Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Mongrel
-----
The moment I forged a contract with the Nightmare Vestige and named him "Mongrel," I felt a profound connection to this wretched being unlike anything before.
The dark roots he had spread across my soul grew even stronger and extended further, but instead of parasitizing me, they now obeyed my will. They allowed me to draw "Nightmare Essence" directly from him.
At the same time, he gained the ability to manifest in the outside world—though that mattered far less than the raw strength surging within me and this strange, alien power now flowing through my soul and body.
"Nightmare Essence seems to amplify my Chaos," I observed, realizing that my Chaos—one half of my Ability—had grown significantly more potent. "Huh, maybe even with the seal in place, I can channel some of its power externally. My soul feels stronger too! I might reach Rank 2 soon. So this is the true benefit of contracting Familiars."
"Ugh..." Mongrel groaned, slumping onto the white floor of my Soul Space. "I can’t believe... I’ve become... the slave of a child..."
"Well, didn’t you answer my call just to serve me?" I chuckled, reaching down to pat his head. "Come on, it’s not so bad. I’m a good owner. I’ll treat you well if you help me master these abilities."
"W-What? Why are you suddenly acting so kind?! It’s creepy! This damn kid is way too creepy! You’re creepier than most Nightmares!" he shrieked, flailing his little tentacles in a desperate attempt to flee.
I simply altered the gravity within my Soul Space using Chaos, reversing his trajectory. The harder he tried to escape, the closer he drew to me.
"W-What is this cursed power?! Can it do literally anything?!"
"Not really. So far, there aren’t that many applications, and most are extremely dangerous. I have to be very careful."
"Eugh! Eeek! L-Let go of me!"
Mongrel squirmed as I scooped him up with both hands and pulled him close, snuggling him against my chest and cheek.
"Yeah, I made you extra huggable. You’re really bouncy—like a living teddy bear!" I laughed.
"I am NOT your plushy!!!" he wailed. "I am a vile nightmare born in the nightmare dimension!"
"No, you’re just a fragment of him," I replied with a grin. "But don’t worry—we’ll get our revenge on your main body once he returns."
"Revenge?! You’re the only one who wants that!" he protested.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Mongrel," I shrugged. "Anyway, when we made that contract..."
"Are you even listening to what I’m saying?!"
"Shut up."
At my command, his voice cut off instantly. His eye widened in panic as he tried to speak—nothing came out. No sound escaped his many mouths.
"Heh, you’re now partially merged with the power of Chaos and Harmony," I explained. "My words have become laws to your very existence."
"...!"
"I could do far worse things to you if I wanted," I continued, offering a gentle smile. "But as I said, I’m a good person. I’m willing to cooperate with you. And—"
[Congratulations... successfully... contract... [Nightmare Vestige Spirit: Mongrel (??? Rank)]]
[Your Strength...]
[... has increased by +100]
[...Agility has increased by...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
"What?"
I opened my eyes for a moment in the real world, sitting on my bed. My parents were already awake; Gigantia was tidying the room and making the bed.
"Hm? Oh, dear, good morning!" my mother said, planting a big kiss on my face. "How did my baby sleep? Good? You didn’t have any creepy nightmares?"
"Um... no," I shook my head. "Ah... I heard a weird mechanical voice inside my head."
"Wait, what?" my father asked in surprise. "Like... Andromeda? The system?"
"Eh?" I tilted my head. "I don’t know?"
"..." He fell silent for a moment. "Hm, it might be that. Well, we can discuss it later. Good morning, dear." He quickly lifted me up, kissed my cheek and forehead, and I returned a big kiss on his face too.
"I love you, daddy!" I hugged him tightly.
"Ah..." He blushed a little, clearly embarrassed by the affection.
He always reacted this way—a man who struggled to process these feelings—but deep down he was incredibly kind and good.
That’s my dad. He has suffered so much in his life, so I want to be the daughter who heals his broken heart and brings him happiness.
"Hahah... I love you too, Elizabeth," he smiled warmly, kissing my cheek again. "You’re the cutest little girl in the world, did you know that? My dear daughter, whom I love more than anything."
