TDAA Ch 12

The disgusting feeling evoked by the words “massive slave pasture” made Siol unconsciously press himself against Eorzen’s chest. Only when he felt the warm body heat on his back did the prickly sensation all over his body subside a little.

“Fortunately, we noticed it before it got to that point and formed an alliance with Ephania. We sent a few knights to protect the city and regularly send food supplies. But that can’t last forever.”

“It must be humiliating for Ephania to just live off the food we provide.”

“Right. So Ephania asked us to help them sell their handicrafts instead, but we don’t exactly have extra manpower either.”

To be precise, they were even short on manpower to handle administrative matters such as trade.

In the first place, this city began when people, captivated by Eorzen’s reputation after he built his castle and began living there, followed him and begged to become his subordinates, forming a group. Initially, it was just a small village, but as strong individuals gathered and lived together, beastmen, seeking safety, settled nearby, gradually increasing its size until it became a city. While Eorzen and his subordinates established and operated minimal rules, the truth was that the city was hardly a proper one, except for its military power.

There was no way they could have the manpower to assist another city’s trade.

“Driving out the human guerrilla unit was the best course of action.”

“Yes. But the alchemy tool that conceals their presence is so messed up that we couldn’t find any trace of them. I sent those with good noses and senses, but they seemed to wander around for a long time, and I guess they finally found them this time.”

“I’m glad they found them.”

“So we have to annihilate them this time. It will also serve as a warning to the human lands.”

The large wolf said, twitching his nose.

“So that’s why it’s annihilation.”

“Ephania will also harbor deep resentment, so it will actually cause problems if we don’t kill them.”

It was obvious that there would be an overflow of those wanting to kill them directly. Yes, that’s only natural.

The massive slave pasture reminded him of the colonies that existed long ago on Earth. It wasn’t possible to not harbor murderous intent toward those who suddenly appeared, dominated the land with violence, and exploited the people, land, and nature living there, taking everything back to their homeland.

Come to think of it, Siol was in the same situation. The place he thought was the human king’s glass garden was, in the end, nothing more than a luxurious slave pasture, an expensive farm meticulously crafted to please the fastidious creatures and obtain what they desired.

And in the end, Siol was killed by Nathaniel—the disciple the king had sent and accepted.

Perhaps the king’s will was also involved in Nathaniel’s betrayal.

The only difference between Siol and the rabbits of Ephania was that Siol realized he had been deceived and exploited only moments before his death.

“That’s right. Everyone who does such things should be killed.”

Siol muttered darkly.

Eorzen and Ryufen fell silent for a moment at the absentminded whisper. Lost in his thoughts, Siol clenched his teeth, unaware of how the two were looking at him.

As if to soothe him, Eorzen pulled Siol closer, hugging his stomach, placed the half-crumbled cookie in Siol’s hand back onto the plate, and handed him a scone generously topped with cream. Ryufen also handed Siol a glass of warm milk.

“…Ah. I’m sorry.”

Only after his hands were full of food did Siol realize what he had said, shrinking back and reflexively apologizing.

“Don’t worry. Those guys will lose their lives in this land within a week. Right, Ryufen?”

“…Yes? Me?”

Ryufen, with a momentarily bewildered look, abruptly stood up from his seat and asked back.

“Can I really go?”

Normally, Eorzen would handle such matters personally. Not only was the blue dragon’s flight speed much faster than that of land-bound creatures, but Ryufen was also quite a troublemaker. Ryufen, who enjoyed intense fighting, had a habit of fighting as if engaging in a full-body brawl, and even if he tried to be careful, it seemed he couldn’t be satisfied unless he demolished a building or two. That’s why Ryufen usually only went out to fight on grasslands, plains, or into human territories.

Moreover, Ryufen had lost his leg not long ago, so he hadn’t expected to be sent in the first place.

“No, really?”

“You’ve been working so hard on rehabilitation training, so you need a stage to showcase it.”

“…Captain…!”

Ryufen stood up abruptly with a look of gratitude. His expression seemed to say he couldn’t contain his excitement for the upcoming battle in Ephania.

“However, we’re leaving tomorrow. Pick seven swift individuals and prepare them. Speed comes before combat power.”

“Yes, yes.”

“We mustn’t let them know that we’ve discovered the location of their base until we arrive. Understood?”

“Of course. I will go swiftly and stealthily.”

Ryufen, speaking in a tone as if making an oath, turned his gaze to Siol.

“Sizool, with this leg you gave me, I’ll definitely take their lives.”

“…I’d prefer if you just used the leg for normal walking or running….”

Of course, he had made the prosthetic leg sturdy, highly resilient, and suitable for combat, considering Ryufen’s personality from the start, but it felt strange to hear him openly talk about using it in battle.

