TDAA Ch 58

Why… am I alive?

That was the first question Siol thought of, even as he shivered with a boiling fever, his head throbbed as if it were being squeezed, and his whole body ached with muscle pain. He was certain he had been dying. He had fallen into cold water, unable to breathe properly, his strength waning. A monster had bitten his shoulder and ankle. Monster bites, if not properly disinfected, would become infected and rot away in no time.

He hadn’t thought it possible to survive such a state.

Thinking dazedly, Siol recalled Eorzen’s magic. That powerful magic, strong enough to reattach Ryufen’s severed leg. Eorzen had surely saved him.

However, Eorzen’s healing magic couldn’t cure illnesses or infections. The dizziness and shaking vision seemed to be the aftereffects of the wound’s infection. His dizzying vision wavered as if he were submerged in water. Surely this wasn’t all just a flashback before death, and he wasn’t still in the process of dying, right?

As he entertained this silly thought, Siol suddenly froze at a memory that surfaced.

“…Ah.”

The confession he had made before collapsing echoed in his mind.

I like you. Siol had whispered it desperately while clinging to Eorzen.

Should I just bite my tongue and die? He had absolutely no confidence he could handle what he had done. Siol’s face, which had been flushed red with fever, turned deathly pale.

This was on a completely different level from just hugging him or sleeping together.

“…Should I say I was trying to tell Ryufen and made a mistake?”

Being misunderstood as liking that childish wolf would hurt his pride a bit, but it was better than having his true feelings revealed. It seemed like a plausible enough excuse. Right, let’s go with that.

No, rather than saying I like Ryufen, what if I say it wasn’t about love, but that my words got mixed up while I was trying to thank him for saving me? Come to think of it, there are many kinds of “like,” so that didn’t sound too bad either.

I didn’t say “I love you,” so there’s plenty of room for excuses.

Having roughly decided on a line of excuses, his mind felt a little more at ease.

And then, a torrent of all sorts of negative thoughts began to rush in.

Eorzen was no longer a Guide like him; he was someone who needed a companion. The fact that he could no longer Guide the blue dragon with his own power drove Siol to despair. It was for a shameful reason, but it was because he could no longer use Guiding as an excuse to make contact with the blue dragon. Perhaps the reason he had showered him with sticky kisses, calling it mucosal contact Guiding despite knowing its poor efficiency, was because he had subconsciously guessed that he wouldn’t be able to do so anymore.

Siol squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and pushed himself up.

Having nearly died and come back to life had snapped him to his senses. He couldn’t believe he had put Eorzen’s condition on the back burner because of his own jealousy. He had to go find Eorzen right away and tell him about his current state. He had to tell him about Eorzen’s escalating rampancy and that he must find a companion right now…

No, first, he had to check on Eorzen’s condition right now.

“Where… where is he?”

Getting to his feet, Siol, instead of putting on the thick cardigan and coat, wrapped the pile of blankets and quilts he had been under around his body. After roughly shoving his feet into his boots, Siol walked urgently toward the tent entrance but stopped in surprise at a sudden shout.

“…So, …until, …is that it?!”

Ryufen was yelling angrily in a harsh voice he had never heard before. Peeking his head slightly out of the tent, he saw that the two of them were not inside the canopy. It seemed they were arguing outside. The distance made it hard to hear the content, but his tone was incredibly angry. It sounded like Eorzen was replying to something, but he was speaking so calmly that it was completely inaudible.

Could it be because of me?

Siol stared toward the outside of the canopy with a dark expression. He couldn’t decide whether to go and stop them or to leave the scene. After a moment of hesitation, just as he was shuffling backward, an unexpected word struck Siol’s ear like a thunderbolt.

“Just stop it…! A companion…”

Companion?

As if possessed, Siol took a step toward the canopy, then froze at the sound of his own footstep on the dirt. The two people over there were the blue dragon and his guardian, the giant wolf. There was no way they wouldn’t hear the footsteps of a wolf like Siol, who hadn’t even been trained.

After a moment’s thought, Siol went back inside the tent and rummaged through his backpack. An emerald, hidden deep inside, came into his hand. It was an offering gem that Luber, crying, had stolen a handful of and stuffed into his bag when he was packing.

When Siol placed the emerald on the ground and very carefully channeled his magic to activate the sorcery circle, the delivery person on the other side of the circle also approached stealthily. Siol giggled, handed over the emerald, and received a small earring in return. It was an earring that amplified nearby sounds.

Putting on the sorcery earring and stepping out of the tent again, Siol held his breath and strained his ears toward the outside of the canopy. The sounds coming through were much clearer than before.

“It’s because of that, that this happened. You see him lying there sick, and you can still say things like that?”

“Ryufen. You… You don’t know.”

“I don’t know, so tell me!”

Siol tilted his head. Weren’t they just talking about a companion?

“Ugh, this is so frustrating I’m going to lose my mind! I need to know what you did so I can either hit you or give you advice, come on!”

