Doctor's Dinner (3)

The task of creating an entirely hollow space within the hill.

When the 8th-class magic Inferno, which burns at a temperature higher than magma, melts the earth, Rurin immediately covers the ceiling with a 9th-class mana barrier.

Through the repetition of this process, the earthen ceiling remains intact. It’s a 9th-class barrier. Even if a giant monster were to sit on the hill, it wouldn’t collapse unless it surpassed Rurin’s mana in weight or presence.

Of course, it would be troublesome if someone tried to build a structure on the hill, as the ground couldn’t be dug up due to the barrier.

But I’ve already bought all the land on the nearby hills, so there’s no chance of that. Even if there were, I would just prevent it.

Since I’ve decided to make a lair, I thought of making it luxurious this time. A giant underground palace, perhaps. The restaurant on the hill, and the underground palace below the hill.

The so-called underground palace lair.

Not only with a large room where Rurin can stay in even after undoing her polymorph, but I also have the ambition to create various luxurious facilities, a large food storage, a summoning storage, and the wine cellar I’ve always wanted to make.

Along the underground water vein, I’ll even make a bathhouse.

I couldn’t just leave the dug-up ground as it was, so I had to abandon the idea of enjoying a hot spring, but if I make it within the hill, there’s no need for that.

So, this lair is not only for Rurin but also for me.

I plan to use the strongest magic Rurin can use for the food and summoning storage. By using the 10th-class magic, Time Stop, I can make the expiration date indefinite. It creates a space where everything is frozen in time.

Of course, that means Rurin will be essential to access the storage, which is the only downside, but the advantages far outweigh it.

Attack magic, influenced by the Dragon Heart, can overwhelm Rurin or other dragons, but for a human, that’s the limit.

Ordinary attack magic goes up to the 9th class. By the time you reach 9th-class attack magic, you can drop meteors or even destroy cities at will. Crushing dragons is also 9th-class magic.

On the other hand, 10th-class magic typically involves manipulating the mind and time. In this world’s magic system, magic above the 10th class is considered mental magic.

And 10th-class magic is beyond human capability. You could say it’s beyond what the human brain can handle.

So no matter how immense my mana is, it only enhances the power of 9th-class attack magic; it doesn’t make it 10th-class.

Our house dragon is still young, so she can’t use a wide variety of mental magic yet, but she can use it clumsily.

It’s quite the luxury to use god-level magic to store food, but that’s me.

But for now, it’s just the basic stage.

Whether it’s Time Stop, the storage, or the palace, it’s still a distant story. For now, it’s just a plan.

First, I need to focus on quickly melting the earth to create space.

At this stage, I can’t hire dwarves. Melting the inside of the hill and setting up barriers is beyond their capability.

A barrier of this level requires 9th-class auxiliary magic. So it’s Rurin’s task. Creating a lair in such an unusual location is inevitably laborious.

Once the space is created, I can hire dwarves to build the palace. So, digging out the hill is the end of the hard work.

Sweat trickles down my forehead.

Working hard is making me feel exhausted.

A high earthen ceiling above, unpierced mounds of earth ahead, and an empty space behind.

I looked at Rurin to take a break and saw she was in a mess. Not only was she covered in dirt, but in a worse state, staring at me.

“You, you! Why are you so wet?”

“Water over there! Ugh. You!”

“Don’t come over! Aagh! You fool. Where are you going all covered in mud?”

Thud.

Oh.

The mud-covered dragon ran over and knocked me down. It’s frustrating. Mud splattered on my clothes and face. Rurin started rubbing mud on my body with a smile. Very intentionally.

“Hey!”

“You clearly said we are one body before!”

“That was to trick you into helping at the restaurant.”

“Okay, so get off. Just get off. Even now, get off.”

“Achoo!”

“Hey, why did it have to be on my face!”

Rurin’s saliva splashed all over my face. Dragon’s saliva. I can’t live like this.

The dragon didn’t even think about moving and shivered.

“I’m cold…”

“You’re cold just from being this wet?”

“It’s not the dragon’s body, it’s the human body, so the metabolism can’t help it! So cold is cold! I think I hate the cold!”

“I get it, so please stop clinging! Aagh! My clothes…!”

I’m not a stove, Dragon.

At this rate, I’ll be rolling in the mud, so I had no choice but to pick Rurin up and lift her.

“Oh! You picked me up! This is nice in its own way!”

She made an odd comment when I carried her princess-style. I shook my head and sat her down.

“Stop joking and sit here. I need to clean you up.”

I sighed and took off my backpack, pulling out a towel.

“How did you get your head wet?”

I asked while rubbing her head with the towel, and Rurin pointed again.

“Suddenly, water gushed out from over there!”

Looking at where Rurin had pointed, water had pooled up. That must be the underground water vein. The calm surface without ripples indicated that the water flow had stopped. Did I hit the underground water vein slightly?

