TDAA Ch 46

As soon as we stepped into the tower, it became clear that the Tower of Survival in the human lands was, as expected, completely different in form from the one in the beastmen’s lands.

If the Tower of Survival in the beastmen’s lands was more like a mana stone repository made of plain, bare walls, the Tower of Survival in the Meric estate was more ornate and decorative, giving it the atmosphere of a temple. The only thing that was the same was the fact that a giant, purplish mana stone was floating in mid-air, blinking slowly, but every other detail was different.

First, a white, circular staircase was built beneath the space where the mana stone floated, allowing easy access to its middle section. When I stood on the topmost step of the stairs, I could feel the flow of mana coming from the mana stone.

“The mana stone is active. What do you think it’s doing?”

“Well…”

Eorzen briefly placed a hand on the mana stone and examined the flow of mana, but soon stepped back with a frown.

“It seems impossible to trace.”

“Why?”

“The flow of mana extending from the mana stone is enveloping the entire estate.”

“…Could it be a security system to prevent tracing…”

No matter what kind of spell was used, the larger and more complex the spell circle became, that is, the longer and more twisted the path the mana had to travel, the greater the loss of mana. That was the reason why Nanthiel had to use a mana stone the size of a person in the Tower of Survival to activate a spell in Marsiga.

If the ancients, who used such high-level sorcery and magic to create a protective barrier system that still held to this day, had set up such an inefficient mana management system, it was a fair assumption to guess they had done so to prevent anyone from stealing their techniques.

“It’s probably sending mana to the self-repair system of the building with the sun. But there are absolutely no clues I was hoping for.”

Siol let out a low sigh.

“I thought that, unlike in the beastmen’s lands, there might be some kind of control device here.”

While the interior was ornate, that was all it was. All it revealed was that the ancients had a taste for the splendid and grand. A completely useless piece of information.

Siol pondered for a moment, then took out a single ruby he had brought from the mansion and placed it on the floor.

As he slammed both hands on the floor, light began to race across it, drawing a spell circle. A circle was formed, and within it were etched words of praise for the world, a greeting wrapped in polite courtesy, and a plea for a transaction. Following that legitimate procedure, the world’s messenger visited Siol.

Up to that point, it was the same as before.

However, the messenger, who had always come out to pat Siol whenever he performed alchemy recently, refused the transaction this time without taking anything. Siol was aware that the messenger had the right to refuse a transaction. He had often seen other alchemists experience it for no reason.

But this was the first time it had happened to him directly.

Siol was dazed for a moment, then hurriedly grabbed the messenger who was about to turn back. When he pushed his hand into the spell circle and placed the ruby in the messenger’s hand, the messenger seemed a bit flustered and tried to return it. It seemed he thought Siol was trying to force the job on him.

That wasn’t Siol’s intention, so he pushed the messenger’s back, telling him to go.

In the past, he would have been surprised and disheartened just by seeing the messenger trying to leave, but now he, too, had gained some experience. The messenger liked him. The important thing to note in this situation was not the decision to refuse the transaction, but the fact that he had made a special visit even though he wasn’t going to accept it. Siol expressed his gratitude to the messenger for coming a way he didn’t have to.

At that, the messenger seemed to contemplate for a moment, then accepted the ruby and took Siol’s hand, pushing it out of the spell circle.

Eorzen, who had come to his side at some point, swiftly lifted Siol into his arms and pulled the hand that had been inside the spell circle to check it.

“Mr. Eorzen?”

“Don’t you ever…!”

Eorzen, who seemed to have swallowed the rest of his words, clenched his teeth and let out a sigh that seemed to churn from within. Siol, bewildered, asked back.

“What? What did I…”

“Do you not know how dangerous what you just did was? Your hand could have been ground away without a trace.”

“…Really?”

“Beyond the spell circle is the space between dimensions! If that being hadn’t protected you…!”

Siol nodded, surprised by Eorzen who was practically shouting at him.

Thankfully, his hand was fine, without even a small scratch.

Only after thoroughly inspecting his hand did Eorzen set Siol down again. He wasn’t a child anymore and didn’t have the build to be swept up and held like this, yet Eorzen was unhesitant. Ryufen was one thing, since he was large to begin with, but Eorzen didn’t really have a thick, muscular body, so how could he do this? Perhaps the quality of a dragon’s muscles was different from that of a human or a wolf.

While Siol was marveling at the firm muscles that had been holding him just a moment ago, Eorzen seemed to have discovered something new.

