I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit – Chapter 83

Chapter 83

I was simultaneously caught in contradictory and complex emotions as soon as I heard the words, “The Great Sage of Sharp North Wind and Cold Blood Flow, Kadelinon.”

‘This is so weird!’

And……

‘Cool!’

My reason was shouting that it was strange and embarrassing, while my emotions were shouting that it was cool.

The side effects of a 7-year-old body were severe.

It shouldn’t be cool, but my heart was pounding, and it hurt my pride.

“Why are you doing that?”

“It’s such a cool epithet.”

“……Huh?”

Even the Great Sage of Sharp North Wind and Cold Blood Flow, Kadelinon-nim, seemed surprised by my reaction.

No doubt, he also knows that his epithet is too long and reeks of Chuunibyou.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m serious!”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Say it again.”

“What?”

“That cool epithet.”

“Th, The Great Sage of Sharp North Wind and Cold Blood Flow.”

For some reason, the old priest-nim seemed a bit pleased.

He looked at me with affectionate eyes and said,

“Your bright smile is very cute.”

“Really?”

I felt like I had felt the warm gaze of a grandfather I had never had.

“The Great Sage-nim is cool too.”

The Great Sage-nim stared at me for a long time.

I looked at the Great Sage-nim without knowing why.

‘Does he feel sorry for me?’

Is it because he’s the one who’s going to take away my five years? Is that why he’s staring at me like this?

‘I can’t see his expression well because of his eyebrows.’

A long silence followed.

Perhaps the Great Sage-nim must have felt compassion for me.

After a long time, the Great Sage-nim asked,

“……Are you really serious?”

“Huh?”

“You’re the first person to tell me it’s cool. My goodness, to think you have such discerning eyes.”

I’m not sure, but the Great Sage-nim seemed quite moved.

They say that when you get old, you become like a child again, and it felt like that.

It was a pretty good experience to know that my trivial words and compliments could make the old man happy.

‘It’s not a lie anyway, right?’

My 7-year-old body genuinely felt that his Chuunibyou epithet was cool.

I was just controlling my reason; I wasn’t lying.

“It’s cool because it’s truly cool!”

“I knew someone like you would appear someday. You recognize my true worth. Hahaha.”

At that moment, Duke Rovena spoke.

Duke Rovena was frowning, but the atmosphere was subtly different from usual.

“Let’s hurry up and get this over with.”

“Aren’t we in the middle of an important conversation?”

“Damn it, that’s why I’m asking what’s so important about it!”

Duke Rovena raised his voice.

It seemed like the two were very close.

“Ahem, Duke Rovena, I’m much older than you, so is it appropriate to speak informally and raise your voice like that?”

“……I’ll kill you.”

Then the Great Sage-nim rolled up his sleeves.

He raised his skinny arms and said confidently,

“I welcome a challenge to a fight.”

“……”

I burst into laughter without realizing it.

The word ‘fight’ coming out of the Great Sage’s mouth made him seem somehow more human and likable.

But I still gave him a warning.

“Great Sage-nim! Duke Rovena-nim is incredibly strong.”

For some reason, the Great Sage-nim was looking at Duke Rovena-nim as if he were a child.

A promise is a promise. I have to do this so that Honey can live.

Honey is my precious friend.

I kept repeating that to myself as I lay down on the altar.

‘I’m scared.’

As precious as this life given to me is, I was so afraid of the five years that would be taken away.

The Great Sage-nim’s voice came.

“Alright, then let’s begin.”

The Great Sage-nim’s hand turned white.

Some indescribable warm energy enveloped me.

I felt a little sleepy.

But then, I heard a bwong bwong! sound.

『Objection.』

『Absolute objection!』

“Kyaak! Kyaaak!”

I also heard a sharp metallic sound.

I opened my eyes wide and looked at my stomach.

Honey was on top of my stomach.

‘Kim Beolkkul?’

I tried to speak, but no sound came out.

Five-colored mana was emanating from Kim Beolkkul’s body.

『Protect Isabel.』

『Absolutely protect her!』

Honey was sitting on my stomach, baring his teeth at the Great Sage-nim who was trying to approach me.

‘I can’t speak, and my body won’t move. I need to stop Honey.’

