REFDL 28
I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
…But I never imagined it would be this hard!
The past month has been a relentless, tearful struggle to bridge the distance between me and Kaelus.
There were results. His attitude toward me has definitely softened and become more natural compared to when I first arrived at the mansion.
But that was as far as it went.
I can’t get past the wall.
A wall. Or a line.
The standard he uses to decide who is ‘his person’.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t cross it. In fact, every attempt only reinforced his unwavering resolve to never let me inside.
This can’t go on.
I wanted to get along well with Kaelus.
‘…….’
Saying it like this makes it sound like I have ulterior motives. It wasn’t that. I just wanted to get along with him as a human being…
…Why am I making excuses?
Anyway.
To break through the current situation, there was something absolutely necessary, yet something I was completely lacking.
Information.
Why did Kaelus despise dragons so intensely?
To uncover that reason, I first needed to learn more about this place and about Kaelus himself.
For an entire month, I diligently roamed the mansion.
The servants proved surprisingly excellent sources of information. Through their conversations, I could grasp the capital’s political climate, the current imperial court’s situation, and Kaelus’s position.
The capital being in turmoil and the emperor’s birthday celebration approaching soon worked to my advantage.
The anxious servants shared more than usual.
The problem was, information about Kaelus was extremely scarce.
Well, that makes sense.
In the mansion of a great noble, someone foolish and bold enough to discuss the lord himself wouldn’t have been hired as a servant in the first place.
It had been a week since that smooth information gathering hit a dead end.
“Lord Yuram! Are you all hidden?”
Donon’s shout came from afar.
I was currently playing hide-and-seek with Donon in the garden. Don’t ask why. It wasn’t my idea.
..Hah.
Lately, Donon kept trying to drag me out to the garden, probably sensing something odd about me constantly scurrying around inside the mansion.
Whatever.
I’d already gathered all the information worth obtaining.
I know that Kaelus didn’t dislike dragons from the start.
Something had happened involving dragons, and it was far worse than I’d imagined.
But I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
I tried to subtly probe Nitan, but…
‘……It would be better for you not to know, Lord Yuram.’
Nitan looked like Kaelus for a moment when he answered like that.
A dark, gloomy atmosphere.
A brain lacking discernment would have jumped to conclusions the instant it heard my question.
…About what happened to Kaelus.
‘Don’t be impatient. The time just hasn’t come yet. …I’m betting on you, Lord Yuram.’
Nitan smiled meaningfully.
Trying to take the easy path only made my head more tangled.
…I must use the final resort after all…
“Found you!”
Kya?!
Startled, I jumped up.
“Oof!”
I landed right on Donon’s face.
I rolled around on the grass alongside the fallen Donon. We were both covered in dirt and grass, leaving us no choice but to go wash up.
It was the beginning of winter.
I splashed around in the small, steaming hot tub.
Finally, I lay on my stomach with only my face above the water, looking drowsy.
Donon watched me curiously.
“Winged dragons can’t swim and dislike water, but it seems that’s not the case with you, Lord Yuram?”
[Yes. I like swimming.]
“That’s amazing. Since when did you start liking it?”
[Hmm… I don’t know.]
There was no special reason.
…Or was there?
Like a dandelion seed caught in the corner of my eye, a pale, hazy thing flashed through my mind and vanished.
Hmm. It felt like I was on the verge of remembering.
[…….]
Well, since it didn’t come back, it probably wasn’t anything special.
More important was confirming a certain terrifying realization that had suddenly dawned on me.
[Wait. Then how do winged dragons bath?]
“Ah, war.”
[…….]
“If they get dirty, they’re more prone to disease. We wipe their legs and bellies daily with cloth, and bathe them thoroughly once a month. It’s labor-intensive and no small task, but considering the price of a single Pensilta… Ah!”
Donon belatedly saw my expression.
“I’m sorry. This must be unpleasant to hear, right?”
[No. Not really.]
After all I’m human.
But even though I said it was fine, Donon seemed bothered. He kept glancing at me, so I changed the subject.
[Never mind. More importantly, dinner.]
“Are you hungry?”
[Not me. You.]
“Ah…”
Donon stood up, looking slightly touched.
“Then, while you bathe, would it be alright if I went to the kitchen? I’ll bring back something simple to eat.”
[There. You can eat there.]
“……Are you planning to do something else?”
His eyes narrowed, suspicion had dawned on him belatedly.
How presumptuous of someone younger than me.
[Close the door before you go.]
Seeing my body stuck in this small form, Donon nodded in understanding.
Still seeming concerned, he gave one final warning.
“You absolutely must not go anywhere alone, understand?”
Splash!
He ran away as I splashed water.
Thud.
The door closed. Left alone in the bathtub, I was lost in thought. The subject was obvious.
[…….]
Kaelus.
To describe him in one phrase, based on my observations…
A diligent stickler for principles.
Strict with himself and others.
He never shirks his duties and always sees assigned tasks through. In the same vein, he has a slight… no, a significant workaholic streak.
He’s not very talkative, but each word carries weight and meaning.
The most surprising thing is that he never shows any signs of violence or cruelty in everyday life.
…But if he only acts that way when necessary, isn’t that even more terrifying?
He does have an imposing presence when training with the knights, but counting that… is a bit questionable.
Following the flow of my thoughts, the image of Kaelus wielding his sword at the training grounds came to mind.
Not a breath of wind stirred.
Dark-gray hair fluttered.
His dark gray eyes shone a little brighter than usual in the sunlight.
His dynamically moving body was solid and full of vitality. An immense power radiated from the trajectory of his sword.
Yet, when he needed to be flexible, he was flexible. His waist bent with elasticity, and below that, his…
‘…….’
I raised my front paw.
Thwack!
I lashed out fiercely, driving away impure thoughts.
* * *
The emperor’s birthday celebration was just one week away.
The capital buzzed with festival preparations. Since the civil war, the emperor’s birthday had always passed quietly, on a small scale.
This was by the emperor’s own decree.
‘The aftermath of the civil war hasn’t fully subsided yet; we cannot waste taxes on frivolous matters. Keep the banquet and all proceedings to the absolute minimum.’
But this year was different.
Once more, the emperor made an announcement.
“It has been five years since the civil war was completely ended. All the care we took to consider our subjects during that time… who would have thought it would become an opportunity for subversive forces? ……Prepare this birthday celebration grandly. The time has come to proclaim the imperial house’s enduring strength.”
He also stated that a young Kremlis would be presented at the banquet.
The emperor’s closest confidant and Firmus’s strongest knight.
News that Kaelus Irelion had tamed a young Kremlis dragon had already spread widely among the capital’s socialites.
Even in distant fiefdoms, whispers of the news had reached. Now, the emperor himself had stepped forward to publicly confirm the rumors!
The empire’s subjects could not contain their excitement.
What was a Kremlis dragon?
The great dragon featured in the founding legend of the Firmus Empire.
The ruler of the skies, promised the dragon’s blessing to Firmus, yet never successfully tamed since the days of Julan.
The king of all dragons.
The news spread like wildfire…
Swoosh.
Swoosh.
It reached Valita, the fourth prince of Denos, who was crossing the sea to attend the birthday celebration.
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!