I'm a Goddess to Be Devoured by the Protagonist - Chapter 99

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 99
Sirius set a steak on the plate before me. Pepper was sprinkled across the meat in the shape of a heart.
A coincidence? How cute.
I cut the steak neatly in half and ate it.
Was it just my imagination, or did Sirius seem to be watching me intently?
[Needle: How’s the dragon doing?]
A chat from Needle came through out of nowhere.
[Listener: You’re awake?]
[Needle: Yeah. How’s the dragon?]
I watched Sapphire finish her breakfast and grinned, then replied.
[Listener: She’s doing well.]
[Needle: Good.]
[Needle: I’d like you to bring the dragon to me now.]
Had the time come to part with Sapphire?
She had to leave eventually anyway—should I send her back sooner rather than later?
“Sapphire.”
“Hmm?”
How was I supposed to explain Needle to her?
Though Needle had given me Sapphire’s egg, Sapphire had never seen her before.
I paused for a moment, then spoke.
“We’re going to meet the god who gave you to me.”
“Umm??”
Sapphire tilted her head, not understanding my words. She was just a hatchling, ignorant of the secret of her own birth.
I took one of Sapphire’s front paws and waved it toward Sirius.
“Say goodbye to Sirius—say ‘take care, Papa.'”
“P-Papa??”
“What is it?”
“It seems I need to return Sapphire to the god who gave me her egg.”
“I see.”
Sirius extended a finger toward Sapphire. She reflexively grasped it tightly.
“I shall miss her greatly.”
“So will I.”
But there was no helping it. Sapphire was Needle’s hatchling.
I moved to Needle’s Space, carrying Sapphire in my arms.
“It’s been a while.”
Needle greeted me, then immediately held out her hands as if eager to have Sapphire.
I carefully handed Sapphire over to her.
“Mama?”
Sapphire seemed to be asking why I was giving her to Needle.
“Hmm? What did the dragon just say?”
“She called me mama.”
“What?”
Needle looked at Sapphire with a puzzled expression.
She lifted each of Sapphire’s paws one by one, and even gently lifted her soft, fluffy tail.
“Hmm. This dragon, she’s…”
Needle pondered for a moment, then spoke.
“She’s imprinted on you.”
“Imprinted?”
“Yes. Just as a chick thinks the first thing it sees is its mother, she believes the first person she saw—you—is her mother.”
Needle seemed somewhat taken aback.
“This is the first time something like this has happened.”
“The first time?”
That was surprising. I’d always thought all dragons did this.
“Since things have turned out this way, would you be willing to care for the dragon? I can simply observe and keep records for my research occasionally.”
So I could stay with Sapphire longer?
I answered without hesitation.
“Of course I can.”
“Hmm. To be honest, I thought you’d say no.”
Needle tilted her head to one side, then straightened it again.
“It seems I’ve incurred quite a debt to you.”
Good. I’ve incurred a significant debt to the God of Time.
I’ll have to ask for something substantial later.
I was pleased with myself until suddenly I felt I should explain to Needle about Sapphire’s name, so I opened my mouth.
“I gave the Hatchling a temporary name—is it all right if I keep calling her by it?”
“What did you name her?”
“Sapphire.”
Needle looked at Sapphire.
“It suits her perfectly. I’ll call her that too.”
“Hehe. Sapphire.”
Sapphire laughed with delight and spoke her name. It was no longer a temporary name—it was her true one now.
“Wait a moment before you go back.”
Needle pulled a small vial and something that looked like sandpaper from his Inventory, then lightly scraped the sandpaper against one of Sapphire’s countless scales, collecting the fine powder into the vial.
“That’s all. You can go back now.”
I wasn’t sure what he was researching, but it seemed he wasn’t doing anything that would harm Sapphire, which was a relief.
I took Sapphire back to My Space.
Sirius looked puzzled about why I’d brought Sapphire back again.
“The god who gave Sapphire to me asked that I bring her back.”
“I see. That’s fortunate.”
Sirius stroked Sapphire gently.
“Squee!”
Sapphire laughed happily.
* * *
It was during breakfast.
“Nom nom nom.”
I suddenly noticed there was a lot of meat on Sapphire’s plate. The amount was similar to what was on mine.
How would all that fit in such a small body?