“Siol, the walls…”

Eorzen pointed to the surrounding walls.

Just a moment ago, they were merely ornately engraved walls, but now they were different. As faint streams of glowing water began to fall from the cracks near the ceiling and trickle down the walls, the more deeply engraved parts began to glow brighter, taking on a special shape.

A cool, refreshing scent enveloped the area. Siol realized that all of this water was mana water. The mana water did not evaporate but fell down, down, and seeped into the cracks in the floor, which he had thought was just an ordinary floor. It was dark and hard to see, but the floor was double-layered, and as the mana water seeped in, the shape of a sun was revealed on the floor.

It was a fantastical sight. The dark interior was filled with sparkling blue light, as if watching fireflies. It was an extremely luxurious, magnificent view that could only be seen in an environment where the room was so full of mana that mana water wouldn’t evaporate, and Siol couldn’t even close his mouth.

The moment Siol saw the entire sun, all the light vanished as if a switch had been flipped.

And at the same time, the spell circle Siol had activated also disappeared.

“The messenger…”

“He seems to like you.”

“I know. I like him, too.”

Siol replied joyfully.

What had just happened was an expression of goodwill, not a transaction. Feeling a sense of pride, Siol smiled shyly, but upon seeing Eorzen’s displeased expression, he quickly made an excuse.

“I won’t put my hand in a spell circle again, so please don’t look at me like that.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

Siol couldn’t understand why Eorzen’s expression was so downcast and watched him cautiously. Other than putting his hand in the spell circle earlier, he didn’t think he had done anything wrong. Could it be that he was bothered by the sight of Siol giving the ruby, a gift from Ladie, to the messenger? But Eorzen wasn’t that petty of a dragon.

But on second thought, Eorzen hadn’t been petty with Sizool. Maybe he thought it was acceptable for a child to use jewels lavishly, but an adult should exercise restraint.

As Siol was feeling dejected and resolving to be more careful in the future, Eorzen pulled his arm and said.

“It’s just that I don’t like your messenger, Siol, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“…What’s wrong with the messenger?”

“He touches your hand without asking, doesn’t he.”

“What? But you do that too, Mr. Eorzen.”

Siol retorted, finding it absurd. At that, Eorzen raised an eyebrow as he ostentatiously interlocked their fingers. Even without words, his expression seemed to say, ‘Is there a problem with that?’

It was strange for him to criticize the messenger when he did the same thing, which made me argue back without thinking, but if I said the right thing here and told him it was wrong, he would probably say, Is that so, and let go of my hand. Siol just stayed silent and looked away.

Eorzen’s hand, interlocked with Siol’s, tightened firmly.

“It seems you’ve found what you were looking for, so let’s go have a meal now.”

“Mmm. It’s not what I was looking for.”

“Then?”

“The fact that there’s a sun means that the tower is also a target of control. So where on earth is the spell that controls the mana stone? I was sure it would be inside the Tower of Survival…”

Eorzen was lost in thought for a moment before he spoke.

“It must be somewhere in the estate.”

“Maybe everything is being controlled from the capital.”

“That’s not likely. It would be too inefficient.”

“Mmm… you think so.”

When the two reached the broken wall, Ryufen and Luber, who had been waiting, got up from their seats.

“Let’s just get something to eat first.”

At Eorzen’s words, Luber exclaimed excitedly.

“I know a delicious place! Let’s go get some amazing stew!”

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Although I spent the whole day with Ryufen and Luber and focused on investigation and research, it was, for the most part, a day like a date.

Siol sat on the bed without even taking off his coat, then leaned back and lay down. A sly smile wouldn’t leave his lips.

Thinking that if things went well, he might be able to spend the entire day with him, he had been pushing Eorzen, dragging him here and there all day.

The plan was a success. The naturally kind Eorzen, whenever Siol subtly suggested things like, Let’s have dessert, or, That area looks suspicious, let’s go investigate, would follow along, saying, Alright, or, Let’s do that.

No, of course, thanks to him I had a good day, but still, isn’t he a little too agreeable?

To exaggerate slightly, I was worried he might follow someone if they said, I’ll give you something tasty, come with me.

When he had suddenly lifted me up and taken off my boots and socks at first, I wondered what on earth he was doing, but thinking back, the descendant of the witch who had tormented him for so long seemed to be plotting something, so he must have been worried and couldn’t contain his momentary agitation.

I should have been more rational and asked what was going on before following him!

