TDAA Ch 11
by soapaWhen Ryufen opened his eyes that day, he instinctively knew his time had come. How could he describe the despair he felt when he confirmed that where his leg should have been, there was only an empty void?
He was a warrior.
The first to charge toward the direction pointed by the Blue Dragon’s hand, a knight who brought victory, and a guardian who stood by the dragon’s side.
Losing one leg didn’t mean he couldn’t fight, but with his skills undeniably diminished compared to before, how could he confidently step up as deputy commander? His running speed would slow, and with only three legs to stand on, he wouldn’t be able to lead battles with stability. Climbing cliffs would become difficult, and a hind leg kick was now forever impossible.
Yet, despite all this, he was still a warrior.
He had no intention of giving up being a warrior. He told himself he needed to get used to his three legs quickly, that to do so, he had to eat plenty of meat to recover and train. That’s what he had thought.
“…My hind leg…”
Waking from sleep, Ryufen mumbled to himself, instinctively checking if his hind leg was still there. One was firmly attached, and the other, though merely hard metal, moved as naturally as a real leg.
Ryufen stretched his body and took a few steps forward.
The effort of running across the mountains all day had paid off. The subtle sense of unease he felt while walking was far less than it had been in the morning.
Truthfully, he hadn’t set out intending to run until he collapsed. But once he started running, he couldn’t stop. The belief that he’d never run like that again felt like a lie, and the blizzard whipping against his cheeks spurred him on exhilaratingly. Faster, harder, longer—running until he could run no more.
When he finally confirmed that even with his current legs, he could run as he had with four, he lay on the snow and wept a little.
“Ugh, my body’s aching.”
Dragging his heavy, exhausted body after running all day, Ryufen stepped out of the room.
It was already late evening, and the surroundings were dark. Using magic to light the torches, Ryufen walked through the dim corridor toward the hall.
It was strange. When it was just Ryufen and Eorzen, it didn’t matter if the corridors were unlit. But ever since Siol arrived, they’d made sure to keep the lights on along the boy’s paths, worried he might be scared. So why was it so dark now?
Arriving at the hall with a slight sense of caution, Ryufen was met with an eerie sight.
Inside the darkened hall, the fireplace blazed fiercely. Pale moonlight seeped through the long window’s curtains, illuminating Eorzen’s head. His glacier-like hair gleamed almost silver under the moonlight. Eorzen’s face, tilted downward, was shrouded in shadow, but his vivid blue eyes stared intensely below, their reptilian slit pupils silently sizing up prey.
“…Commander?”
At that moment, the fireplace roared, casting the room in a bright crimson glow.
Only then did Ryufen notice the silhouette of a boy resting his head on Eorzen’s lap. It was Sizool, the young wolf Eorzen had been staring at.
“Commander, why are you looking at the kid like that?”
Sensing something off, Ryufen hurried closer and asked. Eorzen flinched, turning toward Ryufen.
It was the usual Eorzen. He blinked with a slightly dazed expression, rubbed his forehead, and shook his head as if tired.
“Ugh… I must’ve dozed off for a bit. When did it get this dark?”
With a casual wave of his hand, the candles on the wall lit up one by one, brightening the hall.
“…Commander, you were just staring at the kid with your eyes wide open.”
“…I was?”
“Yeah, you were staring at him so intensely, I got freaked out wondering what you were doing.”
“That’s strange. I don’t remember that. Sizool said he was tired during the day, so I put him to sleep, and then… I must’ve fallen asleep too.”
“Did you pick up a habit of sleeping with your eyes open from the aftereffects of going berserk or something?”
At that, Eorzen furrowed his brow.
It wasn’t uncommon for strange habits to develop after going berserk. Since no one knew what happened or what thoughts crossed the mind during a berserk state, the cause was unclear, but sometimes new kinds of magic could be used, or someone might suddenly be unable to sleep in a bed. Sleeping with eyes open was certainly an odd habit, though.
“You must be tired. Well, it’s understandable. I’ll get dinner ready quick. I’m about to collapse from hunger.”
Missing a meal or two during missions was common, but to eat dinner this late in a castle with plenty of food? Unacceptable. Thinking about how much meat was left in the basement storage, Ryufen turned to head to the kitchen but stopped.
“Sizool, stop sleeping and get u—”
As Ryufen approached Siol, raising a front paw, he glanced at the arm blocking his way. Eorzen was frowning.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh… waking the kid up?”
“Why wake a sleeping kid?”
“So he can eat?”
“You can wake him when the food’s ready.”
“No, the kid’s a bit frail, you know? If he eats right after waking up, he might get sick, so I was gonna wake him early.”
“…That… makes sense.”
