Chapter 24
Just as Idelin said that, the door opened without a knock. Carl instinctively reached for his sword, even though he knew full well who would be entering the room.
The door opened without even the small sound of hinges twisting, and a small, suspicious-looking figure wrapped in a black robe entered the room.
“Oh my, I thought I was going to die trying to walk without making a sound.”
Sian, who had entered and closed the door, spoke in a tired voice as she took off the hood that had been covering her head.
“You were awake? You should have been sleeping.”
“How could I? Letting you do all the hard work.”
As Carl put down his sword and smiled, Sian smiled back.
“Thank you for acknowledging it. Fortunately, I managed to bring a maid’s uniform without being caught by anyone.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“Were you talking with Idelin? I could hear small voices from outside.”
Sian took out a well-folded maid’s uniform from inside her robe and placed it on the table. Carl’s eyebrow twitched.
She knows all too naturally that a dragon’s master can communicate with the dragon without physical contact. Ordinary people know very little about the activities of dragons and their masters, and even that was a suspicious point.
“Want to say hello?”
But while inwardly harboring intense doubts, Carl smiled as if nothing was wrong. Sian, who was taking off her robe, widened her eyes.
“Is that possible?”
Carl couldn’t tell if she really didn’t know that far, or if she was playing dumb. Carl, who had been staring at Sian for a moment as if measuring her, turned his gaze towards empty space.
Carl’s turquoise eyes, as deep and clear as aquamarine, momentarily flickered with a golden hue. Sian, unable to take her eyes off Carl, neatly folded her discarded robe and stuffed it into her travel bundle.
In the empty space where Carl’s golden gaze was directed, a silvery mass appeared. Witnessing this magical sight—or rather, the process of dragon magic manifesting—Sian let out a soft, surprised gasp.
‘It seems this is the first time I’m greeting you in this form, Lady.’
The floating silvery mass soon grew, taking on a shape resembling a human. Silver hair cascaded down to the feet, draping like a veil.
Idelin appeared as a male figure, dressed in a white tunic like an ancient person. Though his face was visible, its features were indistinct, giving an eerie impression.
“Oh my, is it really Idelin? It’s an honor to meet you.”
Sian greeted awkwardly with a dazed expression. Although Idelin’s silvery mirage-like form still didn’t show a clear face, Sian could sense by feeling alone that he was smiling gently.
“My goodness, I never thought I’d see the day.”
Sian covered her mouth with both hands, overwhelmed with emotion as if she had encountered a legendary figure.
‘I’ve been watching through my master.’
“Is that possible for a dragon’s master? How fascinating…”
Carl looked pleased, his eyes still golden, at Sian’s continued exclamations of wonder.
“A dragon and its master are as good as one body. Everything I see and hear, Idelin experiences together.”
‘I’ve unintentionally witnessed the master’s rather desperate courtship as well.’
“Shut up.”
Carl narrowed his eyes at Idelin’s sudden remark. Idelin laughed softly.
“Oh my… With such a useful ability, couldn’t we have avoided all this trouble? Couldn’t Idelin have just entered His Highness’s room?”
“Want to cause a ghost scare? Besides, the Idelin you’re seeing isn’t his real form. I’ve just manifested his appearance convincingly with my magic.”
‘I’m afraid I can’t exert any physical influence, Lady.’
Idelin explained politely, as if slightly embarrassed. Sian nodded in understanding, letting out an “Ah” of realization. Carl watched intently, not wanting to miss any of Sian’s expressions.
Sian’s attitude towards learning new facts was so natural that there was no sense of dissonance whatsoever.
Does she really not know anything about the magic that materializes a dragon’s consciousness? Carl thought. It was a fact that any dragon’s master would know instinctively.
Is she just a quick learner putting on an act, or did she truly not know? Carl scrutinized Sian suspiciously but couldn’t come to a conclusion.
If it’s an act, Sian’s attitude is astonishingly natural.
“I see. That’s a bit disappointing. It could have been a great help.”
“I was saying that there’s no reason for my brother to try to get rid of me. It seems there might be another force behind this, wanting to create conflict between me and my brother.”
Carl spoke first, as if trying to gain favor, even though Sian hadn’t asked. Both Idelin and Sian turned to look at Carl.
“Another force… That’s certainly worth considering. If we’re thinking about who would benefit from causing discord between the First and Second Heirs to the throne—Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness—could it be the Marquis, who holds the Third right of succession?”
Like a noble intimately familiar with imperial affairs, Sian easily deduced the conclusion that Idelin and Carl had discussed. Carl wore a smile that was merely for show.
“That’s right.”
