Hard to Adapt
Rand tilted his head slightly at Rune's words.
Sarrruk.
His brown hair swayed with a soft rustle.
The unpleasant stares he had grown accustomed to since becoming a brown dragon.
Wary, uncomfortable, contemptuous gazes—tinged with faint guilt or anger.
That was what he had expected.
Yet the looks from those gathered here carried only goodwill and sympathy.
Rand muttered, eyes fixed on Rune.
"What has this little one done... It's hard to get used to."
Heungmi's pink rose-gold eyes sparkled at Rand's puzzled expression.
"It's time for Uncle Rand to get back what he should have had all along! The things you ought to do for someone who's sad and upset."
Pity and worry for a husband who had lost his beloved.
Gratitude for one who had devoted himself to the elves.
Justice to uncover the truth alongside someone who had been betrayed.
It was time to return what the abandoned Rand had needed, even if belatedly.
"If it hurts, you get sick. Holding it in just makes it hurt more. If you've had an accident, you need rest—and someone to care for you!"
Rand nodded as he listened to Heungmi's simple, straightforward words.
A child's vocabulary was basic, but it conveyed her intent without much lacking.
"...I just lived thinking I was chased out because I failed to protect the princess and our child."
Rand's gaze drifted far away as memories of his past self surfaced.
Then he slowly lowered his eyes.
Tears and sighs had seeped into the years of pain from that moment of failure.
The guilt etched there throbbed anew.
Words saying it was okay to accept comfort soaked into his drought-cracked heart like rain.
Rune took in Rand's expression for a moment, then recalled what needed doing.
'Then, the calamity that so-called elf king summoned. Where are the demons?'
A strange motivation stirred now that he had a clear goal.
Wherever the elf king or demons were hiding, it wouldn't be some ordinary spot.
Searching the vast royal castle could take days, even weeks.
In the worst case, it might turn into a game of tag, with them fleeing and Rune forever chasing.
He had no intention of playing the dog after the chicken.
'Is there a quick way to find the bastards?'
Suddenly, Rune's gaze lingered on Dullahan.
A flash of insight struck his mind.
"Dullahan."
Clank!
Dullahan lowered his helmeted head toward Rune.
If anyone could do it, the former Demon King's knight surely could, Rune thought as he began.
"The elf king is deeply tied to the demons. Not a pleasant thought, I know."
Finding hidden demons would require special means.
Rune gave the order to Dullahan.
"There has to be a source leaking this demonic energy. Can you sense it?"
Clang!
Dullahan straightened his posture, his green eyes flashing.
The black knight puffed out his massive armored chest, drawing up a gloomy aura.
Once the Demon King's knight, Dullahan had been on his level.
Having recently absorbed bits of demonic energy, he now handled it with growing familiarity—and confidence.
Shing!
Not the gloom of his green gaze, but sharp killing intent took hold.
A terrifying blood-red hue evoked memories of his days with the Demon King.
A disciplined yet eerie atmosphere began to emanate.
Clank!
Dullahan's hand pointed down the corridor's end.
It was close.
"There?"
Perdikion frowned, incredulous.
Rune felt the same doubt.
No matter how he looked, it was a junk storeroom—hardly a place for a king.
'An unexpected spot.'
Even so, Rune peered past Dullahan as he opened the door.
At a glance, it was a storeroom.
Unlike the ominous grand rooms and halls of the massive castle, this was tiny and shabby.
Shelves held children's toys and fairy tale books.
"Wow. So many cute things."
Heungmi marveled at a small music box adorned with a dancing crystal fairy.
The barely cleaned room filled up as the group entered.
Perdikion's face hardened as he spoke.
"Rune, this feels off."
"...Yeah."
A subtle gaze that battle-hardened senses could detect.
Rune and Perdikion weren't the only ones who felt it.
Rune pulled Heungmi behind him.
Clank!
Dullahan whipped his head around.
His glare fixed on a white rabbit doll, a few steps from the mirror.
The once-still rabbit rolled its eyes slowly under Dullahan's stare.
"Eek!?"
Heungmi yelped in surprise.
The rabbit turned to the wide-eyed fox girl and waved its cotton-and-cloth paw.
A friendly greeting.
Flames instantly flared in Perdikion's hand, but Rune grabbed his wrist.
"Let go, Rune."
"No way. You'd just burn that rabbit to ash right now."
"Obviously. No need to leave something suspicious like that."
'This guy. Starting a fire in this cramped room—what good could come of it?'
Even with fire resistance, it might trigger clues or demon traps.
Rune warned briefly.
"What if it's a trap?"
"It won't be."
His tone was oddly firm, brimming with certainty.