If so, this could be the site for the bathhouse.

Since water is gushing out, it would be perfect for a bathhouse if we build it. Of course, not now, so let’s skip it.

Lately, every time I come to dig through the hill, the dragon gets dirty.

But there’s no other choice. I undressed her, cleaned her up, and changed her clothes.

“More importantly, I’m hungry. Feed me before making me work!”

Rurin looked at me as if she was ready to teleport at any moment. Her eyes filled with hunger. At that moment, I couldn’t tell if the creature in my arms was a cat or a dragon.

“Huh? Make you work? I’m making this place for you. Shouldn’t you, the dragon, be the one feeding me?”

“Really? That’s true. But I have no food to give. I can’t cook.”

“You’re so confident. So confident.”

I messed up the dragon’s long black hair.

“Eek! Stop that!”

I ignored the screaming dragon. But it’s true that I’m hungry, so I need to eat.

“It can’t be helped. We need to eat.”

“Really? We truly are one body! Hehehe. I want something delicious!”

“Really?”

I left the confident dragon and rummaged through my backpack again. It contained emergency rations. Emergency food I had packed just in case.

And a cooking set called a ‘koppel’, which refers to portable cooking utensils designed for hiking or camping.

A pot and ramen packets spread out before me.

Emergency food is prepared for times like this. Teleporting back is an option, but ramen enjoyed while taking a break from work is special, isn’t it?

I used a Fireball like a campfire on the ground, then took the pot and poured in some fresh water.

Splash.

The pot filled with water for the ramen.

I placed the pot over the blazing Fireball. The flames licked the bottom of the pot. Without anything to rest the pot on, my arms suffered for a moment.

“What is that?”

“It’s warm food. To warm up our dragon who feels cold.”

“Warm food? Hmm, that sounds good!”

Rurin nodded. As the water began to boil, I handed her the pot’s handle.

Using a Fireball directly in the water would boil it quickly but cause more evaporation. Boiling it this way is the most stable method for cooking.

“Hold this. It’ll only take a moment.”

“Hold this? Like this?”

Rurin grasped the pot handles with both hands and teetered.

“Yes, just stay like that.”

I added the noodles and the soup packet to the pot. Of course, the flakes too.

But Rurin, seeing the noodles, almost dropped the pot in fright. I quickly grabbed it, averting a major disaster.

A disaster that would have forced us back to the restaurant.

“You, you… isn’t that the painful food? I hate that! It hurts too much! I’d rather face Red’s breath!”

Rurin stood up and tried to run away. It seemed the fear of Buldak Bokkeummyun had overwhelmed her.

Dear dragon slayers.

If you want to capture a dragon, bring Buldak Bokkeummyun. It surely seems effective.

That thought suddenly occurred to me. A dragon running away from spicy food is too unique, isn’t it?

Moreover, the taste of the Buldak she ate back then was so shocking that Rurin even teared up as she huffed.

“I don’t want to eat that!”

“No, no, this is different from back then.”

“Different?”

“Yes, this isn’t spicy.”

“That’s a lie!”

“Hey, have you ever seen me lie? I clearly warned you not to eat it back then, but you did.”

“Re-really? This doesn’t hurt?”

“Not only does it not hurt, it’s delicious. Don’t ask for more, though. You’ll gain weight.”

As I spoke firmly, Rurin hesitantly approached me again. Soon, the smell of ramen began to spread. The aroma of ramen naturally stimulates the appetite.

The dragon, too, seemed attracted by the smell and sat down beside me, hugging her knees.

“The smell is different. The ingredients seem similar, but there was no broth back then!”

“Right. Here. Fork.”

Handing her the fork, Rurin’s eyes lit up as she picked the noodles up.

She glanced at me before eating, and when I nodded, she started slurping the noodles.

“You! This is really different! It doesn’t hurt! It’s delicious!”

“Right? Try the broth too.”

“Broth?”

We’re eating two packets of ramen in the pot. It’s hard to eat with our faces close together, so I coaxed Rurin with a spoon.

Slurp.

Then I heard the sound of her drinking the broth. Taking advantage of the moment, I picked the noodles up and ate.

Rurin looked touched as she drank the broth. A dragon enchanted by ramen.

Seeing that, the ramen somehow tasted even better.

We quickly finished the pot. Soon, it would be time to return for the evening business.

“Snore! Phew.”

But I couldn’t move.

Rurin had fallen asleep on my lap, holding a fork in one hand.

I could hear the dragon’s breathing. Falling asleep right after eating. Truly a creature true to its instincts. No wonder she never gains weight.

I shook my head.

I thought about shaking her awake, but she looked too content in her sleep for me to do it.

No choice but to rest a little longer.

Seeing her sleep so peacefully with a satisfied face made me sleepy too. So let’s rest. Let’s rest for now.