The Returnee’s Guild Must Grow Properly

I widened my eyes in surprise at the Spirit Master’s words.

“He’s doing a drama? Won’t it flop?”

“Our kid acts well! Why would you say that!!”

“People tend to be biased. Didn’t Doby’s previous drama flop? Didn’t he get a lot of criticism back then?”

At the Mage’s words, the Spirit Master shrieked.

“It wasn’t because of Doby! The story was such a mess that it failed!! And what do you mean by bias! Look at the Guild Master!!”

“Is there a human whose arm doesn’t bend inward?” (tl/n: it means favor a close ones/their own connection)

“This is driving me crazy!”

Whether the Spirit Master was losing it or not was none of my concern.

“Do you think I’d be crazy enough to embrace you all willingly?”

“See that!”

At the Spirit Master’s sharp outcry, the Mage chuckled, and the Demon King asked why one would embrace when not a bird.

Damn, this is really driving me nuts.

Meanwhile, the white SUV had exited the congested road and entered the alley where my house was visible.

“Let me off here.”

“Shouldn’t we drop you off at the front?”

“Our Guild Master can walk alone, right? The Mage doesn’t want to unbuckle.”

“I can walk alone just fine, and you don’t have to unbuckle, so just shut that damn mouth of yours!”

I flicked the Mage’s forehead, opened the car door, and got out.

“Godslayer, what about the third covenant?”

“There’s a third one?! Oh, Ifrit! I’m in deep trouble now!”

The request was resolved, and that damn free house-elf issue was somewhat settled.

What should I do for the third and final one…?

I racked my brain but couldn’t come up with anything.

“Demon King, can we make the covenant later?”

“It is possible.”

“Then I’ll think about it and do it later.”

Honk—

The Spirit Master, blaring the horn loudly, shouted at me with an angry face.

“Just finish it now!”

“Koreans are all about speed.”

The Mage teased from the side.

I gave them a sweet smile and slammed the car door shut.

“My choice.”

Adding a cheeky remark for good measure.

The Spirit Master rolled down the window and yelled something, but I stuck out my tongue and dashed into the house.

| 9th Circle Archmage |: “Spirit Master’s pissed off, lolol”
| Spirit Master |: “Stop laughing beside me!!”
| 9th Circle Archmage |: “｡•́︿•̀｡”
| 9th Circle Archmage |: “Spirit Master, you’re so mean, not even letting me laugh freelyㅠ bad personㅠㅠ”
| Spirit Master |: “You’re right here! Talk to me directly!!”
| 9th Circle Archmage |: “(૭ ᐕ)૭?”
| Spirit Master |: “Aaaaah!!!”
| Demon King |: “Godslayer, the Spirit Master has started driving recklessly.”

As if I care.

Ignoring the incoming messages, I collapsed onto my bed.

| Hero |: “What on earth are you all up to?”
| 9th Circle Archmage |: “Curious?! If you’re curious, 500 won!!”
| Hero |: “Buzz off.”
| 9th Circle Archmage |: “｡•́︿•̀｡”

They’re really having a blast.

I turned off the guild messages, picked up my phone, and tapped the screen.

A message from Hain asking if I’d arrived home was visible.

Ignoring Hain’s message, I texted my brother, letting him know I’d arrived safely and to take good care of Seoha.

A reply came back, but I turned off the phone and sighed deeply.

“…I need to shower.”

It had been a day that felt like a year.

The gate, the Mage, and the Spirit Master… I encountered two guild members I hadn’t expected to meet.
I wasn’t sure if the day had ended on good terms with them, but one thing was certain—a lot had happened.

“I’m so tired.”

I rubbed my face once before rolling over on the bed. Several guild messages had popped up, but I firmly shut my eyes.
I needed to sleep. Just a little.

And so, I closed my eyes tightly. That’s why I didn’t see it—the message that foretold how the accursed gift from the stars would screw me over:

[An S-Rank Relic, ‘Egg of an Unknown Reptile,’ is stirring!]

******

I was sleeping soundly.

Until something moist and unpleasant brushed against my cheek. Turning over, I muttered groggily.
“…Huh?”

A child’s voice, impossible to hear in my home, made my eyes flutter open.

“…Ma!”

What I saw was a small lizard with black wings fully spread.

“…”

I blinked, then turned away from the lizard. It was just my imagination. I didn’t see anything.

“Ma! Mama!!”

But reality wouldn’t let me escape. The creature—a baby dragon, unmistakably a hatchling—slapped its front paws on my cheek, flailing insistently.

The slap was sharp enough to jolt me upright like lightning.
“Argh! Damn it!!”

Reflexively, I grabbed the hatchling’s front leg and hurled it toward the wall. Don’t call it animal abuse—it’s a dragon.

“Ma―Aaack!!”

