TYND 121
by Cherry“Theon. Let’s talk face to face.”
With a fearful yet resolute heart, Theon released the strength from the sturdy hands that held Rothy.
He met Rothy’s eyes. There was no disappointment to be found in Rothy’s pupils. Rather, what sparkled within them was love.
“I’m sorry. I made things difficult for Theon.”
“You have no reason to apologize.”
“No. It’s my fault. I’ve been so full of confidence lately because I’ve been working out, and I just stubbornly insisted. I said I didn’t want to look like a child, but I acted more childish than anyone else.”
“Rothy.”
“I’m clumsy with swordsmanship. I admit it. From now on, I won’t attempt any dangerous things, whether it’s wooden sword sparring or real sword sparring.”
Theon’s jaw muscles twitched. Rothy smiled prettily and cupped Theon’s cheek with his hand.
“And I was touched….”
Rothy’s cheeks flushed.
“Even though Theon didn’t want to disappoint me, he honestly told me that I looked like a child holding a wooden sword. I know what that feeling is. It’s because you were so worried about me. And worry comes from love.”
“……”
“I’m sorry for making you worry. But I feel so good. It’s really wonderful that the person I love loves me….”
Rothy hugged Theon tightly.
Theon felt Rothy’s pounding heart and exhaled. It was a sigh of relief, and also a sigh of overwhelming emotion.
Thus, the second plan for Rothy’s image change was also shelved.
However, this incident brought Theon an unexpected benefit.
“Rothy… are you really okay?”
“Yeah. I’m full of energy. I want to do it again.”
Rothy demanded insertive sex for three days in a row. Moreover, he even had sex twice in one night.
As his stamina increased through training, he gained a secondary effect: his time in bed with Theon became deeper and longer.
Theon decided that he should continue to include physical training in his schedule.
While applying the lube, Rothy reached out and grabbed Theon’s magnificent manhood.
“I may look like a child holding a bomb when I hold a sword, but I don’t look like a child when I hold Theon’s, do I?”
“You look like an Archmage holding a staff.”
The black lion, who had been helpless and unable to touch even a single feather, pounced on the titmouse.
After their second time that day, Rothy snuggled into Theon’s arms and said,
“An Archmage holding a staff. That’s a really cool thing to say.”
“Is it?”
“I’m going to show everyone in the North this time. That I’m an Archmage.”
“Yes. I look forward to it.”
The attempt to change his image was not over yet.
They had a third plan left.
*
Side Story 2. Hunting Competition
A week before the start of the hunting competition, the Palsen Archduchy announced shocking news.
“Crazy, did you hear about it?”
“Hear about what?”
“Lord Rothy is coming to the hunting competition!”
“Whaaaaaaaaaat?”
It was the first time since Rothy came to the North that he would be participating in the hunting competition.
Naturally, the whole world was in an uproar, and, of course, there were strong voices of opposition. It was too dangerous for Rothy.
“The Ege Forest is a rough forest for Lord Rothy to walk through. It’s more like a canyon full of trees than a forest.”
“What if our Lord Rothy trips on a rock and gets hurt?”
“There will be real wild animals, not just wooden dolls.”
“Are wild animals the problem? There might be monsters hiding.”
“It’s too dangerous for Lord Rothy!”
It is true that the Northern Hunting Competition is more dangerous than hunting competitions in other regions.
The only companions are one supervisor and one attendant, horses are not allowed, so they have to move on foot, and the forest itself is very rough. All means of hunting are allowed except black magic, such as swords, bows, spears, poison, traps, magic, and Divine magic, so injuries can occur not only from beasts but also from the mistakes of other participants.
It is the festival with the most injuries among the imperial festivals, and there have even been deaths.
If there had been deaths at the imperial capital festival or the southern festival, the abolition of the festival would have been discussed, but the North was different.
‘I heard five people died this time.’
‘Really? There will be fewer participants in the next hunting competition.’
‘That’s right. We have to sweep away all the prey.’
And the next hunting competition was held in the North, where the number of participants doubled due to those who participated with exactly the same thoughts.
“How could Archduke Palsen allow Lord Rothy to participate?”
“I heard he’s going to show us what a great mage’s magical hunt is like….”
“Even if he’s a great mage, he’s still a baby.”
