TDAA Ch 22

However, Eorzen, whom Siol eagerly awaited, did not return that day, nor the next.

“….”

“Sizool?”

“Yes?!”

Siol, lost in thought, jumped in surprise.

Siol and Asios were out distributing keyrings to the beastmen. He had a mountain of things to discuss with Eorzen, but he hadn’t returned to the city the day before yesterday, nor yesterday. Ryufen acted nonchalant, saying nothing could have happened to a dragon, but Siol couldn’t hide his growing worry.

How could anyone guarantee that nothing would happen to a dragon?

And Eorzen too. He’d promised to return soon, yet he’d been out for two nights.

Siol’s stomach churned with a mix of worry, anxiety, and melancholy. Really, what were these complicated, illogical emotions?

“I’ve distributed all the keyrings. Except for my father’s.”

Surprisingly, Period had disappeared since that day. Judging by the maintained protective barrier, it was certain he was in the city, but they couldn’t find him anywhere. Suspicions deepened, and Asios became noticeably thinner.

“You’ve worked hard, Asios.”

“I just did what I had to do. Even if my father really did it, the residents of this city are innocent.”

He was right.

That was the reason why they couldn’t easily leave the city, even though they knew a dangerous magic circle was about to be deployed. Because they didn’t know what would happen to the remaining residents if they simply abandoned this land.

This city was known as the first city to form an alliance with Eorzen’s city. If they left without helping, Eorzen would surely be branded with the stigma of abandoning an allied city. Ryufen’s opinion was that even if they left, they shouldn’t flee, but leave after striving to do something.

Siol saw Ryufen in a new light. He was always playing strange pranks, but he was a wolf who stepped up when he needed to. Well, no matter how generous the Blue Dragon was, he wouldn’t have kept him as a subordinate if he was always acting foolish.

“Then let’s go back.”

Siol stood up obediently and dropped a small, white pebble on the ground.

For the past two days, Siol had been trying to find a way to counter Nathaniel’s scheme. It was impossible to find a perfect countermeasure since he didn’t know exactly when and how Nathaniel would act. But if he thought broadly, he was certain Nathaniel would use the earth for something. This pebble was a tool that would help Siol then.

“If you need it, I can help you scatter them throughout the city.”

“No. I’m scattering them according to certain conditions.”

“Hmm….”

“It might look like I’m just scattering them randomly, but I’m not. And I’m almost done.”

Siol grumbled and stared at the ground for a moment before asking,

“…When will Eorzen be back?”

Asios shook his head, looking troubled by the dejected question. Siol knew Asios wouldn’t have the answer. But he was so melancholic that he couldn’t bear not asking.

He felt sorry for Asios, who looked flustered, but he didn’t have the energy to pretend to be cheerful.

“Since even you are waiting like this, I hope your mate will find you and return soon.”

“…Yes… that’s true.”

Siol barely managed to answer and clenched his fists.

That’s right. Eorzen’s return meant he had found his mate. It hadn’t been the case last time, but it might be this time. Even if it wasn’t this time, it might be the next. Because he would fly off to find his mate again and again.

For a moment, Siol wished he wouldn’t return.

Of course, that thought was fleeting. Siol immediately rebuked himself for such a wicked thought and closed his mouth tightly.

He didn’t know why he kept having these strange thoughts. Or perhaps he didn’t want to understand. He felt like he knew something, yet didn’t want to know, and thought he should know, yet turned away.

“Ah…!”

Distracted by his troubled thoughts, Siol slipped on the mud created by water leaking from a construction site. He felt himself falling backward and braced for the pain.

But the next moment, Asios, who was standing next to him, grabbed his shoulder and pulled him. Siol bumped his nose against Asios’ chest and let out a groan, catching his breath.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes! Thank you…. I almost ruined my clothes.”

“Wait, why are you talking about clothes right now?”

“Uh…. I thought I would’ve been covered in mud if I fell?”

“Still, that’s not the issue. You could have been hurt if you fell, why are you worried about your clothes? Clothes can be washed.”

