Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 41

After leaving the Department Head’s Office, Yeon-woo and Shar faced each other in silence. Their eyes met. Hehe, a giggle slipped through their lips.

“Fuhihi.”

“Hehehe.”

Their not-so-calm laughs echoed throughout the hallway in front of the Department Head’s Office. It felt like they wanted to high-five, but with their arms in casts, they ended up looking like the villain group from some ninja cartoon. Definitely not gonna happen.

“Shark Man, this is where it ends for you. From here on, it’s nonsense… Had to say that at least once.”

“Yay~!”

As Yeon-woo hesitated about where to bump into Shar, she jumped in and bumped shoulders with him. Ugh, our daughter is just too cute!

Thinking that way, Yeon-woo lightly bumped shoulders back, causing Shar to giggle shyly. That’s also adorable.

“Now that we’ve done this, nobody can scold me for taking Shar out for a walk!”

“Hehe, now I can explore the city on my own two legs!”

Shar proudly declared with her hands on her hips and a mighty pose.

“You can’t go exploring alone until you’re a bit bigger, okay?”

“Eh, but I’m a dragon!”

“Whether you’re a dragon or a human, I don’t want to leave my little girl wandering around by herself.”

Shar’s lips puffed out in a pout. In truth, letting Shar wander alone likely wouldn’t cause major issues, thanks to the uniqueness of the contract between her and Yeon-woo.

Shar had used her existence to achieve a partial rebirth, meaning she couldn’t be maintained without Yeon-woo.

It would be exceedingly difficult to abduct her unless special measures were taken to separate her soul or something equally complex. Aside from killing her and taking the body, there was no way to take Shar away from Yeon-woo.

However, it did become clear with this incident that both Yuri and Kim Hyun-soo were behind Yeon-woo, making it risky to mobilize such means.

The fact that Yuri and Kim Hyun-soo guaranteed their safety served as a solid barrier against those looking to target the dragon.

Plus, Yuri, known for her swordsmanship, promised to issue strict warnings, so there shouldn’t be too much to worry about around Harmony City. Nevertheless, they’d still prepare adequately.

Soon, Shar’s chubby cheeks quivered, and she opened her tiny mouth wide with a smile.

Even though children’s emotions can change rapidly, isn’t that a bit too extreme?

Seeing Yeon-woo harbored such worries, Shar shouted brightly.

“Thinking about it, I’m even more excited that I can go out with Daddy!!”

“That’s right, that’s right!!”

How can my daughter be this cute?!

In an instant, Yeon-woo spread his arms, which were in casts, like pincers and scooped Shar up, rubbing his cheek against hers. So soft!! Those cheeks are heavenly!! What is this cute creature?! Oh, right!! My daughter!!

If he were in her position, he might not have been abandoned by his parents. Seeing this incredibly adorable girl, he couldn’t help but have that fleeting thought.

After all, he was naturally handsome as a guy; if he had been born a girl, he would’ve been drop-dead gorgeous. No doubt about it.

“Oww, it hurts…!!”

“Right, I hurt my arm, didn’t I?”

The school nurse told him not to use his arms for a while… He scratched his shoulder in realization. What’s it matter.

Shar herself is super light, and the pain in his arm isn’t caused by her but rather from the injury. Even now, picking Shar up didn’t hurt or feel difficult. It shouldn’t cause significant problems. Still, some caution was warranted.

Feeling like he wanted to rest was true, but extending his recovery time would mess up the schedule too.

Just then, from inside the Department Head’s office, he heard Yuri telling him to bring Shar back and not to play around, prompting Yeon-woo to crouch down with his back facing Shar.

“Alright, let’s hurry back and get some rest?”

“Yes… eh?”

Was she pondering over his back? Shar seemed a bit bewildered for a moment but quickly caught on to Yeon-woo’s intention and jumped onto his shoulder with a big smile.

This was, in a sense, akin to fulfilling his wishes. When he was younger, he always envied parents who could piggyback their children.

Yeon-woo was satisfied with Claire giving him rides, but seeing Shar in her spirit form reminded him of those memories. Therefore, the first thing he wanted to do when Shar hatched was this very piggyback ride.

