The one who had shouted was Bernaba, who had come to fetch Rose.
“Lord Bernaba.”
“What on earth! What are you even saying, child?! Why would you say something so outrageous…?”
Rose tilted her head in confusion.
“Well, you see…”
As Rose began explaining again, Edelmar looked away from her and turned his gaze to Ian.
If it were the usual Ian, who always cared so much about Rose, this conversation would’ve sent him into a frenzy—but strangely, he remained calm.
‘Is it because he knows the imprint can’t be done again anyway, so he just doesn’t care anymore?’
Then Ian knelt on one knee.
Smiling warmly at Rose, he said.
“Rose. Let’s go with Lord Bernaba and get in the carriage. We’re going on a trip.”
“Oh right! A trip, a trip!”
Excited, Rose began singing happily. Ian placed a kiss on her forehead and said to Bernaba,
“We can talk on the way. Please take Rose and go on ahead.”
Bernaba gently picked Rose up in his arms.
“Huh?”
“It’s been a while since I held you like this.”
As Bernaba carried Rose out, Ian slowly stood up from his seat.
And in that moment, an intense murderous aura erupted from him.
‘Damn it!’
Edelmar quickly stepped in front of Ian.
“Let’s go.”
Just facing that killing intent made his skin tingle. He felt his own rage flaring up in response.
Edelmar shouted urgently.
“Fenrex! Get out of here, now!”
Ian shot Edelmar a deadly glare.
“Now!”
“Uh? Oh—”
Startled by Ian’s killing intent, Fenrex bolted from the room. Then Ian pushed Edelmar aside.
But Edelmar grabbed and restrained him, stopping him from rushing out.
“Let me go.”
“Calm down. Are you trying to start a war in the Duke’s estate?”
The sound of teeth grinding filled the air.
“You know very well that she can’t be imprinted again until she turns 18.”
“It’s better to get rid of the source of the problem.”
Ian said, glaring at Edelmar.
“He’s still just a child. What we consider permission and what Rose considers permission are different!”
“….…”
“Didn’t you say you wanted Rose to be happy?”
Ian’s body flinched. The killing aura vanished in an instant.
Edelmar let out a silent sigh of relief.
“What you’re doing now is overstepping your bounds. If Rose truly comes to love Fenrex, will you still oppose it? Is that really how someone who wishes for her happiness should act?”
Ian bit his lip.
“Get a grip. Rose isn’t your puppet to move at your command. I know you want to protect her, but don’t smother her in the name of care.”
“…..…”
As Edelmar let go of Ian, he spoke calmly.
“If you’ve come to your senses, then let’s go. Everyone’s probably waiting.”
Ian bit his lip as he watched Edelmar turn away.
‘Overprotective.’
“Aren’t you coming?”
“…I’m coming.”
Ian sighed and began walking.
Everything outside was already set and ready.
“My lord.”
Ian waved off William’s greeting and responded.
“Protect the ducal estate well.”
“With honor!”
William pounded his chest and shouted.
After giving William a pat on the shoulder, Ian approached Napharoa.
“Oh, Duke. All set and ready?”
“Yes. I heard you’re not taking a carriage?”
Napharoa slapped his own thigh confidently.
“Why ride a carriage when I’ve got sturdy legs? Besides, beastfolk usually feel stuffy in carriages, so don’t worry about it.”
‘Beastfolk feel stuffy in carriages?’
Ian looked over at Fenrex, who had always ridden in carriages before.
Sensing Ian’s gaze, Fenrex flinched and quickly hid behind Kura.
“Fenrex?”
Ian scoffed inwardly and turned his gaze.
“Alright then, let’s get going.”
“Got it.”
As Ian climbed into the carriage, Claude’s voice rang out.
“We’re heading out!”
***
The road to the beastfolk nation was mostly flat, and there were no ambushes, making the journey smooth.
Just as they were about to cross the empire’s border into beastfolk territory, Claude knocked on the carriage door.
“King Napharoa would like to have a word.”
“Alright.”
At Ian’s permission, the carriage came to a slow stop.
Taking the opportunity, Ian helped Rose out of the carriage and did a light stretch.
Edelmar, who followed behind him, glanced toward a faintly visible city and asked.
“Is that where we’re headed?”
“Yes. We don’t have time to waste.”
Fenrex’s ‘home visit’ was just a cover.
Since time was critical, Ian had decided with Napharoa to head straight to the region where the epidemic had broken out.
“Duke.”
Napharoa, now covered in dust, appeared in a bizarre outfit.
Ian frowned as he looked at Napharoa’s bare chest.
“Can you please put on some proper clothes?”
“Why? This is great! Want one for yourself? I’ve got a spare!”
“I’m fine.”
Even on Earth, Ian had always been a traditionalist.
He never understood why people—regardless of gender—felt the need to walk around with their chests exposed.
Napharoa pouted, seemingly hurt by Ian’s rejection.
“But this is seriously comfortable.”
“Let’s drop the clothing talk. Has something happened?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
Napharoa stroked his chin.
“Things have stopped progressing. It’s strange.”
Ian furrowed his brows.
“Stopped progressing?”
“Yeah. We just received a report—apparently, the epidemic isn’t spreading anymore.”
“…Are there any beastfolk who’ve recovered?”
Ian asked, but Napharoa shook his head.
“No, that’s not it. It just means the disease hasn’t spread further.”
The disease had been airborne.
Because of that, if even one person in a village was infected, they had to isolate the entire area.
But if the spread suddenly stopped…
“That could mean transmission isn’t actually the cause.”
Napharoa nodded.
For something expected to spread like wildfire, it was odd that it hadn’t. It was becoming harder to categorize this as a typical illness.
