★
On the flight back, Yuliana was almost bubbling over with joy. But in sharp contrast, Sharlo asked in an uneasy tone, “Are you sure things are all right? All that about taming magic beasts and whatnot was just a bluff, right?”
“Our aim this time was to gain his approval of your relationship. In that respect, this was a resounding success. So now, all we have to do is use the time we have to make our bluff a reality.”
“So not only are we going to make sure we aren’t exposed, but we really will be looking for ways to domesticate magic beasts?”
Shouzou nodded in response. However, they were not going to do it in a forceful way like what the empire was doing.
The thing about hypnosis and perception-bending magic was that if the magic ever ran out, the reprisal would be enormous. Puru, as well as the water dragon previously controlled by the empire, had enough intelligence to hold proper conversation with. A more thorough survey of other magic beasts and other ecologies could perhaps reveal hope for the future. Most of what he had said to Rudolf was indeed a mere bluff, but it was true that they had a trove of information on magic beasts gathered from adventurers. This was archived among the various guilds in the form of quest records. Shouzou was sure that by studying them in detail, they could be converted into ways to build real relationships with magic beasts.
The journey would be long, and Shouzou would not be able to see it through to the end. However, he could at least help lay the foundation for that research. In the first place, this was something that the people of this world needed to ponder and realize through their own efforts. Shouzou would only remain in a supporting role to the very end. The direction was set. The problems facing them were piled up as tall as a mountain, but surely things would go well.
While feeling the bitingly cold wind, Shouzou gazed toward the dark sea beyond the horizon, renewing the sense of purpose deep within his chest—
The End