TDAA Ch 25

“You mustn’t interfere, Master. You should watch closely as your disciple achieves a great feat.”

Siol, about to jump into the water in a daze, froze, remembering that the water was all his last breath. Come to think of it, his head had been dizzy for a while, and his brain felt shaky as if he had taken some light drug. He felt a faint growl rising from his throat. Siol, too, was running towards a rampage.

“Ah. Don’t worry. It doesn’t work on humans.”

With that, Nathaniel raised his staff. Then, light began to run along the lines of the magic circle engraved deep in the water’s surface. The lines intersected several times, completing the magic circle, and Siol could feel the magic power in the air shaking violently. Not only inside the tower, but also outside, the magical power was shaking even more violently. Finally, the light connected to the magic circles drawn throughout the city, and all the magic circles resonated and reacted with each other. The dimly glowing magic stones shone brightly.

“This magic circle restrains monsters ‘without reason.’ To use it on the Blue Dragon, I needed to turn him into a beast…. Hahaha! Isn’t it perfect? I learned it all from you, Master. You taught me countless times that the more thoroughly an alchemist prepares, the more perfect the results. Isn’t that right?”

Nathaniel, speaking cheerfully, pulled out a fist-sized potion bottle from his pocket. The pale pink potion emitted a strong sweet smell as soon as the cap was removed. Siol, unfamiliar with witches’ potions, couldn’t guess its identity. However, when Nathaniel approached the restrained and immobile dragon with the potion, he instinctively knew what it was. That wasn’t a witch’s potion. It was clearly a potion made using alchemy.

Siol’s face turned pale. He frantically stirred the water, trying to move towards Eorzen, but the current kept pushing him against the wall.

“No, stop it! Nathaniel, that’s, that’s not right!”

However, Nathaniel, with a face full of exhilaration, happily continued what he had been planning. The Blue Dragon, who had been growling and wary of Nathaniel, was drenched in the potion on his face, and his chin held as he met Nathaniel’s eyes. Eorzen’s face, which had been threatening as if he would bite at any moment, gradually calmed down.

Finally, when all hostility had disappeared, Nathaniel asked his Blue Dragon,

that potion,

“Now, Blue Dragon, who am I?”

“…My… mate…?”

was a love potion.

The moment Siol heard Eorzen’s words, he was overwhelmed by a strange rage. Anger towards Nathaniel for daring to do such a thing to the Blue Dragon and a sense of deprivation as if he had lost Eorzen to Nathaniel heated his head.

He tried to think calmly.

A love potion only makes the other person crave one’s body for a day. So even if Nathaniel hears the word “mate” from Eorzen for a while, it means nothing.

‘No, I don’t like it.’

Siol unconsciously rebelled against his own words.

In fact, he had been prepared. If his mate appeared, he was willing to hand over the Blue Dragon to him… No, he had prepared himself to watch the Blue Dragon and his mate love each other. However, such a resolution was merely a compromise because it was the right thing to do, and because he knew the Blue Dragon would be unhappy if he didn’t.

How dare he try to get his hands on the Blue Dragon with such a drug?

Siol felt a threatening growl rising from his throat.

He was so angry that he felt like he would go on a rampage at any moment. But now was not the time to leave everything to his instincts. Siol slowly took deep breaths, trying to calm the rage within him.

“Now, Blue Dragon, I have a request. You’ll grant it, won’t you?”

Eorzen slowly rose from his seat. Nathaniel didn’t stop Eorzen’s movements, who was clearly captivated by him. Then, Eorzen slowly circled around Nathaniel, dusting his shoulders, stroking his hair, and rubbing his cheeks. Nathaniel, with a sneer on his lips, gladly accepted it all.

After circling around twice, Eorzen tilted his head.

Ignoring the reaction, Nathaniel raised his staff high. A ball of light, which blossomed from the tip of the staff, illuminated the dark tower and ascended. Hanging from the ceiling, invisible in the darkness, was something like a giant steel chandelier. Not of a typical size, but something that would look like it would take dozens of people hanging from it to barely lift it—.

“Transform and wear this necklace. Quickly.”

Siol, staring blankly at it, was startled and looked back at Eorzen.

