Old Memories (16)
It was an exceedingly dangerous notion. Brione was one of Elua's most trusted confidants; she couldn't just quit on the spot. Elua hadn't yet fully solidified her royal authority. In this situation, she would never allow Brione to leave the royal castle. Of course, someone of Brione's skill might be able to vanish without a trace. But that would only be a temporary fix. The castle was teeming with mages far superior to her. No matter how much she was hailed as a young genius, Brione couldn't evade their eyes forever. In the end, she'd be caught and dragged back. And then... she'd end up standing side by side with Grancis...
Brione shuddered, chills running down her spine as she recalled Grancis's vacant, dead eyes. She'd been so blinded by ambition, charging ahead recklessly, and now it was tightening around her neck like a noose. It was utterly unbearable, feeling her lifelong values crack and crumble. Brione took a deep breath and slowly rose to her feet.
For now... not yet... Just like before, when she'd gotten everything she wanted by waiting... She'd bide her time. Eventually, a way would present itself, an opportunity would arise... Stumbling, Brione descended the stairs.
Once Idwild had fully calmed down, I took her downstairs to the first floor. She was still naked. Mideronde was an ancient elf mage, and Brione had already seen her nude. There was no one in the lab I needed to hide from. Fortunately, Mideronde had prepared clothes that fit me perfectly. She'd summoned them with magic, apparently. From what I heard, she'd opened a dimensional gate to some men's clothing store and just reached in to grab them...
"I left money. Didn't steal 'em."
"Didn't say a word."
Mideronde's lab was surprisingly modest and spartan. If a stranger saw it, they'd think it was some rural farmer's house. I'd expected it to be like Ukun's workshop, crammed with exotic magic tools and precarious stacks of dangerous books.
"You're all good now. The black magic curse is completely lifted. Just rest and recover your strength."
"Thank you... Lady Mideronde..."
Idwild bowed her head to Mideronde.
"No big deal. It was a simple dispel."
"Still... thank you..."
I stood in the corner of the living room, staring intently at Brione, who was desperately avoiding my gaze. Unable to bear it, she finally approached Idwild and spoke.
"Uh... that curse trap of yours. Wasn't bad."
"Huh...? Oh... hehe... Glad you're safe, Brione..."
Her half-hearted thanks didn't sit well with me, so I kept staring. Brione cleared her throat awkwardly and tried again.
"Thanks. Didn't ask for your help, but whatever."
"Yeah, yeah... We gotta help each other when it's dangerous..."
It still wasn't a proper thank-you, but for Brione, that was a massive blow to her pride. I gave a short nod, and Brione, who'd been watching me, let out a small sigh of relief.
"Now that everything's back to normal, time to head home."
I buttoned my shirt and turned to Brione.
"Open a gate to Rosens, Brione."
Just as Brione was about to do something, Mideronde interjected.
"Leaving already? The sun's about to set. I was planning to treat you to dinner."
"Dinner? Out of the blue?"
"It's been nearly a thousand years since I had guests in my lab. Feels a shame to send you off just like that."
Hm... Dinner, huh... Not a bad idea. With a dimensional gate, we'd be back at the inn in seconds anyway, and Brione's vacation was only two days.
"Sure. We'll eat before we go."
Mideronde smiled happily.
"I'll have it ready soon. Why don't you look around in the meantime?"
With Mideronde bustling off toward the kitchen, an awkward silence settled over the living room. It was all because of Brione. Shame over thanking the Idwild she'd bullied, plus constantly glancing at me nervously. Poor, sweet Idwild started feeling uncomfortable too, and soon she was sweating.
I took Idwild's wrist and pulled her along.
"Idi. Let's go outside. I'll show you something amazing."
"Something amazing...? What's that...?"
"You'll see."
As I headed out the door with Idwild, Brione bit her lip, watching us go. Ignoring her, I led Idwild around to the back of the lab.
"Whoaaaa...! What is that...?!"
Idwild let out a startled scream at the earthly paradise of monsters stretching beyond the backyard.
"Oh my god... Monsters... How do they all live together like this...?"
"Mideronde collects 'em as a hobby."
"Won't they fight if they're all together...? Monsters are fierce..."
"These ones are all good, gentle kids. Like you."
"Hehe..."
