Dragon Ball Roshi-Chapter 306: Just Like a Girl

Afterward, Taro and Hathaway stayed a while longer at Bulma's house. The two originally intended to leave, but Dr. and Mrs. Brief warmly invited them to stay for dinner. Given Taro's personality, if it were just up to him, he wouldn't have stayed—unless Hathaway insisted. But little Bulma blinked her big, adorable eyes, melting Hathaway's fragile defenses. And so, the two of them ended up having dinner at the Briefs' home.

"What do you mean 'fragile'? That little girl is just too cute..." Hathaway tilted her head to nudge Taro lightly. "You like her, don't you? Besides Tam and Ninn, I've never seen you this fond of any kid."

Taro furrowed his brows and muttered, "Do I? Really?"

Hathaway raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at him with a smirk.

Taro relaxed his expression, chuckled, and admitted, "Alright, fine—I do!"

The dinner hosted by the Briefs, with Dr. Brief being the CEO of Capsule Corp and well on his way to becoming the richest man on Earth, was as extravagant as one could imagine—even though it was just a private meal. The couple had clearly put a lot of thought into it. Every type of dish, flavor, and style was present. Sensing that Taro didn't enjoy socializing with strangers, all the servers at the table were ultra-intelligent robots.

Taro asked Dr. Brief some casual questions about his household, which the doctor respectfully answered. Meanwhile, Hathaway chatted with Mrs. Brief about women's topics. Though Hathaway's actual age was considerable, her mindset remained youthful. Later, Hathaway and Dr. Brief engaged in a conversation Taro didn't understand at all—likely something to do with collaborations between Capsule Corp and the Virtual Earth Network Company.

At present, Hathaway was the owner of the First Research Institute and also served as Taro's proxy within the Virtual Earth Network Company. Normally, day-to-day operations were handled internally by company staff, while major decisions were left to Hathaway. She would then decide whether or not to consult Taro.

In truth, after establishing the foundation of the Virtual Earth Network, Taro quickly lost interest in it. Of course, he hadn't built it out of personal interest in the first place. It had merely been a way to fulfill a promise he made to his master, Mutaito.

As long as the network followed the route he had envisioned, there wasn't much left for Taro to worry about, and he grew increasingly indifferent toward it. The only things that still held his attention were a few special names he had provided Jarvis—individuals he wanted to be notified about should they log into the network.

Taro once thought he would never care about anyone aside from Goku, but today he realized—it didn't really matter either way. Back in the network, on a whim, he had described a few people who might appear. He hadn't regretted it afterward. It was just something he did—no big deal.

Just another spontaneous act in his long life.

Like taking a stroll along the beach, spotting a few shells in the distance, and thinking he probably wouldn't be interested in picking them up. But once he got there, and the shells were real, he might pick them up and weigh them in his hand out of sheer boredom... and that was all.

---

After saying their goodbyes to the Briefs, Taro and Hathaway flew into the sky, vanishing beneath the starry night.

"How incredible," Dr. Brief murmured, cigarette holder in his mouth, gazing at the heavens with a long sigh.

"So cool! That old Muten martial artist... and Granny Hathaway too—so young and beautiful!" Mrs. Brief's thoughts ran on a completely different track from her husband's, but Dr. Brief seemed well accustomed to it.

Bulma, meanwhile, simply stared blankly at the sky, pouting and frowning now and then, perhaps imagining something wonderful.

---

After enjoying the dazzling nightscape of the city, the two returned home to their house on Muten Island, carried by the evening breeze.

"Welcome back, Mr. Taro, Ms. Hathaway."

Jarvis fulfilled his butler duties by lighting up the house as soon as the two landed on the mountainside. The place instantly glowed with warm lights. But like the island itself, the house was brightly lit yet utterly quiet—only the echo of Jarvis's voice lingered.

"Where's Red? Out playing again?" Hathaway glanced around inside and out, but the familiar red figure didn't appear.

"Yes, Ms. Hathaway," Jarvis replied, recognizing she was addressing him.

"You spoiled it rotten—it's totally wild now," Taro said, shaking his head.

"As if you didn't indulge it too..." Hathaway refused to take the blame alone and started scolding him. "And who was it that got Red hooked on drinking, hmm? Who turned it into an arrogant little beast that doesn't listen to anyone?"

"Alright, alright—it was me who indulged it..."

"Hee..." Hathaway laughed softly. These playful bickers were nice every now and then. "How long do you think it'll stay out this time?"

"Who knows? Probably until it gets sick of this round of gluttony... anyway, it won't eat itself to death."

"What are you saying? Isn't it a phoenix? How could it die from overeating!"

"That 'phoenix' was a magic construct devised by Ivan the Holy Mage. He put years of effort into its alchemical creation and used my blood..." Taro paused mid-sentence.

Hathaway asked curiously, "What is it?"

Taro murmured, "Maybe I should give the formula to Fabeli. It might help with his research..."

That night, the two returned home hand-in-hand, walking into the house. The moonlight spilled behind them, scattering across the ground like silver-white frost.

---

The night passed without incident. The next morning, when Hathaway awoke, Taro said he needed to make a trip to Earth's Heavenly Realm. freewebnøvel.coɱ

"Back during the martial arts tournament, I told the Kami I'd visit in a while... Want to come?" Taro asked as he soared up from the lake at the base of the mountain and landed in front of Hathaway.

She was wearing soft, loose pajamas, her eyes still a bit sleepy—until they snapped fully awake. She walked over, wrapped her arms around Taro's neck, and smiled. "Of course I'm coming! Didn't we already agree on this?"

"Then go wash up," Taro said, giving her firm backside a playful slap. It bounced with springy vitality—just like a young girl's.

"Yes, yes..." Hathaway murmured, though instead of moving, she leaned into his chest, her hair shimmering half-gold and half-purple under the morning light. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Don't move. It feels nice... Mmm, the morning sun and air are so pleasant. Just stay here with me a little longer."

Taro said nothing and simply held his wife in his arms, gently stroking her soft, fluffy hair.