Siol suddenly felt a surge of emotion and began to regret having even told the lie that they had a relationship where they used formal language with each other. Of course, hearing formal speech from the blue dragon had a unique charm, but it wasn’t right to take advantage of Eorzen, who had no memory. He felt a pang of guilt thinking of Eorzen, who had naively believed they had such a relationship.

But if he confessed now that it was a lie, even the truth might be treated as a lie.

Do I really have to reveal the truth?

“Somehow…”

Eorzen is also just letting things slide with that kind of excuse, isn’t he?

He didn’t think the amnesia itself was a lie. It was surely true that Eorzen had lost his memories. Perhaps some of his memories had returned since then, but they were unclear, so he just wasn’t certain.

Ambiguous memories, an ambiguous situation, and an ambiguous relationship.

Somehow, Siol liked their current relationship, where they no longer asked each other anything, using the word ‘somehow’. In this ambiguous relationship, couldn’t he build happy memories with Eorzen until he met his fated partner? Of course, those memories would ultimately be fake, but in the distant future, they would remain real in Siol’s heart.

“Master Siol! You have to change and go to sleep.”

Luber, despite having been crushed by Ryufen and sobbing his heart out in frustration, had become Ryufen’s fan by the end of the day.

Luber, who had been a superstar receiving all the affection in the estate, had fallen head over heels for Ryufen, who, unlike himself, received gazes of admiration. He now followed Ryufen around like a puppy, declaring that he would become like him someday.

Siol was worried.

Ryufen was certainly a remarkable wolf, but to the point of following him around wanting to emulate him…. No, of course, as the vice-captain right under Eorzen, he was an incredible wolf, but still…

Siol groaned, feeling the disconnect between the image of Ryufen as his inner lazy uncle and Ryufen’s actual position. He was, in fact, an incredible wolf, but he didn’t want to admit it out loud. If only he hadn’t shoved his cold front paw under my butt in Marsiga, I wouldn’t feel this strong urge to deny it.

“Luber, do you really want to be like Ryufen?”

“Yes! He’s so cool!”

“You hated him at first.”

“But after talking to him a bit, he’s super cool!”

He was genuinely worried.

But Luber was a puppy who got bored easily and had little patience, so he would probably find a new interest soon enough. Watching Luber organizing the room, humming with sparkling eyes, it seemed pointless to try and stop him.

Shaking his head, Siol sat up and bent over to take off his boots, then spotted a small piece of walnut that had fallen between the carpet fibers.

Did a harvest mouse drop it while carrying it? Come to think of it, when was the last time I saw one? Siol picked up the piece of walnut and asked.

“Luber, have you seen our harvest mice?”

“We saw them outside earlier.”

“You know that’s not what I mean, stop joking! I don’t think I’ve seen them for almost a week…”

“I guess they ran away from home.”

“…Luber, aren’t you worried at all?”

Luber, who was laying a thick blanket on the sofa and patting it to adjust the fluffiness, scoffed, “Hmph.”

“Since you brought it up, I hate them. Master Siol, you know how mean they are to me, don’t you? They’re so jealous, they’d throw peanuts at me whenever I got close to you. It was so annoying how they acted like you belonged to them.”

“Luber…”

“I’m better off without them. You can’t ask me to look for them. I mean, I will if you order me to, but my feelings will be really hurt.”

With him saying that much, there was nothing more Siol could say.

Siol let Luber, who came over to undress him, do as he wished. While his mouth was full of endless complaints, his hands were becoming more skillful by the day.

Siol asked Luber, who was handing him his pajamas, half-sincerely.

“Should I talk to Ryufen? Since exchanges between the beastmen’s and human lands have just started, maybe you could be trained by their knight order, like studying abroad.”

“Whaaat? What are you talking about all of a sudden? No way! You know I hate training!”

“Huh? But you said you wanted to be like Ryufen…”

“I want to be like him, but I don’t want to leave this place.”

Luber said flatly. His tone was indescribably firm. Well, Luber was a puppy who endured training he disliked just to stay in this mansion, so perhaps studying abroad wasn’t an option in the first place.

But could this fun-loving puppy become strong in a place filled only with people who doted on him? It didn’t seem likely. Perhaps Luber’s dream was on the same level as children on Earth wanting to become dinosaurs or fire trucks.

Siol sighed deeply as he took the pajamas Luber brought him.

“Master Siol, I’m just going to pop down to the kitchen for a bit.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t go anywhere while I’m gone. Got it?”

