Master, I Swear I Didn’t Mean To! - Chapter 89

“Why can’t you leave the tower? Wait, so it wasn’t that you were some loner shut-in who just didn’t go out?”

“Loner shut-in? Hahaha!”

Cassius’s face flushed bright red. His sharp glare stabbed the side of her head and Eki’s shoulders shrank.

“Cassius isn’t a shut-in or a recluse. I made a contract that he shouldn’t leave if he was going to live here.”

“Ikelid Lagus. Say one more word and I’ll slit your throat.”

“See? That’s why he doesn’t like me. It’s all because of that contract.”

“It’s because of what you’re doing right now!”

At last Cassius couldn’t endure it anymore and shot to his feet.

“Go back. We’ll discuss the details by letter.”

“Where Miss Eki can’t hear?”

“…Get out. Now!”

“Ahahaha! Teasing Cassius really is the most fun thing in the world!”

Ikelid clearly hadn’t planned to stay long. He stood, dusted himself off, and climbed back onto the magic device waiting outside the window. Then he spoke to the still-stunned Eki.

“Miss Eki, if more fairies are born, the world’s recovery rate will increase. The dimensional barrier will restore itself faster that way.”

Ikelid smiled charmingly.

“Even if the world’s wounds are healing, you’re the first person since the Dark Age to sprout a fairy. You might have a remarkable power. Would you help Cassius regain his freedom?”

“M…Me? What am I supposed to…”

“Who knows. I’m not sure either, but wouldn’t it be enough if more fairies were born? Well then, bye-bye!”

“Wait!”

Ikelid let out his signature infuriating laugh and shot away into the distance. His dark-blue ponytail vanished without hesitation.

Eki, who had been standing there blankly, snapped back to herself and got up. When she turned to her master, he was muttering curses as if nothing had happened.

“Damn it. If he weren’t the Association Head, I’d have torn him apart on the spot…”

Cassius flinched when his eyes met hers, then quickly looked away. But Eki strode up and grabbed the hem of his robe.

“Master, was what the Association Head said true? You’ve never been able to leave since becoming the tower lord?”

“…Don’t worry about it. Ikelid was just spouting nonsense.”

“I thought you lived here to help develop his magic. Why can’t you leave?”

“Eki, don’t concern yourself. You don’t need to know.”

“How am I supposed to not care! This is about you!”

Cassius shut his mouth. Venta, perched quietly on Eki’s shoulder, also watched them anxiously. From his reaction, Eki fully understood that the Association Head’s words were true.

Honestly, this was even more shocking than learning Cassius was a dragon. How could they lock someone in this barren mage tower for not just a day or two but hundreds of years? Even if he was a magic-obsessed workaholic dragon, still. Until she came along, there hadn’t even been people coming and going. No proper disciple. Not even a servant.

Tears pricked Eki’s eyes.

“I didn’t even know… and I kept thinking you were some kind of shut-in…”

“Enough. I already knew how I must look.”

“…Sniff.”

“W…What’s with you. Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

He must have intended to hide this forever. Cassius was a cold, strict man who hated revealing his weaknesses more than anything.

“Don’t cry. I never needed to go outside anyway. I have everything I need for magic here…”

“But you should still know how the world is moving, how people live, at least how the seasons change!”

Cassius had become the tower’s master hundreds of years ago. The tower was built soon after the Dark Age ended, so he had spent nearly four hundred years here. All alone. Unable to go anywhere. Just existing, alone in this place.

“This won’t do. I’m going to the association.”

“Wait, Eki!”

“No. Since the Association Head just left, catching him now will be faster. Whatever that contract is or whatever, I’m going to make them free you!”