TDAA Ch 3

“It’s time to eat!”

It was a sudden intrusion. Siol, half-asleep, tried to sit up. The keyword here being tried, as to Ryufen it looked more like a slight twitch. After tapping the floor with his forepaw for about five seconds, Ryufen decided to just carry Siol out.

Siol was dangled in his grasp and transported to the garden.

A full-fledged barbecue party was already underway in the garden. Glowing charcoal, a whole pig roasting on a spit, mountains of skewered meat. Two plates of thinly sliced, marinated meat for stir-frying. Three plates of thick cuts prepared for grilling on an iron plate. Piles of small, plucked and gutted birds. A separate dish containing specific internal organs. And thick deer leg bones with meat still clinging to them.

Simply put, it was a barbecue consisting entirely of meat.

Siol blinked his sleepy eyes and asked dully, “What…is this?”

“You should eat too. I woke up early and prepared a whole lot.”

Ryufen sliced the roast pig with his forepaw claws and plopped a piece of glistening belly meat onto Siol’s plate.

“Do you think days where we can eat meat for breakfast are common? This kind of luxury is only possible when the Captain isn’t around. He prefers to eat lightly in the morning.”

Hearing the disgruntled tone, Siol was dumbfounded.

Eorzen’s usual breakfast consisted of a piece of steak, a salad, and savory bread with meat in it. That kind of meal couldn’t be described as light.

For Siol, a light breakfast was a glass of juice and a salad, a cup of coffee and a slice of toast, an apple and some green juice. How could a meal that included steak, which was heavy on the stomach, be considered light?

However, seeing Ryufen shove half of the roast pig into his mouth and chew vigorously, Siol reluctantly came to terms with the situation. He was a wolf, a giant wolf at that. He couldn’t impose the light eating habits of an omnivorous human on a carnivore.

Siol hesitantly picked up his fork and poked the meat. Oil oozed out.

Really, a barbecue for breakfast?

“Eat up. I’m going to play with you a lot today, so you need to eat plenty.”

Maybe it was because he had just woken up, but his mouth felt dry and he had no appetite. However, he couldn’t resist Ryufen’s insistence.

Siol closed his eyes tightly and put the meat in his mouth. Surprisingly, it was delicious. The fat was savory, the meat tender and fragrant. As he tore and swallowed the meat with his sharply grown, beast-like teeth, a sigh of satisfaction escaped him involuntarily.

“Delicious, right? Eat a lot, a lot.”

Ryufen, watching Siol diligently chew with wide eyes, looked pleased as he piled more meat onto his plate. Siol actually felt a little repulsed by the grilled innards, but his “beastly” self ate them with relish. He even crunched down on the small birds, bones and all, finding them delicious.

Chewing on foods he would never have eaten as a human, Siol realized that he had truly become a beast.

After finishing such a grand breakfast, Siol, stuffed from overeating, intended to take a short nap. But Ryufen wouldn’t let him. After shoving aside the remnants of breakfast, he stretched, bared his teeth, growled, and began chasing Siol.

“If I catch you, I’ll tell the Captain to shift!”

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

“It means I’ll ask him to shift and carry you around the sky!”

“No way!”

Siol’s face paled as he shouted and ran. He hid behind trees, behind rocks, but the giant wolf would saunter over and snap its jaws open with a growl. Siol would scramble away, practically hugging the ground.

He crawled under low branches, circled large tree trunks, and sprinted through bushes. The wolf followed leisurely, chuckling like a delinquent. It effortlessly jumped over the low trees, strode around the large trunks, and trampled the bushes. It felt like being chased by a giant.

Siol ran and ran until he was cornered against a stone wall, gasping for breath. For Siol, this was a considerable feat. He had run and walked for thirty minutes, even with short breaks in between, which was quite impressive. He probably hadn’t run this much even when escaping the laboratory. To begin with, the collapsing laboratory had been ablaze, and the floor was littered with broken stone fragments and furniture, making it impossible to run freely.

“Why don’t you run some more!”

“What kind of wolf…acts like a…villain?!”

At Siol’s panting protest, Ryufen grinned. Sharp fangs poked out as the wolf smiled.

“Being a villain isn’t so bad. I’ve always been drawn to villains in stories.”