Siol nodded at Asios, who was subtly glaring at him. He was a little scared because Asios, who rarely got angry and only ever flustered, was acting sternly.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“No, I didn’t mean for you to apologize…!”

Asios, with a look that suggested words had reached his throat but were swallowed back down, sighed deeply and shook his head.

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re not hurt. Ah, is your shoulder okay?”

“My shoulder? Ah. It stings a little…. But it’s fine. I didn’t fall, thanks to you.”

Asios bowed his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I was so startled that I couldn’t control my strength properly. I’ll bring you some medicine when we get back.”

“I’m fine, really. I might have bruised my hip if I’d fallen.”

“Bruised your hip… if you’d fallen…?”

“No, I’m just kidding. It was a joke. I was just saying.”

Siol hurriedly said it wasn’t true, but Asios didn’t look convinced.

He was seen as such a weakling that Siol couldn’t even joke about this kind of thing. He looked ready to believe Siol had broken his shoulder bone just from being grabbed. Siol sighed and walked ahead toward the lodging.

What greeted Siol and Asios upon their return was a palpable air of excitement among the knights. Ryufen, who was engaged in a serious conversation with them, beckoned to Siol when he saw him.

“What is it, Ryufen?”

“Sizool, the Captain’s back.”

“Really? Really?”

Excited, Siol was about to run upstairs when Ryufen grabbed the back of his neck.

“Ouch…. Why, why are you doing this? I want to go greet Eorzen!”

“…Listen, for a second. Actually, there’s something I’ve been hiding from you….”

Ryufen sighed deeply and pulled Siol down onto a chair. Why was he doing this when Siol wanted to go upstairs right away? He seemed to hesitate for a moment, even as Siol looked at him discontentedly, then pressed down on Siol’s shoulder as he tried to get up and opened his mouth.

“Actually, the Captain’s been showing signs of a rampage since last time….”

Ryufen glanced at Siol as he said this.

Siol was bewildered, not understanding what was going on. Signs of a rampage? He’d never felt anything like that. If Eorzen was showing signs of a rampage, Siol should have been the first to notice, more than anyone else here. Because he was a guide.

Thinking it was absurd, Siol still asked in a hushed voice,

“Is he… very unwell?”

“He seems to be trying to hold back, but he’s on edge…. So you stay here and don’t go up. We’re discussing what to do with the Captain. We can’t let him rampage in another city. In our city, we make everyone stay away from the castle for a while, but we can’t do that in another city. Especially since we can’t contact the lord right now.”

His tone was filled with exhaustion, as if he hadn’t expected Period’s disappearance to lead to this.

Siol looked up towards the second floor. If Eorzen was nearing a rampage, what he needed most was Siol himself.

“I’ll go up.”

“What? What are you talking about, I told you to stay here…! Sizool, wait, hey!”

Ignoring Ryufen shouting behind him, Siol ran upstairs.

Oh, honestly. As soon as he reached the second floor, he could clearly feel the energy peculiar to an awakened ability user about to rampage. Thanks to this, Siol could sense which room Eorzen was in without knocking. It was his room, Siol’s room.

Why is he in my room?

Feeling puzzled, Siol opened the door and went inside.

As soon as he entered the room, he felt damp humidity. Beyond the partition next to the fireplace was a large tub for bathing, which Siol had never used. But now, he could hear the sound of water and see steam rising from there.

Siol hesitated for a moment, then took a step in that direction and asked,

“Uh, Eorzen?”

As soon as he called out his name, Siol felt an unknown force pulling him. A violent magical power wrapped around his waist and dragged him roughly.

“Whoa…!”

And when he came to his senses, he was bracing himself against the edge of the large bathtub to avoid falling in. He was just about to dunk his face in the water. What was going on? His startled heart pounded. Before his heart could calm down, a wet hand emerged from the water and gently gripped his cheek. As he tried to lift his head, Eorzen came right up to him. Eorzen’s blue hair cascaded down, covering both sides of Siol’s face, and then a soft sensation landed on the top of his head.

