Healing in the Country Side with a Baby Dragon - CHAPTER 2 (Jjajang Ramen on The First Day of Moving In)

A magic stone had appeared in my head.

Because of it, I quit my job and moved down to the countryside.

And today was the very first day of my long-awaited, exciting rural healing life.

[You have become the father of an SSS-Class Dimensional Dragon.]

Awakened as the father of a dragon!

“What the heck is this?”

The words slipped out purely because I was in utter shock. I mean, isn’t this a completely absurd development? There wasn't even a shred of plausibility here.

A dad? There has to be a limit to responsibility without pleasure. And a dragon, no less? It just popped out of nowhere, forcing a bond that completely transcended species. What kind of situation was this?

While I was spiraling into these thoughts, the little guy—who was still clinging to my leg—nipped at my trouser cuff with its cute little mouth and gave a tug.

I looked down.

"Kyu!"

The dragon smiled up at me.

'Hehe.'

I found myself smiling right back.

The little creature was so incredibly cute that I briefly wondered who it took after. Obviously, it didn’t look a thing like me.

As I scooped up the dragon hanging from my leg, a warm, delicate sensation washed over me. It felt unfamiliar, yet wonderful. When was the last time I had actually hugged someone? As far as I could remember, not since I was five years old.

‘So this is what it feels like.’

It felt as though a hollow part of me, a void I hadn’t even realized existed, was suddenly being filled. Just as I started feeling embarrassed by how warm my eyes were getting, tears began to well up.

*Lick.*

The dragon, peering closely at my face, gently licked the corner of my eye.

It was a bit startling at first. But my surprise only lasted a second.

"Purrrr—"

The dragon let out a soft rumble, tilting its neck as if it found my shocked expression hilarious. I couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, too.

Ah, it was so warm.

The weight of that warmth in my arms, combined with the crisp country breeze brushing past my face, made my heart feel completely full. It felt as if my dried-up emotions were finally being moisturized.

We locked eyes for a long moment. Staring into those two sparkling, sky-blue eyes, I felt myself falling completely in love with the little thing. With those pure white scales and glittering horns...

‘Maybe responsibility without pleasure isn’t such a bad thing after all.’

I had been blindsided by this sudden forced fatherhood, but seeing this adorable creature's smile completely changed my mind. Living alone in the countryside can get a bit lonely anyway, so wouldn’t it be nice to raise a dragon?

Besides, look how cute it is! How could anyone resist this? I certainly couldn't.

And really, what choice did I have? What else was I going to do, 'not' raise it? If you leave a creature like this out on the street, you're practically begging for divine punishment. You'd definitely incur the wrath of the heavens.

"Do you want to live here with me?"

"Kyu-kyu-kyu!"

Its head nodded vigorously. Looking at that wagging tail and those sparkling eyes, I nodded right back.

Yes, this was the official beginning of my healing life with a dragon.

Right then—

[A New Father’s Parenting Diary]

[Let's give our cute dragon a name!]

[Please give the dragon a name that it will love.]

A holographic message popped up in front of me.

'Is this some kind of quest?'

I pondered for a moment. What would be a fitting name for a dragon?

"Klaus Eimann von Einther III," 

I whispered in a deep, dramatic voice.

"Peeep—"

The baby shook its head, clearly disapproving of the overly grandiose name. 'Klaus Eimann von Einther III, grant me strength!'—I had wanted to shout it just once, but the dream was dead.

So, the Western style wasn't its thing? Then let's try an Eastern style.

"Mir?"

"Kyu?"

It tilted its head, looking entirely confused. Despite several more attempts, the dragon just kept tilting its head. To be honest, it looked so cute squinting its eyes that I intentionally threw out a few bizarre names just to watch its reaction.

What 'did' it like, though?

Suddenly, its pure white scales and translucent horns caught my eye. A perfect idea struck me.

"Seol-ah. Seol-ah, how does that sound? Baek Seol-ah."

Baekseol-ah—a child of white snow.

It was a beautiful name that fit perfectly without being overly flashy. Plus, it shared my surname, making our father-daughter relationship official, right?

The dragon’s eyes went wide for a second. Then, Seol-ah nodded. Judging by the way her eyes crinkled into a smile, she absolutely loved it.

The moment the name was locked in—

[The first step of the Parenting Diary has been taken.]

[The Dimensional Dragon has been given a name. A being that acquires a true name adapts to the dimension.]

Another message flashed. Before I could fully process the text, a brilliant light erupted from Seol-ah’s body.

I pulled Seol-ah closer, gripping her tightly out of fear of the sudden transformation. I was terrified that if I let go, she might get hurt.

‘Wait, do dragons even get hurt?’ I wondered, but either way, she was still just a baby. And babies get easily frightened.

After a brief, blinding flash, the light receded.

"Puu!"

