An Unforeseen Separation

“You are……”

“Ah……”

The one at the door was Theodore.

Carli frowned even more as she looked down at Theodore, who wore a bewildered expression.

‘I didn’t sense him at all, even though he was this close…!’

Inwardly shocked, Carli scanned Theodore up and down.

Even if he was just a human from the Inchamber Continent, she should have noticed someone standing outside.

Feeling displeased, Carli glared at Theodore.

“What are you doing here?”

“I, I was……”

“Were you eavesdropping?”

“That’s not it…!”

Theodore shook his head, flustered by Carli’s interrogation.

It was true that he had come looking for Sian because Sian had been in the study for quite a while.

However, he hadn’t clearly heard the conversation because the voices were faint, so he felt wronged.

Theodore unknowingly made a tearful face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sian, this guy was eavesdropping here!”

“Theo was?”

“……!”

Sian approached and looked at Carli, then turned his gaze to Theodore.

Theodore, already timid from Carli’s questioning, shrunk back.

Sian frowned at the sight.

“Eavesdropping, what are you talking about? He was just standing there.”

“Sian…!”

“Theo, you came looking for your teacher because you couldn’t see me.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then shall we go downstairs together now?”

“Yes…!”

Theodore felt relieved as he looked at Sian, who spoke kindly.

If Sian had also misunderstood and gotten angry like Carli, it would have hurt him deeply.

But fortunately, Sian didn’t show any sign of that.

“Sian, you shouldn’t just let this go!”

“Let what go?”

“That brat was clearly standing in front of the door for a while now.”

“So what?”

“Sian…!”

Carli shouted in frustration.

It was no ordinary thing that neither of them had sensed the brat’s presence and had talked unguardedly.

They were a dragon and a Dark Elf over 200 years old, after all.

Yet, neither of them had noticed the brat approaching.

Whether he actually heard the conversation was a secondary matter.

However, Sian kept pretending not to understand Carli’s words.

He should have understood her intentions, so it was strange.

‘Carli doesn’t know that Theo is the main character of the book. And she shouldn’t find out.’

Sian was already aware that Carli was becoming increasingly wary of Theodore, to the point of hostility, beyond just being uncomfortable.

He had silenced her once before, but it seemed that she was getting concerned as she kept encountering Theodore’s extraordinary aspects.

But still, he couldn’t tell Carli the whole truth.

Sian had no choice but to turn away from Carli and hold out a hand to Theodore.

“Then shall we go downstairs and eat now?”

“Yes!”

Theodore smiled brightly, taking Sian’s outstretched hand.

He followed closely behind Sian.

The mansion wasn’t large, so they quickly reached the stairs leading down after turning a corner.

“Um, but……”

“Yes?”

Before going down the stairs, Theodore hesitated, opening and closing his lips.

Sian stopped and looked at Theodore with a questioning gaze.

“What is it?”

“Um, earlier……”

“Earlier?”

Was he talking about what happened with Carli in the study?

As Sian reflexively recalled the conversation he had with Carli, Theodore carefully continued.

“I just, heard a little bit at the end. About not going down the mountain because it’s dangerous……”

“Ah……”

“Is something wrong?”

Theodore looked up at Sian with clear eyes and asked.

Sian met his gaze and smiled brightly.

“It’s okay. Nothing will happen.”

“But……”

“I told you not to worry.”

“Yes……”

It seemed that Theodore had overheard them saying not to go near the barrier because it might be dangerous.

Sian put on an unconcerned face and tried to reassure Theodore.

He couldn’t make the child, who had finally regained stability after coming here, feel anxious.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm……”

Help.

If it were the grown-up Theodore, he would be a great asset, but not yet.

Just eating well and staying healthy, as he had been doing, was enough.

“For now, your job is to go downstairs and eat a lot.”

“Um……”

Sian deliberately nodded with a serious face, and Theodore blinked blankly.

Soon, he realized that Sian was politely turning down his pathetic request and blushed.

After all, what could he do?

His teacher, Sian, was a great being who didn’t need the help of insignificant humans.

Theodore, instantly ashamed, lowered his head.

“Come on, let’s go down.”