No, actually, it wasn’t because Ryufen said he would use the prosthetic leg roughly.

“…I hope you won’t do anything dangerous.”

“Haha! What’s so dangerous about killing a few humans? With this leg, huh? I’ll… No, I’ll kill them all!”

Ryufen, barely swallowing the harsh words that almost escaped his lips, moved as if practicing martial arts, swinging his prosthetic leg back and forth. But strangely enough, he really looked like he could kill someone with a single blow.

“Oh dear.”

Siol stared at the scene with troubled eyes and shook his head.

Right now, Ryufen looked less like a knight assigned to a combat mission and more like a child going on a picnic.

Ryufen, excitedly about to run off to the knights’ quarters, glanced at Siol and then dashed into the kitchen. He quickly made fried eggs, herb-infused steak, and sandwiches filled with vegetables and ham, arranging them on the tea table as dinner, and then jumped out the window. He explained that he would go to the knights’ quarters, select a few members to take with him, sleep there, and leave as soon as the sun rose the next day.

Seeing his dynamism, so different from the usually bored and yawning Ryufen, Siol was somewhat dumbfounded. Could it be that the reason he had been yawning with a bored expression all this time was because he couldn’t fight?

As the noisiest person in the castle hurriedly disappeared, a subtle silence remained at the table.

Eorzen was lost in thought, gazing out the window without a word. With the large wolf, who had been constantly distracting him, gone, Siol suddenly became acutely aware that he was sitting on Eorzen’s lap.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been alone with Eorzen since the day of the rampage, but there had always been the certainty that Ryufen would return soon. This was the first time he had to be alone with Eorzen for several days.

Perhaps that’s why, even though Eorzen was in his right mind now, and he told himself that what happened that day wouldn’t happen again, he couldn’t help but feel on edge.

Siol fidgeted, shifting his gaze, and tried to get off Eorzen’s lap. But at that moment, Eorzen’s arm snaked around Siol’s waist, pulling him deeper into an embrace.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh… I, I was going to eat dinner…”

Oh, really. Why was he stammering like an idiot? Siol mumbled his reply and cautiously observed Eorzen’s reaction.

Eorzen let out a low groan, “Ah,” and nodded as if in understanding. It was a short excuse, but it seemed he accepted it. It might not have required much explanation, as it was impolite to eat while sitting on someone’s lap.

However, what greeted Siol as he breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to get down wasn’t freedom, but a piece of steak. Eorzen had picked up the meat with a fork and brought it to Siol’s lips.

“I see, your arms can’t reach the plate easily. Well, then it can’t be helped.”

As Siol stared blankly, Eorzen pushed the fork a little closer, as if urging him to eat. The meat entered Siol’s involuntarily parted lips, and he chewed it listlessly.

He couldn’t understand this situation at all. He could eat by himself if Eorzen would just let him down. Why was Eorzen so insistent on staying like this?

Eorzen felt Siol’s fidgeting against his thighs, a clear sign of Siol’s bewilderment. The blue dragon’s eyes sharpened, his gaze fixated on Siol’s exposed neck. He had the thought that something seemed to be missing from that smooth, white neck. Something like, for example, bite marks—.

Just as Eorzen’s fangs neared Siol’s skin, it happened.

“Eorzen?”

‘I really like it when you’re kind to me.’

Eorzen came to his senses with a dizzying sensation. What was he about to do just now? He remembered that a voice, almost like an auditory hallucination, had overlapped with Siol’s voice. But he couldn’t remember whose voice it was or what it had said.

What was going on? Was it a side effect of the rampage?

“Are you alright?”

“Ah. Yes. What shall I give you next?”

Only after hearing Siol’s voice again did he remember that he was in the middle of feeding Siol dinner.

Eorzen picked up his fork and asked Siol, smiling with utmost gentleness and kindness.

“…Then, how about that bacon-wrapped bread over there?”

Siol had definitely seen it. The dragon’s vertically slit pupils, and within them, the violent surge of something.

Siol might have been only 15 years old in this body, but he was an adult who had lived on Earth for a long time, constantly reading the room. From the time he developed memories until his death, Siol had to do so simply because he was born a Guide. That’s why he could tell. That the blue dragon sitting behind him was still in a ‘strange’ state.

Come to think of it, he had seen similar cases on Earth. An S-rank esper, who had been an esper since birth, had everything he wanted and had never lost anything, going insane after losing his Guide.

