Chapter 67
*”Old Man” Isn’t a Term of Endearment*
“It’s still just a suspicion. We tried to find out more, but even the Elder Council seems to be used by the Crown Prince. They have no backing. He’s planning to betray them after pretending to help them. Why would he bother helping old mages from another continent?”
The young master nodded and asked Irang sharply,
“I’d like you to share the previous Dragonuska’s research results. I saw it in Castor’s workshop. The magic journal you were studying.”
The twins’ faces mirrored each other in surprise, their expressions a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Irang leaned forward and asked,
“Did my father complete the ultimate healing magic? The magic that can even revive the dead.”
The young master shook his head.
“I only found a notebook filled with side effects.”
“As expected…”
“But there was an interesting record. About a being with a powerful life force that attracts the dead.”
He pointed at Lund.
“How were you able to smuggle out so many zombies? You couldn’t have captured them all with nets. Did you have help from someone… special?”
Lund nodded.
“As expected of Count Zepetto. You’re right. No matter how many zombies came to our continent, I couldn’t have captured them all in my subspace alone. I needed help. From a phoenix.”
“A phoenix?” I interjected. Did he just say phoenix?
“You’re joking, right? A phoenix! That’s a mythical creature! Even in a world with talking dolls, roaming zombies, and dragons transforming into humans, phoenixes don’t exist.”
A phoenix was a mythical creature said to live forever. Legend had it that those who encountered a phoenix would be freed from all illnesses and pain and granted eternal life. There was no way such a creature would be involved with zombies.
“The phoenix wasn’t summoning the zombies. The zombies were drawn to it. They must have been in great pain. They instinctively knew that they would be freed from this terrible disease if they approached the phoenix. I merely exploited that instinct.”
The young master smiled mischievously after hearing Lund’s explanation. I felt a sense of unease.
“That’s valuable information. That phoenixes exist and attract zombies. If you tell me where it lives, I’ll overlook everything that happened these past few days.”
“The phoenix lives on the highest volcanic island in Dragon’s Tail. I built a small fortress there and installed a portal.”
The young master turned to me. I was dumbfounded. A phoenix? Were we really going to hunt a bird?
“Estella, shall we depart immediately?”
“What about the clothes we bought today?”
“I’ll have them sent to the earldom. We’re going home after this. I need to see Crown Prince Umbram and find out what he’s up to.”
He spoke with unusual enthusiasm.
“Forget about zombies, our current objective is to collect phoenix feathers. The feathers with those ridiculous healing properties.”
We left Irang’s room and returned to ours to pack. I was fine, but I was worried about the young master. Wouldn’t he be tired? I wanted to ask him if we could leave tomorrow.
But before I could speak, I was startled by his pale face.
“Young Master! Shouldn’t we go to a hospital before going to that volcanic island with the phoenix? You look terrible! Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
“Ah! Are you worried about getting airsick?”
“No, it’s not that.”
He rubbed his face with his hand and looked down at me.
“Estella.”
“Yes!”
“You’re my maid, right?”
“Of course.”
“What if I get another maid who follows me around?”
“Well, I would creepily watch you two whenever you talk and ask, ‘What were you talking about…? Are you two having fun without me…?’”
“That’s quite an answer.”
“I can’t help it. I would be jealous.”
His ears turned slightly red at my response. Just as I was about to ask if he was feeling flushed, he frowned and turned away.
“I don’t know what will happen in the future.”
“That’s a given.”
“You have to stay by my side, no matter what, until I sort out my feelings.”
“Okay! Don’t worry about that. I’m planning to stick to you like glue, even if you try to shake me off.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”
We packed our bags and went to see Lund. He opened the portal and gave us a few warnings.
“Don’t attack the phoenix recklessly. It’s aggressive and will retaliate immediately. It’s large and can control fire, so it’s not an easy opponent. And of course, be careful of the zombies.”
Since zombies from all over were drawn to the phoenix, collecting a few feathers wouldn’t be easy, even with a direct portal. We could just go straight home, so why was he so obsessed with phoenix feathers? We could easily acquire high-quality red bird feathers in the earldom.
“Do you need a special quill pen? One that heals paper cuts instantly? Is that what you’re making?”
“Of course not.”
As we stepped through the portal, he cautiously took my hand.
“Don’t hate me.”
He said such absurd things out of the blue. I could confidently reply, since I would never hate him,
“I’ll never hate you! So let’s go tomorrow. You don’t look well right now.”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“Fine…”
That night, I packed lightly for our trip to the volcanic island. Rope for climbing, snacks, a handkerchief for him to sit on…
I went to his room to ask if he needed anything else. I thought he might be asleep, but there was a faint light coming from under his door.
“Young Mas…”
He was standing with his back to the door, head bowed, hands clasped together as if in prayer.
“Anna. Anna. Please, this time…”
His voice was choked with emotion. Unable to bring myself to interrupt him, I quietly closed the door and returned to my room.
“You’re an idiot, Young Master.”
The next morning, we left through the portal early. I had used many magic tools, but this was my first time using a portal. Even the young master, a mage, avoided using portals. He said they consumed a lot of magic and were risky. It seemed like dragon people, whose magic capacity was different from humans, could afford such extravagance.
Woooong—
As the portal activated, I clung to the young master, subtly taking his hand, which had been resting on his arm. He seemed startled, then intertwined his fingers with mine.
Were our hearts connected to some extent?
Before I could ask, the portal activated. We arrived at Dragon’s Tail in an instant.
[You have arrived.]
A crackling announcement came from the portal, and then it deactivated. It was difficult to see where we were. I used the light function on my vacuum cleaner to illuminate our surroundings. We were in a small, dirty, and ancient-looking space. There was only one narrow, grimy path ahead.
“Young Master, I’ll go first, follow me!”
I started walking, leaving him behind. He suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.
“Estella, calm down. Let’s go together.”
“There might be danger! I’ll protect you.”
“That’s why we have to go together.”
His ears were slightly red as he said that. I felt a bit shy and nodded. I walked close beside him, our hands brushing against each other occasionally. I pretended to be indifferent, but my magically created heart was pounding.
Should I create an opportunity to kiss him again when we reached the exit? Oblivious to my scheming, he focused on navigating the narrow passage.
Just as I was debating whether to take his hand, I heard a strange voice from the end of the passage.
“Oh, we’re perfect, perfect!”
It was an old man’s voice, raspy and dry, as if he hadn’t had water in fifty years.
We looked around before approaching the source of the voice. I noticed traces of lamps and faded markings. There were even some partitions. The long-abandoned space had an eerie atmosphere. It wasn’t a place where people should be.
The owner of the voice was definitely not an ordinary person. A zombie, perhaps? Was it another talking zombie, like the lady from before?
We walked towards the voice. The passage widened, and a strange, metallic scent of blood filled the air. I saw what looked like zombie remains. The blue slime and tattered clothes were illuminated by the vacuum cleaner’s light. And I finally realized where we were.
“This is a dungeon.”
I moved closer to the young master, worried that bats might swarm us. He put his arm around my shoulder and walked slowly, his gaze calm and steady as he surveyed our surroundings.
“This doesn’t seem like a place where a phoenix would be. Either Lund tricked us, or this is a secret passage.”
“We’re supposed to use the same portal to return! And we made a promise with Lady Irang, so I don’t think Lund would suddenly betray us. Let’s get out of here.”
The strange voice grew closer.
“Hee hee hee! The research was perfect!”
I pointed towards the direction of the voice and asked,
“Should we check on that old man? I think he’s also…”
I lowered my voice,
“…Strange, like the lady from before.”