My Tamed Beast Returned with a Dragon Chapter 8 - There Was No Baby, But There Is Now

“How about a drink today? Eunsae, you haven’t even had a proper rest while taking care of the baby.”

Mirinae took out her phone. South Korea’s great system—she was about to order delivery.

“I’m not really in the mood…”

“Are you seriously going to treat your friends like this? Hurry up and bring out the alcohol! We need to celebrate my victory!”

Sol declared proudly. They felt a little guilty about having a celebration without Yu-ha, but the atmosphere had already shifted in that direction.

With no other choice, Eunsae set up the drinking table.

The guild staff delivered chicken, jokbal, bossam, and pizza right to the house, and the feast began. As usual, the S-rank hunters, who were not easily affected by alcohol, had crates of liquor brought in and drank freely.

*Jokbal (Pig’s trotter) and Bossam (Belly pork)  people in korea enjoy eating Jokbal and Bossam at night as these are great food with beer or soju.

“Bwahaha! Yoo Eunsae, can’t even use chopsticks properly? She’s drunk.”

“Namgoong Sol, worry about yourself. Don’t you see the spilled drink in front of you?”

“Well, that happens when you drink too fast.”

“Don’t let your hands shake. What’s she going to do in the future if she’s already trembling now?”

“Huh? Sol’s hands don’t shake. That’s something only weaklings do!”

“Somebody stop her.”

Drunken Eunsae nodded off. Following Mirinae’s instructions, Woori and Inchan helped her to her room and laid her down.

As they closed the door behind them, Mirinae spoke bitterly.

“Eunsae must be really upset.”

“Well, obviously. She gets attached too easily.”

Woori took a sip from his glass.

“Eunsae can be firm when she needs to be. She just doesn’t let go easily once she’s attached.”

“But… do you think it’s true?”

“What is?”

Inchan absentmindedly poked at the jokbal.

“That the baby’s father is a dragon from another world.”

“No idea. It’s not like we saw it ourselves.”

Mirinae shrugged.

“But if Eunsae believes it, it’s probably true. If there’s one thing she’s unbeatable at, it’s dealing with monsters.”

“Though, I’m not sure if a humanoid dragon even counts as a monster.”

They chuckled. Hah. The scent of alcohol lingered in their breaths.

Sol asked a question.

“Mirinae, how did your trip to Japan go?”

While the Hunter Ranking Tournament was being held in Korea, Mirinae had gone to Japan on a business trip. She was there to meet the hunters who had participated in the Thornwood Dungeon raid three years ago.

“I’m not sure what they’re trying to hide.”

Mirinae tapped the table lightly.

“But they kept avoiding me.”

Out of the twenty hunters who had survived the raid, she had only been able to meet five.

According to the intelligence team at Dochun Guild, seven of the twenty had suffered severe injuries during the Tokyo Dungeon Break and had retired. Three were missing. The rest occasionally appeared on broadcasts, still active.

Mirinae wanted to investigate the three missing hunters. But the Japanese government kept interfering at every turn.

“Well, Japan’s always been secretive about these things.”

“They’re seriously weird. Remember Nakamori Keiko? That hunter who was once famous as a shrine maiden? The Japanese government backed her like crazy, and then one day, she just disappeared overnight. No one knows why.”

Sol crunched on a peanut. Mirinae poured her another drink.

“I want to find out if those three missing hunters experienced the same thing as Eunsae.”

“For now, let’s keep digging. We can’t just let Eunsae die like this.”

They spoke with determination. Their companions nodded grimly.

 

 

****

 

 

“Ugh, I’m thirsty…” Eunsae woke up in the early morning. As she staggered into the living room, she noticed that the previously messy space had been neatly tidied up.

The faint smell of alcohol still lingered in the air, suggesting that her comrades had cleaned up and then crashed in the guest room somewhere.

She opened the refrigerator, twisted the cap off a bottle of water, and took a refreshing gulp. Just as she turned around—

A sound caught her keen ears.

“Waaaah!”

“A baby?”

Eunsae’s eyes widened in shock. It was the sound of a baby crying.

Forgetting that there was no longer a baby here, she instinctively ran toward the source of the crying. The monsters had already gathered around the origin of the sound.

“Baby!”

Pushing her way through the beasts, Eunsae froze in disbelief.

It was a real baby.

Soft, curly sky-blue hair. Large golden eyes, brimming with sorrowful tears. A baby so adorable she could just eat him up.

“Why are you here? You went back to your dad, to where you belonged!”

“Hwaaah, hwaaah!”

“Oh, you poor thing, what’s wrong? Did your dad leave you alone again? Is that why you came to me?”

Just like the first time they met, the baby was wrapped snugly in a cloth. Eunsae picked him up and patted his back gently. The baby couldn’t stop crying for a long time.

Hearing the commotion, her comrades stumbled out of their rooms, still reeking of alcohol, and gawked at the sight before them.

“Eunsae, why is the baby here? Didn’t he go home?”

“I have no idea…”

Eunsae carried the baby inside. The lights turned on brightly.

“Waaah! Waaah!”