“Sizool…. Where have you been all this time?”

No, it’s you who’s been gone. Siol grumbled inwardly and closed his eyes tightly.

It felt like his heart was beating in his eardrums. Was it because he was so happy to see Eorzen after three days, or because the man in front of him was so captivating?

Eorzen caressed Siol’s cheek and made him lift his head, unable to do so himself.

“Eorzen….”

“Yes.”

Looking into his smiling face as if urging him to continue, Siol tried to suppress his pounding heart.

This was bad. Eorzen was clearly smiling gently and warmly, but his eyes… weren’t right.

The madness seething within his blue eyes was clear.

The Blue Dragon was barely controlling something raging within him with his reason, as if he were about to go on a rampage at any moment.

“Ugh…!”

However, that control wasn’t perfect. Eorzen’s outward appearance was completely normal, but his gentle touch on Siol’s cheek and neck was forcibly absorbing his guiding pheromones. Siol could do nothing but moan and accept this forced tyranny.

If this had happened on Earth, he would have grabbed and broken the other person’s fingers to get them off. But the person in front of him was the Blue Dragon, and he didn’t even seem aware that he was committing such an act.

Siol, at a loss, just rolled his eyes and looked up at Eorzen. He still had a gentle expression on his face. As if asking what was wrong, an adult-like face that seemed to promise to solve everything if Siol just spoke.

“Um….”

If it weren’t for the fact that his pheromones were being plundered from his captured cheek and neck, Siol might have embraced his sturdy neck. No, even if his eyes just looked normal.

Siol started panting, unable to step back or avoid him while looking into Eorzen’s eyes.

“Yes, go on, tell me.”

His actions and words were completely different.

Siol protested inwardly and tried to control the rate at which his pheromones were being drained, but it was no use.

It was strange. Usually, when his pheromones were forcibly taken like this, he experienced symptoms similar to excessive bleeding. Shortness of breath, dizziness, and unbearable fatigue.

But now, instead of that, a chilling sensation swept down his spine.

It felt as if Eorzen’s hand was slowly stroking the back of his neck.

A chilling, sweet, and toe-curling–.

Siol tried his best not to succumb to the strange sensation and gripped the bathtub tightly.

This plundering was definitely not the Blue Dragon’s intention.

He didn’t even seem to realize what he was doing, his body simply craving Siol’s guiding pheromones of its own accord. A rampage, in a way, was similar to being extremely hungry, so the desperate act driven by starvation was nothing more than an unavoidable instinct.

Anyway, since Siol had come here to guide him, he willingly offered his pheromones.

The problem wasn’t that Eorzen was frantically inhaling pheromones, but what was happening to Siol’s body because of it.

“…Ugh…!”

He barely managed to swallow the escaping sound, but he couldn’t suppress the low moan.

Siol was trying to exhale slowly and cautiously gauging Eorzen’s reaction when it happened.

Eorzen tapped Siol’s cheek with his thumb and said, “Didn’t I ask you, Sizool?”

“…Yes? What, what did you ask?”

“Where you were going. Hmm?”

Was that… a question that warranted such persistent inquiry?

As Siol stared up blankly, Eorzen grinned, lightly kissed Siol’s cheek, and removed his hand.

“Ah. You seem dizzy because of the steam. I’ll get rid of the bath, so let’s have some tea and finish our conversation.”

He seemed to think that Siol’s dazed state was due to the heat of the bathwater.

The feeling of his pheromones being sucked away suddenly stopped, leaving him breathless as if he had been running at full speed and then come to a sudden halt. While Siol panted, catching his breath, Eorzen rose from the bathtub. The sound of splashing water echoed loudly.

Eorzen, dripping wet, walked from the tub towards the closet, then abruptly stopped.

Seeing Eorzen frozen in place, Siol realized he was looking for towels and clothes.

“I’ll get your clothes!”

Siol quickly dashed out of the room. He thought he heard Eorzen calling after him, but he was too distracted to react.

