Chapter 229: Little Evil Dragon in the Western Fairy Tale World

“Mm.”

Xie Hui nodded, intending to push the tea towards the Client, but then reconsidered, thinking that tea might not suit this particular Client.

Before him was a massive Western Dragon, its entire body a vibrant red. Its enormous wings exuded a majestic aura, and the red tail trailing behind shimmered under the light, each scale exquisitely detailed.

“My dear, I hope you can help me properly discipline Bert, that troublesome fellow. He’s always so eager to kidnap princesses, only to end up slain by a knight’s sword.”

“At the time, I believed everyone should bear the consequences of their decisions, so I didn’t seek revenge.”

“It wasn’t until later, when I was on the brink of death and returned to my lair, that I found a yellowed piece of paper in Bert’s room.”

“On it, in his crooked handwriting, he explained that he kidnapped princesses because the book said an Evil Dragon that captures a princess would become the strongest, strong enough to protect his father.”

In truth, this dragon could have gone back to change its fate, but it was simply too lazy.

In its previous life, it lived freely and without restraint, occasionally teasing other dragons but never forming any emotional attachments. That dragon egg was something it picked up out of boredom by the roadside.

There were so many types of Evil Dragons on that continent, that it never quite figured out what breed that dragon was.

But as it grew older and more sentimental, it often recalled the past, remembering the dragon it had picked up, with its chubby little claws gripping a quill, sprawled on the carpet, writing in a wobbly script.

It couldn’t exactly say it regretted it, but it did want to make up for past mistakes.

When it visited its old friends in its later years, it often complained about being bored and lonely in its lair.

Facing a vast treasure trove alone in its old age, it felt an overwhelming emptiness.

As it lay dying, it instinctively returned to the place it had spent the most time, and upon seeing that diary, realized it had missed out on a very endearing little dragon.

“Alright.”

Xie Hui nodded and stepped into the Mission World, habitually burying all tasks deep in his heart.

While executing missions, Xie Hui found that the hardest part was not the mission itself, but the cultivation of one’s mindset, being forced to accept separation from loved ones, and watching the longing left behind after his own death.

In each separation, he tempered himself.

Upon entering the Mission World, as soon as he opened his eyes, he heard a woman’s voice.

“My father will surely send the bravest knight to rescue me!”

Xie Hui instinctively wanted to go out and see, and as he stood up, he shook his wings, mimicking the Original Host’s manner.

Only then did he understand that the Client’s wing-shaking during their first meeting wasn’t just for show; it was genuinely inconvenient to fold them without shaking.

As he walked out, a small dragon the size of a human arm lay on the carpet, its body a blend of gold and pink, with little pink claws and tail, looking incredibly cute.

As soon as Xie Hui stepped out, Bert, lying there, immediately scrambled up and wobbled over.

“Mama~”

Hearing this term, Xie Hui instinctively frowned, squatted down in human form, gently lifted the little dragon’s chin, and said in a low voice:

“I am not your mama.”

Dragons hatched from eggs often mistake the first person they see as their mother, similar to some bird species.

So, in the Client’s memory, this little one always called out “mama.”

“Uh, Papa.”

Bert quickly corrected himself, then rubbed his head against Xie Hui, using his front paws to hold the finger that was lifting his chin.

This little dragon was still so small, its claws not even as thick as one of Xie Hui’s fingers.

Perhaps because Xie Hui was originally from Z Country¹, he had always felt that most Western Dragons, compared to the majestic Eastern Dragons², looked more like giant lizards.

But this little pink and gold Little Evil Dragon didn’t give off that impression at all. Bert looked truly adorable, especially when calling out, his voice sweet and childlike.

The Client had merely picked up an egg on a whim; it was cold at the time, and after seeing it by the roadside for three days, he feared it would freeze to death, so he brought it home.

Once home, he casually found a warm spot for it. Bert’s successful hatching was due to his own strong vitality.

Otherwise, considering the Client’s unscientific approach, it was amazing it survived at all.

For such a small dragon to manage to capture a princess during her coming-of-age ceremony was truly impressive.

Many memories rapidly flooded into Xie Hui’s mind as he entered this world.

The story was that on the day of the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony, the king intended to choose a handsome prince for her. Unexpectedly, just as the princess stepped out, an Evil Dragon suddenly appeared and kidnapped her.

