Roxy spent the first few hours of the morning bossing Zarek around.
Last night, he had shown her a pond to bathe in and refused to let him watch, saying she was going to be fine. And currently, Zarek was baffled by the miracle of cooked meat.
He didn't realize meat could be 'cooked' in so many ways to bring out juicy meat with so many flavors that burst in his mouth.
Roxy was just proud that her student was compliant and not making things difficult for her.
She already planned that once she starts getting heavy, he would start his kitchen duties while she goes out sunbathing.
But she noticed that he was only compliant provided she used commands and not requests.
Was he a masochist?
"No, Zarek! Don't just throw the flames!" Roxy snapped, gesturing with the large shard she used for slicing. "You need to control the heat. If you use the dragon fire, you would turn the Boar into charcoal, and I will be disappointed."
Zarek, towering over her, focused his full attention.
He compressed the gases in his lungs and throat, releasing a controlled blast of fire from his mouth, struggling to maintain the delicate warmth she required.
He wasn't used to controlling his power.
He was used to letting it all go. But the sight of Roxy's growing grin, the mirth in her eyes. When the meat sizzled just right, it was a reward he found intoxicating.
[Ding! Affection +5%! Target finds Host's 'Commanding Tone' highly motivating!]
So I got it right, he was indeed a masochist.
Roxy immediately had a naughty thought. She pushed it aside in the meantime, slicing him a perfect, medium-rare piece of steak.
While Zarek was mesmerized by the cooking, Roxy introduced him to another human concept: comfort.
She bought a small [Bedding Kit (500 LP)] and fashioned a soft, padded mattress on the raised stone slab, explaining that pregnant women don't sleep on cold rocks.
Zarek found the whole idea ridiculous, but watched every move with attention.
He was still naked, so Roxy decided to make him a piece of cloth he could wear. She was already accustomed to his nakedness. But still she felt like he needed the clothes.
He had just put on a tunic when they had a disturbance.
Zarek instantly tensed, his body protectively shielding Roxy behind him
The veins in his neck stood out like cords, and a faint layer of his scales began to crawl up his throat. He was being all defensive, so Roxy thought the other set of people were enemies.
But Zarek confirmed it.
"Intruders," Zarek growled, his voice a low, threatening rumble.
"Woah, hold your horses, Z. Don't melt the cave," Roxy warned, quickly buying a [Smoke Screen Bomb (500 LP)] and tucking it into the folds of her hide tunic, just in case.
Zarek ignored her.
Soon, the entrance above them, where the sunlight peaked through, five men wearing the same hides landed on the floor in their human form. Roxy could know immediately that they were the ones.
They were powerful, muscled figures, all displaying various levels of dragon blood, some with rough, scaled skin, some with horns, and one massive Elder who had a short, thick tail whipping behind him. These were the Dragon Clan Elders.
They froze, their eyes fixed on Zarek's partially scaled form. They were clearly terrified of their King's sudden appearance.
Since he was supposed to be in a deep slumber, they were wondering why he was awake.
The Head Elder, a massive man named Malcor, was the first to speak. He spoke in the clicking, guttural Dragon language Zarek used, but thanks to her System, Roxy understood every word.
"My Lord! We came immediately we heard the chaos! We apologize for the intrusion!" Malcor stuttered, bowing so low his horns nearly scraped the floor.
Zarek snarled, "You dared to interrupt my peace! Leave! before I am forced to incinerate this place with my breath!"
Roxy shivered, not expecting Zarek to suddenly bark at the man.
The Elders shrank back, but then, Malcor paused. His eyes slowly rose. He didn't look at Zarek. He looked past Zarek, focusing entirely on Roxy.
He sniffed the air, his powerful dragon nostrils flaring wide. He took a huge, shuddering intake of breath, smelling something that shouldn't exist. The other four Elders, following his gaze, did the same.
They must have smelled the existence of the child in her tummy,
Roxy, clutching her simple hide tunic, suddenly felt very exposed. She was small, human, and standing next to the furious Dragon King.
Why were they looking at me like I was holding a little treasure?
The collective silence in the cave was thick with instinct. The tension wasn't based on fear of Zarek anymore; it was based on sheer disbelief.
They had never sensed any infant since decades ago, so sensing one now, the elders were moved to tears.
"The scent," whispered one Elder, his voice cracking with emotion. "It is pure. It is impossible."
Malcor's eyes were wide, slick with a desperate hope Roxy had never seen before. He slowly dropped his eyes from her face to her still-flat stomach, which was barely protected by the hide dress.
He smelled the strongest Pheromone the world had ever produced.
Roxy wanted to run, but Zarek's possessive arm clamped around her waist, pulling her flush against his side. "Do not touch my treasure," he hissed, the sound a promise of pain.
"My King," Malcor rasped, dropping fully to his knees, ignoring Zarek's threat entirely. His voice was thick with reverence. "My Lord... that scent... it is Life. New Life."
Of course it is! A living baby, was it that bad for females to give birth in this world?
Roxy was shocked at their reaction. First, it was Zarek, but now it was the Elders.
The other four Elders, witnessing the Head Elder's immediate, absolute reaction, followed suit. They fell to their knees in the cave, their scarred bodies trembling with emotion. They were smelling the end of their sterile, thousand-year-old curse.
Zarek himself seemed confused, looking from the bowing Elders to Roxy, then back to the Elders.
"She carries the Heir!" Malcor suddenly shouted, his voice a massive, echoing cry of triumph and desperate relief. He raised his tear-streaked face to Roxy. "She has broken the Famine! All hail the Dragon Queen!"
They didn't know where Roxy came from; all they knew was that she carried the heir, the cure to their strife.
The other Elders immediately joined the desperate chorus. "ALL HAIL THE DRAGON QUEEN! ALL HAIL THE MOTHER OF LIFE!"
Roxy stared at Zarek. Zarek stared at Roxy. He was baffled by their sudden worship of his captive. And the System chimed in.
[Ding! Main Task 2: Status Escalation Achieved. Target's Affection temporarily boosted to 15%.]
A/N: Well isn't that wonderful, from just waking up to being Queen of the Dragon Tribe!