“…It’s because of the curse.”

“…Excuse me? Why is the curse story suddenly coming up again?”

“The day Siol first collapsed at the castle, no one knew the reason. Even the doctor could only say it seemed to be due to stress and fatigue, but couldn’t offer a definite cause.”

“I know. So I tried to make him healthy by feeding him a lot, and he ended up with indigestion and all hell broke loose.”

“The cause was me.”

“…Excuse me?”

Siol was so shocked he thought his heart would leap out of his mouth.

His head was spinning. Of course, Siol had realized the moment he woke up after his first collapse that he was a man whose heart was in the grip of a curse. And that the curse obeyed Eorzen’s commands. That’s why every time Eorzen told him to come here, he had obediently gone and stood by his side, which at some point turned into being held and seated on his lap…. At Budril’s lab, he had even begged him not to tell him to come out. And in fact, that curse was still gently holding Siol’s heart even now.

However, the last time this curse had painfully squeezed his heart was a long time ago. Back when he was still Sizool. Eorzen, far from speaking to Siol in a commanding tone, sometimes acted as if he wanted to be the one receiving commands instead.

The last time he had used a commanding tone was only when Siol had stuck his hand through the sorcery circle. At that time, Eorzen had ordered Siol never to do it again. But that was said out of worry for Siol.

Thinking that far, Siol realized something was strange.

Wait, Eorzen knew about that? Since when? No, how? Didn’t he say he had no memory of the past year? If so, he shouldn’t have any memories of Siol’s time at the castle either.

…Could it be that his amnesia was a lie? Siol’s eyes darted around in bewilderment.

“It seems that if Siol refused when I commanded something, the curse… would clench Siol’s heart.”

“What does that… You placed such a curse, Captain?”

“The curse I cast wasn’t like that! But the curse’s sigil overlapped with the sorcery remaining on Siol’s chest and mutated…! The reason Siol was so obedient to me at the castle… was because of that.”

“…What the fuck…”

Ryufen bit back a curse he had been about to spit out and ground his teeth.

“What about now?”

“It’s… still the same.”

There was a sound of something moving roughly, and Ryufen spoke to Eorzen in a growling voice.

“Don’t you ever, ever command Siol again.”

“I won’t.”

“Not even for trivial things. Don’t tell him to eat a lot, or to go for a walk together, or anything like that.”

“Never, I won’t! How could I ever do that! How could I possibly… Siol…!”

Siol’s heart pounded violently.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t had happy dreams until now. He had hoped and imagined, thinking “what if,” “what if,” and had even harbored a sliver of hope. But the premonition he had dismissed under the absolute certainty that it couldn’t be true was now rearing its head again.

Even though he was standing still, he was panting, short of breath. He felt something prickly and cool pooling from the nape of his neck down his back. Siol grabbed his trembling left hand with his right. Coincidentally, it was the hand wearing the ring. His mind went blank as he stared, frozen, only at the ring on his hand.

“That child is my companion, so never, ever again…”

Siol clamped a hand over his own mouth to keep from screaming. As if he had forgotten even how to breathe, his eyes were fixed on the tent entrance. As if he were looking at Eorzen, who would be standing somewhere out there.

“……”

There were so many things he wanted to ask.

Countless questions that he had ignored until now under the conviction that “it can’t be true” ran wild. He couldn’t decide which question to solve first. His mind was in utter chaos, and his brain was frozen, unable to make any judgment. But amidst those countless questions, the words that came from the dragon’s mouth were clear.

‘That child is my companion.’

Eorzen’s voice repeated over and over in his ear.

Companion? Me? But, but if that’s true, then all this time, why…?

The image of Eorzen leaving Marsiga to find his mate and the words Eorzen had just spoken replayed over and over in his head.

“But a dragon… is said to recognize its mate in an instant…”

Eorzen was currently acting as if he had lost his recent memories. If so, when did that act begin? Could it have been since Siol was living in the castle as Sizool?

Siol, anxiously tracing back his memories, shook his head. He couldn’t understand why Eorzen would tell such a lie and come to the human lands, but it was unreasonable to think he had been deceiving Siol from the very beginning. They say a dragon loves its mate so much that it even acts as if its obsession isn’t excessive, so why would he do something like that…

“Acts… as if its obsession isn’t excessive…”

A dragon acts. Because it loves its mate, to be loved by its mate. If so, it was right to see the blue dragon’s lies and acting as an extension of that. The blue dragon acted. To be loved by his mate. To come to the side of one who feared the truth.

And hadn’t that tactic actually worked? Siol, who had constantly feared that Eorzen would learn the truth and reprimand him, decided not to run away and to meet him precisely because he was told the dragon’s recent memories were gone.

And so, the two of them went to see a festival together, held hands and walked the streets, bought and ate delicious food, bought funny trinkets, and even shared rings. Rings they packaged as festival souvenirs, but rings they both knew were the kind lovers share.

