7 transmigration tips from the saint chapter 20

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The young dragon, having grasped the truth, now had only one thought: survival.

He had run away from home, angry at his parents for treating him like a child, but he’d always planned to return eventually.

Now, though, he couldn’t risk dying here, having fallen out of favor with a god.

“I won’t steal anymore.”

The child clutched Woohyun’s robe tightly and declared in a rush.

“Because… no, because you told me not to. I’ll listen. I promise. I’m really sorry I lied about my name, too. If you want to know my real name, I can tell you.”

The child’s desperate expression, as he clung to Woohyun’s clothes, made him look pitiful.

His heart already softened, Woohyun patted the child’s back and gently asked.

“What’s your real name?”

He hadn’t really expected an answer, but he asked anyway.

The child hesitated, then sighed deeply before muttering in a small voice.

“…Rang.”

“Sorry?”

“Malrang…”

Woohyun’s hand froze at the unexpected name. He tried hard to keep his lips sealed as he continued to comfort the sniffling child.

‘Maybe “Malrang” means something different here. I shouldn’t laugh.’

The child had just revealed his name after much hesitation, so it wouldn’t be right to laugh.

He didn’t know why the boy’s attitude had changed so suddenly, but now that he’d promised not to steal and had even given his name, Woohyun just wanted to let him go.

However, laughter came from behind him.

“Hahaha! Your name? Even if it’s a childhood name, how could it be something like that? Haha!”

Erdian was laughing, his beautiful face glowing with amusement.

Even though his laughter was stunning, the child, feeling mocked, teared up again.

As his face scrunched up with emotion, Woohyun sensed what was coming.

‘Erdian, please… I was calming him down! He’s going to cry again soon.’

The boy’s nose reddened, his lips quivered, but he bravely held back his tears.

Still, the child’s composure didn’t last long.

Erdian delivered the final blow in a playful, teasing tone.

“So, your name’s Malrang? Is your true form a bit soft too? Haha!”

“Huu… huff… I hate this name! They wouldn’t even change it for me… I’m not going home until they do…”

Finally, the child broke into loud sobs, crying so hard that it tugged at the heartstrings of everyone listening.

Woohyun felt a pang of sympathy as tears dripped down the boy’s face.

Gently, he pulled the child into his arms, holding him close.

Back at the orphanage, comforting crying children like this had always worked.

The fiery spirit that had once yelled, “Who are you to lecture me?” had vanished, leaving behind a child who was now docile and sobbing in his embrace.

Tears streaming down his face, the child even wiped his nose on Woohyun’s robes.

Since the robes were priestly garments, they were soft and didn’t hurt his nose.

‘There’s no doubt. Erdian has a soft spot for this guy.’

Malrang, the little hatchling, knew how to choose his battles wisely.

Now that he knew a god was present, he couldn’t afford to act cocky just because he was a dragon.

Throwing a tantrum wouldn’t help.

“Don’t cry, okay? You’re a good kid. So what if your name’s Malrang? You’ll get a cool name after your coming-of-age ceremony, right?”

Even though he had just been scolded for stealing a wallet, the human favored by Erdian was still comforting him.

At least in this situation, the boy could relax.

‘He has to be that saint, right?’

The boy was certain now, but he still needed confirmation. If he wasn’t the saint, his dragon pride wouldn’t allow him to let this go.

“…Hey, big brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you the saint?”

The child’s eyes narrowed as he slyly tested Woohyun. Woohyun’s eyes widened in surprise.

How did he notice?

His heart sank. he hadn’t slipped up once—never called the child by the wrong name or accidentally mentioned Erdian.

‘No, maybe he’s just fishing. Did he happen to see my face when I fainted in front of all those people? Or could dragons have some sort of ability to sense things?’

He couldn’t dismiss the possibility of him probing for information, so he didn’t immediately acknowledge anything.

Meanwhile, the warmth of the child suddenly vanished.

Erdian had lifted him by the scruff of his neck again, letting him dangle.

“Ah!”

“I indulged the hatchling because he was being needy, but now he’s clinging excessively. What, do you think the thief is cute or something, hugging him like that? Do you realize that brat wiped his tears and snot all over your clothes?”

