LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 13
” Ah… D-Dad… ”
” Feel free to call me Dad. ”
The father wears a clumsy smile as his daughter snuggles into his arms.
She breathes heavily, inhaling his scent.
The father feels his daughter’s plump body melting against him, not her immature chest.
To anyone else, they would seem like a harmonious family, a father and daughter.
…But the truth is, the father is a demon, and the daughter is a dragon, making this a rather bizarre ‘quirky family.’
A distorted affection from the daughter and the clueless father, blissfully unaware of it.
And then,
” ….Master… ”
A pitiful elf abandoned by her master, tears glistening in her eyes as she desperately calls for him.
She seems to whimper like a lost puppy, reaching out and then withdrawing her hand repeatedly.
Eleina’s sweet hand appears as if she hopes it reaches the priority list.
…Of course, she is a staunch atheist, with no higher power to pray to in sight.
” Hehe, ah… Dad’s embrace is warm. ”
With an innocent smile, she nudges forward, peering up at her father, the Gold Mine Dragon, Libera.
Keyal, with his eyes half-shut, grins and saliva drips down his lips, and when he opens his eyes, he’s greeted by the sight of a lamb crying pitifully, swiftly hiding his attention behind a smile while suddenly revealing hunger, resembling a feminine figure.
Of course, Keyal has no way of knowing this.
*
Since possessing the body of Keyal Kralin, everything has been strange and perplexing.
First of all, the compulsion from the system does wonders to muddle the mind.
The complicated frame is secondary.
Warnings pop up seemingly out of nowhere, and in dire situations, all it offers is generous rewards after making threats.
Yeah, I can understand this much with my broad-mindedness.
But to think a mere computer equation would play a mother bird, it made me question even more why I ended up here.
To protect the world, yet having no special privileges makes no sense,
Shouldn’t finances be prioritized, at least?
I’m expected to risk my life for work here. Shouldn’t there be some allowance for that? Keyal was dumbfounded.
“ …Libera ”
“ Huh? ”
“ Isn’t there even a single gold coin in Libera’s lair? ”
Imagining a mountain of wealth hiding inside, I ponder why, after thousands of years of preservation, not a single coin of gold could be seen.
And then,
“ Nope. ”
The one-word response from the little Gold Mine Dragon shattered him.
“ Whuh… what about silver coins? ”
“ Yup, no silver either. ”
Said so resolutely, he wondered if maybe she had hidden them somewhere.
The millennia-old dragoness was completely flat broke.
Disheartened, Keyal resolved to stop asking questions.
‘ …This is a disaster. ’
*
Huh?
The party returned to the lair.
Before them lay a monstrous dining table fit for royalty, adorned with exquisite dishes of every kind.
“ What… on earth is this? ”
“ …… ”
Eleina, who wouldn’t even spare a glance if it had nothing to do with her, looked stunned, eyes wide, and her lips half-pursed in disbelief.
It was miraculous.
After all, it’s bannered as a shabby lair with neither silver nor gold coins, but now it boasted an extravagant feast.
Soon, Libera pouted and snickered, circling Eleina with her arms.
” You can’t do this, can you, sis? ”
” Ugh…. ”
Eleina momentarily blushed. Libera smirked.
Well, spirit magic draws its energy from spirits infused with nature’s elements, so it can’t reach the level of creative magic.
Even if they use the same elemental power, spirit magic is, strictly speaking, the World Tree’s power, while magic is harnessed through mana. So what’s given by others and what one has cultivated must differ.
” Ahh, poor Dad~ ”
Suddenly,
” Huh…?!!! ”
Libera wrapped herself around him. Eleina furrows her brows.
Libera tightly embraces him, inhaling his scent, meanwhile, Eleina tries hard to avoid his gaze but can’t help but sneak peeks in envy.
” My master… my master… ”
” Huh? What~~? I can’t hear you~ ”
In an instant, she returned to her original self.
Snuggly.
Her skin presses firmly against him. The warmth of her body inches closer, as if she was never going to let go.
” Hehe, I like Dad. ”
Libera extends both arms wide, wrapping around his cheeks.