He seemed pleased with the current situation as he took menacing steps forward, growling. His narrowed eyes were dangerous. Siol felt a sense of crisis, thinking that if he got caught this time, Ryufen might not stop at nibbling his head, but actually chew him up like candy. Usually, Eorzen would be home to stop him, but right now, it was just him and Ryufen in the house.

Siol looked around and then hopped onto the wall. He hadn’t been sure he could jump that high, but he had.

Siol started running across the lawn again, exhilarated. Ryufen seemed a little surprised. He glanced at the wall, then at Siol’s height.

“The little guy can run pretty well, huh?”

“I’m not little!”

Siol yelled from afar and started climbing a tree.

“Hey, hey, that’s dangerous!”

Siol ignored him, gripping the branches and carefully placing his feet on the bark. His body was agile. Incomparably so to when he was human. He felt like he could easily reach the top. While climbing, Ryufen rushed over and tried to grab Siol, but Siol managed to climb to a higher branch just in time.

“No, I said it’s dangerous. Come down, now!”

Siol ignored him again. Climbing a little higher, he could see the surrounding landscape. The castle was already on a mountain, but from high up in the tall tree, the entire city was visible. The sight of the sprawling city was always breathtaking. More than anything, the beast-people filling the city looked incredibly free….

Whoosh-

“Ah…!”

Siol lost his balance and stumbled as a sudden gust of wind blew.

At that moment, Ryufen leaped from the ground. One jump wasn’t enough to reach Siol, but he leaped again, using the wind as a foothold. Precariously balanced on a branch too thin to support his weight, Ryufen grabbed Siol by the scruff of his neck.

Siol, instinctively, punched Ryufen, who had jumped to save him. Then he froze, shocked and bewildered by his own actions.

Ryufen jumped to the ground with Siol in his mouth and then gently released him. Siol, who had been frozen until then, flinched as if doused with cold water and hesitated, about to apologize to Ryufen.

“That’s it! That’s how a wolf should be!”

He would have apologized, if Ryufen hadn’t joyfully ruffled his head with his forepaw. Looking at Ryufen’s delighted smile, Siol was bewildered.

“…Huh?”

“A wolf can’t just be chased around. Good job!”

“But, what does that…?”

“Alright. As a reward, should I take you down there? You wanted to go down there, right?”

“Ryufen!”

“Hmm?”

“I…sorry…I’m sorry.”

Seeing Siol’s confused apology, Ryufen looked at him as if he couldn’t understand.

“It’s normal to hit and get hit while playing, what’s the big deal? That’s not wolf-like, silly.”

“So…I shouldn’t apologize?”

“Why apologize for something like this? It happens when you play.”

Ryufen shrugged and patted Siol’s shoulder proudly.

“…Ugh.”

Siol stood there dazedly, then bent over as nausea belatedly washed over him.

“Hmm… Yeah. It’s normal to throw up while playing.”

Ryufen subtly looked away and nodded.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

After vomiting up his entire breakfast, Siol vowed never to eat barbecue again in the morning. If that wasn’t possible, he thought he should at least avoid childish games like tag immediately after eating.

But none of that was up to Siol.

“Now that you’ve thrown up, you must be hungry again, right? Eat up. I’ll go shopping.”

“I just threw up, how can I…”

Siol, dumbfounded, couldn’t properly voice his protest about how he could possibly eat. A waiter had approached from behind Ryufen and placed a whole roasted bird right in front of Siol. The roast, of a bird incomparably larger than a chicken or duck, seemed about the size of Siol’s torso. The waiter pulled out a small knife from his waist and sliced open the bird’s belly. Inside, there was another whole bird. And inside that one, yet another. When he cut open the last one, three or four boiled eggs tumbled out.

“….”

“You have to eat it all. If you can’t finish it, pack it up and eat it for dinner.”

Is there a rule that wolves have to be gluttons?

Siol looked back at Ryufen with an expression that said he had a lot to say, but Ryufen completely ignored him and disappeared into the distance with a shopping basket in his mouth.

A terrifying amount of meat dishes, enough for ten human Siols, remained on the table. Siol missed Eorzen. At least with Eorzen around, Ryufen wouldn’t be so forceful about feeding him….