“Shh, it’s okay now. Are you hungry? Is that why you’re crying?”

She handed the baby to Mirinae and quickly prepared a bottle of formula. Thankfully, she hadn’t thrown it away yet.

The moment she placed the bottle in his mouth, the baby drank desperately, as if he were filled with sorrow. Even while drinking, he let out small, pitiful sobs.

“…Did the baby run away from home?”

Eunsae murmured seriously. Sol burst into laughter but quickly straightened up, realizing the situation wasn’t funny.

“Won’t the baby’s dad come chasing after him soon?”

“But it’s not Eunsae’s fault. Technically, she’s just protecting a runaway baby.”

“What if his dad takes him back, but he keeps returning?”

No one had an answer to Inchan’s question.

Eunsae tightened her hold on the baby.

“The baby’s asleep,” Mirinae whispered.

His little eyes fluttered, heavy with sleep. Whether it was from exhaustion after crying so much or the aftereffects of crossing worlds, he quickly drifted off.

Eunsae gently laid him on the bed.

“Little one…”

It had been so painful to part with him. But now, seeing him again filled her with joy.

Blinking back tears, she returned to the living room. Sol was anxiously chewing on her fingernail, shaking her leg.

“What if his dad comes and makes a scene?”

“I don’t think he will.”

“You’re too naive! He might find an excuse to start something.”

Sol grumbled about how strong the dragon was and suggested they just take him down. At this rate, they might actually go after the baby’s father, so Eunsae quickly shook her head.

“I’ll talk to him. You guys should go to bed. You have to leave early in the morning.”

“You think we can sleep right now?”

“Yeah, it’s late. Eunsae, you should rest too.”

“Mm.”

“Why is everyone acting so carefree?”

Mirinae sighed and dragged Sol to the guest room. Woori and Inchan patted Eunsae on the head and shoulders before heading to bed.

Eunsae stayed in the living room, unable to sleep, lost in thought all night.

 

 

****

 

 

Was it okay to send the baby back like this?
That was the thought lingering in Eunsae’s mind.

Belquior’s attitude toward the baby. The way the baby had cried so desperately and come back.

Maybe she was overstepping. They were different species, after all, it was impossible to fully understand them.

But at the very least, she could try to talk.

‘Alright.’

Eunsae steeled her resolve. Whether it worked or not, she had to have a conversation with him.

So, she waited for Belquior to arrive.

[Ah~! Hunter Kim Yuha completely overwhelms Gold Star Guild’s Hunter Kang Hee soo!]

On the TV screen, Yuha leaped high into the air, firing arrows of light.

As an archer, Yuha was at a disadvantage in close combat, but he was exceptional at handling dangerous situations.

Just moments ago, Kang Hee soo had lunged at him with a sword infused with aura, but Yuha had blocked it with his bow.

His bow was no ordinary weapon—it was a special reward obtained from clearing an S-rank dungeon.

Using the bow as a pivot, Yuha spun midair. Thwack! A powerful kick sent Kang Hee soo flying.

At that moment—Flash! A lightning bolt, just like the one she had seen before, lit up the world outside.

‘He’s here.’

Eun-sae braced herself to meet Belquior. She paced the living room, her senses on high alert for any movement outside.

Knock, knock.

Unlike his first visit, when he had half-destroyed her yard, this time, the knock was surprisingly polite.

She calmed the agitated monsters before opening the door.

“Hello, baby’s father.”

Eunsae nearly gasped. No matter how many times she saw him, she could never get used to his appearance.

She barely managed to keep her face from turning red. Mind control. Mind control.

“Is my son here?”

“Yes. But… could we talk for a moment?”

Belquior stared at her. Eunsae smiled—just enough, not too much.

He nodded. As they moved toward the living room, she spoke.

“The baby is with my monsters. They’re looking after him.”

Just like her, they hadn’t had a proper chance to say goodbye. Jojjo, Baekhap, and Hwangsae were clinging tightly to the baby’s side.

Meanwhile, Haneuli and Dandelion were watching Belquior like hawks, scrutinizing his every move.

His voice was as emotionless as ever when he spoke.

“What do you want to say?”

“Well… could you treat the baby a little better?”

Belquior frowned as if he didn’t understand.

Eunsae resisted the urge to shrink back and straightened her shoulders.

“You said dragons grow up alone. But from what I’ve seen, this baby needs a lot of care. When he was here, he was just like any other baby. He cried when he was hungry, laughed when he was happy, and needed to be bathed and taken care of.”

“……”

“I mean, um… I know I might be overstepping, but what if you showed him a little affection? Maybe call him by his name or… touch him gently once in a while?”

Belquior’s expression was blank.

“I thought I had already provided a suitable environment for him to survive.”

“Well… what I’m saying is that just providing a place to survive isn’t enough.”

Eunsae cautiously studied his reaction. As expected, he didn’t understand.

This was simply a cultural difference between species.

But at least he wasn’t being forceful or dismissive toward her. That alone reassured Eunsae.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question weighing on her heart.

“…Do you have to take the baby back?”