That necklace was clearly an enlarged version of the necklaces the city residents were wearing. If it had the same function as the ones worn by the residents, then, just like the residents who moved under human control while pretending not to, and flocked to the tower even while unconscious — Eorzen would lose his free will and become Nathaniel’s slave.

Eorzen kept looking back at Nathaniel with a dubious expression, as if searching for something.

“…What are you doing? Transform and put on the necklace,”

“It’s not there.”

“Huh? What… do you mean?”

“Sparkly…?”

Eorzen looked genuinely disappointed.

Siol was relieved by Eorzen’s reaction, but at the same time, confused because he couldn’t understand the situation. Could it be that the love potion didn’t work? No, that wasn’t it. It was because the love potion worked that he didn’t throw away or attack the human in front of him, despite going on a rampage. Perhaps the power of the love potion wasn’t quite enough to win the dragon’s true love. And to fully awaken Eorzen’s consciousness from his rampage.

It seemed that Eorzen there looked similar to when he was rampaging at the castle….

Siol breathed a sigh of relief. Anyway, it was much better than falling head over heels for Nathaniel.

Nathaniel grimaced and clicked his tongue. It seemed that he, too, had realized what Siol had noticed.

“…Tsk. It’s much more useful in dragon form. Well, it can’t be helped. Then, for now….”

Nathaniel took out a necklace of the same size as the one worn by the beastmen from his pocket and held it out towards Eorzen’s neck. Eorzen hadn’t listened to the command to transform and wear the necklace, but he couldn’t refuse Nathaniel pushing it onto him.

If he wears that, the Blue Dragon will be like the residents of this city—.

It was when Siol gritted his teeth in a rage that felt like his head was burning.

Something popped in his head, and at that moment — Siol felt a certain freedom.

The human Siol had never been in a physical fight in his life, a weakling, but the beastman’s body instinctively knew how to fight. How to move his legs, how to swing his arms, his body moved before he could even think.

Ah. Now I understand. Why beastmen are so full of unruly and violent individuals.

Siol thought that if he had grown up in this body from a young age, he wouldn’t have been able to avoid a violent personality.

It doesn’t matter. Now wasn’t the time for such trivial thoughts.

Grinning, he raised his body, his back bending flexibly and straightening.

Siol stepped on the water. The cowardly human Siol didn’t even realize that he could walk on water because his weight was light thanks to the alchemy tools, but the beastman Siol knew very well how to use his body. He stepped firmly on the water and ran forward.

Siol, running across the water without hesitation, quickly reached Eorzen and Nathaniel, snatched the necklace they were struggling with, and threw it far away. Siol chuckled and waved to Nathaniel.

“…Master? What… what is that…?”

Nathaniel asked, looking at Siol with a horrified expression. He seemed more shocked by Siol’s appearance than the stolen necklace.

Why? What’s wrong with my appearance? Tilting his head and examining himself, Siol realized that the hood that had been concealing him had somehow come off. It must have come off while he was running. His ears were exposed.

Since it’s come to this, let’s take off the robe too. Siol almost ripped the robe off his body and threw it away. It was much easier to move, and his body felt lighter. His ears and tail were exposed, but to a beastman, ears and tail were proud parts of the body. There was no reason to hide them.

No, there was a reason, wasn’t there…?

Siol felt a slight daze in his head, but decided not to mind it.

Right now, trampling that impudent Nathaniel was the most important thing.

“Master, those ears, what?! No, you were human… you were human, weren’t you?!”

Siol tilted his head and just shrugged. It was incredibly funny to see his disciple, who had always been so confident and full of himself, become flustered. How do humans live with such weak bodies? In a way, it was surprising and even admirable.

“That’s impossible. Then… could it be…!”

Nathaniel pulled Eorzen’s arm and looked back at him. He stood still, not even blinking, staring at Siol as if licking him up. As if entranced.

The moment he saw those eyes, Nathaniel realized that the most crucial part of his plan had gone awry.

“Eorzen, that person, no, that beastman… what do you see?”

“…Sparkly.”

Nathaniel was speechless for a moment, looking at Eorzen staring at Siol with hazy eyes.

Does their mate look sparkly to a dragon?

