Rowen took out one of the new shirts hanging in the wardrobe and threaded his arms through one at a time. The thin linen shirt designated as the Kaiserion uniform clung to his slightly wet back, nakedly revealing the contours of his back muscles.
He stopped mid-way through buttoning his shirt. Rowen’s gaze turned toward Nigel on the bed.
‘…Why is he staring at me?’
Nigel pulled his head back slightly as if caught. He thought it was because he’d been staring too intently at him after his shower.
Rowen slowly approached Nigel. As he reached out slightly, along with the wafting scent of soap, his chest came right before Nigel’s eyes through the unbuttoned shirt.
Just as Nigel was flustered and about to extend his back legs, Rowen’s large hand carefully wrapped around him.
“Let’s go together.”
A low voice transmitted through his palm. Rowen opened the left breast pocket of his shirt and slipped Nigel inside as if sliding him in.
With just one thin linen cloth between them, Rowen’s body temperature could be felt nakedly.
Thump, thump, thump. The regular, heavy heartbeat sound vibrated through Nigel’s entire body.
“If I leave you behind, I’m worried you’ll run off somewhere else.”
Saying that, Rowen neatly fastened the remaining buttons up to his collar.
“Be careful not to fall out. If a professor or the Administration Department catches you, you’re done for.”
After saying that, Rowen lightly patted the pocket. Wearing the sword belt and the badge symbolizing the Swordsmanship Department that he always wore, he left the room.
In sync with his regular footsteps, Nigel’s body inside the pocket also swayed and bobbed. The sound of Rowen’s heartbeat heard through the fabric maintained a steady rhythm, but that peace didn’t last long.
Buzz— buzz buzz—
Because a faint vibration rang from another pocket on the inside. It was Rowen’s communication stone.
As soon as he felt that vibration, Rowen stopped in his tracks. After taking a short breath, he pulled out the communication stone from his inner pocket. The voice flowing from the communication stone in Rowen’s hand was small, but to Nigel inside the pocket, it sounded as clear as if they were conversing right above his head.
[Lord Ashfield, this is the Imperial Palace.]
It was the voice of a middle-aged woman tinged with urgency. Nigel in the pocket knew the owner of that voice. She was the Head Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace.
[I just had an audience with His Majesty and confirmed… His Highness the Crown Prince has not come to the Imperial Palace. There were no traces of His Highness anywhere in the separate palace or the Imperial gardens.]
“……”
Though he didn’t answer, Rowen’s breathing grew rough as he stood frozen mid-stride, gripping the communication stone.
[By any chance, was there anything unusual at the academy yesterday? Did His Highness give you any hints about his destination, Lord Ashfield…?]
“There was nothing.”
Rowen said, squeezing his eyes shut. His voice had sunk much lower than usual.
“I haven’t seen his face since the afternoon class yesterday. There were no particular unusual circumstances either.”
[…Oh my… Good heavens. Where could he have gone….]
“……”
The two who had known Nigel Kaiserion for a long time couldn’t continue speaking for a moment. Even during his adolescence when he was ten years younger, Nigel had never acted willfully in a fit of anger or impulsively done anything unplanned.
[…If you happen to receive contact from His Highness or can think of any place, please notify us immediately.]
Rowen gave a brief affirmation. Then the communication ended.
Rowen roughly shoved the extinguished communication stone into his pocket. The heart that had definitely been beating peacefully just moments ago was now beating fast and roughly as if to strike Nigel’s ears.
“Damn it… Nigel.”
He could hear a voice muttering as if chewing. That voice was mixed with tear-tinged anger and worry.
“Not at the Imperial Palace either, where on earth are you right now.”
He ground his teeth as if frustrated.
‘…I’m right here.’
Even though he was in the closest place to Rowen, he was desperately searching for him without knowing that fact. Nigel felt a strange guilt and relief stemming from the fact that someone was searching for him this earnestly.
Rowen roughly wiped his face as if washing it dry, then forced himself to step forward. There wasn’t much time left until class.
“Just be safe. Wherever you are.”
It was closer to a plea than a prayer. It was a weak voice completely different from Rowen Ashfield who usually felt cheerful and light.
Nigel stopped even wiggling his front legs and held his breath inside the pocket.
A moment later, Rowen took a deep breath. Then he lightly adjusted his clothing and opened the lecture hall door as if nothing had happened.