Nodding as if convinced, Eorzen personally shook Siol’s shoulder. Watching this, Ryufen thought Eorzen was really something else but kept it to himself. When would this strange behavior of his finally settle down?
Groaning as he woke, Siol realized where he was, jolted upright, and clutched his forehead as if in pain.
“Ugh… How long was I out?”
“Not long.”
Eorzen’s tone was strikingly gentle compared to the wary look he’d given Ryufen moments ago. He carefully combed Siol’s messy hair with his fingers and straightened the boy’s clothes.
He was practically a doting father. When had Eorzen, who used to leave all childcare to others and go off to work daily, grown so attached to Siol? At this rate, that little wolf might grow up into a helpless fool unable to fend for himself.
Of course, Eorzen was the lord of this city, so pampering a frail wolf wouldn’t exactly cause problems. He had the means to care for a young wolf comfortably until its dying day.
But that wasn’t what worried Ryufen.
“Sizool, go pick some herbs outside.”
“Uh… herbs?”
“Yeah. Over there, dig under the snow by the tree. There should be some grass underneath. Just grab some leaves.”
Siol had questioned what nonsense this was, herbs in this weather, but after a detailed explanation, he nodded, convinced.
“I’ll be back!”
As Siol left, Eorzen, who’d been frowning, spoke up.
“Why send the kid on such an errand just to talk?”
“Commander, wolves are pack animals.”
“…I know that.”
“They’re not dragons. Dragons can live fine, then suddenly only hang out with a mate and be okay, but wolves usually get hurt if that happens. Adult wolves might understand what dragons are like and let it slide, but a young wolf can’t.”
Only then did Eorzen grasp what Ryufen was getting at. He was concerned about Eorzen getting too close to Siol.
“Didn’t you leave the kid with me in the first place to avoid issues like this? What’s with you lately?”
“That’s true. But…”
Eorzen turned toward the window, gazing fondly at Siol running toward the tree.
“I’ve already grown attached. What am I supposed to do? If you were going to give advice like that, you should’ve done it sooner.”
“Well… that’s true.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let it become an issue you need to fret over.”
“How do you plan to handle it?”
“Even if I find a mate, I won’t turn cold to everyone else. It’s just that love can make you lose your senses a bit.”
Ryufen’s eyes screamed that that was the biggest problem.
“…Unless my mate says they don’t want to see Siol, I won’t treat him coldly. And dragon mates have always been good people. They wouldn’t demand I cast out my allies for no reason. Above all—”
After a brief hesitation, Eorzen continued.
“I don’t want to push a child away for a mate I don’t even know when I’ll meet.”
“…Ugh. If you put it like that, what more can I say? Anyway, I’ve warned you.”
“Alright, that was surprisingly decent advice from you.”
“Well, that kid’s grown pretty close to me too, you know.”
When they first brought him here, Ryufen hadn’t planned on getting this attached.
He’d only meant to take in a pitiful child from the Death Alchemist’s glass tube, care for him, and stay with him until he could survive on his own. But that small child had somehow become deeply significant to both Eorzen and Ryufen.
Looking awkward for even saying such a thing, Ryufen gazed out the window at Siol, crouching by the tree, digging through the snow.
“Oh, but seriously, tone it down a bit. You know you’re going overboard lately, right?”
“Overboard?”
“You keep the kid from going anywhere. He needs to run around to stay healthy, but you’re always trying to keep him close. You can’t raise a wolf like that.”
“I don’t trust your words. If you know so much, why’d you feed him until he got sick?”
“That…! I said I was sorry….”
At a loss for words, Ryufen pouted discontentedly.
“Sizool’s an alchemist, and even as a wolf, he’s never lived like one. Trying to suddenly raise him as a wolf might actually be bad for him.”
Their opinions clashed over Siol. Eorzen showed no sign of backing down, and Ryufen inwardly sighed, thinking Eorzen was spouting all kinds of nonsense. Realizing this debate was pointless in Eorzen’s current strange state, he decided to retreat for now. He’d bring it up again when Eorzen was less… odd.
“I’m saying it again, I’ve warned you.”
Shaking his head, Ryufen headed to the basement storage to fetch meat for dinner.
⋆୨🔮୧⋆
Snow blanketed the dark garden.
Siol’s breath formed thick clouds before dispersing. Back at the lab, when this kind of cold hit, he’d huddle by the fireplace under a blanket, not moving an inch. But now, even in thick clothes, he could move freely. It seemed a beastman’s body felt cold far less than a human’s. Siol wondered if the fur covering his wolf form still had an effect in his human shape as he ran toward the tree Ryufen had pointed out.
