Chapter 71
“Hee-hin!”
The horse that had landed on the ground kicked off and galloped with a clatter. People hurriedly scrambled to get far away from the white horse.
“Ahhh!”
Arnen was no exception.
He was busy fleeing, relying on the horseback-riding skills he had boasted about to Jeina. He didn’t care at all whether the people around him were shocked or not.
Meanwhile, in the riding arena where everyone else had run away, Jeina, who had remained calm, naturally faced the white horse.
Jeina slowly approached the horse and asked,
“Is something wrong?”
Unlike the noisy surroundings, her demeanor was remarkably calm.
“Jeina!”
Princess Elia was running from afar, sword drawn, but Jeina felt no worry at all. Instead, she took a step closer and met the horse’s gaze.
“…!”
The white horse flinched as if startled by her steady gaze, then slowly stepped back. After that, it calmed down completely, as quiet as a mouse.
Princess Elia, who had rushed over, put her sword away with a bewildered expression.
“What on earth…?”
“The more sensitive the animal, the more it reacts to my aura.”
Princess Elia immediately understood what Jeina meant. Jeina was of the dragon race, said to be the apex of all species. The white horse had sensed the predatory aura in her eyes.
“This horse is clever… though its personality is a bit much.”
As Jeina calmed the horse, the people who had been keeping their distance whispered among themselves.
“Oh my, it actually stopped walking when she got close.”
“Is she good with horses?”
Watching from afar, Arnen muttered with a pale face,
‘What is she really…?’
Is she even human? Why is there never anyone normal near Rozian?
As the situation began to settle somewhat, a man rode up from a distance on a large wolf.
“Melbestan!”
“Hee-hin!”
The white horse reacted to his voice and neighed. Seeing this, Princess Elia let out a sigh.
“Too late, huh.”
“Ah, so this happened after it made a scene? Well, I couldn’t help it. I had a run-in with it myself.”
The man scratched his messy brown hair as he spoke.
“Elia, how have you been?”
“Fine. I’d have been even better if someone hadn’t let the horse go wild.”
“Ha ha, I couldn’t contact you recently, so I thought I’d stop by while I was nearby… seems I caused trouble instead.”
Despite his disheveled appearance, the princess and the man seemed very familiar and friendly with each other. He smiled sheepishly and looked around.
“By the way, this one hasn’t been listening to me much lately. Especially in front of others, it would act up and give me trouble… did you quiet it down, Elia?”
“No, this child calmed the horse down.”
“This child?”
Only then did the man seem to notice someone beside him and turned to look at Jeina.
“Uh…? You look familiar somehow.”
He tilted his head, leaning closer to Jeina.
“Haven’t we met somewhere before?”
“No, not that I remember.”
“That’s strange… I usually don’t forget faces, so if you’re not unfamiliar…”
He smoothed his lips and leapt up on the wolf.
“Bezricha! You’re alive? Why did you suddenly get younger?”
The wolf, unexpectedly hit, let out a protest howl. The man scratched his head apologetically, murmuring sorry to the wolf.
“Even after so long, nothing has changed. This one isn’t Bezricha, it’s Bezricha’s daughter.”
Princess Elia spoke in a tone of exasperation instead of Jeina. The man scratched the back of his neck.
“Bezricha… yes, she looks exactly like Bezricha. How did I not realize she was her daughter?”
Judging from how he casually interacted with Elia and called his mother Bezricha by her first name, it was clear he had been an old comrade of Jeina’s mother. Jeina bowed politely to the man.
“Hello, I’m Jeina.”
“I am Seiden Aldert. You might have guessed, but I’m a summoner who handles ‘Divine Beasts’… the one who sealed the Demon King alongside your mother.”
Seiden Aldert.
The nightmare of the Keald Cliff.
Jeina’s eyes widened in surprise at the man’s identity. Despite his unkempt appearance, he was the continent’s greatest summoner.
“He may look pathetic, but his skills are unparalleled.”
“Ha ha… I’ve become someone who can’t even inspire trust in a child.”
“That’s because you couldn’t even train a summoned creature properly.”
“By the way, thank you for calming our horse, Jeina.”
“Our horse…?”
Jeina tilted her head, and Elia explained.
“He means the Pegasus. This one has no sense in naming things.”
“Even for a dragon, it’s quite calm for a first encounter with a Pegasus. Bezricha would’ve boasted, ‘See, she’s my daughter.’”
“Bezricha isn’t like that.”