Of course, the great blue dragon wouldn’t be the same as a human, but the blue dragon was also a being who experienced the pain of loss. Not long ago, his most cherished subordinate, Ryufen, had returned after losing his leg. Also, during his rampage, Siol had disappeared and been found collapsed three days later. Eorzen, who possessed the ability to reattach Ryufen’s leg if it had been there and the ability to quickly find Siol no matter where he went if he hadn’t gone on a rampage, had failed to do both this time.

For the blue dragon, called the World Adjuster, such helplessness must have been rare. Loss, for some, left behind an unbearable anxiety as an aftereffect. The fear of losing again, the desperation of not being able to lose again, those kinds of feelings.

Siol accepted the bread from Eorzen, whose arms were tightly wrapped around his waist, and sighed inwardly.

It couldn’t be helped. He had made a promise to Ryufen, so he would stay by Eorzen’s side for a while.

“I’d like some orange juice, too, please.”

“Here, here it is. Have some soup, too.”

“Mmm… Delicious. But Ryufen left without giving me dessert, what should we do?”

“There must be something in the kitchen. If not, I’ll prepare something.”

“You, Eorzen?”

“Yes. You need to eat a lot to grow quickly.”

“I’ve grown a lot.”

Siol said, looking down at his body.

His body, which looked only about 10 years old when he first arrived in this city, had grown rapidly and now looked to be around 14. Considering his actual age, he still had a long way to go, but this was better than nothing.

“I wish you would grow faster.”

“Then I’ll eat more diligently.”

Once he decided to give up for the time being, it became a little easier to deal with Eorzen.

In truth, Siol hadn’t found it easy to interact with this blue dragon. He knew now that Eorzen was a good person, but the memory of being killed at their first encounter was too intense, and even after that, the curse made him needlessly afraid in Eorzen’s presence. The fact that even a simple command like, “Come here,” carried a compelling force, even though Eorzen wasn’t someone who gave orders carelessly, made Siol shrink back.

Yet, to think that this awe-inspiring person would become frightened by the pain of loss and, even temporarily, become fixated on those around him. He felt that the blue dragon, whom he had only considered a savior, had somehow become closer.

“Ahh—”

As Eorzen brought food to him with a fork, Siol unhesitatingly closed his eyes and opened his mouth to receive it, unaware of how intensely the blue dragon was gazing at the tongue within his open mouth.

When Siol opened his eyes, savoring the taste, that gaze was skillfully concealed. In fact, it was so subtle that even the blue dragon himself wouldn’t know what his gaze had been like.

“By the way, Sizool. Burdril said you’re able to manifest now.”

“Oh…! Yes, yes! I did. I, I suddenly became able to while running to the laboratory…”

Siol, who had completely forgotten to mention it until now, stammered in a flustered reply.

“Can you show me?”

“Yes! Shall I try now?”

“Yes. Show me once.”

Eorzen said with anticipation. Siol hopped down from Eorzen’s lap, took a light breath, and closed his eyes. He had only transformed into a wolf twice, once for Ryufen and once for Eorzen. He had been able to do it because he had tried his best in desperate situations; he had never tried to transform when nothing was happening.

Could he do it? Would he be able to?

As he began to concentrate, filled with anxiety stemming from his distrust in himself, Eorzen approached and placed a hand on Siol’s back.

“It’s just unfamiliar. Your body and soul are already prepared.”

The warmth of the hand on his back was reassuring, and his mind calmed. He felt his heart, which had been racing with anxiety, slow down. Feeling the supporting hand on his back, Siol earnestly wished to manifest.

Then, Siol’s small body began to be enveloped in light, instantly changing form.

The blue wolf sat on the floor, its body trembling slightly. Indeed, the wolf’s body felt healthier and lighter. As Siol stretched lightly, Eorzen scooped him up, placing his hands under Siol’s forelegs.

“My… What a cute wolf.”

Siol was a blue wolf that hadn’t fully grown yet. Although his size was considerable, his eyes hadn’t sharpened yet, retaining a youthful air.

Eorzen’s blue eyes were sparkling. Siol tilted his head, expressing his curiosity, and then involuntarily licked Eorzen’s mouth with his tongue. Then, with an “Oops,” he covered his mouth with his front paws.

When he took on the form of an animal, instincts inherent to that animal seemed to emerge. It was the same principle that allowed Siol, who had walked on two legs his whole life, to naturally walk on four legs as a wolf. Controlling that was the realm of reason, but he had momentarily failed to restrain himself.

“Oops… I’m sorry, Eorzen.”

“What’s wrong with licking? You must find it strange because you haven’t lived among your own kind. Licking is not unusual between close companions, Sizool.”

Saying so, Eorzen lightly licked the tip of Siol’s wet nose. After that, as any owner of a dog would do, he kissed Siol’s cheek and hugged him tightly. Then, burying his face in Siol’s fluffy fur, he burst into laughter, seemingly delighted.

