Chapter 89

“Mewww.”

I clutched my cheek, which had been touched by countless elder dragons, with both hands and pouted my lips.

Though they had gently touched me out of concern for any potential injuries, I wasn’t actually hurt.

Still, it felt a bit embarrassing to have been handled like a bouncy ball, passed from person to person, so I was throwing a little tantrum.

‘It’s not that I don’t like it… but still, something feels off…!’

Of course, it seemed rude to directly voice this feeling.

As I subtly conveyed my current sulky state through body language, I realized that acting this way wasn’t very mature and quickly closed my lips.

‘Pull yourself together…’

While trying to calm down, I noticed Chae-a wobbling toward me, her pockets and back hat stuffed with money.

“Chae-a is so tired…”

She then shook off all the coins stuck to her body far away before sniffling and hugging me, attempting to head home.

“We’ll go home and sleep. Yuna should come too…”

At this, Yuna, with her messy hair and an air of haughtiness, approached us but promptly tripped and fell asleep right there.

Stunned at how exhausted she must’ve been to fall asleep immediately upon falling, I watched as Somtul started chirping and trying to wake her up.

“Peep! Peep!”

As I stood there dumbfounded at the scene, one of the elder dragons gave an awkward smile and apologized.

“Sorry, kids. It’s just been so long since we’ve seen our grandchildren…”

Hearing this, I stopped fidgeting and reluctantly nodded. After all, they were just being affectionate, fondly petting my cheeks because they liked us.

It’s hard to harshly reject someone’s kindness, so I relaxed and slowly spoke.

“It’s fine… I’m happy too.”

“Then let’s have another round of cheek pinching…”

“No way.”

“Just joking.”

Even though he said that, one of the elder dragons scooped me up again, claiming ownership of my cheeks.

I wagged my tail lightly, realizing how exhausting it was to act cute, when the dragon holding me suddenly remembered something and began speaking.

“I momentarily forgot that the Primordial Dragon called you, Hae-un. You should hurry over.”

“Nyeh…”

Despite saying to hurry, there was no intention of letting me go.

After calming the elder dragon, I slipped out of his grasp and moved forward.

*

“You’ve arrived.”

Upon entering, I saw Grandma Leseia waiting for us.

Overjoyed to see her after such a long time, I wagged my tail furiously. Nearby, Chae-a spotted her and dashed over with sparkling eyes.

“Grandma!”

Since becoming close last time, she seemed to have developed quite an attachment, clinging to Grandma Leseia’s leg while chattering away.

“I missed you too!”

Leseia carefully picked up Chae-a, patted her, and continued talking to us.

“Come sit. I’ve prepared some snacks.”

Even though we’d eaten a lot earlier and our stomachs were completely full, it was impossible to refuse her hospitality. As we stepped forward, Leseia used magic to gently lift us and place us on chairs.

I thought, “Magic really is amazing,” as my eyes sparkled. Seeing this, Grandma Leseia asked about my well-being.

“Our dear child has grown thin, haven’t you been eating enough lately?”

“Uh…?”

Despite being extremely well-fed, my cheeks puffier than ever, Grandma Leseia looked at me with deep concern, clearly thinking I needed more nourishment.

Even after shaking my head and insisting I ate plenty, she responded:

“Good, good. Eat more.”

She piled desserts in front of me, insisting I needed to gain more weight.

“…?”

Though she only encouraged and didn’t force, once I signaled I was full, she carefully moved the desserts aside and continued the conversation.

“I heard you’ve been learning magic recently.”

Being questioned about magic by the Primordial Dragon, the origin of all magic in existence, left me somewhat flustered. While unsure how to respond, Chae-a, her face covered in whipped cream, enthusiastically chimed in.

“Yeah! Haeuni is amazing! She does all sorts of incredible things!”

Chae-a wildly gestured while describing my abilities, and Yuna nodded along in agreement.

