"Right. But why are you asking that?"
"It's nothing much, but I need a place where Black Rice can hunt and play freely. I thought it might be good to let her hunt monsters and get materials herself."
"Hmm... I see. Even though you're a Roseborn, you have the attributes of a demon and a mermaid, so you probably don't have as gentle a disposition as you think."
However, a moment later, Christina firmly refused.
"But no. If you go, Rune, you have to go with me. I can't send you to a dangerous place when you're still a hatchling."
Rune slumped his shoulders and lowered his head.
He glanced back at Black Rice, who was gnawing on a tomahawk steak with the bone.
Seeing this, Christina, who felt a bit guilty, said soothingly.
"I know it's disappointing, but there's nothing I can do. I'll think of another way. I'm sorry."
Rune slowly ate his food, waiting for the right moment.
Christina was a responsible person, but she also had a warm personality.
'If you suggest something hard to agree to first, and then offer something lighter, it's easier to get a yes.'
Although he felt a bit guilty using this method of exploiting her conscience, it was necessary to get out of her overprotection.
The awkward atmosphere made Christina look troubled, and Rune took the opportunity to prod her.
"Then, how about Ferdikion's lair?"
"Ferdikion's lair, you mean?"
Rune lifted his head slightly with a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"You made a 'promise' with Ferdikion, right? If you receive the Seal of Fire, you can go to his lair and make delicious food for him."
'And in Ferdikion's lair… there's a dungeon for mining mana stones that only residents are allowed to enter.'
Rune quietly smiled to himself.
To the dragon race, who valued oaths, even if it was a promise made between children, Christina was not the type to teach a hatchling to break a promise.
Sure enough, she couldn't immediately refuse.
'It's a difficult decision. It's a dangerous place, but I can't easily break the first 'promise' Rune made…'
Moreover, there was a noble cause: helping Ferdikion and the fire clan to foster camaraderie.
Christina, who didn't know Rune's true intentions, frowned in thought.
'For dragons, keeping a promise is a practice of upholding an oath… I shouldn't stop a child from keeping their promise just because I'm worried.'
Ferdikion had been waiting for Rune to wake up from his hibernation period anyway.
Recalling this, she reluctantly nodded.
"Sure. I was about to contact Ferdikion and tell him you've woken up."
<Abandoned Mine Dungeon.>
It was a mineral dungeon where the highest quality dark and fire mana stones in the continent were found.
One of the dungeons with the lowest risk, it had a low frequency of monster appearances.
It was a place where people went to mine minerals, not to hunt monsters for their byproducts.
'Ferdikion cleared that lair several times in the past. In fact, there aren't many strong monsters except for the boss.'
The harder and rarer the monster, the more valuable and expensive the byproducts from their corpses.
Items from weaker monsters were common and naturally less valuable.
In other words, the <Abandoned Mine Dungeon> was a mining dungeon for miners, a goldmine.
Rune recalled some of the information listed in the inherited knowledge.
'The difficulty of the Abandoned Mine Dungeon is set according to the level of the entrants.'
Of course, it was still a dungeon, so he couldn't go without any preparation.
Ferdikion, the owner of the dungeon, only started challenging it after he was over 100 years old.
It might be quite dangerous for Rune, who had only completed a 10-year hibernation period.
Considering the Spartan education by Phasias, the reason young Ferdikion could clear the dungeon without receiving any inheritance.
It was because he formed a team to clear the dungeon.
It's generally easier to clear a dungeon with a well-balanced team than alone.
'That dungeon is still entered by miners with similar combat power. If I can persuade Ferdikion, I can join their party.'
Ferdikion might even come along.
Since it's a dungeon in his territory, he would know more about it than anyone else.
'Besides, I have that potion.'
Rune thought of his trump card and smiled slyly.
"Seems like you have some ulterior motive? Is it just my imagination?"
'That's why gods and dragons have such good instincts. It's unnecessary.'
Unlike his inner thoughts, Rune replied calmly with an innocent expression.
"I'm just excited about going to Ferdikion's lair."
Christina's eyes didn't look entirely convinced, but Rune had no intention of saying more.
Instead, he used his ultimate method to make her even softer.
'It should still work, right?'
Rune Eclipse, who usually only smiled faintly or occasionally, made Christina feel a warm surge of emotion when she saw his bright smile after 10 years.
"Contact him quickly. I want to go soon."
Christina's eyes looked a bit wistful.
Of course, it was exactly what Rune intended.
