TDAA Ch 4

Siol woke from sleep, shuddering as if sharp needles were piercing his scalp, the back of his neck, and the soles of his feet.

“Haak…!”

Startled, he bolted upright, breathing heavily as he scanned the room. The small room held nothing but darkness. A wolf’s eyes could see as clearly in the dark as in daylight, yet the scene before him was unchanged from when he had fallen asleep.

This was strange. Despite the tranquil scene before his eyes, his senses were in chaos.

A peculiar unease, a chilling fear, kept stabbing at him. A shiver of dread ran down his spine.

He could feel that something was happening.

Yet, for something to be happening, the castle was far too quiet.

It was clear that no one else in the castle was experiencing the sensations Siol was feeling. That was certain. If Eorzen or Ryufen had felt this, they would have quietly exchanged glances and come to fetch Siol.

Pondering this, Siol hunched his shoulders. Or perhaps it was overconfidence. Who was he to assume they’d come to protect him? If it was something minor, they might come to his aid, but if this “something” was truly dangerous, abandoning him would be the rational choice.

If that was the case, he couldn’t just stay crouched in his room. The only answer was to go out and figure out what was happening for himself.

Siol hesitated, stepping onto the floor, lingering for a moment longer before finally heading out of the room.

“Hey.”

Eek!

He didn’t scream, but it was close enough.

Like a startled cat, Siol’s fur stood on end as he slowly turned around. There, leaning against the doorframe of the opposite room, was Ryufen, blinking sleepily at Siol. Ryufen’s green eyes were heavy with drowsiness.

“What’s up? Why’re you out in the middle of the night? You sick or something?”

“N-No, no!”

“…Why’re you stuttering? Scared?”

“…Bathroom! I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Hmm… Want me to go with you if you’re scared?”

“No!”

Ryufen gave Siol a suspicious glance but then yawned widely and nodded. “Alright then,” he said, waving a hand as if to shoo Siol along.

“Be careful. Call if you fall in or something.”

“I won’t fall in.”

Siol pouted and turned sharply.

It was nice that Ryufen worried, but he had a strange way of showing it. He always assumed the other person would fall into the toilet, trip on the road, or burn their mouth on hot soup. Siol, who prided himself on not making such childish mistakes, found this assumption deeply unfair and got upset every time.

But Ryufen brushed off Siol’s reactions casually. Even now, instead of being offended by Siol’s response, he just yawned again and shuffled back into his room. Siol, feeling both indignant and relieved, let out a sigh.

Stepping out of the room, he could sense the ominous feeling, the unease, more clearly—where it was coming from.

Cautiously, Siol followed it down the corridor. The closer he got, the sharper the prickling sensation became, his heart trembling with anxiety.

I’ve felt this before.

Siol thought, panting. He was certain he’d experienced this sensation before. He didn’t want to go any further. The closer he got to the source of this foreboding, the harder it was to breathe, his legs shaking so much he could barely walk. His whole body trembled, and cold sweat dripped down. But Siol couldn’t stop now.

Because he now knew what lay at the end of this ominous feeling.

And because he knew, he couldn’t stop.

Siol stood before a massive door, hesitating briefly. But just as he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t turn back now either.

With no other choice, he knocked on the door and called out to the room’s occupant.

“Lord Eorzen.”

The terrifying aura was emanating from inside Eorzen’s room.

Without waiting for a reply, Siol opened the door.

Inside was Eorzen, writhing as if on the verge of death, gasping for air, clutching the bedsheets so tightly his hands were white. His eyes were open, but he showed no sign of consciousness. Eorzen’s pupils were dilated to their fullest, constantly scanning his surroundings, struggling to endure a pain boiling up from somewhere deep within. Drenched in sweat, he gritted his teeth, growling like a wounded beast.

Siol had seen this before. Back on Earth. When Espers were left without guiding, they’d fall into this state. If left unchecked, the remnants of power boiling inside them would eventually explode. On Earth, this was common. Guides were scarce compared to Espers and often faced discrimination, so many hid their identities.

Sometimes, this reality was exploited to “dispose of” Espers. Espers lived lavishly, acting as they pleased, but when deemed “too difficult to tolerate” by higher-ups, they’d be assigned special missions.

No Esper refused a mission to rescue a Guide. Especially not one who hadn’t been guided in a long time.