When my vision cleared, what I held in my arms was no longer a reptilian hatchling. It was a little girl with clean, platinum-blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She looked to be about three years old.

She looked entirely human, except for the small horns still resting on her head and a tail she couldn't quite seem to hide. Talk about transforming into a human instantly, without needing any traditional mugwort or garlic. As expected of a born SSS-class dragon, she was just built different.

"Kyu-kyu."

Seol-ah reached out a lovely little hand and gently patted my cheek.

"Seol-ah," I said.

"Puu!"

"Repeat after me. Seol-ah."

"Huh?"

"Seol... ah."

Seol-ah’s small, pink lips puckered up.

"Seor... ah."

She clumsily mimicked her own name. The awkward pronunciation was so incredibly endearing that it made me chuckle.

"That's right, that's Seol-ah’s name. Baek Seol-ah."

"Baek Seor-ah!"

"Oh my, look at our Seol-ah go! So smart!"

When I lifted her up in the air, Seol-ah burst into a fit of giggles. She could already say her own name. Who did she take after to be this brilliant? Did she take after me?

I decided to play along with her a bit more.

"My name is Baek Jin-sol."

"Huh?"

"Baek Jin-sol."

This time, I taught her my name. But instead of mimicking the pronunciation, Seol-ah shook her head, pointed a finger at me, and shouted, "Ppa-ppa!"

"I'm Baek Jin-sol."

"Ppa-ppa!"

It seemed my name was destined to be 'Ppa-ppa' no matter what. Honestly, what did it matter? Whether it was Ppa-ppa or Baek Jin-sol, as long as Seol-ah was happy, I was happy. It had only been ten minutes since we met, but it was more than enough time for me to fall completely head over heels for this baby dragon.

After wrapping one of my oversized T-shirts around Seol-ah to serve as a temporary dress, I took a short breather on the porch.

[A New Father’s Parenting Diary]

[Introduce the House!]

[Now that you have chosen a name for your child, please introduce them to the home you will share.]

Another alert popped up. It really was a questline, albeit a domestic one. Normally, a quest would demand that you slay a specific number of monsters or clear a perilous dungeon. But a house tour?

‘I actually really like this.’

Yeah, safety first. If the system had ordered me to drag Seol-ah into a dungeon, I would have flatly refused. Seol-ah was a baby; protecting her was priority number one.

I scooped Seol-ah back up into my arms and stood up. 

"Let's start the house tour."

"Huh?" 

Seol-ah tilted her head, her face practically asking what we were doing now.

"Let's go look at our house together!"

"Puu!"

Whether she actually understood me or just loved the enthusiasm, Seol-ah smiled brightly and flapped her little arms.

With both of us laughing, we wandered around the cottage, checking out everything from the living room to the bathroom. Seol-ah took a particular liking to the bedding and clothes piled up inside the closet. She dove headfirst into the blankets, rolling around happily in the sheets.

"Seol-ah!"

I called out, startled, as I approached.

"Puu!"

Suddenly, Seol-ah’s head popped out from the blankets—except she had transformed back into her dragon form. We stared at each other for a beat.

"Purrrr—"

"Why did you suddenly transform back?!" I burst out laughing.

From then on, the house tour just devolved into a giant game of peek-a-boo. Having just hatched, Seol-ah was bursting with curiosity; she had to touch everything with her hands and investigate it with her mouth. Of course, keeping her safe from swallowing anything hazardous was entirely my job.

I wondered briefly if it was okay to let her play so rough, but then I remembered: ‘Right, she’s a dragon.’ She was bound to be several times stronger than a human. After all, she had survived falling from the sky perfectly fine.

"Purrrr!"

Seeing her this happy, how could I possibly stop her?

By the time we finally finished our extensive game of hide-and-seek disguised as a house tour, I was wiped out.

"Whew... I'm exhausted."

"Kyu—"

Still, I felt immensely satisfied.

[Excellent house tour! Seol-ah is highly satisfied!]

[The area surrounding the house has been designated as an SSS-Class Dimensional Dragon Lair.]

A new message floated up. Well, look at that. The house I bought by draining my entire wedding fund had officially become a dragon’s lair. I should probably be happy about this, right? Though, who would have thought a legendary Dragon Lair would look like an ordinary cottage with an orange roof?

'But what actually happens when a place becomes a Dragon Lair?'

The status window remained silent, offering no explanations. Oh well, it didn't really matter. I had no intention of becoming a Hunter anyway, so as long as it didn’t threaten my peaceful life, I didn't care.

Right now, a much bigger problem was looming.

*Grumble—*

Hunger.

The sound echoed simultaneously from my stomach and Seol-ah’s as we sat side by side on the floor.

"Are you hungry?"

"Hungy—?"

I realized I’d need to buy her some proper children's clothes and picture books very soon. Judging by how quickly she picked up words, she was going to be a fast learner.