When Siol gave a lazy wave to show he understood, Luber went “Aish” and left the lab. Who’s the one who should be sighing right now?

Siol glared at the door and changed his clothes.

After changing into comfortable clothes, he planned to record what he had discovered about the sun in the Tower of Survival today, and then re-read his other records to see if there were any new clues.

After changing his shirt and pants, Siol was taking off his socks when he suddenly noticed the mole behind his left ankle bone and let out a low groan. Come to think of it, this wasn’t the time to be writing research notes.

When trouble arose, the only things he could trust were the alchemy tools in his hands and the expensive gems and mana stones to be used as sacrifices.

Shouldn’t I be making something more instead of doing this?

It wasn’t that he didn’t have tools prepared, but thinking that Nanthiel could appear soon, he felt that what he had wasn’t enough.

Rushing to his desk, Siol took out a mana stone and a few emeralds from a drawer and began to design a useful alchemy tool, scribbling words and pictures on a piece of paper. It seemed best to create a tool suitable for protecting his body and buying time. Eorzen was in this mansion now, after all. He would surely come to the rescue quickly if Nanthiel appeared. He just had to hold out until then.

As he thought about Eorzen, he suddenly recalled the warmth of Eorzen’s hand rubbing over the mole. That strange sensation of him holding his ankle and gently rubbing over the mole.

Ah. My thoughts keep straying elsewhere.

“But I don’t feel any mana, so by what principle does it read the mark…”

“Shall I teach you?”

Startled, Siol shot up from his seat. Nanthiel, sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, smiled brightly and waved his hand.

“It’s been a while, Master. A pity you’re still alive. You’re quite a sight.”

“…You…!”

His voice wouldn’t come out properly.

The moment he saw Nanthiel’s face, a terrible rage surged, and his brain felt like it was boiling.

“But if you were alive, you should have come to find me first. You must have missed this disciple of yours.”

Siol quickly grabbed the mana stone.

“How about this? I’ll tell you about the witch’s mark, and in return, you tell me the secret to how you seduced the blue dragon. What, did you kiss the back of his foot or something?”

It was a cheerful and lively voice, unbefitting of the vulgar content.

Siol stared at Nanthiel, dumbfounded, and unconsciously fumbled at his chest. The spot where his brooch should have been was empty. It seemed he had forgotten to switch it while changing his clothes.

Before he knew it, a dozen mice were crawling on the floor, and a dark, damp mana was filling the surroundings. Siol realized his lab had been cut off from the outside by some unknown power. He had known Nanthiel would appear, but he hadn’t expected him to show himself so soon.

It was unexpected, but he was somewhat prepared.

Siol gripped the mana stone in his hand. A small spell circle that formed on his palm resonated with the mana stone, searching and connecting with the room. There were three spell tools in this room that could be used against Nanthiel. One was on the mantelpiece. One was in the desk drawer. And the last one was on the headboard of the bed.

To capture Nanthiel, the gravity control device seemed most suitable. There was a risk that Nanthiel’s entire body might be crushed since it was made when there were no mana stones to use as an energy source and hadn’t undergone proper testing since, but he couldn’t let himself be taken down while worrying about Nanthiel’s life.

“A witch’s spell is based on life force. You offer blood and obtain what you desire. I followed the strong scent of blood coming from that mark.”

After saying that, Nanthiel gestured to Siol with his chin.

“Now, it’s your turn, Master. How on earth did you win the blue dragon’s favor?”

His attitude of trying to control the situation and feigning nonchalance was the same as ever, but Siol could read the anxiety hidden within. The habit he had since he was a child, of glancing to the right before looking back, was still there.

Anxious feelings. Irritation, and a bit of curiosity. There was no anger or hatred anywhere in Nanthiel.

The way he called him ‘Master’ without hesitation. The same cheerful tone of voice as when they last spoke through the crystal ball in the lab the king had built for him. A gaze devoid of a single sliver of hatred. All of it proved one thing.

His former disciple had no memory of being defeated and killed by his master. To Nanthiel, he was clearly still a pathetic alchemist, a fool not worth being wary of.

Siol extinguished the spell circle that was on the verge of activating. This was a chance to get information.

“Well… how about you try getting ears and a tail too?”

Siol said, lightly tapping the ear on top of his head.

Nanthiel was an arrogant man, and he had a side to him that became generous when he was convinced he had the situation under smooth control. If so, the most appropriate response for Siol was to act as a master who had simply been betrayed and killed by his disciple and then revived. Uncooperative due to hostility, but in a way that seemed to hide fear behind that hostility.