"Heheh, really?" I chuckled.
"Hey, I also love her more than anything!" my mother said, playfully stealing me from dad.
"Hah? No, that’s not possible..." he played along.
"Nope, I do!" she chuckled.
"That’s me!" he insisted.
Both of them started playing with me, hugging and kissing my face before they began tickling me, making me laugh uncontrollably.
In the end, we wound up cuddling on the bed again like nothing had happened...
"Ah, my lords, I just finished making the bed..." Gigantia sighed, crossing her arms.
"Just let them be, Gigantia. Don’t interrupt them," Vlad appeared beside her, emerging from the shadows themselves. "Master Louis and Lady Mirai have gone through a lot in their lives. Their daughter is a gift that has made them smile every day."
"...I guess you’re right," Gigantia conceded and walked away.
I kept playing with my parents, who seemed more eager than ever to shower me with attention—until our stomachs finally protested.
"I’m hungry..." I said as my tummy rumbled.
"Let’s take a quick family bath together then!" my mother suggested. "Gigantia! Please make breakfast."
"Understood!" she called from afar. "Vlad, come on, help me out."
"Of course," Vlad replied, turning into shadows and teleporting her with him toward the kitchen.
As dozens of maids and butlers bustled to prepare breakfast, we headed to the bath—an enormous, onsen-style pool my mother, who is from Japan, adored.
"Mommy..." I murmured while splashing in the water as she gently washed my hair.
"Yes, dear?" she asked.
"If you were to give me a Japanese name, what would it be?" I asked. "Daddy named me Elizabeth, and I have my dragon’s name too, but... what about my Japanese name?"
"Hmmm..." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, although I was born in Yamato, I... didn’t have a nice upbringing. The VPI brought me to Frostbane, where I was raised by scientists and Louis’ parents. It wasn’t until I was around eighteen that I could finally walk freely. Louis took me on countless adventures after that, hehe..."
She was clearly skipping over all the painful parts. I understood why—no need to burden a three-year-old with those memories.
"Sounds fun! Can I go on adventures too?" I asked.
"Maybe another day," my father said, washing his long hair.
"Hmm, about the name..." my mother mused. "I was named Mirai by the VPI scientists because they believed I would save the future. But there’s no point giving you a name with a purpose. My... my wish, my dream, is for you to have a good life—free of worries and suffering. I want you to grow up spoiled, experiencing all the things we couldn’t at your age."
"Aw... aren’t I already spoiled though?" I chuckled.
"Hehhe, maybe?"
SPLASH!
My mother poured a bucket of warm water over me, carefully washing my hair before applying a few oils to keep my black-and-white-red strands glossy and silky.
"Nozomi!" she declared. "That would be your name. It means Hope and Beauty." She kissed my cheek. "Mooch, mooch! Because you’re mommy’s beautiful hope!"
"Is that so?" I chuckled, splashing playfully in the water with her. "I like it!"
I hopped out of the bath with my tiny wings and hugged her tightly. "I love you, mommy!"
"Hahaha! Calm down, sweetheart, we’re in the bath," she laughed. "Alright, shall we go have breakfast?"
We quickly dressed and headed to a vast dining hall where several servants awaited us. A long, elegant white table overflowed with food.
There were classic English breakfasts alongside a huge variety of other dishes. Pancakes, waffles, cakes—so many cakes for some reason: chocolate, strawberry, cheesecakes, fruit cakes, and more.
Three large baskets brimmed with freshly baked bread, most of it steaming sourdough that looked mouthwatering.
Some loaves were topped with cheese, others flavored with onion and oregano, and a few even glowed red with tomato.
Fresh milk, soy milk, almond milk, over thirty different teas, plus countless pastries and warm cookies.
As we began to eat, my mother prepared me a generous sandwich piled high with grilled meat from some kind of divine spirit beast shaped like a giant boar. It was incredibly delicious.
We dragons crave a lot of meat—I’m always hungry for protein—so I eat heavily even at breakfast, though we balance it with bread, fruits, and other foods.
As a half-human, I can drink milk and enjoy most dairy products, including cheese, even though pure dragons usually aren’t fond of them.