Siol gazed down at the ring on his finger. It was the same ring, but unlike moments ago, it felt heavy. This ring held the meaning of binding Eorzen, and Siol, to each other. Not as a delusion or a wish, but for real.

All this time, he had thought he was enjoying a date all by himself, fooling the naive Eorzen, but in reality, it had been a date for both of them. The one who knew nothing was, in fact, Siol.

At first, Eorzen had treated him as just a small beastman wolf. He had been kind from the beginning, but that was because Eorzen was an inherently kind person. But there was a time when that ordinary kindness transformed into a strange kindness.

It was right after the day Siol and Eorzen had spent the night together.

That was right. After those three nights, Eorzen became so strange that even the incredibly dense Ryufen noticed something was off and came to Siol for advice.

“…Good heavens.”

Eorzen couldn’t stand Siol leaving his side, and would lift him into his arms at the drop of a hat. He always followed Siol with his eyes. At the time, Ryufen had said it was probably because of Siol’s disappearance, but the truth was, it was because he was his mate.

Siol was dumbfounded. Eorzen had started to become a little strange while at the castle, and he became strange even faster in Marsiga. Eorzen, who had suddenly appeared when he was in the spire with Asios, had been incredibly strange. When he went down to face Nathaniel, Eorzen was frighteningly strange. Asking to be bitten on the shoulder, suddenly trying to run away…

And the Eorzen he met again in the human lands was also a little strange. Although there was a reason, he had started fumbling with his feet as soon as they met, and he believed Siol’s words with strange ease. When Siol said they had a relationship where they used formal speech, he was taken aback by how Eorzen believed him without a shred of doubt.

It was strange. Eorzen had constantly acted strangely toward Siol, and Siol had subtly accepted that strangeness. He had willingly enjoyed it, thinking it was a bit of luck he could enjoy for a short while before the blue dragon found his mate.

Without even knowing that strangeness was Eorzen’s love.

“He knows… everything, and still doesn’t hate me.”

Siol clenched his fists. His whole body was on the verge of trembling with unbearable joy.

Then why hadn’t Eorzen told him the truth? Siol had been afraid that if it became known he was an alchemist of death, Eorzen would despise him. If Eorzen had come to love him even after learning that fact, why did he approach him hiding the truth?

At that moment, something flashed through Siol’s mind like lightning.

“In Marsiga… he said he had a lot to tell me.”

Eorzen, having trapped Siol in the closet, had clasped his hand, kissed the back of it, and asked him to wait for him. He said there were so many things he had to say. And he had said he would go see Sizool.

That was when most of his magic had been sealed, and even Siol’s curse was fading. Only then did Siol recall the curse he had received.

The curse the blue dragon had placed on his soul was that he would never find a partner, forever decline, and forever be with death. Because of this curse, Siol had a weak body that could hardly be considered a wolf beastman’s, and at times, his heart would be squeezed, making him feel death. And the part he had thought insignificant and ignored, “never find a partner,” had surely been tormenting Siol as well.

Because of the power of this curse, Eorzen had been unable to recognize Siol as his mate all along. Because Siol was not supposed to find his partner.

But in Marsiga, as the blue dragon’s magic was sealed away, the curse also lost its power, and so the blue dragon, too, became stranger and stranger day by day…. And so, just like that, the truth had been revealed.

“Aah…”

But then Siol had left him.

To bear the weight of his responsibilities, and out of fear of seeing the contempt in Eorzen’s eyes, Siol had left without even giving Eorzen a chance to talk. That’s why Eorzen had to pretend not to know anything, even after chasing after him. Because Siol was afraid.

It’s all my fault…. Siol, who had been mumbling with a tearful face, head bowed, soon clenched his fists and shook his head vigorously. This was not the time for self-blame.

If he was the mate, he could confidently perform mucosal contact Guiding. No, he could go beyond simple mucosal contact Guiding and confidently spend the night with him.

Eorzen had said that the dragon elders speculated the reason mates don’t go rampant after meeting is because their souls stabilize. If that was true, then Eorzen, being by Siol’s side right now, shouldn’t have a body on the verge of rampancy. Siol thought that perhaps Eorzen had lied to him. That perhaps there was some kind of secret about a dragon’s rampancy that couldn’t be revealed to outsiders. No, perhaps a dragon’s soul stabilizes because they spend the night with their mate.

In any case, to confirm the truth and take action, he had to talk to Eorzen.

Siol tore off the earring, threw it aside, and walked boldly toward the outside of the canopy. Just as Siol, having walked so clamorously, threw open the entrance flap and stepped outside, it happened.

A giant wolf, leaping down from a distance, landed between Siol and Eorzen. The ground rumbled and vibrated, sending the accumulated snow flying into the air. Siol raised his head and shielded his face with both hands, but contrary to his expectation, he wasn’t hit by the snow. When he opened his eyes, Eorzen was standing in front of him, blocking the way. Ryufen, too, had come to stand right beside them in an instant.

