Chapter 65: Crucible Street (part two)

Tirnanog and I were invited by Auguste and boarded the gorgeous horse-drawn carriage of the royal warrant.

In addition to Auguste, there was a single guest.

No, should I say a single animal?

It was a black dragon almost as big as a human being.

Was it a new dragon for Auguste’s protection, or was it someone else’s dragon?

At first I thought so, but I noticed that the black dragon was reading a thick book while holding it deftly.

The black dragon raised its eyes from the book and looked at us and then Auguste in annoyance.

It had chrysoberyl-colored eyes with vertically elongated pupils that reminded me of cat’s eyes.

The dragon sighed wearily, and closed the book with a somewhat human-like gesture.

“Auguste. Supervising your behaviour shouldn’t be included in my work this time.”

H-huh? That voice, just now, where did it come from?

I felt like I heard it from the black dragon in front of me.

Dragons of this world understand human speech but they shouldn’t be able to talk in our language.

“No, no, don’t get me wrong, Professor.

She is a lady with a proper background.”

“It is said that unmarried royalty should not invite unmarried opposite gender into a closed room.

You are not in the age to have a suspicious affair, so I will overlook it this time, but hereafter please be more careful.

The problem is not about whether her background is proper or not.

Or did you think that I don’t know about the identity of that girl?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry, Professor.”

“I apologize to inconvenience you due to my inconsiderate behaviour.”

When I apologized, the black dragon who spoke human speech looked at me coldly.

The stare was somewhat sharp.

It seemed to be subtly disgusted, it felt like that.

“Professor, she is……”

“Daughter of Ernst, the Duke of Aurelia. I know.

In any case, this girl is also going out in secret.

I think that neither introduction nor greeting is necessary if we are not here for each other.”

My true identity was exposed in one shot.

There shouldn’t be anything distinctive in today’s clothes and belongings.

Or was there something I hadn’t notice yet?

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am called Erica Aurelia.”

Bowed and smiled softly.

The other side refused to greet, but it shouldn’t be a problem if I did it.

It would be safer to respond politely even if the other party was not favourable.

However, after I said that, as if he didn’t hear me, the dragon who was called ‘Professor’ turned away from us.

As Professor opened the book he was reading before, it seemed that he began to devote himself to the content again.

From the cover, it looked like a magic dictionary or something like that, but why would a dragon read such a thing?

“Ah—……sorry, Erica. He is that kind of person.”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

“That’s right, Erica. This is a slightly more complicated person.”

“I understand. Is he a mutant dragon who speaks human speech or an experimental body?”

Auguste said that he came here from Lindis, was it about this person?

Indeed, this certainly was interesting.

“She is a girl who is rich in delusion and whose ideas tend to leap. She closely resembles Eduart.”

“Are you acquainted with Onii-sama?”

“No, never mind. Auguste, please continue.”

This black dragon seemed to know Eduart-oniisama.

I wondered if anyone involved in Lindis Magic Academy knew him.

My older brother seemed to be conspicuous, whether it was in a good way or a bad way.

“This is my other cousin. He is a professor at Lindis.”

“Did the royal family get married with a dragon?”

I was surprised that humans and dragons would get married.

It was shocking that they would be able to mate.

Would the Union Kingdom become a country governed by a King with a dragon’s figure someday?

“No, no, in Ignitia, someone with the talent to harmonize with the consciousness of the dragons would rarely appear.

Professor is that kind of person, well, that is, he is a special dragon-user.”

“What do you mean by ‘harmonize’……?”

“Because he completely unified his consciousness with the dragon, he can move it like his own body as you can see right now.

His body is currently in the far distance Lindis, you know?

It’s a bit extraordinary, isn’t it?”

Auguste’s ultra-wide dragon control couldn’t be done easily, but this person was also special.

If Auguste’s control was far and wide but shallow, the black dragon seemed to be narrow but deeply controlled.

“I see. The inside of this black dragon is a proper person and is currently in Lindis?”

“I don’t want to reveal my name right now, so I would like you to call me ‘Professor’ for the time being.

I will introduce myself officially when we meet in Lindis, Aurelia.”

The dragon called Professor certainly had a more human-like look than a dragon.

He was a human smelling of sorrow and pessimism.

“That’s why I’m moving by a carriage, because I stand out with Professor.”

“I see……”

Huh, then I wondered why Auguste came to Lindis.

“So, what business does Auguste-sama have in Lindis?”

“Part of it was because my eggs were hatching……the rest, I want you to keep it a secret, is that fine?”