The king issued a decree that any man in the kingdom who could rescue his daughter would have her hand in marriage.

The task was taken up by a poor young man, who donned the knight’s armor provided by the king and set out with the king’s army to the Evil Dragon’s Lair, where he slew the dragon that had taken the princess…

A newborn Evil Dragon, not even a month old.

This time, even though it was his own offspring, Xie Hui couldn’t bring himself to defend him with a clear conscience.

Bert’s intention to prepare a birthday gift for the Client was good, but he chose to do so by taking something that wasn’t his, ultimately leading to his death at the hands of an angry knight.

Since that knight killed the little one he was supposed to care for in this world, Xie Hui, biased and protective, did not like that knight.

Staring at the Little Evil Dragon, who was still clinging to his finger with a satisfied expression, Xie Hui gently ruffled his head with his fingertip.

“You can call me Dad.”

Then, transforming into his dragon form, he let the little one climb onto his shoulder.

Bert obediently perched on his father’s shoulder, his two claws crossed over his chest. When the princess lying on the ground looked over, he arrogantly raised his head.

The princess, lying on the carpet, initially thought that with just one tiny Evil Dragon, she had a chance to escape. But now, seeing this much larger one, her hopes were dashed.

Unlike the Little Evil Dragon, who was still tinged with pink all over, this was a large red Evil Dragon, with every muscle looking strong and powerful.

The light in the princess’s eyes dimmed, and her face showed a look of despair.

Xie Hui squatted at a distance from the princess, glanced at her, and then at the little one perched on his shoulder.

“Mom…”

“Oh no, Father once told me in a fairy tale that to be a proper Evil Dragon, I must capture the most beautiful princess!”

With that, Bert climbed down from his father’s shoulder along his arm, approached the princess, and bared his teeth to warn her not to move.

Then, with his pink but sturdy claws, he plucked the largest gem from the adornment on the princess’s head with precision.

Afterward, he pushed the adornment back onto her head with his claws, even patting her hair to tidy it up.

Having done all this, Bert wrapped his tail around the shiny gem and climbed back up his father’s leg.

Like presenting a treasure, he offered the gem to Xie Hui.

“Look, it’s super pretty!”

Only then did Xie Hui remember that the Client had previously complained about this dragon not sleeping at night, disturbing his rest, so he had casually read him some storybooks.

The Client wasn’t very literate, barely able to recognize words. To impress friends visiting his home, he had bought many books to fill his shelves.

Most of those fairy tales were meant for human children, teaching them to stay away from Evil Dragons from a young age.

When the Client read such a fairy tale to this young dragon, it had inadvertently led him astray.

“But this belongs to the princess.”

Xie Hui took the diamond offered by Bert’s tail. It was indeed very beautiful and shiny.

“Besides, didn’t you hear the princess say that if you take her away, a knight might come to rescue her, perhaps even cut off your head with a sharp sword?”

This statement made Bert instinctively shrink his head in fear, but he was still reluctant to part with the gem. In a childish voice, he retorted:

“If he dares come, I’ll pluck the gems from his sword too!”

Xie Hui was amused by Bert’s words and walked over to the princess, using magic to return the gem to her adornment.

Bert, who had been standing there, was now so upset that he plopped down onto his father’s shoulder.

“Bert, it’s okay to want something, but you must be mindful of how you get it.”

“Hmph~”

Bert didn’t want to hear his father’s explanation at all. His tail was curled up in a ball, and his mind was filled with thoughts of the gem slipping away from him, to the point where he didn’t even want to acknowledge his father.

“Bert, can you tell me what you would do if you saw something you liked?”

Xie Hui’s voice was so gentle that it made Bert reflect on whether he had done something wrong. After a moment of awkwardness, he replied:

“I’d take it!”

“Then what should I do if I fancy Bert’s adorable tail?”

Being complimented on his tail, Bert’s face flushed with a noticeable blush. He held onto Xie Hui’s neck, shifted his position, and offered his tail to his father.

“If Father wants to touch it, he just has to ask.”

“Well, you don’t even have to ask.”

Xie Hui gently grasped the plump tail and gave it a light squeeze.

“But according to Bert’s way, I should just take this tail.”

The little dragon, who had been enjoying himself, quickly retracted his tail at these words.

“No, you can’t!”

“Why not? Isn’t that exactly what my dear Bert did?”

Translator’s Notes