But after enduring hardships to reach their destination, there was no Guide, and the Esper would fight monsters to survive, only to lose their life. The mission’s true purpose was the Esper’s death.

My God. Was Eorzen an Esper?

Siol stared blankly at Eorzen, flinching back as he growled and rose. Eorzen’s eyes were ferocious. Siol thought he might lunge and tear his throat out.

But in the next moment, Eorzen groaned and buried his head in the sheets.

As if thinking that if he didn’t see it, he wouldn’t want to devour it.

“Lord Eorzen…”

Impulsively, Siol stepped into the room and closed the door.

The room was filled with heat. The distinctive heat felt when an Esper was spiraling toward a rampage. Only Espers and Guides could sense it, and it made Siol’s head spin. It had been over a decade since he’d felt this disorienting haze, but Siol simply accepted it.

Pushing through the heat, he approached Eorzen, who slightly turned his head, still buried in the sheets, to look at Siol.

Though those sharply honed eyes were frightening, there was no stopping now. Siol reached out, wrapping his hand over Eorzen’s, which was gripping the sheets tightly.

“Hngh…!”

Eorzen flinched, sharply inhaling. Confusion flickered in his gaze.

This mighty dragon likely couldn’t comprehend the situation.

To a rampaging Esper, a Guide was like an oasis in a desert, a flame on a glacier, oxygen underwater. It was the sole lifeline encountered while tormented by the sensation of dying, so it wasn’t strange for love to blossom.

On the Earth where Siol was born, guiding had been systematized, so it wasn’t quite that intense, but in the past, well-matched Espers and Guides sometimes mistook their feelings for love and married.

What if Eorzen mistook this for love?

Siol briefly entertained the thought, then chuckled and shook his head. What a ridiculous notion.

If the blue dragon who guarded peace fell in love with the Alchemist of Death, it would be laughably absurd.

Siol tried to pull his sweat-damp hand away to wipe it. But Eorzen, who had been lying limply, reached out, interlaced their fingers tightly, and pulled Siol toward him.

“Uh…!”

Suddenly lying on the bed, Siol’s eyes widened as he looked up at Eorzen above him.

Deep physical contact was one of the most effective guiding methods, the final stage of guiding, but with this small body, it was impossible.

Siol glanced downward.

Thankfully, there was no sign of that.

Eorzen pulled Siol’s cold body into an embrace and collapsed onto him. It was like a large retriever-sized dog climbing onto him without a thought for its size. The heavy weight briefly terrified Siol, but seeing Eorzen rub his cheek against his chest with a relaxed expression, Siol soon felt at ease.

Even a dragon’s rampage was quite gentle. Humans were far more ferocious and rough.

Siol reached out with his free hand and lightly patted Eorzen’s back. Eorzen lifted his head, looking up at Siol, slowly blinking.

Staring at someone’s face in such a situation felt absurd, but it was truly a beautiful face. Different from his usual stoic expression or the gentle smile he reserved for Siol. Stripped of the “rational being” facade, the raw expression revealed was even more beautiful than usual.

His languid expression was exquisitely pure and captivating. Watching those slowly fluttering eyelashes, Siol involuntarily swallowed hard, then flinched, instinctively trying to sit up. But the movement was crushed under the dragon’s weight as soon as he lifted his torso. The body that had seemed moments away from sleep now pressed Siol down like a predator, bringing its face close.

With a threatening expression, the dragon pressed a palm firmly against Siol’s chest, as if warning him.

“…I’ll… stay still…”

Siol mumbled an excuse, shrinking his shoulders.

Satisfied, the dragon nodded and collapsed back onto Siol. Siol, with a troubled expression, resumed patting Eorzen’s back.

Fortunately, the guiding was progressing quickly. The energy that had been boiling as if ready to rampage was subsiding, flowing sluggishly. At this rate, it would stabilize in an hour or two.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

As soon as Eorzen opened his eyes, he could feel that the precursor symptoms of a rampage had swept through him the previous night.

The time for a rampage was approaching.

A dragon’s body was designed to absorb atmospheric mana and store it in the heart, the source of the immense power that allowed dragons to cast powerful magic multiple times. There was even a rumor once that possessing a dragon’s heart could make one a mage rivaling a dragon.