All of Nathaniel’s plans were based on the premise that the Blue Dragon would never meet his mate. The reason the love potion didn’t work properly might be because the dragon’s mate was nearby.

With the real one present, there’s no way he’d react to a fake…!

Nathaniel, startled by the unexpected truth, stumbled backward and stammered.

“Impossible. Mother clearly said she banished him to another world…?”

Nathaniel’s mother, the witch, had coveted the Blue Dragon while she was alive. Others — even the Blue Dragon — thought it started two hundred years ago, but it wasn’t true. The witch, shortly after the Blue Dragon was born, used all sorts of magical methods to find the Blue Dragon’s mate. And she banished the unborn child to another world. Thinking that even if she killed him, he would be reborn, she sent him to a place he could never return from, completely eliminating the Blue Dragon’s mate.

Nathaniel, who had planned everything based on the witch’s records, was shocked by the sudden error, and even more so by the fact that the error was his master. He let out a short, “Ha!” and roughly threw off the crown he was wearing. What was the point of a crown when his plan was ruined?

Siol had no intention of letting him wallow in shock. He walked majestically towards Nathaniel with his lightened body. Annoyed, he pushed Eorzen, who was blocking his way, to the side, patted the sullen dragon’s shoulder, and stood in front of Nathaniel.

Nathaniel, lost in thought, flinched and came to his senses, then slammed his staff down on the ground. The magic connected to the tip of the staff swirled and moved violently.

“Eorzen, in front of me, protect me!”

Eorzen didn’t seem particularly inclined to do so, but perhaps due to the power emanating from the magic circle, he stood in front of Nathaniel. Even so, Eorzen continued to gaze at Siol while blocking the space between them, and Siol frowned, looking at Nathaniel over Eorzen’s shoulder. Nathaniel, looking half out of his mind, shouted with trembling hands,

“This plan failed all because of you, Master! To think you would block your disciple’s path like this…!”

“Nathaniel.”

Siol said, smiling at Nathaniel. As he opened his mouth, he felt as if his reason was returning a little. His boiling brain was cooling down.

He uttered the words he had always wanted to say to Nathaniel, but had refrained from saying because he thought he had to hide them.

“I took on a new disciple.”

“You mean Sizool? I know.”

Nathaniel retorted sarcastically, as if to say why he was talking about such things in this situation.

“No, a very smart rabbit I met in the beastmen’s land. He’s much more talented than you, full of enthusiasm, and truly respects me.”

“…….”

“I tested his talent in the same way as yours, and he traded with another world. He instantly turned a prosthetic leg into an ingot. He barely took any compensation. How were you? Did you succeed on your twenty-sixth try? Even then, you took so much compensation that you were left with only scraps. Wasn’t it?”

“…You’re insulting me.”

Nathaniel scowled and gripped his staff tightly. Blood trickled down from the raised veins on the back of his hand, where it touched the staff. The staff, sucking the blood, wielded its magic more powerfully, and with a humming sound, the magic circle sucked in magic power indiscriminately, restraining and pulling Eorzen’s limbs. Eorzen struggled and twisted his body, but it was no use.

Siol scoffed at Nathaniel, who was using Eorzen as a shield, and calmly said,

“You’re no longer my disciple. You’re expelled, Nathaniel.”

“…I was never your disciple in the first place.”

“Then that’s good. We have no relationship now.”

“We never had a relationship to begin with!”

“Right.”

Siol pulled out a dragon scale from his pocket, scattered it on the floor, and then bent down, slamming his hand onto the surface of the water. A magic circle originating from his fingertips connected Siol to the outside world.

The target was the pebbles Siol had scattered throughout the city. The pebbles, each engraved with a small magic circle, responded to Siol’s call and melted, emitting a faint light. Some melted meaninglessly into the stone floor and disappeared, but some melted onto Nathaniel’s magic circle and flowed inside. Magic circles serving different masters attacked each other. Of course, the pebbles were at a disadvantage. But behind them was the world’s deliveryman, who had received fourteen dragon scales.

The deliveryman couldn’t participate in the fight, but he endlessly provided supplies so that the pebble’s magic circle wouldn’t be defeated. A brief exchange ensued, but the tireless warrior soon triumphed.