Creak—
Immediately, the noisy clamor of the lecture hall poured toward Rowen and Nigel. It was the peaceful everyday noise, no different from usual.
“……”
But Rowen couldn’t step into the lecture hall.
‘What am I trying to do right now?’
Nigel had disappeared. And the Imperial Palace had just learned that fact moments ago. And yet he was going to sit down nonchalantly and attend class?
Rowen’s brow furrowed. The hand gripping the doorknob tensed so much it turned white.
The Nigel Kaiserion he knew wasn’t someone who would evaporate overnight without leaving any trace. A disappearance that couldn’t be found even with Veil Khalid’s magic, and couldn’t be found even after searching the academy buildings all day.
Then, one figure flashed through Rowen’s mind like lightning.
‘Dragon.’
If there was even one person in this academy who knew Nigel’s whereabouts, it would only be Headmaster Silvanus.
Thud.
Rowen roughly let go of the doorknob he’d been gripping.
‘Class, my ass.’
He’d skipped class a few times a year anyway. There was no reason not to be absent now. Rowen turned his back on the lecture hall and spun around sharply.
At the sudden change of direction, Nigel in the pocket swayed. Nigel, who had nearly fallen out of the pocket, instinctively extended his front legs and gripped Rowen’s shirt hem tightly.
Having no way of knowing Rowen’s thoughts, Nigel felt queasy because he’d suddenly burst back into the corridor after trying to enter the lecture hall.
His gaze was directed toward the upper floor of the S-shaped staircase, the highest place in the main building. It was where the office of the academy’s master, Headmaster Silvanus, was located.
* * *
Bang, bang, bang!
“This is Rowen Ashfield. I have an important matter, so I’m coming in, Headmaster.”
The knocking was just a pretense of courtesy. Rowen didn’t even wait for an answer from inside and roughly pushed open the heavy oak door.
A subtle tea leaf fragrance filled the room. In the antique office of the ancient dragon where sunlight slanted in, behind the desk placed in the center, a beautiful white-haired man slowly raised his head as he set down his teacup.
The living history of Kaiserion Academy, and among the living beings on the continent, the one closest to pure mana, the source of life.
It was Dragon Silvanus.
He tilted his head as if he’d known Rowen would visit his office right now.
“Does a student have something more important than class time?”
“Headmaster.”
Rowen strode up to the headmaster’s desk without even catching his breath after climbing several floors at once.
At his intense movement, Nigel in the pocket was jostled this way and that, but Rowen seemed unaware.
“Nigel… No, His Highness the Crown Prince has disappeared.”
Thud, he leaned his weight on the headmaster’s office desk with both arms.
“Inside this Kaiserion Academy. Overnight.”
Rowen’s eyes blazed fiercely.
“You know everything, don’t you, Headmaster.”
“……”
Silvanus was just staring at Rowen while propping his chin. No, to be precise, he was looking a bit lower than Rowen’s face. It was the left breast pocket where Nigel was inside.
“Everything, you say….”
White pupils unimaginable for a human moved with a creak.
As is typical of reptiles, he could see the nictitating membrane, the third eyelid, moving from right to left.
“Well. Rowen, knowing everything is practically impossible. I’ve just lived long enough to be able to surmise many things.”
“……”
Deep furrows formed between Rowen’s brows.
“I didn’t come here for riddles! Please, if you know something, tell me. Nigel might be in danger!”
He shouted while suppressing his frustration as much as possible.
But at Rowen’s words, Silvanus just curved his eyes playfully and leaned back in his chair.
Spin— The antique headmaster’s chair made of jet-black ebony wood and purple leather spun around once.
Even after the chair spun, Silvanus looked at Rowen who was still glaring at him fiercely with both arms propped on the desk and said.
“You don’t need to worry so much. The Crown Prince is rather…. Yes, rather removed from danger. Quite safe.”
“…What?”
Silvanus picked up the teacup that had been placed on the desk and moistened his lips. Rowen looked at the headmaster with a face that said to keep talking, as if he’d heard something strange.
Nigel, who had been listening to their conversation from inside the pocket, finally moved his frozen body. He was shaking his body to make Rowen aware of his presence.
But.
“A professor is looking for you, Rowen Ashfield.”
What? What professor all of a sudden— Rowen moved to open his mouth, but Silvanus was faster.
