Chapter 104
Blake suddenly turned his head and jumped to his feet, his gaze urgently searching the area.
Lina looked puzzled.
“Blake, are you looking for something?”
Blake asked, “Who saved me?”
“It was someone named Ross,” she replied. “He found you before we did. Do you know him?”
“Ross…”
Blake frowned as he thought about the name.
“Where is he?”
Arthur shook his head.
“He left after buying medicine for you. There was also a bag of dried fruit. He said the medicine would be bitter. But you were unconscious the whole time, so we couldn’t get you to eat anything except water and the medicine.”
Lina smiled.
“He seemed like a good person.”
Blake stared absently at the dried fruit on the table and tightened his grip on the glove in his hand.
Zeman didn’t stay in Thorn City for very long this time.
As soon as he left, Albin sprang into action.
But before he could get close to the protagonist’s group, he first had to deal with Jade, who was constantly following him around.
Albin’s eyes darted mischievously before he approached Jade with a smile.
“Jade, Dad said he’ll be staying with me from now on. You can go take care of your own business.”
“Really?” Jade asked doubtfully.
Albin nodded confidently.
Since Albin had always been obedient and had never once rebelled, Jade didn’t think much of it and was immediately fooled.
Albin cheerfully waved him goodbye before quickly packing his things and slipping away.
Everyone in the castle worked for him, so naturally no one would report his departure to Zeman.
As for whether anyone would discover that he had run away from home…
Heh.
They kept things from him all the time, so surely he was allowed to keep things from them too!
Still, worried they might become overly concerned, Albin hesitated for a long while before finally leaving behind a letter, instructing the butler to give it to anyone who came looking for him at an appropriate time.
Off he went!
Albin recalled the route the protagonists had taken in the comic.
Besides Blake, Lina also had enemies pursuing her and a revenge target of her own, which was why she had hired Blake and Arthur in the first place.
He remembered Lina mentioning that their next destination would be the Coral Kingdom, where she had a trustworthy relative.
The Lily Kingdom wasn’t far from the Coral Kingdom.
However, considering Blake’s injuries, they probably wouldn’t be traveling very quickly.
Albin quickly narrowed down the places they were likely to pass through and began checking them one by one.
Since they were wanted fugitives, they couldn’t openly stay in town inns.
Instead, they usually lodged in nearby villages.
Still, they had to buy supplies.
When Albin arrived in one of the towns, he learned that someone had indeed been seen shopping while leading a Samoyed.
Found them!
A delighted smile spread beneath Albin’s mask.
But how should he appear before the protagonist’s group?
According to comic logic, shouldn’t he show up when they were in trouble and save them?
As he pondered this, he heard a familiar bark.
A fluffy Samoyed came bounding toward him from the distance like a running white cloud.
Just looking at it improved his mood.
The dog immediately began circling around him, its bright eyes focused entirely on him.
Unable to resist, Albin crouched down and rubbed its fluffy fur.
The enthusiastic dog even tried to lick him.
Didn’t Yeye only act this affectionate toward certain people in the comic…?
The thought flashed through Albin’s mind.
Then Arthur’s voice came from behind.
“Yeye, don’t run off! Stop copying Blake! What if you run into bad people like he does? You’ll get kidnapped! Come back to Daddy! How am I supposed to live without you?!”
Ah.
Albin remembered.
Arthur was a huge furry enthusiast in the comic.
He adored animals and had originally joined the group because of the Samoyed.
He looked up and met Arthur’s gaze.
Arthur, carrying a basket full of ingredients, froze.
His expression immediately became serious.
“Oh, it’s you…”
Then he cast a mournful glance at the Samoyed, as if accusing it of betraying him and throwing itself into another person’s arms.
He looked one step away from biting a handkerchief and tearfully condemning a heartless lover.
Because he had run over so quickly, several apples had fallen from his basket.
Albin picked them up and returned them.
“Need help?”
Arthur had bought quite a lot and seemed to be struggling.
“No, no, no!”
Arthur rejected the offer as though facing a great enemy.
“Woof.”
The Samoyed wagged its tail.
Arthur seemed to understand.
With obvious reluctance, he sighed.
“Fine. He can come with us.”
“Woof.”
The dog seemed satisfied.
“You can understand what it’s saying?”
Even though he already knew from the comic, seeing it firsthand still amazed Albin.
Arthur immediately flashed a broad grin.
“This is the special bond between me and Yeye!”
Albin silently thought:
I somehow feel like I’ve been mistaken for a rival in love.
He knew a little about Arthur’s ability.
It wasn’t truly understanding animal speech.
Rather, years of experience working with animals had allowed him to interpret their language through familiarity and observation.
In a sense, he had learned how animals communicated.
It was said that only priests and holy children of the Shepherd God’s Temple could understand beast speech effortlessly, without any prior experience.
Meanwhile, Arthur continued chatting with the Samoyed as smoothly as if they were old friends.