“That’s not a bad idea either. Then would you please tell me how you became a beastman? According to my findings, it seems you were living in the beastmen’s lands pretending to be a child named ‘Sizool’. What on earth happened?”

To think he even knew about his time as Sizool. No, on second thought, it would be stranger if he didn’t know, having come this far. Thanks to the huge commotion he and Ryufen had caused, there wasn’t a soul in the estate who didn’t know their story, so it was impossible that Nanthiel, who commanded sewer rats, hadn’t heard the news.

Siol tried hard to hide his agitation and said.

“If you tell me why you betrayed me.”

“That’s not difficult. I was never really on your side from the beginning.”

“Are you saying you came to steal my alchemy from the start, following the king’s orders?”

Even though he knew Nanthiel had come to hide and, while he was at it, to win him over to his side after the witch died, Siol asked as if he was overcome with a sense of betrayal. At first, he thought they might only exchange meaningless information that he already knew, but Nanthiel blurted out something unexpected.

“The king’s orders! Don’t say such nonsense. There was merely a deal.”

“…I thought you were the king’s subordinate…”

“That’s why you met your end, embroiled in conspiracy and killed. No imagination, shortsighted, and foolish.”

Siol didn’t bother to hide his anger. When he glared at Nanthiel with quietly burning eyes, Nanthiel, on the contrary, giggled as if satisfied.

“Now then, please tell me. How did you become a beastman?”

In the end, that question was asking how he was still alive.

“This is my real body. The me you knew wasn’t my real body.”

“But you were originally human, weren’t you? You probably didn’t even know what a beastman was.”

“That… I don’t know either. When I woke up, I was like this.”

“…Master, please look at me.”

Since he truly still didn’t know the reason why his body had become like this, he didn’t have to worry about his lie being exposed. Siol met Nanthiel’s gaze without hesitation. Seeing the hostility in that gaze, Nanthiel tilted his head slightly. It was a piercing look, as if trying to dig out his innermost thoughts.

There was a time when he had thought this gaze was a sign of a clever personality, delving meticulously into research.

“It doesn’t seem like a lie…. Then shall I ask the next question. Since when have you known the blue dragon?”

“Since I woke up in my original body.”

“You ran to the dragon who killed you as soon as you woke up? How can you be so foolish!”

“But thanks to that, I became close to the blue dragon. Why don’t you try it too?”

Nanthiel, who had been smiling playfully, suddenly changed his expression and said.

“You know that I want the blue dragon.”

“……”

Nanthiel got up from the sofa and approached Siol. With a frightened expression, Siol took a few steps back. A rat at his feet squeaked as it was kicked away. But he didn’t have time to be afraid of being bitten.

“I won’t bother asking how you knew.”

Continuing to back away, Siol eventually tripped on the bed and fell backward.

Pretending to get up, Siol quickly reached out his hand. But there was another creature that snatched the shirt Siol was aiming for first. A sewer rat, which had crawled onto the blanket at some point, threatened Siol with its teeth and dragged the shirt to Nanthiel.

“Master. I may have killed you once, but I didn’t necessarily come here with the intention of killing you a second time. So please don’t be too afraid.”

“……”

Nanthiel took the blue brooch from the shirt handed to him by the sewer rat and peered at the deep blue gem.

“The blue dragon’s mana. Does he come to the rescue if you have this?”

“…Give it back.”

“I’ll return it if you answer my questions faithfully today. How about it?”

He spoke as if he were making a fair proposal, despite holding a hostage.

“…Fine.”

At that, Nanthiel smiled with satisfaction, like a victor. It was only natural, as everything must be going according to his plan.

“Now it seems we can finally sit down and have a conversation. Please sit over here.”

Nanthiel pointed to the sofa as if this lab were his own room. At that, the sewer rats crawling on the floor scattered to the left and right, making a path for Siol to walk. As he walked between the unblinking rats and sat on the sofa, Nanthiel ostentatiously placed the brooch on the table.

It was a display of confidence that Siol wouldn’t be able to take it back even if it was left there, and at the same time, a sneer directed at Siol.

Siol wasn’t particularly surprised by Nanthiel’s sudden change in attitude, but it was strange to think how a person like this could have acted as his disciple. He once thought that this boy, despite having the flaw of being overly picky with people, was a very sincere and earnest child.

Siol asked impulsively.