Looking at that face so close, Siol felt his cheeks flush, and he struggled not to show any signs of embarrassment. It was fortunate that he was in his beast form now. If his face hadn’t been covered in fur, it might have been immediately obvious.

“Hmm. Shall we go see the gift I mentioned earlier?”

“Huh? But you said you’d punish me for not controlling my curiosity….”

“I think this is enough. Come on, let’s go.”

Saying that, Eorzen started walking without waiting for a reply.

Siol couldn’t understand how it could be “enough” so soon after Eorzen had said he would punish him, but he decided to accept that the threat of punishment had simply been a scare tactic. The current Eorzen was full of inconsistencies. Questioning his actions would only lead to the conclusion that he was ‘strange’ right now. Siol simply stretched out and leaned comfortably against Eorzen’s chest.

However, that was only until he realized where Eorzen was headed.

“Th…! Are we going to Eorzen’s room?”

“Yes. I left the gift there.”

I don’t want to go into that room for a while!

Siol groaned and shook his head. All the places and numerous scenes where various things had happened with Eorzen flashed through his mind one after another. He tried to erase those thoughts, but it was no use. It only brought to mind the useless information that the only place in Eorzen’s room not associated with him was the ceiling.

At first, he hadn’t wanted to leave the closet, but later… Ah. Please, stop.

Siol sighed deeply, staring at the approaching door to Eorzen’s room.

Eorzen took Siol into the room and set him down on the floor. Siol, who had been on guard with apprehension until then, felt his wariness ease as he entered the room. The room looked completely different from a few days ago.

The damaged floorboards had been smoothly repaired, and the walls had been repainted, looking pristine. Above all, the tattered curtains, broken furniture, stained bedsheets, and rug had all been replaced with new ones.

Just one thing, the fact that the wardrobe remained the same, made him slightly uncomfortable, but it was bearable.

While Siol looked around, observing the surroundings, Eorzen brought out a large box from a small storage room attached to the room. It was a box so large that Eorzen had to hold it with both hands, and it made a heavy thud as he set it down.

“Is that my gift?”

Siol circled the box, sniffing at it. Even with his wolf nose, he couldn’t detect any particular scent. Instead, he felt a strange pulsating wave around the box.

It felt like it could be something dangerous, and yet also something radiant.

Perhaps because of the incident where he had collected odds and ends, saying he would fix his pouch, Eorzen might have prepared gems for alchemy as a gift. Excited, Siol nuzzled his nose against the box and asked,

“What is it? What’s inside?”

“Here, check it out yourself.”

With permission granted, he tried to push the lid of the box open with both hands, but it wouldn’t budge. He glanced at Eorzen, who reached out and helped him open the lid.

As the lid opened wide, light scattered across the room.

“…I’ve never received a gift like this before… I love it…!”

Siol whispered, entranced. Eorzen smiled warmly at his reaction.

“I’m honored to hear that.”

“Really! I’ll never receive a gift like this again!”

Siol wagged his tail excitedly, poking his head into the box.

Magic stones, piled high, glittered within the box. The sight of light flowing into the magic stones and scattering in all directions was breathtakingly beautiful. It wasn’t a sight one could see easily. First, one needed the financial means to purchase this quantity of magic stones, and second, magic stones weren’t something one could acquire simply with money; connections and power were also necessary.

On Earth, the theory that magic stone mines were already depleted was the accepted truth. Naturally, the price of magic stones increased over time, and no one could possess a box full of them like this. It was similar in this world. Siol, who hadn’t cared whether dragons existed or not, simply told the king that he needed magic stones, and the king procured and sent two or three each month. Siol, who had only ever used magic stones inherited from his master—mostly depleted ones nearing discard—felt that even that amount was luxurious and hadn’t asked for more.

Yet, such items filled this box.

With this, with this many magic stones, there were so many things he could do.

Perhaps he could even create a formidable weapon. With enough time, he might be able to create something capable of dominating this continent. But the moment Siol saw these luxurious magic stones, weapons were the furthest thing from his mind.

There was something he wanted to create for the many beastmen whose lives had changed, even if they weren’t looked down upon. He wanted to give little Edot’s uncle, and others like Ryufen, the same joy.

“I love it. Did you get these because I said I wanted them before?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you might have forgotten, but you remembered what I said.”

“Yes.”

“I had completely forgotten about it….”

It was certainly an understandable situation.

That day, the trigger for the rampage had been the act of replenishing the magic stones with magic power. It wouldn’t have been strange if he had come to dislike that trigger, yet Eorzen had willingly fulfilled the request he had made then, procuring a box full of magic stones.

