I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 133

CHAPTER 133

“Father?”

“What’s up, that expression?”

Pendrade pushed his lips out.

“It’s like, ‘Did you also have parents?’ on your face.”

Was my thoughts showing on my face? 

I absentmindedly wiped my face with my hand.

And quickly changed my expression.

“N-no. You and I never talked about family. I just didn’t think about your family or anything like that.”

“Well, yeah, I guess so.”

Pendrade nodded his head and leaned back against the chair’s backrest.

With a creaking sound, the front legs of the chair lifted slightly off the ground before landing again.

Pendrade’s gaze fell to the floor along with the chair’s front legs.

“They weren’t particularly good parents to talk about…”

“…”

From one expression, one tone, bitterness oozed out.

I silently watched Pendrade for a moment, then picked up the pitcher filled with water.

“Do you want some water?”

“Huh? Uh, sure.”

“Here you go.”

I even put in some ice specially.

As I handed Pendrade a cup filled with plenty of ice, he took it absentmindedly.

Then, he gently nudged me.

“…You didn’t ask?”

“Why should I ask?”

I should have a drink too. Since I’m in pain, I’ll skip the ice.

…Should I put in just one? It’s quite hot, after all. No, two?

“When you want to talk about it, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”

After gulping down the water with two ice cubes, I stared intently at Pendrade.

“No?”

Did he not intend to tell me, this guy?

Pendrade remained silent. 

In the moment of feeling a slight sense of betrayal, the corners of his mouth twitched.

“No, I’ll tell you.”

“Okay then.”

Having fainted and then woken up, plus after sharing the story, I felt parched.

As I was about to drink another sip, Pendrade, who had risen from his seat, snatched the cup from my hand.

Then, he filled the cup with water instead of me.

“Since you’re the patient, drink it without ice.”

“But it’s hot.”

The pitcher of water brought by Liena had been left at room temperature, so it was quite lukewarm to drink in this weather.

Of course, lukewarm water is good for health, but on a day like this, you need to gulp down cold water.

“You’re sick.”

Pendrade chuckled and extended the cup. I pouted my lips and took it.

‘Refreshing?’

It was cool.

Not as refreshing as if there were ice in it, but still pleasantly cool enough.

“Magic?”

Pendrade, who shrugged at my question, leaned against the chair.

“Have I ever told you why I dislike the Lord, or why I interfere with the plans?”

Shrug, shrug. I shook my head as I drank water.

“I thought there must be a good reason.”

I neatly placed the emptied cup on the side table.

“You didn’t like what I gave you from the beginning.”

The biggest reason we were able to become friends was because of the Lord. 

Next was alcohol.

Having a good drink together, we can’t help but become close even if we try not to.

“That’s right.”

Turning the water cup in his hand, Pendrade continued speaking.

“The reason I dislike the Lord, well…”

Pendrade took a sip from the cup casually.

It wasn’t deliberate procrastination.

It just took time to bring out what had been hidden inside for so long.

And after a moment of silence, the story that emerged was within expectations yet still surprising.

“He said he killed my mother. More accurately, he made her die.”

Once the topic opened up, Pendrade continued with a long breath.

“I don’t know much about it either. It’s a story from before I was even born.”

“Hmm…”

Is sacrificing others while claiming moral high ground his specialty? 

Now even Pendrade’s mother.

Victims kept popping up from everywhere.

“There was discord between dragons and gods long ago, and my mother took the lead. So, it ended up like that, some, well, that kind of story.”

Pendrade let out a breath mixed with laughter.

“I didn’t know anything about Mother until then, you know? Nobody told me!”

Pendrade grabbed his hair. 

Red, long hair.

“I knew Mother was a Red Dragon because I’m a Red Dragon too, that’s all I knew.”

“…And your father?”

I asked cautiously. 

Considering he’s associated with an evil god to some extent, it’s somewhat guessable.

“We don’t just have one parent, you know?”

“That’s right!”

Pendrade clapped his hands.

“I had a figure of a father. But, well. It’s as good as not having one.”

With his arms folded, he leaned back against the chair again. 

His lips twisted grimly.

“According to Rod, father went crazy since the day mother died.”

He thought his father was originally a weird dragon.

He mumbled that all the time while staring at the Rare Wall.

If Rod hadn’t come to see him, he would have become the first dragon to die from exhaustion in history.