Rune forgot the mood for a moment and asked back.
"How do you know?"
"Why wouldn't I? You can tell just by looking."
"..."
Rune stared, speechless, until the red-haired boy cleared his throat lightly.
Then he added an explanation.
"It looks creepy, sure, but it's just a doll tainted by demonic energy. Moving doesn't change its essence. Still, if that 'movement' has intent, better to shut it down early."
Rune scanned the surrounding toys.
Paper-folded turtles, birds, cats, and other animals.
A desk with a feather quill missing most of its plumes.
Demonic energy seeped from each small object.
Drdrdr!
As if reacting to Perdikion's words, the items trembled in place.
"I get what you mean, bro. Then this method might be better."
At the same time, Rune lifted Heungmi's hands to her ears.
"Everyone, cover your ears."
Dullahan's chest had swelled; he opened his black maw.
A breath from his gut emerged as an eerie sound.
Huuuooooh!
An unusually low, chilling noise.
The small dolls, decorations, and even a paper crane hovering midair collapsed limply as if fainting.
'Absorbing demonic energy must've done it. The sound isn't louder, but the effect's improved.'
Thanks to the recent Fragrance Box Tainted by Darkness, Dullahan had gained happy, positive feelings.
With demonic energy in hand, he now unleashed even more despairing wails.
Rune regarded Dullahan with newfound respect.
'He used to be just a roaring beast. Now he can suppress foes with a low growl.'
Not every threat swings a blade.
Sometimes, one lurking silently with a hidden knife behind their back instills true fear.
'Not bad.'
Dullahan had learned to modulate his power to dominate opponents.
Rune noted his growth, then turned to the mirror.
It still reflected the room.
"Something's there."
Belianus spoke, already aiming his staff—now in hand—at the mirror.
Moonlight swept across it once.
Rippling black smoke.
As the smoke cleared, a mask floated in the mirror.
White mask with black crescent eyes and mouth.
Purple star drawn below.
A smile, yet unnaturally off.
A hand in a white glove floated up from beyond the mirror.
"You all have quite outstanding looks."
The white-gloved hand formed letters.
The group's faces twisted as if beholding a madman, signaling their understanding.
Only Heungmi blinked and asked.
"What's 'looks' mean? Everyone's faces look weird."
Rune felt awkward at her innocent question.
'Do I have to explain this?'
It was full of harmful influences for a young life.
Demons probably didn't care about such things anyway.
Feeling troubled, Rune explained.
"...It means pretty faces, but it's not a good situation. Not sure how to put it."
"Hmm."
Heungmi tilted her head, then nodded as if getting it.
"Heungmi gets it! Like, 'Pretty little miss, want some candy? Come with uncle?' Right?"
"!"
'Where'd she hear that?'
Heungmi, oblivious to Rune's doubt, crossed her arms proudly.
"Saw it in the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale book. But Heungmi has Christina-nim who gives yummy candy, super handsome Rune-nim, and Uncle Jed who praises how pretty I am!"
She huffed and lifted her chin defiantly.
"So I won't fall for that. Heungmi has nothing to miss!"
One white glove rose, shaking by the mask's smiling mouth.
As if laughing.
The white-gloved hand formed more letters like sign language.
"What an amusing child. And friendly with that madwoman Christina, no less."
The glove waved dismissively in horror.
"Regrettable for me, but no need to worry. Fortunately for you, even I loathe a Gold Dragon Elder visiting my paradise."
The gloved hand shooed them away like chasing off thugs.
'Seems "madwoman" holds double meaning for this demon.'
As Rune pondered, the white gloves formed another sentence.
"We're intrigued by each other, so let's chat. This proxy will guide you to me."
The white-gloved hand emerged from the mirror toward the group.
Shhshk.
The elaborate gestures danced intricately.
Click.
Invitations stamped with eerie green seals rose—one for each person—in the white-gloved hand.
The mask shook its head grotesquely as it offered them.
[One per person]
[Eerie green seal stamped]
But Perdikion only glared at the invitation, not touching it, and muttered.
"An invitation to a demon's space. Disgusting."
"Yeah."
Rune replied calmly as he took one.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. To catch a manticore, you go into its den. We can 'escape' any situation."
"!"
Rune glanced at Perdikion, who caught on and nodded.
"Got it."
The quick-witted fire dragon boy understood and took an invitation.
Rune eyed the battle axe Paralium strapped to Dullahan's back.
It had been silent since re-entering the castle—like it was asleep.
'Good. Sharpened its senses and blocked them out. The thick demonic energy must make even a word impossible.'
No invitation for Jed, but as Dullahan's weapon, it was fine.
As the others took theirs, Rune surveyed the room.
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