Where Does Your Flame Dance?

"Where does your flame billow toward?"

...What?

I stared at him blankly, wondering what on earth that meant. It was hard to understand, but I could tell it was something profoundly important.

"A candle that burns itself away? A blaze rising against the wind? Embers that fade on their own despite so much to consume? A conflagration that devours the entire world? A counterfire that steals? A campfire steadily flickering, sharing its warmth? An unpredictable wildfire whose direction no one can foresee? A lantern guiding the masses? A flame blooming beautifully alone in the midst of a frozen wasteland?"

What the hell is he talking about...?

But there were no more hints. Sulis tapped his temple lightly with his fingertips and wrapped up his words.

"Think on it carefully."

Then, Vesta's voice, which had been echoing murkily in my ears, pierced through sharp and clear.

"Hey!"

It felt like I'd just surfaced from underwater.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Vesta huffed, her eyes blazing crimson with a conflagration that seemed ready to incinerate everything in sight. But she didn't actually set anything ablaze—she just glared daggers at Sulis. For a split second, I thought I saw a glint of moisture in those ruby eyes of hers.

Her shoulders trembled as if she couldn't hold back any longer, and she finally shrieked.

"You...! I can't even look at you! Get out—now!"

"......"

"Don't you ever show your face in front of me again!"

With that, she stomped off into the forest, pounding the ground with all her might.

Sulis watched her retreating figure in silence. A bittersweet smile lingered on his lips.

"Yes... perhaps this kind of farewell is for the best..."

He kept watching until she vanished completely between the trees.

Then, a single word he could never bring himself to say hung at the corner of his mouth.

"...I'm sorry."

He stood there motionless for a long while, even after the Red Witch was long hidden by the dense woods.

"......"

Suddenly, he broke into a fit of coughing. As if he'd been holding it back, he hacked away for what felt like ages before wiping the blood from his hand on his pants and muttering.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Not much time left."

I watched Sulis's back in silence. He looked like a candle flame flickering perilously, on the verge of snuffing out. His shoulders, burdened as if carrying the weight of the entire world alone, seemed ready to crumple forward at any moment.

That fragile sight tugged at me, and before I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knew it, I reached out toward his pitiful back.

The instant my hand touched his shoulder, the world cracked with a crunch and collapsed. I was back in the Flame Palace.

"Gasp."

"......"

Chef's Flame, huh...

I was methodically sorting through everything I'd seen in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my mind when Vesta asked.

"Did you see it all?"

Vesta muttered, propping her chin on the table. Her gaze was fixed on the teacup before her.

"That was a soul-binding contract. One reason I'm still stuck in this world, haunting around like this."

Vesta let out a deep sigh.

"Aigoo, what a fate..."

I wet my lips and asked.

"...Do you still resent him?"

"No, not anymore."

Vesta shook her head firmly.

"Now that I know everything, I fully understand why he made that choice."

"...I see."

Good for you, Sulis.

"But."

Vesta downed her tea like it was liquor.

"What I truly can't forgive is that it was the last image of him I ever saw."

"......"

"What kind of farewell is that... Idiot."

She roughly rubbed at the corners of her eyes for a moment, then snapped her head up.

"Eh, it was so long ago, it barely moves me anymore."

She laughed it off gruffly, but I could still see the tear tracks she hadn't wiped away.

"Here, take this. I found it later—Sulis left it behind."

Vesta rummaged around and placed something on the table. I picked it up carefully and examined it.

"This is... a burner?"

"Aye, one I made myself."

"Whoa..."

"It can light a fire even in a blizzard—or underwater, even."

Vesta shrugged.

"Though who'd need to light a fire underwater, I wonder."

"Ooh... Can I try it out?"

"Of course. That's why I'm giving it to you."

The burner had no butane tank or even a basic igniter handle. Aside from the three legs for a pot, it was sleek all over. I fiddled with it for a good while.

"......"

Finally, I sheepishly asked Vesta, who was eyeing me pitifully.

"Uh... how do you turn it on?"

"...Isn't there a button right there?"

"Where?"

"There. On the bottom."

"...Huh? No, there isn't..."

Molrangkau, who'd been holding back, finally pointed it out from the side.

"It's here, Hura-nim."

"Ah, there it is."

"Okay~ Watch closely? This is called a button. Press it, and it goes click."

"...I know that much."

It was like teaching an elementary kid, "Okay~ This is a click," on how to use a computer. Her teasing skills were leveling up by the day.

Click—

As I pressed the button, flames burst to life immediately.

"Whoa!"

"Okay~ This is called fire."

"...Can you stop?"

I poked around the burner's edges and asked Vesta.

"So how do you adjust the flame? It's just this one button—no controls or anything."