“Yes, if I betray Auguste, you can do an equally terrible thing to me.”

“Why would I do such a thing? Anyway, it’s about the incubator to hatch eggs.”

Auguste continued speaking.

Dragon eggs managed by Ignitia royalty were to be preserved and hatched on an incubator called Chalice.

Only a royalty could enter the strictly controlled room with the Chalice in it.

Yet, he said that unexpected things had happened.

“To tell you the truth, it was said that the Chalice was tinkered with.”

“That is……”

“Magic that blocked off telepathic power was performed by means of an ancient magic. It seems to be a magic to see dreams forever.”

“That’s why the eggs won’t hatch……!”

This was certainly a valuable information that I couldn’t say to anyone.

Not only it was a blasphemous act against the dragons related to the royalty of Ignitia, but also a treason?

The traitor was supposed to be in the depths of the royal family.

“Um, is that what Louis did as well?”

Louis Ode-Ignitia.

He was the son of the Second Prince of the former King and a dragon knight who hated the Crown Prince Auguste and tried to usurp him.

“I got a high-ranking mage to screen Louis’ thoughts from the surface to the deepest part, but it seems that he couldn’t find anything.”

“How creepy. Are Briar and Blumbell that were exposed to such magic okay?”

“The dragons weren’t altered by that magic, so they are fine.”

“What a relief……truly.”

I extended my hand and stroked the two hatchlings that were lying in a heap on Tirnanog’s knees.

Soft and warm.

Someone’s malice obstructed these children from being born into this world.

I disliked such abnormal malice from the bottom of my heart.

“Officially, the eggs hatching was delayed because of my problem, but we decided to investigate strictly behind the scenes.”

“Auguste-sama’s problem……are you fine with that?”

“I’m completely fine with that.”

Auguste still laughed as cool as ever, but I couldn’t read his emotion.

He had a poker face because he lived by being exposed to the malice and enmity of many people from the very young age.

“First off, the royal family, and the aristocrats around the royal family are suspicious.

Next, since the Chalice was created together with Lindis, people related to the magic academy are also suspicious.

But, if we make a big fuss in our investigation, people might die like cutting a lizard’s tail.”

It was a scary story.

I would like to avoid poking a bush and find a dead body.

“That’s why, just like Erica’s brother’s investigation, this time Professor is planning to investigate.”

“Professor’s ability to hide himself is perfect for this investigation, huh.”

“We have to hide this from the Lindis as well~.”

“Perhaps this is also a secret from Eduart-oniisama?”

“Aah, that’s right.”

I guessed it couldn’t be helped as it was for precaution.

It would be safe to ask Professor who was a royalty and a Lindis-related official.

“Also, if you meet with a professor, just say that you’re also training to become a Theurge.”

“Theurge?”

“It’s the person who is able to perform the secret arts of spiritual harmonization that I was talking about just now.”

“Is Auguste-sama also trying to harmonize your consciousness with Goldberry?”

“I tried to do it but it was useless. Apparently, I don’t seem to have an aptitude with possession technique like that.”

“No, Auguste. You are jumping to a hasty conclusion.”

Professor who was looking out of the window seemingly uninterested in our conversation until just now looked back and said so slowly.

“It is because of your spiritual problem that you cannot use the full possession technique.

Even without so much fear, the soul of a dragon is not so vulnerable that it can be crushed by the soul of a man.

Your ingenuity and training are more than sufficient……it is deplorable.”

“I will take it as a compliment, Professor.”

“Hm……Auguste, be aware that optimism is both good and bad.”

The black dragon shook his head in a human-like manner, and returned to his original posture once again.

Auguste looked at the state of Professor and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, because the technique of Theurge is not just possession.

I am learning from what I can do.

If there is a chance, I’ll even demonstrate it the next time we meet.”

The carriage stopped at the timing when Auguste said that and winked.

It seemed that we had arrived at Crucible Street where the usual alchemy-related stores were lining up.

“Oops, we seem to have arrived.”

Goldberry left Tirnanog while looking unhappy.

Tirnanog looked exhausted when I glanced at him.

Meanwhile, Professor was turning pages of the book unconcerned.

“Well then, let’s meet again later, Auguste-sama.”

“When the launching ceremony is over, let’s walk the streets together this time!”

“Yes, I’m looking forward for that.”

We separated from the Ignitia party and headed for Turm Wand Store.

Auguste called the black dragon as ‘kyoju’ which means ‘professor’, whereas Erica called Actorius with ‘sensei’ which means ‘teacher’.

So, can you guess who the black dragon is?