The being that appeared from within the swirling snow was a pure white wolf. It was as large as Ryufen, but unlike Ryufen, it was sleek and slender. For some reason, the moment Siol saw the wolf, he couldn’t take his eyes off it. It wasn’t just because of its beautiful appearance, which felt like that of a mythical creature. Something, as if it had pierced his very soul, held Siol captive.

The pure white wolf glanced over Ryufen and Eorzen, then transformed into a human. A man who appeared from behind the now much smaller woman naturally draped a coat over her shoulders and stepped back.

Who could they be? Judging by Eorzen’s and Ryufen’s demeanors, they didn’t seem to be enemies. However, they didn’t seem to have completely let their guard down either, so Siol was confused about the stranger’s identity.

“Ryufen, you look healthy. Your new leg looks sturdy, too.”

“…Older sister.”

Ryufen called out to the woman as if in pain.

Siol, startled, looked at the white wolf again. Long, pure white hair, just like when she was a wolf, fluttered in the wind. Her gaze was as cold as could be, and she had a domineering expression, as if looking down from above. She truly exuded the air of a ruler. He had met quite a few beastmen until now, but this was an aura he had only ever felt from Eorzen. This person was the alpha wolf who leads an alliance of over ten wolf cities, and at the same time, the Brother-in-law Ryufen feared?

He could accept the “alpha wolf” part, but the “Ryufen’s Brother-in-law” part was hard to believe. She didn’t resemble Ryufen in the slightest. It was a sorry thing to say to Ryufen, but this white wolf seemed superior in every aspect.

“Resting at this hour.”

The white wolf muttered lowly, then asked Eorzen sarcastically.

“Was my request to come as quickly as possible a joke to you?”

“Ladie.”

“Speak.”

To the name called out in reproach, Ladie replied nonchalantly. Ladie was clearly using polite speech, yet she sounded more like she was giving a command. Siol noticed that she disliked Eorzen. No, it was a hatred, contempt, and anger that couldn’t be expressed with the simple word “dislike.” The emotion was so layered within Ladie that it was spilling out. It was a violent emotion, the complete opposite of her composed and cold expression. She wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Siol felt uncomfortable with that fury being directed at Eorzen and took a step forward.

“That’s, because of me. Um… I fell in the water…”

“That’s right, Older sister. This kid fell into the lake over there and got bitten by a monster, so we were just going to wait until he woke up for a bit. We were going to leave as soon as he woke up, I tell you!”

“I’m sorry. I was wandering around carelessly and walked on the lake…”

As he mumbled an excuse, Eorzen grabbed Siol’s hand and pulled him back. Siol was once again hidden behind Eorzen. Eorzen, seeing Siol flustered and trying to step forward again, gripped his wrist tightly and kept him protected behind his back.

“We have been running without rest since receiving your message. We’ve only rested for about half a day, is that not excessive?”

Ladie gave Siol a cold glance, then gestured for Ryufen with her chin. Ryufen, who had been restlessly rolling his eyes, unable to step forward, quickly ran to Ladie’s call.

“Yes, Older sister.”

“Ryufen, what are you doing just standing there watching while the kid is running around without pants on?”

“…Pardon?”

“You incompetent thing. Take the kid and get him properly dressed.”

“…Pardon?”

“Being under the blue dragon has made you not just incompetent, but stupid and slow-witted.”

Ladie, clicking her tongue, this time gestured with her chin toward the man standing behind her. The man nodded, approached Siol, politely gestured toward the canopy, and smiled warmly. Even though he was a stranger, his manner was so polite and courteous that Siol found himself following his directions. Having taken a few steps in a daze, Siol belatedly wondered if it was okay to listen to a stranger and glanced back. Ryufen, as if sensing his anxiety, belatedly followed after him.

Since Siol was already standing right in front of the canopy, the three of them immediately entered and began walking toward the tent.

“Let’s go, let’s go. Seriously, why are you dressed like this? Who told you to come out with just a blanket wrapped around you?”

“…I woke up and no one was there.”

“Just because I left you alone for a bit while we talked, you have to be so clumsy…”

As Ryufen started to launch into a nag, the man walking beside them interjected in a gentle tone.

“Ryufen. You’re still as full of nonsense as ever.”

“…And you, Brother-in-law, are the same as ever, saying things like that with a smile on your face.”

“Well, I’m always the same.”

The man simply smiled brightly at Ryufen’s sarcastic retort. In the end, Ryufen clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned his head away. Ryufen had backed down after just a few words from the man.

What was surprising to Siol was not only the fact that this man was Ryufen’s brother-in-law and the husband of that beautiful wolf, Ladie, but more so the fact that he treated Ryufen like a child. To think he could subdue that Ryufen with just a gentle smile and a glance. He knew Ryufen was scared of his sister, Ladie, but he never thought he’d yield to his brother-in-law as well.