This immense power came with equally significant side effects. Each time a dragon used the mana in its heart, mana residue accumulated somewhere in the body. When that residue exceeded a certain amount, it would drive the dragon into a horrific rampage. Once the rampage began, the dragon lost control over the mana in its heart, its mind went blank, and it would rampage in a frenzy. The rampage could last for days, only subsiding after the mana residue was completely purged from the body.

Countless dragons had researched ways to purge mana residue before a rampage, but no one had found a solution. Or rather, to be precise, dragons had largely given up on the research.

When a dragon met a mate and pledged their life to them, their body ceased to rampage. Thus, once they found a mate, they felt no need to continue the research, abandoning it to spend time with their partner.

No one knew the exact mechanism. Dragon elders simply said that the phenomenon of mana residue was a divine arrangement to prevent dragons from using their power recklessly. Meeting a mate taught them patience and love, making them less likely to act recklessly, so there was no longer a need for forced restraint, and the residue ceased.

Eorzen was a dragon who had not found a mate.

Despite living for over 300 years, he had never met someone who felt like a mate.

“Someday…”

Would this be the year he’d meet them?

Truthfully, he held no expectations. If he hadn’t met a mate in 300 years, would he now? Perhaps his mate had already been born and died.

The rampage would be a curse that stayed with him for life, Eorzen thought.

With a cold expression, Eorzen rose. The sweat-soaked sheets were crumpled messily. Still, the room wasn’t in terrible shape. Last time, everything in the room had ended up on the floor. This time, only the sheets were a mess.

As Eorzen reached to strip the sheets, he suddenly paused, placing a hand in the center of the bed.

The spot where he had lain was lukewarm.

A dragon’s rampage was like a volcanic eruption, with the stomach boiling and heat coursing through the body. Body temperature would soar uncontrollably, the mind would grow hazy, and everything around would become irritating, leading to an urge to destroy everything. Ultimately, the dragon would lose control over its body and magic, rampaging wildly.

Even the precursor symptoms, though less intense, were similar.

Yet, despite the precursor symptoms, the spot where he lay wasn’t hot but lukewarm?

That was strange.

The way the rampage was approaching felt entirely different from usual.

Come to think of it, the fatigue and body-wide pain that typically accompanied the precursor symptoms were absent.

Normally, rampage symptoms only worsened over time, but this time, it felt as though they had alleviated.

“…What’s going on?”

He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but a premonition flickered in his mind—perhaps he had recently met his mate.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Waking early in the morning, Siol sat alone by the fireplace, reading a book. It was the history book Eorzen had brought him yesterday. Until now, Siol’s understanding of this world had come solely from the king’s words—fabricated stories crafted to manipulate him, like a fake tale in a glass garden. But what lay before him now was real history. Written by beastkin, it would reflect their perspective. It might differ from a human’s view, but at least it wouldn’t be lies.

Relying on the dying embers of the fire, Siol began reading. Astonishingly, the book started with the creation of the continent.

In a world of only water and air, the first dragon descended and became the land. From the first dragon’s egg, smaller dragons were born, using their bodies to build the world. In the process, trees, grass, and countless lives emerged. By chance, a failure gave rise to demonic beasts. Having expended much of their power to build the world, dragons were no longer divine but remained powerful arbiters.

Reading this far, Siol tilted his head. To write such a mythical tale and call it history?

“Reading a book first thing in the morning?”

Ryufen, approaching lightly, tossed a log into the fireplace and spoke. Siol pointed to the passage he’d just read, turning to Ryufen.

“Is this real? Not some kind of myth?”

“Of course. Dragon history is never false. If you record lies about dragons, trackers from the north come for you.”

“Trackers…?”

“Hmm… How to explain? They’re usually called the Demon King. The nickname came from tracking and eliminating those who threatened dragons long ago. They’re said to be stronger than dragons but far less merciful—a terrifying existence. Even now, if false stories about dragons circulate, they hunt down and deal with everyone involved, from the liar to those who spread it.”

Siol hunched his shoulders. So they erased all rumors entirely. At least they were merciful enough not to kill those who merely heard the lies.

“How do they know what’s a ‘false’ rumor? They could just be erasing rumors they want to hide.”

“Oh… As someone from outside, you sure have creative doubts.”

“Creative doubts…?”

“No, I’m not mocking you—I’m genuinely impressed. We grow up learning this, so we just accept it. You’d be a hit with the research lab folks. They’re obsessed with new… new perspectives? Something like that.”

