Chapter 26

Swish swish, a cold, eerie wind blew through the old palace where ghosts might live.

A man was kneeling in the overgrown back garden of the palace. With his forehead touching the ground in a deep bow, he was so motionless he could have been mistaken for a statue.

"Cough."

Just then, a small cough escaped from the man.

"..."

Targan stared blankly at the man. The horned tribe was naturally a hot-blooded race that didn't feel the cold. But humans would be different.

Targan raised his head to look at the moon in the sky.

'This makes three days.'

Three days had passed since the dragon left. Naturally, the dragon hadn't kept his promise to come back the next day.

During that time, the human had remained kneeling here except for bathroom breaks.

'He could be a bit more strategic about it.'

Like pretending to go to the bathroom and taking long breaks, or ordering his servant to keep watch for the dragon's arrival... Of course, he might not dare do such things because of his presence as a watchman.

Even so, wouldn't it be wise to give up quickly after enduring this much?

He must know better than anyone now that the dragon disliked him from everything that had happened. Yet Targan found it hard to understand why he would endure such pain and humiliation to stay in the dragon's palace.

Of course, dragon magic was something anyone would covet. However...

'If you're not alive, no precious treasure or honor means anything. His greed is excessive.'

"Cough."

A second cough broke Targan's reverie. Glancing down, he saw the human's body trembling. He seemed to be having chills.

Even to Targan's eyes, which weren't particularly observant, the human's condition didn't look good. The night wind he had endured for so long plus the cold rising from the dirt ground must have all been like poison to him.

His already pale skin had turned even whiter.

"Lord Nine, here's some warm water. Please drink."

The winged tribe girl who had run over with quick steps stood beside the human, holding out a cup.

"Thank you, Ramu."

The human properly expressed gratitude in a hoarse, cracked voice. After raising his head to drink the water, he pressed his forehead to the ground again.

"Lord Nine..."

Seeing the human sway slightly as if lacking strength, the girl suddenly stood up and strode over to Targan. Unlike her forceful appearance, her eyes were swollen as if she had been crying all night.

"At this rate, Lord Nine will di... no, something terrible will happen. When is the dragon coming?"

Targan looked at the girl's swollen eyes before subtly averting his gaze.

"If Lord Asad wishes it, he will come."

"Then what if he doesn't wish it? Does Lord Nine have to stay like that forever?"

That was exactly what the dragon wanted.

Targan swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.

The dragon he had observed until now would immediately remove anything that bothered him.

However, this method was different from usual. As if even death would be mercy, he was draining the other's blood and tormenting them like pulling off an insect's legs one by one.

That's how much he must hate that human.

"No way... that's impossible!"

The girl's face turned pale as if she had read the answer in his silence.

"Th-then please let Lord Nine rest a little."

"...That's not within my authority."

"I'll handle the resting, just pretend not to see!"

"That cannot be done."

Though Targan answered gruffly on purpose, he couldn't meet her eyes from start to finish. For him, who was weak to children, refusing the crying girl's plea was harder than slaying a hundred magical beasts.

"Just one hour! No, three hours! Just let him rest inside a little!"

"N-no."

"Five hours!"

"Why does it keep increasing?"

The clever winged tribe girl, seeming to notice his weak heart, kept pleading, and Targan swayed helplessly as she grabbed and shook him. Though he wanted to grant the girl's request, the dragon's orders always took precedence.

"Ramu, stop that."

The one who stopped the girl was a thoroughly cracked voice.

"How could Lord Asad believe in my sincerity if I can't even do this much?"

"But..."

"If I can earn even a little of his trust by doing this, I can stay for even a few days."

It was a voice more cracked than drought-stricken fields. Yet a firm core could clearly be felt within it.

How remarkable.

Realizing the human's words were sincere without a trace of lies, Targan couldn't help but admire him.

Usually, pain would break even iron-like will. However, this human's will didn't break even under treatment no different from torture. His calm tone showed not a hint of regret.

Though incredibly foolish... wasn't it also remarkable?

"Lord Nine. But your body is too cold. And the first test will start in a few days."

"Well, won't he come before then?"

It was a calm answer, but Targan noticed the human was pretending for the girl's sake to ease her anxiety.

Clearly when they talked on the first day, Targan had said the dragon wouldn't come, and the human had answered that he 'knew.' He must have guessed from the first day that the dragon wouldn't return. He had planned to endure from the start.

"He might not come!"

"Ramu, think of this as part of the selection test too."

The human spoke calmly.

"I'm just taking a few more tests than the other bride candidates, that's all."

Cough, a cough interrupted his words momentarily.

Targan saw the human's body jerk slightly as if trying to suppress more coughs. Soon a firm voice came from him.

"Don't worry. I won't fail here."

And so one day, two days... three days passed.

Then on the morning just before the selection began, a member of the tailed tribe with large ears and a long tail came.

"I am Jet."

Jet spoke to the kneeling Kinaine.

"Lord Asad will not be coming."

"That's...!"

Just as Ramu flinched and was about to step forward, Jet's words continued as if that wasn't the end.

"Since the bride candidate's intentions have been sufficiently conveyed, you should go in now and prepare for tomorrow's test."

Finally, the dragon's test targeting only Kinaine had ended. Or more precisely, the torment disguised as a test.

"Thank you."

Kinaine slowly raised his head.

Finally seeing Kinaine's appearance properly, Jet startled.

His face, white as paper, was covered in cold sweat. His hair was greasy from not washing, and his lips were cracked with scabs of blood. His body, having maintained the same position all day, seemed stiff as if paralyzed and appeared to have difficulty moving properly.

However, his eyes alone didn't look like those of a sick person. Those eyes black as the night sky were clear and transparent as if unaware of pain.

'He's certainly no ordinary human.'

Jet clicked his tongue at the human's tenacity.

"Well then. Targan, let's go."

"...Understood."

Finally having completed the dragon's orders, Targan also bowed his head in greeting and followed after Jet.

After the two had disappeared, Ramu rushed hurriedly toward Kinaine.

"Lord Nine! It's finally over. You can rest now!"

Kinaine blinked blankly.

"Yes. It's over..."

"I've heated some warm water so let's go loosen up your body first! I'll support you..."

However, before Ramu could finish speaking, Kinaine's body tilted sideways.

"Lord Nine!"

The girl's scream echoed through the desolate abandoned palace.

* * *

The day of the selection's first test approached.

Asad, elaborately dressed, walked down the corridor with an expressionless face. Jet and Targan followed behind him.

Before opening the door, Asad suddenly asked:

"...Come to think of it, what happened to that human?"

"The human?"

"Yes."

Jet, who was about to answer casually, flinched when he felt the dragon's persistent gaze directed at him.

How should he put it? Though he had asked as if he had just thought of it, Jet had a strange feeling that he had actually been waiting to ask this question.

'Really. What new torment are you planning?'

Jet clicked his tongue inwardly. When he had asked why Targan hadn't been seen for days and heard that a bride candidate had been made to kneel for a week, how dumbfounded he had been.

Though he had barely managed to resolve it by persuading the reluctant dragon...

Come to think of it, that human wasn't ordinary either. An ordinary human would have run away crying long ago.

Recalling those black eyes that had looked at him, Jet answered habitually:

"From what I hear, he collapsed unconscious yesterday."

"...Collapsed?"

The dragon's brow furrowed fiercely.

Was that... supposed to be happiness?

Jet tilted his head in confusion.