"Lady Elizabeth, we made your favorite cheesecake—would you like to try it?"
"We’ve also prepared your favorite fruit cake."
"One of our cooks made your favorite milkshake, extra strawberry and chocolate just the way you like it."
"Young lady, there’s more meat if you’d like!"
"Young dragons have bottomless stomachs—please eat as much as you need to grow strong and healthy!"
Cooks, maids, and butlers swarmed around me, offering the most delicious foods the kingdom could provide. They wouldn’t leave me alone for a second.
"Thanks!"
I didn’t hesitate, accepting everything and devouring it one after another. Despite my small size, my stomach truly seemed bottomless.
I still don’t fully understand how a dragon’s body works, but the stomach feels like a separate dimension. Even though I’m tiny, I can consume far more food than my body’s size and weight should allow.
It makes no sense, right? I was surprised the first time too, but my stomach is magical in some way—or rather, my entire body operates under different laws of physics.
Most of what I eat gets digested in some kind of larger, hidden stomach.
I suspect it belongs to my "True Dragon Form."
This little appearance is just my "Dragonoid" form, but even in Dragonoid shape, dragons retain their strength, weight, and appetite regardless of size.
I haven’t unlocked my True Dragon Form yet, but if it eats this much, it must be enormous... maybe over ten meters? Wow, that would be incredible.
"Come on now, don’t offer her so many things... sweetheart, don’t eat if you don’t want to," my mother said gently.
"But I want to... nom, nom!" I mumbled through a mouthful of cheese bread and strawberry shortcake, swallowing it all with a big gulp of milk tea. "Phew...! More! I want more!"
"The princess is hungry!"
"Bring the whole roasted Divine Spirit Hill Boar!"
"Is the next batch of cheesecake ready?! Hurry!"
"For now, please enjoy these delicious cookies we made just for you."
"Thanks!" I chuckled, dipping them in milk and devouring them in one bite.
Every time I ate, my mouth revealed enormous sharp fangs that let me tear through anything—hard or soft, in seconds.
Being a dragon is amazing in so many ways beyond just strength! The ability to eat like a glutton with no consequences, as much as I want, is one of my greatest dreams come true. As a huge foodie in my past life, delicious food was always my biggest passion.
But because I kept gaining weight, I ended up dieting and satisfying my cravings in VR games instead. Those games were perfect for that, you could eat anything you wanted, it all tasted real and incredible, and the simulation tricked your body into feeling full.
Thanks to VR, I ended up losing half my weight at one point—yeah, I was really fat back then.
But none of that matters now!
"You’re such a glutton... what a monster, it’s like looking at a pig!" Mongrel muttered, suddenly appearing right beside me.
"Oh?!"
"Hm?!"
My parents’ eyes widened for a moment when they saw him materialize next to me; they looked just as shocked as I felt.
"E-Elizabeth, what is this?" my father asked. "It’s a strange being—wait, a spirit?"
"It’s a Chaos Spirit? It looks like one," my mother tilted her head. "Hello, little guy. Did you get lost in this world? Usually your kind can’t sustain themselves here for long without spreading Miasma, but... you seem fine?"
"Ah, um... I forgot to mention it, but I contracted this Spirit," I said. "I named him Mongrel!"
"M-Mongrel?" My mother looked stunned. "T-That’s quite the name..."
"..." My father narrowed his eyes, studying him carefully. "I see... well, I’m impressed. I suppose you’re already at the age where you’re contracting Spirits. I’ve heard it’s natural for those born with strong dragon bloodlines. I’m glad for you, though... maybe you should’ve chosen a better name."
"A-Ahahah... maybe," I chuckled nervously. "Well, I’ll be playing with him from now on. He’s really angry and talks a lot, but don’t worry—he just spouts nonsense."
"Really? Are you that smart?" my mother asked Mongrel.
"U-Ugh... nnghh..." Mongrel knew that if he spoke too much, he’d get kidnapped and tortured for years by the VPI, so he kept his mouth shut. "Uh-huh." He simply nodded.
