Ep 190. Get Used To It. (2)
“Serenis. We’ve finished separating the tributes by type; Xerun has been of great help moving them.”
“…Mm.”
As the dragonlord returned alone from the short trip to Ilias’ , Karas gestured over to the sorted piles outside the frozen hollows.
For a brief moment, Sereertaihe thought of whether Xerun had made Karas say the st bit – but the dragonlord only threw a curt gowards the gold dragon.
‘…I suppose he’s suffered enough to receive credit.’
Once Serenis returned her attention to Karas with a curious grin, the professor momentarily frowned before tinuing the expnation.
“Anyhow…from the left, they’re silvers, golds, gems…we’ve set aside a few for Elio use, as per your request. And then there were onry, tools, medie, clothing...and, surprisingly, dots. Xerun’s briefly checked their tents, but they seemed to be letters that were directed for various dragons in the past, so we didn’t delve too deep in them.”
To be precise, Xerun actively stopped the academi trying to decipher them. Any a dot riceless treasure to Karas, letters or otherwise.
Meanwhile, the dragonlord frow the small stack of rolled papers and small, sealed wooden cases.
“…At this point, they’re letters for the dead. You may as well have read them, Xerun.”
“Some were. Some weren’t. I thought it’d be best that the dragonlord look through them herself.”
“…Some weren’t?”
“No. Some were directed to you.”
“…”
‘…I received letters?’
Serenis didn’t recall a single instance where she’d received a letter from her kin, humans or otherwise. In fact, she could hardly recall reading a dot of any sort in the past era.
Shrugging, Serenis walked over to the stack of dots, skimming through just the top few.
“…Oh.”
A small sigh followed afterwards as Serenis’ eyes darted over the letters’ print.
She thely pced them back down. She quietly stared at the pile of dots for a while longer.
And finally, the dragonlord turo Xerun with an appreciative nod.
“…I suppose I’ll take these myself. Thank you.”
“Not a problem. You were pnning to leave for a human city afterwards, were you not?”
“I was. Although…I’ve been meaning to speak with you before leaving.”
“If it’s about the tributes, I’ll be making sure that they’re stored safely elsewhere – likely in one of the empty s. You worry.”
“Actually, that wait. I meant to speak to you about something else.”
“…?”
Xerun’s expression visibly torted in fusion.
A rather ominous pause followed thereafter – though it was only ominous for Xerun, in all fairness. Serenis was just hesitating to speak it out loud because she was afraid he wouldn’t like what she was about to say.
As, that wasn’t going to stop her.
“e with us to Partivine.”
“…Weh?”
Xerun’s face soon turned into the most dumbfounded expression Serenis had seen him wear.
Unfortunately, it only sted a sed or two.
“Why would I apany you to a human city…? I uand you have retions there, but I’ve none myself. If you’re looking for others to serve you in the meantime, just take Raizel and Ilias with you again.”
‘…Those two are nothing but trouble here anyways.’
Unfortunately, the gold dragon’s inner voice went pletely unheard.
“That did happen to be the case thus far, but…Eline was rather adamant on keeping Raizel at home this time. In fact, the others are still struggling to keep her tied down as we speak. Which is why I’ve returned on my own.”
“Then take Ilias with you.”
“About that…Bruton aher were looking to keep Ilias here for a while. They’ve told me that they ot handle Raizel without Ilias being present.”
“Well, that…”
‘…Actually makes a lot of sense.’
After g his eyes in evident frustration, Xerun began to stammer in a rushed, lowered voice.”
“T, there are…there are better didates still. I’ve no i in seeing a human city myself, but plenty of the younger brood would be happy to follow you.”
“Well, I’ve matters to tend to in Partivine. I expect that Karas and Light will be returning to their homes as well.”
“…So?”
“Someone ought to keep Eline and Theolus safe.”
“…Eline knows plenty of other dragons.”
“Yes, but most are ill or unwell. You are not.”
“…”
“Besides, Theolus will be with her. It’d be far better to entrust a hatg to an elder than a youngling like Ilias or Raizel.”
That was, in fact, the first time Serenis properly reized Xerun as an elder instead of a child.
