Chapter 11: The Lion and the Dream Bird (1)
The boys arrived in Marbas only after it had grown late into the night.
The pitch-black shadows rising from the ground seemed to cover half of the eastern sky. To reach Jido, they had to pass through the Roman Mountains, which divided the central and western parts of the continent.
They entered the Roman Mountain road as dawn was breaking. Since they didn’t have horses or carts with them, it felt as if they were exempt from any tolls.
“Should I kill them?”
“Yeah.”
As they entered the mountains, winter arrived. Every time they opened their mouths, their white breath hung in the air.
The rock formations surrounding them like screens obscured the view of the summits. The boys tilted their heads back, marveling at the scenery that could only be described as magnificent.
“Aselle, look at that.”
“Not far from there, a group of mountain goats were climbing the steep cliffs. Aselle, who saw mountain goats for the first time, exclaimed in admiration. Ronan pointed at the mountain goats with his chin.
“Give one of them a little push with your telekinesis.”
“Eh, I don’t want to.”
“Come on, Aselle. It seems like you’re growing some backbone. Lift up the one lagging behind there.”
“Fine, I will try.”
Following Ronan’s instructions, Aselle extended his staff. The goat at the back of the group started to rise in the air and quickly reached the summit.
Ronan chuckled with satisfaction. He was pleased with both Aselle’s improved skills and the graceful sight of the goats being raised among the newly arrived group.
“Marya must have already arrived, right?”
“She’s probably doing well. Why, do you miss her?”
“N-No! It’s not like that! I need to return the book, that’s why!”
“It’s alright, Aselle. I understand. You don’t often see such a pretty little thing. I was surprised too.”
“I’m telling you, no!”
The road was much smoother than Ronan had anticipated. The circular paving stones formed a road wide enough for four carriages to pass simultaneously. Armed guards patrolled day and night without pause.
“Thank you for your hard work, travelers.”
“Thank you too. When military life feels like hell, just think about the idiots in the disciplinary unit. Those brats can’t even manage to rust properly.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Rest stops at regular intervals were a great help to travelers crossing the mountains. It was a welfare measure possible through the joint management of the empire and the merchant alliance.
“Money talks, as always.”
However, due to the nature of the mountain road, if a few key points were blocked, the empire’s trade routes would be completely paralyzed. The Winter witch, who would appear in a few years’ time, wasn’t just the worst criminal in the empire for no reason.
He imagined the people who had died to subdue the Winter witch and her splendid final moments.
“Maybe… I could meet those two as well.”
It was Shullifen who killed the Winter witch. And both of them were from the Philleon lineage. For a brief moment, he entertained the thought that meeting them could change the future.
“Such a thing probably won’t happen.”
But Ronan soon shook his head. He was too busy with his own tasks to think about anything else.
They spent four days traversing the Roman Mountains. As they left the mountains behind, spring returned. Not long after, a city sprawled out on the distant horizon caught their eyes.
Jido Barun.
The capital of the empire that had safeguarded the world for a thousand years.
The two were able to pass through Jido’s eastern gate before noon. Since they had obtained citizen papers in Marbas, the inspection was all but skipped.
Passing by the rookie soldiers busy cleaning up once again, they took in the orderly view of the city like a chessboard. The city itself, designed by the greatest genius since creation, was a masterpiece in its own right.
“Wowww…”
“Ugh, just write ‘country bumpkin’ on your forehead and be done with it.”
Aselle spun around in place, taking in the sights of Jido like a somewhat lacking child. Ronan extended his finger, pointing to the north of the city. In the distance, dozens of tall and small spires could be seen rising.
“That’s Philleon over there.”
“The subcity of White Tower… Are we going straight there?”
“No. Who wants to get trampled by the crowd?”
Instead, they made their way to the market in Philleon. There were still two days left before the practical exam started. Since they had already registered by mail, there was no need to visit Philleon, where chaos was surely ensuing.
“By the way, what happened to that feather?”
“The feather…? Ah, that strange bird. You said it lives in Philleon’s noble district, right?”
Ronan took off his backpack and opened the innermost pocket. The blue feather, still as shiny as ever, caught his eye.
It felt like the feather was throbbing more intensely than usual. If he hadn’t packed it securely among his other belongings, he might have taken it out right away.
