NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75
Chapter 75 – Ancient Dragon Hatching
I felt the egg that held Sighisoara jump and then fall silent. Then it moved again.
I could feel it shaking somewhat inside.
I held the egg with both hands and said.
「Sighisoara moved.」
「Heh, heh…Mister Al, it does look like you’re pregnant.」
Millet probably thought it was a joke, as she said it with a laugh.
Femm looked at it with distrusting eyes.
『Are you saying it kicked inside your belly?』
「No, I really felt it! Sighisoara moved.」
「I’m sure it did…」「Waooof」
Millet smiled at me, while Femm scratched away at its ear with its hind leg.
Both of them didn’t seem to believe me.
As I looked, I rubbed the egg gently.
「I really did…」
Femm might have not believed me, but I really felt it move.
Maybe it was close to hatching.
『If it was only a day or two, then the dragon would have told you.』
「Yeah, I also bet that the dragon that held on to the egg for so long would have wanted to see it, too.」
They were both right about that.
I remembered what the dragon had said.
「No, but the dragon did say it would hatch soon.」
『But that’s soon for an ancient dragon. That could mean months.』
「I guess you’re right. And the dragon was almost a goner because of the zombie curse.」
「I see.」
Millet again touched the egg softly.
Femm put its paw on my knee and sniffed the egg.
『Sighisoara’s not moving.』
「I don’t feel anything.」
And for a while longer the egg didn’t move anymore.
That evening.
Just like yesterday, we all got in the hot springs. We all ate dinner with the egg as well.
After dinner, Cruz was sitting next to me, rubbing the egg.
I was hoping that Cruz rubbing the egg wasn’t going to cause something crazy like Moofy to happen.
「Sighisoara…I hope you become a strong dragon.」
「Seems like Cruz has taken a liking to the egg.」
「It’s white and round and somehow, cute.」
「I see.」
I guess even I could understand how an egg could be cute.
Eggs are cute in a way.
Luka looked over with eyes of rejection.
「No, there’s nothing cute about just AN EGG.」
「I guess you’re right too.」
Even though she said that, Luka spent the night touching the egg too.
Yureena, Moofy, Femm, and Vi-Vi all spent time touching it if they had the chance.
Collette and Millet too.
「I guess you DO think Sighisoara is cute, Luka.」
「In an academically curious way…maybe.」
「Okay.」
I guess everyone did like the egg.
As I went to bed, I carefully got in carrying Sighisoara.
Femm and Moofy came to my bed too, and Femm sniffed the egg a bit.
That night.
I woke up after feeling the egg shake.
The first thing I saw waking up though was that Cruz had gotten into bed with me.
「Yawwwwn」
「I’m sleeping…and you’re heavy…」
Cruz was saying things to herself, and then went back to snoring.
I found that I was holding the egg on my stomach.
And Cruz was lying on top of the egg.
It was really heavy.
I felt the egg with both hands. It was shaking.
I wondered if it was okay and worried a bit.
Well, if it was shaking, that meant whatever was inside wasn’t dead.
I was just hoping it wasn’t shaking because of sickness or pain.
「Hang in there Sighisoara.」
I said in a soft voice, and gave the egg a little squeeze.
—Crack
There was a sound, and crack formed on the top part of the egg.
—Crack Crick Crack
One part of the top of the egg cracked some more and a piece flew off.
From there the small white face of a dragon popped out.
「rya…」
「Oh, Sighisoara, good morning.」
I was so surprised I found myself greeting the dragon normally.
The little dragon began forcing itself out of the egg, and put its face up against my stomach.
It was a white, beautiful dragon, just like its parent. It was the type with arms, legs, and wings.
「Em…food…got to get food.」
「Yawwwn, what is it, Al?」
I started to move around and Cruz woke up.
Then she smiled when she looked down at the dragon.
「Wow, Sighisoara, you’re so cute!」
「Ryaryaaa.」
Cruz petted the dragon, and Sighisoara squinted its eyes.
I guess it liked people.
Femm and Moofy woke up, and they both sniffed at Sighisoara.
「We have to feed it…」
「What do you feed a baby dragon?」
「I…I wonder. Let’s ask Luka.」
I grabbed the half-hatched dragon and took it to Luka’s room.
Cruz, Moofy, and Femm followed.
「LUKA! Are you awake?」
「…」
「Luka! Are you awake?」
「…DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?! Of course I wasn’t awake!」
After a while, Luka got out of bed. We had awoken her.
…so she was really pissed off.
「Sighisoara hatched, so we’re wondering what to feed it.」
「Whoa! The child of an ancient dragon.」
「ryaa」
Luka’s attitude suddenly flipped to being interested. She rubbed the dragon’s head.
With all the shouting, Yureena, Millet, and Vi-Vi woke up.
Little Collette kept sleeping.
「Sorry for waking you up.」
「Don’t worry about it. You can’t decide when something is born.」
「Yeah, yeah.」
I apologized, and Millet and Yureena smiled and replied.
It wasn’t born. However, it was probably something like that for Sighisoara.
Vi-Vi also happily petted the dragon and said,
「Little one, your parent entrusted you to Al. I was there when you were given over, so you can think of me as mom, okay?」
「ryaa」
I couldn’t understand Vi-Vi’s logic.
Seeing this, Luka said,
「Food for a baby ancient dragon…」
「I didn’t mean food…just that the mother’s not around so no one can nurse it…」
「Al, relax. A dragon isn’t a mammal so it can’t give milk.」
「Oh yeah.」
I was losing my mind after the birth of this thing.
It was a bit embarrassing.
「Maybe meat is good, just like other dragons.」
「Meat? Like beef or chicken?」
「I think so. And since a dragon is a magic beast, the hot springs is probably good for it too.」
A magical beast is able to eat magic as well.
Something like the village’s hot springs should be very good for it too.
Hearing all this, Cruz made a face like she realized something.
「Ah! Maybe we should feed it Moofy’s pee!」
「Cruz, stop.」
「Mooo?」
I flatly refused Cruz’ idea. Moofy looked confused.
Moofy’s pee is highly concentrated with magical power, but there’s no way I’m going to make the dragon drink pee.
But maybe we could if it wouldn’t eat anything else.
As I with thinking this over, I thought of the meat in storage.
「Femm, could I get some of the earth dragon meat from the storage shack?」
『Sure.』
「Wait, but that’s cannibalism.」
Yureena tried to stop it.
But Luka looked at the dragon and said calmly,
「No, as species of dragon they’re completely different.」
「But…」
「I know how you feel, but as humans, we eat mammals like cows and pigs, right?」
「Yeah, but…」
「Well the difference in the dragon is the same difference as us in mammals.」
If Luka said it was okay, then it probably was.
「Well, then I’ll get some dragon meat from the storage.」
I ran with the half-hatched Sighisoara down to the storage shack.