A Leash of Guilt

Leon just wanted to apologize to Theodore. It was because of him that Theodore had been endangered.

Sian tried hard to comfort the dejected Leon, but Leon still felt uneasy.

He had quickly recovered thanks to Sian’s healing magic, but Theodore hadn’t, which made him feel even worse.

So, Leon had been tormented by guilt ever since he woke up.

He had never gotten along well with Theodore from their first meeting, and he always found him annoying, but that didn’t mean he wanted him to be hurt.

He wished he had been the one who was severely injured instead.

Leon was tormented by guilt he had never felt before.

His ears and tail, usually perked up towards the sky, drooped downwards.

“…….”

Theodore gazed silently at Leon.

He hadn’t expected Leon to feel this sorry in front of him.

He hadn’t been in his right mind back then.

Seeing Leon in danger, his body had moved on its own.

Theodore stared at the flustered Leon for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Are you really sorry to me?”

“Y-yes!”

“Really?”

Theodore asked again, suspiciously.

At that, Leon nodded his head frantically.

Theodore’s eyes gleamed.

He had always been on bad terms with Leon.

He found Leon’s eagerness to stick by Sian’s side incredibly irritating.

But Theodore had never wanted Leon to be harmed either.

In any case, it was true that he had tried to save Leon at the cost of his own life, and Leon was feeling immense guilt about it.

He was fully recovered from the artifact, but that wouldn’t matter to Leon.

Even if he were perfectly fine, Leon would probably continue to feel sorry.

Regardless of his dislike for Leon, Theodore knew well from living with him that he was a steadfast and innocent character.

Perhaps he could take advantage of this.

Theodore’s eyes gleamed as he asked Leon.

“Then, from now on, can you listen to me?”

“What…?”

Leon stared at Theodore with wide eyes.

To be told to listen to him.

Normally, he would have been upset, but this time it was different.

The sin he had committed against Theodore was too great.

Leon groaned.

“I guess you’re not that sorry to me.”

“N-no, it’s not like that!”

Leon shouted, startled by Theodore’s indifferent words.

He became anxious, fearing that Theodore wouldn’t believe him if things continued this way.

“Okay… I’ll listen to you…”

“Really?”

Only after getting another confirmation from Leon did Theodore give a satisfied smile.

To someone who didn’t know him, his face looked as pure as an angel.

Leon didn’t know it yet.

That the decision he made out of guilt that day would become a leash that bound him for a long time.

For now, he could only breathe a sigh of relief that Theodore had accepted his apology.

***

More time passed after Sian forbade entry to the mountain with dragon words.

During that time, they had only put up a barrier around the mountain and didn’t care if people passed by nearby, but now it was different.

The high-level magical beasts that Sian had summoned were thoroughly monitoring to prevent intruders from entering again.

Fortunately, most of the adventurers who had flocked to the mountain were small fry.

So, they could be easily driven out, but Sian honestly didn’t know what would happen in the future.

Sian had tried not to commit any sins in order to live a different life from the original story, but this incident had undone all of that effort in an instant.

“Haa…”

“Don’t worry too much, Sian-nim.”

“……Carli.”

“We will fight back from now on!”

Carli shouted enthusiastically.

From the beginning, Carli had been saying hostile things to humans, suggesting that they should wipe out the adventurers who were hanging around the mountain.

After Sian drove out the adventurers, Carli was burning with even more animosity.

But it wasn’t just Carli who had become enthusiastic.

“We will help as much as we can. We have top-quality weapons and armor made of magic ore!”

The dwarf Kunta also shouted, filled with fury.

Kunta, who had rushed over after hearing the news, was also greatly angered by the fact that the intruders had tried to kidnap the children.

The dwarves had also suffered great damage from being caught up in the continental war.

“It’s been a while since you’ve said something I like, you dwarf.”

“Hmph, you too.”

“…….”

Sian, who had only seen the two of them snarling at each other for over 200 years, couldn’t adapt at all.

Could it be because they had a common enemy?

That Carli and Kunta, who had treated each other like mortal enemies, were getting along so well.

Sian didn’t know whether to be happy or not.

