- Episode 4
Parker, who spread the bread and soup on a plate according to the number of people, took out a jar of jam from the cross bag and opened it. Mubin, who didn't know she would carry jam in her bag, blinked her surprised eyes.
"Do you carry jam with you?"
"By type. Strawberries, green grapes, oranges, blueberries. The rest is in my backpack."
'Are there more?'
I was wondering if there were any other flavors besides those four. Moobin looked at Parker with a questionable look, then scooped up a glass of jam and tasted it.
It tasted like sweet raspberries that had been soaked in candied sugar.
"By the way, Leader."
Parker, who opened a mouthful of bread following Moobin, muttered and opened his mouth.
"Yes."
"Hongmueng oh oh oh oh oh huh huh huh?"
"......"
It was purely because of his mind-reading ability that he understood Parker's monstrous pronunciation.
'What will you do now when you return to headquarters?'
That's what Parker was asking. Estio was hesitant because he understood the question, but couldn't think of any words to answer. He looked down at the bread basket and opened his mouth slowly.
"It seems like I'll have to wait for the next quest."
"Huh?"
Parker muttered in embarrassment and opened his mouth wide.
'Weren't you going to leave the guild?'
As the truth learned through this quest was such a big deal, Parker naturally thought that he would leave the guild or reveal something big. It was absurd to say that in a guild established by humans in the first place, those who were descendants of dragons would work for a paycheck.
In response to an unexpected answer, he asked, putting a spoon in motion.
"Are you planning to continue working in the guild?"
"Yes."
Estio, who gave a refreshing answer, looked back at Mubin and asked.
"Isn't that the same for you?"
Moobin Heiga is a duke. Hei was also burdened with the duty to rule the land safely now that the territory was not freed from the threat of monsters.
Even if he becomes a master who is not the emperor, the responsibilities and position of the duke does not change. Mubin twitched his eyebrows dissatisfied towards Estio, who had awakened him by pinching that fact.
"...I was planning to return all the positions I had."
"You don't have to."
"No. Guardians cannot leave the Master. Did you know that it is impossible to survive alone in the first place?"
"I do not know."
Again, the answer was cool. Estio ended his conversation with a tone that would make him look cold.
"All I know is about the birth. I don't know anything else."
Looking at those dark blue eyes, Mubin suddenly remembered a fact that he had been missing.
'Yes. In terms of age, Estio-nim is still in the hatchling period.'
Hatchling refers to the cubs of dragons. In human terms, it means 'infancy'. Mubin, realizing that, buried his face in her palm. A sigh of relief flowed out.
I don't know, but the infancy of a dragon is long.
From as little as one hundred years to as long as five hundred years, there have been many theories of this and that, but nothing has been precisely clarified. In any case, after hatching from an egg, a dragon grows into an adult only after spending hundreds of years safely under the protection of its parent dragon.
By that standard, Estio, who has only lived for 19 years, is nothing more than a newborn baby. On the outside, he looked like a young man or teenager who had grown up following an ordinary human being, but that was nothing more than 'following an ordinary person', as his adoptive father stole and raised him.
Imitation is the first survival instinct of young creatures.
Even thinking about it, Moobin's heart sank.
'Why doesn't the Black Dragon protect his lineage?'
I saw with my own eyes and confirmed that Estio's fake family were low-level chimes that were not even worth dealing with. However, the black dragon served by the founder of Heiga was different.
Dragons called representatives of the gods, especially the black dragons, are known to have loved humans. A race with that kind of affection cannot afford to leave its descendants unattended.
After pondering over and over again through the knowledge passed down from generation to generation, Moobin managed to draw the most plausible conclusion.
Not that it doesn't protect.
'What if it can't be protected?'
Human history records that one day all the dragons suddenly gave up and left this world. Mubin guessed that there must be a more hidden story beyond that history.
In the end, the commissioning schedule came to an end while nothing became clear.
After all schedules were over, Estio returned to the guild headquarters and unilaterally notified the client, Mobin R. Heiga.
- End of request.
Now it meant that each of us had to go back to our place. Only now, Mubin, having met a master whose clan was seeking blood, tried to resist, but Estio, who gave the order to return, was resolute.
"Go back."
"Estio-sama, why do you want to remain in the guild?"
Mubin did not turn around easily. He tried to protect the last trace of the dragon somehow.
"I'd rather go with you. It's much safer in my territory than in a place like this..."
"I know what you see me as."
A cold voice made Mubin's mouth shut. His dark blue eyes were the same color as when he first accepted his request.
