Hatchling Observation Log 3: The Melancholy Cabbage and the Angry Bird

Page (1/3)
Dragon Era 3178, August 8th
Best of the day: Beet and tomato soup.
Today, Lind, Shirona, and I went for a field survey around the mountain where the Red Dragon resides.
The closer we got to the Red Dragon’s mountain, the fewer dragons we saw along the way.
Lind says it’s because everyone fears the Red Dragon, but I think it’s because everyone is ostracizing it.
If it were something everyone liked, wouldn’t they all be crowding around it?
As for things you hate but have to deal with, it’s like seeing a pile of stinky dung—you just stay as far away as possible and let it stink on its own.
What kind of good dragon would stick to a pile of stinky dung knowing full well what it is?
So, the fact that there are very few dragons around the Red Dragon is a good thing, because everyone is isolating it in their own way.
After I shared my thoughts with Lind, Shirona, who was listening nearby, nodded vigorously.
I saw Lind’s lips move, but he didn't say anything in the end.
Two to one.
It seems my idea is better.
Since there wasn't much resistance, the investigation went very smoothly.
Lind used a ruler and various tools to mark up the map we were drawing, and along the way, he tested me on the "Six Principles of Cartography."
I’ve never studied that stuff, so how would I know?
As a result, he called me a silly dragon again.
How could I take that lying down!
I immediately tested him on the "Six Arcanas of the Treasure Hunter."
He was struck dumb instantly.
Hmph, Lind is a big dummy.
Anyone can ask questions they know the answers to that the other person doesn't.
But it didn't end there. To my annoyance, that stinky Lind thought for a long time and actually said to me:
"Eating, drinking, and sleeping are three, what are the other three?"
Aaaaaah!
He went too far!
I was so angry I gave his head two good knocks.
I was in the right this time; he was the one who tarnished the great spirit of treasure hunting first, so Lind just had to take it.
Well, actually, I wasn't entirely in the right.
Because the first Arcana of the Treasure Hunter is indeed filling one's belly, so he got one right.
But since Lind didn't know the specific details, whether it was right or wrong was up to me anyway.
Hehehe...
After sketching out the general topography of the area, we prepared to head back to the cabin.
On the way back, we spotted that group of fiery red giant lizards gathered by the waterfall in the canyon, seemingly tinkering with something.

Page (2/3)
Looking from afar, we couldn't see clearly.
However, the good news is that they are no longer putting their energy into searching for us.
We have more room to stretch our wings.
Let’s explore the cliff behind the palace tomorrow; I hope for good luck.
——————
Dragon Era 3178, August 9th
Best of the day: Beef stew with carrots.
The wind on the cliff is so strong!!!
Following yesterday’s map, we took a detour, starting from a low-lying valley and heading toward the cliff.
It was fine at first, but later on, the wind began to roar.
We had to shout to hear each other.
Lind was yelling something about "this difference" and "that difference" causing the strong wind.
I thought he was insulting me, so I pretended to trip him with my tail.
He ended up flying right into the air!
I honestly never thought the wind could blow someone away!
So, I hurriedly took off to catch him in my arms.
I have to say, flying with the wind, especially when it’s an updraft, makes flapping one's wings so much easier.
I felt as light as a bird.
But Lind didn't seem comfortable; his face was a bit flushed.
So I changed my flying posture, holding him a little tighter so he could feel my warmth.
What surprised me, however, was that Shirona was quite adapted to this environment.
Not only was there no sign of her being blown away, but her wings were very agile, using the wind to easily balance her body.
She’s truly amazing.
In the end, the three of us managed to find shelter in a weathered cave halfway up the cliff.
And there, Lind discovered a strange plant near the lower edge of the cave entrance.
Its green, straight stalk was bent deeply by the strong wind, but it didn't break; when the wind died down, it straightened itself out again.
I flipped through a few pages of my book and found a record of this plant.
It’s called "Rock Bamboo," a very resilient plant that grows almost exclusively on cliffs.
Lind asked me to bite off a few stalks, and after studying them for a while, he jumped up with joy, shouting something about "the bouncy blocks are saved."
The specific principles sounded like a long-winded explanation, so I just told him to demonstrate it for me.
He spent a long time tinkering with the Rock Bamboo and the green slime we made earlier on the workbench, creating a long, rectangular block.
"Victoria, do you know what Angry Birds are?"
Lind picked up Shirona right in front of me, pressed her against the block, and without much effort at all, easily bent it.

Page (3/3)
While I was still wondering what this meant, Lind let go with a "pop."
Wow!
Shirona flew so fast!
Faster than any arcane missile I’ve ever seen.
When Shirona came flying back, furious, it hit me:
Oh~, so this is an "Angry Bird."
After that, I, Shirona, and a bump-covered Lind rode the wind up and around to the back of the Red Dragon’s palace.
I have to admit, the back of the palace alone looks so tall, large, and imposing.
But it still doesn't compare to our little cabin.
We wandered around outside for a long time.
Shirona tried hard to recall in her mind which part of the outside corresponded to the inside of the palace.
Because there was a tall pillar every few dozen meters, she finally managed to pinpoint the location of the treasury: between the seventh and ninth pillars.
Then, Lind collected some nearby stone samples.
After drawing a brief sketch and making some markings, we headed back.
————————
Dragon Era 3178, August 10th
Worst of the day: Vegetable salad!
Lind should have been the greatest chef in the world.
But the meal he made for dinner tonight will be a stain on his life that he can never wash away!
That secret white sauce of Lind’s was truly terrible; it was both sweet and salty, tasting very strange.
Even when poured over crisp vegetables, it couldn't hide that flavor at all.
He said it was some kind of salad dressing.
Lind explained that because he was cooped up in his room writing a proposal all day and didn't have time to go hunting, he had to make a vegetable salad with the remaining vegetables.
He could have just told me.
Couldn't he have just asked me for help...
I still had some time after I finished practicing my spells today.
Sigh, Lind always keeps things bottled up.
Even with the proposal, he wrote a whole page, then, for some reason, crumpled it into a ball, threw it on the floor, and started all over again.
He seems to want to write the most perfect proposal, one that covers every possible scenario.
But that’s simply impossible.
No, I have to go and persuade him.
(To be continued)