I leaned toward Ham on the table and whispered my question.
“Ham, is it okay for Sapphire to eat that much?”
“Hmm. That does seem like a lot…….”
Even from an outside perspective, it looked excessive. I got up and approached Sirius, whispering to him.
“Sirius, Sapphire seems to be eating an awful lot.”
“……Since Sapphire was eating well, I kept increasing the portions. I’ll try to gradually reduce them going forward.”
I nodded and returned to my seat.
[Echo in Silence: Hello! I heard you’re keeping a Divine Dragon!]
Just as I finished my plate, I received a chat message from a god with an unfamiliar name.
[Listener: What’s this about?]
[Echo: Well, I’d like to examine the Divine Dragon’s condition for you!]
Out of the blue?
This god seemed suspicious.
I searched for Echo in the database Sirius had provided.
[Enjoys investigating and researching unusual things. Abilities are unremarkable.]
It seemed the Divine Dragon qualified as something unusual.
Still, “unremarkable” was quite a harsh assessment. Though it was reassuring that Echo wasn’t a malevolent god.
[Echo: I can examine the Divine Dragon’s health condition for you!]
Well, wouldn’t that be good for us too?
“Sapphire, would it be all right if I showed you to another god?”
“Mm.”
Sapphire nodded. It was so cute that I gave her a little pet.
I told Sirius I’d be back shortly, then moved to the address Echo had sent.
In a forest where a bed, wardrobe, and other furniture were arranged, there stood a man wearing round spectacles.
“Oh! This is my first time seeing a young Divine Dragon—how fascinating!”
He gazed at Sapphire with curious eyes. Sapphire too looked at Echo with curiosity, her tail swishing slightly as she regarded him.
“Let me take a look at the Divine Dragon’s condition!”
Echo gently spread Sapphire’s wings to inspect them and slightly opened her mouth to examine her.
Doctor, how’s our little one looking?
“Her teeth came in evenly, and she’s in excellent health! Though I am concerned about obesity……. What food have you been feeding her?”
“We’ve been giving her cooked meat.”
“Surely you’re not feeding her excessive amounts, are you?”
How did he know? Sirius’s generous portions with her meals were exposed so easily.
“Well, to be frank, this Divine Dragon is rather—chubby!”
“Toot-toot?!”
Sapphire’s expression crumpled in disbelief. She hadn’t yet accepted the truth about herself.
That Sapphire had put on weight—it was something I’d never noticed before.
Even looking at her now, she seemed larger than when I first met her, but I hadn’t realized she’d actually gained weight.
“The Divine Dragon needs to go on a diet right now!”
Gods don’t need diets, apparently, but Divine Dragons do.
“You need to feed her a measured portion of meat!”
Echo rummaged through the Inventory and produced a Scale.
“Feed her only as much as it takes to balance this Scale!”
Would she finally be able to shed the excess weight?
Returning to My Space, I relayed the news to Sirius that Sapphire needed to go on a diet.
“Sapphire has gained weight? I had no idea.”
“Neither did I.”
Time passed, and lunchtime arrived.
Sapphire sat obediently atop the table, anticipating her meal.
“Sirius, you need to give her only as much as it takes to balance the Scale.”
“Understood.”
Sirius placed her usual portion of meat onto the Scale. The beam tipped sharply toward the meat side.
So he began removing meat, but to achieve balance, he had to keep, and keep, reducing the portion further.
By the time the Scale finally leveled, what remained was shockingly little.
“……Is this really the right amount?”
“……It would seem so.”
With lingering doubt, we set down the drastically reduced portion before Sapphire.
“Whine?”
At first puzzled, Sapphire grew despondent when we offered nothing more, and she licked her dish clean with visible resignation.
“Whimper…….”
After lunch, Sapphire seemed listless.
“Sapphire, would you like to play with your beloved Carrot Toy?”
“Huff…….”
Sapphire whined weakly and turned her back to me. The sight of it broke my heart.
She usually adored me so, but now that I was giving her less food, she seemed to believe I was tormenting her.
Yet there was no choice in the matter. It was necessary to prevent Sapphire from becoming a hatchling of obesity.
“Sapphire. Over here.”
At that moment, Sirius made an odd move.
He glanced furtively at me, then led Sapphire somewhere our eyes couldn’t follow.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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