“Since Daddy can’t hold you, you need to hold on tight!”

“Yes! I will!!”

Ow, just don’t grab my hair. I’m a bit scared since I’ve been losing some hair lately.

*

On the rooftop of the Gold Class Dormitory, a boy lay on a sunbed, absentmindedly staring at the sky. He had finished his Gate practice long ago and had time to spare.

Darius Blackraven. The heir to the Blackraven family, he found it impossible to concentrate on training recently. His will was present. However, even when he steeled himself and entered the training room, his determination dwindled shortly after.

Lifting a sword wasn’t scary. Swinging the sword was okay too. Up to that point, he could enjoy moving his body.

However, the moment he had to engage his senses and envision a virtual opponent, his entire body weakened.

Coincidentally, Darius knew exactly why this was happening.

He accepted the fact that he had lost to Choi Yeon-woo, whom he had considered an underachiever.

It seemed absurd to label someone who had displayed such skill as an underachiever. Although he considerably lagged behind in physical abilities or mana compared to the average of his grade, he had still managed to surpass himself.

“Risk management was incredibly skillful.”

Conserving stamina to avoid fatal injuries and defending fully against what could be fatal—his ability to fend off even attacks from blind spots was levelled up to an art form in defensive techniques.

Darius had no choice but to accept it. The Blackraven, someone who had brushed with death more than anyone, now feared it. His father would surely grimace upon hearing this, but what could he do? It was simply the truth.

“Eat my shorts.”

As he vented his pent-up frustration, feeling a bit better, Darius contemplated just skipping some classes and sleeping all day. Lying down in the sunbed, he thought it might have been one of the few benefits of his current situation.

“What the heck, I’m just trying to take a nap here….”

It might be abnormal to take a nap on the rooftop at this hour, but Darius was completely unfazed by that fact.

As he approached the edge of the rooftop and looked down, he couldn’t help but frown at the sight unfolding below.

“What the heck is that kid doing?”

Meanwhile, at that moment.

“I heard such rumors.”

Je Gal Seong-ryong suddenly blurted this out. Namgung Seong, quietly listening to his words, appeared indifferent.

“Looks like it. I’d imagine the Sword Saint wouldn’t just make up lies, so it must be true.”

“Doesn’t seem too perturbed about the whole ‘eating a Dragon’s elixir’ fib, does he?”

“Eating a dragon’s elixir wouldn’t look this refined. You didn’t believe it either, did you? So why are you only fussing about it with me?”

Saying this, Namgung Seong interlocked his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his chair.

“Doesn’t seem like it matters much. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“True that. If they hadn’t hidden it, I’d be more disappointed in them.”

“So that’s why people don’t like associating with the Je Gal family, you punk.”

Only a shrug from Seong-ryong in response to that jab.

A bit away from their conversation, Baek In-hwa sat by the window, staring outside. She wasn’t drastically different from her usual self.

Except for the fact that she was looking at Yeon-woo walking around with Shar on his back, a bit of disbelief on her face.

There’s a saying that a word without legs travels a thousand miles.

What that means is that even one poorly-timed joke can lead to family disasters and social ruin.

If that’s the case, how about intentionally spreading rumors? Moreover, the students of this academy are known to be quite sensitive to gossip.

“It’s such a beautiful day, isn’t it, Shar!”

“Absolutely!!”

Yeon-woo was strolling around the academy with Shar on his back. It felt like he was finally getting to see the school, which he hadn’t done during the entrance ceremony.

“To be honest, the reason I didn’t explore the school during the entrance ceremony was because I wanted to do it with Shar now.”

“Do people typically tell those kinds of lies to someone who can read minds?”

Shar said incredulously. Better off doing this than nothing, right? What could he say? It was similar to the mindset of someone believing in God moments before death. Just throw it out there. Consider the rest later.

Regardless of Yeon-woo’s demeanor, it wasn’t common for students to carry young girls around the school, making the focused attention from others entirely expected. The rumors had already spread at this point.