“That’s right. He’s only about sixteen years old now.”
“Has it already been that long? How old was Lord Rothy when he first came to the North?”
“About six years old?”
“Wasn’t he three years old?”
“Then he’s only twelve years old now?”
“Oh, no. I guess he was six years old.”
“Then he’s fifteen years old now…. Hasn’t he had his coming-of-age ceremony?”
“That’s right. Something’s strange.”
The Northerners also felt something strange in their conversation, but the conclusion was this.
“Anyway, Lord Rothy is too young to go to a dangerous hunting competition. He should be protected in a safe place!”
These public reactions also reached Rothy and Theon’s ears.
“I knew everyone would react like that. The reason why I have to participate in this hunting competition is even more solid now.”
Rothy had no intention of yielding this time, and Theon also planned to fully support the Archmage Rothy’s wooden doll hunt.
The reason why only Theon Dert Palsen has participated in the hunting competition so far is not because it is a dangerous festival for our baby Archmage, as the Northerners think.
It was because the baby Archmage was busy making wooden dolls.
Since the first wooden doll hunting competition ended in great success, the demand for wooden dolls has skyrocketed every year. Because of this, Rothy had to diligently make dolls without even being able to properly attend tea times with those who did not participate in the hunt.
Moreover, now that he has declared the full introduction of wooden dolls, he has to make even more dolls.
Therefore, the first thing he had to obtain in order to participate in the hunting competition was….
“Rest assured. Even an academy puppy can fire a crossbow in three years. It’s been four years since we started assisting with puppet magic and some modified magic. We’ve been waiting to see when Lord Rothy will fully entrust us with it. We will never make a mistake and will perfectly complete the festival!”
It was the cooperation of the wizard organizations.
The North now owned as many as three wizard organizations.
From Rossiare, the first wizard organization, to Ellendrow last winter and Rim this spring, they were grandly opened.
In order for Rothy to take his hands off the dolls and enjoy hunting without worry, the cooperation and assistance of these wizard organizations was necessary.
Fortunately, the three organizations were on good terms with each other and fervently worshiped Rothy. They formed a hunting competition preparation committee centered around Rossiare, and in fact, Rossiare was responsible for all the processes.
Gus Tio, the middle-aged wizard who was the head of Rossiare, was excited like someone who had been waiting for this day all his life.
“I know there are voices of concern about Lord Rothy’s participation in the hunting competition. But all wizards know how omnipotent a 7th-circle Archmage is.”
“Not quite omnipotent….”
“What does it matter if the forest is rough? The forest will prostrate itself like grass beneath Lord Rothy’s feet, and the rocks will crumble like fragile petals. The traps and snares set by other participants will be less than Chi-chi’s toys to Lord Rothy.”
“Chi-chi is very smart and plays with difficult toys.”
“What kind of magic are you planning to use? Ah, no. Please don’t answer. I will see and appreciate it with my own eyes. Fire magic? Or lightning magic? It might be ice magic. Surely it will be a reverent and sacred magic circle that no one has ever imagined. Ah, I’m so excited.”
The holy feeling of finally being able to repay Rothy’s grace combined with the expectation of seeing the Archmage’s splendid magical hunt created an emotion akin to madness.
Not only the head of Rossiare, but also the eyes of all the heads of organizations gathered for the meeting were the same mad eyes.
“I heard that Her Highness the Archduchess creates a new magic every time she is bored.”
“That’s not true. It’s hard to create magic. But Chi-chi is smart, so sometimes it makes toys and plays with them.”
“I heard that you never let go of your wand, even when you sleep, in order to feel the mysterious power of mana with your soul.”
“That’s not true. It’s dangerous to sleep with a wand in your hand. You might cast a spell in your sleep. But Chi-chi found a pen I lost a while ago. He’s a really smart ferret.”
Rothy diligently appealed to Chi-chi’s intelligence, but the wizards’ minds were already filled with reverence and admiration for Rothy.
Theon, who had been stepping back from the wizard gathering, found this spectacle amusing.
People who don’t know magic only see Rothy as a cute little child, and those who know magic regard Rothy as an omnipotent divine being.
The two sides were at opposite extremes.
In order for Rothy to gain peace of mind, something in the middle would be good.