Chapter 34
A short while ago, Rozian went to visit his mother, Princess Ellia, bringing with him the dragon fang he had received from Jayna.
He intended to ask her how to forge it into a sword.
When Rozian presented the fang, Princess Ellia looked at it in shock and welcomed him warmly.
“She gave you a fang? Then she must value you deeply. You know, of course, that a dragon’s tooth can be forged into a holy sword.
This one may be small, but it could still make a fine blade.”
Ellia assumed Rozian had brought the fang to her because he disliked studying swordsmanship.
Besides, a young dragon’s fang was just the right size for crafting the main-gauche she used.
“To give me something so precious—thank you, my dear.”
But just as she was about to take it, Rozian suddenly pulled his hand back.
That reaction she hadn’t expected.
“Mother, I want to use that main-gauche myself.”
“What?”
“Miss Jayna gave it to me, so I’m going to use it.”
Princess Ellia wondered if she had misheard him.
“Haven’t you always hated even holding a sword? What’s gotten into you?”
Recalling Michael’s words—that only by reaching a certain level could he stand by Jayna’s side—Rozian answered with a serious face:
“Things are different now.”
Seeing a change in her son, Ellia spoke with a testing tone:
“It’s a precious weapon. If you’re just going to quit halfway, tell me now.
Don’t dishonor the goodwill of the one who gave it to you.”
“No, I won’t run away anymore. Not until I reach the level I want.”
“Am I dreaming?”
Ellia looked down at her son in astonishment.
In Rozian’s eyes—those of the boy who used to skip his training and loaf around—she saw a firm resolve, a will to protect someone.
“I want to protect her.”
Rozian clenched his fist tightly.
When she had run into the flames, he could do nothing but watch from behind.
Every time he remembered that moment, he despised his own helplessness.
If only he’d had power then—perhaps she would never have been in danger.
Gritting his teeth, Rozian swore to himself:
He would never run away again.
If Jayna wouldn’t protect herself, then he would protect her in her stead.
He would never stand by idly again.
After Jayna’s apology brought the “Sacred Relic Incident” to a close, the Mage Tower returned to a period of calm.
Then, one day—
“Jayna, when’s your birthday?”
“Now that you mention it… in about a month.”
When Hilbentzia asked in passing, Jayna answered casually.
But the reaction it caused was greater than she expected.
“Why are you only saying that now?”
“If you hadn’t asked, it might’ve just passed by quietly.”
Both of them looked as if they were planning something.
Jayna grew worried—surely they weren’t thinking of throwing a party or some other troublesome event?
A few hours later, during lunch, an early birthday “gift” arrived.
But it wasn’t from Michael or Hilbentzia.
“No one asked for this, but our dear Tower Master decided to give you quite the ‘gift’—or rather, a burden.”
Michael said grimly after returning from being summoned by Diarmid.
“A bodyguard.”
He spoke with his arms crossed and an irritated face.
Jayna blinked, confused.
“Pardon?”
“This.”
Michael jerked his chin toward the man standing beside him.
“Tower Master said to bring him to you.”
With translucent sky-blue hair and eyes like red jewels—
Jayna recognized him instantly.
It was the same man she had once asked Michael to report to the Tower Master, after seeing him bullied for being of another race.
“His name’s Izren. He’s been assigned as your personal guard. Lucky you.”
But why was Izren here—as her bodyguard, of all things?
“I never imagined the story would take this turn…”
Jayna blinked in disbelief and looked back at Michael.
Judging by the furrow in his brow, he wasn’t joking.
“Hmm. I thought a bodyguard was supposed to protect someone,”
Hilbentzia muttered, twirling pasta with her fork.
“Since when did that word mean something else?”
“Hey, answer me.”
Michael struck Izren’s arm with his hand—hard enough that it must’ve hurt.
But Izren didn’t react, staying silent.
“You think getting accepted as a tower knight makes you something special? Why are you ignoring me? Has being accepted made you lose your mind?”
“Oh, don’t be so rough. Maybe he can’t hear or speak,” Hilbentzia said lightly.
