When I walked outside after putting my clothes on, the first thing I saw outside the window was a completely ruined city. Even though destroying the west area was originally part of the plan, seeing people restoring the area made me realize that the war had truly ended.

‘The underground…’

It was only natural for me to think about the underground area. The original plan was to destroy the west area and rebuild it, but the plan didn’t go exactly as I had expected. It wasn't too late to start now, but I realized that things in this world wouldn’t always go according to my plans.

‘While they’re restoring the city…’

I could carry out my plan even though it was a bit late.

‘I’m getting a headache.’

There were so many issues it was making my head hurt. I saw various scenery through the window while riding to the underground prison where Dialugia was locked up. Like Lady Marilyn had mentioned earlier, some were cleaning up the corpses, and others were cleaning the blood that had landed behind the castle walls or on the buildings. Aside from the fact that everyone was smiling, nothing really changed. It seemed like the adventurers leveled up since they all got a good amount of experience points, and the high-ranked players probably got the chance to change their jobs.

‘It’s the same for me too…’

I was sure my party members experienced the same thing. While Hwang Jung-Yeon, Jo Hye-Jin, and Sun Hee-Young might not have seen a noticeable difference since their growth rates were already high, I believe Jung Ha-Yan, Kim Ye-Ri, Park Deok-Gu, and Kim Hyun-Sung not only got new jobs, but their stats must’ve also increased.

“I should talk to them…”

Since the goal of this expedition was to level up, I was certain everyone got an acceptable result. An epic-ranked job might have even opened up for Park Deok-Gu. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that my party members were growing stronger.

One of the underground prison guards suddenly greeted me.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young? You’re awake.”

“Yes, I am. You’re Mr. Baran, right?” I asked.

“T-That’s right…”

He seemed surprised that a high-ranked person like me knew his name, but that wasn’t the case. All I did was use Mind’s Eye to read his information, and obviously, I wasn’t dumb enough to tell him that, as this was another type of touching story.

“May I ask what brings you here?” he asked.

“Of course. I have business in the underground prison,” I replied.

“Is it…?”

“Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. I was actually thinking about what to do because the path there seems complicated, but I’m lucky I ran into you. If you don’t mind, could you lead me there?” I requested.

“Oh…”

“It’s fine if you’re busy,” I added.

“No, it’s fine! Of course, I’ll lead you there. Please follow me,” Baran hurriedly replied.

“Hahaha.”

“By the way, I think it’s really amazing how you came straight here as soon as you woke up. I’m sure you can rest a little more…”

“It’s because I had been sleeping for quite some time now. When I looked outside, I also saw everyone working hard.” I pointed out.

“It’s all thanks to you and the Blue Guild that we’re able to stay here,” he said.

“You flatter me. By the way, how have we been taking care of that monster?” I asked.

“I’m honestly not sure. Even though it’s my job to guard this place, I only know that the mages have been visiting and checking up on her, but other than that… At first, they restrained her so that she couldn’t move, but at some point, they removed the restraints,” he explained.

“I see...”

“I’m not allowed in that area, but I’m sure you can check it yourself. You’ll have to go in by yourself from here. Hey, open the gate,” Baran said to a different guard.

“Yes, sir,” the guard answered.

“Thank you,” I expressed my thanks.

Naturally, the guards guarding the path bowed toward me.

A spell must have been used to lock the door because when the guard activated a spell, I heard a click and the door open. I thought the prison wouldn’t be in the best condition, but it was cleaner than I thought. I did feel the presence of complex spells, but since they weren’t the type that would just randomly blow up, nothing untoward should happen as long as no one messed with them.

At that moment, I saw a familiar figure with horns on her head.

‘She has our baby, too.’

Dialugia was holding the baby close to her. I was worried that the mages separated her from the baby, but after considering the various possibilities, they must have thought this was the best decision. After seeing the magic circles drawn on her hands and feet, I assumed this was the countermeasure they had come up with. There was even a complex magic circle drawn on her neck.

‘I’m not sure whether that’s enough to control her, though…’

Still, I was sure it would be fine since Dialugia hadn’t fully recovered just yet.

“Kyah!”

“Yes! Your daddy is here!” I exclaimed.

The small dragon that let out a small cry while looking at me was pretty cute. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but it felt like the baby was welcoming me. I guess being selected as Dialugia’s spouse must have affected the baby. I was able to confirm it when I saw the baby wagging its tail.

However, unlike our child, my wife was wary of me. Seeing her clutching the squirming baby was a sight to see. The baby obviously wanted to come to me, so when I clapped to grab the baby’s attention, Dialugia cowered a bit and spoke. The interesting thing was that there was relief mixed into her emotions, so I guess she was worried about me dying. I could understand her train of thought because if I died, she would follow suit.

“What do you mean, daddy?” Dialugia asked.

“I’m not sure if you’re asking because you really don’t know, but I’m a bit disappointed. Pffft. I think you’re being a bit too cold-hearted when we’re going to be a family. Oh! My baby! Did you miss your daddy? Peekaboo!” I jokingly responded, teasing her.

“Kyah!”

“Our little Smartie is making a fuss saying that they missed me.” I pointed out.

“Smartie isn’t its name…” she muttered.

“Did you name the baby without discussing it with me? I’m kind of sad,” I told her.

“From the beginning… you weren’t…”

“Hahaha. This family was created out of nowhere, but it’s all thanks to your decision. I was a bit flustered as well, but suddenly becoming a father doesn’t feel so bad. Oh wow! Good job, Smartie! Good job!” I complimented.

“Kyah! Kyah! Kyah!”

