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Chapter 5
Whether it was because emotion stimulated appetite, or because she wasn’t full from eating earlier, Werner quickly devoured three slices of cake.
‘…He really eats well.’
It felt like I was watching a speed-eating contest. Just watching made my stomach feel warm, so I sipped the tea Werner had brewed.
After he cleaned his plate, a faint blush returned to Werner’s previously pale cheeks.
“Was it good?”
“Yeah. It tasted even better because our little one brought it.”
Seriously. Who exactly is “little one”?
I briefly thought about something only I would understand, then ended up smiling along with Werner.
Honestly, I had missed that “little one” nickname during the two months Werner had been away in the territory.
“Did you worry because of me?”
“If I said I didn’t, that’d be a lie. Father and big brother too.”
“…Father and brother as well?”
“Of course.”
In truth, they had mostly taken it in stride, but seeing Werner brighten after saying it made me feel like adding it was the right choice.
Even though Werner sometimes sparred with Kizef out of competitive spirit, he fundamentally respected him.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Werner admired Kizef more than anyone except his father, Duke Kalips.
To be exact, he admired his older brother and wanted to become like him.
‘He’s really adorable.’
After smiling to myself for a moment, I changed the topic.
“How was the territory? Nothing happened?”
“There was something.”
“Really?”
“Without our little one, it was so boring I thought I’d die.”
“…What is that supposed to mean.”
I sighed at the nonsense that ruined my brief worry, and Werner chuckled.
Seeing him joke around meant his energy had returned.
Then Werner leaned back and stretched his arms upward.
“Still, it really was boring. No little kid to play with, no brother to spar with, and I had to eat alone…”
“…You ate alone too?”
“Yeah. And work just kept piling up every day. If Uncle Michael hadn’t returned early, I would’ve been stuck there for another month.”
Even though he spoke lightly, his expression showed he truly had been bored.
Well, Werner already disliked sitting at a desk. It made sense that acting as temporary head of the family hadn’t been enjoyable.
I stood up and walked over to him.
“You worked hard, brother.”
I gently patted his shoulder with sincerity. Werner blinked a couple times, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hey, little one, are you copying Father?”
“Yeah. Father’s praise always sounds really cool. Even the knights end up crying.”
I still remembered the knights who once received Kalips’s encouragement—bursting into tears in groups.
“…That was kind of hard to watch.”
“Huh? Why? It was moving…”
“…It’s strange that you find emotion in grown men crying like that.”
After talking a bit longer, I stood up.
“Alright, I’m going now!”
“So soon?”
“I’m going to the library.”
“What kind of six-year-old likes books this much?”
“Books are good. Do you want to come too?”
“No.”
Werner, who usually agreed with almost anything I said, immediately refused.
“I’ve stared at paperwork for two months straight. I’m sick of letters.”
“…That makes sense.”
I felt a little disappointed, but I didn’t want to force him after all that work.
“I’ll at least walk you to the library. I was going to the training ground anyway.”
“You just got back and you’re not resting?”
“I’ve been sitting the whole way here, so I’m stiff. I also want to test some newly improved magic.”
“You improved it again?”
“Your brother here is a genius mage. Improving spells is easy.”
He puffed his chest proudly. Then, in a small voice, he added, “Of course, I haven’t tested safety yet…”
“Oh! I should ask big brother for a spar. Heh. If he sees my new magic, he won’t be able to stay calm. I should test it on him while I’m at it.”
Werner muttered mischievously, and I smiled awkwardly.
Hmm… would Kizef even agree to that?
I parted ways with Werner at the library entrance.
The library, with its open three-story design in the center, felt both spacious and grand. It was my favorite place in the estate.
“What should I read today…”
Ever since I reached the age where I could read properly, I had been visiting the library often.
At first, I used reading as a way to study the past 500 years of history… but now it had become a full hobby.
‘Now it’s completely a hobby.’
I already liked reading, and there were so many kinds of books that it was fun to explore them.
“Hmm. I’ve been reading a lot about magical engineering lately… I should go back to herbology.”
After thinking for a moment, I decided on today’s book and walked between the shelves.
Although my body was that of a child not even ten years old, reaching the higher shelves was impossible—but for me, it was easy.
“Did I read this before? Ah, no I didn’t.”
I lifted myself with wind magic and floated slightly in the air, selecting two books.
Just as I was heading toward a nearby sofa—
Thud.
Something got caught under my foot.
“Huh?”
Looking down, I saw a book lying on the floor with its beige back cover facing up.
“Did I drop this?”
I tilted my head and picked it up, intending to put it back.
But the book did not return to its place.
The moment I turned it to check the title, I froze completely.
“Memoirs”
It was a slightly worn book, nothing unusual except for its condition.
But my gaze was fixed on the name written clearly beneath it.
“Allen Dinacel”
A neatly written name.
I slowly opened the book.
Flap, flap—
After a couple of pages, faded writing appeared on the aged paper.
“Year 501 of the Imperial Calendar, July 1st. I, Allen Dinacel, write this based on my lifelong journals. This is not about spirit studies, nor is it an academic paper. It is a story of my life, and a confession dedicated to the one I respected most, and the only one who stayed by their side until the end. Even though I doubt it will ever reach anyone.”
As I read the short introduction, I felt my breath slowly tighten.
Each word felt like it was pressing into my eyes.
After finishing the page, I let out a shaky breath.
“…So it was you, Allen.”
The name Allen was common.
But there was only one Allen Dinacel who was a spirit mage and carried that surname.
The scholar who first established the foundation of spirit studies 500 years ago, and the spirit mage who contracted with two attributes.
Allen Dinacel was still regarded as a great figure even in the present era, respected by many.
But to me, he was not just a historical figure.
“Master Roel!”
“Um, Roel-nim. Can I call you teacher?”
“Teacher! Look at this!”
From the very first time we met, he was a lively spirit mage child who followed me everywhere, asking about spirits.
I couldn’t ignore those bright, sparkling eyes, so I talked with him a few times—and after that, he started calling me “teacher” and insisted he was my disciple.
Even Kile and Dana, and Jin, seemed to like Allen quite a bit.
‘…Of course Isid always found him annoying.’
But Isid found everyone annoying except me, so it wasn’t just Allen.
Thinking back, my lips naturally softened into a small smile.
I gently touched the paper, then returned the other books to their places.
I took only Allen’s memoir and sat down, but I did not open it right away.
‘What should I do…’
I wanted to read his story, but at the same time, I didn’t.
At some point, I had started avoiding history books and anything related to the past.
Thinking about what had already passed only made me feel heavier.
Even if I couldn’t avoid memories that came up on their own, I could avoid the triggers that brought them.
“……”
Rustle…
I lightly rubbed the book cover.
It was the first time I had taken a memoir written by someone I knew, so I had brought it without thinking—but I still hadn’t decided whether I should read it.
I was afraid that if I read it, I might fall into an emotional heaviness again that I couldn’t handle.
Being alone in sadness was fine, but I didn’t want my family to be sad because of me.
‘If I could just find out where Isid is…’
More than anything, what made me feel the most down was the fact that Isid’s whereabouts had been unknown for years.
From the very first moment of my memory, aside from the spirits who had always been with me…
The closest friend in this world, the one who had spent the longest time with me in my life—
the black dragon Isid.