It seemed that not only Ladie, but this man too was a wolf as strong as Ryufen, if not stronger. Otherwise, no matter if he was his brother-in-law, Ryufen wouldn’t have obediently shut his mouth.

As if reading Siol’s surprised expression, the man spoke with a soft smile.

“Wolves are generally on the rough side, but we do have our own strict rules. Ryufen is a fool who ran away because he hated the rules, so I hope you won’t form a stereotype about wolves based solely on him.”

His polite and courteous way of speaking was even more gentle than Muriel’s. In truth, Siol had a stereotype about wolves. A rather strong one, at that. But seeing this man shattered it to pieces.

“Ye-es…”

“I’m glad you understand.”

Seeing a type of wolf he’d never encountered before, Siol felt his cheeks flush for some reason. Of course, it wasn’t a feeling like affection. This feeling was closer to admiration, a desire to become a wolf like that.

Seeing this, Ryufen contorted his face and rested his chin on Siol’s shoulder.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? You’re our kid. Don’t go falling head over heels for that fox-like wolf.”

“I did not f-fall for him!”

“I can see you totally did!”

“I said I didn’t…”

Siol shrugged his shoulder to shake off Ryufen’s chin, grumbled, and then turned his head toward the man.

“Um… this might be a rude question.”

“You may ask anything.”

“You’re the Chieftain’s husband… and you serve her?”

“The Chieftain is indeed my wife, but that is only the second element of our relationship. The most important point in our relationship is that she is my lord.”

Ryufen, beside them, shook his head and quipped sarcastically.

“Oh, I’m sure she is.”

“Ryufen.”

When Siol called him out reproachfully, Ryufen snorted and looked away. Why was he being so difficult?

“Why do you keep being so mean? The Chieftain seemed like a kind person too. She even told you that you looked healthy earlier. And that your new leg looked sturdy…”

“You fool! That meant she was displeased because you’ve gotten fat and chubby without proper training! And the thing about the leg was her asking where in the world you got your leg into such a state.”

“No way.”

Finding Ryufen’s constant negative interpretations absurd, Siol turned back to the man to seek agreement, but stopped when he saw the man just smiling gently without saying anything in response. Did her words really mean that?

After a moment of dazed thought, Siol asked haltingly.

“…So, were we, by any chance, just used as an excuse for you two to talk alone?”

“You’re only figuring that out now, dummy?”

At the sound of Ryufen’s sigh, Siol looked up at the man as if he’d been betrayed. The man flinched and avoided his gaze. He had followed him, thinking it was fascinating to see such a gentle and polite wolf, but to think it was all just an act for Ladie’s sake. It wasn’t that he had any particular expectations of this man, but he felt a keen sense of betrayal for some reason.

The man gave an awkward laugh, then asked Siol as if he had just remembered.

“My name is Cardion. May I ask for your name, guest?”

No matter how you looked at it, he was changing the subject. Siol was a little displeased, but decided it was pointless to keep picking a fight and answered obediently.

“I’m Siol.”

“…You are Master Siol.”

Seeing the man’s expression change, Siol hurriedly made an excuse.

“Um, I was called the alchemist of death, but I didn’t know my tools were being used that way… I really didn’t. I just made them because they said they were for fighting monsters… No, that’s not to say I don’t have any responsibility. I know. So I plan to take as much responsibility as I can. The reason I followed this time is because Nathaniel was once my student, so I thought I could definitely be of help…”

“No. That’s not why I looked at you like that, Siol.”

“Huh? It’s not?”

“Did you not know? A few days ago, the blue dragon sent a letter detailing the truth about you. I wondered why he was suddenly rambling on about it, but it seems it was because he intended to visit with you.”

“…Is that true, Ryufen?”

Siol stopped walking and turned to Ryufen to ask. Ryufen had a somewhat troubled expression but soon nodded.

“He didn’t send it to all the chieftains, just to Older sister for now.”

Thinking of Eorzen, a surge of passion welled up again. He had to ask him about the mate. He should have asked what on earth had happened, if he really was his mate, but then Ladie had appeared.

“…In any case, after receiving the letter, we sent out our swiftest wolves and completed the verification.”

“……”

“The reason I looked at you like that was simply…”

Cardion placed a hand on Siol’s head and gently stroked his hair. It was a gentle and kind touch. For some reason, the feeling of betrayal rapidly subsided under that touch. He felt as if he had felt this touch before. Come to think of it, his voice was the same. As if he had heard this voice somewhere before…

“Because I didn’t know you were such a small wolf, Siol.”

Only then did Siol realize why this man was being so kind and gentle. Even now that he had Siol’s body instead of Sizool’s, he was still short. No, actually, for a human he wasn’t that short, but for a wolf, he was. That’s probably why he looked young.

Siol gave an awkward laugh and told him the truth.