Honestly, he didn’t fully believe Ryufen’s claim that there’d be herbs under the piled snow. He figured it was probably another prank, but he’d come out on the errand because he had something to do in secret.
“Here we go.”
Crouching down and pretending to dig through the snow, Siol discreetly checked the pocket inside his clothes. As expected, a reply had arrived in the meantime.
[Actually, I might not be able to reply quickly for a while. There’s so much to learn.]
Siol didn’t know what a “family business” entailed, but it seemed Ladie was struggling quite a bit.
Ladie was a bright and resourceful girl. Not long after arriving at the lab, she realized the only role available was that of a maid and quickly learned the necessary tasks. Though clumsy at first, it wasn’t long before managing supplies or handling servants became impossible without her.
For such a quick learner to struggle with inheriting the family business, it must be some highly skilled trade.
If Siol had known, he would’ve taught Ladie some alchemy during their time at the lab. Even if she didn’t become an alchemist, the studies would’ve helped with whatever she pursued. Pushing aside his regrets, Siol took out a blank piece of paper and used alchemy to write a reply.
[Got it. Still, you’ll master it in no time. You learn everything so fast.]
[Thanks. Luckily, the people my father left behind are following me well.]
It seemed Ladie was taking a break, as her reply came immediately.
Was the family business about managing people?
Considering how clever Ladie was, perhaps her late parents were merchants or owned some kind of workshop.
[Great. Can I come visit sometime?]
[Please do! You’re welcome anytime.]
Smiling happily, Siol sent the reply and resumed digging through the snow.
Though he didn’t fully trust Ryufen, he intended to play along. To his surprise, there was actually grass growing beneath the snow—vibrant and fresh-looking. The leaves had a slightly bluish tint, not quite like normal chlorophyll, but it was undeniably a herb.
“…He wasn’t joking…”
Siol, who had deeply doubted Ryufen, was a bit stunned but calmed himself and picked the herb’s leaves.
After gathering a handful and covering the spot with snow again, he returned to the castle. Ryufen was already in the kitchen, slicing meat. Siol dumped the herbs onto an empty plate and asked,
“So, what are the herbs for?”
“…I read in a book that you’re supposed to add this kind of grass when grilling meat.”
“You read a cookbook?”
“You’re such a picky eater, that’s why!”
Ryufen shouted, then chopped the herbs finely while nagging.
“You’re so frail and barely eat more than a rabbit’s paw, so I thought maybe if it tasted better, you’d eat more. I looked at a cookbook for you. I don’t even do this for the Commander… Ugh. Be grateful, got it?”
Siol pouted at the unfair accusation but didn’t protest. Saying he wasn’t eating little, just eating like a human, would only lead to Ryufen lamenting how Siol grew up eating so sparingly under the alchemist that he was satisfied with human portions.
And, regardless of the reason, the fact that Ryufen was studying cookbooks and experimenting with cooking for him was surprising.
“Well… thanks. Will this make it taste better?”
“Dunno. The cookbook said to add it, so I’m just trying it.”
It seemed all Ryufen had gleaned from the cookbook was to add herbs. He’d apparently skipped over details like the amount or what else to include. Looking at the herb-covered raw meat, Siol nodded with a hum.
Since Ryufen was trying so hard, Siol decided he’d eat it gratefully, even if dinner ended up smelling only of herbs.
Leaving the diligently cooking wolf in the kitchen, Siol stepped out to the hall, where Eorzen turned to look at him. Setting the book he was holding on his lap, Eorzen waited for Siol to approach. How long would this “strange Eorzen” persist? Siol thought as he obediently sat beside him.
Eorzen took Siol’s hands, gently kneading them, and said,
“Your hands are freezing. No more going out to pick herbs.”
“What? They’re just a little cold…”
His fingertips were only slightly red, and it was banned outright? Thinking Eorzen was being too extreme, Siol protested.
“It’s not just a little. You could get frostbite.”
“Not from this.”
“You could.”
At the firm response, Siol looked at Eorzen discontentedly but ended up just sighing. Nothing got through to Eorzen in this state. So, he decided to accept it for now and bring it up again once the “strange Eorzen” was gone.
Though he reluctantly let it slide, his dissatisfied expression must have lingered, as Eorzen spoke soothingly.
“If you really want something to do, go set some napkins on the table.”
That comment made it clear how much Eorzen was treating him like a fragile thing. Siol sighed inwardly and shut his mouth.
Dinner was worse than expected.
The meat, cooked over high heat from the start, burned the herbs to a crisp, leaving barely any herb flavor. Chewing the ashy meat, Siol silently thought this world probably hadn’t researched cancer yet. Unfortunately, with Ryufen proudly watching him eat, Siol didn’t have the courage to say he couldn’t eat it.