"To be honest, I can't agree that what you think is the truth. I have no desire or interest in revealing the truth."
"that."
"But me too."
Estio continued speaking without hesitation.
"I never thought of myself as a person, never."
"...I don't mean that."
The one who shook was Moobin. I felt like I had been hurt somehow, and my fists trembled.
'Why do you take it for granted that those who should be the noblest are the most disrespected?'
Living among people and not thinking of himself as a human meant that no one treated him as a human being.
'This shouldn't have happened.'
19 years. Estio was left without a guardian for about 20 years. However, during those years, Mubin also struggled to protect and survive his family. A vague belief that everything would be resolved if the dragon was found has sustained Heiga, who was rejected by the Emperor of Ruvarzan.
Everything went wrong one step at a time.
"Then go."
His fists, which had been filled with too much force, slipped away.
'Heiga was, after all, a useless clan.'
The moment Mubin raised his empty eyes and met their gaze, S.T.O opened his mouth again.
"I'll call you."
"......?"
He spoke calmly into the black eyes that stared blankly at him.
"Go and do what you have to do. I'll call you if I need help."
He speaks of hope with his cold eyes. It wasn't friendly at all, and he had a dry tone without a single smile.
Still, Mubin felt Estio's words were warm.
Keeping a certain distance and not turning around at all.
"certainly."
That was Estio's way.
* * *
The client, Mubin R. Heiga, returned to the territory under his control.
Parker stretched out as soon as he reached headquarters. Estio, who turned away, leaving the Join family to flap their wings and return to their dorms, saying that they did not have the strength to lift a single finger, took Neju, Tsuki, and Ahur up the stairs of the headquarters.
The guild leader's request report is to be made face-to-face with the assistant guild master or the guild master. Even if he wanted to rest, he had to rest after finishing the report, so Estio moved without delay.
And the room of the sub-guild master Fen Lensky, who went to report the quest, was dirty today as well.
"Hey."
Ahur clenched his roots and clinged to Neju, who was holding the flowerpot.
"If you stay here for a long time, your roots will rot. This is a lazy human who even killed that famous cactus!"
"If you're lazy, do you kill the cactus?"
"Cactus naturally drink less water than other plants. Do you see me drinking water too?"
"Oh my. Bye? But Ahur..."
Neju's words, which were originally about to ask if they drink blood rather than water, were fiercely buried in Ahur's explanation.
"It is said that lazy humans do not provide water until the cactus dies. But I think it will probably stay that way."
"The room is too dirty."
Estio, who took the lead in opening the door, nodded slightly at those words.
"I'm glad I don't have to step on broken glass or food though."
Then the sub-guild master, who was lying on the blanket under the desk like a caterpillar, opened his eyes and muttered.
"You guys... what do you think of my room?"
"Pork Cage."
The cactus responded with freshness, but Fenlensky pretended not to hear, removed the blanket that had been covering him, and stood up. The piles of papers piled up on the blanket were scattered everywhere.
"I'm here to report a request."
"Ah, that's fine."
Fen responded with a waving of his hands, roughly received the report that Estio had offered, and threw it on the desk. Estio, who was looking at the report that fluttered and landed on top of another pile of papers like a butterfly, turned his head, and the deputy guild master yawned and added a word.
"vacation."
"......Yes?"
"It's a vacation. Gilma says she wants to meet the leader in person. I'll probably visit her soon. Until then, I'm just playing around."
As Estio, who was suddenly on vacation, was at a loss for words, Fen took off a blanket and hung it on his shoulder like a prize.
"This is something I cherish, and I'll give it to you as a special gift."
The blanket was as deep blue as his eyes. As it is an item used by the sub-guild master, it was made of high-quality materials, so the feel of the shoulder covering was quite soft.
"Boahani-sama, don't you know the fun of rolling around in the corner of the room under a blanket?"
"......"
"I'm lying in a warm room and reading a picture book. The text hurts. I'm going to cover it with a blanket, so it's better if I open the window slightly to keep it cool. I lay down to pick up cookies and fall asleep. I get up again and forget a chocolate bar."
"......"
Now it was really hard to figure out what to reply. Estio had a lazy and comfortable life that he could not have imagined.
Fen glanced at his awkwardly hardened expression and patted his shoulder.
"How about, would you like some sweets from my room?"
"......no."
"Then rest. Don't overdo it."
It was then that Estio realized that his opponent was taking care of him. Reading what he was thinking and figuring out what he was thinking was another matter.
Fen Lensky grinned and shoved his back out of the room.
"The Master will come to visit soon. Then I will."
