Chapter 156 – Obtaining the Dragon’s Claws

The identity of the being who would steal only makgeolli from Se-jun’s farm was obvious. There was no need for reasoning. It was because there was no one else but Kaiser, Aileen’s grandfather and a lover of alcohol.

“I let my guard down.”

The source of the trouble was that he had not hidden it since Kaiser had not appeared lately, as if he had been busy. It was his own fault for leaving grilled fish in front of Theo, honey in front of Cuengi, and makgeolli in front of Kaiser.

“No. Still, taking it all is too much. Even I have not tasted it yet…”

‘What was here were 10 bottles of ordinary makgeolli and about 50 bottles of makgeolli mixed with crops, so…’

“Then, I should get scales equivalent to 160 bottles of makgeolli.”

Since the makgeolli mixed with crops required much more of his own effort, he decided to calculate it by adding a threefold premium.

While Se-jun was tapping the calculator like that,

-Our Se-jun was here!

Flap, flap.

Kaiser called Se-jun and flew over quickly.

“Yes?!”

‘Our Se-jun?’ Se-jun flinched at Kaiser’s term of address. When had he suddenly called him ‘our Se-jun’ when he used to call him ‘that fellow Se-jun’?

While Se-jun was flustered by Kaiser’s tone,

-You commendable fellow! When did you make such makgeolli?!

Kaiser began to praise Se-jun out of nowhere.

***

A few hours ago.

“Kahahahat. Now, let’s drink again!”

The dragons began to continue the drinking party with the makgeolli Kaiser brought.

“Oh! There was makgeolli in the Black Tower too!”

“Kahahahat. Our tower farmer made it for me to drink!”

Although he had stolen it secretly without the owner’s permission, Kaiser strongly believed that it had definitely been made for him. Kaiser opened the ordinary makgeolli first and gave it to the dragons.

Pour.

“Shall I drink some?”

Gulp, gulp.

Holding one bottle of makgeolli per dragon, the dragons poured for themselves and drank the makgeolli.

“Hmph! Still, it won’t compare to our tower farmer’s, right?”

Artemis, whose pride was hurt by the unexpectedly delicious makgeolli, spoke with the feeling that he could not lose.

“What?! Are you ignoring the makgeolli made by our Se-jun?! Come outside! It’s a duel!”

Flared up by Artemis’s words, Kaiser shouted. He had regarded him as so trivial inside the tower, but outside, when the makgeolli Se-jun made was ignored, Kaiser stepped up as if he himself had been ignored.

“Do you think I won’t come out if you tell me to?!”

Thud! Crash!

When Kaiser and Artemis began to argue outside like that,

“Now. Let’s drink! Cheer up, Kellion. The time will surely come when Ajax also succeeds in farming.”

“Thank you even just for the words.”

Whether the two fought or not, Brachio and Kellion drank the makgeolli.

“Keuh. Good! What? I have already finished drinking it?”

“There is more here.”

Kellion and Brachio emptied one bottle of makgeolli each in no time. Using magic, Brachio moved the bottles of makgeolli Kaiser had brought to be in front of herself and Kellion.

And

Pop.

Opening the cap,

Pour.

Poured it into the glass,

“Here, cheers!”

“Wishing for Ajax’s bountiful harvest!”

Clink.

They clinked glasses and drank the alcohol.

At that moment,

“Keuh. Huh?!”

“Oh?!”

Both of them let out an exclamation at the same time. It was because the makgeolli tasted of something unexpected.

“Sweet potato?”

“Corn?”

“Did you say corn?”

“Sweet potato? Let’s swap and try!”

In that way, the two swapped bottles and drank again, and

“Let’s open other ones too!”

“Sure!”

They began opening the bottles Kaiser brought and tasting them one by one.

“How many flavors are there?!”

“Indeed…”

Sweet potato, potato, corn, carrot, cherry tomato, peanut, watermelon, mango, banana, and even chestnut makgeolli that was not fully fermented yet. To think there were a total of 10 flavors of makgeolli!

Furthermore, the makgeolli containing the crops Se-jun grew tasted much better, and though it was subtle, there was even a feeling that it made changes in the body.