Eorzen seemed to feel the same. The two exchanged glances and quietly finished the meal.
Dessert was cream buns and cookies bought from the market. Washing away the taste with sweet cream, Siol sighed, realizing mealtimes would be rough for a while.
Afterward, the three gathered near the fireplace, each sleeping or reading to pass the time. Eorzen shot Ryufen a look, as if to say, “If you’re going to sleep, go to your room, why stay here?” But Ryufen, dozing off, stubbornly held his ground. Siol didn’t understand why but just let it be.
When bedtime came, Eorzen kissed Siol’s cheek and whispered,
“Good night, Sizool.”
“Good night, Eorzen.”
Ryufen watched the scene with a disapproving look. Hadn’t he told Siol that morning to stay close to the Commander? Had his opinion changed since then? Ryufen looked troubled even as they parted ways to their rooms.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hey… isn’t the Commander acting too weird?”
“You said that earlier.”
“No, he’s weirder than I thought. What do we do…?”
Unable to discern the difference between “weird” and “weirder than thought,” Siol rolled his eyes quietly and said,
“Um… he’ll get better, right? It’s not like this’ll last forever.”
“You… ugh. Yeah, I guess.”
Seeing Siol’s carefree response, unaware of the concern, Ryufen clicked his tongue with a mix of worry and exasperation.
He was right, though. This state wouldn’t last forever. But that was also the problem. A dragon would return to normal once this “strange state” passed, but what about the hurt Siol would feel from the dragon’s change after growing close during this time?
Ryufen wanted to warn Siol not to get too close to the dragon, but that might make the dragon spiral further, so he couldn’t. Honestly, if Ryufen had known Eorzen would get this bad, he’d never have asked Siol to stay near him. He’d thought Eorzen was just a bit off and asked for Siol’s help, not expecting it to escalate this much.
Changing his stance now felt awkward, and even if he did, it seemed unlikely this tiny kid could resist Eorzen’s affection.
In the end, there was one solution. Ryufen resolved to minimize the time Eorzen and Siol spent alone together.
“…Good night, dummy.”
“Why’re you picking a fight when I’m going to bed?!”
“Ugh, my head…”
Ryufen stumbled into his room, and Siol glared at the closed door for a moment before heading to his own.
Once alone, Siol instinctively rummaged through his clothes, pulling out his pocket. He also took out the cookie he’d secretly saved during dessert. Enduring Eorzen and Ryufen’s subtle looks to keep it was worth it.
Biting into the sweet cookie, Siol recalled the day a prickly girl, once wary like a hedgehog, had smiled for the first time after eating a small chocolate. In this world, sugar was quite a luxury. Cookies made with heaps of sugar and almonds were a rare, lavish treat.
He wanted to share this sweet flavor with Ladie. Siol carefully wrapped the almond cookie in paper and placed it in the pocket. The space inside the pocket swallowed the cookie, transporting it to the connected space. Then, with a faint pop, smoke began rising from the pocket.
“Huh?”
Hastily opening it, Siol saw the almond cookie was gone, and the magical runes drawn at the pocket’s base were burning.
Seeing the scorched, distorted runes, Siol realized his mistake.
This pocket was an alchemical tool over a decade old—a cheap, low-quality item he’d made haphazardly when proper materials were scarce. He’d stashed it away in a shed somewhere after getting better materials for a new one. It was a miracle it hadn’t broken sooner. Modifying the runes to add functionality had worked fine until now, but it was bound to fail eventually.
Thanks to Siol’s skill, it had handled light items like paper without issue, but the almond cookie had overloaded it.
“Ugh… so stupid…!”
Groaning, Siol turned the pocket inside out, shaking out the ashes and inspecting the remaining rune traces. The engraved runes had nearly evaporated, losing their meaning and power to the world.
“Oh, please…”
Siol hurriedly summoned magic to re-etch the faint traces onto the pocket. He worried the connection to Ladie’s pocket was gone, but since that rune was added later, a bit remained. It was a threadbare link, thin as a spider’s web, but he was grateful for even that.
Exhausted from the sudden magic drain, Siol collapsed. Using a large amount of magic at once had depleted his body’s reserves, causing an imbalance—a rookie mistake made in his panic.
This kind of thing usually clears up in about five minutes. In fact, it was fortunate that he could maintain the pocket’s connection at such a small cost.
Enduring the dizziness while waiting for the magic in his body to regain balance, Siol’s next action was to check the flow of ambient magic. Since he’d used his internal magic, he figured it wouldn’t have affected the surrounding magic much, but he was still worried Eorzen might have noticed.
