* * *
When they returned, Effolin wasn’t in the cabin. Only a single cat demonic beast was sprawled out in a leisurely manner in front of the crackling fireplace.
“Mm. I don’t think she went far. She left this one behind.”
“Right.”
“I need to drink some water. Should I bring you some too, Taeyon?”
“Yeah.”
After Kaniel headed to the kitchen, Taeyon approached the cat demonic beast rolling its body around on the rug. If asked which side he was on, he still wanted to kill this cat demonic beast. Because he believed that was right.
But he couldn’t deny that a bit of doubt had begun to grow.
When he bent his knees and lowered his body, the cat demonic beast looked at him as if asking what was up. Taeyon hesitantly reached out his hand. Then the cat demonic beast, raising its body, rubbed its cheek against his hand.
“……”
The demonic beast’s fur was also soft, and its body temperature, slightly hotter than a human’s, transmitted heat to his hand.
“…What’s this?”
Something cold was felt between the fur filled with heat hot enough to burn. Taeyon smoothed down the cat demonic beast’s neck fur to check what touched his fingertips. What was attached to the collar hidden in the fur was a ring. A thick ring that was clearly a man’s.
At that moment, Taeyon was pulled into a memory from the past.
His hyung, who was eight years older than him, had gone on subjugation patrols since Taeyon was young. Given his hyung’s status, he almost never went alone. He always took about three or four escort knights with him, and one of them had been very fond of Taeyon.
However, his methods were violent and willful, so Taeyon disliked him. He especially didn’t like how the man arbitrarily treated people like children. It was a story from when he was a child who didn’t know he was a child.
This was the ring that had been on that man’s finger—Jeinote’s. Once he realized that, memories came flooding back consecutively.
“The dagger too…”
Taeyon, who had jumped up, picked up the curved dagger displayed above the fireplace. This dagger was the same. This was the dagger that escort knight had bragged about taking after saving his colleague, a bear. The bear had sniffled, saying, “I didn’t want to give up the dagger that badly…” He’d thought it was impressive to take a dagger from a bear.
“…Effolin was his fiancée.”
Effolin had also been one of his hyung’s escort knights. And she was engaged to the owner of the ring.
“What on earth…”
Why was she in a place like this?
It was natural for Taeyon to have doubts. Because Effolin had gone missing while on a subjugation patrol alone with her fiancé, just the two of them. If a knight was going to disappear like that, the only possibility was an attack by a demonic beast. So the two had been processed as deaths during subjugation.
He clearly remembered because his hyung had been quite grieved at the time.
‘Originally there were two of us. Something went wrong with that person’s body, so we settled here to recuperate…’
She hadn’t told the rest of the story, but the nuance was clearly that her lover’s condition had worsened and he’d died. Jeinote died? Effolin survived alone and was living with a single tamed demonic beast?
‘Wait, was Effolin’s ability originally taming demonic beasts?’
At that moment, Kaniel, who had fetched water from the kitchen, held out a cup of water to him.
“Taeyon, here’s your water.”
“…Thanks.”
“What’s wrong, Taeyon? Is something the matter?”
Now Kaniel sensitively noticed when his emotions were turbulent. Taeyon hid his sorrow and wore a gentle smile.
“I was just amazed at how docile this demonic beast is.”
“But she said she tamed it with her ability.”
It was impossible.
He didn’t remember what Effolin’s ability had been. But if there had been a knight with such an unusual ability, rumors would have spread rampantly throughout Oblyad Castle, and there was no way Taeyon wouldn’t remember. Rather, the fact that he didn’t remember was proof that Effolin’s ability had been ordinary.
But then what on earth was the identity of this winged cat demonic beast that was docilely showing its belly?
Under Taeyon’s hand, the cat demonic beast rolled this way and that while meowing. Just like an ordinary cat.
* * *
When Effolin returned, she said she’d been to the backyard for a bit and that she’d check again the next day, as she had before. Considering the pattern the snake monster had shown until now, it was natural.
And the next morning, after checking the pond, Effolin nodded with a brightened face and lifted up the cat demonic beast to hold it.
