eBook Bonus Short Story 『The Gift Is a Dragon』
"Their fifteenth birthday is right around the corner," Rest murmured wistfully. "If possible, I'd really like to give them a special present..."
It was a quiet afternoon at the Marquis Rosemary townhouse in the royal capital.
Rest let out a listless sigh as he muttered those words from his bed.
He lay there groaning, staring up at the ceiling. The source of his angst was none other than deciding on a birthday present for the Rosemary sisters, Viola and Primula.
A few years ago, Rest had been taken in by the two sisters and brought to live at the marquis's estate.
Having escaped the abuse of his toxic parents and the tyranny of his half-brother, he was finally able to live a peaceful life.
Having recently passed the academy entrance examination, his position as the sisters' official fiancé had also been informally confirmed.
It's Viola and Primula's fifteenth birthday, and they're my fiancées now... Since it's such a major milestone, I really want to give them an incredible gift...
Ever since they began living together, they had exchanged gifts on special occasions.
However, now that they were officially engaged, it was only natural for him to want to give them something truly memorable and extraordinary.
When it comes to a present for a fiancée, a ring is the classic choice, right? But wait... isn't it still a little too early to be giving engagement rings...?
Besides, it wasn't as if Rest was rolling in money.
Though he earned a salary as a butler for the Rosemary house, buying engagement rings worthy of two young ladies of high nobility would completely empty his pockets—if it was even enough at all.
Furthermore, his employer was the sisters' father. Buying engagement rings for his daughters using money paid by the marquis himself felt a bit off.
"This is useless..." Rest groaned. "Lying here racking my brain isn't getting me anywhere."
He let out a heavy sigh and used the bounce of the bed springs to push himself up.
Trying to solve this on his own wasn't going to produce any brilliant ideas. At times like this, it was best to seek wisdom from someone with more life experience.
"I'll go consult Master Deeble," he decided. "He's bound to have a good suggestion."
Rest stood up and headed straight for Deeble, who served as both his magic master and his superior in butler duties.
"I see, I see..." Deeble stroked his chin thoughtfully. "In that case, how about presenting them with Dragon Scales?"
"Dragon Scales... As in, actual scales from a dragon?" Rest asked.
"Yes, precisely," Deeble replied with a nod.
Seeing the confusion on Rest's face, Deeble offered a thorough explanation.
"It is an old custom passed down among the nobility of this kingdom," he began smoothly. "Legend has it that gifting your betrothed an ornament crafted from dragon scales brings prosperity to the household and blesses the couple with many children."
"I get it. So it's like a good luck charm," Rest remarked.
Back in Japan, there had been a similar cultural custom known as yuinou, where gifts were exchanged between families prior to marriage.
Those gifts carried symbolic meanings—dried abalone signified longevity, folding fans represented expanding prosperity, and so forth.
"Dragons are monsters that live for thousands of years," Deeble explained. "Consuming their flesh is said to extend one's lifespan, while displaying their scales inside a home wards off all manner of misfortune. As such, they are considered symbols of prosperity among nobles. Hunting a dragon with one's own hands and offering it as a gift to one's betrothed is a sort of traditional rite of passage."
"But dragons are legendary beasts, aren't they?" Rest pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think there's any way I could actually hunt one."
Finding one in the first place was a monumental task.
Dragons dwelt deep in uncharted mountain ranges, unexplored lands, the depths of the ocean, or ancient ruins spoken of only in myths.
Even setting aside the question of whether Rest could win in a fight, if he couldn't find one, hunting it was completely out of the question.
"Of course, gifting authentic dragon scales is practically impossible," Deeble clarified with a light chuckle. "Most nobles substitute them with scales from other monsters that closely resemble dragons."
Only mythical heroes of legend were capable of slaying actual dragons.
Ordinary nobles simply hunted dragon-like monsters and crafted their gifts from those instead.
"What kind of monster would fit the bill, for instance?" Rest asked.
"Scales from serpent or lizard monsters are commonly used," Deeble answered. "Speaking of which, we recently received a report that happens to be quite timely. A Stone Basilisk has been sighted in the forest south of the capital."
"A Stone Basilisk... That's a lizard-type monster, right?" Rest murmured.
Basilisks were venomous lizard monsters.
Among them, the Stone Basilisk was a species that spat a toxic breath capable of petrifying anyone who inhaled it, turning their bodies to stone.
