TYND 71

TL: Motokare

Theon pulled the hood on Rothy’s robe further forward over his head. Rothy didn’t resist, remaining still as it was adjusted before saying:

“Theon, I can’t see anything in the eleven o’clock direction.”

The robe was crafted from tremuhle and enchanted to regulate temperature automatically. However, it lacked a function for seeing through the hood clearly. With it pulled this forward, of course it was going to be hard to see and confining. 

Theon let Rothy know exactly what he was feeling.

“Rothy, I don’t like the thought of anyone seeing your bare skin.”

“Really? Understood. I’ll be careful not to show my bare skin to others.”

“Thank you.”

“But Theon, you don’t have to cover up. You’ve spent a lot of time in cold places. Are you alright? Aren’t you hot?”

“I regulate my body temperature with aura, so I feel neither heat nor cold.”

Theon ran his fingers through Rothy’s soft, fluffy hair and glanced toward his shoulder.

“It’s not me you should worry about, it’s Chi-chi.”

The white weasel was melting on Rothy’s shoulder. They’d already taken its clothes off because it was overheating, but it still lay there limp and droopy. No one knew exactly what experiments it had gone through, it was definitely not an ordinary animal. However, it appeared to be weak against heat. When Theon picked Chi-chi up, it barely cracked one eye open, confirmed it was Theon, and slumped again. It felt like lifting a towel that had just been washed in boiling water.

“You’re right. This is bad… We need to get inside quickly and cool it with magic. But there’s something more important than that.”

“Something more important?”

“You just called Chi-chi by its name for the first time!”

“Hmmm.”

“You’ve always called him ‘the weasel’, but just now you said ‘Chi-chi’!”

Rothy, who’d been downcast for days, suddenly lit up and stamped his feet with excitement for the first time in ages. He even jumped into Theon’s arms! Holding Chi-chi in one hand, Theon wrapped his other hand around Rothy’s back. 

“So now you think Chi-chi’s adorable too, right? I’m so glad the two of you are getting along. Chi-chi’s going to be happy about it too.”

“Yes.”

“Want to dance with Chi-chi today?”

“Let’s do it later.”

Since Theon had called it by name unconsciously, he felt awkward. But seeing Rothy grinning like that, all bright and giddy, made him regret not saying it sooner.

“What’s the matter, Leader?”

“I just called Chi-chi by its name for the first time.”

“Aah…”

“Did it really take you eight months to do that?”

“It seems so. Zey, put an ice pack on Chi-chi.”

“Yessir!”

Xeon, on the other hand, clicked her tongue. 

“Gosh, it’s melting away. That’s what happens when you lack muscles. I’ve heard wild weasels can do push-ups with rocks on their backs, even with those tiny bodies.”

“Not even a fiend could manage something like that.”

“I should set aside a day and train it. Make it reborn as a perfectly muscled weasel.”

“You’re not laying a finger on Chi-chi.”

Theon handed the melting weasel to Zey and Xeon, then put his arm around Rothy’s small shoulders. Rothy looked like he could barely contain his joy, his whole being was lighting up with happiness. It’d been too long since he’d seen Rothy smiling like this that he found himself smiling as well.

“I’m really happy you’ve opened your heart to Chi-chi.”

“Is that so?”

“I kind of want to turn into a weasel right now, but I can’t, can I?”

“No, you can’t.”

Whether it was because he figured there was no point in hiding it anymore, or maybe he’d never felt the need to use transformation magic until now, Rothy had been changing into a weasel more frequently over the past few days. Once, when Theon opened the bedroom door, two white weasels were curled up together asleep on the bed. 

That had thrown him off…… However, he could instinctively tell which was Rothy even without their clothes, so he hurriedly scooped him up and wrapped him in a handkerchief. 

“Screeeng… screeeing?”

“Rothy……”

He had nearly blurted out something like ‘stop rolling around with Chi-chi looking like that,’ but he remembered vividly how he bit his tongue to avoid sounding petty, childish, and pathetic.

“You can do it back at the lodging after we’re done for today.”

“Yay! Let’s finish quickly then. Let’s go!”

“Alright.”

Theon moved his hands toward Rothy’s armpits, intending to pick him up. Just as he was about to lift him, Rothy firmly pushed out his palm.

“I’m not a child, I don’t need to be carried around.”

“……”

Theon had tried to naturally pick him up but failed.

At three in the afternoon, they arrived at the Bluetri Guild. The guild was located in the most commercially concentrated area of Primia territory. It was far too bustling a location for an assassin guild’s headquarters, but befitting an organisation that operated in the shadows, they had hung a different name on their signboard.

Searária Tavern.

Despite being assassins who used Maton’s magic, they had the audacity to brand themselves with Seará’s name. It was typical of a group warped enough to believe that while their methods involved Maton’s magic, they ultimately served Seará’s will.