“Park Se-jun, this amazing fellow… Let’s see… my Dragon Tooth Soldiers…”

Kellion praised Se-jun to himself and thought about how many of his remaining Dragon Tooth Soldiers he had. He felt that with one Dragon Tooth Soldier, he could get 10 bottles of each of the 10 flavors of makgeolli.

Se-jun thought of a threefold premium, but Kellion was thinking of giving a tenfold premium.

However,

“Park Se-jun… the tower farmer of the Black Tower…”

Looking at Brachio’s expression, Kellion felt that they might not even be able to get 10 bottles.

‘Let’s drink for now!’

Gulp, gulp.

When Kellion forgot about worrying for his grandson and began drinking the makgeolli diligently,

“Ah! You are drinking alone, how cheap?!”

Brachio also snapped out of it and began drinking the makgeolli again.

After a while,

“Kahahahat!”

“Euhahahat!”

Kaiser and Artemis walked in with their arms around each other’s shoulders, with their faces swollen. The two, like children, had grown close while fighting and entered.

“Huh?! What is this?!!!”

“Who drank it all?!”

In front of them, dozens of empty makgeolli bottles scattered on the floor were visible. While they were out, Kellion and Brachio had drank almost all the makgeolli.

“Huh?! You are here?”

Kellion spoke, having discovered the two late.

“Huh?! You are here?! How can you say that right now?!”

“Drink this. Then you will know why I am doing this… Kaiser, you must be happy. Having a tower farmer like Se-jun.”

Kellion spoke in an envious voice as he handed the makgeolli to Kaiser.

‘What is wrong with him?’

Gulp.

Kaiser looked at Kellion with strange eyes and gulped down the makgeolli. His throat was dry after using his body.

And

“……!!!”

Once he tasted the sweet potato makgeolli, he could understand Kellion’s words.

“Se-jun made ten new kinds of makgeolli.”

Kellion gave an additional explanation to Kaiser, who was shocked by the taste.

‘What have I done…’

Kaiser regretted bringing the makgeolli from Se-jun’s brewery. He had brought the alcohol, which would have been a waste even to drink alone, to share with the other dragons.

“What flavor is it that you’re acting like that?”

Sip.

“……This?!”

Artemis, who became curious after seeing Kaiser’s reaction from the side, also drank a mouthful of the makgeolli and fell into shock. This was something he had no choice but to admit. It was too delicious!

“Hehehe. As expected, it is not just us.”

“Let’s drink quickly before they snap out of it.”

Leaving Kaiser and Artemis in shock, Kellion and Brachio began drinking the makgeolli again.

“Stop! Stop drinking! I won’t give you any more!”

Kaiser tried to collect the makgeolli after snapping out of it late, but all that remained was the amount of about two glasses left at the bottom of the ten bottles of each makgeolli that Kellion had purposely left behind.

It was meant to let him taste the ten kinds of makgeolli.

“What flavor is this? The scent is unique.”

“Keuhehehe. This is what you call watermelon.”

Kaiser gloated and explained to Artemis, who did not know the taste of watermelon.

When Kaiser and Artemis finished drinking all ten flavors of makgeolli like that,

“Kaiser! Hand Park Se-jun over to me!”

Brachio demanded Se-jun from Kaiser.

“What do you mean?! Hand over the tower farmer?! Don’t you know that once you become a tower farmer, you must live as the tower farmer of that tower until you die? And even if it were possible, absolutely not our Se-jun!”

Kaiser spoke angrily at Brachio’s words. What nonsense! How dare she ask for our Se-jun?!

“Hmm… I wonder if that is really so?”

Brachio spoke with a dubious gaze.

“What?! Then, let’s see at the next meeting!”

Kaiser hurriedly returned to the Black Tower. He planned to ask Se-jun to make makgeolli quickly.

***

-Is there anything our Se-jun needs? Ah! As for the alcohol I took earlier, I will reward you with 20 scales! And in the future, for new makgeolli, I will pay one scale for every two bottles!

“Huh?! Really?! Thank you! Ah! But Lord Kaiser, this is not the time for you to be doing this.”

Se-jun, who was rejoicing at Kaiser’s proposal, recalled Aileen, who must be training hard right now, and spoke.