I led her to a Tene Gano that was ruminating. Even though it was docile, its massive size made Idwild hesitate.
"Scary... It'll squash me..."
"It's fine. Come here. You can pet it; it won't mind."
To reassure her, I stroked the Tene Gano's shoulder first. It just glanced at me with its huge, innocent eyes before resuming its chewing.
"Go on, pet it."
Idwild tentatively reached out and touched its tough, rugged hide.
"Hehe... So hard... Amazing..."
As she marveled and stroked it, a Tene Gano calf suddenly sidled up to her leg. Calf-sized, it gently nudged her thigh with its head. Idwild yelped and stepped back in surprise.
"Look... It has a baby... So cute..."
When Idwild petted its head, the calf closed its eyes, seemingly savoring the touch.
"This place is... so wondrous and beautiful... To see monsters up this close..."
Idwild crouched down, hugging the calf's neck and beaming.
"Maybe... we could raise a few good monsters at the inn...? Guests could watch 'em... pet 'em... It'd be great..."
"If you can feed 'em every day, I'll think about it."
"I could do that...? I feed Kali too..."
I burst out laughing at her innocent remark.
"Idi. These guys eat way more than Kali. The hay for just these would pile higher than the inn."
"Heek...? That much...? Never mind then..."
Idwild deflated, releasing the calf and standing up. But then she spotted the capybara-like Uzgashi and squealed, her chest bouncing as she dashed over.
I watched with a smile as Idwild played with the monsters. I knew Brione was peeking from around the lab corner, but I ignored her. Right now, just seeing Idwild frolic happily in the peaceful meadow under the red sunset made me content.
Old memories... Our first meeting was the worst—for her, anyway. That sweltering, humid summer dawn, in that filthy basement, stripped naked, drenched in sweat, grooming human heads. The stench from her was so overpowering I could barely breathe, her body crusted with white salt. The beast-like Idwild who lived that way was now so fair and pretty, laughing and running brightly.
"Bertrand...! Hehe..."
Idwild caught my eye and waved cheerfully. With her beaming smile, I waved back. I'd make sure no shadow ever darkened that big-titted milk cow's face again.
Mideronde's dinner was lavish and delicious. It reminded me of ages ago, staying at a lone inn deep in the woods. The owner there was an elf like her, with exceptional cooking skills. Do all elves cook well? One issue: all the meat dishes were from monsters.
"The ones here breed vigorously, so slaughtering one or two isn't a big deal."
Fair enough... Like killing a home-raised chicken for guests. Not entirely wrong.
"Safe environment must mean more calves, huh?"
"Something like that. No natural predators here. The carnivores are too vicious even for me to handle."
"Can't you control 'em with magic?"
"If I were forcing it, I wouldn't have gathered them for free-range in the first place."
"Makes sense."
Idwild devoured the food with her usual hearty appetite, while Brione frowned at her disapprovingly.
"Hey. Can't you eat more ladylike? Nothing's changed since the old days."
"Don't nag about how I eat."
Brione shut her mouth at my word. Watching us, Mideronde gave a peculiar smile.
Over dinner, Mideronde asked about my past, and I answered sincerely. No need to hide—Brione and Idwild knew it all. Brione, the mage, clearly had tons of questions for the elf mage but didn't dare interrupt, just watched nervously. Idwild? Too busy eating. The way she chowed down, her energy seemed fully restored.
After dessert—walnut pie and fresh Tene Gano milk—the sun had fully set, and it was getting dark outside. Packed and ready, we stepped out of the lab. Idwild wanted one last look at the monsters, so we headed to the backyard.
I extended my hand to Mideronde.
"Thanks for dispelling the magic, Mideronde."
"No trouble. You took care of that pesky lich in return. Lurtjog's story was shocking, though."
Mideronde took my hand with a gentle smile. Brione had already opened the gate to Rosens and was waiting. I double-checked the luggage on the Hell Horse, then scanned for Idwild. She was wistfully petting the sprawled, sleeping Uzgashi.
"Kinda sad... Would be great to raise some at the inn... Let 'em swim in the Buren River... Charge guests to watch..."
Hearing that sparked an intriguing idea. Smiling, I turned to Mideronde, who was watching Idwild fondly.
"Mideronde. Hear me out for a sec?"
