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Chapter 2
The greatest dilemma of modern life was simple:
“What should I eat for lunch?”
I stood in the kitchen with my arms crossed, pondering my late lunch menu.
Back when I was a Hunter, I often skipped meals. Since I was frequently dispatched to unexpected Gates, I rarely had time to eat properly.
More often than not, I survived on dry energy bars.
And when even that felt like too much effort, I would simply drink an energy recovery potion instead.
Looking back now, I realized just how terrible my lifestyle had been.
Maybe I should just eat an energy bar—
No.
Absolutely not.
I had already retired from being a Hunter.
There was no reason to keep living that hectic life.
It was the first day after moving.
A milestone marking the beginning of a new chapter.
It felt appropriate to make myself a proper meal.
The problem was the ingredients.
The nearest supermarket was all the way in town. Going shopping now would be a hassle.
Fortunately, I still had a few food items among my belongings.
Rice.
Eggs.
Spam.
Some old kimchi.
And a little seaweed seasoning.
That was about it.
Then what should I make…?
Kimchi fried rice?
Simple and delicious.
Having decided, I immediately started cooking rice.
Click! Fwoosh!
The gas stove lit without a problem.
Luckily, there was still gas left in the tank.
I generously poured oil into a frying pan and waited for it to heat up.
Then I tossed in chopped kimchi and Spam.
Sizzle!
A delicious aroma rose from the pan as the kimchi and Spam browned.
Coated in oil, they glistened appetizingly.
This is it.
Once they were cooked, I lowered the heat and added the rice.
I stir-fried everything until the grains separated perfectly.
Then I turned off the heat.
Done.
I fried an egg with a runny yolk and placed it on top.
A sprinkle of seaweed flakes completed the dish.
It actually looked pretty good.
Maybe I should eat outside.
I placed the bowl on a small serving tray and carried it out to the wooden porch.
Looking out at the still-empty yard, I picked up my spoon.
The first bite was a generous scoop of fried rice.
“Mm…!”
A sigh of admiration escaped my lips.
The moment I swallowed, the deep flavor of kimchi and the salty richness of Spam filled my mouth.
The fluffy rice tied everything together perfectly.
“It’s delicious…”
Next, I poked the fried egg with my spoon.
The soft yolk burst and flowed over the rice.
Mesmerized by the sight, I scooped up a bite and tasted it.
Wow…!
The spicy, savory flavor was mellowed by the creamy egg.
The kimchi remained crisp, giving it a wonderful texture.
How is this so good?
Had I always been this good at cooking?
There was no special recipe.
I had simply thrown everything together and stir-fried it.
Yet the result was incredible.
Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I’ve eaten a homemade meal.
As I continued eating, I gazed at the scenery outside.
The air was fresh and clean.
Warm spring sunlight bathed the yard.
In the distance, I could hear a stream flowing.
It was incomparable to sitting inside dark Gates while chewing on dry energy bars.
Yeah.
Let’s stop thinking about the past.
Just as I pushed those thoughts aside and prepared to finish every last grain of my perfect kimchi fried rice—
“Ppyaa!”
I heard something that sounded like an animal cry.
At first, I thought I’d imagined it.
But then—
“Ppya! Ppyaaat!”
There it was again.
What was that?
Ignoring it felt impossible.
Surely some wild animal hadn’t wandered into the yard?
In the end, I reluctantly left my half-finished fried rice and began searching for the source of the sound.
I think it came from over here…
I crouched down and looked beneath the porch.
Nothing.
Just a few abandoned farming tools.
Tilting my head in confusion, I stood back up.
Then—
“Ppya!”
“AAAH!”
Startled, I slammed my head into the porch.
But I didn’t even have time to feel the pain.
My eyes widened.
Because there, in the yard that had been empty moments ago, stood a tiny creature.
A small body covered in shimmering silver scales.
Plump little limbs.
Two tiny horns protruding from its forehead.
And wings on its back.
Surely this was—
“A lizard?”
“What part of me looks like a lizard?!”
The lizard(?) suddenly spoke.
“Anyone can see I’m a dragon, ppyaa!”
Its tone was surprisingly dignified, completely at odds with its adorable appearance and tiny voice.
I stared blankly at the creature.
Now that I looked closely, it did seem rather unusual for a lizard.
In fact…
I’d seen something like this before.
Not in real life, but in a book.
The Encyclopedia of Legendary Monsters Found in Gates (Including Monster Compatibility Charts and Mini Handbook Supplement).