-Why? What is the matter? I will solve everything!

Kaiser tried to resolve the issue actively with the thought of quickly having Se-jun make makgeolli, but it was not Se-jun’s matter, but Aileen’s.

“Aileen is currently…”

Se-jun explained that Theo had coincidentally obtained a Dragon Heart Fragment of the Black Dragon, and Aileen had entered training, saying she would fix her Dragon Heart using it.

-What?! Our Aileen has a Dragon Heart Fragment?

“Will she be okay?”

Se-jun spoke in a worried voice. Aileen had spoken confidently, but that made him worry more.

-Do not worry. Resonating with a Dragon Heart is as simple as breathing for the dragon tribe. Nothing will happen. Kahahahat. Theo, you fellow! You have really done a great thing.

Kaiser, who answered Se-jun’s question like that, praised Theo. Even though it was a very small fragment, the fact that he obtained a Dragon Heart itself was amazing.

When a dragon died, the Dragon Heart naturally returned to nature quickly, so it could not be obtained. Kaiser had only heard that there were cases where it did not return. But Theo had brought it.

Makgeolli was not the issue right now. No, it was not that he did not need to drink it, but it was fine to drink it a bit later.

-Since you have given aid to the clan of the Great Black Dragon, I will specially bestow a reward upon you by the authority of the head of the Pritani Family!

“What is it, meow?! What are you going to give me, meow?!”

Theo became excited at Kaiser’s words. Thinking of receiving a good gift from Kaiser to give to Se-jun, Theo was thrilled.

The formula in Theo’s head was like this.

‘If I give money to Park Se-jun, Park Se-jun’s lap, Churus, and the Vice President Theo term extension ticket will come out, meow!’

‘If I give a dagger to Park Se-jun, Park Se-jun’s lap, Churus, and the Vice President Theo term extension ticket will come out, meow!’

…

..

.

Theo was the one who thought that if he gave Se-jun something, the lap, Churus, and the Vice President Theo term extension ticket would come out like a vending machine.

-I will specially allow you to use the surname Pritani.

“Meow?”

Theo, who could not judge whether receiving the surname Pritani was good or bad, looked at Se-jun. His front paw did not react to intangible things.

Shake, shake.

Se-jun shook his head. What would change by having one more surname attached to the name? It was utility rather than honor.

“It is not that good, meow! Give me something else, meow!”

-Hmm… Unexpected. Everyone liked it until a thousand years ago… Then, I will give you my claw.

Nod, nod.

“That is good, meow!”

At Se-jun’s nodding, Theo decided to receive Kaiser’s claw.

-It is done.

“Meow?! What is done, meow? I have not received the claw yet, meow!”

-Unsheathe your claws.

Flash!

When Theo unsheathed his front claws, ten claws emitting a black light appeared. Kaiser had replaced Theo’s claws with the Dragon’s Claws.

“Meow!”

Theo looked at his changed claws with wonder,

“Meow… I cannot give this to Chairman Park, meow…”

He was sad that he could not give the claws to Se-jun.

“It is fine. Instead, Vice President Theo, you have grown stronger.”

“Meow! That is right, meow! I will protect Chairman Park with these claws, meow! But I am sleepy, meow.”

“Yes. Lord Kaiser, it seems we must go to sleep now.”

Se-jun spoke while stroking Theo’s head.

-Right. See you in the morning.

Like that, Se-jun and Theo went inside the house to sleep,

-Ahem. Have our activities been too sparse lately?

Feeling that the presence of the dragon tribe had shrunk, Kaiser fell into thought.

Although he did not show it earlier because of his pride, he was slightly shocked by Theo, who had rejected the surname Pritani. Being able to use the surname Pritani meant being treated as a Black Dragon inside the tower.

-But he rejected that?

However, this was not because the presence of the dragon tribe had shrunk, but was simply an incident that occurred because of Se-jun, who did not know anything.

Kuuu.

Purr, purr.

Without even knowing that they had missed a great opportunity to wield absolute power in the Black Tower, the two slept soundly.

On the 312th day of being stranded, Theo obtained the Dragon’s Claws.

And there were 5 days left until the birthday party.