Chapter 600: The Better Piece

Hajin set an extra plate beside the breakfast bread, leaving the child free to choose where she wanted to sit.

The comforting aroma of freshly baked sourdough bread, melted butter, and simmering blackberry compote filled every corner of the ground floor.

The child walked down the stairs wearing an oversized wool sweater, her brown curls bouncing lightly against her shoulders.

Hajin stood at the cutting board with an apron tied around his waist, slicing generous portions of hot bread for the morning meal.

"Good morning, early bird," the young lord greeted her, gesturing toward the counter with a friendly, welcoming smile.

"Come and choose your breakfast before the feline scouts wake up and clear the platters!"

The young girl approached the cutting board with cautious steps, her eyes scanning the crusty loaf with quiet wonder.

Usually, in the palace scullery, she received only the burned ends and moldy scraps that the senior cooks threw onto the floor.

"Can I really pick whichever piece I want... even the crunchy top?" she asked, her voice hushed as if afraid of breaking a delicate enchantment.

"You can take any slice you desire, or you can take the entire loaf if you are especially hungry!" the young lord laughed warmly.

"There are no tests here, little one, and nobody is taking notes on your choices."

She reached out her small hand, deliberately choosing the crusty heel of the loaf, the thickest and crunchiest part of the entire bake.

"I want the better piece," she declared, looking up at him with a mixture of daring pride and gentle hope.

"Then the better piece is yours!" the summoner replied, spooning a generous mound of sweet blackberry compote onto her plate.

"A girl who survived the cold deserves the sweetest crust in the house!"

After breakfast, the entire household climbed the stairs to the second floor to help the young dragon arrange her new bedroom.

The room was spacious and bright, featuring a wide bay window that overlooked the blooming plum trees in the courtyard below.

With Vella’s assistance, the child applied a fresh coat of pale peach-colored wash to the plaster walls, transforming the space into a gentle haven.

Rumi fluttered her four amber wings, hanging airy cream-colored linen curtains that danced merrily in the morning breeze.

"Look at that window... it catches the afternoon sun like a safe nest!" the elder runner purred in high satisfaction.

In the corner, Ferra assembled a low cedar bookshelf, setting out small carved wooden songbirds and storybooks Lucan brought from the market.

Nari knelt beside the bedroom doorway, using a small brass screwdriver to adjust a specialized latch on the doorframe.

"What does that latch do, little scout?" the young dragon asked, crouching down beside the four-winged feline guardian.

"This is the open-door latch," the younger scout explained with a gentle, sisterly grin.

"It keeps your door held open by three inches... so you can always hear our footsteps and voices down the hall."

"If you ever feel frightened in the dark, you will know we are right outside!"

"And if you ever want total privacy, you just flick the brass lever and the door clicks shut!"

The girl touched the smooth brass latch, her eyes glistening with sweet, overwhelming gratitude as she hugged the scout around the neck.

"I love the open latch," she whispered happily.

"I never want to be locked away in the dark again... not even for a minute."

"You will never be locked away again," the feline scout promised softly, nuzzling her cheek against the girl’s curls.

The second day of their ordinary week arrived with overcast skies and a steady, refreshing rain drumming against the roof tiles.

In the afternoon, a small disagreement erupted over the garden chore schedule and the distribution of pantry inventory tasks.

Hajin suggested that the child spend two hours reviewing basic arithmetic charts with Lucan before practicing basic dragon scale shielding.

"I do not want to do arithmetic charts today!" the young girl protested, crossing her small arms and pouting with fierce defiance.

"It is raining outside, and I promised Vella that we would bake ginger cookies and sew lavender sachets!"

The room fell into sudden, nervous silence as the young girl realized she challenged the sovereign summoner’s direct proposal.

Her shoulders stiffened in sudden dread, her eyes darting toward the hallway as if expecting angry shouts or sudden expulsion.

Hajin immediately noticed her momentary panic, softening his expression into a gentle, understanding smile she could trust.

"You do not have to look at the doorway," the young lord reassured her gently, crouching down to her eye level.

"We agreed yesterday that disagreement is a fundamental right in this family."

"You are allowed to tell me no, and you are allowed to dislike my suggestions without risking your home!"

"How about we strike a fair compromise: one hour of baking cookies, thirty minutes of arithmetic, and the rest of the afternoon is yours?"

The young girl let out a long, shuddering breath, her tension melting away as she saw only patience and respect in his gaze.

"One hour of baking, and thirty minutes of numbers," she agreed with a shy, relieved giggle.

"And you have to eat the burnt cookies... every single one of them!"

"Deal!" the summoner laughed, shaking her small hand to seal the bargain.