Seo Woohyun finally looked down at his clothes.

The spot where the child had buried his face was damp.

It was no surprise, having hugged the crying child.

He was about to shrug it off, thinking it wasn’t a big deal since the clothes could be washed, but then he froze.

‘Wait, I didn’t even think about doing the laundry myself.’

The realization struck him.

Ever since he became a saint, the people at the temple had always taken care of his meals, clothes, and shelter.

Every morning, his clothes were freshly laundered, and his meals were a balanced mix of things he’d never even thought to try but suited his tastes.

Whenever he went out for study or a walk in the garden, his bedding was changed, and the clothes he’d left were gone.

All he had to do was eat the meals prepared for him, wear the clothes cleaned for him, and sleep in a bed someone else had made.

In the beginning, he’d been uncomfortable with it all, feeling awkward and out of place.

But now, he’d adapted to the point where he saw basic tasks like laundry, cooking, and cleaning as someone else’s responsibility.

‘What the heck? I’ve really become one of these people. I mean, seriously, I still have perfectly functioning limbs; I should be doing these things myself.’

At the very least, he had resolved to take care of his own tasks while traveling.

Seo Woohyun straightened up, brushing off his clothes lightly.

Then, he glanced at Erdian and the child dangling from his hand.

When their eyes met, the hatchling reached out to Seo Woohyun with a rather desperate look in his eyes.

“Hyung…”

“Lord Erdian, could you please put him down? The child looks uncomfortable.”

“Hmph, uncomfortable? This little rascal is relaxing quite nicely, letting his body go limp to make it easier for me to carry him.”

Despite the scoff, Erdian placed the child on the ground.

The moment his feet touched the floor, the child immediately clung to Seo Woohyun’s leg.

It was a survival instinct, having realized that Erdian was particularly soft when it came to the saint.

“Hyung, I’m sorry I wiped my nose on your clothes. I’ll wash them for you. I’m really good at laundry.”

“No, it’s okay. Sometimes you just need to wipe your nose when you’re crying. But how old are you?”

“I’m ten.”

The child was younger than Seo Woohyun had expected.

He patted the boy’s soft hair, smiling at his sheepish grin.

Seo Woohyun, now fully relaxed, wiped away the remaining tears from the child’s cheeks.

Erdian, who had been watching the scene with a disapproving expression, clicked his tongue but didn’t intervene further.

“I’m actually traveling under the guise of a priest. Can you keep it a secret that we met?”

“Of course! I’m a dragon who keeps my promises.”

“Wow, really? A promise-keeping dragon?”

“Yep!”

“Can I ask why you’re wandering around alone?”

Seo Woohyun carefully inquired, having only speculated that the child might have run away from home.

There could have been another reason.

“I was mad at my mom and dad, so I decided to live on my own. My older brother and sister had really cool names when they were younger, but I’m just called Malrang. I’ve been begging them to change my name, but they keep saying no… Hng…”

The child’s loud sniffles filled the air.

He seemed to be deeply embarrassed and upset about his name.

His nose turned a vivid red as he pouted, and Seo Woohyun suppressed a laugh.

“Your older brother and sister had cool names, but you didn’t? I get why you’d be upset.”

“I don’t know what their names were. Whenever I ask, they won’t tell me. But they said they were cool. It’s so unfair. Don’t you think so, hyung? Malrang… it’s just not a cool name, right?”

The child’s downtrodden voice was laced with dejection.

While Seo Woohyun doubted that the parents who named him “Malrang” had been particularly creative with the other names either, he refrained from saying so.

After all, parents were a sensitive topic in any world.

“Then where do you sleep if you’re living on your own?”

He smoothly bypassed the name issue and moved on to the next question.

The child, still sniffling, eagerly replied.

“In the forest. I sleep at night and play during the day.”

“And do you steal things from people?”

“…I used to, but not anymore. I made a promise to you, hyung. I’m a dragon who keeps my promises.”

“Good, that’s the right thing to do. I believe you.”

Seo Woohyun gently patted the child’s head.

Thankfully, the child had a place to return to.

Although the reason for running away was a bit strange, he figured that human and dragon logic might differ.

He’d also made the child promise never to steal again, so it was time to part ways.