Chapter 188 - What Happened Overnight

Ofeq crouched as he cawed and looked up at his master with widened eyes. “Instigation? You are the one who’s acting impulsively! Rhema Reshith, are you going to abandon your duty at last?”

Rhema glared at the bird and hastened his steps.

Ofeq lashed out at Rhema’s back, which was growing far. “You keep postponing plucking out the seeds in Modjankle! Since three years ago! It’s because that’s where she lives, and you don’t want it to affect her, isn’t it?” Rhema stopped walking. Ofeq continued shouting, “How long are you going to postpone it? Now, she already knows! You can leave alone the darn seed she blocked from you, but get rid of the others right now!”

“…Okay.” Although the reply was insincere, without looking back, Rhema disappeared.

After Rhema left, Ofeq got up in a disorderly manner. He grumbled as he cured his wing with magic. “Look at him losing his temper so easily. Is it because the seal has been leaking? Well, I achieved my goal anyway.” The bird fixed his messy feathers and looked at the door where his master left for a moment. “I’d rather be killed by my master than see him fall. I’ve lived enough. It’s about time I die.”

Ofeq laughed with a croaking voice and returned to his nest.

*

The members of the Topaz Guild were very excited by the fact that they stopped a kidnapping of a person with unnamable mana.

“This is our first time preventing it. It’s all thanks to you, Miss Azriel Esthera. You are so amazing.”

Nak repeated similar phrases several times with an excited face. Azriel sent him off with a barely smiling face. When she was left alone, Marthi asked as if something was not right, “Did something happen, Master?”

She waveringly stood against Marthi’s back and buried her nose in his soft fur that smelled like dried grass.

“M-master?” Marthi asked.

“…Just for a moment. Just a little bit,” Azriel said.

Stiffening, Marthi hesitated as he looked down at his little master and covered her with his wings. Azriel heaved her shoulders as if she was about to cry but did not. She held it back well. After a moment, she stuck her head out in between his wings.

“Marthi,” she called.

“Yes, Master,” Marthi responded.

“Let’s go to a place where we can see the house of the person who was just rescued,” Azriel ordered.

“Pardon? Aren’t you going to take a rest?” Marthi asked.

“I’m going to watch that person tonight,” Azriel said.

“Didn’t the guild people say they’d be in charge of that?”

Not answering the question, Azriel climbed on his back. Tilting his head, Marthi obediently took off. They settled atop the roof across the target person’s house. Azriel hid their appearance with invisibility magic. She saw the swordsman and wizard of the guild crouching down near the back door. They seemed to plan to stay overnight in case of an unexpected situation.

“We have them, and there’s also the relic you made. Won’t that be enough?” Marthi asked.

“It’s not.” Azriel lifted the familiar’s wing and squirmed into his chest.

Marthi was a little startled. “What are you doing, Master?”

“I’ll be here until sunrise, so let me borrow your warmth,” she said.

As she repeatedly changed her position, Marthi moved and helped her rest comfortably. Leaning in between the huge lion’s chest and front paws, she covered herself with his wing. It was soft and warm. It was the warmth of the beast that never betrayed her and was loyal only to her. She felt comforted just by burying herself in his warmth.

‘The one who invented the familiar contract might have been a very lonely person. He might have needed some comfort… Oh.’

The person she was thinking of was Rhema Reshith. Belatedly recalling that, Azriel felt complicated. She gazed at the back of her hand. There were white stars that formed a knot. Rhema’s mana was smeared there.

“Since you must be tired, it’d be better for you to sleep. I’ll stay awake and watch,” her loyal familiar whispered.

Azriel shook her head. “No. I need to stay up.”

Rhema Reshith might come. If he came, no one except for her would notice it.