Chapter 26: Milk and Furious Storm

“You…” Draxel was about to resume his banter with the young dragon Lein when Safiya suddenly grabbed his ear.

“Quick, go get some milk. If it gets hungry, I won’t let you off easy!”

“Roar,” Lein roared in agreement. “You heard her, I won’t let you off either.”

“Come on, your father said dragons liked peace and quiet. Why are you chatty like a parrot?” Draxel complained, even as he winced from the pain in his ear.

“Roar,” Lein responded seriously, “I need to rest and be well-fed, Count. Don’t let my past help be in vain.”

This reminder of the dangerous moments they had shared and Lein’s timely interventions made Draxel sober up. “Thank you, Lein. I promise I’ll take good care of you.”

Safiya, not privy to the specifics of their conversation, could still sense from Draxel’s tone and words his sincere commitment to caring for Lein.

Lein, now dozing off in Safiya’s arms, looked peaceful. 

“It’s really cute,” Safiya commented, gently kissing the little dragon’s head.

“Yeah, and now I have to figure out where to find some milk,” Draxel said, looking affectionately at Safiya and Lein. Just then, he noticed Awang rolling his eyes.

“What’s that about, Awang?”

“My lord, to speak frankly, where there are cows, there’s milk,” Awang replied dryly.

Draxel laughed heartily. “Well then, where can we find some cows?”

“When I was scouting around Profit Empress Ronnie’s tavern on your orders, I noticed her tavern’s vast farm. There’s bound to be plenty of cows there.”

Hearing the mention of that name, a touch of wistfulness appeared in Draxel’s eyes. Yet, he couldn’t quite remember any farm near that tavern.

“It looks like we’ll have to stop by Profit Empress Ronnie’s tavern on our way to Xiko village. Awang, lead the way,” Draxel decided.

“As you wish, my Lord,” Awang replied, bowing respectfully.

“Ah, Count, you really do care about Lein,” Safiya said, pleased with the plan.

“Of course, I care about you too,” Draxel replied.

[Your friendliness with Safiya has increased by +2, currently at 48.]

[Evaluation: Stop flirting with the young lady and focus on finding your milk.]

Draxel thought to himself in response to the system, ‘Don’t you like her?’

[Evaluation: I might prefer Profit Empress Ronnie over Safiya right now.]

This thought brought back memories of the alluringly beautiful woman, causing Draxel to fall silent, his expression turning somber. The group then adjusted their direction, embarking on a search for Profit Empress Ronnie’s tavern that they had once visited.

Unfortunately, as night fell, the weather worsened, and a heavy downpour began.

The torrential rain unleashed its fury on the land of Calradia, relentless and overwhelming.

Rain poured down in sheets, like thousands of arrows shooting rapidly toward them, with unstoppable force. The roadside plants struggled desperately, clinging to the earth in an effort to survive.

Stray dogs and cats dashed through the rain, desperately seeking refuge from the deluge.

Draxel’s troops were also battered by the storm, relentlessly subjected to the wind and rain’s onslaught.

As time ticked by, with no signs of the storm ceasing, it seemed to grow even wilder. Realizing they had yet to find shelter from the rain, Draxel sensed the urgency of their predicament.

“The young dragon might catch a cold if this continues.”

In that moment, Draxel’s primary concern wasn’t for himself. He quickly removed his heavy outer garment and wrapped it around Safiya and Lein.

While taking off his coat, he grumbled inwardly, ‘Damn system, this must be one of those unexpected events you talked about.’

But as if to add insult to injury, while they were all wearied, they stumbled into a muddy swamp. The six Swadian recruits and three Swadian soldiers, all on foot, were tragically submerged in the swamp, a fate cruelly unjust for these young lives, not lost in battle but to nature’s mercilessness.

After a strenuous journey across the swamp, they finally discovered a rundown straw hut for temporary refuge.

Inside the hut, Draxel couldn’t help but express his frustration, “Damn it, God! Now there are only four of us left.”

“My lord, our current situation is even grimmer than before,” Owens commented, his face etched with concern.

“Worse? How so?”

“Yes, we’ve run out of both food and drinking water.”

“Why is that?”

“The food and water were being carried by those nine foot soldiers.”

Draxel cursed silently. Food was a lesser concern, he could buy it through the system with Denars. However, water was a different matter. It couldn’t be purchased, and this posed a serious threat, especially for the young dragon Lein, who hadn’t eaten since its birth. If it also became thirsty, the situation could turn dire.

“Can’t we drink the rainwater?” Safiya asked.

“We can, but it’s not safe for Lein. Rainwater isn’t clean enough, and it’s still very young. It could get sick.”

Draxel shook his head as he explained the predicament.

As they found themselves at a loss, Safiya, devoid of any solutions, started to cry. Miraculously, her tears once again fell onto the young dragon Lein, reminiscent of the time when Draxel had dueled with Noyan Tu Lu.

At this moment, a wondrous thing happened again. Lein seemed to sense something, its body began to glow and shimmer.

“Roar. Oddly, I feel a lot stronger, as if I’ve absorbed a wealth of nutrients,” Lein said.

“That’s incredible, Safiya, you’re amazing!” Draxel exclaimed in delight, embracing both Safiya and Lein joyously. However, Safiya was still baffled, not understanding the dragon’s language.

“What’s going on? Did I do something?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but Lein mentioned he absorbed a lot of energy and is in good condition,” Draxel replied.

“Roar. I said nutrients, not energy. Did Safiya twist your ears too hard? You’re misinterpreting my words,” Lein corrected.

“Will you just be quiet? I’ve been worrying sick over you, acting like an actual father.”

“Roar! If you keep speaking to me like this, one day I’ll throw you into the sea to feed crocodiles!” Lein threatened.

“Well, your father used to threaten me in the same way, but I… Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Draxel’s complaint was cut short as Safiya yanked his ear again.

“Can’t you just stop arguing and let Lein rest? Don’t you know dragons prefer peace and quiet?”

“I… It’s not that all dragons like tranquility. Each has its own character and temperament. Look at this little trickster, how chatty it is,” Draxel argued.

At that moment, Lein pretended to be resting quietly, with its eyes closed, making no sound, which instantly contradicted Draxel’s claim.