“No one has died so far?”
“As strange as it sounds, no. No deaths.”
Edelmar looked at Ian.
Ian stroked his chin in thought, then nodded.
“Please wait a moment. Rose, come here.”
Rose, who had been playing with Fenrex—now in the form of a wolf pup—ran over.
Ian picked her up and opened the door to the following carriage.
“Duke?”
Hamil, who had been dozing off against the carriage wall, rubbed her eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“Could you take care of Rose for a bit? Rose, stay with Sister Hamil, okay?”
“What about you, Uncle?”
As Ian handed Rose over to Hamil, he gently reassured her.
“Uncle’s just stopping by somewhere real quick. Lord Bernaba will be with you too, so don’t be scared.”
Rose stared at him for a moment before nodding.
Ian kissed her on the forehead, then headed back to the original carriage.
“Lord Bernaba.”
“Yes? What about Rose?”
“I think it’d be safer for Rose to be at the palace, so I moved her to another carriage.”
“Is something going on?”
Ian briefly explained the halt in the disease’s spread and the absence of any deaths.
“Hm… You want me to go with her?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll go.”
Bernaba lightly hopped down from the carriage and moved over to Hamil’s.
Ian then turned to Napharoa.
“King Napharoa, I’d like to send Rose ahead to the royal palace first.”
“Oh, really? One sec.”
While Napharoa called over Kura to give some instructions, Ian turned to Edelmar and asked.
“Grand Duke Edelmar, are you headed to the palace?”
“Do I look like I’m going to the palace?”
Ian shrugged.
“It’s just polite to ask.”
Edelmar let out a faint chuckle.
After finishing his talk with Kura, Napharoa spoke up.
“Kura will take the knights and everyone else to the palace. Are you going on horseback?”
Ian shook his head.
“No.”
“Then what? Don’t tell me you’re taking a carriage?”
Ian pointed at Edelmar with his finger.
“I’ll be riding on Grand Duke Edelmar.”
“…What?”
Edelmar stared at him in disbelief.
Ian grinned.
“We’re pressed for time and I can’t use aura, after all.”
“You’re saying you’ll ride the Grand Duke of the Empire like a mount?”
“If not, then what’s the point of bringing the Grand Duke with me? You can’t use magic—unless, of course, you’d prefer to head to the palace instead?”
Edelmar, who had only ever been treated like royalty as the Empire’s youngest prince, gave a dry laugh—being considered a mount was definitely a first.
“Fine. Let’s do that.”
Ian smiled contentedly and said.
“Then kindly lower your knees.”
***
Napharoa, having transformed into a massive wolf, sprinted ahead at full speed. Right behind him, Edelmar carried Ian on his back, keeping close.
“Comfortable back there?”
Edelmar asked mid-run.
“Yes. Your back’s nice and broad—it’s perfect.”
Edelmar, his feet infused with aura, wasn’t just fast—he was steady. It was so comfortable, Ian finally understood why kids fell asleep on someone’s back like they were under anesthesia.
“Whoa.”
Napharoa came to a halt and let out a short howl before shifting back into human form.
“This must be the place.”
Ian tapped Edelmar on the shoulder and dismounted, then glanced around.
Due to the epidemic, the area was completely deserted. If it weren’t for faint lights inside the houses, you’d think it was a ghost town.
“Can you perform magic on multiple people at once?”
Ian nodded.
“As long as they’re gathered in one place.”
At that, Napharoa dashed off somewhere.
A few moments later, a loud bell rang through the village with a resonant deng-deng.
One by one, doors that had remained tightly shut began to open, and beastfolk cautiously stepped outside.
“There’s fewer people than I expected.”
Edelmar muttered as he watched them.
“Yes.”
Ian had received all the relevant info about this village from Napharoa.
The village was said to have about 40 households and roughly 100 beastfolk. But fewer than 40 had shown up.
Considering the disease had no symptoms until the very end—when the infected began coughing up blood—it was hard to believe the rest were simply too sick to come.
“No one’s supposed to have died, right…?”
Napharoa had definitely said the disease had stopped progressing and that there had been no deaths.
“Then what’s going on?”
Just as Edelmar voiced the question, Ian remained silent, staring at the beastfolk when Napharoa suddenly came running over.
“Duke? What’s the holdup?”
“There are too few people here.”
Napharoa scanned the crowd of beastfolk, frowning.
“Why are there only this many? Where is everyone else?”
At their king’s question, the villagers started glancing at one another nervously.
‘They’re exchanging looks?’
“Where’s the village chief? Chief, come out here!”
At Napharoa’s shout, a man hesitantly stepped forward from the crowd—he’d been hiding among them.
“Hey, Chief. What’s going on? Didn’t you report around 100 people? Where are the rest? Don’t tell me they died while we weren’t looking?”
“Well, the thing is…”
The chief, whose face showed no rash or blotches, fidgeted nervously.
Ian watched him, then scanned the crowd again as a thought flashed through his mind.
‘There’s not a single one.’
Edelmar exhaled in disbelief, muttering.
“Did they kill the infected?”
At those words, the beastfolk visibly flinched.
Napharoa turned to Edelmar with a glare.
“Grand Duke, that’s a harsh accusation.”
“Harsh? Maybe. But doesn’t it seem more like the truth? King Napharoa, take a look for yourself. Is there anyone here showing symptoms?”
Napharoa looked carefully at each of the gathered villagers.
Just as Edelmar had said, their faces and hands were completely clean.
It was as if not a single one of them had ever been infected.
Edelmar curled one side of his lip into a cold smile.
“We come to a village supposedly struck by plague—and no one shows a sign of illness. What are we supposed to make of that, King Napharoa?”