Phew, exhaling like blowing away anger, he continued speaking slowly.

“I thought our father was originally a weird dragon. But he wasn’t.”

“…”

“Father disappeared when I was a hatchling.”

They called a young dragon who needed protection shortly after birth a hatchling.

In human terms, it’s like a very young child.

A young child in need of a guardian’s touch.

‘He disappeared leaving behind such a child.’

I frowned. The person telling the story had a calm expression.

Familiar, isn’t it?

Even him.

“I grew up with Rod without knowing anything, and I blamed only my father for disappearing. Then I found out about the rough circumstances.”

Pendrade shrugged.

“Ever since I found out, I’ve hated him the most.”

“Because he is the root cause.”

If that guy hadn’t twisted the evil god so much.

If he hadn’t pushed Pendrade’s mother to death.

And if he hadn’t thought of using me as an ingredient for Nectar.

“Such things wouldn’t have happened.”

“Yeah, right.”

Pendrade nodded sympathetically, lifting the corners of his lips.

“I’m telling you. A long time ago. I became friends with a human.”

“And then?”

“Feeling too frustrated, I spilled everything to him while drinking. Oh, of course, I changed some details.”

Was the liquid in the cup in his hand not water, but alcohol?

Pendrade poured out his words recklessly, as if slightly drunk.

Or maybe he just blurted out everything in frustration.

“But you know what that guy said?”

When I shook my head as if I didn’t know, he laughed.

“He said it’s a small sacrifice for the sake of justice!”

“Nonsense.”

I laughed lightly, and Pendrade chimed in.

“That’s what I’m saying!”

Heaving a sigh, he cleared his expression and placed the cup on the table, chuckling to himself.

“Would he say such things even if he were the one being sacrificed?”

“He definitely wouldn’t.”

I chuckled and rested my head on the bedhead.

I knew Pendrade disliked the Lord for a long time, but I didn’t expect something like this.

‘Anyway, there’s one thing bothering me.’

Well, that’s not important right now.

“Alright.”

To change the ever-diminishing mood, I raised my voice a bit and put a smile on my face.

“I’ll handle the old man’s head, but I’ll give you a piece.”

“What’s that?”

Pendrade also chuckled as if my words were amusing.

What’s going on? 

I was serious.

Pendrade crossed his arms.

“And just so you know, don’t bother worrying about him being on the wrong side of the law.”

“Uh, is that okay?”

“Yeah, even if the root cause is him, he hasn’t done anything good either.”

Pendrade playfully raised the corners of his lips.

“Even I would be hurt if I were abandoned by my father when I was young.”

“That’s true.”

The wounds received from the family were deeper and lasted longer than expected.

I thought I was fine regarding my father and lived my life.

But now, I’ve discovered festering and malignant wounds.

“It’s tough living in this world.”

I sighed deeply.

“I used to think that life would be easy once I grew older, but why are things exploding like this?”

I thought there wouldn’t be any problems once I became an adult, and I thought it would be fine if I became a mature adult.

But now, at this age, it’s so difficult.

“Phew.”

As I let out a long sigh, Pendrade stared at me intently.

“Am I still young?”

“What?”

“I’m still young for a dragon’s age, right? Only you’re old.”

…Is he drawing the line like this with me?

“This guy!!”

“Gah!”

As I sprang up, Pendrade jumped in surprise, sitting up as if stunned.

“Hey, hey, hey, calm down. Listen to me first.”

“…What is it?”

“I’m going to visit Dragon Lord.”

“Huh?”

I blinked.

“You said you didn’t want to go. You said it might end up in a forced marriage?”

“That’s true. But considering what you told me today, I need to go and check. Even if other dragons don’t know, Lord should still be able to communicate with the High Elves.”

Pendrade got up. 

I naturally raised my gaze along with him.

“Right away?”

“Yeah. I need to leave when I’ve made up my mind, or else I’ll lose the desire to go.”

Pendrade reached out and tousled my hair.

“I’ll be back.”

As he cleared the hair blocking my view, he was already gone.

I stared at the momentary space before lying down on the bed.

“…”

I need to come up with an excuse for Pendrade’s sudden disappearance.

‘But anyway.’

…Where is Lionel?

I’m getting anxious because I can’t see the guy who should be the most active, seriously.

And a while later.

“What on earth is this…?”

The anxiety turned into reality.