But first, what should we eat? On moving day, the golden rule was always to order Jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), but there was no way a restaurant would deliver out here. Plus, I hadn't prepared any groceries yet.

Then, a brilliant idea crossed my mind.

"Today, I am the Jjajang Ramen chef."

If you don't have teeth, you make do with your gums.

I filled a pot with plenty of water and set it on the gas stove. Once it reached a roaring boil, I tossed in the dried flakes and noodles, letting them cook for a few minutes. Once the noodles were perfectly springy, I strained them. The absolute golden rule here was not to drain all the water.

Leaving just a splash of water in the pot, I set it back on the stove. The trick was to mix in the black bean powder and simmer it over low heat, allowing the rich flavors to deeply permeate the noodles. Finally, I drizzled the olive oil over the top and gave it a thorough mix. Done!

A savory, salty aroma instantly tickled my nose.

I set a table mat down and placed the pot of Jjajang Ramen right in the center. I twirled a massive bite onto a small appetizer plate and slurped it down.

"Whoa! Now this is it!"

I couldn't help but exclaim in pure admiration. The flavor was perfectly rich and salty, and the texture of the noodles was incredibly chewy. The ramen was cooked to absolute perfection.

Next, I pulled Seol-ah—who had crawled up beside me, eagerly swallowing her saliva—into my lap. I wrapped a few strands of noodles around my chopsticks, blowing on them gently to cool them down.

*Sniff, sniff.* 

Seol-ah sniffed the unfamiliar scent of the food, then cautiously let the noodles slide into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

Suddenly, her eyes went wide. She looked up at me in absolute shock, her hands flying over her stuffed mouth.

"Is it good?"

"Puu!"

It was a cry of vehement agreement.

I smiled happily, feeding her a few more chopstick-fuls. She devoured it all seamlessly, looking exactly like a baby bird accepting food from its mother.

"Aw, look at our Seol-ah eat. Good job."

It was impossibly cute watching her slurp the noodles, getting the black bean sauce smeared all over her mouth. Even as I pulled out a tissue to wipe her face, her entire, laser-sharp focus remained entirely locked on the pot of Jjajang Ramen. Talk about intense concentration. As the chef who prepared it, I felt incredibly proud.

Once the two of us had thoroughly stuffed ourselves for lunch—

"Ah, I'm so full."

"Kyu."

I sprawled out flat on the floor. Come to think of it, I had been completely out of my mind ever since the dragon abruptly crashed into my morning.

As we lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling, the gentle breeze tickling the tip of my nose felt amazing. In this countryside, there wasn't a single sound of traffic. The only audio was the rustling of trees swaying in the wind, with the occasional cry of a seagull or the distant honk of a ship out on the ocean.

‘This is peace.’

I felt like I had finally found true tranquility.

At that moment, Seol-ah slowly crawled over and hugged me tightly. Resting her head on my arm, her eyelids fluttered sleepily.

"Ppa-ppa..."

"Sleep well, sweetie..."

As I gently stroked her head, Seol-ah fell asleep with a tiny smile on her lips. Shortly after drifting off, she shifted back into her dragon mode.

*Sigh, puff—*

She let out a deep, relaxed breath. It seemed that maintaining a human form while sleeping was a bit too difficult for a hatchling.

I looked down at the little dragon who had suddenly become my family overnight. Honestly, it still didn't feel entirely real. A picturesque landscape, a house in the middle of nowhere, and a legendary dragon sleeping right next to me.

‘The first day of my healing life: a massive success.’

Wasn't this the most perfect first day in the countryside anyone could ask for? My own eyelids began to feel heavy, and drowsiness slowly overtook me.

[The Healing Life of a Beginner Farmer]

[Let's Try Gardening!]

[The crown jewel of country living is the garden! It also doubles as a wonderful educational opportunity for children. Let’s cultivate a garden that will satisfy even the SSS-Class Dimensional Dragon, Seol-ah!]

I smiled faintly, catching a glimpse of the message floating through my blurring vision. If it was a garden meant to satisfy a Dimensional Dragon, it would have to be the greatest garden in the entire world. What did Seol-ah even like? Lettuce? Cabbage? Strawberries?

‘Whatever she wants, I’ll plant it.’

I’d find whatever it was and grow it for her, purely because I wanted to keep seeing her smile happily. But first...

‘Let’s do it after a nap.’

Sleep first.

And so, the human father and his dragon daughter lay side by side, falling into a peaceful afternoon nap.

*Thump, thump.*

The steady, rhythmic sound of Seol-ah’s heartbeat echoed against Jin-sol’s chest. Slowly, Seol-ah’s heart began to beat in perfect synchronization with his.

As their pulses aligned, a transparent wave of mana silently rippled outward from the house. For a split second, a patch of dirt on the edge of the garden shimmered.

Deep within the soil, something very small slightly lifted its head.