A lot had changed. Actually, it would be better to say that things were changing. The first thing I had to do was claim ownership over Dialugia, and it probably wouldn’t be that difficult because Castle Rock was going to give me a reward, and the Blue Guild also played a big part in the defense. Some guilds and clans were disappointed, but a share of the monster corpses was enough to keep them quiet. It was true that we protected their hometown together, but it wasn’t necessary to give them Dialugia’s precious scale and leather. It may seem a bit selfish, but Dialugia was an achievement I had earned, so it would be strange for me to share her with the others.

The damage she had caused was the main problem. We probably had to provide enough compensation to the bereaved, but it wouldn’t be enough. Not only did I personally compensate them, but Castle Rock also thanked them. I know it wasn’t enough, but this was the best we could do. People questioned whether Dialugia was the cause of the monster wave, but the heresy inquisitors who came from the Vatican to investigate ruled out that suspicion.

‘This is why having power is great.’

For this issue, I used my position as the honorary bishop to request help. I started with Father Judas, who had settled down in Castle Rock, and I even included the high-ranked religious figures at the Vatican. This was the result of the request I had sent to Sister Jessica, Sister Helena, Father Andurin of the Vatican, and to Father Basel, who loved me a lot.

Since the underground auction hall had to remain a secret, I had no choice but to hide the fact that the Small Stone Guild kidnapped Smartie, and the investigation ended with Smartie being influenced by the monster wave.

We were in a situation where we had no choice but to look for another reason behind the monster wave. The heresy inquisitors and the holy knights concluded that the monster wave was caused by an unknown dungeon located deep within the forest of Castle Rock, and the majority of the people didn’t complain about the announcement, as they didn’t want to be branded as heretics. It ended faster than I thought. Of course, this was only possible because of my relationship with Dialugia.

‘The Dragon’s Chosen One.’

Officially, Dialugia was labeled as a pitiful dragon that invaded the city, as she had been under the control of the unidentified dungeon. They also pushed for a ridiculous story that involved selecting me so that she could save herself. This kind of story was something you would read in a third-rate novel, but I thought it wasn’t that bad, as it was better than telling them that she had no choice but to select a spouse to protect her child.

There were warriors chosen by God, so saying that I was chosen by a dragon wasn’t strange at all. Since a legendary-ranked named monster was in the Holy Empire, the emperor naturally actively supported us. The imperial knights concerned about national security expressed their worries about the danger the dragon would bring. Even so, it seemed like some of them wanted Dialugia to become a dragon that would protect the empire.

“Dragons are rare,” I said out loud.

“What?” Dialugia asked.

“It’s nothing…” I quickly said, dismissing it.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Well… thank you,” she said.

“I’m not sure what you’re thanking me about,” I told her.

“For many things…” she mumbled.

“You don’t have to worry. Things worked out thanks to you.”

“What?” she asked, dumbfounded.

“Dragons are rare. You’re older than the Benigoa Holy Empire’s recorded history, so the humans think that your existence alone is amazing since you’re 4,000 years old. Almost all books about dragons are lost, and just like how you’re mine, I’m sure the Holy Empire wants a dragon of their own as well,” I explained.

“Oh…”

“Of course, my authority was helpful, but this amazing result was only possible because it involved many people’s interests, so you don’t have to be so grateful. Right, Smartie?” I asked.

“Kyah! Pant!”

“Come here, baby…” I said, urging.

“Pant! Pant! Pant!”

“Good job, Smartie! Good job!” I complimented.

“Kyah! Kyah! Kyah!”

Of course, this wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

‘This kid… It’s so cute.’

I wasn’t planning on becoming this close to the baby, but it was way cuter than I had expected. The way it jumped on the sofa to the sound of my clap was really cute, and it would blink its large eyes and sway its butt and tail gently whilst looking at me. Even its cries that I once found annoying sounded cute now. There were times when I felt annoyed whenever it licked my face, but Smartie was slowly starting to take root in my heart. Its outer appearance made me feel like I was raising a pet more than my child, but I was starting to understand why people back on Earth were so attached to their pets.

“Come here! Come here, Smartie,” I called out.

“Pant!”

“Do you want a snack?” I asked.

“Kyah! Kyah! Kyah! Pant! Kyah!”

The way it wagged its tail and responded excitedly when I mentioned snacks and talking a stroll made me want to hug it tight.

“Y-You gave snacks earlier…” Dialugia mentioned.

“Children grow by eating. Isn’t that right, Smartie?”

“Kyah!”

“It can only have snacks twice a day. That’s the rule I set…” Dialugia interrupted.

“But look how excited Smartie looks, and isn’t it better to give more snacks since it can accumulate the nutrition?” I asked.

“It’s to the point that they have too much nutrition in their body, and I don’t consider the snacks here nutritious. It’s artificially made by humans, and they’ll be able to eat all they want in a few years, so it’s better to get them used to the proper serving while young,” she explained.

“Your mom is being harsh, right?” I asked.

“Kyah!”

“Dialuria… I-I’m doing this all for you…” she stuttered.

“They’ll only get two starting tomorrow. This will be your last one for today, okay?” I told Dialuria.

“Kyah! Pant!”