Indeed, the blue dragon, called the World Adjuster, had a broad and generous heart, unlike humans.

Siol looked at Eorzen with eyes full of respect.

“Thank you so much. With these, I can make a lot of prosthetics, whether legs or arms.”

“How many are you planning to make?”

“All of them! I’ll make them for everyone in this city who has lost a limb.”

“That’s a remarkable plan.”

It would be a task that would become a part of Siol’s atonement. To provide new limbs to those who had lost theirs due to destructive alchemy, helping them to continue a life free from loss.

He had thought that perhaps the only atonement possible for him right now was to share his alchemical knowledge, but thanks to Eorzen, he now had another way to contribute.

“Ah…! But I wonder if there’s anyone in Burdril’s laboratory skilled enough to learn this crafting technique?”

“You’re thinking of teaching others how to make them?”

“Yes, even if I manage the crafting somehow on my own, I can’t handle all the repairs by myself.”

“That’s true.”

“I, I’ll go to the laboratory now!”

Siol, who had exclaimed excitedly, suddenly turned pale. Even if his furry form made it difficult to discern his complexion, Eorzen noticed Siol’s tail drooping to the floor and picked him up.

“What’s wrong?”

“What if Burdril doesn’t forgive me?”

His actions on the day Ryufen lost his leg had been incredibly rude. He had tricked Burdril, the head of the laboratory, to gain access to the research room and exploited his desire and curiosity for knowledge to drive out all the researchers. He had illegally occupied the laboratory and used everything inside as he pleased for several days, so it was obvious that Burdril would be furious.

He had originally planned to apologize to Burdril immediately after fitting Ryufen with the prosthetic leg, but the chaos following Eorzen’s rampage had made him forget until just now.

“Ah, foolishly, I completely forgot until now. I should have apologized earlier!”

“He won’t be angry.”

“That’s impossible. Even Burdril wouldn’t stay silent after having his laboratory ransacked like that.”

“He said it’s alright.”

Stroking Ryufen’s forehead, Eorzen continued,

“If Burdril gets angry at you, pretend to burn the manuscript of your alchemy book by the fireplace. Then Burdril will even kneel before you.”

“Huh? How could I do such a thing… No, that sounds plausible….”

“Or you could offer to teach him how to make prosthetic limbs.”

“…I’m the one who needs someone to teach me… Do you think that would work?”

Eorzen patted the little wolf’s backside, seemingly unaware of the value of his own knowledge, and flicked his wrist towards the window. The magic that sprang from his fingertips pushed the window open, transforming into a blue bird and swiftly flying down towards the castle grounds.

“Burdril would sell his soul to learn the secrets of alchemy, but you don’t seem to realize that. He’s the kind of guy who would do it even if you offered to recite one sentence from your alchemy book for each time he kneels. But that would be too pitiful, so let’s go easy on him.”

Siol chuckled and nodded. He wanted to apologize and be forgiven, not torment Burdril.

Eorzen flicked his wrist again, and the window quietly closed. This time, the box of magic stones also floated up and followed Eorzen. He returned the small wolf to the floor and placed the box of magic stones beside him.

“Then I’ll be back! I’ll grab my manuscript, and…”

“Burdril will be coming to the castle soon, so just wait.”

“Huh? Burdril is coming here?”

“I called him to the castle because I have something to discuss. Probably…”

Eorzen sensed that the blue bird had reached the castle grounds and was flying into the alchemy laboratory. As he channeled his energy through the bird, the knights guarding the entrance opened the door, and the bird entered the laboratory unhindered, quickly locating Burdril. Burdril was excitedly wielding pliers amidst a group disassembling and analyzing the failed prosthetic limbs Siol had left behind. The blue bird darted through them and landed in front of Burdril.

“I think he’ll be here in about thirty minutes.”

“Then I should think about how to apologize.”

As Siol started racking his brains, groaning, Eorzen shrugged and said,

“Well, I think he’ll probably offer to forget everything that happened in exchange for you teaching him the secrets of making those prosthetic limbs.”

“That can’t be all there is to it. And I don’t want it to end with him accepting something in return for forgiveness. I find Burdril bothersome, but I still think he’s a good researcher. I don’t want to become personally close to him, but I don’t want to resolve this with a trade. He’ll definitely think it’s disrespectful.”

A proud researcher would never forget such an incident, but it seemed Eorzen couldn’t understand that. Of course, he could obtain forgiveness by using his knowledge, but Siol wanted more than just forgiveness; he wanted to resolve the matter without any lingering resentment.

As Siol retorted sulkily, Eorzen simply gave an enigmatic smile.