Ryufen, briefly sidetracked, said, “Anyway,” and sprawled on the floor.

“It’s impossible. The Demon King swore to the first dragon to eradicate only false stories. The first dragon granted them eyes that see truth, and they can only kill those deemed ‘false’ by those eyes.”

“That could all be a lie too.”

“You… really are full of doubts.”

Ryufen said it with admiration.

This must be the perspective of a child raised in human lands, he thought, clearly surprised. Naturally, beastkin who grew up watching dragons and their deeds would differ vastly from humans who didn’t.

“I’ve seen someone killed for lying about dragons. Slaughtered brutally by the Demon King’s hand.”

“You… saw it?”

“Yeah. With my own eyes. And…”

Ryufen started to say something but closed his mouth, his face uncharacteristically heavy with sorrow, so Siol didn’t press further. The brief conversation didn’t make him fully believe everything, but he decided to accept it for now. In a world where dragons existed and Siol himself was cursed by one, there was no reason to dismiss such a mythical tale.

But he was more curious about recent history than ancient myths, so he skipped the early parts. He wasn’t interested in history from tens of thousands of years ago but in the last decade or so.

Waving to Ryufen, who stretched and headed to the kitchen to cook, Siol focused back on the book.

Until about 15 years ago, the human and beastkin nations had little interaction. It wasn’t hostility but rather a lack of interest in each other. The previous king had sought to breathe new life into this relationship.

The king sent envoys to the city of Marsiga, requesting trade and aiming to spread human advancements in theater, music, and spices. Marsiga responded by exporting materials from monsters and weapons crafted with beastkin skill.

Even when the king changed, this relationship remained unchanged.

But about nine years ago, the king declared war on the beastkin. Humans wanted more land, claiming it was the safe lands of the beastkin.

With strange weapons, they killed thousands of beastkin and seized the city of Marsiga.

My God. Siol groaned, clutching his forehead. A year after moving to the research lab, he had begun mass-producing war weapons. Pushed by the king’s plea to make weapons to hunt monsters and save people, he created a temporary device called an automatic projectile launcher. Later, the king named it “Marsiga,” a weapon designed to kill people.

To name the weapon after the first city they conquered.

What a horrific sense of taste.

Siol felt his hands tremble.

From this point, the beastkin nation realized something was wrong with the human king. A king who had lived peacefully for so long wouldn’t suddenly start a war. Upon investigation, they found an alchemist behind the human king. The Alchemist of Death, Siol, who designed and crafted these horrific weapons, urging the king to wage war.

This was a lie. Siol had never urged the king to war. He had only made weapons to help save people from rampant monsters, at the king’s request. He never imagined they’d be turned against other humans. War? He hadn’t created them with that in mind. If he’d considered the possibility that the launcher’s barrel could target humans, he would never have made it.

Siol gritted his teeth and kept reading.

The Alchemist of Death was a sudden embodiment of horrific evil, hating all non-human beings. He aimed to exterminate beastkin, crafting weapons in a safe place to orchestrate the war. Yet he didn’t value humans either, conducting human experiments, creating chimeras, and testing drugs.

Nonsense. It was all lies. Human experiments? He had never done such a thing. Experimenting on people? He hadn’t done that even on Earth. There were some in the higher-ups who did, but Siol never had. He only learned of beastkin recently—how could he aim to exterminate them? Orchestrating war? The only war Siol knew was against demons and monsters.

Not a single word was true.

Siol softly whispered, tracing his finger over the portrait of his adult self.

“It’s… all lies…”

But who would believe him if he claimed a story recorded in a history book was false? How could he even appeal to anyone when his identity was a secret?

Pale-faced, Siol stared at the book, swallowing the tears welling up.

He had no one to trust, no one to lean on. He’d briefly forgotten that, but reality threw him back into the mire.

“Sizool. Time for breakfast.”

Eorzen tapped Siol’s shoulder from behind. Siol forced a bright smile, nodded, and stood.

“Good morning, Lord Eorzen.”

“Yes. You’re up early, Sizool.”

“I really wanted to read the book.”

“I knew you’d like history books. How was it?”

Siol paused, choosing his words carefully, then gave a shy smile.

“There were a lot of stories I didn’t know. About, um, the Alchemist of Death.”

“Yes.”

