looked at the monitor.
I’d more or less figured out what Terra could do….
“Ha-eun, come over to my place after work tonight.”
- [★SwordIsGood] What? All of a sudden?
“I bought beef. Korean beef. I got a lot, and I think we have some things to talk about.”
- What about us?
- Is the boss getting all cozy with someone again?
- Why am I abandoned why am I abandoned why am I abandoned why am I abandoned why am I abandoned
- Mom, I want beef too…
- Feed me, waah
“Who’s your mom, you little brats?”
Anyway, I should start looking for them soon.
The bastard who tried to make everyone think I was faking it.