And thirty minutes later, Siol understood the meaning of that smile. Burdril, panting as if he had run up the mountain path, arrived at the castle and slumped into a chair to catch his breath. Then, pointing at Siol, he exclaimed,

“If you teach me how to make those prosthetic limbs, from start to finish, I’ll completely forget everything that happened that day!”

Siol stared blankly, his gaze shifting between Burdril and Eorzen. Eorzen smiled, as if he had expected this.

“Um… I’m sorry, Burdril.”

“What? You won’t? Ah, why—? Come on, teach me. The prosthetic leg you made is really amazing!”

“No, that’s not it—”

“Ryufen came to the lab earlier and boasted about it. He said he could walk just like with a real leg? Not only walking and running, but he said there’s no discomfort at all when fighting. He left excitedly, saying he might even be able to perform techniques he couldn’t do with a real leg. I thought it was really cool too. I wanted to make one myself, so I took apart a few of the ones you left, but I couldn’t figure out the principles at all. The materials are also ones I’ve never seen before… Do you make them with alchemy?”

“Burdril!”

At the barked interruption, Burdril finally stopped, laughing awkwardly and covering his mouth.

“I’m sorry for kicking you out like that the other day. I’m sorry for the late apology.”

“Oh? No, it’s okay… Ah! No, it’s not okay, so teach me how to make the prosthetic leg.”

Burdril, who had been replying absentmindedly, suddenly changed his words mid-sentence and made his demand.

Only then did Siol realize that what Eorzen had said was true. This man, this researcher called Burdril, wasn’t someone who held grudges, even after experiencing such rudeness. His mind was completely filled with the desire for alchemy, and he truly was someone who would readily kneel to learn it.

He had thought that researchers were usually stubborn and somewhat gloomy…

“I’ll teach you. No, I’d like you to learn it. Actually, I have something in mind.”

“Exciting! What is it? What are you thinking?”

“I’m going to make it so there’s no one in this city without limbs.”

“…Wow, that’s an amazing plan! I know there are nearly two hundred people in this city without legs, and while they manage to get around, they can’t avoid some inconvenience! It would be really great if we could make prosthetic legs for all of them. But for that, knowing the crafting method with just one or two people won’t be enough…”

Seeing Burdril’s excited rambling, Siol felt somewhat relieved.

He felt certain that with this person, even if he passed on all his knowledge, something like what happened with the human king—something like what happened with Nathaniel—wouldn’t occur.

Burdril, eager to start immediately, took out a prosthetic leg he had brought from the laboratory and handed it to Siol, who was in his human form. It was a piece close to a failed study, a rough draft from Siol’s perspective, making him embarrassed to even look at it, but Burdril held it preciously. Siol suppressed the urge to snatch it and throw it far away, and accepted it.

It seemed to be the fifth one he had made. While functional, it was heavy and lacked flexibility. It would probably shatter within a week if used by a wolf who fought as fiercely as Ryufen, unlike an average beastman, so he had classified it as a failure.

“The joints interlock like this—”

“Uh-huh.”

“And at the ankle, springs are placed like this to absorb the impact of landing.”

“So that’s why you put them there.”

Even with just a rough explanation of the overall framework, Burdril looked ecstatic, his face full of admiration.

“Actually, I prefer these kinds of moving, mechanical things to alchemy. It’s really amazing…”

“This is also a branch of alchemy. Where I lived, it was called engineering alchemy.”

“Engineering alchemy… I see…”

He had been difficult to deal with due to his high energy even when asking about general alchemy, but his demeanor when handling the prosthetic leg was so intensely emotional that it was overwhelming.

Think of him as a student. He seemed a bit old, but his appearance was young, so thinking of him as a student wasn’t too uncomfortable.

“Alchemy is broadly divided into engineering, potions, and enchanted tools. Engineering is like this, making prosthetic limbs. Potions is about making potions with various effects, from poisons to love potions.”

“Are love potions really possible?”

“…While they’re called love potions, they’re actually more like aphrodisiacs. They make you fall in love with the person in front of you and desperately want to be with them, but after a day passes, you lose the memory of that day. It’s like a one-night dream.”

“Amazing…”

“Enchanted tools have too broad a scope to explain easily. Roughly speaking, it’s about imbuing tools with magical power. Most of the items the human king possesses are probably enchanted tools. People usually call them alchemy tools.”

The human king considered items made with alchemical engineering insignificant and found potions to be distasteful tricks. He only valued enchanted tools, especially those with destructive power. Siol had met his expectations, crafting and providing various weapons of war, and even handing over the crafting methods for some…

At the time, he had thought it was only natural, as they were necessary to fight monsters.

