“Hm?”
The moment food came up, Darrien’s eyes lit up.
He immediately lowered his voice and put on his most flattering smile.
“My dear Evelyn, don’t tell me you secretly saved some of that Swamp Crocodile?”
Evelyn rolled her eyes.
“Of course not. If I had meat hidden somewhere, would I be this hungry?”
“Then why’d you ask if I wanted meat?”
Darrien’s voice rose, and the ingratiating smile vanished from his face. He flopped back onto the ground, ready to go right back to sleep.
“But I know how we can get some.”
Darrien sprang upright so fast it looked like he had never been tired in the first place.
Now both golden eyes were practically glowing.
“Now you have my attention!”
Evelyn didn’t keep him waiting.
She leaned close to his ear and quietly explained her plan.
Darrien’s expression changed several times as he listened.
Once she finished, he took a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Will that really work?”
Evelyn nodded with absolute confidence.
“Trust me. Just do exactly what I tell you, and we’ll both get meat.”
“I don’t know...”
Darrien still looked hesitant.
“Oh, stop worrying and go. I did it last time. Now it’s your turn.”
Before he could argue, Evelyn shoved him toward their mother.
Darrien looked back.
Evelyn raised the thickest digit on one front claw.
In humanoid civilizations, it would probably have been called a thumb.
Darrien swallowed.
Forget it. Food comes first. I’m doing this.
With the resolve of a dragon marching to his death, he approached their mother.
Once he reached her, he followed Evelyn’s instructions and began rubbing his head against the adult dragon’s massive snout.
Then he unleashed the most shamelessly adorable voice Evelyn had taught him.
“Awooo... dearest Mother... I’m so hungryyy... I need fooood...”
Their mother didn’t react at all.
Seeing that the first method had failed, Darrien moved on to Evelyn’s second suggestion.
He planted his claws on his hips and announced in the most solemn voice he could manage.
“Mother, there is something you should know. I am actually the reincarnation of the ancient dragon god MetalGreymon!”
“I require one Swamp Crocodile, without acid, to restore my divine power!”
“Once my strength returns, I shall make you a Supreme Goddess!”
That got a reaction.
Their mother slowly turned toward him.
The look in her eyes was the look one gave an exceptionally stupid creature.
Darrien mistook that for interest.
His face brightened.
“I could even make you Goddess Above All Gods!”
A moment later, he stopped smiling.
The adult black dragon, Selvira, was not amused by a dim-witted hatchling interrupting her sleep.
She grabbed Darrien in one claw.
Before he could even understand what was happening, she tossed him onto the treasure hoard.
Then she shoved his head into the coins and rubbed it back and forth.
Hard.
Sparks actually flew.
Dragon scales were exceptionally tough, however, and Selvira knew exactly how much force her hatchling could take. She wasn’t worried about actually hurting him.
Watching from a safe distance, Evelyn clicked her tongue.
“Nothing says motherly love like grinding your child’s face into a pile of gold. She really does care about you, Darrien.”
Five minutes later, Darrien came flying back.
Thump!
He hit the ground like a sack of wet laundry, his head burying itself straight into the soft mud.
A moment later, he yanked himself free.
His golden eyes looked ready to burst into flames as he glared at Evelyn.
“Evelyn! If I ever believe another word you say, I’m an idiot!”
Evelyn gently placed one claw on his head as though comforting a small child.
“Darrien, you’ve misunderstood me.”
She said it without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
Although, given how black her scales were, it would have been hard to tell if she was blushing anyway.
“What?!”
Darrien froze for a moment before smacking her claw away.
“Don’t even try it! I’m not some brainless white dragon you can fool that easily!”
Evelyn sighed.
Then she slowly turned her back to him.
She clasped both front claws behind herself and adopted the solemn air of someone who had endured a lifetime of hardship.
“Darrien, everything I’ve done has been for your own good.”
“Dragon life is full of danger. I’ve been training you to recognize scams.”
“Huh?”
Darrien blinked.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he shook his head furiously.
“I don’t believe you! You bully me all the time. Why would you suddenly care about helping me?”
His expression clearly said, You’re not fooling me this time.
Evelyn sighed again.
“Darrien, humans have a saying. Older siblings are practically second parents.”
Darrien’s thoughts stalled.
He immediately began searching through the Draconic Inheritance, trying to find out whether humans actually said anything like that.
Before he could reach a conclusion, Evelyn continued.
“When I push you around, I’m not bullying you. I’m strengthening your will.”
“That mental strength could save your life someday!”
“I... Well...”
Darrien was starting to waver.
Evelyn’s heart leaped.
She immediately lowered her voice and forced a tremble into it, doing her best imitation of someone holding back tears.
“You have no idea... Every time I hit you, it hurts me even more inside.”
Then she pretended to wipe away a tear.
The sheer sincerity of her performance left Darrien staring blankly.
“Really?”
He still looked uncertain.
Evelyn was barely holding back a grin.
Fortunately, her back was turned, so the gullible little dragon couldn’t see her expression.
“Of course. I’m your sister. Why would I lie to you?”
While speaking, Evelyn bit her lower lip hard until she finally got her smile under control.
Then she dabbed a claw in her saliva and wiped it beneath her eyes to create fake tear tracks.
After that, she turned around and threw her forelegs around Darrien.
The innocent little black dragon had never experienced anything like this.
No matter how proud he acted, he was still a hatchling only a few days old.
He fell for it completely.
Before long, Darrien was awkwardly trying to comfort Evelyn and telling her not to cry.
Far away, Selvira lay on her treasure hoard with her eyes mostly closed.
When she saw what was happening, she gave a helpless shake of her head.
For some reason, it reminded her of the young white dragon she had once forced into mating with her.
Next time, I’m never choosing a white dragon. The hatchlings come out with intelligence that swings wildly from one extreme to the other...
...
Once Evelyn realized Darrien had completely fallen for her act, she immediately pressed her advantage.
Then she revealed her real plan.
“What?! You want us to hunt by ourselves?”
Darrien cried out.
“Exactly. I’m sure Mom will support us.”
As she spoke, Evelyn glanced toward Selvira.
The adult dragon looked asleep on her treasure hoard.
She was very obviously pretending.
“Can we really do it?”
Darrien sounded much less confident now.
The Swamp Crocodile their mother had brought back a few days ago had been large enough to swallow him in a single bite.
Evelyn gave him an encouraging look.
“Have some confidence, Darrien. Don’t forget what we are.”
She raised her head proudly.
“We’re black dragons.”
“Hmm...”
Darrien hesitated for all of half a second.
Then his chest puffed out.
“Fine! It’s time those pathetic lesser creatures learned the name of Darrien the Black Dragon!”
And just like that, the two hatchlings slipped out of the cavern one after the other.