Van glanced at Rowy again.
‘If the master wants it, then there’s nothing I can do about it, is there?’
“Ahem.”
Van fussed about, cutting the already-cut pie again. The pie had now completely lost its shape and was cut into small pieces.
“I want to eat strawberry cake.”
Van, who had been cutting up the pie, was startled at Rowy’s suddenly spoken words and hurriedly pushed the plate over. Rowy’s face lit up as he brought his fork to it. The strawberries inside the cake were especially delicious. His stomach was full so he couldn’t eat the bread… Rowy began plucking out the strawberries one by one.
Having filled up on sugar like that, Rowy’s fork gradually slowed. Losing concentration on the dessert, Rowy looked at the catalog placed on one side of the table.
‘I’m glad you seem to be doing well.’
Why would he say something like that? Seilan and Rowy weren’t friends. The only person who could be called Rowy’s friend was Josef. But still… it seemed like they’d had quite a few conversations. Of course, the last time they’d met, they’d fought badly over the demon claws.
‘Still, well, maybe I’ll look to see if there’s anything to buy.’
Rowy pulled the catalog toward him. Besides the large magic stone Seilan had shown him, surprisingly quite a lot of magic stones were being sold. There were processed magic stones, but there were also more unprocessed magic stones than expected.
‘It’s not even an artifact, what would they use magic stones for?’
These days in the Empire, it was trendy to make customized accessories by selecting magic stones to one’s taste and enchanting them with desired magic. Rowy, who had no way of knowing this, tilted his head.
“Is there something you’d like to purchase?”
As he examined the catalog page by page, Van spoke to him.
“Mm-hmm, I think it’d be good to buy you a new restraint device. Something pretty and obedient.”
“……”
Van closed his mouth again and began mashing the pie.
“……?”
Rowy, puzzled by Van who had suddenly gone quiet, put down the catalog he’d been skimming.
“But anyway, the auction is tomorrow night. I’m going back to the island tomorrow. Guess I can’t go.”
Having said that, Rowy pushed the cake remnants with all the embedded strawberries dug out toward Van. Van naturally swallowed it in one bite. Rowy now had his nose buried in the parfait he’d been saving.
“By island, do you mean a resort island?”
“Mm-hmm. Near there.”
Rowy answered vaguely. Right now the island’s condition was a bit… even for Rowy, dragging someone into that island pricked his conscience.
“…The island doesn’t have desserts like these.”
Rowy sneaked a glance at Van. In fact, it wasn’t just desserts—there were many things missing. That’s why no one thought Rowy could live on such an island. Not even Rowy himself.
“Then you should eat a lot before you go.”
Van grinned and held out a plate. On the plate were strawberries. It seemed he’d dug out all the strawberries embedded in the cake for Rowy. At that kind gesture, Rowy’s conscience, which he hadn’t even known existed, began to ache.
‘But… I can’t not go.’
I’ll have to take him secretly. Once we enter the island, there’s no way out unless we launch a boat.
“Sorry.”
Rowy whispered softly. He spoke so quietly that the sound was swallowed into Rowy’s mouth along with the whipped cream.
* * *
In the subdued atmosphere, the dessert bombardment continued. Van was beginning to worry that at this rate, Rowy might turn into sugar.
“Ugh, I can’t eat anymore.”
I’ve been waiting for those words. Van quickly snatched the fork from Rowy’s hand. Rowy began pushing everything in front of Van—cups, plates, everything—as if he was sick of even looking at them now.
“Ah.”
Rowy’s hand, pushing away plates, touched the catalog. Van reached out to pick up the fallen catalog. And at that moment, wind blew from somewhere. The pages slowly scattered. …Van’s hand froze in midair.
‘This is…’
A blade made of black iron imbued with darkness, a sacred language of heaven wrapped around the hilt, and a blood-red jewel embedded right in the center.
‘Why is this…’
Van’s hand trembled finely as he picked up the catalog. It was a familiar sword.
‘Holy Sword Ignis.’
A sword bestowed by God to destroy demons. However, the Holy Sword was definitely…
‘When I last checked, it was definitely in the Empire.’
Other holy relics aside, the Holy Sword could only be used for its intended purpose by one chosen by God. In other words, currently it was a sword only Van could use properly. The only sword that could kill demons. The archemon Mammon, who had parasitized the continent for a long time, was ultimately brought down by Holy Sword Ignis.
Even though the strongest demon had died, that didn’t mean they could be completely at ease. Van had been continuously tracking the Holy Sword’s location through an information guild to prepare for any possible future.