“You can make anything with enchanted tools, as long as your skill allows. Making things that let you fly in the sky, breathe underwater, or creating weapons with powerful explosive force… really anything.”

“Hmm… Then what’s the difference between an alchemist and a mage?”

“Mages manipulate the magic power within their bodies to use magic, right? I don’t know the exact principles… Alchemists make tools. In other words, they can’t do anything without making tools beforehand. You need the money to buy materials, the ability to acquire them, the number of enchantments you know, and the ability to interact with the world—in short, talent. On top of all that, you also need time.”

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘the ability to trade with the world’?”

Siol frowned, thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“There’s no other way to explain it. Alchemists trade with the world. For example, let’s say there are three pieces of iron. You ask the world to make them into a more elastic and less brittle metal. Then the world takes one of the three pieces of iron for itself and transforms the remaining two as you requested.”

“…What?” Burdril asked, dumbfounded.

This was the problem with alchemy. Even if one tried to explain it clearly, the theory itself was so incomprehensible that it sounded like a fairy tale.

“Wait, alchemy is… that kind of thing? I thought it was a combination of magic and science. Yeah, science… something like that.”

“Those elements are definitely necessary. But the most important thing is trading with the world. Hmm… I’ll show you.”

Siol looked around, took five sheets of paper he used for writing, placed them on the edge of the desk, stood up, and slammed both hands on the desk. At that moment, beams of light shot out from the outside of both hands, forming a semicircle. They collided, completing a circle, and from within, runic characters began to rise with the light. The blazing light formed each piece of the runic characters, then quickly subsided into darkness. Surprisingly, the papers were then sucked into the circle.

Eorzen, who was reading documents nearby, watched with a strange glint in his eyes.

The eyes of the dragon, called the World Adjuster, clearly saw what was happening due to those seemingly simple characters. To those without proper eyes, it would have just looked like slamming a hand on the desk. But to him, the deliveryman’s hand emerging from the runic characters was clearly visible. The deliveryman snatched the paper, paid the price according to the world’s order, delivered the remaining pieces to the world, and returned with two yellow sheets of paper.

“See? They’ve turned into yellow paper.”

“…How is this possible?” Burdril said in a dazed voice. It really was yellow, cute stationery. The paper, which just a moment ago was just yellowish, had disappeared with a flash of light when Siol slammed his hands down, and then reappeared as yellow stationery. The fact that the five sheets had been reduced to two didn’t even register, so surprising was the result.

“The reason there are only two sheets left out of five is that, from the world’s perspective, paper is too insignificant. Transmutation is basically an expensive spell. Actually, it was quite generous of it to take only three out of the five sheets.”

“Who was being generous?”

“The world.”

“I don’t understand that part at all…”

Siol wasn’t disappointed by Burdril’s obtuse reply.

Transmutation was a fairly advanced technique in alchemy, so this was a decent reaction. Many alchemists couldn’t even perform transmutation. In fact, Nathaniel knew how to use transmutation, but he was clumsy and lacked talent, so he had to pay a much higher price every time he tried.

“Hmm… Shall we discuss this later? It’s not really something to explain in basic alchemy.”

“No! It’s fascinating, so let’s continue. I don’t understand, but it’s amazing! Can I call you Master?”

“No.”

Siol shrugged after blocking Burdril’s subtle attempt to become his disciple.

“Do you want to try it?”

“What? You mean that thing you just did?”

“Yes, to gauge Burdril’s talent.”

“Okay! How do I do it?”

“Let’s ask it to turn this prosthetic leg back into an ingot, and see how much it returns,” Siol said, lifting the fifth prosthetic leg he had made. Burdril snatched it away, horrified.

“No way! How can you turn something this amazing back into an ingot? It’s such a waste. Can’t I do it with paper like you did?”

“That’s too dangerous for a beginner. If you don’t have the talent, I don’t know what the price will be.”

“Then… Captain, don’t you have anything useful in the castle?”

Eorzen, who had returned to his documents, glanced at Siol at Burdril’s call.

“No.”

“Come on, there must be something in this huge castle. There has to be something.”

“I said no.”

He’s not saying no because there’s nothing, he’s saying no because he doesn’t want to be bothered. Burdril grumbled inwardly and pleaded with Siol again.

“I’ll go to the lab and get some scrap metal or something. Wait for me. Please?”

“It’s almost dinner time. You’re not planning on staying here until then, are you?”

“Oh, Captain!”

Burdril cried out in frustration, but Eorzen ignored him, focusing back on his documents. He didn’t want to give him anything useful for alchemy, and he wouldn’t let him stay for dinner. That meant the only option left was to actually use the prosthetic leg. Or postpone it until tomorrow, but then he’d be so curious about his talent that he wouldn’t be able to sleep all night.

