Chapter 127: When you become famous, people will applaud you even when you take a dump (2)

Creating a processed food that evokes the White Dragon was quite a daunting task.

Even if it were possible, it wasn't the kind of idea that could be conceived in a day or two—at least not with my brain.

'In Chinese cuisine, they fillet and fry snapper, then call it a dragon... but that's not exactly processed food.'

The dish that came to mind wasn't processed food, and honestly, I lacked the culinary skills to pull off such a showy presentation.

I was more comfortable with scissors than with a knife, after all.

Therefore, this had to be approached from a purely 'artistic' perspective.

And, as they say, art is all about 'presentation'.

Even the same content could elicit completely different reactions depending on how it was presented.

In this context, the most essential person for my art was Iberkina.

'A White Dragon and an Ice Dragon—aren't they basically the same thing?'

From a taxonomic perspective, they might differ, but to me, they looked the same.

With that thought, a question popped into my head.

"Iberkina, is there a difference between White Dragons and Ice Dragons?"

"...That's a rude question."

"My apologies."

I couldn't tell which part was offensive, but evidently, it pushed a button for Iberkina.

Her normally emotionless voice now carried a tinge of feeling.

When I quickly apologized, her expression softened.

"...White Dragons are inferior species."

"I see."

"...Yes, lower beings."

Since this was a highly subjective opinion, it seemed wise to take it with a grain of salt.

From what I'd seen, Iberkina tended to speak only from her own perspective.

'So, White Dragons and Ice Dragons don't get along, huh?'

I understood the gist, but there were still things I wanted to know.

"Can you visually distinguish them?"

"...There are many differences."

"What kind of differences?"

"...Ice Dragons are transparent silver, like white snow. White Dragons are the color of dull clouds."

"..."

Hmm, it seemed impossible to differentiate them by color.

By Iberkina's explanation, Ice Dragons were silver or white, while White Dragons were more like cloudy white.

Besides, Iberkina herself was almost pure white, making it hard to tell them apart with the naked eye.

"Are there any physical characteristics that set them apart?"

"...Of course."

Iberkina smiled faintly, as if proud.

"...Ice Dragons have bigger and grander horns. Their tails are sleek, and their scales are cold."

"Got it. Thank you for the explanation."

So, nothing helpful, then.

There might be minor differences, but I couldn't identify them.

I had no idea what qualified as 'grand horns', and you couldn't feel the temperature of scales without touching them.

For dragons, it might be easy to tell, but for humans, it was practically impossible.

It was like asking an Asian who had never been to Europe to distinguish between a Frenchman and an Englishman.

Or like picking out Fu Bao among a group of pandas—no one could do it.

This was precisely why I needed Iberkina.

"Iberkina, would you like to go on a vacation?"

"...Vacation?"

"Yes, in Carcel Kingdom, there are hot springs and a variety of food."

Suddenly, Iberkina's eyes lit up.

Hot springs, food—those two keywords had captivated her.

For Iberkina, whose life was a vacation, there was nothing more tempting than hot springs and cuisine.

No matter how much food Carcel had, it couldn't compete with the Empire, but still—

"W-why are you staring at me like that?"

Lilith looked uneasy under Iberkina's intense gaze.

"...I want to go to Carcel Kingdom."

"If you want to go, then just go. Why are you telling me?"

Lilith's words might have sounded cold, but she was terrible at saying no.

When Iberkina, with her tiny hands, tugged on Lilith's clothes, Lilith flinched and awkwardly agreed.

"Hmph, if you insist, I suppose I have no choice. I was thinking of taking a vacation anyway since the weather's getting cold."

Lilith turned away, offering an elaborate excuse, but the answer was clear—she was coming along.

For the record, Vampires typically liked cooler weather.

'It seems like the number of people has increased a bit but is that okay?'

I secretly hoped for a leisurely vacation alone but I had to compromise with reality.

Taking Iberkina along meant that Lilith would come along as a package deal.

*

A few days later, I was ready to leave.

"See you soon!"

"Is everything packed up and ready?"

"Of course. Don't worry. I'll wrap things up and come back safely."

"Be careful out there."

"Yes, I'll bring back souvenirs."

After reassuring Ranya, I boarded the magic carriage bound for Carcel Kingdom.

"Ah, this is nice."

As I sank into the soft seat, my body immediately relaxed as if I were already on vacation.

Since Iberkina and Lilith were in another carriage, I had this one to myself.

But just as I settled in for a nap—

Click.