Before stepping inside, Theon took a moment to adjust Rothy’s clothing once more. He wrapped the boy’s snow-white hair tightly under the hood and draped a strip of black cloth across his nose and ears. With that done, only those brilliant emerald-green eyes were left visible.

“But wouldn’t covering my face like this make me look more suspicious…? I can change just my face.”

“They already know you’re Rothy Seare Falsen.”

“Then why do I need to cover up?”

“I don’t want to show them what you actually look like.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Rothy secured the cloth over his face more thoroughly, then gave Chi-chi a light stroke on his shoulder. The weasel had been so worn out that once they tucked it inside the robe, it hadn’t come back out, having discovered the wonderfulness of the robe’s temperature control. 

Theon signalled to Zey with a look. 

While Zey approached one of the guild members in front of the tavern and said something, Theon reached for Rothy’s hand. 

“What form did you take when you were fighting on the battlefield? I’m curious to see it.”

“……”

“We must’ve met then. Maybe even spoken to each other.”

Rothy’s eyes darted around nervously. 

“I–… I can’t tell you.”

“Will I ever get to see it?”

“No… you’re making things hard for me right now…”

Rothy’s eyes quickly shimmered with moisture.

“I see. Alright, I won’t press you anymore.”

Theon kept his tone light, as though he hadn’t meant anything by it, and patted Rothy’s back with one large hand. He knew if he kept on pushing, Rothy would talk, but was the reason he held back simply because Rothy refused, or was it……

“For now… I just want to enjoy this sea of red……”

Was it because of his fear? At that moment, Theon felt the sting of his own weakness so acutely. 

“Leader, you’re expected inside.”

A guild member led the way, and Theon’s group followed behind. As they entered the tavern, gazes sharp like knife blades instantly cut across them in the boisterous atmosphere. Half were probably the guild members, while the other half were the clients. Theon wanted to hold Rothy in his arms, but since he couldn’t, he gripped his hand tight instead. 

They were led up to the third floor. 

In front of a black iron door stood a man who was obviously a dark mage. The one who’d guided them left without a word, just left them standing there.

“Hmm.”

The man standing before the door gave a snort while staring at them. His eyes were slanted deep, his lips thin, and his face was painted a ghostly white. Multiple gold and silver necklaces hung around his neck in messy layers, and rings adorned every finger. Even the nails were painted a bright blood red, their tips pointed, and heavy, jewelled bracelets decorated his bony wrists. 

“Not anyone can enter here. Who are you?”

“We came in on Rainbow’s recommendation.”

“Are you the messenger?”

It was Zey who answered, but the dark mage’s attention was fixed on Theon. As the mage stared him down, Theon scanned him from head to toe in turn. 

“You must be Tsudeyfa.”

The dark mage’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

“My, what a big guy. It’s an honour to meet you, Your Grace.”

The Guildmaster of Bluetri, Tsudeyfa, pushed off the doorframe and bowed with theatrical flair. He then dropped down on one knee in front of Rothy immediately. 

“So this must be the rumoured great archmage. I’ve wanted to meet you so much, Lord Rothy.”

“Uh-huh… Hi, nice to—”

Rothy didn’t get to finish the sentence because Theon’s large hand came down and covered his mouth. He stood there dumbfounded and blinked his large, round eyes. Theon warned Rothy with his eyes before removing his hand.

After that, Rothy kept his lips tightly shut.

After that, Rothy kept his lips tightly shut.

Ho-ho, Tsudeyfa merely covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled at Theon’s action. 

“I’d heard about it, but you really are overprotective. Don’t worry. No matter how exceptional his magical abilities are, my cock won’t get hard for children.”

“Are you planning to have the conversation out here?”

“Of course not. Come in.”

When Tsudeyfa snapped his fingers, the iron door creaked open, and once the group stepped inside, the door shut on its own. Tapestries hung over the windows, and a large carpet stretched across the floor. Every piece of furniture, including the tables, chairs, side cabinets, and their decorations, as well as every ornament tucked into the corners, followed Eastern Continent design.

Tsudeyfa was originally from the Eastern Continent.

And all who braved the perilous sea from the East to this side of the world were united by a single, compelling purpose.

Magic.

To learn magic, the people from the Eastern Continent would have to make their way to the Western Continent. This was because, due to some inexplicable laws of Seará, no spells could be cast on Eastern soil. Even after learning magic in the West, the moment they set foot back in the East, it became useless.

For an Easterner to become a mage, they had to abandon their homeland. Even so, Easterners aspiring to become mages flocked to the West every year. 

Tsudeyfa was one of them. 

While he’d left his homeland to pursue magic, he couldn’t escape his homesickness. This showed in how he decorated everything in Eastern Continent style.