My mother smiled and gently patted his head, but then her eyes sharpened. "Hm, how interesting. You’re not quite like the others."
Wait, did she figure it out already?!
Damn.
"Well! It’s nice, nonetheless. Please be good to my daughter, little one," my mother said. "And I might even bless you one day and let you evolve into a bigger form."
"O-Ooh?!" Mongrel’s eyes lit up at that. "T-Thanks..."
"Hm..." My father kept analyzing him with those sharp eyes but stayed quiet.
I think he might suspect something’s off, but I wonder if he’s already realized Mongrel is a Nightmare?
Well, considering how much he freaked out about them before, he probably hasn’t—otherwise he’d be making a huge fuss right now.
Once breakfast was over, my parents hurried off somewhere, clearly preparing something.
"Well, Elizabeth, wait here with Gigantia and Vlad," my father said. "We’ll go set up a special magic circle to unseal the tattoo I placed on you. Once it’s ready, we’ll call you."
"Okay!"
♢♢♢♢
"Just why is this happening to me...! I am...! Ugh...! I...! I don’t want this!!!"
Mongrel kept crying and complaining as he sat on a tiny chair, reluctantly playing tea party with me.
Yeah, I played tea party—it was part of how I convinced my parents I was still a child...
And I’m not enjoying it at all!
Well... maybe I do a little, because tea party isn’t fake here. I’m served actual delicious tea and snacks by my maid, Gigantia, and my butler, Vlad.
Both were officially assigned as my personal servants starting today, according to my father.
After breakfast with my parents, they told me I would undergo a ritual to remove the seal from me. Until then, I decided to have a second breakfast disguised as playing teatime.
Yeah, I like indulging in delicious sweets and teas. I have to enjoy my current status as a high-society young lady, right?
And Mongrel? Well, he was complaining because he looked super cute.
"Why are you crying, Mongrel? You look super cute right now!" I chuckled.
"I-I don’t look cute at all! I don’t want to be cuteeeeee!" he screamed.
He wore a little pink dress full of frills and three pink ribbons on his tiny head. He screamed angrily and tried to tear off the clothes, but he couldn’t.
"Heheh, isn’t he cute, Gigantia?" I asked.
"Indeed, young lady. Although the little spirit doesn’t seem to like it," Gigantia replied.
"Little Spirit?! I am a monstrous nightmare that will devour this world!"
"Hohoh, what a wonderful little critter. He loves to boast, hm? Fitting for our young lady!" Vlad laughed at Mongrel’s outburst.
"Yeah," I chuckled as I sipped some tea and finished a dozen delicious pastries. "Hmm, I want something savory. What’s on the bread menu again?"
"Hm," Gigantia pondered. "How about waiting for lunch, young lady? Y-You’ve eaten quite a lot already..."
"I guess... I’m just bored. When are my parents going to finish what they’re doing?" I yawned, leaning back in the chair as I closed my eyes and began drifting off.
Before I slipped fully into sleep, I heard footsteps approaching.
"Elizabeth! We’re done! Please come with me."
My mother hurried into the room, quickly scooped me up, and carried me toward a vast chamber they used for alchemy and rituals.
At the center stood a large magic circle formed from various materials: glowing magic crystals, spirit beast hearts, bones, and even blood.
"Woah, isn’t this a little too scary?" I asked.
"The seal I placed is a strong one," my father explained. "This way, we can guarantee it won’t affect you in any way. Sorry—it’s my fault for being overly cautious."
"Ah, it’s fine, daddy! Let’s get to it!" I said enthusiastically.
It didn’t take long for them to position me at the center and activate the magic circle.
FLAAASH!
Dozens of bright runes floated around me, shooting toward my forehead and slowly beginning to erase the seal.
"Woah...!"
As it happened, I felt my dragon heart beating faster and faster. Pulsing Fantasium overflowed from every cell in my body.
What is this power?! Was I already this strong?!
"Uwaaahhh!"
Unable to contain the explosive surge of power, I exploded.
BOOOMMM!!!
-----
You can join my patreon for 20+ Chapters ahead of publication here: https://www.patreon.com/c/pancakeswitch
