This was the second time I had ridden in a carriage with a carnivorous beastfolk.
And this time, Ed, who had been my only source of comfort, wasn’t even here.
The carriage, now occupied solely by Billy and me, carried an odd atmosphere as we sat facing each other.
“So, where are we going?”
Billy, who hadn’t told me the destination, had simply said, “You’ll see when we get there,” and led me outside.
I looked around the carriage with curious eyes. It was completely different from the modestly elegant Morton family carriage I was used to.
The interior of the Louvre family’s carriage was painted a deep blue, symbolizing the blue hair characteristic of wolf beastfolk, and accented with gleaming gold.
Despite the colors’ potential to feel somber, the carriage exuded a luxurious elegance instead.
‘Distracting myself by sightseeing makes this a bit easier.’
Focusing more on the carriage than on Billy seemed to calm my nerves.
Unlike the Morton family carriage I had taken to the wolf territory, the Louvre family’s carriage offered an incredibly smooth ride.
Eventually, it veered off the well-paved road and began rolling down a bumpy dirt path.
Not long after entering the dirt road, the carriage began to slow down.
‘Where are we now?’
Peering out the small window on one side of the carriage, I couldn’t quite figure it out. All I could see was a single ivory-colored building.
When the carriage came to a stop, Billy got out first and held out his hand. I hesitated briefly before taking it and stepping down.
‘Goodness, I thought I’d suffocate in there.’
Unlike Billy, who had been lounging casually, enjoying the view, and striking up conversation with me, I had been too restless to sit still.
I had desperately wanted to flee somewhere or at least hide myself. But what could I do in a moving carriage?
All I could do was endure it, fidgeting with my hands, pretending to examine the interior of the carriage for the umpteenth time, and biting my lips to pass the time.
Still, at least I hadn’t visibly trembled like I had before. That was a relief.
As soon as I stepped down and released Billy’s hand, I noticed a middle-aged woman approaching us with a warm smile.
“Who’s that?” I asked, looking up at Billy.
“She’s the headmistress who takes care of the children here,”
“Children?”
The headmistress reached us in a few brisk steps, greeting us warmly with a kind smile.
As we followed her inside the building, my initial confusion gradually gave way to surprise.
“Headmistress! He used magic to blow up my peach!”
“Well, you called me stupid for not controlling my magic properly!”
“Who are these people, Headmistress?”
“Wow, it’s an herbivore beastfolk! Emil, come here! They don’t have fangs, just like you!”
The spacious room inside was arranged like a kindergarten classroom, with over twenty children making things, eating snacks, or playing together.
“These children…” Billy whispered softly, bending down so the children wouldn’t hear, “…are the ones who were rescued.”
“The ones I rescued?”
All I had done was report the incident.
Wasn’t it Billy who had infiltrated the Zeb mansion and brought the children to safety?
Hearing that these were the children I had supposedly saved, I saw the room’s scene in a new light.
“Now that I think about it…”
The children were casually using magic in their daily lives—a stark contrast to the sheep territory, where I had rarely seen such a sight due to the lack of proper mages.
Bang!
“Hey, you idiot! Why are you making that?”
One child, who had been using the light from their hands to create something, accidentally caused it to explode.
The upset child, now on the verge of tears, was scolded by another, who stood with their hands on their hips and spoke as if lecturing them.
“We don’t need to make those things anymore. Don’t you see the other kids?”
Pointing around the classroom, the scolding child then helped the other up and ran off to join their friends.
Watching this unfold, the headmistress explained in a troubled voice, “That child was only recently rescued. They still feel anxious if they’re not making magical items.”
“Oh…”
“But thanks to your help, these children now have a safe place where they can grow and receive support. I can’t thank you enough.”
The headmistress, who had been watching the hesitant child with a look of pity, bowed her head in gratitude.
“Please thank her instead,” Billy said, gesturing toward me.
The headmistress turned to me and offered her thanks.
“Oh, no, I didn’t really do anything,” I stammered, waving my hands in protest.
But Billy shook his head firmly.
“You don’t realize how big of an accomplishment this is,”
He had been making it sound like I’d done something incredible from the beginning, and now he was giving me a dazzling smile.
