Hazuki watched the carriage rolling farther and farther down the road, the morning sun stretching behind it. He kept one hand tucked in his pocket, the other raised lazily as he waved back.
Ellyn’s head was sticking out of the carriage window, both her hands waving wildly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Hazukiiiiiiiii!!"
Her voice echoed until the carriage beca a tiny dot.
Hazuki exhaled, long and heavy.
Beside him, Ridan floated while trying his best to hide his sobbing and act like true gentleman. The little purple puffball trembled slightly as the carriage gone from the sight.
When the carriage finally vanished behind the trees, Hazuki lowered his hand and looked up at him.
"...I think I’m going to miss my Ellyn."
"Yes yes, weird human who loves catgirls," Ridan grumbled from above, before suddenly spinning around, smirking. "Oh~ Hazuki-chan~ here’s my tail~ stroke it if you miss a fuzzy girl that much."
He shapeshifted part of his cloud-body into a long, swaying tail and flicked it mockingly.
"Ohhh nyan nyan~ Hazukiiii~ look at my fluffy taaail~"
Hazuki stepped back imdiately. "Eww! Stop! You’re a guy!"
Ridan puffed his chest proudly. "Of course I’m a man! A real man! The strongest wizard in all realms, master of ancient magic! Show so respect! Kowtow and call Ridan-sama!"
Hazuki narrowed his eyes. "...Heard that line a thousand tis already."
"Heh! And I’ll say it a thousand more!" Ridan declared with a smug grin so wide the smoke around him rippled.
Hazuki sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright partner... what now?"
Ridan crossed his tiny cloudy arms and smirk.
"We finish the remaining herb quests, obviously. What else? Cry all day?"
Hazuki raised a brow. "Right. Sure. Ridan-sama. Very scary. Now can we eat? I’m starving."
Ridan froze.
Then grinned like a demon.
"Oho? You finally said it. The magic words." He rubbed his little cloudy hands. "at! Lots of it! Bring it to Ridan-samaaa!"
Hazuki gave him a flat stare. "Ever since you learned how to eat food I touch, you turned into a greedy freeloader."
"Try starving for a thousand years, genius!" Ridan snapped. "Let enjoy my freedom! Think of it as... a reward! Yes! A reward for helping you! Ehehehehe!"
"Yeah yeah... After that we continue the special herb quest." Hazuki waved lazily.
Ridan floated closer again, grinning wide.
"Four more special herbs left. And after that... hehe... I just can’t wait to see how you handle the Lilith Blood. That one’s gonna be reeeeal fun."
Hazuki blinked. "The what?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Ridan spun away instantly.
Hazuki stared at him, confused.
"Weird spirit..."
Around them, the nearby dwarves and gate guards stared openly at Hazuki as he walked past.
The man was smiling at empty air.
Talking to empty air.
Laughing at empty air.
One dwarf scratched his beard. "Aye... that human’s weird again."
Another nodded. "Weird, but a good lad. Not arrogant. Just... weird."
"Aye. Very weird."
Hazuki, of course, heard none of that. He was too busy arguing with the floating puffball only he could see.
"BULL AT!" Ridan shouted, spinning in circles above his head like a drunken mosquito. "I WANT BULL AT!"
"We ate that yesterday with Ellyn," Hazuki sighed. "Try thinking of sothing else. There are other monsters, you know."
"But it was GOOD!" Ridan smirked and spun tighter circles, clearly trying to annoy him. "I saw you! You kept eating like a starving ogre! Ehehehehe!"
"That’s because I cooked it myself," Hazuki muttered.
"Oh ho? Speaking of cooking..." Ridan narrowed his eyes with a wicked grin. "I wonder... if you drink alcohol... can I taste it?"
Hazuki stopped walking and glared. "Oi. Being drunk is already bad enough. You stay awake."
"And do what? Watch you snore like a dying boar? No thanks!" Ridan scoffed. "Besides, those weak drinks of yours won’t do anything to the great Ridan-sama."
"Yeah right..."
Ridan floated lower, smirking. "Anyway, Hazuki! Let’s get grilled at! And at soup! And monster stew! Ehehehehe!"
Hazuki humd. "Hmm... that’s actually a good idea."
"But... weird, Ridan..." Hazuki muttered as they walked.
"Hm? What’s weird? You?" Ridan smirked. "You’re already weird."
"No, not that." Hazuki rubbed his chin. "Yesterday... when you possessed at the market. Ellyn left with her mother... Mrs. Faria, right?"
"Yeah? So?" Ridan floated lazily.
"But after you got out of my body, we went straight ho, right?"
"Yep. And?"
"But Ellyn wasn’t ho when we arrived. And those adventurers with her..." Hazuki frowned deeper. "Their armor was way too high quality. And Ellyn said her family’s just... regular. But high-grade armor like that? And that carriage today... that thing looked expensive."
Ridan tilted his head... then grinned like a fox.
"Hey, hey. Don’t think too much about it, alright?"
Hazuki stared at him. "Why?"
"Hah? Focus on the gift from the God, idiot." Ridan shrugged. "You got yourself a cute catgirl you love, she loves you, your pinky promise is sealed, and you don’t even have to hold back anymore. If you wanna go to Ellyn and—"
"Yeah... but still..." Hazuki frowned again, still thinking.
"Heh! Stop thinking about it." Ridan puff his chest. "Finish the herb quests fast. The sooner we’re done, the sooner you get back to Ellyn."
Hazuki sighed and nodded. "Okay... if you say so."
They continued down the road.
Above him, Ridan floated with an evil little grin.
This dumb human still hasn’t figured it out? He didn’t even notice the royal emblem on the carriage... and he still doesn’t know Ellyn is Princess Ellyna? Hehehe... idiot.
Well, not my problem. A promise is a promise. She’ll tell him herself eventually. But I really, really want to see his face when he finds out she’s royalty.
anwhile, Hazuki.
Inside his mind.
Why do Ridan, Syaria, and even the others avoid it every ti I ask...?
That emblem... I’m sure I saw it once in Macia town...
He frowned harder.
Wait... Ellyn said her father left her mother. But the other day, I heard her whispering to Faria about getting married to "her man who waited so long."
And she said they promised to get married after Ellyn marries ...
Hazuki stopped walking.
What... does that even an?
He rubbed his head.
"Ugh! This is confusing..."
Ridan suddenly popped into his face. "Oi! Idiot! We just passed the soup and grill shop!"
"Ah...right." Hazuki blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He turned around quickly, letting out a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, sorry..."
He walked back, pushed open the wooden door, and sat down at their usual table. Raising a hand, he called out to the familiar dwarf owner behind the counter.
"Owner! Drinks! Grill at! And at soup! Large portion!"
The dwarf grinned, slamming a mug onto the counter. "Aye aye, human! Comin’ right up!"
( End Of Chapter )
User Comments
0 comments from readers