"?"

The door opened, and someone got in.

I blinked, then asked:

"You're coming too?"

"Of course, I have to. Were you planning to go alone?"

The uninvited guest was Aria.

When had she packed? Beneath her robe, she wore a white dress, her outfit perfectly suited for a vacation.

But why did she say 'of course'?

"If you're going, you'll need to handle the contract negotiations, right? That's my job."

"Hmm, but I could—"

"You've never done it before."

"...."

Aria wasn't wrong.

I might come up with the ideas, but all the details were always handled by her.

"We'll probably need to negotiate the contract when we get there, and for that, I need to be present."

"Well, I could handle that too…"

"But you've never done it before, have you, Senior?"

"...."

Aria had a point.

I only ever provided the broad vision, while all the detailed work was always handled by Aria.

"Contracts are incredibly important. Do you realize how easily we could get scammed if something goes wrong?"

Contracts in this otherworld were a tricky business.

If even a single unfair clause slipped through, there was no way to contest it later.

That's why each Magic Tower had a dedicated team for handling contracts.

Seeing my expression, Aria let out a soft sigh.

"You've never even considered it, have you?"

"...."

Honestly, I had been too focused on planning my vacation to think much about the contract details.

Now that she mentioned it, I couldn't deny I had been careless.

'Damn it.'

With Iberkina, Lilith, and now Aria joining in—

My dream of a peaceful, solo vacation was gone before it even began.

*

To reach the maritime nation of the Carcel Kingdom, we had to cross the sea.

Not too long ago, the waters had been overrun by pirates, a major headache for the Carcel Kingdom.

But in recent years, pirates had become a rare sight, thanks to a certain group.

"Haha! I've heard a lot about you from Dorian. You've got a fine look about you!"

A stocky, bearded man slapped my shoulder with a rough hand.

"I'm Igoric, the captain of this ship."

A Dwarven Viking, one bold enough to conquer the seas.

And the reason why pirates had vanished from these waters.

Those foolish enough to raid had ended up digging their own graves, provoking the fearsome Vikings.

"Thank you for taking us, Captain Igoric."

"Leave it to me! I'll get you safely to Carcel Kingdom."

This Viking, introduced by Dorian, was the captain who would ferry us across the sea.

His bronzed skin and muscular build gave him the look of a reliable seafarer.

"Haha! Let's have a welcome beer party!"

"…Haha."

Watching him chug beer straight from the bottle before we even set sail was a bit unsettling—

But since he was a Dwarf, I decided to let it slide.

"Snore!"

At least, until I found the captain passed out drunk, snoring in the middle of the ocean.

The Dwarf crew could handle manual labor, but they were utterly clueless when it came to navigation.

"Haha! Don't worry, we're on course… snore!"

Every time the captain woke up, he'd let out a boisterous laugh and assure us we were fine.

"…Damn it."

But what else could I do?

We were already stranded at sea.

"Senior, are you sure this is, okay?"

"It's… unsettling."

"...I'm hungry."

Aria looked uneasy, clutching the railing, while Lilith trembled.

Meanwhile, Iberkina seemed as unbothered as ever.

"It'll be fine."

I decided to just empty my mind.

Surely, Dorian wouldn't introduce us to an incompetent captain, right?

Surely not…

Then, out of nowhere—

The clear sky darkened, clouds gathering ominously.

"Hmm?"

The captain, who had been napping at the helm, opened his eyes.

"Hmm, that can't be right…"

He kept tilting his head, staring at the sky.

An uncomfortable feeling crept over me.

"Is something wrong?"

"We were definitely on course, but… something's not right."

"What?"

"It seems we've sailed into the White Dragon's territory."

"Excuse me?"

"Strange… This wasn't the route. Did the currents change?"

The captain spoke so nonchalantly, as if getting lost was no big deal.

This was the veteran Dorian had recommended?

"Turn the ship around!"

At the captain's command, the Dwarves scrambled across the deck.

"Hold on tight!"

With a sharp spin of the wheel, the ship veered hard, the deck tilting beneath our feet.

It was an impressive maneuver, showcasing his experience—

But it was too late.

Boom!

The gentle breeze turned into a raging gale, and lightning crackled across the darkened sky.

And then—

"Oh my…"

Every single person on board stared at the sky, their jaws dropping.

[You dare enter my territory? You've got some nerve.]

A majestic white dragon emerged from beyond the clouds, its colossal form towering over the ship.

***

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