Later that evening, as the rain subsided into a misty twilight, Hajin sat in the manor parlor to review the operational record.

Through the celestial stream broadcast window, millions of watching viewers showered the channel with praise and heartfelt donations.

[ Seoul_Tactician: "Day one choosing the better piece of bread! Day two establishing safe disagreement! Pure emotional perfection!" ]

[ StarlightScholar: "’You are allowed to tell me no without risking your home!’ Master Hajin proves what true sovereignty means!" ]

[ IronVanguard: "The open-door latch! A practical way to keep the door open while preserving complete personal boundaries!" ]

[ HearthKeeper: "Look at how happy the child is! Master, please send relief supplies to the local town clinic before nightfall!" ]

Hajin accessed the celestial stream market interface, executing the required relief procurement for the provincial refugee shelter.

[ Wallet before: 74,435 credits ]

[ Processing requisition: One standard Field-Supply Lot ]

[ 20 staple-food packs (25 credits each): 500 credits ]

[ 10 sterile field dressings (20 credits each): 200 credits ]

[ 10 wash and comfort kits (30 credits each): 300 credits ]

[ Transaction total: 1,000 credits ]

[ Wallet after: 73,435 credits ]

The supply crates materialized upon the manor terrace, fully packed with nutrient rations, bandages, and hygiene kits.

"Lucan, deliver these crates directly to the town medical post," the summoner instructed, signing the delivery manifest.

"Make sure every displaced family receives hot food and fresh dressings tonight."

"Consider it done, young lord," the scholar replied proudly, coordinating with the estate drivers to load the wagons.

"The provincial healers will put these supplies to immediate use for the convalescent mothers and children."

Night fell over the provincial estate, and the companions gathered once more in the cozy parlor around the roaring hearth fire.

The girl sat curled up between Rumi and Nari on the sofa, her hands holding a mug of spiced milk while eating ginger cookies.

Hajin opened his sovereign status window, verifying the complete, immaculate record of the party across all parameters.

"Our operational metrics are completely reconciled and verified," the summoner announced to his bonded companions.

"Host experience stands at 630 million points toward the seventh ring, with six rings fully unlocked and active."

"Juna holds 14,720,000 experience points in her fourth wing, and Loccy holds 12 million points in her fourth wing."

"Rumi and Nari have both mastered their fourth-wing authorities, standing at zero of 37.5 million points toward their fifth ascension."

"Ferra holds 700,000 points in her second wing, Didi possesses six divine shards, and our total fragment recovery holds firm at fifty percent."

"Our credit balance holds steady at seventy-three thousand four hundred thirty-five credits."

"All ancient artifacts remain secured: the Lever Wedge, Grasp at twelve percent, the matched Growth blades, and the Legendary Hearth and Witness Arrays."

"And the twenty-four-hour Stolen Moment remains preserved in reserve for when the true time comes."

Ferra raised her cider mug in a hearty toast, her eyes shining with fierce pride.

"We fought for every companion at this table, and not a single one was left behind!" the smith declared.

"To the young lord, to our family, and to the road ahead!"

"To our family!" the entire room echoed in joyful, unanimous harmony.

High above the tranquil provincial estate, the celestial stream broadcast flared with blinding fireworks of virtual celebration.

[ Seoul_Tactician: "THE FINAL SHOP CHOICE IS MADE! He spent on shelter while that little dragon was still hungry!" ]

[ StarlightScholar: "From the first court hearing to this last answer, he keeps choosing people over a throne!" ]

[ IronVanguard: "The status record is 100% verified! 630M EXP, 50% Fragment Recovery, 73,435 credits! Pure perfection!" ]

[ HearthKeeper: "The child is safe in her peach-colored room, the better piece of bread in her hand, and the door held open by love!" ]

[ VoidWatcher_42: "The child got a meal, the ward got a roof, and Hajin still has enough credit to travel!" ]

[ BattleMage_Jin: "That foundation is standing, and the road north is finally open. Who is going with them?" ]

Hajin stood on the veranda, looking up at the vast starry sky that stretched across the heavens.

The child found a place in a household that left the latch within her reach and her answer in her own hands.

Every promise made to the summoner girls, to the mortal spirits, and to the divine mother stood honored with absolute integrity.

Inside the quiet parlor, the child slept peacefully beneath a thick quilt, her hand lightly resting on the open-door latch.

The road ahead was vast, mysterious, and filled with grand kingdoms waiting to be liberated.

That night, the family kept the hearth burning while the child slept with her door unlocked and her choice respected.

The sovereign journey reached its greatest milestone, ready to carry its light into the unwritten horizons of tomorrow.