I took a deep breath as I stared at the wolf who was working hard to persuade the man.
The man just opened the wolfâs snout and pulled out the hem of his clothes from its mouth in annoyance.
Even though I was dying, it seemed that he had no intention of waking up from his delusion.
âIt sounds like you are really old for not being able to deal with one of these things and even getting a dog to worry about you. Whatâs the point of only rejuvenating your appearance?â
I spit out the blood that came up and glared at the man.
âI am not your master. I have never had a disciple like you.â
After hitting the wedge with a vicious force, the man stopped.
âNo, really? You smell like Master?â
The man neared with his upper body bent. He sniffed and pressed his face against my bloody shoulder.
Then he hardened like a stone.
ââ¦â¦ uh?â
The man took off his hood. He quickly unraveled the mysterious cloth that had tightly wrapped his eyes, nose and mouth.
Lightly pigmented ivory blonde hair fluttered at the manâs shoulder height. The forehead was exposed, followed by the eyelids and eyelashes.
The man opened his eyes hastily.
Because we were close, I could tell at a glance how extraordinary his pupils were. His eyes looked like they had been pierced with amethyst. It wasnât a metaphor, it was a real gem. As if it was cut in the shape of an eye, it sparkled in various ways from the reflected light. It looked like the mineral that was stuck in the wolfâs forehead.
The man who looked at me with jeweled eyes shook his head.
âI am still not good at being a human, so please forgive me. I wonder what will happen if I donât understand that body.â
ââ¦â¦ being a human.â
The man observed me carefully with a completely different attitude than before.
âThere must be a lot of things Master, no, you wanted to ask. It appears youâre going to die no matter what.â
âThanks for letting me know now.â
âPuppy, bring her and follow me.â
The man started walking while talking to the wolf. He said he was not good at being a human, so maybe that man is also a beast? First, I asked a light question.
âAre you acquainted with this wolf?â
âAll the beasts that live here know me.â
Umm. Somewhere in here, there must also be a beastly Gilbert. Because Aedis sent him over the gate.
The man added how he interpreted my expression.
âMy Master teacher told me to help. It must have been because he thought I would heal you somehow.â
The man clicked his tongue.
âHe will come on time. Well, surviving even after going out of the gate is braveâ¦â¦.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âIâm saying this just in case, but humans donât know how to treat themselves, so donât bring other people.â
I didnât have the energy to respond, so I decided to say it.
âYou must be a professional magic healer.â
âItâs not that much, but I got caught by Master after an accident, so Iâm volunteering for free.â
âThe one who you called Master.â
A slight shadow fell on the manâs face and then disappeared. And he said it conclusively without even having time to continue with the question.
âHe died as he wished.â
ââ¦â¦.â
ââ¦â¦ it was all that was left.â
The man mumbled very softly.
Soon he stopped walking. However, there was only a light fog in all directions, and it was still a pure white snowfield where the boundary between the sky and the earth was indiscernible.
The man turned around and asked.
âYou seem like a noble person, but in which building would you like to rest? Think about it.â
I naturally thought of the Cyclamen Castle.
It was only reflexively thinking about the question, but the fog cleared, and Cyclamen Castle appeared.
But it wasnât exactly the same as the real thing. Like a mirage that could disappear forever, the walls and gates were achromatic.
Regardless of the size of the castle, the man showed displeasure.
âItâs too big. It should be a little small because it is cumbersome to move around.â
Was this the manâs ability?
This time, I thought of the small house of the previous Grand Duke, which was sitting lonely in front of the gate.
Seeing the small house reproduced in achromatic colors again, the man frowned.
âOh, I hate this house.â
Still, the man willingly went inside.
For a while, I was able to forget the pain while watching this strange phenomenon.
The interior of the achromatic house was reproduced in the same way. A few pieces of furniture were also bleached white.
I got off the wolfâs back and moved onto the sofa.
The wolf supported me then sat at my feet and whined. Meanwhile, the man offered a pill.
âDo not chew, swallow.â
I took the pill, but asked without putting it in my mouth.
âAre you a beast?â
âYes. So I donât get sick like humans. I know you have great patience.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âYou look very hurt, but you donât make a sound.â
I looked at the wolf rumbling at my feet.
