CH 100

“The necklace… what’s wrong with the necklace?” 

I was embarrassed when I received the necklace that Arsene had returned.

The middle part of the necklace was broken into pieces.

As if it had hit something.

“Linsy, have you ever bumped into something?” 

“No! I never did. The necklace was fine until just now, you saw it too.” 

I protested, holding the necklace with my eyebrows drooping out of frustration.

Apparently, I was fine until Arsene took it off my neck—.

‘…I’m not sure.’

It was the most hectic time when Arsene took off the necklace, so maybe it hit somewhere then and broke.

“What should I tell father?”

Looking at the broken necklace, I asked in a gloomy voice. 

“I won’t get scolded for breaking my necklace, right?”

“Of course, he won’t scold you even if you break the wolf statue in front of the gate.”

“No, we will get scolded, Arsene….”

The stone wolf statue in front of the gate is a statue commemorating his grandfather. At my words, Arsene shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyway, that’s what it is.”

“Anyway…  I’ll get in trouble if I break it.  I’m depressed, so give me another analogy.”

“The milk bottle in the kitchen?”

“A necklace is many times more valuable than a milk bottle.”

“Then what on earth should I compare it with? Yeah, uhm… the mirror in my room?”

“Surely a necklace is more expensive than a mirror, right, Arsene?”

Arsene was looking at me with an almost fed-up look on his face. 

“Do it on your own, it’s up to you. I’m not the one who breaks it—.” 

“No, Arsene. Let’s get in trouble together. Mmh? Let’s get scolded together.”

“I’m not even the one who break it, why should I?” 

“Listen, you were putting it in your pocket… Couldn’t it have been broken by rubbing against a sharp place somewhere?”

“A necklace this hard? That would have made a loud noise.”

“Well that’s true, a loud noise….” 

Huh? 

Arsene and I simultaneously lifted our heads and looked at each other.

“A loud noise….” 

“It happened, loud noise! When the lights go out and the set goes over!”

“Did it break then? For what reason? Then… No way.” 

Arsene’s face turned white.

“Are you saying he wants to attacked you?”

“What? What do you mean? Besides, he would have used a sword or a bow if he had targeted me. You seem to be going too far with a broken necklace, Arsene.”

“But, there was a loud noise… The necklace is broken… Ey, I don’t know. Let’s ask Dad when he comes.” 

Arsene, who had changed into pajamas, lay on the bed and talked.

I naturally lay down next to Arsene and tucked myself under the blanket.

“Necklace, will you get scolded together?”

“Because you won’t be scolded for something like that. You still don’t know Dad?”

“But… you never know. He said it was a necklace he got from the lion territory.”

So it’s probably a very tricky necklace to get and a very expensive necklace. 

“Phew. Okay, okay.  If Dad scolds you, I’ll get scolded together. Is it enough?”

“Ung, you’re the best, Arsene.” 

Hehe, I laughed and held Arsene’s hand tightly.

Although Arsene’s condition has improved considerably now, we have been sleeping hand in hand for three years.

‘That’s how it feels to be stable.’ 

I felt like if I didn’t do something, Arsene would get sick.

‘Of course, it’s just my feeling.’

I still get anxious if I don’t do what I used to do. Sleeping hand in hand was like an unspoken rule between the two of us now. 

It seemed to be because we slept hand in hand for three years.

I lay down, looked at Arsene, and said slowly.

“You know, Arsene. That hood… why did the shadow wolf miss it?” 

“…Didn’t I train hard these days?”

Arsene closed his eyes and answered, slowly opening his eyes as if he had been stabbed.

“No, you trained well. I saw you train hard. I don’t think it’s the shadow wolf’s fault….” 

How did it tear the clothes around the neck like that?

Arsene had given the order to grab his head or the scruff of his neck, so he would have gone straight for his neck if it had been severed.

‘Could it have disappeared in the meantime?’

It could have been. If the shadow wolf had escaped and disappeared in that instant, it would make sense for the wolf to come back with a piece of clothing as a trophy. 

“…It’s really strange. I hope father comes soon, right?” 