Rummaging through Eorzen’s closet in his room, Siol desperately tried to make sense of the situation.

Eorzen was strange right now. There was no other way to describe it.

He wasn’t a beast like when he was in full Berserk mode, nor was he rational like usual. He was like a strange mixture of Eorzen right after a Berserk episode, with a bit of both states mixed in – affectionate and gentle, yet also somewhat beastly.

But even that forced behavior was somehow captivating…

Siol sank to the floor, clutching a pile of Eorzen’s clothes and burying his face in them.

“Ugh…”

This version of Eorzen was incredibly difficult to deal with.

It would have been much easier if he had gone into a full Berserk. Then, the other beastmen would flee like they did that other time, the curse would return Siol to his adult form, and all Siol would have to do was diligently guide Eorzen.

But now, the thought that Eorzen might remember this later prevented Siol from acting boldly. And secretly guiding him like usual was… the sensation was too…!

Siol blushed and sighed deeply.

But he couldn’t just keep hiding here while leaving the strange Eorzen in the other room.

Steeling his resolve, Siol stood up. He carefully opened the door and entered the room to find Eorzen standing exactly where he had left him.

The blue dragon stood there, soaking wet, head bowed. Water dripped from his wet hair, pooling on the floor.

The moment Siol saw the man standing motionless with his head down, he flinched at the forlorn sight.

It was just his back, yet why did he look so distressed?

Wondering what could have happened in such a short time, Siol quickly approached and grabbed Eorzen’s arm. Eorzen, who had been staring blankly at the floor, flinched and slowly turned his head.

“Eorzen, what’s wrong?”

“…Sizool…?”

Eorzen, pale and stiff, lifted his head and looked at Siol. As if he had found something astonishing, he bent down and pulled Siol into a hug.

“Ah… I’ve missed you so much, Sizool.”

Wasn’t that a bit much, considering he had only been gone for a moment to fetch clothes?

Siol wiggled his fingers, passively accepting Eorzen’s embrace. When Eorzen’s breathing seemed to calm down a bit, he pushed against his chest. Eorzen resisted for a moment, hugging Siol tighter, but he yielded when Siol whispered his name.

“Eorzen, you’ll catch a cold. You need to dry yourself.”

Only after hearing Siol’s words did Eorzen look down at himself, tilting his head as if unsure why he was in such a state. It seemed he had lost the memory of what happened before Siol left the room. It wasn’t unusual. The symptoms that appeared as Berserk approached varied from person to person, and memory loss was one of them.

As Siol looked up at him with pity, Eorzen muttered something like a magic spell and tapped Siol’s shoulder. Instantly, Siol’s clothes, which had gotten wet from Eorzen’s embrace, became dry.

Pulling Siol toward the fireplace, Eorzen said, “Now, to avoid catching a cold, you need to warm up. Get some heat from the fireplace.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. It would be bad if you caught a cold.”

“No, not me, you, Eorzen!”

“Ah.”

Eorzen looked down at himself again. He casually dried his own body and obediently put on the clothes Siol offered him. He acted as if he was doing it because Siol told him to, rather than out of any real concern for catching a cold.

Siol took Eorzen’s hand, who was dressed and waiting for Siol’s instructions like an obedient child, and led him to the fireplace.

He felt like their conversation had been constantly missing the mark.

Feeling a wave of fatigue, Siol stared blankly at the crackling fire. He clenched his teeth, feeling a sticky gaze upon him. He tried to look away, wanting to avoid it, but he couldn’t ignore it forever.

Siol turned to Eorzen, his face crumpled in near tears.

“D…don’t look at me like that…!”

Eorzen was smiling, his eyes crinkled at the corners, gazing at Siol with affection. It was surely just his desire for guiding pheromones, amplified by the approaching Berserk, but Siol’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why can’t I look at you like this?”

“Be…because it’s embarrassing…?”

Eorzen then pulled Siol’s hand closer and kissed the back of it. Siol trembled as the sensation of guiding began again.