- Episode 4
Parker, who spread the bread and soup on a plate according to the number of people, took out a jar of jam from the cross bag and opened it. Mubin, who didn't know she would carry jam in her bag, blinked her surprised eyes.
"Do you carry jam with you?"
"By type. Strawberries, green grapes, oranges, blueberries. The rest is in my backpack."
'Are there more?'
I was wondering if there were any other flavors besides those four. Moobin looked at Parker with a questionable look, then scooped up a glass of jam and tasted it.
It tasted like sweet raspberries that had been soaked in candied sugar.
"By the way, Leader."
Parker, who opened a mouthful of bread following Moobin, muttered and opened his mouth.
"Yes."
"Hongmueng oh oh oh oh oh huh huh huh?"
"......"
It was purely because of his mind-reading ability that he understood Parker's monstrous pronunciation.
'What will you do now when you return to headquarters?'
That's what Parker was asking. Estio was hesitant because he understood the question, but couldn't think of any words to answer. He looked down at the bread basket and opened his mouth slowly.
"It seems like I'll have to wait for the next quest."
"Huh?"
Parker muttered in embarrassment and opened his mouth wide.
'Weren't you going to leave the guild?'
As the truth learned through this quest was such a big deal, Parker naturally thought that he would leave the guild or reveal something big. It was absurd to say that in a guild established by humans in the first place, those who were descendants of dragons would work for a paycheck.
In response to an unexpected answer, he asked, putting a spoon in motion.
"Are you planning to continue working in the guild?"
"Yes."
Estio, who gave a refreshing answer, looked back at Mubin and asked.
"Isn't that the same for you?"
Moobin Heiga is a duke. Hei was also burdened with the duty to rule the land safely now that the territory was not freed from the threat of monsters.
Even if he becomes a master who is not the emperor, the responsibilities and position of the duke does not change. Mubin twitched his eyebrows dissatisfied towards Estio, who had awakened him by pinching that fact.
"...I was planning to return all the positions I had."
"You don't have to."
"No. Guardians cannot leave the Master. Did you know that it is impossible to survive alone in the first place?"
"I do not know."
Again, the answer was cool. Estio ended his conversation with a tone that would make him look cold.
"All I know is about the birth. I don't know anything else."
Looking at those dark blue eyes, Mubin suddenly remembered a fact that he had been missing.
'Yes. In terms of age, Estio-nim is still in the hatchling period.'
Hatchling refers to the cubs of dragons. In human terms, it means 'infancy'. Mubin, realizing that, buried his face in her palm. A sigh of relief flowed out.
I don't know, but the infancy of a dragon is long.
From as little as one hundred years to as long as five hundred years, there have been many theories of this and that, but nothing has been precisely clarified. In any case, after hatching from an egg, a dragon grows into an adult only after spending hundreds of years safely under the protection of its parent dragon.
By that standard, Estio, who has only lived for 19 years, is nothing more than a newborn baby. On the outside, he looked like a young man or teenager who had grown up following an ordinary human being, but that was nothing more than 'following an ordinary person', as his adoptive father stole and raised him.
Imitation is the first survival instinct of young creatures.
Even thinking about it, Moobin's heart sank.
'Why doesn't the Black Dragon protect his lineage?'
I saw with my own eyes and confirmed that Estio's fake family were low-level chimes that were not even worth dealing with. However, the black dragon served by the founder of Heiga was different.
Dragons called representatives of the gods, especially the black dragons, are known to have loved humans. A race with that kind of affection cannot afford to leave its descendants unattended.
After pondering over and over again through the knowledge passed down from generation to generation, Moobin managed to draw the most plausible conclusion.
Not that it doesn't protect.
'What if it can't be protected?'
Human history records that one day all the dragons suddenly gave up and left this world. Mubin guessed that there must be a more hidden story beyond that history.
In the end, the commissioning schedule came to an end while nothing became clear.
After all schedules were over, Estio returned to the guild headquarters and unilaterally notified the client, Mobin R. Heiga.
- End of request.
Now it meant that each of us had to go back to our place. Only now, Mubin, having met a master whose clan was seeking blood, tried to resist, but Estio, who gave the order to return, was resolute.
"Go back."
"Estio-sama, why do you want to remain in the guild?"
Mubin did not turn around easily. He tried to protect the last trace of the dragon somehow.
"I'd rather go with you. It's much safer in my territory than in a place like this..."
"I know what you see me as."
A cold voice made Mubin's mouth shut. His dark blue eyes were the same color as when he first accepted his request.
