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Cale knew that day would come, he knew it but chose to ignore it, he preferred to feign ignorance and enjoy the days of peace while they still existed.
The redhead was a hero who had already faced several dangers, however, none of them had frightened him as much as this moment, this vision that would haunt him even in his dreams, that is if he can sleep tonight.
It had been 3 years since the end of the war, and since then Cale had spent his time relaxing at Villa Super Rock, and occasionally taking a trip with the kids while not getting into trouble.
The last few years have been peaceful and he can finally enjoy his slacker life, until now. Again, he knew that day it would happen, he just didn't expect it to be so soon and what happened was; The kids are too big to sleep in his bed.
To be more precise, Raon is too big to sleep in his bed. Raon who had just gone through his second phase of growth, and had grown so much that he was no longer able to even enter the black castle.
"Human, I was always big and powerful, but now I'm too big!"
Cale looked at his youngest kid and then at the black castle and realized that Raon would no longer be able to get through the Castle door in that form.
"Is there any spell to increase the size of the Castle?"
The redhead asked Sheritt and Eruhaben.
"Maybe there is one, but it would take some time before it could be used in a castle this size..."
Eruhaben replied, and then to everyone's worry Sherritt said:
"It's already getting dark."
As far as Raon was, he would have to spend the night away. Of course, like a dragon, Raon would be able to assume a human form, but no one brought up that subject knowing the child's trauma.
"Let's go camping nya!"
"Meow!"
Hong suggested and On agreed.
"Human, are we going camping?"
"Do what you want."
Cale said in his stoic, attire tone, he would never admit it, but he was relieved not to have to sleep apart from Raon, after so many years he had used to the children's presence and doubted he could sleep well without them.
"Our youngest is now enormous nya!"
"Nya I want to climb on his back!"
* * *
And that's how a camp was set up. A fire pit, marshmallows (which oddly exist in this fantasy world) and Cale was telling a horror story he remembered hearing as Kim Rok Soo to kids.
"And this monster comes every night to pull the disobedient children's feet."
"Human, didn't you say you were going to tell a scary story? Don't worry human, the great Raon Miru will protect you from the monster!"
"Don't be afraid of it nya"
Raon and Hong talked while On just looked at him with pity and patted him as if to comfort him.
Cale hadn't expected the kids to be scared of the story, but that reaction left his pride a little wounded. But, he didn't have time to think about it as soon as Raon started talking.
"I'm going to tell a real scary story!"
"Once upon a time, on a common sunny day, in a crown prince's castle, there was a dragon, two kittens, and a human. But when they went to eat cookies - he paused dramatically - The pot was empty, and there was none cookie!"
The kittens were amazed,
"N-no cookies?"
"Meow!"
Yes, they were scared. Cale would have found the children's reaction cute if he hadn't also frowned at the thought. He should talk to his hyung about the palace's cookie reserves.
And so Cale finished roasting the marshmallows and gave the kittens, who couldn't hold a stick with their paws, he also gave Raon a marshmallow, even though the marshmallow looked more like a toothpick to the grand dragon.
The children continued to play until at some point Cale fell asleep on Raon's big body.
* * *
Cale woke up in bed in his room. Drowsily, he looked for the 12-year-olds in bed and couldn't find them.
'Hmm? Have they woken up yet? What time is it? Wait, what about Raon? Was he outside?'
Feeling strangely irritated, Cale left to look for the dragon. When he was greeted by the sight of a little boy with black hair and blue eyes who looked absolutely adorable.
"Human, you woke up! What do I look like?"
"...Raon?"
"Yes, I am the great and mighty Raon Miru!"
"You don't have a problem with…looking like a human?"
Cale was worried that Raon didn't want to take a human form because of his traumas, so he was already preparing some alternative to deal with Raon's gigantic size in his dragon form. But now Raon was in his human form.
"...humans are fine because the human is a human."
For some strange and unknown reason, Cale felt his heartwarming, and he wondered if he had caught a cold from sleeping outside yesterday.
"You look great and powerful in any form."
He said as he stroked the dragon's hair. While they were in their father and son moment. Two other children arrived. A silver-haired 15-year-old who had already lost almost all of her childish features, and a red-haired 12-year-old pre-teen who was only slightly smaller than the girl. Cale immediately realized it was On and Hong.
'Damn, when did they grow so much?'