He had succeeded in seizing the opponent’s magic circle.

Nathaniel stared at Siol, who was overturning everything he had planned in an instant, with horrified eyes. But there was nothing he could do.

“This… This is absurd…!”

At Siol’s gesture, Eorzen, bound by the power of the magic circle, collapsed to the floor. Siol rotated his wrist, passed Eorzen, and approached Nathaniel. Nathaniel bit his lip and tried to swing his staff again, but Siol was faster. Siol ran like the wind, snatched Nathaniel’s staff, and instantly thrust his fist into Nathaniel’s stomach.

The beastman’s fist, filled with all his might, easily tore through the human’s stomach and pierced through to his back. Nathaniel twitched for a moment, then coughed up blood with a gasp and slowly began to melt.

“…Master…, you’ll regret this….”

“Never call me Master again.”

Siol clicked his tongue, watching Nathaniel’s body slowly melt. He didn’t know if Nathaniel had been inspired by his homunculus or something, but Nathaniel’s body wasn’t real. Siol threw Nathaniel, who continued to look at him until the very end, disappearing into a shadow, onto the floor. The powerless shadow wobbled and sank into the water before completely dispersing.

The threat was gone.

Siol breathed a long sigh in the midst of a feeling that his head was burning. Now it was time to sort things out. First, release Eorzen….

The moment he looked back at Eorzen, Siol felt as if his head was burning again.

That’s mine, why should I release him?

The sudden surge of discontent belonged to the rampaging beastman. Siol grimaced and struggled to regain his reason.

“I have to… release Eorzen quickly….”

But that reason was only faintly present. The rampaging instinct, unwilling to lose control, moved Siol’s body at will.

Siol staggered and mumbled, then knelt on the floor and slowly brought his face to the surface of the water. As if possessed, Siol opened his mouth, then shuddered and abruptly sat up. But then he lowered his body again and licked the surface of the water, his last breath. Each time he drank the water, instinct, the meager reason of the beastman, and hot impulses took over his body.

And finally, it completely consumed Siol.

Siol stood up straight, looked up, and exhaled deeply.

An intense sense of liberation he had never felt before enveloped him. It felt as if nothing could constrain him, nothing could stand in his way.

Why had he endured everything when there was no need to?

Reach out for what you want, demand what you desire, and if they don’t give it to you willingly, just take it.

Siol inhaled the cold air and smiled refreshingly. He seemed completely unaware that this sense of liberation was the result of the rampage caused by his last breath.

Or perhaps, he didn’t care. Because in front of Siol sat the Blue Dragon.

Eorzen, his body restrained by the power of the magic circle, sat quietly on the still water, gazing at Siol. Even though he must have felt the power binding him, he obediently surrendered himself to Siol without resistance.

“Eorzen.”

Called by name, the Blue Dragon tilted his head slightly and blinked slowly.

That gaze seemed to want Siol to call his name again, or to wait for Siol’s touch. Siol happily considered what to do and decided to do both.

“Eorzen, you were waiting for me, weren’t you?”

As he strode forward and reached out his hand, the Blue Dragon leaned his cheek against Siol’s hand as if he had been waiting.

As the sculpted beauty rubbed his cheek against his hand like a spoiled child, Siol felt a warmth in his stomach. The heat climbed up his spine and warmed his brain.

Ah, I want to devour him.

There was no reason not to. Siol again acted on his impulses. He slid his hand from the dragon’s cheek to his hair, pulled it back, leaned in, and covered the dragon’s lips with his own.

Eorzen, momentarily surprised, readily accepted Siol’s kiss.

Siol delved deep into the forcibly opened mouth. Siol was the invader, but the other party willingly drew the invader deeper inside, playfully teasing and enjoying it. Siol lightly tickled the underside of his tongue, sucked and bit his lips, and then shivered as he felt the slow rubbing motion.

At some point, Eorzen’s hands were holding Siol’s cheeks.

The overall appearance was no different from Siol intimidating his Blue Dragon, but somehow, it felt like the Blue Dragon had the lead in the kiss.

Siol didn’t like that.

Because he didn’t want to be devoured, but to devour.