Which meant…
…Is it really a dragon?
If my guess was correct…
It looked like a baby dragon that had only recently hatched.
The tiny dragon attempted to jump onto the porch.
Unfortunately, its short legs left it just short of success.
“Eiit! Why is this so high?!”
After a prolonged struggle, it finally managed to pull itself up.
“Hrmm! This much is nothing to me!”
Acting as though it had climbed up effortlessly from the beginning, it proudly waddled toward me.
Its wings flapped every step, and its entire body swayed side to side.
Honestly, it was just cute.
Without realizing it, I reached out to pet its forehead—
Wait.
Hold on.
That wasn’t the issue here.
A dragon?
Suddenly?
Here?
My phone’s Gate Monitoring Alert-e app was completely silent.
Meaning there were currently no Gates within a fifty-kilometer radius.
If no Gate had opened, how had a dragon suddenly appeared?
Was this some kind of legendary dragon pickup?
People found stray cats and dogs all the time.
But a dragon?
“Ppyaa!”
While I was still bewildered, the dragon shoved its head toward my meal.
Drool dripped from its mouth.
Then it declared:
“Give me food!”
“Huh?”
“I am hungry, ppya!”
Ah.
So it wanted to eat.
“Hungry? You want this?”
“Ppyaaat!”
The dragon nodded vigorously.
Its entire body wobbled along with its head.
Well, I didn’t mind feeding it…
But this was kimchi fried rice.
Wouldn’t it be too spicy?
Could a baby dragon even eat rice?
“Wait a moment. I’ll find something else for you—”
“Waaah! I want that! It smells delicious!”
Well…
If the dragon itself wanted it, maybe it would be fine.
I scooped up a small spoonful and offered it.
The dragon carefully accepted the bite.
Its cheeks puffed as it chewed.
Its wings fluttered excitedly.
“Is it good?”
“Ppyaa!”
This time I added some egg.
The dragon’s eyes sparkled.
It burst into delighted laughter.
Watching it was surprisingly adorable.
Before I knew it, I found myself continuously feeding the little dragon.
At first, it politely accepted spoonful after spoonful.
Eventually, however, impatience got the better of it.
It simply buried its face directly into the bowl.
Only after licking the dish clean did it finally flop onto the floor.
“Ppyaaaah…”
Apparently it was full.
Its tiny stomach bulged like a little hill.
Suppressing a laugh, I asked:
“Feeling full now?”
“Yes! I feel like I’m going to burst!”
“Then it’s time for you to go home.”
“P-Ppyaa…?”
The dragon stared at me in shock.
Its huge eyes looked ready to pop out.
Its expression practically screamed:
How can you say something so heartless?!
But no matter how cute it looked…
I had no intention of raising a dragon.
This wasn’t rescuing a kitten or puppy.
It was a dragon.
Then again…
Dragons were among the rarest monsters ever discovered within Gates.
Only a handful had been documented worldwide.
And all known specimens had been red or green dragons.
A silver-scaled dragon?
I’d never even heard of one.
Without a doubt, it was an incredibly rare species.
Probably possessed immense power and authority as well.
Maybe I should raise it…?
The thought surfaced suddenly.
Just as I took a step closer—
A sharp pain shot through my right hand.
The same hand whose mana circuit had been destroyed.
…Sigh.
Of course.
Someone like me, who had retired after becoming completely useless as a Hunter, had no business raising a dragon.
Making up my mind, I spoke calmly.
“I’ll take you home. Where do you live?”
“I don’t know, ppyaa.”
“What about your parents?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“…Then what do you know?”
The dragon shook its head vigorously.
“Nothing. I don’t remember anything, ppyaa…”
Its shoulders drooped.
Its plump little legs dangled sadly.
Apparently, when it hatched, it had already been in my backyard.
It didn’t know how long it had slept.
Where it came from.
Or where its home was.
What was I supposed to do with this thing?
I had prepared myself for country life.
But I certainly hadn’t expected a dragon on the very first day.
Should I report it to the research institute?
If I contacted the National Gate Monster Research Institute, which specialized in rare monsters, experts would arrive immediately.
But—
“I want to stay here! Waaah!”
As if reading my thoughts, the dragon hurriedly latched onto my leg.
And at that exact moment, a status window appeared before my eyes.
[The Mythical-Dimensional Dragon “Ashpelor” has chosen you.]
[Would you like to become the guardian of the Mythical-Dimensional Dragon “Ashpelor”?]
[YES] / [NO]
“…Huh?”