“I wanted to show you this,” Billy added. “How the rescued children are living now.”
Watching the children run around and play, my heart swelled with emotion. A warm smile spread across my face as I looked around the classroom. Then, one of the children ran up to me, gazing up at me with curious eyes before grabbing my hand tightly.
With their tiny hands firmly clasping mine, they led me into the classroom, shouting, “Guys! Look! An adult without fangs!”
“Wow! I’ve seen kids like Emil, but it’s my first time seeing an adult without fangs!”
The children, most of whom were carnivorous beastfolk, gathered around me as though I was some fascinating exhibit. Behind them, a few herbivorous beastfolk kids peeked out curiously.
Still feeling a bit dazed, I beckoned the herbivorous kids over, and a few with gentle eyes cautiously approached.
Seeing the smiles slowly spreading across their faces, I couldn’t help but smile myself.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded by the children, blending in with them and playing as if I’d returned to my own childhood.
Leaning against the doorframe, Billy watched the scene unfold with a contented smile on his face.
***
“See you all next time, kids!”
Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow over the building.
It was time to head back to the mansion, and I felt a pang of reluctance.
“When will you come again?”
“How many nights do we have to sleep before you come back?”
Looking at the children’s round, sparkling eyes, I turned to Billy, who was standing by the carriage. Without a word, he held up his open palm.
“Five nights. After five nights, we’ll see each other again.”
I hooked my pinky fingers with theirs to seal the promise. Waving goodbye one last time, I climbed into the carriage.
As the wheels began turning toward the Louvre mansion, the children waved until they were out of sight.
When I finally sat back properly, Billy gave me a brief explanation.
After I reported the situation, the children had been rescued from the Zebra mansion. Following that, the Mage Tower had launched a full-scale investigation into the exploitation of magic slaves.
Thanks to this, many were rescued, and the younger ones were now being cared for in the ivory-colored building we had visited today.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “Honestly, I reported it without any solid evidence. I really appreciate how quickly you acted on it.”
“It’s something that had to be done,” Billy replied. “But I’m curious—how did you even get that information if you’ve never been to the zebra territory?”
“Oh, I got it from the Information Guild.”
Hearing this, a faint smirk tugged at Billy’s lips. He covered his mouth, but I could still hear the laughter in his voice.
“You were scammed.”
“Scammed?”
“For something like that, the price you paid was way too high for the value of the information.”
What? If that wasn’t rare information, then what was?
As I stared at him in disbelief, Billy delivered the final blow.
“Well, you do have the kind of face that’s easy to trick.”
What? This wolf!
Noticing my slightly sharp glare, Billy pressed his lips together, suppressing his laughter. Trying to compose himself, he said, “If they’d seen you with a shovel, no one would’ve dared to scam you.”
“If you’d like, I can tell that to the Lord of the House directly,” I retorted.
Billy just laughed in response, and his grin stayed plastered on his face all the way back to the mansion.
***
After a two-day tour of the Mage Tower, Ed finally returned.
I had been incredibly curious about what one does during a Mage Tower tour, so as soon as Ed arrived, I barely gave him time to catch his breath before dragging him out for a walk in the garden.
The paths I frequented in the garden were conveniently quiet, with few servants around, which made me feel at ease.
“How was the Mage Tower tour, Ed?”
“It was amazing!” Ed said, beaming from ear to ear.
I gave him a pat on the head and sat down on a bench in the garden, motioning for him to join me.
“What was the most fun part?”
Ed rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought, before his eyes lit up as though he’d just remembered.
“Helping a chimpanzee grant a wish!”
“Huh?”
“I know all about it. That chimpanzee bullied you last time, didn’t it?”
How in the world did Ed know about that? I hadn’t told him a thing!
“The Tower Master said there are some omnivorous beastfolk with such twisted personalities. Then he asked if I wanted to help fulfill their wish. So, I did.”
“Ah…”
What in the world had they been teaching him at the Mage Tower?
Although I didn’t know what kind of person the Tower Master was, I had a strong feeling they weren’t entirely normal.
A few days after Ed returned, I finally got a chance to see for myself the truth about the Tower Master, which I had only been able to speculate about until then.
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