Disheartened, Siol turned his gaze away from the meat and towards the outside of the restaurant. At that moment, he made eye contact with a wolf pup whose eyes were sparkling. They were sitting at an outdoor table of a restaurant adjacent to the square, and the pup, who had been playing in the square, had approached and was drooling while hugging the ball he had been playing with.

“…What’s your name?”

“Edot.”

“Hmm… Are you hungry, by any chance?”

The wolf pup nodded vigorously.

“Yummy…!”

Little Edot exclaimed, almost whimpering. He ate with gusto. Siol had originally lost his appetite after vomiting, but watching Edot eat began to stir his hunger again.

Siol placed a large piece of meat on Edot’s plate and took a smaller one for himself.

Edot looked back at Siol with a surprised expression.

“Is that all you’re going to eat?”

“My stomach isn’t feeling too good.”

“Still, only that much?”

He looked utterly shocked.

“I thought you were a wolf, but are you a dog?”

“No… I think I’m probably a wolf…”

Having become a wolf just a few days ago and never having shifted, Siol lacked confidence. The only proof he had of being a beast-person was his ears and tail. Hearing Edot’s words, he wondered if he might actually be a dog.

“My mom said wolves have to eat a lot.”

“I can’t eat a lot…”

“If you don’t eat a lot, you’ll become a dog.”

“So…am I going to become a dog?”

When Siol asked, rolling his eyes, Edot made another shocked expression.

“No! Humans will take you away if you become a dog!”

“What?”

Edot leaned towards Siol and whispered, “Dogs are obedient to humans. That’s why humans kidnap them when they’re young and make them work for their entire lives. You’re still young, so…”

Edot jumped up from his seat, picked up the meat from the platter with his fork, and piled it onto Siol’s plate.

“Hyung, eat a lot quickly. You might still be a wolf. Or, even if you’ve become a dog, maybe you can turn back into a wolf if you eat a lot. I ate a lot at home. So I don’t want to eat anymore!”

Siol, who had only intended to play along with the interesting story, was flustered by Edot’s firm resolve. Was it even possible for a wolf to become a dog? Species were a classification for animals at birth, not something that changed after birth. Siol had been a human and then became a wolf, but that was a truly rare case.

It must be a scare tactic like, “If you don’t behave, a tiger will come and get you,” in Korea.

“No, Edot. I can’t eat all of this by myself anyway, so please help me eat some.”

At his request, Edot seemed to waver a bit. He had resolved himself a moment ago, but the meat he had tasted earlier was undeniably delicious.

Siol made a heartfelt plea to those wavering eyes.

“Ryufen… my guardian, I mean, must have been worried that I’d turn into a dog too. That’s probably why he ordered so much. But I’m sure he’ll be angry if I can’t eat it all. But no matter how hard I try, I don’t think I can finish all of this. I’ll try not to become a dog in the future, so please just help me this once. Okay?”

“…Will you really try?”

Edot narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Of course. Look, I’m eating this.”

Siol picked up a piece of meat with his fork, inwardly amused. Edot watched intently, with a stern expression, until Siol had chewed and swallowed the piece. Then, after a moment of contemplation, he sighed.

“I’m only helping you this time. You really have to eat a lot from now on, okay?”

Siol looked endearingly at the little boy, probably around five or six years old, shaking his head, and then quickly nodded with an innocent look as Edot glanced at him. Children acting like adults were always cute.

Nathaniel, too, when he first came to the laboratory, had thought he was a responsible adult, and it had been amusing just to watch him. As he started teaching Nathaniel alchemy, Nathaniel learned that there were things he couldn’t do alone, learned to ask for help, cried and ran away while studying, sometimes ran away from home, and got scolded for trying to make dangerous things….

Thinking that far, Siol suddenly felt a lump in his throat and put down his fork.

“Hyung? What’s wrong?”

“No…I suddenly lost my appetite…”

“No, you promised.”

He couldn’t hurt the child’s feelings because of that other child.

Siol chewed the meat under Edot’s watchful eye. He really had lost his appetite, but strangely, his body welcomed the meat. Despite his uneasy mind, he found the taste enjoyable as his sharp teeth ground and chewed.

Edot continued to monitor Siol as if he were a policeman, but he didn’t forget to help clear the dishes.