If Honey causes another incident here, it’ll be really troublesome.

It might not end with just five years.

I saw the corners of Duke Rovena’s eyes curve up.

“Even Mom wouldn’t recogn……”

Mom?

I think I just heard something about Mom, but I couldn’t hear her voice anymore.

It felt like I was separated from the world.

I could see, but it didn’t feel like I could see, and I could hear, but it didn’t feel like I could hear.

It felt like I was plunged into a detached world.

In the midst of all this, I heard a mystical voice.

“You’re saying you’ll pay for the Princess’s life?”

It was a human voice, but it was strange and auspicious, unlike any human voice I’d heard before.

It was like hearing something in a dream.

‘No!’

I waved my hand.

“Alright. Then I’ll take your five years, no, your ten years instead.”

No. That’s not it.

That can’t happen.

Strangely, a boy’s voice came.

“Ten years. Acknowledged. I’ll give you ten years. But protect Isabel, absolutely.”

The way he spoke was definitely Honey, but the voice was human.

A young boy definitely answered like that.

‘I think I’m…… dreaming……’

I fell asleep without realizing it.

Duke Rovena of the North.

In truth, Ravina, the Dragon of Wisdom, giggled.

“I understand, but you don’t even recognize your own mother!”

Currently the Great Sage, but originally the Black Flame Dragon Kadelina, sighed deeply and frowned.

“I know, right?”

They say there’s nothing left after raising children.

Sigh……

Sigh……

She sighed so deeply that the ground seemed to cave in.

“You know that’s something only humans say, right? What kind of dragon expects that from their child? This is why you have to establish their self-identity firmly when they’re young so they don’t waver. Are you a dragon or a human?”

“Ah, I don’t know. As long as I’m good at fighting.”

“……Yeah, whatever.”

Ravina and Kadelina looked at Arun（Kim Beolkkul）, who was sleeping on Isabel’s stomach.

“He’s really willing to give up his life.”

“He looks just like a certain someone, doesn’t he?”

“Who’s that?”

“A dragon who went through a very severe puberty and was incredibly powerful. The Mad Dragon who was crazy about a certain human.”

Kadelina hummed a tune and looked away.

After a while, Ravina spoke.

“They’ll both wake up soon. Anyway, we’ve confirmed it. Isabel is a really good kid.”

“Hmph, we’ll have to wait and see if she’s good or not.”

“You’re acting like a human again.”

Ravina, the Dragon of Wisdom, recalled a word from the human world.

“Are you already trying to act like a mother-in-law? Get a grip, he’s just a honey badger right now.”

“Wh, who said that?”

“Besides, the fussy mother-in-law concept is a 500-year-old concept even in the human world. It’s a concept that’s so outdated, it’s practically a relic.”

Well, it’s not strange that you’re stuck in that mindset since it was 500 years ago when you were actively establishing your own identity.

“Anyway, what would you do if you were me?”

“If I were you, I’d leave Isabel and the honey badger to live happily together. Officially, we’ve taken ten years from him. The honey badger will probably live for another five years at most.”

“Five years……”

“If he gains a lot of experience with Isabel, Arun will be able to grow into a decent dragon. Make sure Arun’s identity doesn’t waver.”

She said that, but Ravina already knew.

‘You won’t touch Arun’s memories, will you?’

Because the Kadelina that Ravina knew was a very unique dragon.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

She decided to watch with interest to see what kind of future Isabel and Arun would create.

After a while, Isabel woke up, and Rovena asked,

“The honey badger promised to give ten years of his life instead of your five years. What do you think?”

“No.”

Her body still wouldn’t move. Tears streamed down her face.

“Honey made a promise with me.”

“What?”

“Honey promised to die after me.”

Isabel cried for a long time.

Kadelina and Ravina read Isabel’s true heart with their Dragon Eyes.

They both came to the same conclusion.

‘Isabel is a child who would definitely give her life for Arun.’

Rovena shook her head.

“I’ve already taken ten years from Kim Beolkkul. It’s already happened, so there’s nothing we can do, child.”

Isabel cried for 30 minutes straight.

Rovena stared at Isabel, who was crying as if she had lost the whole world, for a long time before finally speaking.

“It’s a bit awkward for me to say this now, but……”