“He’s… really a bad person, isn’t he?”

“Many beastkin died because of him, so he’s not someone who can simply be called bad and dismissed. But don’t worry.”

Eorzen looked down at Siol kindly.

“I crushed him to death. He can’t harm anyone anymore.”

“Lord Eorzen…”

“It’s a secret, though.”

He paused briefly and whispered into Siol’s ear.

“I placed a terrible curse on him, so he won’t find peace even in his next life.”

Eorzen lifted Siol into his arms. Patting Siol’s stiff body to comfort him, he continued.

“So you don’t have to be afraid. No one will come after you.”

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Siol calmly ignored Ryufen’s expression, which seemed to say, “Good grief, how will you last until lunch with just that?” Siol had barely managed to finish a plate of vegetable soup with a bit of meat, and even Eorzen looked concerned, but Siol simply wasn’t in the mood to eat.

Living in this castle was truly blissful, yet at the same time, agonizing. The kindness of the people here warmed his heart, but realizing that it was only possible because he was hiding his true identity plunged him into the depths of hell. Going up and down that path several times a day left him sinking into pain.

If he were just a bit more shameless, could he have cast aside his past and lived as the beastkin Sizool?

No, could he really? Could he ignore the dead and the dying?

“Thank you for the meal.”

The heavy gazes of the two watching him leave the table weighed on him, but Siol pretended not to notice and hurried to the living room, picking up the book again. There was still so much he needed to know. The maid Ladie, who had rushed to Siol’s room to save him on the day he died, had told him he needed to understand the world. He had to know how much he’d been deceived.

Siol agreed. Knowing the truth came with heart-wrenching pain, but he couldn’t turn away from it.

Painful and agonizing as it was, he had to know the truth.

That was the first duty of Siol, who had spread the alchemy of weapons in this world.

But reading alone in the living room felt lonely, so Siol took the book and crouched by the dining room door, leaning against it. Even without feeling their warmth or seeing their gazes, just knowing someone was nearby gave him the courage to read calmly.

Due to this war, the beastkin had lost seven cities, and many were enslaved. The reason beastkin struggled to counter humans was largely because each city operated as an independent city-state, rarely uniting with others. Unless they began to ally and respond to humans, they would suffer even greater losses.

The blue dragon, Lord Eorzen, had formed and led an elite strike force, but it wasn’t enough.

Even with creatures like dragons, they continued to suffer losses for this reason. The unspoken rule among city-states of non-interference made it hard to unite, help, or ask for help. Siol had found it odd that Eorzen was both the leader of the knights and the strike force, but now it made sense. The knight leader protected this city, while the strike force leader commanded a unit recruited from all beastkin to counter the war.

Just then.

“Ryufen, I think it’s about time.”

“…Time? You mean that?”

Eorzen’s remark prompted a rare cautious tone from Ryufen.

Siol, overhearing the quiet voices from beyond the door, couldn’t help but listen closely.

“But you seem fine for someone in that state.”

“I can feel my heart starting to boil. It’s still faint, but if it builds up more, I won’t be able to suppress it.”

“But…”

“I know what you’re trying to say. I’m thinking the same. It’s definitely different from usual…”

After a brief silence, Eorzen continued with slight hesitation.

“Maybe… I’ve met them.”

“…For real?! You met them? When? Where? Let’s go find them right now!”

“Enough. Don’t get so excited. I’m only saying it’s possible I’ve met them.”

“But you’ve been searching for so long! How can I not get excited?”

Who? Who were they searching for?

Seeing Ryufen, usually aloof and acting like a haughty adult, so excited, Siol couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

“It’s not even certain that meeting them is why I’m in this state. Even if I met them, it might have just been in passing… I don’t know when it happened. All I have is a possibility.”

“A possibility is way better than nothing!”

“Well… that’s true…”

“Why are you being so cautious?”

“They might be human.”

Eorzen had recently visited human lands often for strike force missions. At a time like this, a human mate seemed like bad timing.

Ryufen looked dumbfounded.

“What does that matter? Have you started thinking like humans because you fight them so much? No one in these lands would dare think impiously, and if other cities complain, we’ll crush them.”

“…That’s true.”

“Has your head gone funny from not meeting them for so long?”

Eorzen couldn’t help but laugh at the fierce tone.

“I suppose I don’t need to care about others’ opinions.”