“Yeye, why do you keep jumping on him? Ohhh, I see!”
Albin couldn’t help glancing over.
Acting as translator, Arthur explained:
“Yeye says he’s met you before. Apparently you helped him once.”
Realization dawned on Albin.
As he stroked the dog’s back, he slowly recalled the memory.
“I did meet a very cute Samoyed once.”
He had read about the incident in one of the letters.
It had happened in the Lily Kingdom.
“So you were that dog.”
What a strange coincidence.
With the Samoyed’s endorsement, Albin successfully earned Arthur’s trust and joined him while shopping.
After a while, he couldn’t help asking:
“About that person from before…”
Arthur immediately understood who he meant.
“He’s fine now. Thanks again for helping him that day. Actually, he’s been wanting to meet you.”
Albin blinked.
“He wants to meet me?”
“Yeah. I guess he wants to thank you in person.”
Arthur shrugged.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you come meet him?”
A perfect opportunity had practically fallen into his lap.
Albin immediately agreed.
He helped Arthur carry the supplies back.
There was so much because they were currently staying with a local family and helping purchase groceries for their hosts.
Arthur was exceptionally skilled at shopping.
Raising contracted beasts wasn’t cheap, and his years of experience had made him an expert bargainer.
He knew exactly how to get the best prices and was always welcomed by villagers whenever they stayed somewhere.
From afar, Albin spotted a brown-haired girl waving to them.
It was Lina.
When she noticed Albin, confusion briefly crossed her face.
Arthur explained:
“I ran into him at the market. He helped me carry everything back. Besides, didn’t Blake want to see him anyway?”
“Welcome, Ross,” Lina greeted with a nod.
“But Blake isn’t here right now. He went out training early this morning and probably won’t return until nightfall.”
Arthur snorted.
“That guy’s a complete training maniac.”
As he spoke, a strange rumble echoed from a distant valley.
Flocks of birds burst into the air.
Everyone turned to look.
“That’s Blake’s training,” Lina explained. “Those noises are coming from him.”
She lifted a basket.
“I’m bringing him dinner. Want to come along?”
Albin stared toward the valley for a moment before immediately agreeing.
Lina led him into the valley.
The closer they got, the more noticeable the vibrations beneath their feet became.
The surrounding rock walls were covered with deep gouges.
Each one looked as though it had been carved by a terrifying weapon.
Everywhere they looked were traces of Blake’s training.
Then a deafening crash rang out.
A massive boulder suddenly split apart.
From above, black flames roared down through the air.
Like a devouring maw, they engulfed the flying fragments of stone and reduced them to dust.
Flames?
Albin’s heart skipped a beat.
Blake had never used fire-based techniques in the comic.
Was this a new move?
Excitement immediately began to build within him.
Meanwhile, the figure in the distance leapt down from above and, in the blink of an eye, appeared right in front of Albin. The gust stirred by his landing sent Albin’s crimson hair fluttering.
Too close!
Suddenly faced with that incredibly familiar face drawing near, Albin’s eyes widened.
He could clearly hear the other man’s breathing.
And he found himself staring into a pair of sharp, ultramarine-blue eyes.
Those wolf-like eyes seemed to be suppressing some powerful emotion as they fixed themselves on him, as though searching for something within him.
Since the day he could remember, Albin had never experienced such a direct gaze.
His family’s eyes were always gentle when they looked at him. Others, mindful of his status, were invariably respectful and restrained.
Yet strangely enough, despite having no memory of it, the feeling was familiar.
Albin’s heart suddenly lurched.
Its pounding echoed loudly in his ears.
His body trembled slightly, as if his very soul were shaking. The fingers hanging at his sides twitched unconsciously, seized by an inexplicable urge to embrace the person before him.
Black hair.
Blue eyes.
A tear mole.
Little Black?
His eyelashes trembled.
An unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind.
Is Blake Little Black?
But as the initial surge of joy faded, a tide of doubt crashed over it, drowning that inexplicable happiness.
Questions began bubbling up one after another.
If Blake really was Little Black…
If Blake had really met his father and the others…
Then why had nobody ever told him?
Even if Blake no longer had the crocodile face, the similarities were obvious enough that someone should have mentioned it. In the past, they would even have let him see for himself and confirm it.
They would never hurt his friend.
So what exactly was wrong?
Had Father and the others never met Little Black at all?
But after sneaking out of Thorn City, Albin had already confirmed through the Honeysuckle Merchant Guild that they really were hunting Blake.
Or perhaps Father and the others were completely certain that Blake wasn’t Little Black?
Albin’s thoughts tangled into a knot.
He didn’t want to doubt the people closest to him.
His face grew pale.
He unconsciously stepped back.
Lina spoke up beside them.
“Blake, this is Ross—the one who saved you that day.”
“Ross…”
Blake repeated the name softly.
Yet his gaze never left Albin.
“You don’t look well,” Blake said. “Let me take you back. Where are you staying?”
“N-No, it’s fine.”