'Being called a brother by a hatchling who isn't part of the clan might have made their bond stronger. Right?'
"Wow. Lord Rune's face is like sunshine!"
'No. This is the face of ambition to get what I want.'
Rune finished his meal and got up, thinking about the items he needed to bring from the black room before Ferdikion arrived.
'Cursed items aren't all bad. If used properly, there's nothing more ingenious than this.'
Rune was thinking of a particularly powerful cursed item among all the cursed items.
Not a regular cursed potion, but a cursed potion of the Black Dragon, a member of the dark clan.
With this, clearing the dungeon in Ferdikion's lair wouldn't be that difficult.
Perhaps what had grown in 10 years was his cunning mind.
Ferdikion visited Rune after he finished his morning training, which he hadn't done in a long time.
Ferdikion's appearance hadn't changed much, but his features seemed more refreshing and distinct.
His smiling face was much more natural and bright than before.
"I've been waiting. It's been 10 years since you went into hibernation, right?"
"Yep. How have you been, bro?"
"Good. I paid more attention to things, and my surroundings changed a lot."
Ferdikion scratched his head with a somewhat embarrassed look.
'He's dressed more comfortably than before.'
Just by loosening his coat and unbuttoning a couple of buttons on his shirt, he looked much more relaxed.
Ferdikion no longer walked with a stiff gait.
His movements were more fluid, and he even crossed his arms or leaned on the table, showing a noticeable change.
"That's great. Good to see you, bro."
Rune nodded, and Ferdikion laughed heartily.
"Christina told me. She said you remembered the promise to visit my lair."
"Yep. How could I forget? It came to mind right after I woke up from hibernation."
His smile was quite charming, enough to surprise Rune.
'He's changed a lot. Even if 10 years can change a lot, this is something else.'
For a personality that had been set for hundreds of years to change in just 10 years.
Perhaps this was his original personality, which had been suppressed all this time.
Lost in thought, Rune stared at Ferdikion, who shrugged and smiled.
"Let's set up a place first. I brought a gift for my little brother."
At that moment, a powerful seal of fire appeared on his palm.
Chapter 36: Sworn Brothers
The heat spread, making his face feel hot.
The seal, enveloped in flames, seemed to have a life of its own, continuously moving.
The shape appeared to be a heart containing fire.
How long did he stare at the mesmerizing seal?
When Ferdikion clenched his fist, the flames disappeared into his hand, leaving no trace.
His tone was filled with satisfaction.
The Seal of Fire, containing the power of fire that even the elders of the fire clan couldn't handle easily, exuded a powerful aura.
However, it wasn't his yet.
There was one more procedure needed to receive the Fire Seal.
Rune moved to a place he had discussed with Christina beforehand, accompanied by Ferdikion.
Pell, the white fox sitting on Christina's shoulder, spread her wings and greeted Ferdikion.
"Thank you for the contact, Lady Christina."
Ferdikion's gaze turned to the child with black ears perked up.
"Is this one of your followers that appeared while you were in hibernation?"
The hesitant Black Rice wiggled her small, chubby hands and spoke.
Ferdikion shrugged and replied.
"Black Rice? That's an interesting name. I'm Rune's brother. Call me Ferdikion."
The child's guard lowered slightly, and her eyes turned curious.
"Are you close to Lord Rune?"
"Close? We're about to become inseparable brothers."
Rune cast a questioning glance, but Ferdikion nodded proudly.
"Right. You can't compare to a servant like you."
'Some weird sense of superiority.'
Rune inwardly chuckled, but Black Rice, looking indignant, pouted at Ferdikion.
"No. I exist because of Lord Rune!"
"Still just a servant, though."
It was greedy to hope for growth along with his improved personality.
'Yeah, 10 years for a hatchling is like that.'
He was proud that Ferdikion had returned to a better personality after a long sleep.
He didn't take sides but mediated between them appropriately.
"Both of you are good kids, so calm down."
"No, Black Rice is the best."
Black Rice grabbed Rune's hand and stuck out her tongue.
"Ah, really? What a dilemma. I came here to give Rune something amazing."
'This kid is having fun teasing her.'
Thinking he should intervene, Christina stepped in.
"Black Rice. I'm about to help Rune. Will you lend a hand too?"
Black Rice, thinking it was her chance to shine, wagged her black fox tail.
"If I help, will Lord Rune like it?"
With a determined fist, Black Rice led Pell to Christina.
"Pell! Come here. Lord Rune will like it if we do this!"