And apparently, that was all she o do to persuade the gold dragon.
“Well, if that’s the case, then…I do suppose it’d be an elder’s responsibility to keep the young ones safe…”
Serenis let out a low snicker as she watched a sheepish smile form across Xerun’s lips.
“I’ll take that as a yes, then. We’ll leave at sunrise.”
“…”
After another minute of ption, Xeru out a small sigh – which was quite pointless with the low ughter that was mixed in.
“Very well. I’ll see to it that someone else stores the tributes elsewhere.”
With newfound fidence, Xerun briskly turo find someone else to take the task during his leave.
But just moments before the gold dragon would take off, Serenis made a quiet mutter under her breath.
“…Eline was right. You are quite predictable.”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“…”
The smile on Xerun’s lips was still refusing to fade; he clearly hadn’t heard what she’d said specifically.
Although, Karas was warily eyeing the dragonlord, so he probably did.
Not that it was going to ge Serenis’ answer.
“…No. Not at all.”
? ? ?
For a certain enforcer in Partivi was just aypical m.
Though, truth be told, ‘typical’ had lost all meaning the past month or so. There was a huge i involving literal deities and the colpse of their rgest teag institution…and then an inexplicable roar that rang through the night…and then a professor, their student, and a dragon going pletely missing out of the blue…the enfort sector undergoing huge ges…
Pig up the pieces after all those events have been their entire job the past month.
Patrick lifted his wrist slightly, staring at the gem that was attached to his bracelet.
“Huh. Surprised I didn’t just up and die from overwork yet…maybe this thing really does work.”
“You know what they say. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
“…”
Patrick threw a narrow gaze towards his coworker at the other end of HIS couch, snag on HIS food, ihe forts of HIS house.
“…That’s not gonna justify you almost killing me, Iris.”
“You’re still on about that? I told you, I was only pretending back then.”
“That’s also not gonna justify you being here all the time.”
“Oh, e on. It’s not like anyone else is around. You get looo, don’t you?”
“I don’t know about lonely, but I am getting annoyed how my expenses doubled this past month.”
“And you got a big raise, because…?”
“…”
A lot of things had ged the past month, but if Patrick were to select the most annoying – or, most promi one – it’d be that his coworker had bee his boss.
After the i at the Magistitute, the enfort sector’s previous representative had immediately stepped down – of their own volition perhaps, but mostly from all the external pressure they were receiving.
And repg their former rep atrick’s esteemed, skillful, and hel annoying coworker, Iris Alpid.
Who did actually give him a raise, as per wished.
“…Fine.”
Soon enough, Patrick got up from the couch, donning his cloak ba. He made his way towards the door, which seemed to catch his friend by surprise.
“Wait, where’re you going? We’re off today.”
“Yes, but judging from how much you’re eating, we’re not gonna have anything to eat by tomorrow.”
“Oh. Well, if yoing out shopping…see if they have those honeyed chips at Korn’s Dinery?”
“…”
‘That is a deity. That is a deity. That is a deity.’
As Patrick repeated his internal mantra to rein himself back from smag his coworker, he opehe door to leave.
Though, much to his dismay, he was not greeted by the city of Partivihing in brilliant sunlight.
Instead, what awaited him at the door was a bck…well, just bck.
And a tiny bit of sunlight that was seeping through the small gaps above.
“…The hell?”
It wasn’t that it was nighttime. There weren’t any stars hts or…anything. All he could see was just a big, spiky surface of bck.
When Iris noticed her friend’s fusion, she looked towards the door with a curious gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
“Dunno. Think a giant bck slime might’ve spawned in the front yard…”
“Patrick. Look up.”
Hearing a rather familiar voice, the blue-haired enforcer slowly looked up to see what was above the bck blob of…well, whatever this was.
And above the bck blob was a winged silhouette, grinning down at their sibling’s appearance.
“…Serenis? What the hell is this?”
“A gift.”
“A bck blob?”
“No. It’s treasure.”
“…”
Patrick pursed his lips at the answer. He didn’t eveer Iris getting up to join him at the door.
Instead, his mind was occupied with a sihought.
‘For the love of gods, please don’t tell me you sold Lady Aldrid.’
Praybird