Thankfully, as expected, what he’d just done had barely disturbed the ambient magic.
If a dragon entered the room, they might sense something had happened, but it seemed unlikely Eorzen, in a distant room, would notice.
“Phew… thank goodness…”
Muttering in relief, Siol sprang up and began rummaging through the room. What he’d just done was merely a temporary fix to tie the pockets’ connection. Now, it was time to properly repair the broken pocket.
But Siol hadn’t lived in this room long, nor had he owned much for very long. The only things in his room suitable as offerings were a book from Eorzen and some clothes from Ryufen.
Using those as offerings would surely lead to questions about how he’d lost them. Going outside now would draw Ryufen’s sharp, suspicious gaze, so he couldn’t go searching for offerings either.
With no other choice, Siol, like a good kid, climbed onto the bed, pulled the covers over, and closed his eyes.
⋆୨🔮୧⋆
The herb-ash-crusted grilled meat from yesterday was apparently so bad that even Ryufen couldn’t help but reflect on it. This morning, with a cookbook propped up by the sink, he grumbled while marinating meat and grilling it over medium heat, producing a surprisingly tasty dish.
If this massive grilled meat had been served for lunch or dinner, Siol might’ve eaten it happily.
Ignoring Ryufen’s “What’s wrong this time?” glare, Siol quietly ate a small portion of meat, some salad, a slice of bread, and drank tart apple juice.
“Thanks for the meal. I’m gonna go play outside for a bit!”
“What? Wait, Sizool…!”
Finishing his meal in a hurry, Siol grabbed his coat and dashed out of the dining room. Eorzen tried to call after him but was stopped by Ryufen.
“What are you doing?”
“Commander, the kid can go play a bit, why are you acting like this?”
“Well…!”
“Even a little wolf needs some personal time. Plus, he’ll eat more if he runs around a bit. No matter how much you’re the Commander, as an adult wolf guardian, I can’t forgive you for stopping him from playing.”
Seeing Ryufen’s rare stern and resolute expression, Eorzen furrowed his brow briefly before nodding. He agreed Siol needed to eat more, so Ryufen’s point seemed valid enough.
“And—”
“Hm?”
“If you keep following him around like that, Sizool might get fed up. Do you know how fast kids that age grow and change? Puberty hits in no time.”
“Fed up… with me?”
Eorzen, who’d never considered a young wolf’s puberty, froze, unable to respond. Seizing the moment, Ryufen’s eyes gleamed as he pressed on.
“It could happen. Being good to a kid and being overbearing are totally different. A guardian’s supposed to maturely watch a kid grow.”
Coming from Ryufen, the words sounded a bit dubious and less trustworthy, but they didn’t seem entirely wrong either. Eorzen, filled with worry, couldn’t tear his gaze from Siol running around outside.
Meanwhile, Siol was scampering through the snowy garden, collecting things the Courier might like. Since this world grew herbs under snow, maybe flowers grew too. He dug through the snow here and there, picked up fragrant twigs, and gathered pretty pebbles.
If a proper alchemist knew Siol was gathering these items to prepare for a trade with the world, they’d be shocked. Some might scoff, and if they saw the trade, they might cry foul over its unfairness. But the Courier always did much for Siol for small offerings.
Whether it was affection or favoritism, Siol felt the Courier’s deep kindness toward him.
That didn’t mean it was right to always summon him with trivial offerings, but Siol had no choice now.
“I’m super broke right now…”
Sighing deeply over his current lack of resources, Siol reflected.
Maybe one day he could earn money through alchemy, but not now. He couldn’t bring himself to sell alchemical creations to people who’d only suffered because of alchemy. That felt too shameless.
Still, considering the Courier’s tastes, he managed to find a single flower the Courier might like.
After that, he stole a small piece of soap from the bathroom, toyed with an ornate dagger on the corridor wall before putting it back, took a nearly spent candle from the fireplace mantel, and picked up but returned a silver candlestick.
While running through the corridors, looking for something to grab, he spotted a tree outside with clusters of purple berries and rushed out to pick handfuls. Ryufen, seeing this, washed the berries, and Eorzen, Ryufen, and Siol sat by the fireplace, eating them together.
“Been a while since I had these. They’re good.”
“They’re in the garden, so why’s it been a while?”
“Picking them’s a hassle. Why bother with something that’s not meat?”
“Because they’re tasty…”
Sprawled on the floor, licking up berries one by one, Ryufen realized there were none left near him and opened his mouth wide. Siol, initially confused, quickly caught on.
“…Ryufen, seriously…”
Stifling a laugh and shaking his head, Siol tossed a berry into Ryufen’s mouth. Ryufen chewed slowly and opened his mouth again.
