I sighed, pressing my hand to my forehead. “Why didn’t father or Dr. Guillotin try to stop you?”
“Because we were worried, of course,” the doctor replied, giving me and Liam a stern look.
“Huh?”
“Lady Lune, you may be special, and Lord Liam is very strong. When Lord Reineke is with you, it’s one thing. But you two are still children. What if you had gotten hurt?”
I was taken aback by Dr. Guillotin’s seriousness.
“Theo won’t be able to use any magic for now, thanks to the amplifier’s severe side effects,” the doctor went on angrily.
Theo fidgeted behind him.
“Master Theo, why would you go this far?” I asked.
“You may not have noticed, Lady Lune, but a great number of people care for you. Dr. Guillotin and I used to live in idle despair in that monastery, wasting our days away. And then you came and gave us hope. So for your sake, a portion of my life is a small price to pay,” Theo said bashfully, his head hanging down.
“I’d do anything for you too, Lady Lune!” Dr. Guillotin added. “You may think we’re unreliable, but please, trust in us some more!”
His indignant words pierced my heart. “Thank you, Dr. Guillotin,” I said with teary eyes, lowering my head while my tail sprang up.
“Eeep! Ahhh! In that case, may I touch that lovely shining tail?!”
“No.” I shut down his excitement with a single word.
“No need to be so harsh...”
“Anyway, Dr. Guillotin, this dragon is suffering from rickets. Will you take a look?”
“Oh, yes, yes, yes! Absolutely! I’ve always wanted to examine a dragon!”
The doctor frolicked over to the dragon and began gleefully touching his legs.
The dragon looked annoyed. “Don’t just touch me at your leisure!”
Lord Reineke bopped the dragon with his paw.
“This human is safe.”
“Reineke...” The dragon sighed.
Hearing Lord Reineke’s words, Dr. Guillotin’s eyes lit up and he grinned.
“It’s been a while. How was the liquor?”
“It was terribly bitter, you snide bastard.”
“No wonder. After all, gentian is a dragon’s innards.”
The two of them bantered while snickering. It relieved me to see that they seemed to know each other well.
“You were right, Lady Lune—it sure looks like rickets. First of all, I’m prescribing plenty of sunbathing. It’s also malnourished, so we’ll have to give it food until it can move on its own.” Dr. Guillotin merrily laid out the treatment plan. “As for calcium... Lady Lune, is this dragon a carnivore?”
“Mr. Dragon, are you carnivorous?” I asked.
“I am omnivorous.”
I passed his answer onto the doctor.
“I can even eat humans,” the dragon added, opening his jaws wide as he glared at the man.
“Ah, yes, the inside of his mouth will need some maintenance too,” the doctor said, unfazed as he touched the dragon’s fangs.
“Is something wrong with this human? Does he have no sense of danger?” the dragon grumbled.
“I think he’s fine,” I said with a dry smile, while Lord Reineke roared with laughter.
The dragon sighed. “Regardless, it seems I am in your care. You opened the ceiling, and now you’re even giving me treatment. How should I show my thanks... Ah, how about I offer you my blood? You can use it to kill people without anyone finding out.”
I shuddered. “No thank you! Can we take your molted scales instead?”
“Very well. I cannot eat them in my current state, so they’d just rot.”
“Brother!” I called out happily. “Mr. Dragon will let us take his scales!”
“You have my deepest thanks,” Liam told the dragon, then gave orders to the knights. “Those who can, use your magic to freeze over the scales so they don’t rot any further. Then deposit them in the cave.”
Wielders of water magic carried out his orders. The rest of us promised to keep caring for the dragon before exiting the cave. Lord Reineke allowed both me and Liam to climb onto his back, and carried us out. We were exhausted, and the fox’s soft fur was the perfect source of comfort.
Once we were outside, Lord Reineke set us down, turned to face us, and brought us closer to him.
“Liam, did you capture the Lord of Darkness?” he asked with a smirk, quietly enough that nobody else could hear. “Be careful. That power is a double-edged sword.”
Liam nodded.
“You’ll be in trouble if the royals find out you opened the seal,” the spirit added more seriously.
“I’m sure they’ll notice the seal wavering. I will report that the seal had weakened and I remade it. I’ll also hide this place using a cloaking spell,” Liam said, pulling out the Eclipse Blade. He drew a magic circle in the ground, hidden by Lord Reineke’s form. “There. Now it should be immune to the royal family’s detection magic.”
“You’re quite the rogue,” Lord Reineke scoffed.
Liam responded with a silent smile.
I was visiting the dragon’s nest together with Lord Reineke, Liam, Bal, and Dr. Guillotin. The entrance that Liam and I had originally used to enter the cave was once again sealed off, so we had to use the opening Bal and the others had made. Liam had also cast a spell over it to hide it from ordinary people.
“I find it strange how only those who helped with undoing the seal are able to see the entrance,” Bal commented thoughtfully.
“I’m sure it’s thanks to Lord Reineke,” Liam replied, lying seamlessly.
My pinkie finger was entwined with his as we walked. The sensation made my chest tighten with a joyful, fluttering feeling that made me grin despite myself. I snuggled up to him, brushing him with my tail.
“It’s our pinkie-promise secret,” I whispered to him.
Liam looked surprised at first, then smiled.
“I see you two are in a good mood,” Dr. Guillotin spoke up, startling me.
“I’m just glad everything worked out,” Liam said, looking calm as he gazed up at the ceiling.
A pleasant breeze blew past and the birds chirped. The dragon was lying beneath the opening, sun rays cascading upon his body. He looked content.
“It certainly did!” Dr. Guillotin said before sauntering over to the dragon. “Hello, darling dragon! I’ve brought your calcium medicine today!”
The dragon’s expression instantly soured at his lighthearted voice. The doctor placed the calcium pills made from seashells into the reluctant dragon’s mouth.
“Humph! I have no idea what to make of this human!” he complained, though most humans here couldn’t hear him.
Lord Reineke smirked as he passed the dragon the gentian liqueur. “Here, wash the pills down with this.”
“Ah, ah! You mustn’t only drink alcohol! Have some fish and mushrooms too,” Dr. Guillotin said, presenting the dragon with said items. “And beans too! These are soybeans, Lady Kuzunoha’s favorite!”
“I want meat. Preferably human,” the dragon said, licking his lips as he gazed at the doctor.
The man giggled. “Oh, do you want to eat me? I know, I know. I do look pretty tasty, don’t I?”
Discouraged, the dragon looked away. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
Lord Reineke and I laughed.
“What? What is he saying?” Bal asked.
He and Liam were rubbing the dragon’s body with large scrubbing brushes to improve his blood flow.
“Looks like someone really likes Guillotin,” Lord Reineke lied.
“Really?!” Dr. Guillotin pressed his face against the dragon. “I feel the same way, darling dragon!”
“Reineke, cease your lies! And you, don’t get so close to me! I hate you!!!” the dragon roared, but despite his fury, he didn’t attack.
I watched the scene with amusement.
Once the treatment was over, we were preparing to leave when the dragon called me over.
“Lune! Have this.”
From under his belly, the dragon pulled out a transparent stone with a streak of golden light.