“Yes.”

However, Theodore didn’t let go of Sian’s hand, which he held tightly, even while feeling embarrassed.

‘I want to grow up quickly.’

He wanted to become someone who could protect Sian.

If he grew up big and strong, would he be able to solve the things that Sian was worried about?

Theodore thought to himself as he went down the stairs with Sian.

***

“Ah, I’m bored.”

“……”

“I’m bored. I said, I’m bored.”

Leon, who was out in the yard, mumbled, tapping his tail on the ground.

As the intense summer heat began to subside, Theodore and Leon were left alone in the mansion, abandoned.

This was because Sian and Carli had gone down to the village together.

It wasn’t usually common for Sian to go down to the village, but the number of times had recently increased.

It seemed to be because of the serious conversation they had the other day.

Theodore’s face darkened.

“Master isn’t here, Teacher isn’t here…… Sigh……”

“……”

The constant complaining from the side was quite annoying.

Theodore frowned.

“Hey! I’m bored, I said!”

“Deal with it yourself.”

“Tch……”

Leon muttered in dissatisfaction, deliberately ignoring Theodore out of pride.

However, Theodore had already been very generous just by taking the trouble to come out to the yard with him.

Sian had told him firmly not to be separated from Leon before leaving the mansion, so he couldn’t be apart.

“Ah, why did everyone leave? They should have taken me too.”

“Just wait quietly.”

“I’m bored!”

“That’s your problem.”

“Woo woo.”

Normally, he would have been rampaging all over the mountain with Ryuisa.

Even though it was a bit tough, he preferred training.

Staying still like this was unbearable.

“They’re away on important business. We have to wait quietly.”

“Hmph, I know that!”

Leon shouted at Theodore’s calm words, jumping up from his spot.

He didn’t like the way Theodore, who was about the same age as him, acted like an adult.

How nice would it be to see that smug, triumphant face crumble even once?

He was so annoying it made him want to die.

It was as Leon was muttering to himself and grinding his teeth.

“……!”

He felt something sharp.

Leon jumped up from his spot, perking up his ears and tail.

He glared at something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Krrr……”

Theodore asked in a puzzled tone as he watched Leon suddenly become alert.

However, Leon didn’t reply and only continued to growl.

Only then did Theodore feel that something was wrong and stood up.

He couldn’t feel anything, but the senses of a beastkin would be much sharper than his own.

Theodore looked around with a serious face.

“Kyang!”

“Wait……!”

However, before he could stop him, Leon’s body shot forward in an instant.

Theodore hesitated as he tried to grab Leon.

‘Master told me not to go outside the mansion no matter what…….’

But then he would be breaking his promise not to be separated from Leon.

Theodore bit his lip tightly.

Unfortunately, Theodore knew very well that Sian doted on Leon.

What if Sian blamed him when he returned and found him alone in the mansion……?

Of course, Sian wouldn’t do that, but he felt uneasy and kept imagining the worst.

“Ugh, wait……!”

Unable to help it, Theodore also kicked off the ground and ran.

First, he had to catch Leon and bring him back to the mansion.

He could think about other things after that.

Theodore gritted his teeth and ran.

However, it was difficult to keep up with Leon due to their differing natural physical abilities.

Theodore cast a spell on his body.

“Haste!”

His body then became dramatically faster.

His body, running at a much faster speed than before, dashed through the forest.

The back of Leon’s head, which had seemed far away, came into view.

‘If I go a little further……!’

He felt like he could catch Leon if he ran a little further.

Theodore unknowingly clenched his sweaty fist.

“Ugh……!”

But then, Theodore’s head suddenly rang and throbbed.

Theodore was well aware of what this premonition meant.

‘Why now of all times……!’

He would soon lose consciousness and collapse.

He should have caught Leon before that.

Theodore’s hand, which he stretched out with all his might, brushed against Leon’s back.

And an irresistible sleepiness overwhelmed Theodore.

What would happen if he lost consciousness like this?

He had come quite far from the mansion, would he be able to return?

Theodore had such thoughts before losing consciousness and recalled someone.

‘Master…….’

Soon, Theodore’s vision turned black.