“There won’t be a war.”

“Yes? But Sian-nim…”

Carli looked at Sian in confusion at his firm words.

Sian shook his head at him.

In fact, Sian hadn’t recklessly caused trouble without thinking.

It was clear that the humans had invaded the mountain first.

Moreover, after checking their identities, it turned out that two of the guys who had entered the mountain with artifacts and tried to kidnap the children were from the Orta Empire.

The empire was the one who broke the agreement first.

So, it was actually right for Sian to kill them and drive out the adventurers in a threatening manner.

If they tried to make trouble because of this, it would be the Orta Empire that would be in a difficult position.

He didn’t know if the empire knew that and was staying quiet, but for now, they were just silent.

Some Dark Elves had infiltrated the imperial capital to monitor the imperial family’s movements, so Carli knew that fact better than anyone else, yet he was talking as if a war would break out any moment.

Sian sighed deeply.

“Ha… and even if a war really does break out, would I tell you guys to fight?”

“Sian-nim…”

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I will protect you all.”

“Sian-nim…!”

Carli and Kunta looked at Sian with moved eyes.

Sian just laughed, “Haha.”

Even if a war really did break out, he wouldn’t die.

According to the original story, he was supposed to die at the hands of the protagonist, Theodore.

As long as he didn’t die, the races living in the mountain wouldn’t be in danger.

Besides, Theodore was growing up well as his disciple.

If he could maintain his relationship with Theodore without things going wrong, unlike the original story, Theodore wouldn’t kill Sian.

So, for now, it was okay.

Now, he just had to endure until Theodore safely came of age and became the emperor of the Kailos Empire, and he would completely escape the original story’s death flag.

“So, don’t put unnecessary ideas into the other kids’ heads and just let them live their lives as usual. Got it?”

“Yes… I understand.”

Carli and Kunta reluctantly nodded at Sian’s stern warning.

He had called them on purpose because he thought these two would be the most excited, and it seemed he was right.

Sian gave a satisfied smile as he looked at the strangely deflated pair.

“Then, you can go back now.”

“Yes.”

After sending Carli and Kunta back, Sian went downstairs.

The children of the Dark Elf village had all returned to the village unharmed, and the elders were quite pleased.

They were willing to actively help if a war broke out with the Orta Empire like Carli, but since he had conveyed the message through Carli, they wouldn’t get easily agitated.

“Master!”

“Theo.”

As he went down to the drawing room, Theodore ran to Sian and hugged him.

Sian smiled and stroked his head.

“Were you reviewing well?”

“Yes! I memorized everything.”

“Good job.”

While he was meeting with Carli and Kunta upstairs, he had given the children study time.

Theodore always did everything perfectly when asked, so there was no need to check.

“Leon?”

“……!”

However, Leon’s condition was a bit strange.

He didn’t hug Sian as soon as he saw him as usual and just stood there blankly from a distance.

But his expression seemed to be holding something back.

Sian called Leon, puzzled.

Leon had been too disheartened since that incident.

He seemed to think that it was his fault that Theodore had been kidnapped and injured because of him, even though that wizard’s magic was bad.

No matter how much he told him that wasn’t the case, Leon wouldn’t listen.

Leon flinched at Sian’s call but still didn’t come closer.

He kept glancing to the side, as if he were watching someone else’s reaction.

Sian tilted his head, then followed Leon’s gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh…”

At the end of Leon’s gaze, Theodore was standing.

Sian was a little surprised, then tilted his head.

Why was Leon watching Theodore’s reaction?

Or was it just a coincidence?

Sian couldn’t be sure and just tilted his head.

“Master?”

“Hmm, it’s nothing.”

In the end, Sian just thought it was his imagination.

Leon would be fine soon after this.

He was a bright kid, so he would overcome it well.

“Shall we continue studying then?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Yes.”

Leon, who had been watching their reactions, eventually followed Sian, shuffling his feet.

Sian smiled at the sight.

The children he wouldn’t trade for anything.

If he could protect these children, Sian felt like he could do anything.

Sian gently stroked the heads of the children who were answering him like sparrows.

***

Four more years passed like that.