“Ryufen’s the laziest wolf I’ve ever seen.”
“Yup.”
Unfazed by the accusation, Ryufen opened his mouth wide again, only to yelp and roll over when a berry hit him, thrown by an exasperated Eorzen.
Eorzen clicked his tongue and said,
“You don’t have to indulge that lazybones’ every whim, Sizool.”
“Okay…”
Siol couldn’t even understand why he kept giving in to Ryufen’s absurd requests. But when that big wolf made ridiculous demands, Siol’s hands moved before he could think.
Ryufen rolled back to his spot, warily eyeing Eorzen as he picked up berries with his own hands.
“Oh, I’m gonna head out again!”
Startled by the few remaining berries, Siol bolted out. Eorzen watched his retreating figure with a slightly discontented expression. He agreed Siol needed to play, but he could barely resist the urge to keep him close.
Running around didn’t suit Siol’s personality to begin with. That kid preferred sitting, reading, or writing books, so why was he suddenly dashing about…?
Pausing mid-thought, Eorzen fell silent, quietly staring down the corridor where Siol had vanished.
⋆୨🔮୧⋆
Siol had meant to use the berries as offerings, but after Ryufen caught him, he ended up suggesting they eat them together. He didn’t regret it since Eorzen enjoyed them, but recalling Ryufen lazily lying there, moving only his mouth to eat, made him bristle.
Hurrying through the castle again, Siol resumed collecting items for offerings.
He picked up a small dragon-shaped ornament from a corridor corner, placing it visibly on a windowsill, stole three cookies from the kitchen, plucked a winter rose from the backyard, and found a small acorn-like nut buried in the snow—maybe stashed by a squirrel.
Hiding in the dim space under the stairs, he laid out his haul, which looked pathetically meager: nuts, a flower, cookies, a pebble…
“A single dagger would be nice…”
But he didn’t want to steal something like that from the Blue Dragon’s castle. Maybe he could find something better in the mountains outside. But that would require permission…
As Siol groaned, deep in thought, a gem-encrusted dagger dropped from above. Catching it instinctively, he looked up to see Eorzen standing there.
“E-Eorzen?!”
“I’ve given you a dagger. Now do what you were planning.”
“…What?”
“Do it.”
Eorzen, with an unusually cold expression, gestured with his chin.
Seeing a chilling look he’d never witnessed before, Siol thought everything might be over. From posing as a child to being the Death Alchemist, it must all be exposed. Why else would Eorzen look at him like that? The cold gaze scared him more than the curse gripping his heart.
“I-I…”
“Hurry.”
Trembling, Siol began as instructed.
He laid out the flowers, cookies, pebble, and acorn he’d collected all day, placing the gem-encrusted dagger atop them—the same dagger he’d picked up in the corridor earlier and put back.
These items were enough for an offering. No, a dagger this valuable might be enough on its own.
Staring blankly at the gleaming dagger amidst his humble items, Siol clenched his eyes shut and bit his lip.
This dagger would soon vanish as an offering, but it would also become a weapon proving he was the Death Alchemist, surely piercing his heart. Yet, even if he defied the dragon, the curse twisting his heart would kill him anyway.
Looking up in fear, Siol saw Eorzen watching silently, waiting for him to continue, with no sign of relenting.
With no choice, Siol pulled the pocket from his clothes, placed it before the dagger, and, with shaking hands on the offerings, summoned magic to request a trade with the world.
The magic sparked light, racing across the floor to form a circle, within which runes appeared. Then, a fierce wind swirled within the rune circle, wildly stirring the surroundings. This wasn’t how the circle usually reacted—what was happening? Panicked, Siol shielded his face from the wind brushing his cheeks, assessing the situation. Meanwhile, the Courier smoothed Siol’s disheveled hair, placed the repaired pocket in his hands, and left.
“Uh… I-I didn’t do this… I mean, I did, but this…”
“Enough.”
Eorzen cut off Siol’s stammering excuses.
He had stepped back several paces, his long hair now disheveled. With a sigh, he waved his fingers, and a breeze appeared, neatly tidying his hair before vanishing.
“Now explain. What did you do to the pocket?”
“I tried fixing it after it broke from putting stuff in it…”
“You were running around all day for that?”
“…Yes.”
Eorzen’s face hardened.
“Why would you…!”
“Hey, Commander, what are you doing to the kid?!”
Feeling the indoor gust and rushing in, Ryufen roared, stepping between them. Glancing between a near-tearful Siol and a frowning Eorzen, he pushed Siol into a corner with his hind legs.
“Commander, I don’t know what happened, but you can’t treat the kid like this.”