“It’s a very plausible theory, but why now? If he had ambitions for the throne, there must have been many opportunities before.”
It’s easier to deal with one opponent than two, and to instigate a fight, one should strike when there’s a weak point. It was obvious.
It had been quite some time since the Emperor, who had the Dragon King as his companion dragon, had fallen ill. If the Marquis had been eyeing the throne, the perfect timing would have been then, not now—when the Emperor collapsed and the empire was in turmoil both inside and out. When the Crown Prince’s foundation was still weak, and long before the Prince had stabilized Ivarid to this extent.
“I’m puzzled by that aspect too. Moreover, the uncle I know isn’t someone with such ambition, nor does he have the guts to start a civil war.”
“Even if it is the Marquis’s doing, there could be yet another force behind it. A third party who’s been fanning the flames of his desire for succession rights.”
‘As expected of an intelligent young lady from a noble background. You’re correct. That’s what Carl and I suspect.’
Idelin responded to Sian’s words with a smile. At the praise from Idelin, the glorious dragon of the founding Yggdrasil lineage, Sian blushed slightly as if feeling shy.
“Why are you blushing? You accept my compliments as if they’re only natural.”
Carl narrowed his eyes in displeasure at Sian’s bashful reaction. Sian cleared her throat at Carl’s pointed remark.
“It’s true that I’m intelligent, but being praised by a dragon is… an honor. Who else in the world would receive such praise from Idelin?”
Carl pouted at Sian’s response.
“…That’s right. Now that we’re on the topic, I just remembered something I forgot to mention earlier. Carl, did you say it was the Dragon Knight Antonio who attacked you?”
“Why bring that up suddenly?”
Carl frowned and tilted his head at Sian’s question. Naturally, the memory of that confusing day came flooding back, and Carl’s expression darkened rapidly.
Instead of answering, Sian rummaged through the bundle where she had stuffed her infiltration robe. When she pulled out a small box, Idelin retreated hesitantly.
“…What’s that?”
Carl stared at the small box Sian had produced, his expression hardening like never before. He felt a chill, as if his physical condition had suddenly deteriorated. The cold sensation was emanating from the box Sian had taken out.
“It’s the weapon that Dr. Zivago extracted after surgery. It was embedded in your waist.”
As Sian opened the box, Idelin’s silver form, which had been maintaining a human shape, wavered greatly as if hit by a storm. Carl clutched his head, frowning intensely as if experiencing a headache from Idelin’s silent scream.
The icy chill flowing from the opened box caused Idelin to lose his human form, shrinking into a small silver mass like a will-o’-wisp. Carl stared at the box with a grimace, feeling cold sweat breaking out on his back.
“That’s…”
“Idelin would know better than you or me what this is.”
Idelin circled around Carl, unable to approach the box.
Having lost his human form, Idelin no longer conveyed his voice to Sian. Instead, Carl, who had heard Idelin’s scream, muttered quietly, his face ashen.
“A dragon’s bone…?”
Sian nodded.
“Not just any dragon’s bone. It’s a bone carved out of a living dragon’s flesh.”
Carl finally groaned at Sian’s answer, clutching his forearm.
The chill cut to his very marrow, and beads of cold sweat quickly formed on his temples. He couldn’t tell if the terrible screams filling his head, causing a migraine, were coming from Idelin or from the dragon inside the box Sian was holding.
Idelin couldn’t bring himself to approach Sian and kept circling above Carl’s shoulders.
“I wonder if Idelin knows which dragon’s bone it is?”
“I don’t know. And it seems Idelin is in no state to figure that out right now.”
Carl replied to Sian’s question, biting his lip. Unable to bear the screaming in his head any longer, Carl finally squeezed his eyes shut.
When he opened them again, the golden magic that had synchronized with Idelin had disappeared completely, and his eyes had returned to their original turquoise color.
Idelin’s consciousness, which had been circling around Carl, flickered greatly like a candle in the wind before vanishing. Sian watched the suffering Carl and Idelin with indifferent eyes.
Carl, now free from the ear-splitting screams that had been causing his headache, let out a deep sigh. Though the headache had subsided, the bone-chilling cold remained.
“This is an item that’s become difficult to obtain even on the black market since dragon hunters died out. When you carve out a bone from a living dragon, the dragon’s agonized magic remains in the bone, turning it into a magic-imbued object. As you can see from Idelin’s and your reactions, it’s a lethally toxic item to those associated with dragons.”
Sian explained calmly. Carl curled up tightly, his lips pressed together, shivering terribly from the horrific chill.
midori
thanks! oh NOW she finally asks about it? that’s crazy timelapse