“All parents with daughters are the same, aren’t they?”
Seiden tilted his head as he spoke.
“But… if there’s a mother, there must be a father. Who is your father? As far as I know, Bezricha only had Diamid… oh, my apologies. They’ve parted ways. I was about to bring up your mother’s old lover…”
“No need. My father is indeed Diamid.”
“…What?”
Seiden leapt in place again.
“Diamid? That guy went around claiming Bezricha betrayed him for a while!”
“You sure say what you can in front of a child.”
“Oh, my apologies. I’ve made many mistakes today…”
Seiden fumbled but finally steered the conversation elsewhere.
“So, are you living with the dragons now, or at the Mage Tower?”
“At the Mage Tower.”
“Then I can also see Diamid’s face… ow, Elia, why did you hit me?”
“I’ll explain later, so be quiet.”
Elia glanced back as she spoke.
“And your horse might act up again, so calm it down.”
It was revealed that the Pegasus had acted up because of the scuffle with Seiden.
“I gave it some sweet treats a few times, and now it refuses normal food, wanting only harmful things…”
Seiden, who loved sweet apples, had accidentally given it onions as well.
“My fault.”
Seiden lazily scratched his head. He was a man with a notably slow and absent-minded side.
‘Well, that explains why he couldn’t even recognize the child of a deceased comrade…’
“Busy taking care of my own kids, I wouldn’t pay attention to other humans. I don’t really have friends… only people like Elia, old comrades.”
Jeina rode the Pegasus with Seiden. He had insisted on escorting her to the Mage Tower personally. Looking down, she saw Arnen staring blankly at the horse.
Seiden had a reason for personally taking Jeina to the Mage Tower.
“I need to check if Jeina is doing well at the Mage Tower. Rozian says she’s fine, but seeing her as a child is different from as an adult….”
“Can’t you go yourself as Mikael’s aunt?”
“If I go, it might look like the Empire is meddling in the Mage Tower. Rozian already visits too often, and people are talking.”
“Seiden seems to get along well with his summoned creatures.”
Watching the Pegasus fuss at Seiden again, Jeina remarked.
“Well, since I summoned them, I have to care. By the way, why doesn’t your father take responsibility for what he’s done?”
Elia had intentionally told her the situation quietly, but Seiden was too agitated to even consider it. Despite Seiden’s excitement, Jeina remained calm.
“Well… I don’t really need a father.”
“What?”
“I’m already satisfied. I’ve never thought I was unhappy without a father.”
“Hm, of course, not all children without parents are unhappy… but someone who won’t take responsibility is trash.”
Seiden’s eyes narrowed.
No wonder he had brought a cold and blunt child like Elia to social gatherings and taught her horseback riding. Seiden himself had spent time as a child alone in a warehouse, and Jeina reminded him of his younger self, sparking anger.
‘Diamid Bellafanian… that scoundrel.’
Although he seemed clumsy, Seiden was fully aware of human duty. Having kept distance from humans for many years, he had a purity that did not compromise with injustice.
“We’ve arrived.”
Seiden dismounted from the Pegasus. The gatekeepers’ eyes widened.
“Tell Diamid we’re here.”
Few could utter the name of Diamid, whom they regarded like a god, so the gatekeepers stood rigidly in respect.
“Who are you and where do you come from?”
“Say Seiden Aldert, and Diamid will know.”
Hearing Seiden’s name, the gatekeepers hurriedly contacted inside. He was indeed someone who could address Diamid casually, a person who had wiped out the evil spirits of the cliffs.
“The Mage Tower master is currently out. Would you like to wait inside? In the reception room…?”
“No need. I’ll show this child around the Mage Tower myself.”
The gatekeepers looked at Jeina in astonishment. She already attracted the attention of Mikael and Hilvenzia at the tower, and now she was acquainted with the hero Seiden.
Jeina headed inside the Mage Tower, glancing up at Seiden.
“So, what are you curious about in the Mage Tower?”
“Anything. Show me the places you often visit or like.”
Seiden smiled warmly. Jeina stared at him silently. With Elia’s request and the fact that he was an old comrade of her mother Bezricha, she felt a strange sense of familiarity despite meeting him for the first time.
‘He seems to care about me almost as if to scold the Mage Tower master.’
She didn’t particularly want recognition as the Mage Tower master’s daughter… but it seemed he misunderstood.
“Then I’ll start by showing you my favorite place in the Mage Tower, where I spend most of my time—the library.”