Siol, trembling and crouched in the corner under the stairs, and Ryufen standing protectively in front. Seeing this, Eorzen let out a deep sigh.
“…Sizool, come here.”
At Eorzen’s command, Siol hesitantly crawled closer, hands fumbling on the floor. Ryufen looked exasperated, and understandably so—after positioning himself to protect the kid, Siol went to Eorzen at a single word. But Siol had his reasons. Disobeying Eorzen’s orders would mean his heart being gripped and collapsing.
Was his neck about to be snapped now?
Yet, when Siol looked up at Eorzen with a gloomy expression, Eorzen scooped him into his arms. Startled, Siol tried to look at him, but Eorzen pressed his head firmly against his chest, preventing movement. For a moment, Siol held his breath, wondering if Eorzen meant to crush him in his embrace, but he flinched at the gentle hand patting his back.
“Follow me, Ryufen. I’ll explain what’s going on.”
At Eorzen’s words, Siol clutched the pocket tightly, eyes darting. He, too, needed an explanation. He couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
Arriving at the hall, Eorzen sat on the sofa by the fireplace, pausing to gather his thoughts before speaking. All the while, Siol remained trapped in his arms.
“Ryufen, you remember a few days ago when I gave Sizool a pocket, don’t you?”
“Yeah, the one…you gave me? Something about Burdril causing trouble?”
“Exactly. Sizool kept fussing over that pocket, so I told him not to overdo it.”
“And?”
“His behavior today was odd, so I followed him, and what he was doing…!”
Eorzen looked down at Siol in his arms, exasperated. His gaze was heavy with frustration, yet his hand never stopped gently patting Siol’s back. The disconnect between his words and actions made Ryufen give an uneasy look.
“He was grabbing a few cookies, picking a winter rose, and digging up an acorn from the snow.”
“So what? Kids do that kind of stuff when they’re playing. What’s the big deal?”
“He left a silver dragon ornament that fell on the floor on a windowsill instead of taking it, and he only glanced at a dagger displayed in the corridor before moving on. I wondered what he was up to. At first, I thought it might be some kind of make-believe game. But then he was muttering in a corner about wishing he had just one dagger.”
“Uh… why didn’t he take the one in the corridor to play with?”
Because he wasn’t playing—he was looking for items to offer to the world as sacrifices. He couldn’t steal something valuable from the Blue Dragon’s castle, knowing it’d vanish forever.
“He wasn’t playing. The reason he was unusually active today was just to secretly gather materials to fix the broken pocket.”
“…Why didn’t he just ask?”
“That’s one of the reasons I got upset.”
“What! Sizool, you messed up!”
Ryufen barked after hearing the full explanation.
“I mean, the castle’s full of daggers, silver candlesticks… tons of valuable stuff. Why act so desperate? And in some dusty corner under the stairs?”
Hiding under the stairs was Siol’s choice, but Ryufen was the one who’d cornered him there. Siol started to protest but caught Eorzen’s glance and shut his mouth.
Truthfully, he still didn’t fully grasp the situation.
When Eorzen appeared behind him, Siol thought he’d been caught sneaking around with alchemy and assumed Eorzen was furious, suspecting ties to the Death Alchemist. But listening to him explain to Ryufen, that didn’t seem to be the case.
The reason for that terrifying expression wasn’t to condemn him—it was—
“You didn’t keep your promise not to overdo it.”
Concern that he looked like he was pushing himself too hard?
“But I really didn’t overdo it.”
Siol mumbled reflexively in defense.
If he’d truly overexerted, the curse would’ve gripped his heart and shaken it. But the dragon and wolf, unaware of this objective fact, shot him piercing glares.
It was true, but these two weren’t about to believe him.
“This castle is brimming with gold and jewels, gathering dust in the basement with no one using them. You couldn’t say a word to ask for any of it and went picking up acorns instead, and you say you didn’t overdo it? Sizool, your idea of ‘overdoing it’ is too extreme. Until you can tell the difference, you’d better avoid working alone.”
“No, it really wasn’t hard at all!”
“You should’ve told me if you needed something because the pocket broke.”
“That’s…”
He couldn’t admit the real reason it broke—his own mistake. How could he have the nerve to ask for materials to fix it?
As Siol trailed off, crestfallen, Eorzen and Ryufen’s gazes softened with pity. Found in the Death Alchemist’s cabin, the poor boy must’ve been trying to secretly repair the pocket because of someone’s influence, they figured.
They couldn’t help but assume the Death Alchemist had been stingy about Siol using materials.
Giving up on scolding, Eorzen patted Siol’s back gently and explained.
“Sizool, the only one curious about that pocket is Burdril. You don’t have to stress about figuring it out.”
