There was also a notebook.
It contained spellcasting experience, observations, and personal insights.
“Now this is good stuff!”
Evelyn opened the books and immediately started reading.
Dragons possessed extraordinary memories. She skimmed through all four books at incredible speed, taking in page after page with only a glance.
Aside from The Wandering Knight Fell for Me!, which made her stomach hurt just looking at it, the magical knowledge in the other books was extremely useful.
Dragons naturally awakened innate magic as they grew.
This was generally known as Draconic Magic.
The problem was that the more powerful an innate spell was, the longer it usually took to awaken.
Most dragons didn’t accumulate a comfortable selection of spells until adolescence or even young adulthood.
Only then could they freely rely on magic in battle.
Before that, young dragons mostly had to fight the old-fashioned way.
Dragon Breath.
Claws.
Teeth.
And raw physical strength.
But with these books, Evelyn could study conventional spellcraft herself.
If everything went well, she might gain spellcasting ability comparable to a mage of the same rank long before her stronger innate spells naturally awakened.
Combine that with a dragon’s naturally powerful body and Acid Breath...
One plus one could easily become three.
“Heh. I really am a genius.”
Evelyn carefully stored the useful magic books back inside a Spatial Gem.
Then she started checking the other gems.
Their contents were mostly similar.
Clothing.
Food.
Gold coins.
A few magical items of limited use.
And books related to other professions.
Evelyn had little interest in the last category. She gave them a quick glance, then tossed them back into storage.
While she examined the Spatial Gems, Darrien had started rummaging through his own.
“Hey, Evelyn! Do I look good?”
Evelyn turned around.
And froze.
Darrien had somehow put a pair of black lace panties over his head.
His large golden eyes happened to fit perfectly through the openings on either side of the fabric.
A faint magical fluctuation came from the underwear, proving that it was enchanted equipment.
Even though Darrien’s enormous head had stretched it almost beyond recognition, the fabric showed no sign of tearing.
“Well? Well? Do I look good?”
Darrien blinked at her.
Then he pulled the panties farther down until they covered his mouth.
His voice became muffled.
Dragons were far too proud to waste space in the Draconic Inheritance recording trivial matters such as how other races dressed.
The inheritance contained only the most basic information about common clothing.
So Darrien genuinely had no idea how the garment was supposed to be worn.
Even when he had seen Bruno wearing that ridiculous outfit earlier, he had only thought it looked funny.
The possibility that something could be worn incorrectly had never even occurred to him.
Evelyn desperately fought back her laughter.
Her face was beginning to feel hot from the effort.
She bit her tongue hard enough to stop herself from making a sound.
Still...
From a certain point of view...
The black fabric matched Darrien’s black scales surprisingly well.
He almost looked a little like Batman.
If Batman resembled an enormous black bat...
Then Darrien looked more like a giant black plum wearing a superhero mask.
“Ahem.”
Evelyn coughed twice and forced herself to regain control.
Then she placed one claw solemnly on Darrien’s shoulder.
“You look incredible. Make sure you show Mom when we get back.”
“Obviously!”
Darrien struck what he clearly believed was an incredibly handsome pose.
He raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle, smacked his lips, and looked at Evelyn from the side.
“Don’t fall for me. I’m the dragon you can never have.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“...”
She decided not to engage.
Instead, she turned around and started digging a hole.
Darrien tilted his head.
“What are you doing?”
“Hiding the good stuff. Otherwise, when we get back, Mom will definitely take...”
Evelyn looked up.
The rest of the sentence died in her throat.
In the short time she had been digging, Darrien had acquired another piece of pink underwear.
He had placed it across his face like a blindfold.
The size was somehow almost perfect.
“You...”
Evelyn had never realized holding back laughter could be this difficult.
Her face was practically starting to distort.
“What?”
Darrien scratched an itchy scale on his head.
“I remember the inheritance mentioning something like this. It’s a blindfold, right? Pretty nice, actually!”
“Oh, I’ve got another one. Evelyn, want one too?”
The Spatial Gem in his claw flashed.
A white bra appeared in one hand.
Along with a pair of white stockings.
“Huh?”
Evelyn’s expression froze.
Silence fell.
Darrien pushed his “blindfold” up slightly and looked at his suddenly silent sister.
“What? You don’t know how to wear them?”
“No problem. I’ll help.”
He reached forward, preparing to pull one of the stockings over Evelyn’s horns.
Thump!
Evelyn punched him on the head without hesitation.
His criminal hand was stopped immediately.
“You can wear them yourself. I’m not interested.”
Then she calmly went back to digging.
Darrien rubbed his head and grumbled.
He straightened the crooked “blindfold,” then pulled the stockings over his own horns.
“Fine. If you won’t wear them, I will!”
A while later, Evelyn had dug a pit roughly ten feet deep.
She looked at the three Spatial Gems in her claws.
Then she took ten gold coins out of them.
After that, she tossed the gems into the pit.
Those coins were going to be offered to Selvira.
After all, their mother had come out and saved them.
Returning home without giving her anything felt a little too shameless.
Anyone who witnessed a treasure haul deserved a share.
Selvira was so wealthy that she probably wouldn’t care about a few coins.
But appearances still mattered.
If Evelyn offered nothing at all, chromatic dragon logic suggested Selvira might simply take whatever she wanted herself.
It was a little like parents saying they would “keep your gift money safe for you.”
Except in this case, there was a very real possibility you would never see it again.
Evelyn turned toward Darrien.
He was shaking his head violently, making the stockings hanging from his horns flutter in the wind.
She stopped him and explained that they needed to hand over some gold.
Darrien looked down at his Spatial Gem with visible pain.
Very reluctantly, he took out five gold coins.
Then, after thinking about it...
He put two back.
He thought some more.
Then put another two back.
This was the first real wealth Darrien had ever personally acquired.
Parting with even one coin seemed to cause him physical suffering.
When Evelyn noticed him seriously considering putting the final coin back as well, she snatched the Spatial Gem straight out of his claws.
Clink-clink-clink!
She poured out an entire handful of gold coins.
Then tossed the gem into the pit.
...
By the time the two young dragons returned to the lair, Selvira was already there.
The adult black dragon lay across her Treasure Hoard, staring directly at the two hatchlings crawling in through the entrance.
Evelyn exchanged a look with Darrien.
Darrien’s face immediately twisted into an expression of unbearable pain.
Still wearing his bizarre collection of clothing, he carried a small handful of gold forward.
“Mother, we dealt with a group of adventurers who were plotting against us.”
“This is their wealth. We offer it all to you.”
Darrien licked his suddenly dry lips.
Then he placed the small pile of gold in front of Selvira.
The adult black dragon lowered her gaze.
First, she looked at the insignificant handful of coins.
Then she stared at Darrien’s unusual appearance for several long seconds.
Finally, her eyes shifted toward Evelyn, who was standing farther away.
“Evelyn. Darrien.”
“You are now capable of surviving on your own.”
“It is time for you to leave my territory.”