The Sleeping Devil

As I gazed at the gray mountainous terrain from the wyvern, I caught a glimpse of four heads of different colors.

"Oh, brother! Were you here? Look, it's a baby dragon!"

We descended toward the group of four. However, Sarah and Kyle looked pale, and Didier and Sergio rushed over with changed expressions.

"Sheriel, what were you thinking? Why a dragon!? Did you bring it here!?"

"It seemed lost or orphaned, scared off by the black dragon... I was worried it might die if I left it there. Isn't it cute?"

"No, no, no! What are we going to do? Wait a moment, it's a dragon!? You're planning to take it back?"

Once Julius helped me down from the wyvern, Didier was making a fuss about the weakened dragon, so I hid behind Julius, only showing my face to argue.

"Brother, please lower your voice. It might startle the little one. I'll take care of it."

"Huh? Why are you showing such unexpected compassion for a dragon? Julius, say something."

"It won't cause much harm. If needed, raising it and then releasing it into the Devil's Forest should be fine."

Well, Julius is on my side. I have no intention of pretending in front of Sarah and Kyle. Didier was still upset.

"Julius, don't say irresponsible things! Besides, if you plan to keep it in the castle, you need Father's permission. Right, Father?"

"That's true... If it causes trouble, can I have a go at it? Until then, you can take care of it in the garden."

"Father, you're so mean!"

Terrible! What do they think this child is, talking about trial cuts? It looks like the Beriard family doesn't have a shred of conscience after all.

A quarrel among the Beriard family over the dragon started, and the figure in front of me began to sway faintly.

"Hahaha... You guys, seriously... It's so ridiculous, isn't it? Haha."

Suddenly laughing, Julius desperately tried to hide his face, distracting me. It's rare to see him laugh so much.

"Sigh... fine, whatever. If Sheriel gets eaten by that thing, I won't even know."

"This child grows with magic. As long as it doesn't learn the taste of humans, it should be fine."

They say that about bears, that once they attack humans, they only eat humans. So, I might need to be careful about that. Considering my duties as a guardian of Klayla, I decided to show the dragon to Sarah and the others who were resting a bit away.

"Sarah, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, it's just that it's the first time I've seen a dragon..."

Sarah, still pale, kept her gaze fixed on my arms where the dragon was, staring at the dragon sleeping soundly. Maybe she doesn't like reptiles. The large dragon that was napping had an even more reptilian look with its black and green colors.

"This little one is quite docile. Sarah, are you not fond of lizards or snakes?"

"Lizards and such might be something we eat... but dragons are more terrifying to us than demons."

They eat lizards? More importantly, I feel bad for bringing the dragon along if they're so scared of it.

"This dragon, you see, it seems it doesn't attack humans much because their magic is nourishing. The dragon that was napping earlier didn't attack either, right?"

"W-Well, that's true... that's how it is..."

Sarah's complexion hasn't returned to normal, probably still scared, but she seems to be getting used to the little dragon that I'm petting. She slightly relaxed her cheeks as the dragon snores softly.

"See? Isn't it cute?"

"When it's this small, it might not be as scary."

It seemed Kyle, who had been resting against a rock, straightened up and alternated his gaze between the dragon and Sarah. Even with the dragon in front of him, his eyes kept going to Sarah; it seemed like he really cared.

"Kyle, aren't you tired after all that? Shouldn't we head back soon?"

"I appreciate your concern. Thanks to Sir Sergio's healing last night, I'm already fine."

Kyle had received treatment from Licht last night. Though there were still some scrapes and bruises, he seemed to have recovered enough to ride the wyvern without any problems.

"Miss Sheriel, may I collect some mud on the way back? Would that be permissible?"

"Mud? I heard you can only gather clay or mud in this area, but is there a specific use for it?"

"I want to use it for Kyle's treatment. You might be surprised to hear that mud is used for healing, but it's quite effective..."

"May I observe for a bit?"

It might be a folk remedy or something specific to the region, or perhaps related to the magic of this world---I'm not sure. Still, I think these experiences are the essence of traveling. Raiding facilities or capturing nobles is definitely not sightseeing.

We crossed mountains and returned to a rocky hill that we could usually access. Sarah and Kyle began descending in altitude, and we followed suit, dismounting as well.

"There's a small stream here that carries rainwater."

Between the sheer cliffs of the rocky mountain, there flowed a peach-colored river akin to strawberry milk. It was a hesitant hue, as if something was melting from the rocks or due to magic. However, Sarah took out a leather pouch, squatted by the riverbank, and started scooping up mud.

"That mud works for injuries?"

"Yes, we mix it with some herbs, but it seems to have the blessing of life. Animals wounded in this area have come here since ancient times. People noticed that these animals returned with mud covering their wounds, and that's how they discovered the healing properties of this mud."

