DBWC 10

Chapter 10

“…What?”

“Th-that kid… no… sob… I don’t know who that person is…”

Elkinas frowned and asked again.
His expression looked as if he had been caught off guard—clearly bewildered.

Zephyr, who had been sprawled on the floor behind us, also seemed surprised. He lifted his head and looked toward me.

“…You’re not Arenne?”

“N-no… I’m not…”

‘Not…’ My way of speaking sounded way too much like some groveling lackey.

But it was far too late to worry about things like my tone. If I had cared about that, I shouldn’t have been crying and sniffling like a complete mess in the first place.

Sniff.

I sniffed again—whether it was snot or tears, I couldn’t tell—and fidgeted with my clasped hands.

Doing this somehow made me feel a little calmer.

Elkinas looked back and forth between my face and the hands I was nervously fiddling with, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Don’t believe me…? I said I’m not—why do you keep asking…?

So don’t even think about testing me, got it…?

I barely managed to suppress the urge to burst into loud sobs again. Trying to stop crying, I explained as gently as I could.

But my voice trembled uncontrollably with lingering sobs.

“I… I’m absolutely not Arenne… I don’t even know who that person is…”

“……”

“I don’t know who you’re looking for or what kind of conflict you had with them… but… I sincerely hope things can be resolved peacefully… sob… but I… I’m really not that person…”

I swallowed down another sob that rose up in my throat.

You already thought I wasn’t her, right?
Then let’s just move on, Elkinas… Why do you keep asking…?

Elkinas, who had been staring down at me with an unreadable gaze, finally spoke again.

“…Then who are you?”

“…Sniff… What?”

“Stop crying. I’m asking—who are you?”

Elkinas frowned deeply.

He looked somewhat angry, somewhat troubled… perhaps even deflated.

But one thing was certain: his tone had softened slightly compared to before. And there was no way I wouldn’t notice the difference in Elkinas’s voice.

Instinctively, I realized something.

I had to handle this moment carefully. If I explained this wrong, I might die.

“I… I am…”

My lips twisted as I forced the words out.

“I’m… his daughter…”

Of all things, this was the one thing I didn’t want to say. But tears kept falling as I continued.

There was no other choice…

“This is the first time I’ve come out with my father for a recreational outing…”

“You’re Zephyr’s daughter… what?”

Elkinas looked at Zephyr and me alternately, utterly dumbfounded.

“I can’t believe it. That bastard found a mate and even had a child? Who’s the partner?”

“The partner?”

“I mean your mother.”

“Uh…”

What should I say…?

If I said the World Tree, would Elkinas believe me?

He’d probably react just like Zephyr earlier—saying something like, ‘Didn’t I just tell you? You couldn’t even come up with a creative excuse?’

My mind was going blank.

I should come up with something… anything… but what?

“Sh-she… lives in the forest… she’s a… plant… plant person…”

“What?”

“What? Hey!—ugh!”

The moment I said it, both Elkinas and Zephyr spoke at the same time.

Zephyr even tried to correct me, desperately waving a hand from behind—before groaning in pain again.

I’m really sorry, Zephyr…
But that was the only thing I could think of…

Elkinas glanced at Zephyr briefly before turning his head back toward me.

“…What the hell does that even mean?”

Why do you keep asking…?

I had reached my limit.

My face crumpled again. I had cried so much already that I didn’t even feel particularly sad anymore, yet tears kept flowing out of habit.

“Th-that’s a little difficult to explain… sob… Do I really have to say it…?”

Elkinas frowned again, looked at Zephyr, then back at me.

He seemed deeply confused.

“…A plant person… Even that damn lizard must’ve had some kind of story…”

“……”

What on earth is he thinking?

Should I correct him?

I hesitated, opening my mouth to say that’s not it—

“Actually—”

“I understand.”

“…Yes.”

…I shut my mouth.

I quietly nodded.

After all, Elkinas had just said he understood.

There didn’t seem to be any need to contradict him now.

Sorry, Zephyr. I hope you understand.

When I glanced toward Zephyr after answering Elkinas, he was lying there with an arm draped across his forehead, body completely limp.

He looked like he had lost even the will to speak.

He looked far more wounded than before… and I was pretty sure it wasn’t just my imagination.