” Do you like me too~? ”
” Yes. I like you a lot, Libera. ”
‘ As a parent. ‘
Though it felt like he was increasingly crossing boundaries, he brushed it off lightly.
” Out of all the other sisters and guildmates, you like Libera the most, right~? ”
With a smile that seemed to harbor some secrets, Libera’s lips curled up, giggling, eagerly awaiting his response.
Licking his lips like a beast tasting something delicious, he glanced over at her charms.
Her feline pupils subtly contracted, and her golden hair gleamed.
Soon, horns were sprouting from her body.
” Uh… um, well… ”
To even just offer a compliment would fulfill Libera’s expectations…
“ ……. ”
All the while, he felt his heart ache at the sight of Eleina pouting beside him.
Words wouldn’t easily come out.
“ Uh.. I definitely like Libera most. ”
“ Hehe! ”
Eleina’s eyes began to glisten as transparent tears trickled down her cheeks.
“ A-And I like Eleina the most too. ”
There was no choice for him to make. Amidst the suffocating atmosphere where any wrong move seemed like it could lead to disaster, this was the best compromise.
“ Hmm… ”
Now that playful puppy turned into a wild beast in an instant.
‘ Oh darn, look at that expression. ’
Libera’s eyes gleamed as she clung to Keyal.
The red glow intensified as it narrowed, staring intently at Eleina.
“ Um… I like Eleina as a valuable companion, while I like Libera as my daughter. ”
Upon re-examining, it seemed a rather perfect response.
“ … ”
“ Pfft.. ”
If only he hadn’t seen those two stuck out their lips and clicked their tongues.
*
=====
Quest
You have successfully incorporated the Gold Mine Dragon, Libera, as a colleague.
[ Quest Complete ]
=====
You are one step closer to the re-establishment of the Edric Guild. Congratulations.
=====
Right after registering Libera as a party member, no additional rewards were given.
The standards remained a mystery.
‘ Thinking back, there hadn’t been a prompt before either. ’
The system does whatever it wants. If only it told me the criteria, I would try to follow them. Otherwise, problems would arise until I recruited the rest of my companions.
For now, I’d struggle to survive solely relying on quests.
Lacking finances, finding a party that sustains itself with just three members proves to be tough.
If I even considered renting adequate housing, without funds it’s impossible.
“ Isn’t there a portal or a door that leads to the lair? ”
“ Nope. Since that place was Libera’s home, it’s where I managed to find shelter after parting with you. Although magic can be employed somewhat, technically, I’m no longer the owner of the lair. ”
Even trying to use the lair instead of a house was out of the question.
“ How about changing back from polymorph and flying? ”
“ I can’t… I can’t transform as a half-dragon… ”
Even if they wanted to fly, no one was able to.
‘ Should I look for a wyvern or something… Ah, but money is tight. ’
In the end, it all came down to money. To tackle small issues or even larger problems, what’s necessary was financial power.
Without wealth, all that’s left is grind out labor.
“ …First, let’s look for high-risk quests at the Adventurer Guild. ”
*
Unlike the Narhan Shop seen in the beginner’s village, the village around the lair had a considerably pleasant environment.
Perhaps that’s why the Adventurer Guild was quite large.
It had space for lodging and food, with cat-people busily serving in the hall, looking more like a mix of an inn and a restaurant rather than just a guild.
‘ This is pure fantasy! ’
The adventurers around were diverse in both equipment and personality.
Unlike the third-rate adventurers covered in wounds and bandages, those in this village appeared to be somewhat famous in their own right.
Adventurers inside the guild stared at them intently as they passed.
Whispering as they glanced at Eleina and Libera.
” Wow… Do you see that? She’s incredibly beautiful. ”
” I’ve never seen an adventurer with an elf and a dragon before. ”
Was the rumored harem really true? In a culture that emphasizes monogamy in TBG Heroes, it’s no surprise that someone like me is treated as a quirky one but still receives envy.
Perhaps the extremely low ratio of female members among adventurers plays into it.
” Are there any available high-risk quests left? ”
Regardless, Keyal approached a staff member at the far end to take a quest.
‘ As long as it’s not “soul wolf” or “undead” extermination, that would be great… ‘