“Are you talking about that so-called curse? I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. You have to realize you’re in the Rift Dragon King’s lair right now. Is there anything in this world that could harm you under his nose?”
Po Kong glanced at Yserazor and whispered.
“Hmph, I can hear you!” Yserazor snorted coldly and turned to look at the three of them. “In this world, there are plenty of people stronger than me. Just looking at my brothers alone, I wouldn’t be able to best them.”
“Eh? You’re actually admitting you’re weaker? That’s a surprise! I thought all dragons were the type who were stubborn to the bone. Look at Little Gold—he’s clearly weak as a kitten, yet he still talks back to us every time.” Po Kong chuckled, teasing.
“Dragons may be proud, but admitting one’s shortcomings isn’t difficult. Besides, I don’t think there’s any shame in being weaker than Seranox and the others.”
Yserazor paused, then continued in a lazy tone, “After all, I don’t have their patience for cultivation. Rather than spending time on those negligible improvements, I’d much rather enjoy life...”
“Uh... so that’s why you’re so fat?” Starlight couldn't help but feel a few lines of exasperation on his forehead upon hearing Yserazor’s slacker philosophy.
Yserazor glared at Starlight, looking quite displeased. “Boy, what do you mean by that? I’m sturdy, not fat!”
Po Kong couldn’t help but burst out laughing, patting Starlight on the shoulder. “Little Star, you’re certainly bold! But he really does have quite a bit of ‘weight’ to him.”
...
While they were chatting and laughing, Little Gold suddenly let out a loud, resonant burp and lifted his head.
“Burp... Oh man, I’m stuffed! I almost exploded!”
“Oh, Little Gold, you’re awake? You were the slowest one,” Po Kong said with a grin.
“What do you mean the slowest? I’ve been awake for ages, okay? I was just digesting the power. Ouch!” Little Gold shook his head as he stood up, but he stumbled because his body had suddenly grown larger.
He looked up and shouted at Yserazor, “Old man! Why did my body get another size bigger?! What exactly did you pour into me?!”
“Huh? Me? But that was just a healing potion!” Yserazor said with an innocent look, momentarily struggling to keep up with Little Gold’s train of thought. However, his tone was quite relieved. “Still, it’s good that you’re alright, Aidanach.”
“Ugh... I’m not used to this body at all. I’ll just turn into a human...” Little Gold ignored the expression on Yserazor’s face and closed his eyes slightly. His body began to distort and eventually shrank into the form of a boy about fourteen or fifteen years old.
Although he looked a bit older than before, this appearance made him look even more like Po Kong.
“I told you Little Gold looks a lot like you... If we didn’t know he was a dragon, anyone would think you two were brothers...” Starlight remarked, sizing up Little Gold’s new look before turning to Po Kong.
“Heh, I don’t have a brother this weak. Talk to me again in another hundred or eighty years.”
“Who are you calling weak?! And I’m not your brother, I’m a dragon!” Little Gold glared at Po Kong, clearly very dissatisfied.
Po Kong laughed heartily and patted Little Gold on the shoulder. “Fine, fine, you’re a dragon. But with how you look now, why don’t you just call me Big Brother?”
Little Gold huffed and turned his head away. “In your dreams! I am a noble dragon, how could I ever call you Big Brother!”
“See, Little Star? I told you dragons are stubborn to the bone. If he were a bit more straightforward like Yserazor, he’d definitely be a lot cuter!” Po Kong shrugged and looked at Starlight.
“Alright, stop teasing Little Gold and settle down for a bit,” Starlight said, shaking his head helplessly.
“Exactly! Starlight is much better.” Hearing this, Little Gold also looked toward Starlight, his emerald eyes sparkling with anticipation. “By the way! I’m hungry! Can you make something for me to eat?!”
“Uh... so you’re just treating Little Star as a chef? He’s a mage, you know? He can’t be cooking for you all the time. Just have some dry rations to tide you over,” Po Kong continued to joke, waving his hand dismissively.
“You! Do you have to control what I eat too?!”
“What do you mean ‘control’? Little Star is the mainstay of my team. Shouldn’t you ask me, the captain, before requesting such things?” Po Kong crossed his arms, putting on a rare air of authority.
As Starlight watched the two of them bickering, Lian, who had been huddling in his arms, spoke up softly. “Um... I’m hungry too...”
Starlight looked down at Lian, a hint of doting in his eyes. “Alright, I understand. Since everyone is hungry, I’ll go make something to eat.”
“Hey! Little Star, is that it? You surrender as soon as a beauty speaks? Fine, I won’t help you then. You were just born to toil!” Seeing this, Po Kong stopped arguing with Little Gold.
Indeed, from the battle in the Crimson City-State until now, several hours had passed. It was likely early morning of the next day outside.
Although Yserazor’s miraculous potion had restored their bodies to peak condition, normal hunger still persisted.
Since the topic had turned to food, Yserazor couldn’t help but be drawn in, dragging his round body over to Starlight’s side.
After all, his primary hobby was gourmet food. The only reason he maintained trade relations with the House of Red was for the sake of eating.
As he watched Starlight take out a pile of fresh ingredients and seasonings from his storage space, Yserazor’s eyes immediately lit up. He rubbed his thick fingers together, his throat bobbing as he spoke in a muffled voice, “How about... you count me in for a portion? Well, I don’t need much. Just seven or eight pieces of meat about this size.”
As he spoke, he pointed his short, thick finger at a slab of steak on the ground that was half a person tall, his eyes shining with expectation.
“Huh? Seven or eight pieces?!” Starlight’s brow twitched slightly as he looked at Yserazor, somewhat speechless.
Even though the other party was an adult dragon, this appetite was a bit too much. Was this why he was so fat?
However, Yserazor clearly misunderstood Starlight’s reaction. Thinking Starlight was worried about a lack of materials, he hurriedly patted his round belly and said urgently, “Are you short on materials? I have some! Or is it... inconvenient because you don’t have cookware? I’ll get it for you!”
Before Starlight could stop him, Yserazor had already pulled a massive grill out of his storage space.
Next, he hauled out a large chest over two meters long and wide, filled with processed meats. One could see the fresh texture on the cuts; they were clearly high-quality ingredients that had been meticulously prepared.
“Here, use all of this! I had these specially custom-made! If it’s not enough, I have more!” Yserazor patted the chest and the grill, his face full of pride.
Starlight looked at the mountain of ingredients and the grill that was taller than he was, feeling both amused and exasperated.
He had originally intended to just make something simple for everyone to snack on, but he hadn’t expected things to escalate like this.
However, seeing Yserazor’s expectant look, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He could only smile helplessly. “Alright, since you’ve prepared everything, I’ll make a bit more.”
“That’s wonderful! Hurry up and start!” Yserazor rubbed his hands in excitement, quickly urging him on.
In truth, Yserazor hadn't gone without trying to cook for himself.
As a dragon with an ultimate pursuit of gourmet food, he had once thought about mastering culinary skills and had even put in quite a bit of effort for it.
But strangely enough, no matter how he tried, he could never get the hang of it.
Even complex ancient magic only required a single glance for him to master, but once it involved anything in the kitchen, his hands acted as if they were under a curse, completely refusing to cooperate.
Rate on N.U.