Albin finally found his voice again.
“I’m staying in town. It’s not far.”
But Blake insisted.
“It’s getting dark. There are dangerous magical beasts nearby. Let me escort you.”
After a brief silence, Albin nodded.
“Okay.”
Beside them, Lina looked completely baffled.
Since when was Blake this considerate?
And dangerous magical beasts?
Hadn’t they wiped out the nearby monsters on the very first day they arrived?
Even if any were left, they had probably been scared into hiding by the commotion from Blake’s training.
After finishing dinner, Blake immediately set out to escort Albin back.
The two walked side by side.
Albin found himself unconsciously listening to Blake’s breathing.
Little by little, his chaotic thoughts began to settle.
At the same time, he could feel the burning gaze from beside him.
Unable to ignore it any longer, he asked:
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
Had his strange behavior given him away?
Had he accidentally made some weird expression?
Probably not, right?
He touched his mask.
Good. Still there.
Blake asked quietly:
“Am I not allowed to?”
Albin hurriedly replied,
“It’s not that you’re not allowed…”
In fact, for some reason, he rather liked it.
Part of him even wanted to walk a little faster, turn around, and face Blake directly so he could experience that strangely pleasant gaze head-on.
Though being secretly watched wasn’t bad either.
Was it because he was Blake’s fan?
And fortunately, Blake’s behavior was equally strange.
Even if Blake noticed his odd expressions, he probably wouldn’t say anything.
They were both acting weird, after all.
With the conversation finally started, Albin seized the opportunity.
“I heard you ran into someone from the Apostles of White before. Is that true? Were they the ones who injured you?”
The moment the topic came up, Blake’s entire presence changed.
Something dangerous flashed through him.
“That’s right.”
He clenched his teeth.
“But next time, I’ll defeat that man.”
Albin fell silent.
Blake’s reaction matched what the comic had shown.
Which only made things harder to understand.
Why would Father and the others do something like that?
There was a very real possibility that his own father had been the one who had nearly beaten Blake to death.
For a moment, Albin didn’t know how to face him.
Several times he almost spoke.
Each time, he held back.
Lost in thoughts about his father’s actions, he allowed Blake to escort him all the way back to the inn.
After saying goodbye, Albin turned to go inside.
Then he caught a faint scent of blood.
His head snapped around.
His eyes swept over Blake.
Without warning, he grabbed Blake’s arm.
“You’re hurt!”
“It’s just a training injury,” Blake said lightly. “It’s nothing.”
Albin nearly exploded.
With that attitude, who knew how many other injuries he was hiding?
Training hard enough to injure yourself wasn’t normal training!
If Albin hadn’t noticed, how long was he planning to leave it untreated?
Comic-book Blake was exactly the same.
Always getting injured.
Never caring about his own body.
The attitude reminded Albin of his family.
In fact, his family was more sensible than Blake.
“Idiot Blake!”
Albin scolded him furiously.
Grabbing Blake’s uninjured hand, he dragged him toward his room.
He completely failed to notice Blake’s eyes growing brighter and brighter behind him.
The town’s only inn was modest and lacked spare chairs.
Albin pushed Blake down onto the edge of the bed and sat beside him.
Then he began casting healing magic on Blake’s injured arm.
No chant.
No incantation.
Soft white particles of light flowed from his hand like starlight, sinking directly into Blake’s wound.
Warm magic poured into Blake’s body.
Silent-cast magic…
Blake lowered his eyes to watch the injury rapidly close.
Standing before him, Albin rested one hand on his hip and examined him with shining eyes.
“What other injuries do you have? Confess honestly!”
Blake stared at the person offering him starlight.
Stared at the dazzling galaxy before him.
His blue eyes shone with startling intensity.
Even though the hair color was different.
Even though a mask covered half his face.
Even though eight years had passed.
He had recognized him at first sight.
Those familiar eyes.
That familiar voice.
That familiar magic.
That familiar kindness.
That familiar habit of paying attention to his breathing.
So adorable.
His heart pounded wildly, as though it had broken.
It felt ready to burst straight out of his chest.
A name hovered on the edge of his lips.
Then—
“I found you.”
Suddenly, he grabbed Albin’s wrist.
Just as Albin had once grabbed his in the tower.
He didn’t know why Albin no longer remembered him.
He didn’t know why Albin hadn’t recognized him immediately.
But he could no longer endure losing him.
Not even for a second.
With his other hand, cool to the touch, he pulled off Albin’s mask.
His eyes fixed on those surprised crimson eyes.
On the face he had traced countless times in his dreams.
Just like in the past, he pressed his forehead against Albin’s.
Murmuring softly, he said:
“No matter whether you are a soul reborn into another body… or a wandering spirit lingering in this world…”
His fingers slipped beneath the cuff of Albin’s black glove.
Slowly, he pushed the glove aside.
Then he tightly clasped the hand hidden underneath.
“This time, I won’t lose you again, Little White.”
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