“Good job, baby!” I repeated.

“Kyaaah!”

“The reason why Dialuria likes you is that I chose you as my spouse, not because they actually like you!” she exclaimed.

“Is Dialuria the baby’s name? You should’ve discussed this with me first… but this is fine as well, as I’m the type that accepts my spouse’s opinion and is loyal to my family. By the way, I’m really relieved. It seems like there are other abilities when becoming a dragon’s spouse. I was worried the child wouldn’t like me,” I explained.

“Grr…”

“Come to daddy, Dialuria!” I said excitedly.

“Kyaaaah!”

Dialugia was still tightly holding onto our excited Smartie, but it didn’t take long for the overly excited child to escape from their mother’s grasp. Dialuria looked pretty cute when it jumped over and licked my face while wagging its tail. In addition to wagging its tail with its tongue out, it was also amusing to see how the baby was trying its best not to fall out of my arms. The look of betrayal on Dialugia’s face when she saw us playing was also such a funny sight to see.

“B-Baby!” she called out.

“Oh ho! My Smartie!”

“Come to Mommy!” she yelled.

“Ooh, my Smartie is so smart. Yes, you are!” I praised.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Dialuria! Can’t you hear Mommy telling you to come to her?!” she yelled once again.

“Daddy will take you on an airplane ride!”

“Kyah! Kyah! Pant! Pant!”

“B-Baby…”

“Isn’t our little Smartie having fun?”

“T-That’s not the baby’s name! It’s D-Dialuria…” Dialugia corrected with a mumble.

“Smartie!” I called out.

“Kyah! Kyah! Pant!”

‘This baby is really enjoying it.’

I began to question whether the baby had a dangerous habit, but after checking with Mind’s Eye, it seemed that its habit and nature hadn’t formed just yet. I didn’t even know the baby’s gender, and since I knew nothing about dragons, I had no idea what was happening.

It was right to assume that the baby was happy to see its dad, but it felt like I was playing with a puppy more than a baby. I already knew how to take care of these types of babies, so I was sure it was bored being alone with its mom in such a small space. In that case, it was natural for it to be overly excited when I took it on an airplane ride. The way little Smartie snorted and wagged its tail excitedly proved that it wanted to stay with me more than its mom.

“D-Dialuria…” Dialugia called out once again.

I guess our baby couldn’t ignore its mother’s pitiful state. Seeing it slowly pull my pants toward its mother made me think that our little Smartie wanted its mom and dad to get along.

“I think our little Smartie is telling us to get along, don’t you think? Smartie, you’re so cute…” I said.

“Its name is D-Dialuria, not Smartie,” Dialugia corrected once again.

“Haha. It’s just a nickname. Who cares what the name of our baby is when it’s so cute? Right, Smartie?” I asked.

“Kyah! Pant! Kyaaah!”

‘The baby is pretty cute…’

I wasn’t used to it at first, but the more I looked at it, the cuter it became in my eyes. Its large eyes and propeller-like tail were cute, but the best part was when it held onto me tightly as if it didn’t want to leave me. For some reason, I felt like my heart was being healed.

When I continued playing with little Smartie, Dialugia looked at me like her whole world was collapsing, and naturally, it didn’t take her long to speak up.

“Why did you come here?”

“Do I need to have a reason to come see my wife and child?” I retorted.

“I-I had no choice back then. I have no intention of acknowledging a human like you as Dialuria’s father or my spouse,” she struggled to explain.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’ll acknowledge me or not because I’m this child’s father and your spouse. That was your decision. From what I can tell, this is similar to an oath, so it can’t be undone… and more than that, our little Smartie really likes me, so you can’t just say that you won’t acknowledge me, right? Smartie, you like me as your dad, right?” I asked.

“Kyah! Pant!”

“B-Baby…”

“By the way, can this be undone? I’m asking because I don’t know much about dragons yet,” I told her.

“...”

“I guess it can’t...”

“...”

“That’s unfortunate. I’m a young man with a bright future, but I just can’t ignore our cute Smartie,” I added.

“You don’t need to take care of us… I-It was my mistake, and I had to do it for my baby. You were the one who threatened me by holding Dialuria hostage!”

“Watch what you say in front of our child!” I retorted.

“Oh… that’s not what I meant, Dialuria…” Dialugia mumbled.

“Tsk. I’m sure I told you we’re not the ones who kidnapped Smartie. Human laws even forbid the kidnapping of a monster’s egg or child. A few of the criminals responsible for this have already been punished, and back then, I was only trying to protect our baby, not harm it,” I explained.

“Lies…” she coldly said.

“It’s true. Can’t you see how much I like our little Smartie?” I asked.

“I don’t trust humans,” she added.

“So, what will you do?” I asked her.

“I will return to the forest after my body has recovered, and I’ll return with Dialuria. I have no intention of getting involved with the humans anymore,” she replied.

“Do you really think you’ll be able to escape from this place?”

“I will escape this place…” she mumbled.

“Ahh, I see. I apologize in advance, then,” I suddenly said.

“What… do you mean…”

“Did you know that I passed out for three days?”

“...”

“When a small monster bit me, it hurt so much, and the bleeding didn’t stop. I almost died since I lost a lot of blood and even exhausted my mana. Isn’t the human body very fragile? We faint even at the smallest wound…”

“Oh…”

“If I suddenly die after you escape to the forest with our baby, I’ll feel really bad for little Smartie. It’ll have to grow up without its parents… I really have to apologize in advance, hahahaha…” I explained while laughing.

Dialugia’s eyes quivered.