“Um… you must have misunderstood because I’m small, but I’m not that young…”

“Then that is all the more surprising. It seems there is a problem with your diet. It’s plausible, given the problem with the cook.”

At those words, Ryufen, who had been feeding Siol all this time, flared up in anger.

“Hey, what did I do? Do you have any idea how picky an eater this kid is, Brother-in-law? I make all sorts of things, and he eats as much as a mouse!”

“Siol. Wolves can grow quite a bit even after becoming adults if they eat well. So, how about we try to grow about five centimeters while you’re here? I am in charge of the cooking at the estate. I’ll make sure you can eat deliciously.”

As Cardion made the suggestion, ignoring Ryufen’s words, Ryufen made a sour face.

“Brother-in-law, have you lost your mind? Siol, don’t be fooled. This man isn’t someone who acts this nicely. Originally, Brother-in-law was Older sister‘s savage hunter…”

Ryufen, who was bad-mouthing his brother-in-law right in front of him, was suddenly sent flying and went tumbling across the ground. Siol was right next to them, yet he couldn’t perceive what had happened between the two at all. As Siol stood frozen with wide eyes, Cardion, still smiling gently, opened the tent flap and guided Siol inside.

“That’s just a story from the past.”

No matter how you looked at it, it was far from a thing of the past; it was very much a present progressive.

Siol looked at Cardion with wavering eyes. He was still smiling, but his expression seemed subtly troubled. Perhaps this was a situation where Siol should be scared. Ryufen had been struck and knocked away at a speed he couldn’t even see, and Eorzen was outside dealing with the white wolf, so there was no one to protect him right now.

But strangely, he didn’t feel afraid of the inscrutable wolf before him. It was because of the peculiar sense of familiarity he had been feeling since a while ago. It wasn’t a feeling that came from simply being of the same species. If it were a feeling that came from being of the same species, he should have felt it from Ryufen or Muriel as well.

He couldn’t be certain what this feeling was, but Siol decided to follow him for now. It wasn’t that he was unconditionally following a mere feeling of familiarity, but because Eorzen hadn’t stopped Siol from following this man earlier. If he were a dangerous person, Eorzen would never have just stood by and watched.

Before entering the tent, Siol hesitated for a moment and looked back. The courage he had gathered earlier hadn’t scattered and was still residing in his chest. But now was not a good time.

It seemed he would have to postpone his conversation with Eorzen for a little later.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

With only Eorzen and Ladie left, a desolate wind swept between them.

Eorzen didn’t know why the white wolf before him hated him so much. There was a time when he had tried to find out, but every time he asked for the reason, the white wolf hated him even more, as if the question itself was some kind of trigger. As his repeated efforts only brought about more hatred, Eorzen eventually had no choice but to give up on improving their relationship.

The strange thing was that even while hating him so much, Ladie would help him at critical moments.

In fact, the league that Eorzen had formed to respond to the invasion from the human lands was originally a not-so-welcome organization. The land of the beastmen was a land of self-sufficiency where each city was like its own nation, and they didn’t understand why they had to join forces to deal with humans who hadn’t even invaded their own doorsteps yet. And no matter how great a mythical species the dragons were, they couldn’t force the beastmen cities to join the league.

Just as he was in such a predicament, Ladie had extended a hand. For many years, the wolf alliance had earned the trust of the surrounding cities by helping them or punishing runaway wolves who had committed crimes, all according to the rules of their cities. When such a wolf city alliance officially announced its support for the blue dragon’s league, chieftains who wanted to join the league and stand against the human lands began to appear one by one.

Eorzen, who considered himself greatly indebted to Ladie, decided to accept her hatred in return. In truth, it was an easy thing to do, as Ladie’s hatred didn’t mean much to him. However, if that hatred were to affect Siol, he could no longer let it be.

Ladie, glancing toward the canopy, furrowed her brow and asked.

“Is that child the alchemist of death?”

“…He is, but I advise you not to call him that in front of him.”

“Useless advice.”

“That time remains as a wound for Siol. I’m asking you.”

“…I’m saying I wouldn’t have called him that even if you hadn’t advised against it.”

Ladie replied in a slightly softer tone. Perhaps due to her son’s influence, she had a bit of a soft spot for young wolves. In reality, Siol was not young, but his small appearance seemed to have stimulated Ladie’s heart. It was a fortunate thing.

“More importantly, what’s the real reason? Surely you didn’t come looking for us just because we were later than you thought.”

“The sound of the ice breaking was quite loud.”

“Ah. So that’s why.”

When Siol’s heart began to beat strangely, he had run out in surprise to find Siol shaking off Ryufen and sinking into the water of the lake. The smell of Siol’s blood and his screams had sent Eorzen’s rationality flying. When he came to his senses, he was holding an unconscious Siol, soaked in cold water, and the frozen lake was shattered and in ruins.

He hadn’t thought of it before, but it seemed the sound from that time had reached all the way to Ladie’s city, Arteum.