“…Alright. I’ll use this.”

Burdril reluctantly returned the prosthetic leg to Siol, sighing deeply as if it pained him to do so.

Siol, on the other hand, happily accepted the prosthetic leg and swept everything on the table onto the floor. With nothing left on the round table, Siol placed his hands on it and concentrated. Once again, beams of light shot out as before. The difference was that while the light had activated as soon as the magic circle was formed before, this time the beams of light remained fixed on the table. With the magic circle complete, Siol carefully stepped aside and gestured for Burdril to come closer.

Siol placed the prosthetic leg on the magic circle.

“Ask it to turn this into an ingot. Put your hands on the magic circle, close your eyes, and pray to the world.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

Burdril nervously followed the instructions.

When trading with the world, the principle was to create your own magic circle. However, there was one exception: you could use someone else’s magic circle once. This was to test one’s talent, a one-time allowance granted by the world. Siol, who had drawn magic circles for others about five times now, counting from his time on Earth, casually observed Burdril’s first trade.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Pushing aside the deliveryman who had come for the item, an elongated hand reached out first. Sensing the strange presence, Siol quickly picked up the prosthetic leg, just as Eorzen blocked his way. The hand was translucent purple, repeatedly fading to a whitish smoke before returning to its original form. Not just one or two, but about twenty hands emerged from the magic circle, jostling each other, some unable to fully emerge and only twitching.

The sight of all those hands flailing around, trying to grab the prosthetic leg, was rather repulsive.

“Eorzen-nim,” Siol whispered, standing on tiptoe and clinging to Eorzen’s arm. Eorzen nodded, showing he was listening. Siol clung close to Eorzen, continuing to whisper so that Burdril, who had his eyes closed and was oblivious to the situation, wouldn’t hear.

“It seems Burdril has some talent, but the problem is, it seems this talent isn’t connected to this world.”

“I thought so.”

“Can you see what came out from inside the magic circle? I can’t see it, but maybe you can, Eorzen-nim…”

“I can. What do you want me to do?”

Trading in alchemy was done with the world. But there was no guarantee that “the world” was the world they currently lived in. There was a small chance, about 0.01%, that another world wanted to trade. The problem was that when trading with another world, a “middleman” was always involved. Naturally, this cost more than a direct trade. How much the middleman would take depended on their whim, so choosing a bad one could lead to disaster.

On Earth, there was no way to know what would emerge from the magic circle, so he had no choice but to leave it to luck. But now, they had Eorzen.

“What do you see?”

“About twenty hands flailing around, wanting to take it.”

“Then… avoid the rough and poor-looking hands. It has to be the hand of someone high-ranking, someone who looks like they’d only run errands for the world. Please choose a hand that looks noble. Give the prosthetic leg to that hand.”

Following Siol’s instructions, Eorzen circled the table and found a clean, neat hand that swayed listlessly. He placed the prosthetic leg in that hand, and the hand seemed to freeze for a moment before disappearing back into the magic circle with the prosthetic leg, looking annoyed. Then all the hands burst like smoke and vanished, and in the next moment, two small ingots lay on the magic circle.

Burdril, who had sensed the light fading with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, saw the purple ingots, and spoke in a disappointed tone.

“Huh? That’s all that’s left?! And why is the color like this?”

“Burdril’s trading partner is another world. I guess that’s normal in that world.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Ah. Let’s go back for today. Ugh, I’m tired. What’s with all this happening?”

Exhausted from the unexpected encounter with beings from another world, Siol leaned against Eorzen, who promptly scooped him up.

There was actually a lot to explain to Burdril. With such remarkable talent, he could become a great alchemist if he learned properly. And the only one who could pave the way for him here was Siol. If he had only moderate talent, this wouldn’t be such a burden. Thinking about the mountain of things to teach him, from precautions when trading with the world to alchemy itself, he was utterly exhausted.

Siol closed his eyes, nestled in Eorzen’s arms.

“Come tomorrow. I don’t want to do anything else today.”

“Wait, Sizool-“

The flustered Burdril rushed towards Siol but was forced to retreat by Eorzen’s glare. A blue dragon’s glare was not something a rabbit could withstand, even if it was a slightly mad rabbit.

Burdril, practically chased out of the castle, tilted his head and muttered,

“Why is the Captain acting like that? Constantly holding Sizool… He’s never been this overprotective of his own kind…”

Whatever the reason, there was nothing he could do but wait for a day. Even as he was being ushered out, Burdril took out the ingots he had received and basked in their wonder. These ingots were the first results he had ever produced through alchemy.