“Exactly. Well, maybe you’d hesitate if it was the human king or the Alchemist of Death.”

If his mate was the human king or the Alchemist of Death. Eorzen waved off Ryufen’s chuckling, telling him to stop talking nonsense.

Siol, who had overheard the entire conversation, clutched the book tightly and curled up.

This was definitely about a Guide.

They’d been searching for a Guide for so long? Why? Were Guides rare in this world?

Come to think of it, Eorzen was the first Esper Siol had met in this world. Even in the city, he hadn’t encountered any Espers or Guides. Perhaps this world had few of either. If they were so rare that meeting was difficult, Eorzen and Ryufen’s conversation made sense.

Siol recalled the blue dragon from last night, panting in agony on the bed, curled up as if suppressing a rampage raging within.

Just moments ago, Siol had resolved not to ignore the truth about himself. And what he had to do after accepting the truth was clear without much thought. He was responsible for everything caused by the “Alchemist of Death.” Especially to the beastkin, he owed a great debt.

Thus, helping Eorzen—the leader of the strike force uniting beastkin against humans—would be a way to repay that debt.

Siol clenched his trembling hands and took a slow, deep breath.

He was scared and trembling. But Siol decided to focus only on how much his guiding could help an Esper on the verge of a rampage. He had guided Espers on the brink of madness several times. He had nearly died several times. He had guided those who ignored him without gratitude or apology—so there was no reason he couldn’t guide Eorzen. Though Eorzen had taken his life, he had ultimately saved Siol.

Moreover, the blue dragon was a liberator who had freed him from the false world created by the king by killing him.

Though his body had died, it was because of that that Siol could learn about the world.

If he could help the one who showed him he had lived a wrong life, perhaps he could ease the guilt of receiving help while hiding his identity.

Siol felt a thrilling joy. Lately, he had been unable to escape the helplessness, despair, and pain surrounding him. But now, he was trembling, his heart pounding. Fear and joy were so intertwined he couldn’t tell which was stronger.

The comment about hesitating if the Guide was the Alchemist of Death stung a bit, but if so, he just had to avoid being found out. Like last night, he could sneak in, guide, and slip away carefully. Or there was a method to guide without the person noticing, though it was terribly inefficient.

As he planned in his head, Eorzen emerged from the dining room. Seeing Siol, he smiled warmly and lifted him up. From their first meeting, Eorzen had held and protected Siol, and now it was a habit to pick him up whenever he saw him. Siol, now used to it, leaned comfortably into the embrace.

Knowing that physical contact helped Eorzen gave him even less reason to refuse. Siol subtly began guiding. Carefully, so as not to be noticed. He intended to test how far he could go without being detected while maximizing efficiency.

Siol felt a spark of curiosity ignite.

“Lord Eorzen, are you going out today?”

“Yes. I need to visit the alchemy research lab. Why?”

Siol started in surprise.

“The lab is an alchemy research lab?”

“Yes. It was created to study human weapons.”

“…I thought you’d dislike alchemy…”

“Technology is just technology. It’s the way humans use it that’s wrong.”

It was a fair point. But Siol had been taught that those with power shouldn’t think so lightly.

When he decided to become an alchemist and apprenticed under his master, Siol spent a year as an assistant, running errands without learning proper techniques. After a year, his master took him as a formal apprentice, saying the year was to assess his character.

Alchemy was a dangerous technology, and if misused, its impact could be vast, so its inheritance was restricted. It was to be passed only to those who would use it for good.

This incident happened because Siol trusted the wrong person to use his technology.

Because he trusted the king.

Because he trusted the wrong person.

Even so, Eorzen’s words soothed Siol’s heart.

“…Sizool. I suspected you learned alchemy in that cabin.”

“Yes.”

“If it’s alright, would you like to come to the lab with me?”

It wasn’t just a question about visiting. It was asking if Sizool, who had lived 15 years in human lands, not as a beastkin boy but as an alchemist’s assistant, could advise on the items brought from the cabin. Siol hesitated.

The alchemist Siol, still wary and fearful, screamed not to agree. But Siol chose to listen to Guide Siol, not Alchemist Siol. Guide Siol whispered to stay in Eorzen’s arms, guide him to lower his rampage levels, and find out how much he could guide without being noticed.

“…I’ll go.”

Eorzen asked the trembling Siol again.

