The Time-Stop Breeding Uncle Want’s to Retire

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Yuren’s age was history itself to mortals, but by dragon standards, she was still quite young. Even she knew that there were exceptions among dragons.

To most dragons, other races were nothing more than pets.

Vampires, who weren’t on good terms with dragons, were perhaps comparable to pests.

The exceptions were those who harbored excessive affection for these ‘pets.’

Even elves, who lived long lives in harmony with nature, eventually met their end.

Among the races of the continent, only dragons could be called immortal. So, they didn’t, and couldn’t, give their hearts to other races.

But even so, there were dragons who truly loved other races. If it was a long-lived race like elves or dwarves, it might be bearable, but a dragon who loved a human was different.

Humans, even compared to other long-lived races, died quickly. There was such an exception among Yuren’s friends.

[‘Why do you love a human? You’re only hurting yourself.’]

[‘You’re right. Humans… are such fragile beings.’]

[‘Give up now. You’ll feel better.’]

[‘But… that’s why I love them.’]

At the time, she couldn’t understand her friend, who missed her lover who had passed away. But now, she understood it even more.

Yuren thought things through, one by one.

‘First, why did I suddenly hide?’

Dragons were always confident, sometimes to the point of being insensitive.

In fact, Yuren had even barged in on unit members while they were intimate.

It wasn’t intentional.

She had urgent business and ended up intruding. At the time, she was honestly confused by the flustered reactions of the unit members, but…

Now, she couldn’t act so carelessly. Something was weighing down on her chest, preventing her from acting.

Was it just her imagination that her lower body felt like it was being scorched by fire?

‘…I’m… angry.’

Yuren hurriedly left.

It wasn’t just embarrassment. Irritation was rising from deep within her heart. Dragons were known as the benevolent race, and for the most part, it was true.

However, there was one thing that enraged them, having something they owned taken away.

Dragons’ possessiveness was deep and boundless.

It was simply that they didn’t often feel possessive because they believed they could always reclaim what was theirs. But if someone provoked a dragon’s possessiveness, they risked being completely erased.

It was the same just now.

For a brief moment, Yuren considered barging into the room and ripping Cluna’s throat out. The throat of her colleague, her comrade…!!

‘What was I thinking?’

She felt a sense of self-loathing and disgust. But what was even more nauseating was the fact that a part of her agreed with those thoughts.

Yuren left before she did something she would regret.

…But what if…

…what if she killed Cluna?

…would the Commander punish her?

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“Ugh…”

Hans woke up with a groan, the meaning of which he didn’t understand. It felt like he had been lying in bed for a long time.

He slowly sat up.

After a short nap, he felt quite refreshed.

It wasn’t an exaggeration. It was as if he had downed a glass of tart fruit juice on a tiring day. The taste of pure health.

Hans felt a sense of wonder, but he quickly found the answer.

He saw Cluna, who was nursing him.

Hans smiled wryly.

He had told her not to overwork herself, but he never imagined he would collapse in front of her.

“Cluna, did you carry me here?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I would collapse.”

“It’s alright. I’m here for you.”

“…??”

Hans was momentarily confused.

Her reaction was different than usual. He wondered if she was angry, but she didn’t seem to be. Rather, she seemed embarrassed.

What? What happened while I was asleep?

He was slightly suspicious, but he couldn’t pry. After all, she had been nursing him.

Cluna smiled slightly and handed him a bowl. It contained porridge made with flour.

Hans took a spoonful and tasted it.

It had a surprisingly refreshing, fruity taste.

“What did you put in this?”

“I added a special elf honey.”

“Elf honey? It’s better than I thought.”

Judging by the slightly sweet taste, it seemed to be made with fruit and honey. Or perhaps it was actual honey collected from flowers.

Hans finished the porridge.

“Thank you. I feel energized.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Alright, let’s finish the rest of the work.”

“Ah, if it’s about that, I’ve already finished everything.”

“Finished? All of it?”

“Everyone helped.”

After Hans collapsed, the other unit members visited him and learned why he had collapsed.

Surprisingly, they were all capable of handling the work.

Yuren, the former Commander, went without saying. Cluna and Ruby had received higher education in their youth, and Bayard was also well-educated.

And Helia became an unexpected dark horse.

Despite her young age, she absorbed knowledge like a sponge and ended up handling the most work.

“Thank you, Helia.”

“It’s for you, Teacher. I’m always ready to help.”

“R-right. You saved me.”

“By the way…”

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing.”

Helia smiled and shook her head. It didn’t seem like it was the Commander’s doing.

Then the source of this pulsating scent…

Her crimson eyes moved away from the Commander. After confirming that he wasn’t looking, her gaze turned cold and sharp, focusing on Cluna.

Cluna, despite the cold glare, simply smiled leisurely.

That annoyed Helia.

That damn woman… did she get there first?

But she couldn’t unleash her emotions here.

The Commander, already exhausted from overworking, was in a weakened state. Besides, it was that woman who had been attending to him.

‘I’m frustrated, but… I have nothing to say.’

Of course, Helia hadn’t been slacking off either. To be helpful to her teacher, she trained with everyone during the day, and at night, she learned to read and handle administrative work.

She wanted to tear that woman apart, but she didn’t want her teacher to hate her.

Of course, Helia didn’t care about the other unit members.

But what she couldn’t stand was the scent of another woman on her teacher. It felt as if he was drifting away, which annoyed her even more.

‘I never thought I’d feel superior because of something like this.’

Cluna thought, chuckling inwardly as she stared at Helia with a chilling gaze.

She was slightly surprised by her own change. But it wasn’t a bad feeling. Rather, it was positive.

Come to think of it, it was the same back then. She hadn’t realized her first love, denying it and pushing it away, and in the end, she lost him to another woman.

The pain…

She remembered that throbbing. She didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

Of course, she knew it was a terrible thing to do to a child, but she could make up for it by showering her with motherly love.

“Commander, there’s a letter from the Human Kingdom.”

“Is it a reply? What does it say?”

“They want to meet and discuss it in person.”

“At least it’s not a rejection.”

While Helia and Cluna were engaged in a silent battle of glares, Hans received a formal report from Yuren. It wasn’t a complete acceptance, but there was plenty of room for negotiation.

The expedition, starting after the Royal Knights had been somewhat rebuilt… this had to succeed. And Hans was confident. Because he had the knowledge from the original story.

Of course, if he had only played the game, it would be unreliable, full of holes. But Hans was a hardcore fan who had read the lore book and even attended events hosted by the game company.

He also kept up with the daily updates and community discussions about the lore and story interpretations, and that was why he planned this expedition.

Hans spoke.

“Then shall we depart immediately?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, this much is nothing.”

“…”

Yuren almost blurted out what had happened with Cluna.

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[Translator Notes]

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