I’m really sorry, Zephyr…

While I was apologizing desperately in my mind—

Elkinas, who had been rubbing his forehead unconsciously while organizing his thoughts, looked at me again.

“Why did you come here for your first outing?”

Because you’re my only childhood friend.
I wanted to see you.
And I was curious about the hatchling you’re raising.

They said it was dangerous. I thought maybe I should check it out—just in case something happened, I could protect you.

That was what I had originally planned to say.

If I had introduced myself as Arenne and he recognized me, that was what I wanted to tell him confidently.

But… I couldn’t say that anymore.

The words childhood friend could no longer be used.

After thinking about how to explain the situation indirectly, I finally spoke.

“…My father said we needed to see the hatchling you have here.”

At the word hatchling, Elkinas’s eyes sharpened.

His shoulders stiffened, and his expression completely hardened.

Killing intent slowly began to rise again.

With a threatening look, Elkinas asked slowly:

“…Why? It was expelled from the Dragon Territory. It has nothing to do with you anymore.”

Elkinas stared straight into my eyes as he spoke.

But compared to when he slammed Zephyr into the wall earlier, this was far less terrifying.

He was definitely easier to deal with now.

Just as I had felt—
I had clearly passed the worst moment of danger.

Still, I couldn’t let my guard down until the end.

Without breaking eye contact, I replied:

“But…”

Just as I was about to continue, someone interrupted.

“Even so, it is still a child of Kunterne. We must see every possibility it might manifest as Kunterne. And we must confirm whether it is truly a dragon.”

It was Zephyr.

He was slowly standing up.

As if he had never been injured at all, Zephyr approached calmly and steadily.

While I had been buying time, he must have healed his broken spine.

His expression looked far better now.

Thank goodness…

“Show us your hatchling, warrior. We will not take your child away. But we may be able to tell you what is wrong. What we see could benefit you as well.”

Zephyr stepped between Elkinas and me, shielding me behind his back.

At that moment, Elkinas’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He looked displeased.

What should we do…?
Is he going to grab Zephyr by the neck and throw him again?

Ah… if I had known this would happen, I should’ve stopped chatting with the World Tree and made contracts with the Spirit Kings earlier.

Back then I had been so happy just to be able to communicate with the World Tree that I completely forgot.

I never imagined I’d regret it like this.

I grabbed Zephyr’s arm tightly and stared straight at Elkinas from behind him.

If Elkinas tried to grab Zephyr’s neck again, I was ready to latch onto his arm.

Elkinas stared at the arm I was holding.

Then he let out a quiet breath.

“…Fine.”

He relaxed his shoulders, and the killing intent that filled the room disappeared instantly.

“Considering what you did, I feel like tearing your face apart. But… fine. You’re lucky today, you damn snake. The only reason you’re leaving here alive is because you’re not alone.”

“…Ah.”

Zephyr sighed and nodded.

“I know. When I read the stars, they did say I’d have good fortune with children. If I weren’t here with my daughter, I wouldn’t have come anywhere near this place.”

“You talk too much. …Follow me.”

Elkinas turned his back and walked out of the room first.

He led us through the building for quite a while.
Calot walked beside him.

Normally the chief steward should lead the way, but since Elkinas was in front, Calot looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“….”

The scenery outside the window was changing.

It seemed we were leaving the main building.

When I looked outside with curiosity, Calot turned and quietly said:

“We are heading to the East Wing.”

So the child wasn’t being kept in the main building but somewhere far away?

Was the hatchling in such a dangerous condition that it had to be isolated?

While I was thinking about that, my eyes met Zephyr’s.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

He had apparently been looking at me for quite some time.

Right… I did have something to apologize for.

I wet my lips with my tongue and spoke.

“Zephy— ah… Fa… father… are you alright?”

Oops. I shouldn’t call him by name.

But when the word father slipped out naturally, Zephyr nodded.

“Thanks to you, I’m perfectly fine, my daughter. …But be more careful when speaking about your mother.”

“I’m sorry.”

Even though he nodded, he still didn’t seem fully over it.

At Zephyr’s expressionless reply, I apologized obediently.

After all, I had just turned the World Tree into a plant person.

Even with ten mouths, I wouldn’t have a defense for that.

“We’ve arrived.”

The room glowed faintly with a blue light.

As Calot announced our arrival, Elkinas stepped forward without hesitation and opened the door.