Ronan picked up the feather.
“How about we go see them now? We have plenty of time.”
The luxuriant tail feather curved towards the north. Wondering if the same thought had crossed both their minds, they eventually found themselves in Philleon. Amidst the tide of humans, Ronan, who had been used to traversing as an explorer, grumbled softly.
“Even to the end, they’re making us work.”
***
-Squawk! Beep!
“Ughhh… What happened, Marfes?”
Varen Panasir’s eyes opened at the raucous birdcall. With a groggy voice, he murmured, rubbing his eyelids.
His eyelids were heavy, and his head felt sluggish. It seemed like he had fallen asleep for a brief moment. In front of him sat a bluish and fluffy bird. It was Marfes, the dream bird that Varen Panasir raised, an avian fantasy species.
“What good dream did you have…?”
Varen, who stifled a yawn, raised himself from his chair. The view outside the window and the stack of documents piled up on the desk caught his eyes simultaneously.
Barren rubbed his forehead, releasing a sigh.
“Sigh… It seems like it won’t be easy this time either.”
His study was located at the summit of Philleon’s 13th Tower. From the pinnacle of the tower, he could oversee the northern sector of correction and jurisdiction at a glance. People who were coming to register for the exam were bustling around like ants.
-Squawk!
“Why does professorial work never seem to get any easier… Should I return to being an explorer?”
Despite being invited by the royal family to work in Philleon three years ago, Varen still found dealing with humans and bureaucratic affairs exhausting. As Marfes, who had settled on his shoulder without him realizing, nudged his dark brown mane, Varen spoke to himself.
“Yes, I need to stay strong to meet my benefactor.”
Varen recalled the incident that occurred a month ago. He thought Marfes had gone for a short stroll, but he almost lost him forever. Although some time had passed, just thinking about that moment made his heart sink.
He still hadn’t been able to meet the person who had saved Marfes. Whenever he recalled their conversation, a warmth filled his chest.
“Even though all they did was save one animal… Can you believe someone could be that kind-hearted?”
“Hopefully they haven’t lost their feathers…”
Varen looked out the window with a dreamy expression. Suddenly, two shadows emerged from below and floated up.
One of them rapped gently on the window.
“Hey there.”
“Whoa!”
Varen recoiled as if hit by a carriage. He stumbled backward, his rear end colliding with the edge of the chair before he finally stopped by bumping his head against the opposite wall.
Shivering, Varen shouted, “Wh-Who are you people?”
A boy with black hair and another with red hair floated in mid-air. The red-haired boy let out a scream upon seeing Varen.
“Kyaah! It-it’s a lion!”
A lion, oddly dressed, was seated in a corner of the room, roaring. Mana scattered, and the two individuals plummeted downward. The boy hastily reached out, clutching the window frame and the hood of the child simultaneously.
“You, you imbecile! Magic!!”
Krack!
A sound reminiscent of a neck snapping emerged from the drowsy child’s mouth. Startled as he accidentally looked down, he let out another scream.
Far below, a wave of humans was undulating. The boy, who had crawled up using superhuman strength, shattered the window. Crash!
“W-What in the world is this…!”
Varen stared at the humans who had barged into his study, forgetting how to speak. The boy, who carried the child on his shoulders like a sack of rice, looked around before gently placing him on the plush sofa.
“Cough, cough! K-Kyah!”
The child began to cough vigorously, clutching his throat. The boy, who had drawn closer, seized his head.
“Ouch!”
“Hey, idiot! You nearly got us killed! Have you never seen a centaur before, you beastman?”
“S-Sorry…”
The child sniffled as he clung to his spot. The boy, catching his breath, turned his head towards Barren.
“Uh, are you Professor Varen?”
“W-Well, yes, but…”
“Long time no see, Werelion… Jeez, sorry about the window.”
Approaching, the boy extended his hand. Varen’s eyes widened. A blue feather, all too familiar, was protruding from his shirt pocket.
***
“Professor, are you truly alright?”
“Yes. Both of them are guests I invited. Don’t worry.”
Security in Philleon was tight. Within three minutes of the dazzling entrance, the arrival of the two individuals had been proven.
Adorned in heavy armor and poleaxes, the guards swiftly surrounded Ronan and Aselle. Varen, trying to explain their arrival, was sweating profusely.
