CH 63

─Rodo’s side─

Kou fell asleep in my arms while parading around the town.

He woke up as soon as we arrived at Omileo.

Kou had never visited Omileo.

In other words, he had never met Fifth Corps Captain Rikadern Secreba (rikademu sekureeba), nor has he met Moroki’s Representative Haidea Makiast (haidea makiasuto).

The Third Corps often performs support missions and I thought we would meet them in person later, so I didn’t set up a place to meet.

It’s just that I came to report my marriage before a support mission came in.

What’s more, we’re moving around town on Sig, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll meet them.

…in Kalzen, for some reason, the Third Corps and the magicians of the Tower of Trik were all over the town.

I don’t remember exempting everyone from work, and even the magicians should have work.

Kou, who’s never been to Omileo, looked around for a while, but now he’s leaning back on my chest.

In Omileo, no one is waving at Kou.

That’s natural since they wouldn’t even look at us.

They’re scared because they know I’m an Akinist.

Even if they don’t know, they should be feeling pressure from me.

Every town has the same response, and since this was the case a long time ago, I’m already used to it.

I haven’t been interested in others for a long time.

I don’t care what they thought of me.

Because for the me right now, it’s fine as long as they don’t dislike Kou.

“Captain Rodokiaus. You’re finally married. I’ve heard rumors that you found your mate…he’s a very beautiful person.”

When I was walking through town on Sig, Rikadem, the Fifth Corps Captain, spoke to me.

But I pulled away Kou from his extended hand.

Trying to touch Kou without permission makes me want to cut off his arm.

“…as expected of “mates”, or so they said. …is it because of that desire for exclusivity that you’re like that to the little one?”

“What does that have to do with you? I want Kou and Kou accepted it.”

“…did you intimidate the little one?”

“You bastard!”

I involuntarily cursed.

However, I once wondered if that was the case.

Kou isn’t overwhelmed by an Akinist’s aura, but he’s reluctant to leave me, who’s his guardian, in the beginning.

That’s why he said “I think” at first.

Now he’s saying he likes me, and I like him too much to reject it. However, it’s not like I’ve never thought he compromised and it actually meant “rather than marrying another person…”

…he still had that sad expression.

Even though I looked anxious, he doesn’t tell me “don’t worry” anymore.

…am I that unreliable?

“Rodo, Kou, like. Kou, Rodo, like… Then, we can’t? Marriage, two people, decision, thing. Relationship, no, person, business, ask, necessary, no.” (Rodo likes me. I like Rodo. …why can’t we? Marriage is a decision between two people. Other people have no business asking about our relationship.)

We looked at where the voice came from, at the person in my arms.

Kou is there, of course, since my mate and I just married today.

He looked at Rikadem expressionlessly.

Since Kou often becomes expressionless when he gets angry, is he angry right now?

“You, in the way. Sig, walk, can’t.” (You’re in the way. Sig can’t walk.)

He sometimes can’t speak well, but he improved a lot.

He had a cute way of speaking, but I think his way of speaking right now is still cute.

“…you don’t look intimidated. …but if you want to escape, I can help you, you know? I hear that Akinists have strong possessiveness.”

Seems like he’s just worried about Kou.

If I’m captured by an Akinist, it’s almost impossible to escape normally.

But I haven’t restricted all of Kou’s actions.

Even when we head to the barracks together, we’re not always together.

Kou often talks to the cooks in the cafeteria and often to the healers.

He sometimes talks to the soldiers, but by that time, I’d be taking a break so I just pull him away.

“Kou, want to run away, just think, run away, easy.” (If I want to run away, I just have to think about it and it’ll be easy to do.)

However, when Kou said that, he still had no expression.

What’s more, it’s something I didn’t want to hear.

“But, Kou, want to run away, think, no.” (But, I’m not thinking of running away.)

I’m immediately relieved at hearing that.

“…easy to escape…? Is that something you can say, knowing an Akinist’s obsession?”

The Fifth Corps Captain has an unbelievable expression.

However, Kou is a magician.

I also know that he can use movement magic.

Kou probably meant that.

It’d be impossible for me to keep up if he used movement magic.

