"Since you dislike boredom, I'll get straight to the point."
"Good, good. You still have a good sense of consideration."
Pasius did not like formalities, so her sense was commendable.
He was rough and could not be described as patient, even with kind words.
"First, a black dragon hatchling has been born."
The red dragon raised its beam-like neck and glared at Christina.
[Do you know what this means?]
"Of course. It was born about a month ago. You can probably guess, can't you?"
A rumbling like thunder echoed from Pasius's throat.
[The night of the world has grown longer. It's still very weak, but.]
"Yes. Since the day the black dragon was born, the nights have become longer."
Dragons are massive clumps of mana energy.
Their birth is considered a rare event, and the influence they exert on the world is so strong that it can cause omens to appear.
With the birth of the black dragon hatchling, which possesses the deepest darkness, and about a month having passed, the weight of the darkness attribute began to show signs in the world.
In such a situation, it was impossible to continue hiding the birth of the black dragon hatchling, which was thought to have been extinct.
[Have you formally reported this to the Lord?]
"Not yet. But he might already know. With the omens, it's not something that can be hidden for long."
At Christina's words, the golden beast's pupils narrowed vertically.
[Why did you inform me first?]
This was the question Christina had been waiting for.
"The hatchling still needs to grow and gain various experiences to develop its own self-awareness. I hope you will support me so that Lord Isha does not interfere."
At Pasius's words, she smiled subtly and raised her right hand near her chin in a mysterious manner.
"The child recently revived a phoenix egg."
Pasius's brow furrowed deeply.
He could not believe that the existing rule, which stated that a new phoenix could only be born after the current one died, had been broken.
But it was Christina speaking.
If he dismissed her words as nonsense, even a dragon as strong as he could face difficulties.
With a fierce gaze that seemed ready to devour him in one bite, Christina tilted her head slightly and explained.
"Isn't it clear how Lord Isha will react when he finds out about this?"
Red energy spread from Pasius's body, and a growl accompanied his words.
[He will brainwash the hatchling to grow as he wishes! If he deems it impossible or even slightly dangerous, he will kill it.]
Knowing that the most important concept of protecting the hatchling could be crushed, Pasius bared his teeth in arrogance.
[The thought of him manipulating everything as he pleases is disgusting.]
"To him, who decides sacrifices for the greater good, the only black dragon child would be a desirable possession. There is a precedent for this."
Pasius snorted and turned his head to the side.
[An arrogant one! But even he cannot control everything forever!]
There is no one who opposes the Dragon Lord.
But the red dragon was the race that even the Lord found most troublesome.
Born with the attribute of fire, their temper is as fiery as the flames they wield, and their enthusiasm can quickly fade.
Sometimes beautiful and powerful, they are unpredictable and changeable.
Pure and the most self-centered, with the hottest blood.
The most difficult to handle and the most straightforward, they act on their emotions, even causing headaches for the Lord.
Christina pretended not to notice and asked again.
"By the way, how is Pel doing?"
Pasius's pupils narrowed sharply.
The massive Pasius raised his head and spread his wings.
[Do you think he will be of help in this matter?]
A hot breath filled with negative emotions was exhaled roughly.
A firm but smiling gaze was directed at Pasius.
"Born with a pure flame that is not swayed by the Lord, and having experienced the life of an elder and the affection of a mate in the embrace of nature, he is the right one."
[You overestimate that incompetent one, Christina.]
Pasius's cold, mocking evaluation followed.
"Why do you think so, Pasius?"
[Ha! Because he is utterly useless, even though he is my son!]
Christina's voice was calm and warm.
But Pasius's words, which could burn away her warm, inclusive nature, were unfiltered and arrogant.
[The time I invested in making him useful after he couldn't pull himself together after his mother died was a waste. Despite raising him to be a red dragon elder, I am ashamed to recognize him as my successor.]
His pride in raising a successor was inflated, and his words about his own child were humiliating.
His unhesitant words did not end there.
[Expecting anything from a halfwit is foolish.]
Christina did not get excited. She was not the one to prove Pasius wrong.
Her soft answer began to wrap around the harshness.
"There are flames that burn the earth and mountains with great fire, but there are also flames that warm the hearts of many with the warmth of a single candle."
Being an elder of the red dragons was a life that suited Pasius, but not necessarily everyone.
His training was too oppressive and harsh.
It was not a suitable method for raising a being that instinctively lives independently more than anyone else.
"Even flames have different temperatures and colors. Pasius, not everything a child gets from their parents defines them."
Not all flames are powerful and destructive.
There was no rule that they had to be.
Her gentle but straightforward blue gaze quietly observed Pasius.