Just as the two had almost finished the plates on the table, a waiter brought a large platter and placed it directly on the empty plates. The platter was piled high with the same amount of food they had just consumed.

As Siol looked back in disbelief, the waiter shrugged.

“Ryufen-nim ordered it before he left. You two young ones must finish it all. It’d be a big problem if you became dogs.”

At his serious tone, Siol’s eyes widened.

Could the rumor that wolves become dogs if they don’t eat enough be true? Was it not just a threat to keep little Edot from being picky, but common knowledge in this world? He didn’t think the waiter would say such a thing unless it was possible.

What if Ryufen’s efforts to feed Siol were to prevent him from turning into a dog?

Siol’s face paled as he stared at the platter.

“Edot, do you know how much we have to eat to not become dogs?”

“Hmm… I don’t know. Mom just said we have to eat a lot. A lot.”

Actually, Siol didn’t care whether he was a wolf or a dog. Species didn’t matter anymore after he stopped being human. The problem was the part about dogs being obedient to humans. Back on Earth, many people had owned dogs. There was a time when dogs were beloved companions, but when Siol had lived on Earth, most people kept them as hunting dogs. Dogs loved humans, were loyal to them, and followed their commands to the best of their ability, but in the end, they were often left in the most dangerous situations. Injured dogs were sometimes abandoned because scarce medicine couldn’t be spared for them.

He doubted the humans of this world were any different. Even if he became a dog and loved humans, he would just be a beast-person dog to them. Loving someone more would only lead to getting hurt in the end. A deep-seated distrust of humans made Siol recoil.

No, think rationally.

It didn’t make sense that a wolf-born beast-person would become a wolf or a dog depending on how much they ate. However, it didn’t make sense for a human to become a beast-person either, yet it had happened. So he couldn’t dismiss it just because it was illogical. Beings in human form became dragons, wolves, birds…. And come to think of it, many of the alchemical tools Siol had created were also illogical. Alchemy itself was a study that defied common sense. Some marine creatures changed sex from male to female if the females disappeared. Could the wolves of this world be creatures that remained wolves or became dogs based on their food intake?

Siol hadn’t reached a conclusion yet, but he decided to eat a lot of meat for now.

Maybe, just maybe….

He barely managed to finish the platter. Siol’s stomach was so full of meat that he couldn’t do anything else, but little Edot looked like he was just getting started.

“Hyung, let’s play!”

“…Now?”

“Yeah, we ate, so now we have to play! Let’s shift and play tag. Okay?”

With that, Edot hopped and transformed into a small grey wolf. He was still too cute to be called a wolf, but his teeth and claws were formidable. The little wolf put his paws on Siol’s knee and stamped his feet pleadingly.

“No… Sorry, I don’t know how to shift…”

“You can’t shift?”

“No. I’ve never done it before…”

Edot’s face was one of utter confusion.

“My mom said if I can’t transform by the time I’m five, I’ll be an idiot!”

After blurting it out, Edot, startled by his own words, covered his mouth with his front paw and shook his head.

“My mom sometimes says mean things, so don’t mind her. She’s the bad one. It’s okay if you’re not great at it until you grow up.”

Siol, amused by Edot’s mature attempt to comfort himself, smiled softly and patted the little one’s adorable head. The fluffy fur felt soft between his fingers.

“Thanks.”

At the gratitude, Edot grinned as if pleased, then clambered onto Siol’s lap. Despite his bulky size overflowing on Siol’s knees, he didn’t care, circling around to find a spot before somehow curling up and settling down. Siol carefully supported his hips to keep the big furry lump from sliding off.

“But why can’t you do it? Didn’t anyone teach you?”

“Nope, I never learned. Will you teach me?”

“Should I? Uh… but I’m not sure how it works. I just think, ‘I’ll transform,’ and I do.”

“I see. I’ll try practicing like that.”

“Yeah, it won’t take long. You seem super smart, hyung.”

“Do I look that way?”

“Yup.”

Siol gazed at little Edot, sitting politely on his lap with sparkling eyes, and before he knew it, he confessed.

“Actually, I know how to do alchemy.”

“Alchemy? The thing humans do?”