“You’ll get used to it.”

“Ugh…”

A torrent of words surged up from his stomach, threatening to spill out, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter them.

Overwhelmed by indescribable feelings, Siol stared at Eorzen with a reproachful, almost tearful expression, and finally let out a deep sigh.

Once again, he reminded himself, Eorzen was on the verge of Berserk. And he was experiencing memory lapses as a side effect.

So it wasn’t strange that he was acting strange.

“…Oh, well. Never mind. More importantly, um… Eorzen…?”

Shaking his head and trying to steer the conversation, Siol was about to suggest they start guiding when he was met with Eorzen’s suddenly hardened expression. The man who had been smiling so sweetly just moments ago now wore a cold mask, and Siol froze in response.

Eorzen tugged at Siol’s shirt, exposing his shoulder, and fixed a chilling gaze on the handprint there. It was the mark left by Asios when he had caught Siol from falling earlier. It didn’t seem like it would bruise, but the red mark was vivid.

Then, with a gentle, warm smile, he asked, “Now that I think about it, Sizool. I’ve been asking you where you were. Where were you?”

“Well…”

“Come now, tell me the truth.”

Once again, with eyes that seemed somewhat unhinged.

Siol stared blankly at Eorzen, momentarily captivated by the sweet voice, before snapping back to his senses. Seeing Siol almost about to speak, Eorzen looked at him with a hint of regret and began to whisper in a soothing tone.

“Don’t worry, Sizool. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“What… what do you mean, worry?”

“I won’t kill Asios for touching your shoulder. Okay?”

“…Huh?”

Siol asked, dumbfounded.

Why was Asios being brought up now? And even if he had touched him, why would it be a matter of life and death?

He looked up, wondering if it was some kind of joke, but Eorzen, despite his gentle expression, showed no sign of retracting his words or laughing them off as a jest. What he had just said was truly, deeply meant.

Siol firmly grabbed the fabric of his shirt that Eorzen was holding, straightening his clothes, and then took Eorzen’s hands in his own.

“Oh, you’re having such strange thoughts. I think I understand why you’re like this, but please stop it.”

“You understand why I’m like this?”

“Of course. You’re incredibly thirsty right now, aren’t you?”

“…Yes, Sizool. I’m thirsty. Right now, I’m so… you’re…”

“I understand, so just wait a moment.”

“Hmm.”

Eorzen looked like he had something to say, but as Siol fiddled with his hand and began guiding in earnest, he simply nodded quietly.

However, it didn’t last long.

“But are you really not going to tell me where you’ve been?”

“You really can’t stay quiet, can you?”

“I’m curious.”

He answered with a pouty smile, and Siol almost swooned.

This is all, everything, just happening because of the guiding….

Siol thought to himself, looking at Eorzen with annoyance. This was all being done to help him, but he kept making strange noises and interrupting, causing Siol’s frustration to rise.

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll get close to Asios?”

“Yes, you seem to be getting too close lately.”

“…Ah…, no, that….”

Siol took a deep breath, flustered by the sudden tone of grievance in Eorzen’s reply.

“You didn’t bite Asios, did you?”

“What? Why would I bite Asios?!”

“—Right. There’s no reason for you to do that.”

This time, Eorzen wore a pleased expression.

Eorzen’s emotions were fluctuating wildly, and Siol couldn’t understand why they were changing so much.

“Then, what’s the reason I shouldn’t be close to Asios? He’s a really good beastman.”

“What about him do you like so much?”

“Why do you need to know that?”

“To learn.”

“Ah, no… that….”

A half-crazed Eorzen was excessively alluring. Siol pressed his lips together and glared at him, but Eorzen only tilted his head, as if urging him to answer.

“…He’s a good… friend. So don’t learn anything useless….”

“Then?”

“Then what?”

“Then what should I do to be good as something other than a friend?”

At this point, Siol was truly speechless.

He would charm him like this, and then tomorrow, act like he knew nothing, just like after his last Berserk episode, looking at him innocently while stroking his hair before leaving to find his mate.