“Yeah, who else but that old geezer cares about some ratty pocket’s secrets?”
Ryufen waved a front paw as if he’d smack anyone else who showed interest.
“If you want to research it, go ahead, but no one will scold you if you fail, so don’t get so tense.”
“Right, if it works, great. If not, no big deal. Why’re you shaking like that?”
“And if you need anything for your research, just say so. I’ll get you whatever I can, so stop scavenging pebbles or berries.”
“Hm. Those berries you picked were tasty, though.”
Eorzen shot a sharp glance at Ryufen, who kept chiming in with useless comments. Ryufen flinched, looked away, pretending ignorance, but unable to withstand the stare boring into the back of his head, he bolted for the kitchen.
“Uh, I’ll go prep some snacks!”
Eorzen clicked his tongue, watching Ryufen’s retreat, then looked down at Siol and whispered.
“If you need anything, I’ll get it for you. A dagger, a silver candlestick, even jewels. Oh, speaking of, I had something prepared for you, Sizool…”
“Prepared something?”
“Yes… but since you messed up today, you’ll have to wait as punishment for your curiosity.”
That’s a punishment? Siol stared at Eorzen, dumbfounded. Eorzen smiled, stroking Siol’s cheek.
Siol had thought his secret was exposed, leaving only Eorzen’s anger and contempt ahead, followed by attempts on his life.
But the outcome was nothing like he’d imagined. He couldn’t believe it resolved so simply.
His identity wasn’t uncovered, and Eorzen didn’t pry into the pocket’s secrets. He’d only followed Siol out of worry over his unusual behavior, advising him not to act so desperately since he’d provide any offerings needed.
Truly, it was purely out of concern.
How could he describe this feeling? As Siol hesitated, grappling with the emotion, something happened.
A clump of magic squeezed through the gap of a closed window, taking the form of a bird. It circled the room before flying toward Eorzen. As if expecting it, Eorzen calmly extended a finger. The bird perched on it, chirped briefly, and with a pop, turned into a piece of paper.
Eorzen read it carefully, then suddenly smiled. Ryufen, returning from the kitchen with juice, cookies, and bread, noticed and asked,
“What’s up?”
“…They’ve found the guerrilla unit’s base that’s been harassing Ephania.”
Sensing an intriguing story, Ryufen hurried over, setting tea and snacks on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Eorzen shifted Siol, still in his arms, to sit properly on his lap and handed him a chocolate chip cookie.
Siol found the excessive coddling absurd, but since he was secretly hungry from running around gathering materials all day, he accepted it quietly.
“So, the question is whether to annihilate or exile them,” Eorzen said.
Ryufen’s face twisted in disgust.
“Annihilate, obviously. Why even ask?”
“Annihilate?” Siol blurted out, chilled by the word’s grim implication, but realized his mistake before getting an answer.
War is inherently brutal, isn’t it? Especially in this war, humans were mere invaders. They’d attacked a peaceful beastman nation, stealing land and enslaving its inhabitants—vile aggressors.
Siol started to apologize for his careless question, but Ryufen, munching on a meatball he’d brought for himself, began explaining.
“Ephania’s probably begging for it. These guys aren’t just waging war to seize land—they’re set on starving the city to death, which is worse than fighting.”
“Starving to death?”
“Ephania’s mostly home to rabbit beastmen. They’ve got their own way of fighting, but it’s no match for predators. Humans saw them as easy prey and sent a guerrilla unit from their territory. They’re great at hiding, fast, and have alchemical tools for concealment. We’ve been tracking them for half a year but couldn’t catch them.”
Concealment alchemical tools? Siol hadn’t made anything like that. It was probably crafted by Nathaniel or someone in the royal alchemy department.
“Know what they did in that half-year?”
Ryufen’s expression turned so menacing that Siol instinctively swallowed hard. Noticing his tension, Eorzen lightly patted Siol’s side.
“They attacked merchants heading to Ephania, disrupted food shipments, and sometimes snuck into the city to set fires. They chased down and killed anyone leaving for other cities.”
“Why… why do that?”
“To sow fear.”
“Ephania’s become a city people are scared to visit or leave. They’re skilled artisans, usually living off handicrafts, but with no merchants coming, money and food have stopped circulating… They’re not great at farming either, so they’re on the verge of starving. How long can an isolated city last without food?”
An isolated city with no proper food reserves—it was dizzying just to hear about.
At best, a city could stockpile enough food to last its citizens maybe three years. With the aid of magic or sorcery, that could stretch longer, but Ryufen’s story didn’t suggest such factors were at play.
“So they’re trying to starve them out to take the land?”
“No. What humans want from Ephania is a massive slave ranch.”