“Mmhm, it’s a little scary when he leaves the mansion.” 

“Why?” 

“Because my dad is the strongest. I’m not as strong as my dad….” 

I was furious at Arsene’s words and said, while pulling off the blanket.

“What are you talking about, Arsene! You’re so strong! You’re ten years old now, huh? That’s how much you can use your power. That’s because you’re a genius.”

“I got it, Linsy… It’s embarrassing. Stop it.”

“If you repeat the genius three times, I’ll let you sleep.”

When I giggled, Arsene laughed along as if he couldn’t stop it. 

***

Giles Flower was found.

A report came from the territory of the Lion Clan. Lamont greeted Kendrick as he stepped into the Fernando Mansion with a pale face.

“Lamont, tell me slowly what happened.”

After Kendrick sat Lamont down and calmed him down, he pushed a teacup from the table in front of Lamont and said,

“A report came in from the northern mountain range. I heard there are people who keep the beastman who lost their minds. So I sent the knights. However…” 

Lamont swallowed his saliva and said. 

“Many beastmen lost their minds and were imprisoned in the form of intact beasts. There are a lot of them. Not only lions, but wolves, sheep, dogs, bears… Biting and tearing in a cage, there’s no such thing as living hell, Kendrick. But there’s no way to solve it, so it’s more disastrous that I have to let go of my hand.”

After Lamont had said this far, he let out a short sigh.

“I don’t know what kind of guys they are, but they aren’t the usual vicious guys. And it seems that the place where Giles grows flowers is also nearby. The two knights I sent fell asleep while looking over there.” 

Kendrick nodded as he listened to Lamont.

“Tell me who you talked to.”

“Who am I talking to? I just talked to you now. I didn’t have time to contact anyone else….” 

Lamont sighed. Kendrick nodded briefly, then stood up and tidied up his clothes. 

“Then come out and go straight away.”

“…Don’t tell me. Do you want to go with your shadow?”

“Why? Are you scared of throwing up on my shirt again?”

As Lamont’s face turned white, Kendrick laughed and provoked Lamont.

Once upon a time, when Lamont and Kendrick attended the academy together, Kendrick’s shadow power was used to move a long distance, and Lamont vomited on Kendrick’s shirt.

Lamont said with a frown as if it was unpleasant. 

“How long are you going to talk about it again?”

“Look at what you do. Lamont.”

As Kendrick snapped his fingers and made a sound, the surrounding shadows slowly gathered around them.

Lamont hardened his face as if tired of seeing Kendrick’s ability.

Either way, the shadow crawled up and completely covered the two of them.

And—.

The two disappeared without a trace as if they had disappeared into the ground.

“Lord, I brought tea… oh my.” 

Only the maid serving extra hot tea at Lamont’s order stood in the empty office. 

Kendrick and Lamont soon arrived near the mountains to the north.

“I should have brought the Knights, but since you are in such a hurry…!” 

“Lamont, would the head of the clan use such a weak word?”

Lamont didn’t know that Kendrick had broken Lamont’s pride and was only picking on the sounds of chewing. 

But.

‘His intention is clear.’

He seemed to want to get Lamont excited by having the two of them find the Giles flower and figure it out.

But Lamont had no desire to overturn the northern mountains alone with Kendrick to find the Giles flower.

However. 

‘Ah, damn it. I can’t even contact anyone because I don’t have any subordinates.’

Moreover, it was Kendrick’s ability to bring him here, so it was obvious that Kendrick wouldn’t return Lamont to the mansion until he achieved what he wanted. 

He should have recognized him when he dared to expose the academy.

Then. 

Pong—! 

Smoke with a subtle mixture of gold and black light exploded! It spread out, and soon a huge black lion appeared between them.

Kendrick looked at him and smiled.

“Yes, it would be better to look for it that way, you. If you don’t know how to use your head, you’ll have to use your sense of smell. Let’s start at this point.”

Kendrick pointed to the shack on the map and said,

It was the place that Lamont had talked about earlier, where beastman who had lost their minds were said to be confined.