"To be honest, I can't agree that what you think is the truth. I have no desire or interest in revealing the truth."
"that."
"But me too."
Estio continued speaking without hesitation.
"I never thought of myself as a person, never."
"...I don't mean that."
The one who shook was Moobin. I felt like I had been hurt somehow, and my fists trembled.
'Why do you take it for granted that those who should be the noblest are the most disrespected?'
Living among people and not thinking of himself as a human meant that no one treated him as a human being.
'This shouldn't have happened.'
19 years. Estio was left without a guardian for about 20 years. However, during those years, Mubin also struggled to protect and survive his family. A vague belief that everything would be resolved if the dragon was found has sustained Heiga, who was rejected by the Emperor of Ruvarzan.
Everything went wrong one step at a time.
"Then go."
His fists, which had been filled with too much force, slipped away.
'Heiga was, after all, a useless clan.'
The moment Mubin raised his empty eyes and met their gaze, S.T.O opened his mouth again.
"I'll call you."
"......?"
He spoke calmly into the black eyes that stared blankly at him.
"Go and do what you have to do. I'll call you if I need help."
He speaks of hope with his cold eyes. It wasn't friendly at all, and he had a dry tone without a single smile.
Still, Mubin felt Estio's words were warm.
Keeping a certain distance and not turning around at all.
"certainly."
That was Estio's way.
* * *
The client, Mubin R. Heiga, returned to the territory under his control.
Parker stretched out as soon as he reached headquarters. Estio, who turned away, leaving the Join family to flap their wings and return to their dorms, saying that they did not have the strength to lift a single finger, took Neju, Tsuki, and Ahur up the stairs of the headquarters.
The guild leader's request report is to be made face-to-face with the assistant guild master or the guild master. Even if he wanted to rest, he had to rest after finishing the report, so Estio moved without delay.
And the room of the sub-guild master Fen Lensky, who went to report the quest, was dirty today as well.
"Hey."
Ahur clenched his roots and clinged to Neju, who was holding the flowerpot.
"If you stay here for a long time, your roots will rot. This is a lazy human who even killed that famous cactus!"
"If you're lazy, do you kill the cactus?"
"Cactus naturally drink less water than other plants. Do you see me drinking water too?"
"Oh my. Bye? But Ahur..."
Neju's words, which were originally about to ask if they drink blood rather than water, were fiercely buried in Ahur's explanation.
"It is said that lazy humans do not provide water until the cactus dies. But I think it will probably stay that way."
"The room is too dirty."
Estio, who took the lead in opening the door, nodded slightly at those words.
"I'm glad I don't have to step on broken glass or food though."
Then the sub-guild master, who was lying on the blanket under the desk like a caterpillar, opened his eyes and muttered.
"You guys... what do you think of my room?"
"Pork Cage."
The cactus responded with freshness, but Fenlensky pretended not to hear, removed the blanket that had been covering him, and stood up. The piles of papers piled up on the blanket were scattered everywhere.
"I'm here to report a request."
"Ah, that's fine."
Fen responded with a waving of his hands, roughly received the report that Estio had offered, and threw it on the desk. Estio, who was looking at the report that fluttered and landed on top of another pile of papers like a butterfly, turned his head, and the deputy guild master yawned and added a word.
"vacation."
"......Yes?"
"It's a vacation. Gilma says she wants to meet the leader in person. I'll probably visit her soon. Until then, I'm just playing around."
As Estio, who was suddenly on vacation, was at a loss for words, Fen took off a blanket and hung it on his shoulder like a prize.
"This is something I cherish, and I'll give it to you as a special gift."
The blanket was as deep blue as his eyes. As it is an item used by the sub-guild master, it was made of high-quality materials, so the feel of the shoulder covering was quite soft.
"Boahani-sama, don't you know the fun of rolling around in the corner of the room under a blanket?"
"......"
"I'm lying in a warm room and reading a picture book. The text hurts. I'm going to cover it with a blanket, so it's better if I open the window slightly to keep it cool. I lay down to pick up cookies and fall asleep. I get up again and forget a chocolate bar."
"......"
Now it was really hard to figure out what to reply. Estio had a lazy and comfortable life that he could not have imagined.
Fen glanced at his awkwardly hardened expression and patted his shoulder.
"How about, would you like some sweets from my room?"
"......no."
"Then rest. Don't overdo it."
It was then that Estio realized that his opponent was taking care of him. Reading what he was thinking and figuring out what he was thinking was another matter.
Fen Lensky grinned and shoved his back out of the room.
"The Master will come to visit soon. Then I will."