“You can refuse if you don’t want to. Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine. I’ll go and explain the items there. I can do it.”

“…Alright.”

Eorzen gently stroked the trembling but resolute Siol, kissing his cheek encouragingly.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Siol knew the weather had been getting colder, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad. Holding Eorzen’s hand as they left the castle, Siol stepped outside and was hit by a biting cold wind, triggering a violent coughing fit. Bending over, coughing harshly, Ryufen jumped in front to shield him from the wind. Siol instinctively burrowed into Ryufen’s coarse fur, pressing against the soft underfur. Only then did his coughing subside slightly.

Even wearing fur, Ryufen could roll in a snowy field unscathed, and Eorzen could maintain a normal body temperature regardless of the weather. Both stood frozen, unsure what to do, staring at Siol. Meanwhile, the boy’s cheeks had turned red from the cold.

“I’m, I’m fine!”

Siol said bravely, though still shivering. It wasn’t convincing at all.

“Walking in this state seems tough… What should we do?”

Ryufen, crouched to block the wind, said. Indeed, it looked impossible to trek the rugged mountain path like this.

“It’s not, not that cold. I’m fine!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, idiot. Why’s a wolf so sensitive to cold? Don’t tell me you’ve got no fur?”

Ryufen shoved his wet, cold nose into Siol’s clothes, making Siol yelp oddly and scramble out from the fur. The goosebumps made him feel even colder. Shivering, Siol grabbed Eorzen’s pants and pressed close to him.

“It’s cold! Your nose is freezing!”

“That’s what you get for pretending you’re not cold!”

Eorzen shook his head at the two starting to bicker. The boy was one thing, but Ryufen, arguing at the same level, was pitifully hopeless.

To stop the fight, he lifted Siol into his arms. Holding the chilled body tightly, Siol instinctively clung to Eorzen’s warmth.

“Ryufen, request winter clothes for Sizool from the supply department.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have them made quickly.”

“Sizool, no going out until your winter clothes arrive.”

“Okay… Even today?”

Siol looked up at Eorzen with disappointed eyes. His body was still cold, but warmth was spreading from where he touched Eorzen. Being held like this didn’t feel too cold, and he could secretly guide at the same time.

“…For today, we’ll go like this.”

“Should I carry him in my mouth?”

Ryufen asked slyly, but as Siol burrowed deeper into Eorzen’s arms, Eorzen shook his head.

Siol ignored Ryufen’s displeased expression below and grinned shyly.

When they’d gone to the city before, Ryufen had carried him by the scruff at breakneck speed, leaving Siol too disoriented to notice anything. He hadn’t had a chance to observe the castle’s structure, but now, leisurely held in Eorzen’s arms, he could see it was divided into an inner and outer castle.

The inner castle was quite far from the outer, but strictly speaking, they were connected. Leaving the inner castle gate, they crossed a mountain with no clear path due to its lack of traffic, descending to an area that could be called the outer castle. Beyond a few buildings and divided spaces was a wall separating the castle from the city.

The alchemy research lab was located in a corner of the outer castle, surprisingly well-established.

Siol felt his heart tremble.

The alchemy practiced in this land had been used in demonic ways, leading to the worst massacres, resulting in a curse that would haunt Siol’s life and even his next. A righteous person might swear never to touch alchemy again. But Siol couldn’t.

On Earth, alchemy was the only thing that kept Siyoon alive. While Guide Siyoon was beaten and oppressed, it was Alchemist Siyoon who held on, refusing to give up. The intense sense of achievement from accomplishing great things with alchemy fueled his desire to keep feeling it, allowing Siyoon to barely cling to life.

If he had been only Guide Siyoon, he would have died much sooner, he could say with certainty.

Technology is just technology. It’s the way humans used it that was wrong.

He had no intention of dodging responsibility with those words. He had to take responsibility. He fully intended to.

But separately from that resolve, the thought of meeting alchemy researchers in this world made his heart race.

“It’s okay, Sizool. If you’re scared, you can stop anytime.”

Thinking Siol was trembling from fear, Eorzen rubbed his back and whispered.

“I’m, I’m not scared.”

“Good, good.”

Two knights stood at the lab’s door, opening it immediately upon seeing the three. Siol, surprised by the lack of inspection, whispered.

“Is it okay to just open it like that?”

“It’s fine because it’s the Commander.”