Pasius's red membranes were exposed, and the laughter that echoed from his throat grew louder.
The air in the cave trembled with his laughter, which gradually subsided, and Pasius snorted.
[You are always the same. A utopian elder of the gold dragons.]
Christina and Pasius had already had several conflicts over such matters, so she sighed inwardly.
Neither of them wanted to cause friction over this matter.
[Alright. If it's the only black dragon, it will grow to be a massive pillar that supports the night. I will provide assistance.]
He did not show mercy to those who contradicted him.
But Christina's satisfaction in informing him, not the Lord, about the birth of the dark clan was enough for him to be lenient.
[Heh. Clever. The more I think about it, the more clever you are, Christina. You knew I wouldn't refuse this proposal, didn't you?]
Pasius moved his body slightly.
Even without spreading his wings, his massive movement filled the field of vision.
"I believed you would make a wise choice."
[Of course. Especially, informing me first was a wise move.]
While praising her, Pasius snorted inwardly.
Chapter 11: Did you just swallow that?
'Christina. Thanks to her connection with the black dragon elder and priest, she has profited. I knew she had the only remaining dark clan egg, but...'
Even if it was the only hatchling of the dark clan, it was just a newly born young life.
She had the opportunity to build a friendship with the young successor who was still unaware of the world, but he licked his lips with greed.
'If I had known the egg would hatch, I would have done anything to get it into my hands. It's a shame I can't act directly.'
Still, for Pasius, it was a good opportunity to take action before the Dragon Lord Isha.
After calculating, Pasius nodded once.
[Alright. As the only black dragon, the child will grow to be an elder who leads the darkness. It would be good for my son, who will be the elder of the fire clan, to get to know him early.]
"I think so too. They will have a positive influence on each other."
At her words, the massive red dragon snorted.
'A newly born blood clump influencing my son positively. Smooth talk.'
She had already guessed Pasius's thoughts but did not bring them up to hurt his pride.
At least on the surface, she gracefully supported his choice and smiled softly.
Pasius bared his fierce teeth at such a Christina.
[I will confirm the matter of the phoenix further. And my son will visit the lair soon. I will instruct him to teach the child what he has learned as an elder successor.]
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder Pasius."
Christina finished her bow to the extent that it was not disrespectful and stood up.
[I look forward to seeing the expression on his face when he realizes he can't control that weakling.]
Christina lightly shook her head at his words, as if he meant for her to hear them.
'You also have things you can't control, don't you, Pasius?'
While he was overly honest, his greedy and aggressive nature did not suit Christina.
The matter was over. After exchanging pleasantries, Christina left the cave using a flight spell.
She turned her body as she exited the cave entrance.
The lair, narrow compared to his massive size, and the small entrance came into view.
Originally living in a vast volcanic area, Pasius had given his lair to the hatchling Ferdigand and now stayed in the lair of his deceased mate.
Both Christina and Lord Isha knew this, but they did not mention his fiery temper.
'The meeting with a being outside the shadow of the red dragon clan and its backer, Pasius, will... certainly be helpful to Ferdigand.'
Christina believed this meeting would be necessary not only for the black dragon child but also for the young Ferdigand.
As the cave entrance closed, a strong vibration echoed in Christina's mind.
Christina's expression instantly hardened.
Her figure immediately disappeared in the air.
Returning in a hurry, she gasped at the scene before her.
Rai should have been inside the lair, but she was in a lush forest.
"Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp!"
"! Why are you outside the lair...? What happened?"
She moved instantly to her spirit, Rai, and was shocked to see the fallen hatchling.
The imugi, drenched in cold sweat, leaned against a tree, trying to catch its breath.
The white baby bird, with tears streaming down its face, hopped around the hatchling's legs, making chirping sounds, and Rai hovered around her, crying.
Rai's expression formed a picture with light.
After mimicking eating something wrong, the last light shape made her face pale.
At the same time, the repeated sense of 'sorry' was felt only by her contractor, Christina.
The spirit's humming grew louder in response to her question.
Frowning at the detailed picture of a screaming herb, Christina picked up a half-torn mandrake near the imugi.
Originally, a mandrake should scream at a deafening volume, but this one was already dead.
'Did you just swallow it?'
The feeling of goosebumps running down her spine was literal.
A mandrake is a dangerous plant.
Especially, the mandrake here, grown with the mana of dragons, was a much stronger herb and poison than usual.
It was absurd that a child barely a month old had swallowed a centuries-old mandrake, and it was a miracle that it had not led to a more serious situation.
It would not have been strange for the child to die or become disabled.
Several questions intertwined, but Christina first checked the most important condition of the hatchling.
While examining the imugi, she noticed something and sniffed the scent near her nose.