“How could you act so perfectly?”

“Pardon? Ah… you mean when I was at the lab. Well, it wasn’t an act.”

“What?”

“At first, I intended to serve you with all my heart, Master. If you hadn’t been so foolish and weak, I would have served you as I served my mother. I ran all that way to serve you after hearing of your great fame, but the person you are… was truly a disappointment.”

His tone was tinged with what sounded like genuine sadness. Siol couldn’t tell if Nanthiel was teasing him again or if he was being sincere. But Nanthiel, meeting his confused eyes, just shrugged as if he didn’t care what he thought.

“Well then, shall we hear your story now? If you were by the blue dragon’s side, you must have seen it. Me, being defeated by the blue dragon. My preparations must have been perfect. I’d like to hear your esteemed opinion on why I failed.”

“You… prepared a necklace to put on the blue dragon.”

“I did.”

“You also prepared the final breath and a love potion to feed him before putting on the necklace.”

“That’s right.”

“In my opinion, your plan was quite perfect. But you were forced to face the blue dragon before your preparations were complete. That must have been the reason for your defeat.”

“Is that all?”

Nanthiel asked back with a bored expression, as if it was a story he already knew all about.

“And during the fight, a black bird flew over and whispered something in your ear. After that, you seemed a bit anxious. I don’t know what news you heard, but…”

How would Nanthiel react to the lie he had subtly inserted? Siol said, ignoring the rat that was stepping on his own foot.

“It must have been the king. There’s no one else but the king who could make you like that.”

“…That’s right.”

“So I thought… you were the king’s subordinate…”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier that wasn’t the case? I believe I told you we merely made a deal.”

“What on earth was the deal that made you deceive me like that?!”

As Siol shouted in agitation, Nanthiel narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“We simply joined hands for a while for our mutual goals.”

“You said your goal was to get your hands on the blue dragon. Then what on earth is the king’s goal? This country is already in his hands, yet he keeps stirring up trouble. Spreading rumors that I’m an alchemist of death with the goal of annihilating the beastmen, having you cause a disturbance in the beastmen’s lands, and yet he doesn’t show even a shadow of himself…! It’s as if causing a disturbance is the goal itself…!”

It started as an act, but from the middle, he really couldn’t swallow his indignation. The king killed the former king to ascend the throne and let his only blood relative grow up doing menial tasks while held in his grasp. If Ladie hadn’t escaped, there would never have been a force to threaten his throne. And yet, even as Ladie formed a faction and gradually won over those around her, the king only tormented her a little and left her alone, unconcerned.

Wasn’t it an attitude as if he desired calamity?

As if causing a disturbance was the goal itself-.

“Causing a disturbance… is the goal.”

“Oh, dear…”

“He has some other purpose. That’s why he’s leaving Ladie’s rebellion alone, so that attention isn’t drawn to that side…. He used Ladie as bait, wanting everyone to focus on her…”

“You’ve found me out. Well, not that I care.”

Nanthiel burst out laughing, as if he was actually pleased that the king’s secret had been revealed.

Siol’s head ached. He had always been curious about the king’s true intentions, but he couldn’t dig deeper because he was busy dealing with the problems that kept popping up in front of him, and now he was being told that even that was the king’s intention.

Come to think of it, last time Ladie fought the Lord of Meric and went to war, a nearby lord was said to have been abandoned by the king and lost his title, but the reason for his abandonment wasn’t clear. The lord, bewildered by the sudden situation, had asked Ladie for help. Was that also one of the king’s schemes, to prevent him from having the leeway to think about anything else?

“Then what on earth…. What on earth does he want, to go to such lengths?”

“Who knows…. More importantly, Master. I’m starting to find this conversation boring.”

Nanthiel said in a disinterested tone, crossing his legs. A sewer rat crawled up his crossed legs and made some gesture on his knee. Nanthiel nodded a few times and gestured to Siol with his chin.

Siol froze and only moved his eyes, scanning his surroundings. Without him noticing, the floor had become so packed with rats that there was no room to step.

“I wanted to resolve this peacefully, Master. Even though it would be more convenient not to.”

“Wait…”

“Since you keep prying into what you’re curious about and being so uncooperative, I have no choice.”

“What are you trying to do…!”

“But to forcibly read your memories.”

Nanthiel said with a chilling smile.

That smile was the signal that the conversation was over. Simultaneously, the sewer rats that had been filling the surroundings began to crawl up Siol’s feet and the sofa. In an instant, the weight of the rats completely covering his lower body and climbing higher made Siol grip the mana stone he had been holding all along and try to activate the spell circle again.

