Chapter 23: A Wizard’s Lament part 1
My poor little sister, you alone are allowed to throw tantrums and stir up trouble within the Duke’s mansion. You’re the only one in the world who can do that.
He suddenly sprang to his feet and spoke.
“No matter where the Young Lord is, he’s still the Young Lord.”
“Lord Maurice…?”
“Neither I nor anyone else below us has the right to comment on him. You better keep that in mind.”
Without even bothering to remove the leaves stuck to his back, Maurice turned and left. Dott was left with her mouth agape, but soon bit her lower lip so hard that it drew blood.
Coward! He’s the one who failed to become a knight due to his own incompetence, and yet he’s afraid of some idle gossip, fleeing before it even becomes a rumor?
‘Honestly! He’s less than a withered leaf! Fine, the Young Lord will always be the Young Lord, but once I reclaim my position as the beloved Princess…’
Her frustration grew as human relationships didn’t go as smoothly as they once did.
‘That useless second son is bound to be cast aside soon. By then, regretting that you didn’t try to become a knight will be too late!’
Dott harbored resentment but tried to treat Maurice kindly on the surface. With it becoming harder to see the Young Lord, she had no reason to make an enemy of him.
— — —
In a season when those who had strayed far from their former paths began to nurture new thoughts, Fay, with Lucius’s help, returned to that plateau from before.
“It’s quiet again today…”
“Dispel.”
“Woah!”
Whhhiiiing!
As soon as Lucius cast Dispel, a dramatic change unfolded. A powerful wind whirled around them, making their ears ring. After recasting a Windy Shield, Lucius scolded her.
“Fay, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you have any learning ability? When you’re at high altitudes, your body undergoes changes easily, so you need to use adjustment magic. That’s basic stuff.”
“Oh, right.”
Fay clutched her chest, calming her startled heart.
This is strange, she thought. I can keep up Morgana’s calm demeanor in front of others, but with Lucius, it all falls apart.
“If you’ve come to your senses, try riding Momo alone.”
“Yes!”
Lucius was a little surprised that Fay, who normally claimed to be scared or disliked such tasks, wasn’t backing down this time and attempted to ride alone.
‘Is this girl… always this fearless?’
Despite telling her to ride alone, Lucius couldn’t help but ask, concerned.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. Moitettra Vanus, um… let’s start by walking slowly down there.”
Nodding eagerly, Fay gently called out Momo’s true name, treating him kindly. The drakan shook his head up and down, seemingly pleased, causing Fay’s seated position to sway along with him.
“Hehe.”
“Behave! If you throw Fay off, you’ll be sorry!”
The drakan wanted to rebel against Lucius, who was squawking more loudly than a duck.
It had been several years now since he’d been forcibly enlisted as Lucius’s subordinate. Though he had lived comfortably for years, swallowing the food given to him by the Tower’s breeding chambers, the kindness Fay had shown him over time had fueled a rebellious streak within him.
Especially considering how strangely humble his master became in front of Fay.
Since things were like this, should I take Fay on my back and escape to some faraway place? To the edge of the Tiselle continent? Or maybe to a quiet island beyond the sea?
‘Is this one daring to rebel?’
However, Lucius, in a fit of fury, instantly sensed the ‘betrayal instinct’ that had surfaced in the fierce drakan. This was inevitable due to the nature of dragons, especially since drakans were a subspecies of dragons. It wasn’t magic, just instinct.
Enraged, Lucius flew over with a Flight spell and kicked the drakan viciously in the side. Even in his humanoid form, a dragon was still a dragon.
Thud!
As the drakan returned to his original form and staggered from the shock, Fay scolded Lucius in surprise.
“Lucius, that’s too much! You told him not to throw me off, but then you bully our Momo?”
“What?”
“Never mind. Moitettra Vanus, are you okay?”
“Kueeeh!”
The drakan’s pitiful whimper echoed across the plateau’s grass. Fay stretched out her gloved hand, gently stroking his smooth back to comfort him.
“There, there. It must have hurt a lot. Can you walk us up there gently? Since you were hurt today, we won’t fly high. Let’s start by turning left… Yes, that’s it, good job.”
Fay’s compliments came one after another.
“And then go around that tree without hurting it, and we’ll head down there. Yes, yes! That’s our Momo.”
“…”
Lucius stood speechless, his mouth slightly agape.
Fay, you’re a drakan rider! Yet here you are, treating him like a baby or a puppy rather than getting him to soar into the sky! There’s no need to teach Momo, one of the oldest drakans, how to walk!
But the words he thought didn’t leave his mouth.
Momo may be an old, experienced drakan enjoying this situation, but Fay… she’s practically a patient among patients, unable even to ride a horse properly. Though being bad at horseback riding doesn’t mean she should be treated like a patient, Lucius saw it that way.
Fine. Do whatever you want.
‘D**n it. I was planning to train her to become a 9th circle mage quickly so I could duel her, but she’s sloppy at this and that. Why are humans such frail creatures?’
Legnakra
Dott deserves it 🤣🤣🤣… We still don’t have ml 😒… Thank you Bunny 🐰💕