“…Figure that out yourself.”

“You’re being sulky, Sizool.”

“You’re much more sulky, Eorzen!”

Eorzen gazed at Siol with amusement, seemingly unaware that he was pouting himself.

For the past few days, he had been struggling through foreign lands, searching for his mate somewhere. From some point on, his head felt foggy and dizzy, but he didn’t feel the heat exploding from within him. So he thought he could still endure it, but then his memories started to become fragmented. There were times when his rationality returned, but it was so brief that he couldn’t do anything.

So, he thought that when he woke up from his next Berserk episode, he would have to add a new type to the Berserk patterns, and he was helplessly waiting for time to pass—

When he opened his eyes, Siol was kneading his hand, and nonsense was still spilling from his mouth, but Siol, while exasperated, diligently continued to respond.

“I see.”

At the reply that seemed to be suppressing laughter, Siol glared at him, thinking he was being teased, then let out a deep sigh. He had the look of someone resigned to putting up with him.

Eorzen couldn’t remember when he had returned, why he was in Siol’s room, or why Siol was fiddling with his hand. But none of that mattered. The anxiety and restlessness that had tormented him for days were completely gone. Eorzen decided to enjoy this moment of peace. He rationalized that after enduring such a difficult time, he deserved a little rest.

“Sizool. Can I lie down for a bit?”

“Huh? Uh… Do as you please.”

Eorzen rested his head on Siol’s thigh, looking at him with wide eyes as if he didn’t know why he had even asked. He felt Siol flinch beneath his ear. Siol seemed to hesitate before relaxing, as if giving up.

This small child was weak to others’ persistence. He was shy and timid, but if someone he was slightly acquainted with pushed him, he would give in. It pleased Eorzen, but it also pained him. The thought of Siol yielding to someone else….

Wait, what am I thinking…?

Eorzen flinched at the unscrupulous thought that crossed his mind and shook his head in a fluster. Siol twitched at the movement and tensed his toes. His toes curled, and his ankles straightened, causing his pants leg to slide down, revealing his ankle.

Eorzen thought he had seen that ankle somewhere before.

His gaze was fixed on Siol’s ankle, unable to tear away. As if possessed, Eorzen sat up and reached for it.

“Whoa?! Eorzen?”

As Eorzen pulled up Siol’s pants leg and tugged at his ankle, Siol, nearly falling over, braced himself with a hand on the floorboards behind him and called out.

“Sizool. Your ankles… are really beautiful.”

Eorzen said in a dazed voice, turning to look at Siol.

It was an expression, a look in his eyes, that Siol had never seen before in all the time he had known Eorzen.

He seemed somewhat out of it, a little more crazed, and at the same time, there was a hint of madness.

While Siol held his breath, captivated by that gaze, Eorzen pulled him closer and hugged him tightly from behind.

“…Your back must be beautiful too.”

“Y…yes?”

Eorzen slowly trailed his fingertips over Siol’s back, trying to recall a sensation he had felt sometime before.

And then, he noticed something shimmering amongst Siol’s hair. Eorzen reached out as if mesmerized, but his hand grasped nothing.

When he realized something was odd, it shimmered again near the crown of Siol’s head, beside his cheek, on his shoulder.

What is this?

He felt his vision swim.

At that moment, a strange pulse swept through the city.

He felt a tremendous power rippling through the city like a wave. It was a surge of magical energy.

Holding Siol in his arms, Eorzen gauged the trail of the pulse. The wave, originating from the Tower of Survival, shook the entire city and flowed out into the plains. He could almost feel the confusion of the monsters outside the city.

“It’s the Tower of Survival, Eorzen.”

Siol said, pushing against Eorzen’s arm. Siol, also a magic user, knew how dangerous this surge of magic power was. It was clear that the monsters, suddenly struck by the magical energy, would go on a rampage.

But what Siol thought of the moment he felt the magical surge wasn’t the monsters outside the city.

“Eorzen, Nathaniel, Nathaniel is in this city!”