“Since it happened while trying to save the wolf child, I will no longer take issue with you taking your time. However, remember this clearly. When I agreed to cooperate with your league, I presented only one condition. It was a promise made on your name, so be sure to keep it.”

“To help my child first and foremost if anything happens.”

“Yes, that promise.”

“There’s no need to worry. Our side also has a grudge against Nathaniel, so we intend to do our best.”

“That may be so for you, but what about that child? Even if he was used and betrayed by the king, isn’t Nathaniel his student? He doesn’t seem like the type of person who can just cut ties like that.”

“…Come to think of it, you wouldn’t know yet. Nathaniel was an identity assumed by the witch’s son. And…”

Ladie asked back in a stiff voice.

“…What did you say?”

“Nathaniel is…”

“I wasn’t asking again because I didn’t hear you!”

Ladie shouted roughly, her face contorting. The furiously enraged white wolf uncontrollably spread the bloodlust and magic that flowed in streams from her body. Her clenched jaw trembled. Seeing her consumed by that uncontrollable rage, Eorzen recalled the day he first met her. The murderous eyes that stared at him as if they wanted to strangle him to death.

Eorzen took a step to the side, blocking the front of the canopy.

“Ladie.”

“That damned witch’s bloodline again…!”

“Ladie!”

At the strong call, Ladie turned to look at Eorzen, but she didn’t hide her seething bloodlust. A gaze mixed with terrible hatred, rage, and disgust stared at Eorzen. She looked so enraged it was as if she would leap at him and bite his neck at any moment.

Eorzen finally realized that the source of Ladie’s rage, which he hadn’t been able to find a clue about all this time, was related to the witch. Didn’t she just say ‘again’? If so, could the reason Ladie’s child was born that way also be due to the witch? It wasn’t surprising. The witch had caused all sorts of fantastical incidents when she was alive.

The problem was that most of the incidents the witch caused happened while she was targeting Eorzen. Perhaps Ladie’s hatred for him all this time stemmed from that fact.

Ladie, who had been glaring at Eorzen for a while, gradually regained her senses. She took a deep breath, gathering up the bloodlust and magic that had been streaming from her body. Then, she spoke to Eorzen as if warning him. In a voice mixed with a growl, almost like the sound of a beast.

“I will never let the witch’s kin take my child away. Eorzen, keep your promise. No matter what happens, my child must be the top priority. Even if, Nathaniel brings your mate before you and sways you.”

Eorzen narrowed his eyes. He, of course, intended to do his best to retrieve Ladie’s child according to the promise, but warning a dragon to prioritize a promise over its mate crossed a line.

Before Eorzen could retort, Ladie sneered mockingly.

“…Though it’s not like they’ll ever show up.”

It was a blatant provocation, but Eorzen wasn’t hurt in the slightest.

Siol had already appeared before Eorzen. Although they had gone through numerous arduous events, and there was still a mountain of things to sort out and incidents to resolve, Siol was nevertheless the one and only being who would lead him to perfect stability. To a perfect stability that made such provocations feel utterly meaningless.

However, separate from the fact that he wasn’t hurt, there was a problem with Ladie’s attitude. He would gladly accept any feelings directed at himself, but the thought that this hatred and anger might deflect toward Siol sharpened his nerves. He absolutely could not let that happen.

He decided to thoroughly hide the fact that Siol was his mate for the time being. He hadn’t intended to say anything in the first place, but he’d have to be careful with his attitude so that she wouldn’t notice.

Afterward, the two ignored each other and waited for the group that had gone in to dress Siol to return.

After a short wait, Siol, dressed even more warmly than usual, walked out of the canopy. As Ryufen and Cardion, who followed behind him, began to fold the canopy, Eorzen’s and Ladie’s gazes also turned that way.

“I’ll do it. Just leave it.”

“I’ll help. It’ll be faster if we do it together. It’s cold, so we need to go back quickly.”

Siol, seeing the two large wolves begin to fold the canopy, offered his hand to help, but was stopped when he was bumped in the chest by Ryufen’s hind leg. Ryufen gestured with his chin for Siol to get away and then started folding the canopy again.

He’s like that even when I offer to help. Siol pouted his lips, brushed the snow off his chest, and approached Eorzen.

“…Lord Eorzen.”

“Yes, Siol.”

Eorzen promptly replied and extended both his hands to lift Siol up, but then paused. He had just resolved to be careful about his attitude, but his body moved on its own as soon as Siol called him. Come to think of it, the fact that he only used formal speech with Siol was also something that could arouse suspicion.

Glancing at Ladie, he saw she was already looking back and forth between Siol and Eorzen, as if she found it strange.

Eorzen decided to change his mind. Of course, his thought of having to prevent Ladie’s hatred from being directed at Siol remained, but if Siol were to be hurt or disappointed by his changed attitude while he tried to hide their relationship, it would all be meaningless. It was better to fight Ladie when she acted aggressively toward Siol than for Siol to get hurt.