“Apparently that girl is his daughter, and she’s a dragon… What the heck does that mean…?”

“Well, yeah. Did the whole academy lose their minds?”

Such conversations floated around. Even though the parties involved had heard them, they didn’t quite grasp what they were saying. Yeon-woo let out an involuntary chuckle while hurrying his steps.

The content of the rumors was surprisingly straightforward.

‘First-year class 5’s Choi Yeon-woo is taking a walk with his dragon daughter.’

It was an overwhelmingly simple rumor that was simply absurd, but there was indeed a mysterious girl beside Choi Yeon-woo, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Just because Baek In-hwa and Yeon-woo were supposedly walking together—although they would never actually walk together—didn’t mean that Baek In-hwa had become the dragon who is Choi Yeon-woo’s daughter.

Why was this rumor even spread, and what strategy was behind it? Because it was a wise thing to do.

That girl is Western with blonde hair, but just consider her my daughter.

The ridiculousness of the rumor was all too evident; however, once Yuri and Kim Hyun-soo officially confirmed it, it would become ingrained in perception as it was already somewhat lingering in the air.

“What?? Is it really true?” that kind of feeling might arise.

Of course, it was uncertain how many would genuinely recognize the relationship. To suppress unnecessary chaos, Kim Hyun-soo and Yuri would use their namesakes—acting like they understood it on the surface… It was pretty much a convoluted situation.

“All we need to do is walk around and enjoy ourselves. Where do you want to go?”

“Chicken place.”

“Hmm… I like chicken too, but let’s order it for delivery. It’s our first walk; a chicken place just doesn’t feel right.”

“Ugh….”

*

Looking at Shar, snuggled up in bed and softly breathing, Yeon-woo brought a cup to his lips.

Slurp.

A sweet fizzy drink flowed onto his tongue and down his body. Ahh, divine taste.

“Mm… Mama… Daddyyy….”

Pfft, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Shar’s sleep talk. He hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter. As he brushed her hair, she grabbed his hand, snuggling against it like a cat.

“Yeah, it’s Daddy.”

“…Ehehe…”

Was she dreaming something nice? Watching Shar’s innocent smile, Yeon-woo felt a whirlwind of complex emotions.

Honestly, whether or not she was his blood-related child didn’t hold much weight for him.

Perhaps it was because he didn’t know the face of his blood relatives, but he had already lived many years believing only Claire and the orphanage kids were his family.

However, it was the first time he had a daughter who called him daddy and trusted him. Would he be able to raise this child properly? Though he made many blunders, would he truly bear the heavy responsibility that lay upon him?

Could he safeguard this child from the harsh storms he had experienced himself…?

In truth, worries of other types loomed large in his mind. Claire’s dreams, whether he wouldn’t inconvenience Yuri as her disciple, if he could rescue Baek In-hwa…

In the end, he had pretended to be bright and unaffected, yet he remained unchanged from his past life. Just because he had gained mana didn’t mean he suddenly overflowed with confidence.

What he had boasted to Alkeinea was just the foolish instinct of a male not wanting to show an awkward sight to the woman he was fond of on his final path.

He knew he had to do it. He also understood that failing to do so would leave him no different than before his rebirth.

Knowing no one expects anything from him while feeling that something lay in his hands, the wave of responsibility and burden crashed upon him.

Grabbing hold of his trembling hands, Yeon-woo recalled that day almost a month ago, the moment the enormous golden dragon had transformed into a beautiful woman and spoke.

She had respected him.

In the life where he merely wanted to flee, at the end of that road, ironically, he had heard such praise for the first time.

She had passionately expressed how beautiful it was that he longed to fly, even if he couldn’t.

“That’s a misconception, Nea.”

It’s a time when honor and responsibility have turned into a pathetic joke.

He had fled from everything he couldn’t endure. Meanwhile, he had precariously clutched onto the things he couldn’t let go of.

From the end of that life, it was none other than you who gave him the chance to recall what his dreams were.

Alkeinea. You were not my salvation, but rather, you were my first salvation and light.

(To be continued)