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
Kaniel smiled brightly and grabbed Taeyon’s forearm. Taeyon nodded too.
Even while thinking it wouldn’t return, there had been anxiety about the possibility, but things had turned out as expected. It was truly fortunate.
“Then can we receive the travel supplies now?”
“Of course. They’re in the warehouse, shall we go?”
“Yes!”
“There are various things, so pick out as much as you want.”
The amount of items that a party of only two could carry was obvious anyway. Even more so if one of them was human.
Moving to the warehouse, Effolin opened the lock and threw the warehouse door wide open. The dark warehouse was packed full of items.
Taeyon went in first and began examining the items.
There was everything from leather bags to tents and blankets, thick cloaks and scarves, and even gloves. Everything was worn, but showed traces of having been well-maintained and mended until recently.
“These are things I used while traveling.”
Effolin said, stroking a thick blanket with one hand.
“I’ll never have occasion to travel again, so you can take anything.”
“I’ll gratefully accept.”
Taeyon began selecting items, and Kaniel stood beside him, watching Taeyon’s choices. The first thing chosen was a thick navy blue cloak. Taeyon draped it over Kaniel’s shoulders and adjusted it carefully so there would be no uncomfortable spots. The cloak was warm and fluffy.
Next was a leather backpack of an appropriate size. After trying it against Kaniel’s back to choose the right size, Taeyon confirmed there was nothing inside and stuffed a blanket in.
“You can put more in, Taeyon. Only putting in a blanket is too much.”
“The weather’s cold anyway, so we need a blanket. Might as well pack it all on one side.”
“But…”
“If you’re really concerned, I’ll give you this.”
What Taeyon handed over was a small pot, spoon, and spatula. The pot was hung on a hook attached to the leather backpack, and the spoon and spatula were stuck in a pocket on the side of the backpack. Of course, the weight didn’t increase much.
Even disregarding a human’s stamina, wasn’t this too much? Kaniel grumbled but had no choice but to nod. If it were just the two of them, he’d whine more, but Effolin was here too.
After that was Taeyon’s luggage. It was the moment he picked up the largest of the two or three remaining backpacks.
“Ah.”
“What’s wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Effolin, who had clearly reacted as if flustered, shook her head and closed her mouth.
‘Is there something in the bag?’
Taeyon, frowning, deliberately examined the bag carefully. The worn brown bag was quite high-quality. The leather showed signs of being carefully tanned, and it was firmly stitched with tough thread so there wasn’t a single hole. Though somewhat worn, it was a sturdy, good bag.
The problem was that traces of the previous owner remained on that bag. The round pendant attached to the bag strap was a mark showing one belonged to Oblyad Castle.
If a guard member saw this, they could tell he was a knight. And if they were a knight like Taeyon, they might know even more. Because the engraved picture inside the pendant indicated the knight’s affiliation and rank.
Senior escort knight to the heir of Oblyad Castle. Main weapons were twin swords, and years of service reached eight.
These were knight Jeinote’s belongings.
Taeyon fiddled with the pendant, then suddenly raised his head.
“Effolin, let me ask you one thing. You said you came here with two people. What happened to the other person?”
“…He died.”
Effolin lowered her gaze while tightly holding the cat demonic beast.
“I said there was a problem with his body. It worsened day by day until it finally became irreversible.”
“…I’m sorry to hear that.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Can I pay my respects at the grave? It seems like that person is someone I knew.”
At his words while fiddling with the pendant, Effolin was silent for a moment before soon nodding.
Someone he knew? Kaniel quietly observed the expressions of the two. Neither wore a friendly expression.
Kaniel wanted to ask Taeyon right away what this was all about, but now didn’t seem like the right timing.
“Well, this should be enough for traveling for a few days. Let’s go.”
Taeyon, who had silently packed the luggage, spoke toward Effolin. And following Effolin as she turned around, he lightly pulled Kaniel behind him. It meant to hide behind his back.
What on earth was suddenly happening? The fact that the dead person was someone he knew probably didn’t have a very positive meaning.
Kaniel gulped down his saliva with tension and began walking slightly behind as instructed.
