Morning Light and Reluctant Invitations
Morning sunlight filtered through the window, bathing me as I sprawled across a dining chair. Hiss— With hollow eyes, I stared at the thin wisps of steam rising like threads from all over my body.
'That damn old bastard…'
Drakan sat across from me, chatting with Edwin. My body, beaten to a pulp by that monster all night, was still recovering. Sure, it was almost done now.
From the moment I'd come to my senses that morning until now, watching my injuries heal in real time and my damaged organs regenerate had been a pretty novel experience. Hiss. Even the faint red scar on the back of my hand vanished completely as I watched.
Honestly, I just wanted to sleep. No matter how much this body could recover and regenerate, the pain was still pain. Mentally, I'd already pushed past my limits into utter exhaustion. My frayed nerves were barely holding together—I felt like I was on the verge of a breakdown.
What kept me awake was that.
Bubble bubble— Over in the kitchen, beyond Nadia's busy shoulders as she prepared breakfast, an iron pot came into view. Inside it bubbled something incredible, its aroma making my mouth water.
Bubble bubble— Wild boar meat, turmeric, onions… and is that eggs?
Even in my daze, that intense cooking smell stabbed my nose, jolting my sharpened senses awake as they listed off the ingredients one by one.
Gulp. My mouth flooded with saliva. My eyes, which had been sharpening with anticipation at the thought of another delicious meal like yesterday's, locked onto the kitchen.
Then my gaze collided with Nadia's, who glanced over while prepping the food.
"Just a bit longer!"
She beamed at me, bright and cheerful.
"It's almost ready! Today's menu is Nadia's special homemade stew!"
She flashed a grin, then turned back, tasting with a ladle and diving into the kitchen tools with full focus.
Beside her floated a red spirit, dutifully adjusting the flames on the stove—dimming and flaring them to help with the cooking.
'Using a fire spirit as a kitchen assistant…'
The original story's protagonist was on another level. Her affinity drew in not just people, but spirits too. It was so her.
As Nadia finished up, appetizing steam rose thicker from the kitchen.
Wa wa—
I closed my eyes, savoring the scent, when an irritating sound scraped my ears.
Tap tap.
Drakan roughly drummed his fingers on the table. He'd wrapped up with Edwin and now demanded my attention, pressing his offer relentlessly.
"I'll ask again. You really refusing?"
It was the same absurd proposal he'd been making since this morning, when I'd come to in the clearing, still half-asleep.
"It's the Carbon Kingdom's royal palace ball, hosted by the palace itself. No way you don't know about it. Even as an escort, stepping foot in a place like that—how glorious is that?"
"Godfather, he says he lost his memories."
"It's the palace, the palace! Even if you lost your pre-experiment memories, basic common sense should stick around! The king, the king! A chance to see folks you've never laid eyes on in your life?"
Cough! "Godfather."
"So frustrating!"
Despite Edwin's remonstrations, Drakan kept pushing, forcing me to accept. Was he really that keen, or just bruised ego from my refusals?
"Last time, for real. You refusing?"
"No thanks, no sale."
"Grr!"
My indifferent retort, ears flapping, seemed to ignite his competitive streak.
His offer was simple: accompany Nadia to the upcoming royal palace ball as her close escort.
'Am I insane? Go there?'
But I knew better. The royal palace ball was where the original novel Yeonggwangdok began—and where all sorts of dangerous types swarmed around Nadia.
'This lunatic old man is already too much to handle. No way I'm wading in and tangling with more?'
In this world, Drakan wasn't the only one to watch out for. This novel mostly described sweet scenes, but I'd pieced together the horrific underbelly from the offhand mentions.
Revisiting the story, there were more than a few psychopaths to avoid besides Drakan.
Drakan, alongside Number 9, had one of the most dangerous bodies in the novel. He was top-tier, but he hadn't crushed every other top-tier.
In other words, he wasn't the deadliest swordsman or the most lethal mage.
"Oh, what calamity. No one imagined that mountain impaled on the slender rapier tip would turn to acrid dust in an instant."
"In the blink of an eye's blink. The ancient fortress walls, guardians against invaders for over a millennium, were sucked wholesale into the dark underworld."
Hell, Drakan wasn't even the most dangerously unhinged personality in this world!
'Crazy, that's what bugs me most.'
A good chunk of the novel's major players seemed normal only in scenes tied to Nadia. Skim the passing lines elsewhere, and high odds they were batshit insane.
Sure, for clues on Ascension to escape this hellhole, there were folks I wanted to meet—but I could track them down personally after the ball. No need to dive into that psychopath vortex.
"Fine, can't be helped. No teaching you Aura then."