‘When I last checked, it was definitely in the Empire…’
But it suddenly appears in Seraphila at the southernmost tip of the continent like this?
“……”
It felt suffocating. Where did it all start? Suddenly being sold as a slave, being invited to an auction where the Holy Sword was being sold… Was all of this a coincidence, or was it God’s arrangement?
At that moment, rain suddenly began to pour down along with a loud thunderclap. The sky turned black with torrential rain pouring down deafeningly. Even that seemed like it wasn’t a coincidence, so Van clenched his fist tightly.
* * *
The rain continued to pour until the next day. Naturally, the boat couldn’t set sail today either. The sea met rough waves and repeatedly slammed house-sized waves onto the shore. The city was in somewhat better shape. Instead of the downpour from yesterday that seemed like a hole had been punched in the sky, gentle rain fell ceaselessly. A rainbow could even be glimpsed beyond. However, Rowy’s condition grew worse and worse.
“It hurts….”
Having tossed and turned all night, Rowy continued to complain of headaches and couldn’t get up from bed.
‘Holy Sword or whatever, when someone is this sick.’
Van massaged Rowy’s arms and legs repeatedly with a serious expression. Rowy groaned without even opening his eyes. Finally, after a healer prescribed painkillers, Rowy came to his senses and called Van with a pale face.
“Van….”
“Yes, are you alright?”
“I want… honey ice cream….”
Ah, yes. Van made a reluctant expression. Still, Van ran out to get ice cream. The dessert shop owner remembered Van, who had conquered the entire menu, and as a service even pressed various cookies into his hands.
After giving his thanks, Van ran through the rain again lest the ice cream melt. The image of Rowy’s pale face as if he might collapse at any moment kept appearing before his eyes. When he quickly returned to the inn, Rowy with a definitely improved face compared to earlier was sitting in a chair waiting for Van. No, to be precise, for the ice cream.
“Ice cream!”
“Eat slowly. What if your head hurts again from eating too quickly?”
Van said worriedly. Of course, Rowy didn’t pretend to listen. Van fussed beside Rowy like that, serving him warm tea.
‘Hah, I think I’ll live.’
Rowy let out a sigh. As the sweet food entered his mouth, even the headache faded. Was it not the ice cream but the medicine taking effect? Rowy rolled his brain, dulled from being drugged. It was a terrible headache he’d never felt before.
The headache that had started from when he left the island was getting worse as time passed. While he’d sometimes caught colds seasonally due to weak stamina, this was the first time he’d been sick like this without knowing the cause or reason.
‘It’s not like I don’t know the cause at all.’
At this point, Rowy had an inkling. …But it wasn’t like he could return his sick body to normal right away. Eh, Rowy sighed and slouched, draining the strength from his body.
Though the pain had lessened somewhat with the medicine’s effect, his body was still in poor condition. His hands trembled and he kept breaking out in cold sweat. Van stuck close beside Rowy like that, making a fuss—rubbing his cold hands, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Rowy stared at Van intently.
“Are you feeling bad somewhere else? Should you lie down?”
“No….”
As the pain subsided a bit, Van’s actions caught his eye anew. Had there ever been anyone in his life who’d taken care of Rowy with such devoted care?
‘I don’t think even Mom would cherish me this much. Of course, I don’t have a mom.’
Van, who would seriously think about carrying him around in one arm if he knew, casually placed his foot on Van’s thigh. It didn’t mean much; he was just being mischievous because his chest felt ticklish.
Without any sign of displeasure, Van wrapped that foot and began massaging it. At the sight of him touching it with serious eyes saying the foot was cold too, Rowy became embarrassed instead and fidgeted. However, Van paid no mind and now began blowing hot breath on the foot. His body naturally warmed at the embarrassing sight.
“……”
Why does he go that far? Since when has he even known me? Rowy looked at Van with strange eyes. Whether Rowy watched or not, Van bustled about bringing a blanket, bringing warm tea. Whatever the case… the feeling of causing worry was really not good. If it was sick for the reason he guessed, there was a way that wasn’t completely impossible either.
“Let’s go to the auction.”
“I don’t need such things. We don’t have to go!”
Van suddenly grabbed Rowy’s foot desperately.
“…Hm?”
“I just wanted to check it out because the Holy Sword was coming out, I just!”
“Holy Sword?”
What is he suddenly talking about? Rowy looked at Van bewilderedly.
“No… I was just going to go buy a magic stone.”