“Shh. Stay still….”

Then, the magic circle raised and fixed Eorzen’s hands above his head.

The Blue Dragon, in his disheveled state, was bound and unable to move with both hands restrained. His face, which usually had a calm and cool impression, was languidly relaxed as he looked up at Siol. A strange tension gripped Siol as he met the gaze of the moist eyes blinking slowly. Hiding the tension that tightened his spine and made his neck tremble, Siol leisurely admired the man before him.

Those glacial blue eyes had always looked at Siol with affection, but now — their temperature was a little different. He felt a thick, melting heat. They were hot eyes filled with anticipation.

What if those blue eyes melt away from the heat?

Siol had a silly thought and imaginatively licked the slightly reddened corners of his eyes.

No, there was no reason to stop at imagination. Siol immediately lowered his body and licked up the corners of Eorzen’s eyes.

“Mmm…!”

Eorzen’s shoulders twitched slightly.

Once, he had imagined this beautiful man crying. Pleading for love in front of his only mate, anxious, cautious, and finally resorting to tears. Just like his father had done in front of his mother, acting weak and vulnerable, clutching his waist and begging for affection.

Siol wanted to see the Blue Dragon cry.

Because this man would only show such a side in front of his mate.

As he thought so, a needle-like discomfort prickled the back of Siol’s neck.

He clicked his tongue and said, holding Eorzen’s chin with his fingers.

“Let’s do it, Blue Dragon.”

Siol whispered, as if telling a secret, as he looked at the beautiful, drenched man. At the direct suggestion, Eorzen looked up at Siol with a dazed expression and nodded blankly.

However, because his expression wasn’t one of temptation, Siol became sullen and sulky.

“Do you hate doing it with me? Because I’m not your mate? I saved you, so what’s wrong with doing it once?”

“No, that’s… that’s not it….”

“Then what is it?”

“…I….”

Eorzen opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but in the end, he didn’t speak. He just shook his head with a troubled look on his face.

His melancholic eyes trembled, yet clung desperately to Siol. He wasn’t welcoming, but he didn’t pull away as if he disliked it either. Siol couldn’t understand what the Blue Dragon in front of him was thinking.

“If you don’t want to, then just-”

“No!”

“…Huh?”

As Siol, hurt by his unwelcoming attitude, tried to step back, Eorzen hurriedly shook off the spell that bound his arms and clung to Siol. He didn’t put his weight on him, but just tightly gripped Siol’s clothes with both hands.

“I don’t dislike it, Siol.”

“Uh….”

“I don’t dislike it, rather….”

Eorzen looked up at Siol pleadingly.

As if he didn’t know what to say, he opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out, as if distressed.

“…Really?”

When Siol asked again gruffly as if to confirm, Eorzen leaned his cheek against Siol’s stomach and slowly nodded. As he blinked, tears streamed down the corners of his eyes. The Blue Dragon, with an expression that suggested he didn’t even know he was crying, kept his eyes fixed on Siol, waiting for his actions.

Ah, beautiful. As expected, the Blue Dragon is beautiful even when crying.

Siol unconsciously leaned down and licked Eorzen’s cheek. He tasted the damp cheek with its salty tang, then licked a little higher, over his eyelashes. A different taste, a different texture than before.

“Okay. Then let’s do it, Eorzen. Okay?”

“Okay….”

It was still a somewhat hesitant response, but this time, he clearly showed affirmation. He even seemed willing.

The Blue Dragon seemed out of his mind to nod at the words of a man who wasn’t his mate. But if not now, when would he ever have a chance with the Blue Dragon? Perhaps only now, intoxicated by the last breath and the love potion, could he enjoy himself with the Blue Dragon.

Siol decided to put aside the fact that the Blue Dragon was crying and that he didn’t know what he was thinking.

Siol grabbed Eorzen’s face with both hands and lunged at his lips. As he bit down hard on the well-formed lips, Eorzen flinched and leaned his weight against Siol.

Their mouths met again. Eorzen’s restrained hands slid behind Siol’s neck and pulled him closer.

“Ugh…! Wait, Eorzen…!”

“Siol….”