If it’s an ordinary mage, I’d just have to wait for the opponent to run out of magic, but for Kou, that situation is unlikely.

Kou said he didn’t even know the feeling of diminishing magical power.

Even if I can smell my mate, I won’t be able to if he’s too far away.

I have to turn into a beast and rely on my instincts.

“…Rodo, wait. I’ll be back soon.”

Before I could reply, Kou disappeared from my arms.

“See? Escape, easy.”

Kou’s voice can be heard from behind Rikadem.

He looked surprised at seeing Kou appear behind him in an instant, but Kou──

“Wind.”

He just said one word before floating in the air.

I was also surprised at this.

Aside from the races that can fly in the sky, Kou didn’t have such characteristics.

In other words, this is probably floating in the air using magic that no one can use.

“Escape, easy. Restraint, easy. …kill, easy. …but, I won’t. Kou, Rodo, likes.” (Escape is easy. Restraint is easy. Killing is easy, but I won’t. I really like Rodo.)

He said something dangerous, but even I’m not confident that I can prevent Kou’s attack.

In particular, he said that the freezing magic can be used to easily kill if the blood was frozen.

Even I won’t get out of that alive.

No race has ever been stronger than an Akinist, but Kou appeared and can do that.

In other words, Kou is more precious than me.

That might be the reason why he came to be called “the treasure of the world”.

Kou, who moved near me while floating in the air, approached when he set foot on the ground.

“Rodo, hug.”

Kou, who still can’t ride Sig by himself, reached out to me.

I picked up his light body and locked it in my arms, and he leaned back on my body.

Kou grabbed the arm hugging him and exhaled a sigh of relief.

Even when stroking another beast or hugging someone, Kou only has a relieved expression in my arms.

I proceeded with Sig without calling out to the stunned Rikadem.

In the first place, we don’t talk except during a mission, and I’m not the one he cared about.

However, the eyes of the people who saw that series of events are focused on Kou.

Seems like even the people who have few chances of seeing magic understood that Kou’s power is special.

They used to look scared, but now they’re waving at Kou.

When Kou noticed, he smiled and turned around. Wahhh…and a cheer came out.

I’ve never heard of such a friendly and talented person.

Because not everyone would receive the cheers of the people.

They’re scared of me, but they also aren’t very friendly even with the other captains, magicians, His Majesty, and the Chancellor.

In other words, that alone makes Kou special.

For now, I wonder if it’s because of his title as “my exclusive magician”.

Kou doesn’t seem to be aware of his awesomeness.

Even though he’s amazing, he’d often tilt his head in confusion.

And say that he’s not that great.

Other than that, in the words he said before, he said something…

I still don’t understand Kou’s language.

It seems like the pronunciations of “Niho” and “Wearth” are different.

I can’t do anything to help with household chores such as cooking.

I’d just make a mess and break the plates.

When I was told, “you don’t have to do anything, just wait outside”, I realized that I was just getting in the way and not helping, so I was depressed.

…and if I was depressed, Kou would stroke my head.

Seriously, I don’t know which one is older.

Then some guys tremblingly approached.

Normally, no one would try to get close to an Akinist.

But among them was the figure of Moroki’s Representative.

The others are the magicians and some soldiers of the Fifth Corps…

“Rodo. I’m hungry.”

However, with Kou’s words, I ignored the surroundings and headed for a restaurant.

Everyone would have wanted to talk to Kou, but for me, my priority is to satisfy Kou’s hunger.

Since I’ve been eating Kou’s food, I’ve come to feel that the food I’ve been eating is bland.

I wasn’t originally obsessed with food and don’t have a favorite.

I just put it in my belly to live.

But now I want Kou’s cooking.

──I don’t want anyone to eat it.

My possessiveness is increasing, but Kou always forgives me.

I think it’s really good that my mate is Kou.

…I’m worried that the people around me are too charmed.

I just got married today…

If I’m robbed of Kou, I would kill that person even if Kou likes that person.

And since I have no way of keeping Kou, I would have no choice but to kill him.

I don’t want to give Kou to anyone.

How can I get him to like me more than he does now?