Vesta replied casually.

"It's already soulbound to you. Just think about it."

"Think?"

"Aye. No need to voice commands—just will it with your mind."

...Does that even work?

Flame control by thought alone?

"......"

Fine, let's try. I pictured a fire a bit bigger than the campfire I'd made before.

Whoosh—

"Ooh!!"

The flames grew exactly as I'd imagined.

"How's that? Pretty impressive, eh?"

"Whoa... this thing is insane."

I couldn't hide my excitement. This burner was legit nuts. True innovation!

Vesta puffed up proudly, chin raised.

"Heh heh... But that's not all."

"Huh?"

"It can freely change its shape."

"...For real?"

Then it's a total game-breaker, one of a kind.

"Of course! Have you ever seen me lie?"

"How?"

"Dismiss it, imagine the new form, and resummon."

I was skeptical, but I followed her instructions quietly.

"Dismiss."

Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i, who'd been watching silently, gazed at me with sparkling, expectant eyes. Even Molrangkau looked curious.

Hope I don't let them down.

I recalled a lightsaber from some movie and murmured.

"Summon."

Fwoosh—

Suddenly, a cylindrical handle gripped in my empty hand. A lightsaber hilt.

I pressed the button on the handle.

Whoosh—

Crimson flames erupted from the hilt, forming a lightsaber blade.

"...Ooh!"

I swung it through the air.

Fwoom—

It left a trail of fiery afterimages along the arc.

"Ooooh!"

Exclamations erupted louder. I couldn't hold back—I jumped up and, a bit away from the table, swung the lightsaber wildly like a fire performer.

"Ooooh!!"

I even used the lingering afterimages to write in the air.

'Molrangkau Dummy'

"Ooooh!!"

Insane. So freaking cool. Best reward I've ever gotten.

Flame lightsaber? I can't even.

"Kuhuhu..."

A childish giggle slipped through my twisted grin without me realizing. What a sweet reward. Totally worth feeding three thousand people!

I spun back toward the table with a grin.

"Kuhuk... My comrades. Will you call me Flame Man Hura?"

Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i shouted with shining eyes.

"Flame Man Hura Master! Can I try it just once?"

"Me too!"

"Kuhuk... I, Flame Man Hura, am mercilessly hot to foes but generous to my subordinates. Go on—swing away to your heart's content."

"Thank you, Flame Man Hura Master!"

Geum Taeyang grabbed the lightsaber and whooshed it around like an excited kid.

"Ah, me too! Let me try!"

Tteoksoon-i peeped like a chick, toddling after him.

I watched the siblings fondly when Vesta's unimpressed voice cut in.

"...That's a highly dangerous item. Not a toy to swing around."

"Dangerous?"

"Aye. Made with phoenix feathers that never extinguish, the flame won't stop until you press the button again."

"Ooh..."

Dangerous? Makes it even cooler.

"Hura."

"Yes."

"Don't use it for anything but cooking. You could burn down a whole mountain if you're careless."

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

We'll see.

* * *

"Ooh..."

Vesta grabbed Molrangkau's shoulder as she squirmed in her chair and plopped her back down.

Molrangkau's eyes sparkled watching the three dummies gleefully swinging their flame lightsaber.

"Why? You wanna try too?"

"Y-yeah..."

"...You can do that without some silly sword anytime."

"Still, it looks cool."

"......"

Vesta sighed heavily. Hanging around Hura so much, Molrangkau was starting to resemble him more and more.

"Anyway, hold back. You trying to ruin all the dignity we've built up?"

"O-okay..."

Molrangkau swallowed hard, full of regret. She desperately wanted to join in, but she restrained herself.

"...Who am I? The fearsome tiger. Tigers don't play childish games like that."

Molrangkau muttered to steel herself.

Vesta ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyed her dubiously.

-Wahaha! Now it's a flame dinosaur! Spewing fire from its mouth!

-Eek! Spare me, Flame Dino!

-Uahaha!

"......"

Vesta shook her head at Hura, who'd resummoned it as a dinosaur spewing flames like a dragon.

"Sigh... A guy even worse than Sulis has come..."

"Ooh..."

"What 'ooh'? You wanna join that childish nonsense?"

Molrangkau flinched at Vesta's scolding and straightened up, shaking her head.

"N-no! I was just amazed it can change shape like that."

Vesta clucked her tongue at the three idiots circling the fire-breathing dino.

"Whatever. Once that fool calms down, take him up to the surface and tie up loose ends. Cleanly wrap up whatever needs wrapping."

Vesta stood as she said it.

"Where are you going, Vesta-nim?"

"Gonna contact a friend."

I did promise, so I should at least make the intro—she muttered as she left.

"...Hope she's not asleep."