"What the fuck kinda bullshit is that?"
I raised my voice, pissed.
"We had a deal! If I won the bet, you'd teach me Aura or whatever! Old man, you the type to ditch promises?"
"Ahem, ahem!"
Drakan cleared his throat awkwardly, mindful of Edwin's wide-eyed stare beside him. He muttered low.
"It was a joke, so shut up and pipe down."
"Joke my ass—"
"I'll teach you, so quit while you're ahead."
"Promise. Right after breakfast this morning."
"Sigh, fine."
"Promise, old man?"
"You little shit— I promise."
See? He stuck to his own word, and with loved ones around, he'd just glare daggers instead of beating me to death. He was reasonable enough.
Compared to that 'moron,' he was easier to deal with.
Cough! "I don't know the details, but glad you two are getting along."
"Getting along, what—"
"If it's alright…"
I cut off Drakan, turning to Edwin with a question that'd nagged me since yesterday—one not in the original novel.
"Mind if I ask what your relationship is?"
"Pardon?"
"You call this guy—er, Sir Drakan—'godfather.' Seems pretty close."
"Ah."
Edwin smiled faintly at my question, cough! clearing his throat lightly as he glanced at Drakan—eyes asking permission.
Drakan scowled at me, displeased, but Edwin read the nod of approval and opened his mouth.
"My godfather here—"
"Made a promise with this punk's old man."
Drakan cut him off, eyeing me.
"To protect him so his curse doesn't pass to Nadia. That's it."
"Curse?"
"Nothing major."
"?"
No answer to my puzzled look. Arms crossed, Drakan bellowed toward the kitchen instead.
"Nadia! How much longer for breakfast!"
"Almost, almost done!"
Edwin, beside him, chuckled softly, then mouthed to me: I'll tell you later when there's a chance— Just as Drakan turned back, he added as if it'd just occurred to him.
"Oh, right. You said you lost your memories? If you've nowhere to go, stay here as long as you like."
Had he decided I wasn't a threat? The moment Edwin made the offer…
"Why take in this idiot?"
"I ain't keen on hanging with you longer either, old man. Learn that Aura crap, and I'll bounce today."
"Ha! Bullshit! Aura's not something a dimwit like you masters in months."
"Your wishful thinking?"
"Wanna bet again, punk?"
"Who said I'm scared?"
We jumped in almost in sync, our back-and-forth accelerating.
Ding ding ding— Suddenly, a mouthwatering aroma hit like a punch, and Nadia lightly tapped the pot of finished special stew with a fork, calling out.
"Here comes breakfast!"
Gurgle! Stomachs growled in unison—Drakan's and mine. We exchanged a silent look.
After chow, serious Aura training outside…
The same time. High in the magic tower, where sheep-like clouds carpeted the view below.
Flap— Flap— An old man stroking the beak of a griffon coquettishly shaking its massive wings slowly turned his head.
"Drakan?"
"…Yes."
The one bowing to him was his disciple, the mage Karina. She'd left the tower recently, eager to see the thunderbird and cyclops gem from the monster compendium for real.
"Just as I visited, a being with that much power showed up—"
"Turning Monster Island into a wasteland, all useful resources gone?"
"Yes."
"Couldn't even glimpse the cyclops gem or thunderbird, huh."
"I'm sorry, Master."
"Child, no need to apologize to me."
The mage named Albareon gazed warmly at Karina, one of the tower's rare grand mages. His eyes twinkled with a smile.
A knowing smile. He knew his disciple hadn't really gone out for Monster Island trinkets.
Especially Karina, who harbored a crush on Ivan Hellenger—she'd made excuses to back his Monster Island raid.
But he said nothing. Just handed back what she'd brought.
A small ring capturing a fragment of 'that' monster's aura, vanishing into the sky amid the chaos.
Twinkle—! A tiny crystal embedded with grand mage-level assimilation and resonance magic glowed on the ring.
"Here."
"Master, this magic…?"
"Not Drakan."
"Pardon?"
"This aura you captured. You've never seen it yourself, so you wouldn't know, but it's nothing like Drakan's."
"Th-then—"
"I've tweaked the spell so it'll react if someone with this aura stays near you. Someday, if you meet, you'll know. That's how you recognize the era's eccentrics."
"Ah…"
"That 'someday' might be now."
Albareon grinned.
"Now?"
"Here."
He handed Karina a letter.
Her flustered expression at his lack of reproach as she took it.
"This is—"
"Invitation to the royal palace ball."
"What?!"
Albareon, knowing crushes must run their course, simply nodded at his disciple.
"If you want, go."
Hoping she'd see Ivan Hellenger for the trash he was and refocus on magic.