Just then, a familiar voice brushed past his ear.

“Have you satisfied all your curiosity now?”

Before the startled Siol could even turn his head, a familiar touch lifted his body from behind. The sewer rats clinging to his body turned into chunks of ice and clattered to the floor. Eorzen, with a gentle touch, adjusted his hold on Siol and straightened his disheveled collar.

“Mr. Eorzen?”

When the flustered Siol called his name, Eorzen looked back at him with smiling eyes.

Have you satisfied all your curiosity? His tone was as if he had been waiting all along for Siol to finish his business.

“How… how did you know to come?”

“The witch’s kin are not a patient sort. I knew he would come, so I was watching.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“But… Nanthiel took my brooch…”

Even as the two conversed, the rats filling the room were freezing and collapsing one by one, starting from the nearest ones. The process was not simply the death of the rats, but the scattering of the deathly power Nanthiel had gathered.

Nanthiel, who had been momentarily dumbfounded, resisted Eorzen’s power. The rats bared their sharp teeth and charged at Eorzen, but before they could take more than a few steps, they turned into chunks of ice and tumbled to the floor.

“Blue dragon… why are you… with my master?”

Eorzen didn’t answer, merely shifting his calm gaze to Nanthiel.

“Siol. May I capture Nanthiel now?”

“What? Why are you asking me…”

“For permission.”

His tone was polite, as if he wouldn’t act without permission. Siol, not even understanding the situation, nodded as if mesmerized.

At that, the blue brooch that had been lying on the table shot up and stuck to Nanthiel’s neck.

“Ugh…!”

Then, as the brooch pierced his skin and embedded itself right in front of his Adam’s apple, a red light seemed to flash from within the gem, and gold began to melt hotly from the back.

The gold burned Nanthiel’s skin, wrapping around his neck and flowing down to bind his body. By some kind of magic, Nanthiel became unable to move the parts touched by the gold. The magic, slowly but surely, increased the area it dominated on Nanthiel’s body.

The gold that had bound his arms finally reached his fingertips, but it didn’t stop there and went further down. The gold that dripped from his fingertips became chains and embedded themselves in the floor.

“What is this…!”

But Nanthiel’s resistance was also fierce. With his body immobilized, dozens of rats rushed to him and gnawed at the gold, and when they realized it was ineffective, they began to set their own bodies on fire. The gold that had hardened on his skin and bound Nanthiel melted in the crimson flames, and then the gold flowing from the brooch would bind Nanthiel again, in a repeated cycle.

Eorzen never took his eyes off Nanthiel.

The brooch was merely a medium; the one moving the gold now, and the one using the gold to suppress Nanthiel, was ultimately Eorzen’s magic. The power of the magic would strengthen depending on how focused he was in wielding it.

Nanthiel, likewise, stared at Eorzen and didn’t, no, couldn’t, look away. He had unexpectedly allowed the enemy’s mana to pierce through his body, but he had to prevent it from taking over any further.

The battle between the two was mostly taking place inside Nanthiel’s body, so it wasn’t visible on the outside.

However, that was only while Nanthiel was fighting rationally.

As Nanthiel, who was being gradually pushed back, began to get agitated and grind his teeth in anger, the flames that had only been burning the gold on his own skin began to fly in all directions. The newly laid carpet, decorative hangings, and rug caught fire, and the flames grew larger and larger.

Siol tried to do something to catch the fire, but Eorzen held him tight and didn’t put him down. Perhaps he didn’t have the spare energy to move more while in the middle of a fierce battle. Siol, for now, held on tightly to Eorzen’s shoulder, staying quietly in his arms so as not to disturb him.

“Haha! Fool! Fool!”

At the voice that suddenly cut through the quiet battle, Siol froze as if doused with cold water.

It was a voice he had heard countless times in the past. When he turned his stiff neck to look to the side, a crow with vividly shining green eyes was squeezing through the narrow window.

“Fool! Idiot!”

“Stop being annoying and help if you came to help!”

Nanthiel shouted, grinding his teeth. The crow tilted its head and feigned ignorance, as if it didn’t know what he was talking about.

No.

Siol muttered unknowingly and pushed Eorzen away. Eorzen once again held Siol’s waist firmly as he tried to dart out with the thought that he had to stop it.

“Mr. Eorzen, it’s the king’s, the king’s voice. I’ll handle it. Please let me go.”

