TYND 74

TL: Motokare

Rothy answered as though it was the question he’d been waiting for. 

“That day… when I brought you the melon…”

Naran recalled Rothy who had come early one morning, dressed in light, thin clothes, carrying a plate of melon. Walking quickly down the corridor, he’d nearly fallen, and Naran had instinctively shouted, 

“You’ll fall if you run like that!”

Thanks to Theon’s quick intervention, Rothy had managed to maintain his footing and approach the iron bars of the cell, where he had extended the beautifully arranged plate of melon with a bright expression on his face. 

“This is really good. Have you tried it before?”

“You said then that it was your first time eating melon. So……”

“You’re letting me live because I’ve never eaten melon before?”

“Well… something like that.”

“……”

Naran found himself completely bewildered by this explanation. His confused gaze darted from Rothy to the upside-down weasel, then to Theon, then to the guards standing attentively nearby, unable to settle on any one person as he tried to process this unexpected turn of events. Eventually, his eyes came to rest on Rothy once more. The young archmage with a living magic stone within him looked as cautious as someone standing before a cracked glass jar. 

“We’ve to go now… Even if there’s nothing you want yet, once this is over, that could change. When it sinks that The Mandate’s gone for good, you might suddenly find yourself wanting all sorts of things. When that happens, make sure to tell me. Understood?”

Ready to leave, Rothy got up from the chair. Theon smoothly extended his arm behind Rothy’s back in a protective gesture while the two guard knights and two attendants followed behind. 

Notably, there was no mage in their entourage. 

“Lord Rothy.”

Naran called out with unexpected urgency. It was because he’d just realised something he genuinely wanted. When Rothy turned back to face him, Naran looked straight into those emerald-green eyes and said,

“I—”

The prospect of becoming a teacher at an orphanage and caring for them seemed far too daunting for someone like him. Researching the intricacies of dark magic at Bluetri would definitely be more manageable given his particular talents. But neither of these options reflected what Naran really wanted at that moment.

What he wanted was…

***

“I’m terribly glad. I hope more people with difficult pasts will choose to live.”

Rothy made this innocent observation while beaming brightly, and his footsteps as they made their way back to the main building were noticeably light. In contrast, Theon had a dark look on his face, reflecting his intense displeasure at what Naran had just said.

“I want to serve Lord Rothy as his personal guardian mage.”

The nerve of that kid. How dare he say something like that… 

Even in Rothy’s presence, Theon couldn’t suppress the killing intent that burst out. Rothy, who’d been happily surprised seconds ago, now jumped in fear at Theon’s murderous aura and panicked. Seeing Rothy bounce between him and Naran, Theon pulled back his bloodlust fast, but Naran, who’d taken the full brunt, was pale.

However. 

Naran’s face said it all. He knew how ridiculous the idea was, but he couldn’t give it up. And when Theon really thought about it, it wasn’t without merit. Strictly speaking, Chungnip was his subordinate, and regardless of how much Chungnip adored and treasured Rothy, he answered not to him, but Theon. If they took in Naran Daisy, the kid would become Rothy’s first real subordinate.

He does have talents.

Naran Daisy had become a second-class assassin despite being only sixteen. His magical abilities were exceptional, and his mental strength was so powerful that even brainwashing wouldn’t work on him. With a solid binding oath, there would be no worry about betrayal. 

He was a talent anyone would covet. 

But…… there was the critical drawback of being a former assassin. How the hell could he entrust a former assassin with watching Rothy’s back…

“Rothy, you’ll fall.”

Even while weighing the dilemma, Theon noticed Rothy was about to leap down two shallow steps at once on the way to the main building.

Thump

The second Theon finished his sentence, Rothy tripped exactly as predicted. The knights moved, but Theon got there faster, grabbing Rothy by the waist.

“Theon… thanks.”

“Please watch where you’re walking.”

“Yeah. Why do I fall so easily? I’ll train hard so I won’t get hurt when I fall.”

“I’d rather you trained not to fall at all.”

“But I haven’t been falling as much lately.”

“What?”

Theon raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘then what was that just now?’

“You caught me, didn’t you? So I didn’t fall.”

“……”

“I almost fell but I didn’t. So I haven’t fallen recently.”

“That’s some adorable logic.”

Rothy let out a small sigh.

“Theon, you always think I’m adorable no matter what I say.”

“Because you are adorable.”

“That’s a serious problem…”

“Why is it a problem?”

“Because I’m not a child. And it’s a problem when you call someone who isn’t a child adorable…”

Rothy gently removed Theon’s thick arm still wrapped around his torso. Then he continued, mumbling in a serious manner.

“Why am I adorable…? I don’t want to be adorable anymore.”

Theon, completely disarmed by how adorable Rothy was, had forgotten about Naran Daisy, who just minutes earlier had muddled his thoughts. He decided he could think about it again once the operation was finished. 