âKiingâ¦â¦.â
I canât believe that guy, but what about this one?
I put the pill in my mouth.
As soon as he confirmed that I was swallowing, the man suddenly pulled out a dagger.
âAh, ugh, give me a warning!â
My God!
I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and let out a moan.
The feeling of the blade escaping from the flesh remained so distinct.
âDoes the pain go away if I give a warning?â
The man spoke calmly and looked at the dagger.
It was only for a moment that I thought that I would rather he rip off my shoulder.
There was no more blood on my palms as if the bleeding had stopped.
âWait until I figure out what poison it is. Donât walk around because you wonât be able to survive on those pills only.â
I was wondering how to determine it, but the man licked the dagger with his unusually long tongue.
His eyes narrowed.
âHow did it happen?â
âI was stabbed by a friend, and someone was controlling her.â
I said too much, but the man showed enough interest.
âOh.â
âWould you like to hear the details? It wouldnât be interesting because itâs about the human world.â
âItâs not about the human world, itâs about Master, so itâs interesting.â
Here we go again?
âWell, even if Iâm not your master.â
âYou are Master.â
âWhat about your original master?â
âMy Masterâs was dead. So it got transferred.â
The manâs face was serious, even as he spoke nonsense.
The man mistook me for the dead master, but he sniffed me and immediately confirmed that I wasnât. Since then, the man had been convinced of his masterâs death with a fairly calm attitude.
Itâs just because I, mistaken for his master, wasnât actually his master.
What the hell is the connection between me and that manâs master? What am I missing?
I tilted my head and stared at the man.
âDo you know who I am?â
The man engraved me onto his two pupils like the jewel itself.
âMaster of Ambrosia. The oldest light, Hyperion. The one on high. The one who descended to the lowest place. A great star who has grown old leaving only two arms to embrace all things.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âThat is my master.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âBut Master went to die, and you brought Masterâs blood.â
I blinked slowly.
Masterâs blood.
â¦â¦ The blood of the beast in my arms.
âThe Master you spoke ofâ¦â¦.â
âYes, he died, but now that you are Master, itâs as if heâs rejuvenated. You will have to take some responsibility for me.â
The corners of the manâs mouth lifted for the first time. It was a very faint laugh.
âYou donât suspect that I forcibly took your masterâs blood?â
The man put on an absurd look on the question whether he was too naive.
âHe is not the one to lose his blood to the people who work today and tomorrow with just such things.â
Today and tomorrowâ¦â¦ I think Iâm going to die within an hour.
I retorted bluntly.
âMaybe Iâm not the only one who jumped on him.â
âEven if all the humans outside the gate were to rush in at once, the result would be the same.â
The manâs voice was firm. So I didnât understand.
The caring beast who called me a girl was in a very old state. Even though we were not of the same race, I felt his age, and I could not have guessed the distant years he must have lived.
âThe beast I met worked even harder just to pass today or tomorrow, much more than I have today.â
As I thought it was just nonsense, the man replied.
âHe lived for ten thousand years.â
ââ¦â¦.â
Thanks to my husband, I was able to accept 500 years, butâ¦â¦.
The man swung the dagger behind his back and stood in front of me.
âCan I ask a question now? Who is the one who manipulated Masterâs friend that you were poisoned by a poison that humans do not possess?â
Whether I liked it or not, I think heâs going to keep calling me Master. Should I take this as a treatment feeâ¦.
I gave up.
âMy husbandâs older brother. He is also the biological father of my adopted son.â
The manâs expression changed to a different color.
ââ¦â¦ Is that household alright?â
âIâm in the process of making it okay.â
âEven beasts donât live like that.â
This punkâ¦
I glared at him.
âHey, if youâre going to call me Master, show respect and courtesy.â
The man got gloomy.
âYour âpreviousâ Master wouldnât want that either.â
ââCurrentâ Master is a little different.â
The man was dissatisfied, but he dropped the bag he was carrying, stating that he would not say it out loud. He then took out some strange-looking herbs.
âWell, letâs say so. Then, my dear Master, I will treat you, so please open your top.â
Topâ¦â¦. Without realizing it, I sent a cold glance mixed with contempt, and the man explained.
âI am not human!â