The hatchling, thrown against the wall, flapped its tiny wings and got back up. I stared blankly at the scene.
I don’t recall inviting any black-headed creature into my house. Was it Hain? My brother? No, that couldn’t be.

“Ma! Mamaaa!!”

In this world, dragons are a type of destructive monster—a force of ruin that doesn’t cry out for food like this.

“Ma!! Ma!!”

“Alright, alright… Hold on.”

Dragging my sluggish mind back to reality, I climbed out of bed.
Judging by the silence outside, neither my brother nor Do Hain had returned home yet.

Crunch—

“Huh?”

The moment my foot hit the floor, something crunched underfoot. I looked down to see fragments of a thick shell scattered everywhere.

“What is this now…?”

I muttered in disbelief, and a blue notification window popped up.

[An S-Rank Relic, ‘Egg of an Unknown Reptile,’ has awakened from its long slumber!]

Who decided that? And since when were dragons classified as reptiles…?

“Ma! Mama!!”

First things first, I needed to shove something into this baby dragon’s mouth. Rubbing my drowsy eyes, I grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and opened the fridge.

“I’m screwed.”

There wasn’t a single thing in there that a dragon might eat. I grabbed a bell pepper with a resigned expression.

“You eat stuff like this, right?”

Spit!

This little monster.

The damn dragon spat before the bell pepper even got near its mouth.

“Ma! Mama!!”

The dragon flailed its wings and wailed, its cries pitiful enough to elicit a deep sigh.

That damn star gave me nothing but trouble. A huge problem, this time.

And worse still, our guild has a Dragon Slayer. What am I supposed to do about this?

At least the dragon hatched while my brother and Do Hain weren’t home. If it had started crying for food in their presence…
Oh, just imagining it was horrifying.

Shuddering at the thought, I sent a message to the one person who might be willing to take responsibility for the little monster.

Please read this quickly!

| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: “Grand Duke, where are you right now?”
| Pr. Northern Grand Duke |: “Working a side job, why? What’s up?”

Nice! Thankfully, the reply came right away.
I glanced at the clock—just past midnight.

Damn it. I hadn’t even gotten proper sleep. Scratching my head irritably, I typed out another message.

| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: “Want to raise a dragon?”
| Pr. Northern Grand Duke |: “??”
| Pr. Northern Grand Duke |: “A dragon? What are you talking about?”

I let go of the squirming dragon and grabbed my outerwear from the room.

| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: “An egg I got as a reward hatched into a dragon.”
| Pr. Northern Grand Duke |: “???”

Yeah, unbelievable, isn’t it? I’m just as dumbfounded.
Why did this damned dragon hatch in my house? Shouldn’t it have been born at the Grand Duke’s house, where they have the Tamer title?

“Ma! Mama!!”

“Hey! You can’t eat that!!”

The little lizard had shoved its head into a half-torn snack bag. I quickly grabbed its tail and yanked it out, tucking it into my arms to keep it hidden.

“Ma? Mama!!”

“We’re going to someone who’ll feed you, so calm down for a bit.”

There was no way I could keep this thing at my house.

| Pr. Northern Grand Duke |: “Bring it over! Come to the shop, I’m there right now!”

Fortunately, the Grand Duke seemed intrigued. After receiving the coordinates for the Hero’s shop, I called the Mage.

| Pr. 9th Circle Archmage |: “Guild Master~ Why are you going out at this ungodly hour?”
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: “Never mind that. Just open a portal.”
| Pr. 9th Circle Archmage |: “You’ll have to find your way back on your own! I’m going to bed!”

I flipped him off before stepping into the portal he reluctantly opened. Emerging in a deserted alleyway, I made my way to the Hero’s shop.

Wait, are there any customers in the shop?

Worried, I sent a quick message to the Grand Duke.

| Pr. Northern Grand Duke |: “Don’t worry! The gate incident scared away all the customers!!”

Good.

The bell jingled as I entered the shop. True to his word, it was completely empty. The Grand Duke peeked his head out from behind the counter.

“Guild Master?”

“What if someone else was here? Why would you call me that?”

“I could just say I mistook you for someone else! But really, a dragon? Where is it? Is it a real dragon?”

The Grand Duke’s eyes sparkled as he stepped out from behind the counter. I pulled the baby dragon from my arms and held it up in front of him.

“Here.”

“Ma! Mama!!”

The baby dragon flapped its black wings, wriggling energetically. The Grand Duke’s eyes widened in shock before he covered his mouth with both hands.

“Oh my gosh, it’s a hatchling! Where did you get this?”

“I told you—it hatched from an egg I got as a quest reward.”

The Grand Duke barely seemed to hear me, gently cradling the hatchling in his arms.

“Ma! Mama!!”

“It must be hungry. Hang on a second.”

With that, the Grand Duke disappeared into the kitchen.