Siol said, looking back at Eorzen. But in the next moment, a look of frustration crossed his face.

Wasn’t Eorzen in a strange state right now? There was no point in telling him such things when he wasn’t in his right mind.

“Nathaniel, the disciple of the Alchemist of Death?”

Eorzen asked in a serious tone. Siol felt something was wrong at that moment.

“Y-yes… Nathaniel, the disciple of the Alchemist of Death… is plotting something… in this city….”

“What is he plotting?”

“He drew a magic circle throughout the city… a magic circle to bind large monsters. The lord has been missing for two days, and I think he used the magic stone from the Tower of Survival in the magic circle… and also…”

What else was there? In his confusion, Siol blurted out the information he had intended to report to Eorzen upon his return.

“The necklace… he made a tool to disable the electric shock in the necklace…”

“I see, Sizool.”

Looking up at Eorzen, who was gazing at him with a look of pride, Siol impulsively asked, “Eorzen, are you, by any chance, in your right mind right now?”

“Of course I’m in my right mind.”

Eorzen replied, raising an eyebrow. It was the usual Eorzen. The serious and composed Eorzen.

Wait, he wasn’t in Berserk? It was all a misunderstanding? The blue dragon had been in his right mind all along?

Siol stared at Eorzen, dumbfounded. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly turned towards the window and stretched out his right hand. At that moment, the window shattered, and a fierce blizzard rushed in.

If Eorzen hadn’t anticipated it and cast a protective barrier, Siol might have been covered in cuts from the broken glass.

“This…”

“The protective barrier is broken.”

Eorzen scooped Siol up in his arms and lightly brushed the hair of the stunned Siol. Then he tilted his head.

“Did something get on me?”

“I thought something was there….”

The conversation was cut short by the roar of a monster in the distance. The protective barrier was broken, and a monster, agitated by the surge of magic power, had begun to rampage nearby. The next step would naturally be for it to charge towards the city and wreak havoc.

Eorzen went to the closet, opened the door, and pulled out the blankets piled inside.

Then he placed Siol on top of them.

Siol involuntarily recalled the incident in the closet at Eorzen’s castle.

“Sizool, wait here.”

“Huh? No, what are you talking about? Why?”

“It’s dangerous outside. I’ll take care of it and come back, so wait somewhere safe.”

“I can help too!”

“But… Sizool. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

Saying so, Eorzen gently brushed Siol’s cheek with his thumb. Again, he tilted his head. Siol, wondering if something strange was on his face, rubbed his cheek with his palm.

“…Anyway, wait until I come back for you.”

At the firm command, Siol pressed his lips together. He knew that with the dragon’s curse, he wouldn’t be able to take a single step out of the closet after such an order. As he glared with a disgruntled expression, Eorzen chuckled, lifted Siol’s chin, kissed his cheek, and took a step back.

Eorzen patted the top of Siol’s head, then paused, looking dazed, before smiling with delight.

“It really wasn’t anything.”

“Huh? What do you-“

“Sizool, I think we have a lot to talk about.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“I’ll come back for you, so hide here and wait for me. We have… so much to talk about.”

Eorzen whispered, rubbing Siol’s ear with his thumb. Siol shrugged, then relaxed at the ticklish sensation, and was soon enveloped in the large blanket.

What could he possibly want to talk about? As Siol stared blankly at Eorzen, who seemed strangely excited, he laughed and took Siol’s hand, intertwining their fingers, and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand.

It was a usual gesture of affection, yet somehow Eorzen’s eyes, his expression, were different, and Siol felt as if he were held captive by him. Eorzen whispered softly, his lips still pressed against the back of Siol’s hand, as if speaking into his ear.

“My Sizool. I’ll be back.”

Sitting in the closet, in the room Eorzen had left, Siol finally took a deep breath after a long while.

