LPSB 22

I told them to poke a hole in the top of the meringue. Pavlova is a dessert made by baking meringue and decorating it with cream and fruit.

This time, I planned to fill the inside of the meringue with cream as well.

The baby dragon came bouncing over, tail swishing excitedly. Worried it might lose control of its strength and smash the meringue, I quickly added,

“Gently!”

“Mm!”

Akatelian carefully stretched out a paw and—pop!—broke the meringue lid with a small front paw.

“Fun!”

“Good job, Aka.”

I patted Aka on the head and continued assembling the dessert.

I filled the inside with the remaining whipped cream, then topped it with strawberries, blueberries, and green grapes. Finally, I lightly dusted it with fine powdered sugar…

The pavlova cake was complete. I placed each piece onto plates and set them on the table.

Ding!

<<The dragons are fascinated by a type of bread they’ve never seen before.>>

Even for dragons, something this beautifully decorated must have been a first.

Sertna poked at the pavlova repeatedly with a fork.

I looked at Yelik. I had thought he would refuse to eat human-made food and throw it away.

But the snowy-mountain-like dessert seemed to have caught his interest. He quietly picked up a fork. He broke the crisp meringue, then ate it with cream and fruit together.

Yelik and Sertna slowly tasted the pavlova.

Then suddenly, both of them stopped chewing at the same time and froze.

Feeling uneasy at their strange reaction, I watched as Yelik abruptly pushed himself up from the table.

His pale face flickered with shock and anger. It wasn’t just him—Sertna also dropped her fork and widened her eyes.

<<Yelik, the dragon guarding the snowy mountain, is overflowing with magic.>>
<<Sertna, the dragon who carries flames, is releasing surging magical energy.>>

As if a wind had blown through, Yelik’s white hair scattered wildly in the air.

“Hahaha!”

Sertna burst into roaring laughter, her body engulfed in blazing red flames. Extreme cold and heat collided, sweeping through the bakery.

“Kyaaah!”

Akatelian spread its wings wide, forming a translucent barrier in front of me. Hiser, as if expecting it, drew a golden magic circle with his hand.

The rampaging dragons were restrained within the circular spell.

Soon, their violent energy began to calm. The blizzard faded, and the pillar of flame disappeared into embers.

Reason returned to Yelik and Sertna’s eyes.

They stared blankly at the dessert for a moment, then both looked at me at the same time.

“This…,” Yelik began.

Sertna finished his sentence.

“It’s a mass of magic.”

Ding-ding-ding! A series of alarms rang out like a fire siren.

<<The dragons are shocked by the identity of the bread!>>
<<The gourmet dragon Michelin has broken a plate with its horn!>>
<<The one-eyed dragon removes its eyepatch in shock!>>
<<The unshakable comfort dragon Simmons jumps to its feet!>>

Countless messages poured down like a storm.

But honestly, I was the most confused one here.

“Magic…?”

In this world, there were many kinds of dragons. Despite their appearances and traits, they shared one common obsession: absolute magic power.

All living beings were born with a certain amount of magic.

But magic slowly leaked away after circulating once through the body, making it difficult to maintain.

Dragons were efficient, but not satisfied.

Like their habit of hoarding gold and treasure in nests, they wanted to accumulate magic itself.

So, during their near-immortal lives, they searched the world for sources of magical energy.

“Magic in my bread?”

That couldn’t be possible. I only used ordinary ingredients like sugar and egg whites to make pavlova.

I looked at the sugar jar in confusion, then turned to Hiser.

Understanding my gaze, he smiled faintly.

“Yes. The bread you bake contains magic.”

He picked up a piece of pavlova with whipped cream.

Bringing it to his lips, he slowly licked the cream and swallowed it, savoring the taste.

His sand-colored eyes, now revealed, had narrow pupils. With a faintly dangerous smile, he said,

“It contains purer magic than a dragon’s horn, and greater magic than a great mage’s heart.”

The pressure from his presence made it hard to breathe for a moment.

It reminded me of when I first gave bread to Aka.

Ding!

<<A dragon hiding its modifiers quietly wets its appetite.>>
<<All dragons stare at you with greedy eyes.>>

I stiffened.

Ever since revealing I was a baker, their gazes had been mixed with curiosity and ridicule.

But now it was completely different.

I could feel invisible stares piercing through me.

Of course, the visible ones weren’t much better either. Yelik and Sertna looked at me without hiding their desire.

<<Sertna ignites a spark.>>
<<Yelik’s eternal snow is melting away.>>

Eh? If eternal snow melts, isn’t that a problem?

Yelik scanned me from head to toe.

“Your body’s magic seems no different from an ordinary human.”

Sertna tilted his head.

“Exactly. That makes it even more desirable, doesn’t it?”

I tried to organize my thoughts.

Could it be that the abilities of Shuen Felicita were only now awakening?

But I shook my head.

‘Why would a side character in a spin-off have something like that?’

Hiser placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Now everyone understands her value, right?”

Ding-ding!

<<The dragons are drooling.>>
<<Excited dragons stomp the ground.>>
<<Michelin cries out loudly!>>

The dragons began to lose control again.

Just as I felt I might actually be eaten, Hiser stepped forward.

“This bakery is open to all dragons. Everyone will have a chance to buy bread.”

At those words, the dragons barely calmed down.

Hiser added a final warning.

“Whether it’s the bakery—or the owner—anyone who touches them will not be forgiven.”

<<The dragons approve!>>

The bakery had become a protected zone.

I finally understood what Hiser meant when he said I didn’t need to worry about the bakery failing.

My debut had been a success.

“The bakery opens in one week.”

After a week of preparation, it would officially open.

“See you all then.”

The dragons immediately began preparing to rush in and buy bread.

<<Lazy dragon Gelaumenta prepares to go out after 500 years.>>
<<Scrooge dragon opens its money pouch.>>
<<Dragons want to win your favor.>>

I was overwhelmed by the flood of messages.

Yelik and Sertna left, and only Hiser, the baby dragon, and I remained.

“Haah…”

I sighed deeply.

I was exhausted from constant tension.

I still didn’t understand how I had gained this ability, but… I felt strangely good.

Above all, I now had a place where I could always bake bread for the baby dragon.

I looked around the quiet bakery.

It was a dream I couldn’t achieve in my past life—now right in front of me.

Holding back my trembling emotions, I bowed my head slightly toward Hiser.

“Thank you so much, Hiser.”

He had personally helped build this bakery exactly as I envisioned.

Even as a contract partner of a successor, he had made a human’s dream come true.

He smiled and shook his head.

“That’s my line.”

The baby dragon in my arms whimpered.

“Aka?”

“Mmng… Shushu is mine…”