“You actually have a bigger problem than being adorable.”

“Really? What is it?”

“You’re lovable.”

Rothy crossed his arms after hearing this. After pondering for a while, he said.

“I can’t help that I’m… lovable. If Theon didn’t think I was, my heart would hurt too much…”

Theon couldn’t hold back anymore and scooped Rothy up, pressing his lips against his forehead. Feather-light kisses showered down on the bridge of Rothy’s nose, his cheeks, eyebrows, and near his ears. When the rain of kisses ended and Rothy was back on the ground, he was grinning from ear to ear.

“You’ve got a bit of a fever.”

“I always do.”

“……”

Still holding him close, Theon walked a little faster. Ulje and the attendants were already waiting up ahead. Handing Rothy over to Ultje, he then declared, 

“Rothy, I‘m heading to the chapel. You go to bed first without me.”

“Are you going to pray to Seará?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. I’m happy for you… Oh, wait.”

Rothy caught Theon’s wrist with both hands. 

“This watch, can I look at it for a bit?”

“Of course, you can keep it if you want.”

“No, the watch’s yours. I just want to have a look then I’ll give it back.”

Theon immediately took off the watch and gave it to him. Walking briskly, he headed to the chapel that was near the entrance of the estate’s grounds. 

His Grace has finally found faith.

Ulje’s eyes glistened faintly as he turned to escort Rothy to bed. The next morning, Theon sat at the edge of the bed, looking a bit grim. 

He hadn’t dreamt. 

He’d clearly followed the same exact procedures as the last two times, but there’d been no vision of future Rothy in his dream. Theon stared at the bed, troubled. Rothy was sleeping soundly with only his face peeking out from under the blanket. Rothy had no sleeping habits, so in the early days of sleeping together, Theon would sometimes forget he was even there. 

Now, just the same, he was sleeping quietly with a fair, rosy face.

Only the weasel that had climbed up next to Rothy’s pillow snorted and rolled in his sleep, making a chorus of little noises—kuuung, hiiing, kiiiing. Theon reached for Rothy’s snow-white hair, sliding his fingers through the strands that weren’t even half the length of those in his dream. 

Rothy was very sensitive and would wake easily at the slightest movement, so Theon only touched his hair briefly before withdrawing his hand. Though when he pressed the back of his hand to Rothy’s forehead, the warmth was there again. If the body matured, it could withstand the fever caused by the magic stone inside him. But because the stone suppressed growth, Rothy’s body wouldn’t grow. 

How on earth had the future Rothy resolved this contradiction? He wanted to ask about this, but he hadn’t dreamt.

What was the common factor in those two times?

Other than the fact he had formally prayed at the chapel, no similarities came to mind. It had happened twice, so it wasn’t a delusion. Had Seará decided that was enough and withdrawn her attention?

The longer hair and the vanished scars. The key to growth was definitely in the dream.

Theon’s brows tightened with determination to find the answer.

***

Flash! 

Light filled the artefact showed that Black Lion Squad One and Two had successfully infiltrated The Mandate’s headquarters and completed setting up the portal. Chungnip and the mages of Bluetri, who’d been waiting for the signal, immediately fed their magical power into the portal. 

“Your Grace, we’re ready.”

Then stood.

“Rothy.”

“Mhhng, I’ll get started immediately.”

Rothy activated the spell he’d memorised in advance without delay. Green magical energy brushed over Theon’s, Chungnip’s, and everyone else who’d be part of the assault. When the spell settled, they all had completely new faces. Tsudeyfa checked his reflection in the mirror and the corner of his bright red lips rose. 

“Can all archmages pull off partial transformation this easily? I feel like my whole sense of what’s normal is being destroyed.”

Rothy flinched guiltily at that. 

“Ah, it wasn’t easy, I’m not a little tired and drained…”

“……”

Everyone only gave a vague smile at that feeble excuse. 

“We’ll head in first.”

As discussed, Tsudeyfa and the assassins would go through first. Once the entire Bluetri force had disappeared from view, Theon turned to Rothy and held out his hand. Rothy nodded and used the spell he had prepared.

POOF!

Screeeing~

Theon caught the white weasel safely. Rather than a partial transformation spell, Rothy had decided to participate in weasel form using a transformation spell.

The reason was simple. It was easier for Theon to protect him this way.

Theon carefully placed weasel Rothy into a soft, furry pouch. Then he spread the straps attached to both sides of the pouch, hung it around his neck, and tied it diagonally from his shoulder to his side. He adjusted the strap length, so the furry pouch sat between his chest and abdomen.

Zey offered a quick, blunt assessment. 

“You look like a father with a baby sling…”

Screeeeee…!

Weasel Rothy in the furry pouch seemed more displeased with this rude comparison than Theon.