“Yeah. Until recently, I was living where humans are. In an alchemist’s cabin…”

But he couldn’t tell the whole truth. While confessing half-hidden facts, Siol watched Edot’s reaction.

“You couldn’t transform because you were captured by humans. My uncle got caught once too.”

Edot continued with a darkened expression.

“My uncle was a hunter. One day, he went far out looking for prey and saw an injured human. Feeling sorry, he shared some herbs and bandaged him up. But when he went back later, there was a dead rabbit hanging from a branch. Thinking it might be a thank-you, he went over, but it wasn’t a gift… it was a trap.”

“A trap?”

“My uncle lost his left paw there. Something… a mine? That’s what it was. An explosive made by an alchemist, they said. Still, he made it back alive, and we were so relieved. Missing a paw doesn’t stop him from living, so it could’ve been worse.”

Siol’s face paled.

A mine. It was something Siol had created and supplied at the king’s request. When monsters invaded from the north and were too much to handle, he was asked to make something suitable. So he crafted explosives buried in the ground to detonate when stepped on. And one of those had taken a paw from the uncle of the little wolf sitting on his lap.

Even now, after Siol had stopped making them, those devices were still out there, alive and breathing in the world.

And once all of Siol’s creations were used up, the techniques he’d passed on to Nathaniel would remain. Those techniques were the root of humans—of alchemists—crafting weapons for war.

My God. That’s right.

The Alchemist of Death was gone, but the legacy he left behind still existed in this world, causing harm.

“Hyung? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“No… no, it’s nothing.”

Edot licked Siol’s cheek worriedly.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

After returning to the castle with Ryufen, Siol left Ryufen to start cooking dinner and went alone to the garden, crouching in a gloomy corner. He needed time to think.

“I don’t… know what to do…”

He was already struggling to hold himself together, and now he’d learned that the sins of his past had grown into a tidal wave.

Even at this moment, the weapons of war he’d created were likely being used to harm beastkin. That wasn’t his intention. He hadn’t made them for that purpose or imagined they’d be used that way.

But that didn’t mean he could just let them be used recklessly.

This was a sin he had to take full responsibility for, like an original crime.

He had fled from Earth.

In the place he escaped to, he found happiness. No, he found a way not to be unhappy. He didn’t need to be happy; he just wanted to avoid misery. If bad things didn’t happen, he was fine with not being happy.

So he had willingly lived in the strange glass garden the king created, in that perfectly controlled environment.

But that was wrong.

Siol felt a sense of responsibility.

What was happening now was far beyond what he could handle alone.

How many had died? How many were injured or crippled? How many beastkin had their lives stolen, and how much of that was his fault?

“Ugh…”

As he was being crushed by this pain alone, Eorzen lifted him into his arms.

The sudden warmth and the sensation of being hoisted up didn’t startle Siol. Somehow, the moment they touched, he knew it was Eorzen.

Eorzen licked the tear-streaked skin above Siol’s sobbing eyes.

“You’ll ruin your eyes like this, Sizool.”

“…Lord Eorzen.”

He firmly grabbed Siol’s hand, which was raised to wipe his tears, and licked it clean with his tongue.

“I…”

Siol looked into Eorzen’s attentive eyes.

“Will I turn into a dog?”

How many sins have I committed?

Eorzen looked stunned.

“They say if a wolf eats too little… it becomes a dog…”

It might be shameless to say this after being involved in the deaths of so many beastkin as the Alchemist of Death, but he wanted to undo it.

But he had no one to share these feelings with.

“I don’t want to be a dog, Lord Eorzen…”

“Who told you such nonsense?”

“I heard it in the village. Ryufen always scolds me for eating too little…”

Swallowing his tears, Siol buried his face in Eorzen’s chest.

Suddenly, nausea and dizziness hit him. Siol covered his mouth and struggled to get down from Eorzen’s arms. But Eorzen held him firmly, refusing to let go.

“L-Lord Eorzen, please let me down. I’m, I’m going to…!”

“Stay still, Sizool. It’s dangerous.”

At that command, Siol instinctively stopped struggling. He felt the curse gripping his heart. Glaring at Eorzen with resentful eyes, he soon couldn’t hold it in and vomited everything he’d eaten right there in Eorzen’s arms.