He paid Ladie no mind, lifted Siol into his arms, and asked.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t get to ask earlier. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. I don’t hurt at all. Um… Lord Eorzen, you saved me, right?”

“If you’re asking if I pulled you out of the water, then yes. But… I’m not sure if I saved you properly.”

“What? What do you mean by that? I’m alive thanks to you. I thought I was going to die in the water.”

“That’s the problem.”

Eorzen said, lowering his voice.

“You almost died.”

That was something that should never have happened. As he said it out loud, the image of Siol being dragged down into the ice-cold water came to mind again. Without realizing it, Eorzen hugged Siol tightly. Siol, held so tightly it was hard to breathe, hugged Eorzen back in bewilderment and rubbed his back.

“But you saved me, Lord Eorzen.”

“In the first place, I should never have let something like that happen to you.”

“I was stupid. I didn’t think that a monster in a lake would have no escape route. And…”

Siol hesitated, then glanced down at his ring. It was his fault in the first place for rashly throwing the ring and then running onto the lake to get it back. If he hadn’t thrown the ring, none of this would have happened, so it was all his fault. But if that hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have heard Eorzen’s words, ‘that child is my mate’.

In the end, this misfortune was, for Siol, a great stroke of luck.

A desire to confess that fact right away seized Siol. A desire to confirm the truth without caring about the surrounding situation or the current circumstances. He wanted to ask bluntly, “Am I, am I really your mate?” and confirm the answer with a clear reply.

Hadn’t Eorzen said so not long ago? Not to abandon his desires.

Just as Siol finally made up his mind and lifted his head, the canopy collapsed behind him. Startled by the crashing sound, Siol flinched his shoulders and looked back. Ryufen was groaning and crawling out from inside the collapsed canopy on the ground.

“Ah, Brother-in-law!”

“My apologies.”

“I told you I’d just do it myself. Phew. Just go stand next to Older sister over there.”

As Ryufen nagged irritably, Cardion shrugged his shoulders and went to stand behind Ladie. Siol’s gaze inadvertently followed the movement and met Ladie’s eyes. She was looking at Siol with cold eyes. Her brows were furrowed as if in reproach, and Siol, without realizing it, pushed Eorzen away and stood on the ground himself.

To think he was about to confess his love, having forgotten that the Chieftain, who was like the king of the wolf kingdom, was right next to him. It was neither the right time nor the right place for such a conversation. Siol felt a little ashamed, wondering if he had always been this immature.

No matter how happy he was to have found out the reason Eorzen had become strange, the truth of that strangeness, this was not right. He should bring this up later tonight when they were alone, holding Eorzen’s hand. That way, after confessing, they could also have a serious conversation about this rampant energy that was running wild inside the dragon’s body.

“Siol. And then?”

“And… I didn’t listen to Ladie, either…?”

Siol, cluelessly tilting his head, pushed Eorzen’s shoulder and answered whatever came to mind as Eorzen kept probing. When he knew nothing, these actions were just happy and shy, but now that he knew what this strangeness, the truth of this strangeness, was, he felt like he could die of embarrassment.

Come to think of it, Ladie already knew. When the jewels and magic stones were first sent from the land of the beastmen, she had asked Siol, ‘Aren’t you the blue dragon’s mate?’ Siol had pleaded that it could never be true. He had even cried, saying he wished he were the mate. Wait, then did Eorzen really send the jewels and magic stones back then, hoping they would be delivered to him?

Good heavens. Siol took a sharp breath, trying not to show his delight.

Siol brought his thoughts, which had briefly strayed, back. Ladie had believed his words at first, too. But since when had she changed her mind and started thinking he was Eorzen’s mate?

After driving out Nathaniel, in the burned-out underground lab, Ladie had said.

‘Master Siol. I’m washing my hands of that matter. You handle it.’

Even then, Siol had pleaded with his expression that it really wasn’t true, that it couldn’t be. Ladie was in no mood to listen to Siol’s claims. She was convinced that Siol was the dragon’s mate. Just how obvious had it been for her to be so sure? Siol’s face flushed hotly. Because that also meant that even though it was so obvious, Siol himself hadn’t noticed.

Siol knew well that he had no talent for romance. No, he had never even had a chance to test his talent until now. Romances on Earth tended to start quickly and end quickly, which didn’t suit Siol’s disposition, and because he had become the dedicated Guide of an S-class esper early on, everyone had avoided him.

Even so, to be this oblivious. This was all Ryufen’s fault. Back at the castle, Ryufen had told him Eorzen was strange, even listing strange reasons, and he had believed it was the truth…

If this romance fails, it’s all Ryufen’s fault…

Siol pointlessly blamed the innocent Ryufen and tried to avoid Eorzen’s gaze, but his eyes met Ladie’s again. She was looking at Siol with a displeased expression. Siol shivered and tried to push Eorzen away a little more, but he didn’t budge an inch.