Michael sighed and muttered, exasperated:
“After ignoring his daughter all this time, the Tower Master suddenly assigns her a guard? What’s that supposed to mean? Maybe I should just kill him and be done with it.”
Jayna quickly tugged at Michael’s arm.
“Please stop, Sir Michael.”
She turned to Hilbentzia, hoping for the more rational one’s help—but Hilbentzia was no better.
“You’re right. We’d better keep it quiet if we’re staging an ‘accident.’”
The two made no attempt to hide their dislike for Izren.
Of course, Jayna didn’t believe Diarmid had assigned him out of genuine concern for her safety.
“The Tower Master suspects me of being a spy.
He probably wants Izren to dig up information about dragonkind under the guise of guarding me… and maybe to keep an eye on me since I’ve been quiet lately.”
Deciding she’d better calm things down, Jayna spoke quickly:
“He’s not ignoring you on purpose. He’s just not very fluent in Imperial. He probably doesn’t understand what we’re saying.”
When he had first come to the Tower, he’d only been able to repeat one phrase: “I came to become a knight.”
“And… being in a place where he doesn’t understand the language must make it hard for him to talk.”
Remembering the scorn she herself had once endured as a dragonkin, Jayna felt uneasy seeing him treated the same way.
She gestured while speaking slowly:
“Over there… bring some food.”
Repeating the words and gestures until he understood, Jayna then resumed eating.
The food didn’t taste as good as usual, but she needed to eat plenty to keep up her strength.
Izren, meanwhile, quietly watched her from behind.
Since Izren had been assigned as Jayna’s guard, Hilbentzia often found herself deep in thought.
She didn’t understand the Tower Master’s true intent—and she couldn’t shake the feeling that the otherworldly man might be a threat to Jayna.
“He may be quiet now, but who knows when he’ll turn violent.”
Waiting to find out could be too late.
So she decided to act first.
When circumstances change, one’s true nature shows—and this would be no different for a nonhuman.
“What are we going to the auction house for?”
“There’s something I can only get there.”
Hilbentzia cast a sidelong glance at Izren as she spoke.
Apparently serious about his duty, Izren quietly followed behind Jayna.
Their destination was an auction house on the outskirts of the capital.
From outside, Jayna looked at the building with curiosity—but once inside, she was speechless.
“I don’t know much about auctions, but this feels… different from what I imagined.”
“Different how?”
“It feels… surprisingly natural and cozy.”
Blinking in wonder at the warm atmosphere of the hall, Jayna turned to Hilbentzia.
“If you came all this way yourself, Lady Hilbentzia, the item must be unusual.
I’m surprised something like that is being sold in a place like this.”
“Until recently, this auction house wasn’t active. It was just acquired not long ago.”
“Then how did you even know about it?”
“Shh, that’s a trade secret. Sharp as ever, my little bunny girl.”
“Wouldn’t ‘lizard’ suit me better than bunny?”
“Then can I call you my bunny-lizard girl instead of Jayna?”
“I think calling me by my actual name is simpler.”
Jayna’s mask was that of a soft white bunny, fluffy and cute—
a perfect fit for her small face and rosy cheeks.
“You gave Izren a plain mask, though,” she muttered, fidgeting with her own as if it didn’t suit her.
“Oh dear, does Jayna not like being a bunny-lizard?”
“I thought Lady Hilbentzia had good taste, but a bunny and a lizard together? That doesn’t match at all.”
Jayna’s large, rabbit-like eyes were firm with protest.
“Hearing that hurts, you know.”
Hilbentzia tilted her head in mock disappointment.
The three weren’t the only masked ones—most people in the auction wore masks to conceal their identities.
Soon after they took their seats, bright lights illuminated the stage.
“Welcome, everyone! Today’s auction will be a bit special compared to usual.”
The auctioneer on the platform grinned, eyes glinting.
“Those who contribute greatly tonight will earn the right to participate in our special night auction.”
“A special auction?”
Jayna tilted her head, looking up at Hilbentzia—
whose lips curved into a mysterious, knowing smile.