“If the professor says so…”
“Yes, don’t worry about them causing a fuss. Thank you for always taking care of us.”
Bowing nearly halfway, Varen apologized. He proceeded to hand over pies he had personally made to the bewildered guards, not knowing what to do.
“Huff.”
Ronan, sitting on the sofa, chuckled. His attitude was a stark contrast to his appearance, which resembled someone who would slaughter cattle with his bare hands. Having fought against the Werelion race, he was even more surprised.
“Sorry for making you wait. You’re the ones who saved our Marfes, right?”
“Yes…”
“Nice to meet you. I am Professor Varen Panasir, responsible for the lecture ‘Communicating and Understanding Fantasia Species’ at Phileon Academy.”
He was at least 3 meters tall, his robust physique topped with the imposing head of a hunter. His well-groomed black mane exuded both elegance and wildness.
“Due to not being able to find the entrance, we had no choice but to make an unfortunate decision.”
“I should have informed you of the door-opening incantation in advance… I apologize.”
“Sorry? Why are you apologizing to us who just barged in and broke the window?”
Ronan bowed his head and simultaneously pressed down on Aselle’s head beside him.
“We’re the ones who should be sorry. Let’s end this ridiculous farce.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“Don’t…don’t do this! There’s no reason for all of you to apologize!”
“Yes, we won’t do that anymore. We said it’s over.”
Ronan crossed his legs, pulling a tobacco stick from his pocket to clearly express his intent. Marfes, who had been perched on Varen’s shoulder all along, approached Ronan.
“How have you been?”
-Cheep!
Marfes nudged his head against Ronan’s lap, his feathers appearing even more beautiful and his health seemingly robust. He took the feather he had retrieved from his front pocket and gave it back to Marfes.
“Thank you so much for rescuing Marfes.”
“I just did what I could. By the way, you’re a professor at Philleon? Quite the remarkable individual.”
“I owe it to the Emperor recognizing my insignificant talents. Both of you are taking the entrance exam at Philleon?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I hope you both pass. I promise to teach you every single thing I know.”
The three of them exchanged pleasantries and shared various stories. He assured that if they were to attend Philleon, he would make sure to secure their spots in the class, alongside “Foundations of Elemental Studies,” which was the first class to fill up.
“By the way, you might need to improve as the new guardian. Those thieves, they were affiliated with kaliborro.”
“kaliborro… you say?”
“Yes, those bastards are persistently relentless.”
Upon hearing the name kaliborro, Varen growled softly. His laid-back mane stood up, and the hidden claws beneath his rough palms were revealed.
“Those wretched poachers dare…”
The connection seemed deeper than expected. An almost palpable energy emanated from Varen’s entire being. As Aselle turned pale and sank into the sofa, Ronan exhaled cigarette smoke and snapped his fingers.
“Calm down.”
“Yes…? Ugh, I apologize!”
The energy dissipated in an instant. Barren quickly hid his hands behind his back, standing up and bowing at a right angle to apologize.
“I’m so, so sorry. Revealing my claws in front of the guests…”
“Oh, no. It was cool.”
Ronan was sincere. The expression he had just seen from Varen was the true face of the Werelion he knew. It was truly astonishing. The almost perfectly suppressed nature of the Werelion and the fact he worked as a professor in an academy.
Life in Philleon was something to look forward to. Varen, who had sat back down, spoke up.
“Um… Can I ask you something? There’s been something bothering me since earlier.”
“What is it?”
“What’s in your right pocket…?”
“My pocket? …Oh, I was going to ask you the same thing.”
Ronan rummaged in his pocket and produced a sphere object. It was the mysterious substance that Marfes had produced. Though a month had passed, there didn’t seem to be any external changes.
“It’s what marfes left behind. Do you know what it is?”
Ronan gestured to Marfes, who was dozing on his lap. However, there was no response. Varen was fixated on the sphere object as if he was under some sort of spell.
“Why are you looking at it like that?”
“This is… impossible…”
As an awakened Oracle, Varen immediately realized that it was Marfes’s egg. The unique mana of the dream bird was emanating from its surface.
However, what truly bewildered him was something else. The sensed mana wasn’t solely that of the dream bird’s.
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