Taking the Dragon Egg for a Walk

The next morning, the Alarm Clock rang right on time at six.

With practiced ease, Aaron picked it up with his eyes closed and hurled it straight at the wall.

The world was peaceful again. Back to sleep. Nothing could shake his resolve to sleep.

But the moment he closed his eyes, he remembered the pet egg he had gotten yesterday and bolted upright in bed.

The next second, his eyes widened, and the grogginess vanished instantly.

"Where's the Dragon Egg? Where did my pet egg go?" Aaron muttered in stunned disbelief. He had clearly left it on his desk last night. How had it suddenly disappeared?

His first thought was that someone had stolen the Dragon Egg, but he quickly ruled that possibility out.

The defensive magic of Gaius Castle would not be easy to breach even if the Dark Lord returned to life, and he had only obtained this egg last night. No one besides him knew it existed.

Even taking a step back, if there really were a thief, why would they steal from an eleven-year-old's bedroom?

Wouldn't it be better to rob the head of the household's room directly, or simply raid the treasury?

All things considered, there was only one truth: I was dreaming.

Aaron gave a self-mocking laugh and flopped backward, only to discover something round and plump beside his hand as he lay down.

"Holy crap!"

Aaron stared at the Dragon Egg on the bed, then looked at his desk.

After carefully recalling what had happened before he went to sleep last night, he looked at the egg with a hint of scrutiny.

Perhaps sensing its master's suspicious gaze, the Dragon Egg became more obedient, though the patterns on its shell suddenly flashed.

"Oh? Getting naughty, are we?

You can hear me, can't you?"

A few seconds later, the Dragon Egg swayed from side to side, then rocked back and forth.

"Damn! My Dragon Egg's got potential!" Aaron was a little excited. He had thought he would have to wait seven days to get a pet, but it looked like that time could be moved up a little.

Other people walked cats or dogs. In the Magic World, even more people walked owls and toads.

So there was nothing wrong with walking a Dragon Egg before he could walk a dragon, right?

But before it truly hatched, he could only walk it around at home. Otherwise, it would attract far too much attention.

"Come on, little guy. I'll take you out to get some sun. You absolutely deserve the first ray of morning sunlight."

The Dragon Egg seemed delighted as well and hopped straight into Aaron's hand.

As the door opened, Aaron carried the Dragon Egg downstairs excitedly. The sight was both adorable and ridiculous.

When Jeans saw Aaron, he could scarcely believe his eyes.

Since when did Young Master wake up this early? He had never gotten up before seven in the past.

But when he noticed the egg of an unknown creature in Aaron's arms, Jeans could not help frowning slightly. "Young Master, may I borrow the egg in your hands for a look?

I consider myself fairly well-read, yet I cannot tell what species this egg belongs to.

Could you satisfy this subordinate's curiosity?"

"No." Aaron refused outright, hugging the Dragon Egg even tighter.

"Jeans, I know you're concerned for my safety, but this egg will absolutely never harm me.

It will be my pet in the future, and also the companion I cherish most."

"Young Master, even if you say that, it..."

Aaron immediately put on a serious expression. "Uncle Jeans, you watched me grow up. I don't want to use my status to pressure you, understand?"

"Understood." Jeans gave a bitter smile. Put plainly, he was only a Butler. He was not qualified to make decisions for Young Master.

"But shouldn't we tell the master and madam about this?"

"Ahem! I'm already eleven. Do I really need to report everything to them?" Aaron waved a hand. If they learned their son was raising an egg from an unknown creature, they would probably abandon their grand tour and rush back without stopping.

After saying that, Aaron was still a little uneasy. "Butler Jeans, this is an order."

"Yes, this subordinate understands." Jeans no longer asked about the egg's origins.

After all, with the Gaius Couple absent, Aaron had the final say in the castle. He could even open the treasury, and as for what was inside it, even he, the Butler, knew only part of it.

Perhaps Young Master had found this egg deep in the treasury while messing around.

Aaron left the doors of the castle's main hall and strode through the courtyard outside.

He had been quite happy at first, but after more than ten minutes, his arms began to ache.

After all, he was only eleven this year, and this Dragon Egg was indeed a little too heavy for him.

So, two minutes later, he tied the Dragon Egg to a ribbon and used the Levitation Charm to float it in the air. From a distance, it looked like an oval white balloon.

"I really am a genius. Only I could have thought of such a great idea.

It gets plenty of sunlight, lightens the load, and helps strengthen the bond between us. Perfect." Aaron laughed to himself. As for whether the little guy was willing, that was completely unimportant.

Only after flying the kite for a full hour did Aaron reluctantly lower it and hold it in his arms again.

Jeans glanced at the Dragon Egg in Young Master's hands, then at the happy smile on his face, feeling somewhat sentimental. Ever since the master and madam had left to travel the world, Young Master had not been this happy in a long time.

After hesitating for a moment, Jeans finally reminded him, "Young Master, it is already seven o'clock. Would you like to go to Diagon Alley, or..."

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll eat at home.

As for work, delaying it by an hour isn't a big deal." Aaron spoke carelessly.

He had wanted to take the Dragon Egg to Diagon Alley with him, but he quickly suppressed the thought.

This little guy clearly was not the sort of creature that could sit still. If people found out that the owner of Aaron's Drinks Shop was parading around with a Dragon Egg, that would be quite a spectacle.

The Ministry of Magic might even come knocking. Though he was not worried about that, there was no need to go looking for trouble.

But what if someone secretly set their sights on the little guy?

This was an egg from an unknown creature. The patterns on its shell gave it an indescribable air of mystery, and its vigorous vitality had already shown itself before it had even hatched. That was rare even in the world of magical creatures.

All of that combined would make it worth more than a Dragon Egg, enough to drive some desperate people to take risks. Although he did not need to worry with his hidden defenses, it would still be rather awkward to rely on the "surveillance" protection he had protested for so long.

"Um... I have to go out to work later, so until I get back, stay obediently in my room. Don't run around, understand?"

The little guy immediately began protesting. The egg kept swaying from side to side in front of Aaron, expressing its displeasure.

"I don't want to leave you either!

But there's no helping it. You're too valuable. What if someone steals you while you're out with me?"

The white Dragon Egg kept shaking. You dare leave an egg like me at home alone? What kind of master are you?

"Work is necessary every day. Don't worry, I'll definitely be back before dark.

Once you hatch, I'll take you everywhere with me, all right?" Aaron said earnestly.

This time, the Dragon Egg stopped shaking and turned itself around with a haughty little spin.

Seeing one big and one small bargaining here, Jeans could not help finding it amusing, and he chuckled.

The next moment, he felt a chill down his back.

Aaron stared at him with a cold smile. Even the egg tilted up slightly, launching a death glare together with its master through its shell.

Jeans could not help swallowing. "Well, Young Master, this subordinate will go prepare breakfast for you at once."

"Wait."

"Oh, Young Master, you needn't say anything. I completely understand." Jeans immediately said, "This Dragon Egg cannot eat for the time being, so I will send people to take good care of it. As for Egg School, I will also find a specialist to handle it."

"I can take care of the little guy myself. There's no need to trouble anyone else.

As for this Egg School you mentioned..." Aaron looked at the Dragon Egg and said hesitantly, "I'll think about it."

The instant the words fell, the Dragon Egg in his arms began struggling wildly.

"Ahem! Jeans, I take that back. There's no need for Egg School or anything like that.

I appreciate your good intentions, but as you can see, the little guy is about to hatch. A few days of Egg School would not mean anything."

Jeans:...