Chapter 139
“Why?”
“You look sulky.”
“I’m not sulky.”
Cassius walked through the park, steadfastly facing forward. Eki looked up at her master for a moment, then asked carefully.
“Is it because you’re thinking about the Thousand Tower?”
“…Why that tower?”
“The dragon hearts. They’re still left underground.”
Cassius’s feet, which had been moving forward slowly, came to an abrupt halt. As he turned to look at Eki, a cool breeze swept over them once.
“That’s right. Because the dimensional barrier hasn’t been fully restored yet.”
The thousand dragon hearts were the only traces left behind by Cassius’s parents and kin. As the core of the magic created by dragons, Cassius originally could not stray far from the Thousand Tower for a long time, but thanks to the capable two fairies, he was able to leave that place. It was because Venta and Tys declared that they would become the new magical core in Cassius’s stead.
It wasn’t impossible. The highest-grade magic that sustained the dimensional barrier, created using a thousand dragons as sacrifices, could only be handled by fairies, a race as high-ranking as dragons.
‘That wasn’t the original plan, though.’
Venta and Tys hadn’t volunteered for sacrifice from the beginning. The reason the two fairies, who were supposed to travel the world spreading happiness, made such a decision was… well, it could be said that it was because of the ultra-strong luck potion incident that occurred the very next day after Cassius and Eki reunited.
But that wasn’t something to dwell on right now.
Cassius decided to correct his beloved disciple’s misunderstanding.
“I wasn’t thinking about that. Don’t worry unnecessarily. I’m enjoying myself enough right now.”
“With the corners of your mouth drooping like that?”
“They’re not drooping.”
“Then what is it? Be honest. Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”
“……”
It seemed he really couldn’t get anything past his disciple.
Cassius let out a low hum, then glanced around. People gathered here and there in small groups. There didn’t seem to be any association staff among them. Even if there were, he and Eki wouldn’t be seen anyway since they had an invisibility spell cast.
“Eki, are you… satisfied, being with me like this?”
“What do you mean, being like this?”
“We can’t even take a simple walk freely.”
The acting head of the association and his adjutant. Their relationship was, of course, a secret. If it became public, there was no telling what kind of trouble would follow.
And he was a dragon with a difference of hundreds of years in age from her. For now, Eki kindly taught him this and that, but later she might change her mind and say, ‘Ah, Master. You’re old, so you’re not really my type.’
‘I never worried about this when I was in the tower.’
The feelings Cassius experienced after coming out into the world weren’t just joy.
From mages in neighboring departments he ran into occasionally to the attendants who greeted them daily, there were many men around Eki, even if none were as handsome as Cassius. On top of that, even if her family had once fallen, Eki was a self-made noble. Marriage proposals must have started coming in by now.
‘Damn it.’
Cassius felt a sense of impatience he hadn’t felt before. The world he had finally come out into was more dazzling than he’d imagined, and he himself, having lived without knowing such a world, felt more insignificant than he’d expected. He grew anxious that she might leave his side.
“Still, it’s better than before. Do you remember when I said I wanted to go out with you, Master?”
“…I remember.”
“Now, if we want to, we can go for walks together. Well, unless we’re too busy.”
Eki fidgeted and took Cassius’s hand. Then she gently laced their fingers together and smiled softly.
“We’ve cast an invisibility spell anyway, so what does it matter? Other people won’t be able to see us.”
“Still. You’d feel uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine. Sometimes it’s even thrilling, dating in secret like this.”
At Eki’s carefree words, Cassius let out an unintentional, deflated laugh.
“Oh, you smiled. That means you agree with me, right?”
“I don’t agree, but I can tell you’re not thinking very deeply about it.”
“What do you mean. I think a lot, you know?”
“As if.”
“If I drank Lord Ikelid’s truth serum again, you’d be shocked.”
“Don’t talk about that. Just thinking about it again gives me a headache.”
“Okaay.”
A brief silence. The two of them leisurely looked around. As the sun slowly set, the magical lights wrapped around the sculptures sparkled brightly.
The moment Cassius’s attention was briefly captured by the sight, Eki subtly linked her arm through his. When her soft chest brushed against him, he flinched. But he didn’t react beyond that anymore. Hadn’t it been months since he fully accepted Eki? Just a bit of close contact wouldn’t make him go into heat like an adolescent boy anymore…
“But Master, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Because of the spell, people can’t see us, right? Then couldn’t we do it here too?”
“What?!”
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