When I took out a large, round candy from my pocket, Dialuria’s eye widened as it looked at the candy. When I moved the candy back and forth, I noticed its eyes moving with the candy. Even though their body remained still, their tail was hitting the ground, and when I slowly placed the candy in its mouth, the way it jumped around the place was really cute.

“Kyah! Pant! Pant!”

“Do you like it?” I asked.

“Pant! Pant! Kyah!”

“Good job! Well done!”

When I clapped again, Dialuria jumped on the sofa, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I had prepared the candy just to see it do that. When the baby expressed its joy while drooling, Dialugia smiled even though she didn’t want to give it a third snack. Dialugia was still wary of me, but she seemed to have realized the fact that I really liked Smartie. I didn’t have to try hard to pretend to be a good father, but I still showed her the kind of family in her dreams.

‘It’s so cute.’

I was even starting to think if I was spoiling it too much, so I could deduce what Dialugia was thinking. She had recently been watching Smartie and me more frequently with a smile.

“Smartie is standing!” I screamed.

“Oh my, Dialuria,” Dialugia whispered in shock.

The baby that had been crawling on all fours started to stand on its two feet, and it kept on showing us new things every day.

‘You’ve got to grow fast, so you can take care of your dad when he gets old, Smartie.’

Even though I had that thought, it was undeniably cute. Since the others really liked it as well, I knew I wasn’t strange for having these feelings. However, not all the members found Smartie cute, and it was obvious which party member disliked Dialugia and Dialuria.

“O-Oppa…” Jung Ha-Yan called out as she entered the room.

“Oh, Ha-Yan. Good work today,” I said.

“I-It was nothing. All I did was watch over the workers, and we’re almost done cleaning up the corpses. By the way, are you feeling okay?” she asked.

“Of course. I’m totally fine now. I just fainted because I ran out of mana. I didn’t have any serious injuries as well. How are the others?” I responded.

“I think everyone is going to gather in a few minutes. Mr. Hyun-Sung suggested that the party members should eat together…”

“Okay.”

“Are you available today?” she asked me once more.

“Of course…” I said, nodding.

“Th-That’s a relief…” she mumbled.

Jung Ha-Yan believed that Dialugia and Dialuria took me away from her. Even after I woke up, she couldn’t even cry about the injuries I had sustained, as I was busy trying to make Dialugia mine. It was only after things had calmed down that we were able to spend time like this, but just a few days ago, I was so busy that I couldn’t even sleep properly. Even so, I spent time with Smartie and Dialugia, so I could understand why Jung Ha-Yan thought that they took me away from her.

Dialugia was a monster, but she looked really beautiful in her human form, and despite telling Jung Ha-Yan that I would be careful, I was sure she had seen me holding Smartie a few times.

Even though she hadn’t mentioned it yet…

‘It was probably like seeing a happy family.’

She must have received a lot of damage when the heresy inquisitor announced that Dialugia and I were sharing a life. She must have been really dejected, as she locked herself up in her room. I didn’t know why, but she didn’t even open the door when I visited her. It seemed like she had been researching some kind of magic, but I didn’t see any results; no, it was more like I still hadn’t seen it yet. If Jung Ha-Yan was doing research, it must be about a spell to connect my life with hers as well. Theoretically, it might be impossible, but maybe…

‘It could be possible if Jung Ha-Yan was doing it.’

It could even be beneficial to me. She had recently grown a lot thanks to the monster wave, and she was also talented in magic. Since Jung Ha-Yan had to be taken care of just as much as Smartie, I had no choice but to focus on her a bit more. If I announced that I had become the dragon’s spouse, it would’ve been really difficult to control Jung Ha-Yan. I knew it would be difficult because she was talking to me as if Smartie and Dialugia didn’t exist.

While I was having other thoughts, Jung Ha-Yan quietly linked her arm with mine and pulled me close to her.

“Let’s go right now!” she suddenly said.

I couldn’t help but be conscious of Dialugia and Smartie’s reaction. I wasn’t bold enough to openly have an affair, but there wasn’t anything I could do about this.

“I’ll be back, Dialugia.”

“...”

“Listen to your mom, Dialuria,” I said.

“Kyah! Kyah!”

“L-Let’s hurry, Oppa! Everyone is waiting…” Jung Ha-Yan stuttered.

Both Jung Ha-Yan and Smartie were looking at me nervously, but unfortunately, the best choice for me was to ignore the baby this time.

“Kyah! Kyah!”

“Hurry, Oppa!” Jung Ha-Yan raised her voice.

After closing the door, Jung Ha-Yan sighed as if she felt kind of relieved, and my instincts were telling me that she had caught onto something, which made me nervous. Naturally, I decided to change the subject, so when I spoke up, I immediately heard her happy voice.

“Is there a reason why Mr. Hyun-Sung wanted to gather us today?”

“Yes!”

“What?” I asked.

“I-I guess you… you didn’t hear about it yet,” she mumbled.

“Was there some kind of news?” I asked her.

“I don’t know the details, but… there are rumors that the Holy Empire is going to be selecting the Eight Seats of the Empire,” she replied.

“What?”

“And that they might select two people from the Blue Guild,” she continued.

‘What the hell?’

The sudden news agitated me.