The moment he heard that voice right next to him, Siol froze like a deer in headlights, unable to do anything but accept the violent plunder. Eorzen, with his arms around Siol’s neck, licked the inside of his mouth and bit his lips. It was a violent, primal kiss, like that of a beast. It exquisitely grazed the precarious point between pain and pleasure.

“Siol… Siol….”

Moreover, every time Siol tried to regain his senses and push him away, Eorzen whispered his name sweetly, stopping him.

Just hearing his name, why did his strength keep draining away?

It’s just a name.

“Siol.”

With all his might, Siol tilted his head back, broke the kiss, and panting, covered Eorzen’s mouth with both hands.

Eorzen was smiling deeply, looking into Siol’s eyes, filled with fear and confusion. Mesmerized, Siol stared at the charmingly upturned eyes and swallowed nervously.

He couldn’t understand why the man, who had been crying plaintively and acting ambiguously just a moment ago, changed so suddenly as soon as their lips met. Nor could he understand why the hot breath flowing between their touching lips, his name, was so stimulating.

It wasn’t the first time the Blue Dragon had called his name, so why—.

“Siol.”

A small whisper brushed against Siol’s palm.

Siol flinched at the ticklish breath and glared at Eorzen.

Just hearing his name, why was his heart pounding and all his nerves drawn towards him?

The Blue Dragon had always called his name. Smiling gently, reaching out his hand and calling his name, Sizool would embrace him—.

“My name….”

It’s the first time since we met that he’s called me Siol.

Because he called me Siol, not Sizool. That’s why. That’s why it feels like this.

Suddenly, a desire to test how thrilling it would be to be called “Siyoon” surged within him, but Siol barely managed to keep his mouth shut.

While Siol hesitated, Eorzen suddenly licked the palm of Siol’s hand. Then, keeping eye contact with Siol, who was staring blankly at him, he opened his mouth and sucked on his palm.

What is this now!

Siol frowned and glared at the Blue Dragon. He didn’t want to just stand back and be subjected to this. If he didn’t want to have his palm licked or his name called, Siol had only one option.

Siol quickly put it into action because he liked the method quite a bit.

It was to remove his hand and kiss him. Then Eorzen obediently closed his eyes and responded to the kiss.

No, it wasn’t just obedient acceptance. Eorzen embraced Siol’s back with one hand and supported the back of his neck with the other, deepening the kiss. It was a desperate gesture, as if he would lose his life if their joined bodies separated.

It was somewhat convulsive and forceful, but it didn’t hurt Siol. If Siol turned his head or tried to push Eorzen’s shoulder away slightly, he would tremble as if something terrible had been done to him, looking aggrieved, and comply with Siol’s wishes.

Eorzen’s reaction gave Siol a feeling of deep satisfaction.

As they explored each other’s mouths for a while, feeling each other’s warmth, Siol suddenly paused, sensing something strange.

“Eo…rzen?”

Eorzen was crying.

It wasn’t just a single tear rolling down like before. He was practically sobbing, tears streaming down his face, though he made no sound.

“Why…. Why are you crying?”

“…Because I’m happy. Right now, I’m so happy.”

Siol, who had been tense, wondering what was going on, relaxed his stiff shoulders. His anger completely dissipated.

“…If it’s too much, should we just hug?”

When he asked, Eorzen tightly embraced Siol’s back with both arms. His wet face rested against Siol’s shoulder. He shook his head and pulled Siol’s back and waist, pressing him tightly against his body. Eorzen’s heart pounded against Siol’s chest.

“Kiss me….”

“…You’re crying, and you still want me to kiss you?”

“Yes…, keep, keep doing it.”

Eorzen said, showering Siol’s lips with pecking kisses with an earnest gaze.

Siol, mesmerized, stared at the man who was begging him to kiss him, to receive his kisses, even while he was being kissed, and then gently sucked on his lower lip.

“Siol… I’m so happy. I love you, Siol….”

It would be so wonderful if these words were truly meant for me.

He intended to take many things from this man tonight.

“I love you too, Eorzen.”

I’m exchanging your lies for my truth. You’re at a bit of a disadvantage, but please understand.

Hiding his true feelings, Siol kissed the man deeply again, who was crying and proclaiming his love under the influence of the potion.