Gasping and retching until his stomach was empty, Siol was still held by Eorzen, who didn’t flinch. Despite the mess and smell, Eorzen showed no sign of disgust, simply using magic to clean it away with a flick of his chin. He checked Siol’s face for signs of distress and brushed back the stray hairs stuck to his temples.

Eorzen carried Siol to a room in the castle. Ryufen, startled, tried to follow but was scared off by a fierce glare, leaving only Siol and Eorzen in the room. He undressed Siol, wiped him down with a wet towel, dressed him in fresh clothes, tucked him into bed, and patted his chest gently.

“Sizool, I’ll have a stern word with Ryufen. Eat only as much as you want. You’ll never become a dog, so don’t force yourself to eat like that again.”

Eorzen whispered softly, stroking Siol’s cheek. His touch was gentle and warm. Human warmth could pierce the heart like this.

Siol decided he would no longer fear that hand.

Eorzen’s hand, the hand of this beautiful blue dragon, had only done what was right.

The Alchemist of Death, Siol, deserved to die.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

For days afterward, Siol couldn’t get out of bed.

Even water made him vomit, so for a day and a half, he lay there unable to drink anything. The doctor said he’d severely upset his stomach, but in the land of beastkin, there wasn’t much medicine for such symptoms. Beastkin rarely got sick like this in the first place.

With no other choice, Siol fasted, enduring until his body recovered, then slowly regained strength with honey water. He needed Ryufen or Eorzen’s help even to get to the bathroom, which bruised his pride, but there was no alternative.

“I’m fine now,” Siol mumbled, insisting.

But his flushed face and sweat-soaked appearance weren’t convincing.

“I need to check on some things I brought from the cabin, but I can’t stop worrying,” Eorzen said.

Ryufen, standing behind, hung his head low.

He’d been downcast for days. It was only natural, since Siol’s condition was due to Ryufen’s relentless “eat, eat” pressure. Having never suffered stomach issues himself, Ryufen, a wolf, couldn’t fathom that overeating could be harmful. He believed eating a lot meant growing big, and eating little meant growing small, so he’d tried to fatten up the small Siol to make him bigger. There was no malice in it.

Siol understood and didn’t blame him, but Eorzen seemed to feel differently. As he’d promised Siol, he scolded Ryufen harshly and no longer trusted him on this matter.

“Ryufen, don’t feed him anything until the doctor says it’s okay.”

“Yes, sir. I won’t feed him anything.”

“Don’t even think that juice might be fine.”

“Yes, sir. I really won’t give him anything.”

“No, you need to give him water and honey.”

“Yes, sir. Only water and honey.”

Eorzen sighed lightly as Ryufen answered obediently. He didn’t fully trust him, but time was running out. Eorzen wasn’t just a simple beastkin; he was the leader of the city’s knights and the head of an elite group formed to assassinate enemy leaders.

Grabbing Siol’s shoulders, Eorzen said, “I can’t trust Ryufen, so you need to be careful too. Even if you’re hungry, hold off a bit longer.”

“I’ll eat properly once I’m better, so don’t worry.”

Eorzen’s words had become a command, binding Siol’s heart, so he had no choice but to obey. If it came down to appetite versus survival, survival would always win.

“Good.”

Satisfied, Eorzen patted Siol’s head gently and left the room.

Left alone with Siol, Ryufen let out a dramatic sigh and flopped onto the floor. Crawling lazily to Siol’s bedside, he started whining.

“I’m not saying I didn’t do anything wrong, but isn’t Lord Eorzen being a bit too harsh? Okay, I messed up, but… does he have to keep saying not to feed you? Once or twice is enough—I get it! What, does he think I’d pry your mouth open and force-feed you? Especially when you’re all pale and sick? Even if I care about eating, I’m not that bad, you know?”

Siol chuckled at the furry wolf’s indignant rambling.

“…Yeah, laugh it up. You can laugh. It’s all my fault, so what can I do?”

Ryufen turned away, sounding deeply offended. Siol found even that amusing, giggling as he reached out to rub the back of Ryufen’s head. The coarse fur tangled between his fingers.

“Honestly, I’d never eaten that much before, so I didn’t know it’d make me this sick.”

“…That was your first time eating like that?”