But Eorzen didn’t let him go. Instead, he pulled Siol in tighter, tilted his head to the crook of Siol’s neck, and rubbed his cheek against it. Startled by the sudden contact, Siol just rolled his eyes to look back at Eorzen. He let out a slow breath and then slammed one foot forward.

Simultaneously, the gold binding Nanthiel’s body grew thicker and harder, wrapping around Nanthiel’s body even more tightly. The chains connected to the floor also increased in thickness while simultaneously shortening in length, eventually forcing Nanthiel to his knees.

“Help me!”

Nanthiel shouted irritably. As if in response, the crow grinned and said.

“You got caught? You’re not his subordinate?”

“…Dammit.”

The crow’s eerily green-glowing eyes were staring intently at Nanthiel. Nanthiel could feel the king watching him from beyond those eyes. Because he was the one who had given that animal to the king.

The king was a surprising wielder of strange abilities who could seize the Tower of Survival, but he originally couldn’t handle life itself. One day, at the request for an animal to run errands, Nanthiel had given him a crow. He thought a gloomy crow and the king were a perfect match.

But the king, not long after receiving the crow, became able to see what the crow saw, and even managed to make the crow speak what he said, albeit in short syllables. When Nanthiel had given him that crow, it was just a bird that could only run errands like delivering letters.

Nanthiel was secretly afraid of the king’s abilities.

“I was wrong! I am your subordinate. Happy now?”

When Nanthiel burst out shouting, the crow cawed with laughter, then narrowed its eyes and said.

“Good boy!”

At the tone, as if praising a dog, Nanthiel’s face contorted.

The crow spread its wings and flew towards Nanthiel. Eorzen immediately reached his hand toward the crow and flicked his fingers upward. On his command, a chunk of ice shot up from the floor, blocking the crow’s path, causing the crow to slam its head into it and tumble down.

Eorzen didn’t stop there and moved his mana once more. A chunk of ice that rose from the floor grabbed the crow’s feet, and slowly froze the body of the struggling, fluttering crow. Eventually, the crow, which had been screeching and making a fuss, was completely frozen, right down to its beak.

This easily?

While Siol was holding his breath, unable to take his eyes off the frozen crow, the crow’s green eyes suddenly flicked toward Siol and it narrowed its eyes in a smile.

And the next moment, a sound like shattering glass came from the crow, and a jet-black shadow shot out and flew towards Nanthiel. The shadow that plunged into Nanthiel’s head seeped into him.

At that moment, Siol recalled the shadow that had appeared when Nanthiel died in the Tower of Survival before. He had an ominous feeling.

Nanthiel was gasping for breath in pain, still collapsed on the floor due to Eorzen’s restraints.

“It’s alright. He is completely bound, so he cannot harm you.”

“But…”

Before Siol could finish his words, a fierce wind swirled out from Nanthiel and swept through the lab. The wind carried sparks and blew them in all directions, and fire began to burn everything. Eorzen’s protective barrier blocked the flames from reaching Siol and Eorzen, but as the fire began to spread, Siol couldn’t hide his fear.

He clung deeper to Eorzen and looked back at Nanthiel with an anxious gaze. Eorzen’s arm held his waist even tighter.

“Master.”

His gaze was different from before. Through his disheveled hair, Nanthiel’s chilling eyes shone strangely. Siol realized that Nanthiel had regained his memories, and that the shadow from before was Nanthiel’s lost memories.

“How foolish must I have looked to you. Coming to you to dig for information, not knowing that you were the cause of it all…”

Nanthiel said with a growl and tried to get up, but the short chains binding his body made him collapse again. The sound of the chains clashing against each other rang out loudly.

“Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy watching your pitiful disciple wander around, knowing nothing?”

“Nanthiel.”

“Yes, go on, say it. Are you happy, holding what your disciple should have?”

“Don’t call me master. You are not my disciple.”

At Siol’s words, Nanthiel’s face contorted viciously.

It was strange. Nanthiel would ignore, mock, and deny Siol, yet when Siol did the same, he would show an unbearable rage. Moreover, despite Siol having cut off their relationship several times, he still called him master.

Even though it was Nanthiel who had murdered Siol, it was Nanthiel who was clinging to the other in this relationship. Siol couldn’t understand why.

Nanthiel glared at Siol, panting heavily, then suddenly his expression changed completely and he smiled.

“If you’re going to be like this, Master, I have a way too.”