"The wisdom of our ancestors, isn't it? Professor, is the mud here truly infused with magic?"

As I can't sense attributes yet, when in doubt, turn to Professor Julius. Whether he was genuinely interested in the area or not, Julius was already wandering around, examining the surroundings.

"Oh, it does have a bit of magical essence. For non-magic users or animals, even just the mud alone seems to have an effect."

"Amazing! This mud could be a viable business opportunity. Instead of making ointments with just herbs, wouldn't it reduce costs to use mud as a poultice?"

"I can't say much about the business aspect, but theoretically, yes."

Hmm, interesting. Selling this mud might help enrich the town of Klayla a bit. Around us were scattered pieces that resembled broken rocks. Although the mud seemed available only along this small stream, if the surrounding soil and rocks melted into it, they should be the same material.

"Do these rocks and stones also have magic?"

"Yeah, seems like they do, just like the mud."

Hmm, this could turn into a lucrative business. I picked up what I initially thought were stones, but they were heavier than expected and crumbled slightly when I exerted some force. They seemed to hold moisture, more like clay than stones. Although they were a dense gray color, there were slight variations in color depending on the location.

"Sarah, in Klayla, they said only clay and mud can be collected, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. But even the clay crumbles when dried, so it's not suitable for making pottery."

Could it be...? I used spatial magic and collected these broken rocks indiscriminately.

"Hey, Sheriel, can't you stop picking up everything?"

"I'm going to use them for experiments. They might even become souvenirs for Mother."

"Huh? If you give her that, I think she'll definitely get angry."

Ignoring a bored-looking Didier and Sergio sitting down, we continued our collection. Once finished, I washed my soiled hands with cleansing magic and finally headed back to the mansion.

"Welcome back, Sir Sergio, Didie---!?"

The Viscount who came to greet us was taken aback, his eyes wide open in surprise. "I'll explain later; this little one is gentle and won't cause any harm."

"My apologies... If you require anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you."

Mary seemed overwhelmed by the dragon I brought back and my dirtied attire, but after changing clothes, I immediately set about preparing a sleeping area for the dragon. We got some fabric filled with cotton to create a soft cushion. Sarah seemed to struggle with sewing, taking lessons from Mary while working intently. The small dragon, unsettled in this new place, kept looking around, folding its wings and shrinking in size.

"We should decide on a name for this little one. What would be suitable? It's blue, so maybe 'Dora-chan'... No, that might be too cute when it grows up."

Would its blue body, reminiscent of my eyes, shimmer like that black dragon once it grows larger? The image of it spreading its wings, reflecting the sunlight as it melts into the vast sky, came to mind.

"What about 'Ciel'? It means 'sky,' and it's similar to my name. It matches, don't you think?"

"Kyiii!"

Its narrowed eyes, almost resembling a smile, surely indicated happiness. Ciel tottered toward me, clearly pleased with the name I suggested.

"Oh, so cute! Come here, come here."

"Miss Sheriel, please! Your dress will get dirty!"

Mary's warning stopped Ciel in its tracks. Indeed, Ciel had gathered dust and some unidentifiable dirt. Would it be alright to use cleansing magic on a dragon?

"Ciel, can you stay still while I use a little magic?"

"Kyu?"

Feeling an urge to lift Ciel, who tilted its head cutely, I tried a cleansing spell, trying not to infuse too much magic. As I washed its body from the neck down, even after the water vanished, Ciel shook its body as if water were still there, just like a dog shaking off water.

"You're clean now. Let me wipe your face with this cloth."

Although there were still minor scratches causing some cloudiness, its body looked cleaner. As I wiped its face with the cloth Mary provided, Ciel closed its eyes in contentment. I should introduce Ciel to Noah. The first encounter between the native cat and the newcomer might be sensitive, so I need to handle it carefully. Should I have Julius accompany me? While contemplating this, news arrived that breakfast was ready.

"After breakfast, I need to draft Sarah's contract. It seems someone acting on behalf of the family can handle the formalities, so your father will arrange that."

"Thank you so much for everything."

"I haven't done anything. If you want to thank someone, thank your father."

Leaving Ciel to guard, we headed to the dining room. Everyone was already gathered, and it seemed I was the last to arrive.

While the contract was pending, Sarah declared she'd start working as a maid apprentice today, assisting Mary with serving. They worked together so smoothly that it didn't seem like their first time, and Mary appeared pleased.

"Viscount Claira, could I have a moment of your time after breakfast?"

"Yes, certainly."

After the contract, once the envoy was sent to the slave market, I'd be leaving Klayla. There would be some hustle and bustle due to the contract and allegiance ceremony, but there were still things I wanted to discuss.

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