Chapter 275: Saint Dragon’s Birth

Ah, now that he mentioned it, Qiu Nuoya remembered the Elder Dragon saying that he had taken in and raised Long when he was young.

"Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Raising a child is a parent’s responsibility, after all."

[ With that in mind, I would like to terminate our tamed monster contract for the time being. ]

"Huh...?"

[ Now that we have been blessed with a child, I want to raise it properly and give it all the care it needs. So, for the time being, our contract as tamer and tamed monster must come to an end. ]

Oh boy, this was a problem.

Long’s tamed monster contract had only been set to last for one year anyway, so there was no issue with ending it early. However, given the current state of the kingdom, Long’s cooperation was absolutely essential to suppressing the monster stampede. If he announced his withdrawal from the battle at such a critical moment, Qiu Nuoya might be willing to accept it, but the others certainly wouldn’t be so understanding.

"Um, does that mean you can’t look after the egg while our tamed monster contract is still in effect?"

[ Obviously. It will take several years for the egg to hatch, and we cannot leave it alone during that time. There’s no way we can accompany you on a dangerous journey while carrying out our parental duties. ]

Several years!?

Did it really take years for a dragon egg to hatch? And since Long had said we, that meant not only he but Shangguan Wan’er would have to stay with the egg, too, right?

"Um, would it be all right if someone else looked after it instead?"

[ It’s not about keeping the egg warm. We have to infuse it with magical energy. ]

Ah, right. He had mentioned that earlier.

[ It’s true that the egg can hatch even if someone else supplies the magical energy. However, the magical energy of the parents who prayed to the Sacred Tree is the best nourishment for the egg. I was protected by Grandpa when I was still an egg and hatched using his magical energy. But as I said earlier, it took me a long time to hatch, and magical energy from anyone other than one’s parents doesn’t harmonize well with the egg. Do you have any idea how hard I had to work to accumulate the power I have now? ]

So, for a dragon egg to hatch properly, its parents had to carry it and continuously supply it with their magical energy. Thinking about it that way, Long had actually struggled quite a bit to grow into the powerful dragon he was today. That was admirable.

[ And that’s why I don’t want my child to go through the same hardships I did. So, our tamed monster contract will have to end for now. ]

I see...

Long was surprisingly devoted to his future child.

There were parents in the world who would abandon their children even after being blessed with them, without making any effort to raise them. Long’s sincere determination to care for his child was genuinely impressive.

Given Long’s domineering, self-important personality, Qiu Nuoya had expected him to become the sort of father who ruled his household with an iron fist. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that he had such a caring side.

"Nuoya, what is Long saying? I’m getting the feeling that something terrible is going on..."

"Hmm, well..."

Qiu Nuoya pondered how he should explain the situation to everyone. Actually, Shangguan Wan’er should be able to hear Long’s words too, yet she hadn’t said anything at all.

"Hey, Shangguan Wan’er, can I ask you something? Are you really okay with this? Until recently, you were all fired up about going to defeat the Demon King. But now you’re going to stay with Long and..."

"No problemo! Besides, this little one took every last bit of my Saintess’s power, so I don’t have any Saintess powers left anyway. Ahahaha!"

"...Huh?"

Had Qiu Nuoya really just heard her say something that incredibly alarming, or was he imagining things? No, that couldn’t be right. Wait, she was joking, wasn’t she?

"Shangguan Wan’er, when you say you’ve lost your Saintess’s power..."

"Yep! I’m now an ordinary person in every sense of the word!"

For some reason, Shangguan Wan’er puffed out her chest proudly as she declared this.

No, no, no! Wait a minute! Wasn’t that a huge problem!?

Qiu Nuoya looked around. Several middle-aged men were staring at him with exhausted expressions, as though silently begging him for help.

Ah, yes. Those were definitely the faces of people who had already been through a whole ordeal before he and Viktor returned.

In stark contrast to their weary expressions, Prince Lucien was still smiling cheerfully as usual. Did he even understand the situation!?

Qiu Nuoya had noticed that Xiao Tao had looked troubled ever since they returned, and now he thought he finally understood why.

"Um, could you explain exactly what you mean when you say you’ve lost your Saintess’s power?"

"Hm? I mean exactly what I said. My abilities have been passed on to the egg, right? All my skills and powers as the Saintess went to this little one. So apparently, this child is going to become a Saint Dragon! That said, I can still use the four elemental types of magic, so it’s not like I’m having any problems."

"A Saint Dragon..."

[ Generally speaking, dragons inherit their traits from their parents. I’m not a Saint Dragon myself, but apparently, one of my ancestors must have been one, and those traits have combined quite nicely. In that sense, Shangguan Wan’er and I really were compatible. After all, Saint Dragons rank higher than the four elemental dragons, such as Fire Dragons and Water Dragons! I have every reason to be proud! ]

Long threw back his head and laughed heartily.

Dragons sure came in all sorts of varieties. Their ranks differed depending on their elemental attributes, too. There was certainly a lot to learn.