The Phoenix

Come to think of it, Kehma. Is the phoenix egg not hatched yet?

Crap, I completely forgot.

Y-yeah. Redras gradually getting better at not going into a reflexive egg smashing seizure when she sees eggs, so itll probably a good time. Lets ask.

Heeh~. So it was something like that. It cant be helped then.

Right, right. It couldnt be helped.

A~n~d~?

I forgot. Sorry.

Grah, Rokukos been getting better at guessing recently. That used to be plenty to deceive her.

Youre my partner. I know Kehmas thing(s) since I watch him.

What, my thing stalker!? [1]

I-Im not keeping records or anything, youre my partner you know? One body and soul, you know? Im not watching you to attack.

Attack huh, Id get mad if you interrupted my sleep. Id forgive you if there was a good reason though.

Well, I gave a letter to a golem and sent it to the [Flame Cavern]. Another use of the passage was a room that was made. There was no entrance in or out and the room was split in half between our [Cave of Desires] and their [Flame Cavern]s territories. Since you couldnt get into it if you didnt have a dungeons [Deployment] function, adventurers wouldnt be a hindrance either. We decided to make use of this room when we had mutual business to do.

Furthermore, although there werent any doors or windows, we didnt have to worry about suffocation since it was still part of a dungeon.

Ooh, its been a while, eh? Kehma.

Its been around a month since we met last and I made this room I think.

That long huh. Is that some time for humans?

The salamanders, Ontentoos, face was distorted as he smirked while being happy about something. Hes the dungeon core of the [Flame Cavern]. An openhearted good guy. Although he has his stupid parts, he also has his good parts. Although he has his stupid parts. Although he has his stupid parts.

Well, its fine to get Redra to use her breath according to the agreement.

To receive Redras breath, I intruded the [Flame Cavern] with Rokuko. We were guided to the fiftieth floors boss room. If its here, it can endure one of Redras all-out breaths.

Still, it looks like Redra is still a bit afraid of eggs. Shameful, despite being a dragon.

Though the phoenix will be hatched with a red dragons breath, I cant even imagine what its going to become.

Is it really safe!? It doesnt walk or run right!?

It might walk if it doesnt hurry up and hatch. So please do your best to heat it up dont crush it alright?

G-got it!

I laid down a tile made from phoenix eggshell, setting the phoenix egg on top of it. By the way, Rokuko was waiting with me on the room opposite the boss room, the one with the dungeon core in it.

Rokuko and I didnt have the fighting ability to stay in the boss room, where a breath that was able to obliterate the stone golems until there was nothing left would be used. Though since there was imprinting, I wanted to rush to it as soon as possible. Thats why Ontentoo said hed gladly let us use this room.

Furthermore, Ontentoo took out his monitor to let us see what was going on in the boss room. Ontentoo is such a nice guy.

Here I go

Redra breathed in slowly, releasing it all in one go. The sound of her breath filling the boss room, Redra heated the egg up by blowing on it with her breath.

Well, even though I say its the sound of her breathing, its at a level where lights being emitted though.

The floor wasnt turning into magma thanks to the egg being placed on the phoenix eggshell tile. The floor nearby it might be simmering though. Moreover, Rokuko was saying stuff like, Look! while staring into the monitor.

Fuuu, fuu. haa, haa, a-as expected, this one is a little tired [2]

After seriously letting out her breath for thirty minutes straight, she finally rested What marvelous stamina, as expected of a red dragon.

Ill treat you to some ice cream later.

[Ice Cream]? Whats that.

A sweet and cold treat. I dont know if itll suit your tastes, but I think its delicious.

Heeh, this one will look forward to it! This one will keep going a little longer then! Fuuu, fuuu

She continued for another thirty minutes.

Hmm? Oi, the egg moved, its starting to crack!

Oh, really? Then lets enter the room soon.

Wait a few. Youll need to take care, its amazingly hot in the room right now.

Eh, about how hot is it?

Hmm, saying it a way thats easy for a human to understand about the same as inside a kiln. Guess it can burn meat?

Thats dangerous. But that meant she was emitting a super high temperature behind those doors?

Opening the entrance door to the boss room, we waited for it to cool down for a while. Meanwhile, there was a knocking sound coming from the inside of the egg as its crack grew I wonder if its fussing over how it goes about opening its egg? Very meticulous work. The crack being made was beautifully straight in the horizontal direction. Itll make it all the way around if it keeps going.

Lets ask if its still no good for Rokuko, who was standing next to me, to head in.

Alright, should be good now.

When Ontentoo said that, Rokuko leapt into the room that was now cooled to be around as hot as an average sauna.

Hot air drafted in from the open door, it felt like it was enough to burn. Although I also entered the room slowly following Rokuko, the heat was painful to my bare skin.

Its hot! Wheres the egg! Its hot!

Oh, you came, Rokuko! Its here! Itll hatch soon!

When Redra called out to her, the eggs crack was just a little away from going all the way around it.

*

Then, the phoenix hatched.

The chick was small, but its feathers were white, like they were shining. I guess thats just the kind of bird it is and is born fully feathered.

Hooh, a phoenix huh? Its wings dont look red though think I heard somewhere that gods vanguards pet is a blue phoenix?

Blue huh? Its the color of perfect combustion. Rather, theres a phoenix like that too huh. Maybe its color changes to the color of the flames its bathed in when its hatched or something?

Heeey, Im Fenis owner~, look at me~

Pi~!

Feni, is that the phoenixs name? I said it when she named Gobsuke, but Rokuko is pretty direct when it comes to names

It flapped its wings when Rokuko called out to it. Though it doesnt seem to be able to fly yet, looks like it properly recognized its owner.

By the way, isnt it too hot to touch?

Its probably safe. Phoenix flames arent hot, theyre magic after all. Its fire is the same as mine Its also alright to eat since it has to use a skill to produce fire, bind it with an order before its too late.

I see, so thats how it is. I followed Ontentoos advice and ordered it to not attack comrades.

Hey now, let me see. I also want to touch it.

Eh, what do you want? To pluck its feathers this time?

Oi oi, what do you think I am?

Pluck its feathers huh a phoenixs feathers that might also be good, but well, yeah. right now I just want to touch it. I reached my hand out towards Feni.

Pi!

Ada!? Wai, that hurts, that hurts!

Kehma, it doesnt like you.

It used its beak maybe it remembers being destroyed over and over as an egg? Phoenixes are unexpectedly the type to hold grudges

Grah, Ill feed it then. Ontentoo, what do phoenixes eat?

They eat flames. Oi Redra, serve it some breath.

Yeah! Step away a bit!

Leaving Feni, Rokuko and I moved away before Redra fired off a serious breath Even the aftermath from behind her feels hot.

Pi pi~

Feni was glad as it bathed in the breath. Kukuku, good, keep eating huh? But isnt Redra the one feeding it now instead of me? Crap.

Maybe I should practice a bit of fire magic?

Footnotes:

Sort of a pun going on here. Rokuko said she knows him since she watches him a lot, but [yoku miteru] (watch a lot) also means [takes a close/good look] and is what she really meant, but Kehma played it as her stalking him and watching him a lot.

Note that FuFu is onomatopoeia for breathing heavily in Japanese, and that onomatopoeia is commonly used in Japanese to replace more standard words. Keimas description of the events was mirroring her actual breathing sounds