Wait, why are there Snowfield Worms in my den again?
Never mind, this is good news!
David forcefully suppressed his foolish urge to follow the trail and find the Snowfield Worms to kill them for their eggs.
He thought for a moment, reared up, bent his head down, and stared intently at his still-wriggling belly. He issued a stern command, "Eat slower! Can't you at least wait until I wake up for the main course? Got it? Huh?"
His greedy stomach, perhaps confused by this sudden madness from his brain, stopped its digestive wriggling. Then, it let out a grumble, as if reluctantly agreeing.
"Hmm... good." David retracted his neck, patted his belly with a satisfied claw, and then fell back asleep.
Half a year later, after being constantly fed, David raised a paw and stroked his chin, mumbling to himself with delayed realization, They're still here!?
These audacious Snowfield Worms! Wouldn't they really be throwing some kind of wild party in my den, defying Dragon Might, thinking it's somehow more thrilling that way, right?
At this thought, David felt a tinge of excitement.
Then he lay back down flat and went to sleep.
With a steady supply from this 'silver worm,' why the hell would I need to go hunting!
Just like in my past life, if I could have had food, drink, and entertainment all day long without leaving home, why the hell would I have gone to work!
「And so, time flew by, and five years passed.」
During these five years, the young Silver Dragon Tania had persistently carried on with "The Red Dragon Brother's Development Game" behind her Dragon Mother's back.
She herself had never thought she could keep it up for so long.
At first, she had just wanted to save her brother from a life-threatening illness.
But soon, she discovered that under her feeding, he seemed to gradually recover to a normal and healthy state; he even began to grow quickly and start putting on weight...
Tania became so angry she could hardly stand it.
This meant her lazy brother wasn't sick at all!
Not only was he not sick, but upon realizing her feedings, he had blatantly begun a life of loafing and freeloading.
To her, a Silver Dragon, this was simply incomprehensible.
But then she remembered he was a Red Dragon, lacking proper care. Even their mother refused to acknowledge his existence, and he certainly didn't have the safe and secure upbringing of a Gold or Silver Dragon.
She immediately gave up the idea of waking him by force.
What would I do after waking him? I haven't decided how to face him, or in what capacity. I don't know how he'd react to a sister of a different species once he woke up... Most importantly, how can I take responsibility for his future when I haven't even figured out my own path? Let it be. If I can help my brother safely reach his juvenile stage this way, I'll have fulfilled a part of my duty as a Silver Dragon sister.
With this pure and simple thought, Tania had persevered until this very day.
But it could only be until today...
Perhaps it was because their separation was imminent, or perhaps it had been too long since she'd had someone to talk to. Tania, who seemed to be in some trouble, had just finished her 'Snowfield Worm' delivery routine. She didn't leave immediately as she usually did. Instead, she gazed at the peacefully sleeping David and began to confide in him:
"Do you know? After that batch of Drow Elves from the year we hatched, a group of High Elves recently landed on our shores.
"The most infuriating yet amusing part is that the first thing they did when they landed was to start digging up Mother's droppings...
"Yuck... so disgusting. Why are they so obsessed with our droppings, huh? You think so too, right?
"But with the barrier of scent markers gone, wild beasts strayed into the territory and woke Mother up again.
"With Mother's fiery temper, you could probably guess what happened, right?
"But I bet you can't guess this!
"I originally thought Mother would soar into the sky and incinerate those long-ears with a single breath, just like she did five years ago.
"But... but what happened was that Mother saw me just as she was about to take off, right when I was sneaking back home...
"Then, under the guise of an 'adulthood ceremony,' she gave me the task of repairing the territory boundary and getting rid of the High Elves... and then she went back to sleep!
"Mother is so incredibly lazy!
"Right! Just like your posture right now! It's driving me crazy!
"Oh heavens, I've only just entered my juvenile stage, just like you. How could I possibly deal with a whole ship full of High Elves?
"But Mother's task has been assigned. If I fail to complete it, with her temper... I don't even dare to imagine what would happen.
"Sigh, but it seems I'm not entirely without a chance.
"And this opportunity, it actually came about because of you.
"You know? I don't even know what power you've awakened from the Dragon heritage, but the area around you has always been enveloped by a barrier, something like a Lair Guardian ward.
"Whenever I get close to you, I'm overwhelmed with all sorts of thoughts about giving up.
"But it's precisely because of these five years of persistently feeding you that I've actually awakened my spellcasting ability early!
"Wow! I'm so happy!
"I even suspect I might be the Silver Dragon who awakened her spellcasting ability the fastest in all of dragon history! Hehe!
"You deserve half the credit for all of this, you know.
"So, congratulate me too.
"I think... this might be the last time I bring you something tasty.
"Your big sister has to face the world of 'adult dragons' all on her own. Tell me you're not envious! Hehe.
"Alright, I've said enough. Those High Elves are probably heading this way. I have to go.
"Hey, even though I still don't know your name, we've had a lot of fun together these past five years. At least, I, your sister, had a lot of fun!
"So, that's that. If I make it back alive, I'll come to see you again.
"By then, when you see that your sister is actually a Silver Dragon, you'll be so shocked your jaw will probably hit the floor!
"Haha! I can hardly wait to see the look on your face.
"And finally, my dearest little brother, let's have a little snuggle. Give me the courage to defeat this formidable enemy!"
As she spoke, a gentle and tranquil smile touched Tania's lips. She moved closer, pressing the small silver horn on her snout against David's slightly more robust nasal horn.
It was like a silent vow.
But just as Tania was lost in her imagination and the tender atmosphere, perhaps because she had gotten too close, David's nostrils twitched. He thought that 'silver worm' was back to throw a party in his den. Though still asleep, his Dragon Kiss reflexively and quite skillfully latched on.
CRUNCH!
"..." Tania, a Red Dragon suddenly clamped onto her head, froze on the spot.
Then, out of pure draconic self-preservation, she instinctively kicked out with her hind legs, striking David squarely in the face. He went flying, crashing through a passage of embers, and she fled through it without a backward glance.
"I'm never snuggling with you again!!" she shrieked.
"You always pick on me!"
"WAAAH!!!"
David, kicked into a daze, finally regained his senses. Seeing the signs of a struggle and the newly opened tunnel, David, who had been freeloading for five years, naturally came to a somewhat sad conclusion: Has the breeding season for the Snowfield Worms finally ended? Or did that welcoming mother worm in my den finally breed herself to death?
That Snowfield Worm just now—the one that had likely just committed the 'crime' and fled—he'd run right into it. He had almost caught it with Gluttony.
For the first time, David didn't feel it was a pity. On the contrary, he was somewhat thankful for these little fellows who had come to party in his den.
They had provided him with five full years of security and tranquility, with a never-ending food supply, allowing him to reach his juvenile dragon stage.
But regardless, this peaceful period of his life was finally coming to an end.
After enjoying his last worm meal, David looked at his body. It was now more than twice the size it had been when he first hatched, already comparable to an adult wildebeest. He finally felt confident enough to face this dangerous and malicious otherworld.
I wonder how those Drow ladies are doing? Have they gone back to their old trade? Never mind them for now. Waking up and eating has just made me hungrier. Let's fill my stomach first.
With that thought, David kicked hard with his legs and surged upwards from the bottom of the pool. Shattered ice crystals and water mist caught the light, creating a brilliant rainbow.
The five-year period was over.
David emerged from the cavern.
A dragon appears in the field.