“Yeah, when I was little, food was scarce, and as I grew up, eating wasn’t exactly enjoyable.”

“What kind of alchemist raised you, anyway?”

Ryufen shouted, bolting upright. As the massive wolf sat up, his eye level towered over Siol, who was crouched on the bed. Intimidated by his sheer presence, Siol scooted back slightly, but Ryufen misinterpreted it as an invitation and climbed onto the bed. Soon, Siol was sandwiched between the wall and the giant wolf.

Ryufen casually rested his muzzle beside Siol, lying down with an expression that said he was waiting for a story.

“Well… I didn’t exactly grow up starving.”

“That amount you ate? That was nothing. A growing wolf eats two or three times that much.”

That might be true for wolves, but not for Siol, who grew up human.

Unable to clear up the misunderstanding or spin a web of lies, Siol just gave an awkward smile.

“You’re weak, Sizool.”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Weak! And no chance of getting stronger! How are you supposed to survive in this era with a frail body that can only handle so little? You’ll just have to stay in this castle forever.”

“Huh?”

“Out there, fighting’s an everyday thing for everyone. If you get caught up in that, breaking a bone or two would be the least of it. But we can’t just let a kid who’s already in the castle fend for himself. I’ll talk to Lord Eorzen and make sure you can stay here. I bet he’ll agree it’s the right call.”

Stay in the blue dragon’s castle forever?

Siol mulled over the idea, dazed. Conversely, he’d never imagined a day when he’d leave this castle. He hadn’t planned to settle here permanently, but unconsciously, he’d assumed this life would continue.

Realizing this, Siol’s face flushed. For the Alchemist of Death, who’d contributed to the deaths of countless beastkin—even if not called by that name—to assume he’d naturally live in the castle of the blue dragon, practically the king of beastkin, was shameless beyond belief.

“W-Wouldn’t that be too shameless?”

“If you just lazed around, sure, but if you do something, it’s fine. I’m already handling most things, but… you could serve Lord Eorzen.”

“Huh?”

“When Lord Eorzen comes, take his coat, make his bed in the morning, pour his water at meals… stuff like that.”

“Me?”

Ryufen nodded casually at Siol’s stunned question.

“You can try it later.”

Later?

With the situation looming so soon, Siol took a deep breath, tense.

Rationally, he should’ve said no.

The more time he spent with Eorzen, the more his life would be at risk. Serving him would only amplify that. Siol trembled, imagining himself failing a simple command and losing his life.

But if he refused, wouldn’t they think he was shameless?

“…I’m nervous.”

“Don’t worry, Lord Eorzen’s soft on kids. He won’t scold you for messing up.”

“Still… I’m nervous.”

Could he do it without dying? Siol took deep breaths, trying to calm his pounding heart.

So, when Eorzen returned from his tasks, he found Siol standing with both hands outstretched. Eorzen gazed down at Siol, who nervously extended his hands further, then paused as if in thought. Digging through his bag, he pulled out a book and placed it in Siol’s hands.

“Oh…”

“I thought you’d be curious, so I brought some history books. How’d you know?”

Siol quietly accepted the book, hugging it tightly. Rolling his eyes, he spoke.

“I’ll… read it gratefully…”

At that odd response, Eorzen tilted his head. Ryufen, who’d been watching Siol with a racing heart, burst into crude laughter.

“Pfft…! Cough… No, that’s not it, Lord Eorzen. Pfft! Sizool was trying to take your coat. Heh…”

“My coat? Why?”

“We were talking about how Sizool’s too weak to go out, so he should stay in the castle. I thought he could serve you.”

“…I’m not so lazy as to need a kid to serve me.”

Eorzen replied firmly, glaring sharply at Ryufen, who flinched and looked away.

Siol, deflated, clutched the book tightly. Eorzen knelt to meet Siol’s eyes, reaching out to stroke his cheek and whispering.

“Focus on recovering for now. If you want to stay in the castle afterward, you can. But you’re still so small—you don’t need to work yet. Especially when you’re sick.”

“…Can I really stay?”

“Of course. Stay as long as you like.”

The casual tone somehow comforted Siol. It felt like Eorzen was saying Siol—not Sizool—could stay. It was probably his imagination, but still.

Smiling shyly, Siol nodded, hugging the book.