“That’s right. Haeuni is the best!”

Embarrassed by their praise, I instinctively hugged my tail and hid my face. Grandma Leseia smiled warmly and asked:

“Could you show me too?”

“…Nyeh.”

Knowing that stubbornly refusing would make it harder to say no later, I forced myself to look up despite my embarrassment.

“I’ll try.”

I extended my hand and began moving my mana as I usually practiced. Though it felt awkward showing others something so personal, I decided to give it my best shot. When I finished, Grandma Leseia marveled and gently stroked my head.

“Amazing.”

Her unexpected compliment left me speechless. After all, I hadn’t done anything extraordinary—just circulated mana using the method Somtul taught me.

Thinking perhaps she was just being kind, I remained confused until she explained further.

“I can see you’ve been practicing diligently. Most people struggle with interruptions during circulation, but yours flows smoothly without any issues.”

Her acknowledgment of my efforts made me incredibly happy. Beaming wider than I had all day, I chuckled happily when Grandma Leseia took my hand and continued.

“By the way, your mana has a rather unique quality.”

Puzzled by her comment, I tilted my head, prompting her to close her eyes calmly and elaborate.

“At first glance, it seems to have healing properties, but it leans more towards wishes or desires.”

Wishes and desires?

The abstraction left me scratching my head until Grandma Leseia kindly clarified.

“In short, it has a nature that fulfills what you desire.”

Upon hearing this, Chae-a’s eyes lit up, and she exclaimed excitedly.

“Haeuni is amazing! Almost as great as Somtul!”

“Exactly!”

Watching them cheer for me made me blush, but Grandma Leseia soon returned to her calm demeanor.

“It seems ancient dragon blood flows within you, Hae-un.”

On hearing this, I stared silently at my hands, lost in thought. Sensing this, Grandma Leseia gently brushed my bangs and smiled.

Understanding her unspoken message, I nodded gratefully but hesitated before asking a practical question.

“So… do I need to hide this power?”

Although it felt like ruining the warm atmosphere, it was necessary to address this issue. Strong powers often attract jealousy or ill intentions.

When I sought advice from Grandma Leseia, she smiled faintly and replied succinctly.

“Hae-un, you’re a dragon. A hatchling born after many long years.”

Her words, though brief, carried profound meaning. Grateful yet slightly apologetic, I wriggled my tail anxiously.

“There’s no need to hide. No reason to worry.”

Nodding deeply, I expressed my utmost gratitude.

* * *

After finishing our conversation with Grandma Leseia, I stepped outside to find Seorin chatting with the elder dragons. The atmosphere seemed lively, so I cautiously approached and overheard them discussing me.

“Hae-un hugs her tail and nibbles on it while sleeping. It’s so adorable. Oh, I have pictures. Would you like to see them?”

“How could such a sweet child exist? Thank you. By the way, I heard you’re a hunter? There are some unused spellbooks in the warehouse. You can take them.”

“Oh, you don’t have to…”

“It’s fine, take them without hesitation. If it makes you feel better, we can trade for some photos or videos of Hae-un.”

Was I imagining things, or did this conversation seem a bit odd?

It felt like currency here wasn’t measured in won or dollars but in pictures or videos of me. Feeling uneasy, I glanced around when Seorin noticed me and began waving frantically.

“Hae-un!”

Playing along, I approached with a shy smile as Seorin lifted me up in a hug.

“Did you eat lots of yummy things?”

“Yep.”

“Good job.”

For some reason, Seorin felt stronger than before—even my amateur magical senses could detect it. Watching the elder dragons chuckle nearby, one of them spoke up.

“Seorin, please share those videos and photos. We’ll discuss dungeon priority rights and items separately.”

“Okay!”

“Ho ho.”

An elder dragon watched us with evident satisfaction. Though something still felt off, seeing Seorin grow stronger faster than expected made me decide it was probably for the best and blinked innocently.

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