Chapter 4
I first scooped a generous portion of rice into a big bowl, seasoning it with sesame oil, salt, and crushed sesame seeds.
“Rice!”
“No, not yet.”
“Ughhhh…”
I had to physically keep Lor, who tried to sneak a bite, at a safe distance.
No matter how desperately those eyes pleaded, no meant no.
Sure, it was already tasty as is, but a meal needs a proper filling to be satisfying.
I opened a can of tuna, drained the oil, then mixed it with mayonnaise and pepper.
As the creamy aroma of tuna and mayo filled the air, Lor’s shoulders began to twitch in anticipation.
Blocking the little one’s eager paws with my arm, I scooped up the steaming rice and formed a ball, tucking the tuna mayo inside. A quick roll in crushed seaweed, and—done.
A simple but delicious menu.
“Rice! It’s rice!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Lor reached out with his tiny paws, picked the biggest rice ball, and started munching happily.
He sniffed, opened his mouth wide, and took a big bite.
“Mmm! Delicious, Yumm!”
Lor exclaimed with joy and began devouring the rice balls with enthusiasm.
And at that moment—
[<Cooking> Tuna Rice Ball
Filled with tuna mayo and coated in seaweed flakes.
A soft, moist, and hearty meal.Lor’s Gourmet Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Lor’s One-Line Review: Mmm, yum! Rice sure is delicious!]
A mysterious status window appeared before my eyes.
A regular dish with no special properties… showing a window? That was new.
‘Could it be… because of this?’
[Mythic Dimensional Dragon’s Blessing: “Lor’s Gourmet Codex” has been activated.]
The same line had appeared when I agreed to become Lor’s guardian.
So this “Gourmet Codex” literally displayed a status window whenever the dragon ate something.
And it didn’t stop there.
[‘Asphelor’ has eaten your cooking and feels satisfied.
Your bond has slightly deepened.][**Your bond with ‘Asphelor’ has deepened enough.
Bond Level: 0 → 1
Bond Level Reward Acquired.※ The higher your bond level with ‘Asphelor,’ the more extravagant the rewards!**]
And the reward was…
[You have received the Mythic Dimensional Dragon’s Blessing: “Blessing of Cooking.”]
“Blessing of Cooking”? That’s… the reward?
[**※ Blessing of Cooking ※
Your cooking will taste even better ♬**]
“Wooww! How’s that! Behold the great dragon’s blessing!”
“It’s… good? I think?”
“Ughhh, such a lukewarm reaction!”
Lor stomped his tiny foot, clearly dissatisfied.
But really, what more could I say about a blessing that just made food taste better?
Still, since it was a “blessing,” I decided to give it a try.
I made another rice ball using the same recipe—seasoned rice, filling, shape, done.
Nothing special.
I took a bite, not expecting much.
‘…Huh?’
It was delicious.
The savory seaweed, perfectly seasoned rice, and creamy tuna mayo blended together in perfect harmony.
Was rice ball always this good?
Yesterday’s kimchi fried rice had been nice, but this was on a different level.
I suddenly regretted all those times I had survived on energy potions because I was “too busy to eat.”
Those potions, by the way, tasted horrible.
Why did I live like that?
‘From now on, I’m going to cook myself real meals.’
After Lor and I had our fill of rice balls—
“ohhmyy…”
Lor’s little head, which had been bobbing sleepily, slowly tilted toward the floor.
His bright eyes were half-closed.
No wonder—he’d been up since morning, running all over the place, and had eaten until his small belly puffed out like a balloon.
Sleep was inevitable.
Baby beasts live to eat and sleep, after all.
I fetched a blanket, spread it on the floor, and gently laid Lor down.
The baby dragon fell asleep instantly.
“Phu…… puu, phew…….”
[Name: Lor (Aspelor)
Race: Mythic Dimensional Dragon
Status: Snoring softly…
Bond Level: ♥ (Lv.1)
Current Location: Bedroom]
He smacked his lips in his sleep, tail flicking slightly—adorable.
He wouldn’t be waking anytime soon.
A sudden, peaceful calm filled the air.
‘Maybe I should visit the market while he’s asleep.’
Only the distant sound of dogs barking broke the quiet.
The persimmon tree outside the gate rustled gently in the wind.
‘…Peaceful.’
It was only 9:30 a.m. after breakfast and dishes.
Such leisure was unimaginable back in my hunter days.
When I worked at the Baekam Guild, my daily routine was roughly like this:
Wake before dawn → Run three hunter simulation gate courses → Go to work →
Handle scheduled gate raids + emergency or reported gates → Return late → Write reports →
Do two more training runs → Go home.
Weekends? Please. Gates didn’t take weekends off.
But here, time flowed differently—slow, quiet, kind.
I rested my chin on my hand, gazing at the yard.
At the back, weeds had overrun what once was a vegetable patch.
‘Maybe I should grow something.’
Not a full farm, but with so much space and time, a little gardening might be nice.
‘Where do you even buy seeds again? A seed store…? I’ll check it out.’
Besides, I needed groceries anyway.
The fridge was empty thanks to the baby dragon’s healthy appetite.
Couldn’t live on rice balls forever.
‘Alright, market it is.’
Better go now, while Lor was still asleep.
I tiptoed quietly toward the door—
“Huhhhh? Where are you going?”
“Ah, Lor, you’re awake? Just stay here and rest a bit.”
“Guardian! Are you abandoning me?!”
Lor scampered after me, his tiny feet tapping rapidly, and clung to my leg.
“I’ll come too!”
Those stubborn, pleading eyes… there was no winning against them.
I sighed.
It was risky to leave him alone—what if he found some small, moving brown creature and tried to eat it?
But still.
“No.”
“Wh-what? Why not?!”
Lor froze, shocked at my cold tone. But no meant no.
“You’re rare and powerful, remember? You can’t be seen by others.”
“Ughhhhh…”
“Unless you can disguise yourself, that is.”
I half-expected him to throw a tantrum, but instead—
“Heh heh! So that’s it. Leave it to me, pyaa!”
Lor puffed his little chest out proudly and raised his tiny arms.
Curious, I tilted my head.
“Hey!”
With a clap of his paws, Lor closed his eyes—
And suddenly—
FWOOOSH!
A burst of white light surrounded him.
When it faded, standing before me was a small, adorable child.
About three or four years old, with shining silver hair, blue eyes, and soft, round cheeks.
Lor looked pleased with himself and declared proudly—
“How’s that? Now I can go okayy?”
“Ah, sorry.”
I couldn’t help it. His cheeks looked so soft that I poked one.
It was squishy—like mochi.
I never thought I’d witness a polymorph in real life.
According to The Great Encyclopedia of Gate Monsters (with Compatibility Charts and Mini Handbook),
dragons possess immense intelligence and magical power, capable of complex high-level magic—including transforming into human form.
Even “The Hidden Power Farmer from the Countryside” had a story about a polymorphed dragon helping with the harvest.
So yes, dragons were impressive—even baby ones.
Now that he looked human, I thought maybe I could bring him along to the market.
But then—
POP!
Horns suddenly sprouted from Lor’s forehead.
“What?”
POOF!
And wings, too.
“Eek! I’ll do it again!”
Lor tried concentrating once more, tiny hands pressed together, but no matter what he did,
the horns and wings refused to disappear.
“Bye byee… Guardian, why does your gaze feel so cold?”
“…”
Polymorph… not quite there yet, huh.