He couldn’t understand what was going on at all.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

After Siol went upstairs on his own, Ryufen and the knights, anxiously observing the situation, suddenly heard a sound like the sky shattering and rushed out of their quarters to witness a horrifying sight. The crackling, thunderous sound was the protective barrier breaking. Cracks spread across the barrier that enveloped the city, and it began to crumble and melt away, starting from the sky above the Tower of Survival.

It was strange.

Ryufen was a wolf who had lived through all sorts of hardships, and he had even witnessed the death of a lord before. There had been lords who died with successors and those who died without, but in neither case had the protective barrier ever broken like this. Typically, the barrier would last for about a week after the lord’s death, disappearing from the outer edges inward.

Ryufen slapped Asios on the back, who was staring blankly at the slowly dissolving barrier.

“Snap out of it, Asios! If the lord had died, the tower would have sent a signal to find a new lord, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah…! That’s right. Yes, you’re right.”

“Don’t get complacent, you idiot. You know what it means if this is happening while the lord is still alive, right?”

“I… know.”

Asios nodded with a gloomy expression.

If this situation wasn’t caused by the lord’s death, then it had to be assumed that the lord himself had created it. Nevertheless, Asios felt a sense of relief. Was it better that his father, whom he had met after more than a decade, was siding with humans rather than being dead? Logically, he knew it wasn’t, but he couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“Monsters will soon swarm the city. Is everyone ready to fight?”

Ryufen asked, looking at the knights. They were already poised for battle.

The protective barrier didn’t just prevent monsters from entering the city. Something emanating from it made monsters reluctant to even approach the vicinity. With the barrier gone, monsters would charge towards the city like insects swarming a place they had previously avoided due to a repulsive smell.

Fortunately, the knights here, excluding Asios, were among the most skilled fighters of Eorzen’s knights. It was only natural, as they had been brought here in anticipation of war. He hadn’t dreamt that something like this would happen, but he couldn’t be more thankful.

“Then from now on…”

At that moment, the door to the quarters swung open, and the blue dragon emerged.

“Captain!”

“Captain, what happened?”

“Are you alright? You… look alright on the outside… but are you crazy on the inside?”

“Vice-Captain, shouldn’t we run away?”

“W-what should we do, Vice-Captain?”

The knights looked at Ryufen warily, keeping a close eye on Eorzen. Ryufen scanned Eorzen up and down, then slowly approached him, lowering his body.

“Where’s Sizool?”

Ryufen asked with a grimace, and Eorzen slowly turned to look at the large wolf. Looking into the black eyes filled with suspicion towards him and worry for Sizool, a sense of displeasure welled up inside him. Siol had been very close to Ryufen at the castle. He wasn’t suspicious of their relationship, but was it really necessary for them to be that close?

However, he quickly regained his composure.

“…I left him hidden in the closet.”

“…Huh?”

Ryufen, who had been prepared to get angry, thinking Eorzen had knocked the child unconscious again like he did during his previous Berserk episode, looked up at the window of Siol’s room on the second floor of the quarters in bewilderment. Siol was in the closet of that room.

“Why did you lock the kid in the closet?”

“I didn’t lock him in. I hid him.”

“It’s the same thing!”

Ryufen burst out, then sighed deeply.

“What if monsters invade the quarters? He could die trapped in the closet!”

“There’s no need to worry about that. I cast a barrier so no one can enter.”

“A barrier… if you cast a barrier, it should be fine, but…”

Why go to such lengths?

It would be much safer to keep him close and protect him. Moreover, now that Siol had recovered significantly, it wouldn’t be bad for him to gain experience and learn to pull his own weight. Even with his unique ability in alchemy, as a wolf born into this world, shouldn’t an adult help him gain enough strength to protect himself?

Eorzen glanced at Ryufen, who was pouting his lips discontentedly, and flicked his wrist. Swords, spears, and other weapons whizzed out from inside the quarters and flew into the hands of their respective owners. These were the weapons the knights had left in their rooms before going downstairs and hadn’t been able to retrieve due to Eorzen’s intimidating presence upon his return.

“You really are in your right mind.”

“Captain!”

“Weren’t you going Berserk?”