"Woodcutters entering the forest have already been attacked, causing casualties," Deeble noted. "A subjugation force will likely be dispatched soon... but if you were to defeat it before then, Master Rest, it would save everyone the trouble."
"That's a windfall!" Rest declared, his eyes lighting up. "Please, let me handle it!"
It was a dangerous opponent.
Even so... if it was for the sake of Viola and Primula, he wouldn't hesitate for a single second.
"I shall arrange for the processing of the scales on this end," Deeble said reassuringly. "Please be careful..."
"Understood. Thank you very much," Rest replied with a nod.
With Deeble seeing him off, Rest set out for the southern forest.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Alright..." Rest muttered as he arrived at the forest, scanning his surroundings. "First, I need to track down that Stone Basilisk."
Having stepped into the woodland, Rest glanced around the area.
This forest was utilized for timber, so woodcutters frequented it on a daily basis.
Formidable monsters didn't normally inhabit the area, but recently, a Stone Basilisk had somehow wandered in from elsewhere.
Several woodcutters had already been attacked, and there were reports of fatalities.
"Even putting the present aside," Rest said under his breath, "if I don't subjugate it quickly, more people are going to get hurt."
Rest took a step deeper into the forest.
Countless trees lined the woods, interspersed with stumps from previously harvested timber.
Many young saplings were currently growing as well, showing clear signs of human management as a cultivated forest.
The wide spacing between the trees allowed plenty of sunlight through, providing good visibility, yet no monster was in sight.
"Life Search!"
Rest immediately activated his magic.
As he expanded his sensory net of mana, he detected a large presence roughly one hundred meters ahead.
"There it is...!" Rest gritted his teeth.
Enhancing his body with physical augmentation magic, Rest darted through the trees.
The surrounding landscape blurred into a rush of green behind him, and soon enough, the shape of a monster entered his line of sight.
"Found you...!" he exclaimed.
The creature was a giant lizard roughly three meters long, standing and walking on two hind legs like a frilled lizard.
Its skin was predominantly green, patterned with mottled patches of brown. From a distance, it blended seamlessly into the woodland background like camouflage.
"Gugyuh?!" the beast shrieked in surprise.
"Strike first, strike fast!" Rest shouted.
The Stone Basilisk noticed Rest an instant later, but Rest moved straight to the attack without giving it time to react.
"Earth Bind!"
"Gyuh...!"
His first move was using earth magic to bind the creature's mouth shut.
Ropes of soil sprouted from the ground, wrapping tightly around the Stone Basilisk's jaws and forcing them closed.
Now it can't spit its petrifying breath...!
"This is over..." Rest called out. "Wind Cutter!"
Once the petrifying venom was neutralized, the monster was nothing more than an oversized lizard.
Rest unleashed a blade of pressurized wind, cleanly severing the Stone Basilisk's head.
The creature collapsed without even having time to let out a final screech, bleeding profusely as life drained from its body.
"Whew... That's done," Rest exhaled, crouching down. "The Reverse Scale looks intact, too."
He inspected the Stone Basilisk's corpse closely.
A Reverse Scale referred to the single inverted scale located beneath a dragon's chin.
Basilisks and certain other monsters possessed a similar scale, which was said to be proof of their distant lineage from dragons.
Checking under the Stone Basilisk's jaw, Rest found an inverted scale radiating a brilliant, sapphire-like glow.
"So this is the Reverse Scale..." Rest murmured softly. "I see. It really is breathtakingly beautiful."
The wind blade Rest fired had expertly bypassed the Reverse Scale while severing the neck.
According to what Deeble had told him, the Reverse Scale was the most beautiful and valuable of all the creature's scales.
"The problem is..." Rest lowered his shoulders, slumping slightly. "There's only one of them."
Having carefully harvested the Reverse Scale, he sighed in dilemma.
While there were plenty of ordinary scales, there was only a single Reverse Scale. None of the other scales possessed a radiance that could compare.
Between Viola and Primula... which one of them should receive the Reverse Scale?
Noble convention prioritizes the eldest child first. Normally, that would mean giving it to Viola, but they're twins! It's hardly fair to treat them differently...
Primula already harbored an inferiority complex toward her elder sister.
If he showed favoritism in a gift from their fiancé, it would undoubtedly hurt her feelings.
"This is a real predicament..." Rest muttered to himself. "Maybe it's better if I don't give either of them a Reverse Scale at all—!"
As he lost himself in thought, his Life Search picked up another signal.