“What if someone pretends to be Lord Eorzen?”

“No one could impersonate a dragon.”

Ryufen, answering instead, snorted. It was a fair point. Dragons had a unique aura—an odd pressure that made you want to submit when meeting their gaze, a predatory intensity that felt like it could kill if you looked away. Eorzen could hide it if he wanted, but just now, he had entered the lab exuding that aura.

His presence alone confirmed his dragon identity.

As Siol marveled at the seemingly lax but ultimately solid security, the three reached the end of the corridor. A sturdy metal door opened automatically, revealing the interior. Siol’s eyes sparkled as he looked inside.

“Welcome, Commander.”

The cheerful voice belonged to a boy about 150 cm tall, wearing a lab coat. With soft, light yellow curly hair covering half his eyes, he smiled brightly. Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes were like those of an old man. Yet, he exuded such raw joy that it wasn’t off-putting.

That joy was directed at Siol.

Though his greeting was for Eorzen, his gaze was fixed entirely on Siol, making Siol a bit flustered, burying his face in Eorzen’s shoulder. The boy circled Eorzen to meet Siol’s eyes.

“Hi, little one!”

“…I’m not, a little one…”

“I know, I know. But you’re just so tiny, like a little one!”

His overly cheerful demeanor wasn’t easy to handle. Siol, unsure how to respond, stayed silent.

“Don’t overdo it.”

“What did I do? I’m just thrilled the boy from the cabin is here. Hi, hi!”

“Enough, let’s go in.”

“Oh, let me at least greet him. And introduce myself. Okay?”

Eorzen looked to Siol for confirmation, and after a brief hesitation, Siol nodded. It was a bit overwhelming and uncomfortable, but not unpleasant. More importantly, the man clearly seemed like an alchemist. Being the only one to greet Eorzen suggested he wasn’t low-ranking. He might even be the lab’s head.

Siol didn’t want to be disliked by such a person.

The man squealed and cautiously extended his index finger toward Siol. Siol, initially confused, realized it was for a handshake and gently grasped and shook it. He didn’t understand why the man didn’t just offer his whole hand, but the man smiled happily.

“Nice to meet you, Sizool. I’m Burdril. I research alchemy here.”

“…So you’re an alchemist?”

“No, no. I don’t do alchemy. I study ways to counter it.”

“Counter… alchemy?”

“Yes. Like finding alchemical mines or disabling alarm devices.”

Siol had never thought of it that way. Someone who wasn’t an alchemist but studied how to counter alchemy.

His eyes sparkled as he asked.

“Is that possible?”

“Of course. Just recently, I figured out how to disable an alarm device.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Want to know how?”

Siol nodded as if entranced.

“Then will you hang out with me more? Come by every day. Okay? Let’s research and play together, Sizool.”

Burdril leaned in as if pleading, but before he could get closer, Eorzen began walking. Siol, who had nearly been swayed, let out a soft, disappointed “Ahh.” Eorzen shook his head and signaled to Ryufen with his eyes.

As if waiting for the cue, Ryufen grabbed Burdril by the scruff of his neck and tossed him back. Burdril tumbled with a clatter but got up nonchalantly, following them again. His face showed no sign of pain.

“Don’t fall for that face, Sizool. It’s just an old man acting cute without any shame,” Ryufen advised Siol, not hiding his irritation.

“I told you not to mention my age!”

“I won’t talk about your age, but you’re totally an old geezer.”

“Ryufen!”

As the two began to bicker, Eorzen let out a low sigh. Everyone present could sense the strong warning in the dragon’s sigh. The two naturally stopped their argument and acted as if nothing had happened.

“Anyway, Sizool, I’ve been waiting for you so much. From the day you arrived in this city, I’ve been counting the days, waiting and waiting and waiting for you to come.”

“…Why me?”

Burdril peeked over Eorzen’s shoulder, giving Siol a bright, beaming smile.

“Because you know human alchemy.”

Siol’s eyes widened.

It was true for Siol as well. He had been excited, expecting to meet beastkin alchemists at the lab. Even Siol, who possessed what could be considered high technology in this world, was trembling with curiosity about the alchemists here. He could only imagine how curious Burdril must be about him. If Siol were in Burdril’s position, he would have been incredibly thrilled.

With that thought, Burdril’s high-energy demeanor became somewhat understandable.