C6 His Father Was both Foolish and Timid, What Should He Do?

Six months later.

"Meditation, slowly accumulating magical energy..."

In the depths of the cave, Igrel was engaged in his daily training.

"Building up magical power is a slow, time-dependent process. Talent simply speeds it up. According to my father, I have a larger reserve of magical energy than a typical young dragon, and I gather it more quickly during meditation. Still, he's never given me the full picture, which is frustrating."

Igrel slowly opened his eyes, muttering to himself.

"I've gotten used to operating this body, and I've mostly integrated the dragon's ancestral memories. Now, all that's left is to live as a dragon."

Lowering his gaze, Igrel looked over his body, which had grown to over a meter long, and reflected on his development.

"Igrel, come play with me!"

A shout came from behind, followed swiftly by an impact against Igrel's back that sent him sprawling forward, limbs splayed out on the ground.

"...Vera, did you complete your tasks for today?"

Igrel didn't need to look back; he knew who was on top of him and asked the question outright.

"Not yet. Meditation is so boring. Come on, Igrel, let's go out today!"

Oliveira implored, pinning him down.

"That won't be possible. There are other tasks to do later. Don't you remember?"

Igrel replied with a counter-question.

"Ugh... Igrel, you're no fun!"

Oliveira rolled off his back, her dissatisfaction clear.

"I wish you'd think of it as being diligent and serious."

Igrel stood up and retorted.

"Eh~ Considering we, the Heavenly Dragon Seed, naturally advance to the fifth stage, I don't understand why you're working so hard."

Oliveira complained, evidently dissatisfied with Igrel's character.

"I know, but I don't want to settle for just that..."

Igrel stopped mid-thought and stared intently at Oliveira.

"What is it?"

Oliveira shrank back under Igrel's scrutiny, feigning calm as she asked.

"Nothing, it's just... Vera, your magical power is growing too slowly. If mother finds out, I won't be able to save you."

Igrel looked away, his comment casual yet weighted with concern.

"Eek!!"

Oliveira let out a small cry of alarm at Igrel's remark.

"Alright, let's make sure we get through our basic drills, okay? We can't skip our daily meditation at least."

Igrel stroked Oliveira's head gently as he spoke in a soothing voice.

"...I understand."

Oliveira pressed her lips together, her golden slit pupils looking down as she quietly replied.

"Little Iggy, little Vivi, Daddy's back. Did you miss me?"

At that moment, Carrick's voice rang out from outside the cave, causing Igrel and Oliveira to turn their heads in unison.

"Dad's here, let's go."

Igrel gestured to Oliveira and led the way to the mouth of the cave.

"Mhm..."

Oliveira gathered herself, nodded, and trailed after Igrel.

...

"Grandfather?"

Both Igrel and Oliveira tilted their heads, eyeing Carrick with a mix of surprise and curiosity. Igrel asked, his expression one of bewilderment.

"Yes, my father—your grandfather—has just awakened from a long slumber of the ancient dragons. He's keen to meet his grandchildren after learning about you, so I thought we'd go visit him today."

Carrick responded with a subtle nod.

"Got it. But is Mom aware of this?"

Igrel thought for a beat before questioning Carrick.

"Um... I haven't broken the news to her yet. She'd probably, no, she'd definitely be against it."

Carrick's eyes darted away from his children, his voice fading into uncertainty.

"...Do Mom and Grandpa not get along?"

Seeing Carrick's evasive look, Igrel lifted his head and probed gently.

"They don't have a bad relationship. It's just been decades since they last saw each other."

Carrick tried to explain, but his words seemed to hint at something more.

"Is it just because Grandpa has been sleeping that they haven't met?"

Igrel asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"In essence, yes, that's the situation. But the reasons might be a bit more complex than you're imagining."

Carrick appeared to sidestep a deeper explanation, smoothly moving on.

"Vivi, why are you hiding behind Iggy?"

Suddenly, Carrick noticed Oliveira's reticence and addressed her directly.

"It's... it's nothing."

Oliveira's response came out flustered, betraying her unease.

"Vivi, it really saddens me when you act like this with your father!"

Carrick's expression was one of utter heartbreak as he completely misunderstood Oliveira's intent, his voice trembling on the brink of tears.

"No, Vera's just worried you might catch her slacking off. You're overthinking it, Father. You're such a daddy's girl fanatic."

Igrel rolled his eyes and mentally retorted as he observed Carrick muttering about how to endear himself to his daughter.

"Father, if we don't hurry, Mother will be back soon."

After a while, Igrel couldn't stand to see Carrick agonizing over the thought of being abandoned by his daughter and decided to intervene.

"Ah, yes, of course! Let's get going before Garcia comes back. The sooner we set out, the sooner we return!"

As he spoke, Carrick snatched up Igrel and Oliveira, spread his wings wide, and took flight toward the heavens.

"It's quite fascinating that Carrick is willing to brave Garcia's wrath just to introduce us to our grandfather."

Watching the ground whiz by below, Igrel cast a thoughtful glance at Carrick, who was flying ahead with a serious demeanor.

"We've arrived. This is my father's place, and your grandfather is inside."

After flying over a good portion of Lagrand and entering the heart of the region, Carrick brought Igrel and Oliveira to a valley, at the bottom of which lay a vast cave.

"Father, Grandfather lives quite far from us. I had imagined we'd just cross a few mountain peaks."

Facing the cave, Igrel turned to Carrick with a quizzical look.

"There's a bit more to it than that..."

Carrick visibly shuddered under Igrel's gaze before replying.

"Father, are you afraid?"

Igrel asked suddenly.

"A little. Cough, what are you talking about? I, your father, am a proud Heavenly Dragon Seed. How could I possibly be afraid? Don't be silly!"

Carrick's first response was instinctual, but he quickly corrected himself and lectured Igrel with a serious tone.

"Carrick, since you're here, get inside now!"

However, a booming roar from the cave made Carrick shiver, and Oliveira almost cried, her tiny claws gripping Igrel's shoulders tightly as she shook. Igrel, on the other hand, remained composed, peering into the dark recesses of the cave.

"When I was writing horror novels in a past life, scaring myself silly was just part of the process to really capture that spine-chilling vibe. Chin up, both of you."

Igrel looked over at Carrick, who was doing his best to remain calm, and Oliveira, who seemed on the verge of fainting, and heaved a helpless sigh.

"Let's head on in. It's fine. Your grandfather isn't the least bit frightening."

Carrick's words were a bit jumbled, yet he strove to maintain the dignity of a father, despite that sense of authority having long since dissipated.

"Alright, let's not leave my father hanging too long. Off we go."

With that, Carrick entered the cave with a stoic expression that suggested he was prepared for the worst.

"Ah, I'll just stay quiet. As long as you're content..."

With a slight shake of his head, Igrel steadied Oliveira, whose legs were wobbly, and followed in Carrick's footsteps.