Something was sprinting at breakneck speed—heading straight for Rest without hesitation.
"What the—?!" Rest gasped.
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
A ferocious roar echoed through the forest.
Rest spun around to see another Stone Basilisk charging toward him from several dozen meters away.
This second Stone Basilisk was a size larger than the first, glaring at him with bloodshot, crimson eyes.
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The moment Rest readied his stance, the Stone Basilisk unleashed a torrent of ochre breath.
"Wind Wall!"
Rest instantly erected a defensive barrier of wind.
The swirling wind deflected the toxic cloud, but the surrounding trees turned gray before his eyes, petrifying into solid stone.
"A petrifying breath attack...!" Rest gritted his teeth.
"Gugyah!"
"Ngh...!"
Without pausing, the Stone Basilisk leaped high into the air.
Closing the gap of over ten meters in a split second, it pounced toward him.
Rest simultaneously activated Physical Up and Accelerator. Boosting his speed to the absolute limit, he dodged the assault and swept right behind the Stone Basilisk.
"Thunder Cannon!"
At point-blank range, he unleashed the intermediate-tier offensive spell.
An intense bolt of lightning pierced straight through the second Stone Basilisk.
"Gya... o..."
The monster collapsed onto the dirt, completely motionless.
Checking with Life Search just to be safe, Rest confirmed its life force was entirely extinguished.
He expanded his sensory range even further, but detected no other Stone Basilisks nearby. It seemed there were only two of them in this forest.
"A pair... No, both of them seem to be male, so were they brothers?" Rest wondered aloud as he looked down at the two fallen monsters.
A faint tinge of sorrow touched Rest's face as he gazed at the twin creatures.
Stone Basilisks were carnivores that had already developed a taste for human flesh. If these two had been left alive, more innocent lives would have been lost. He couldn't afford to feel sympathy for them.
"I won't pity you..." Rest said quietly. "But I will thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to you two, I can give a wonderful present to the two people most precious to me."
Rest harvested the second Reverse Scale.
It had the exact same color and radiant luster as the first. With this, he could give identical presents to both Viola and Primula.
"Rest in peace," he whispered softly. "Next time, I hope you're reborn as humans instead of monsters... and that you get to be brothers again."
Wrapping both Reverse Scales in a handkerchief, he tucked them carefully into his pocket, then collected a generous batch of ordinary scales as well.
Deciding to send workers to retrieve the remaining corpses later, Rest departed from the forest.
◇ ◇ ◇
The craftsman arranged by Deeble did exceptional work.
The Stone Basilisk scales Rest brought back were fashioned into elegant egg-shaped ornaments.
Each ornament was an oval roughly the size of a palm. Stone Basilisk scales covered the surface seamlessly, with a radiant Reverse Scale shining brilliantly at the center.
The vibrant green eggs were breathtakingly beautiful, showcasing the artisan's master craftsmanship.
"Rest... thank you so much!" Viola declared, tears of joy welling in her eyes. "I'm so happy!"
"Rest... thank you for such a wonderful present!" Primula added, her voice trembling with emotion.
Receiving such auspicious gifts on their fifteenth birthday, Viola and Primula wept tears of pure delight.
"I never dreamed you would give us something so special..." Viola pressed the egg to her chest, beaming brightly. "I can feel your feelings loud and clear, Rest!"
"An egg made of dragon scales..." Primula murmured, her cheeks flushing red. "That's a traditional gift given to a woman to ask her to 'bear my children' and 'protect our household together,' isn't it?"
"Pardon...?" Rest squeaked, his eyes blinking in utter confusion.
Seeing the sisters' reactions far exceed anything he had anticipated, Rest stood frozen, completely bewildered.
H-Huh?! It carries a meaning like that?! I was wondering why it had to be shaped like an egg, but...
Apparently, the gift carried a far deeper significance than he had realized.
That deep cultural meaning was precisely why the two sisters were so overwhelmed with emotion.
"Let's get married the moment we graduate from the academy!" Viola declared passionately. "I'm going to bear so many of your children!"
"Ah, I can hardly wait for graduation...!" Primula swooned, clutching her egg tight.
"Ha... hahaha..."
Unsure how to respond, Rest could only let out a strained, awkward laugh, a nervous twitch on his cheek.
Though it hadn't been his intention, his bond with the sisters had grown significantly deeper.
His present had undeniably been a resounding success, yet for some reason, Rest couldn't help feeling a vague sense of unease.
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