[V10C25] The Words He Couldn't Say

Silas Page the Dragon Slayer Page visited the room where Monica was under house arrest, finding his petite senior wrapped in a blanket on top of her bed, resembling a pill bug.

“Uh, Nee-san.”

He called out to her, but no response came back. Only the sounds of sniffles and choked sobs could be heard from underneath the blanket.

“…Ugh… I left the 1st and 2nd Divisions behind in the Worgan Mountains. Now I attacked the 7th Investigation Division… All the Dragon Knights hate me now…”

This was the same girl who had shot down Silas in the magical battle and faced Dunning and the dragon without flinching. Where in the world had that cool senior disappeared to?

“Hey, Nee-san, listen. It seems we get to leave tomorrow.”

“Eh? Oh, Silas-san…”

Monica stuck her head from under the blanket. Now she looked more like a snail than a pill bug.

“Ugh… I’m sorry, Silas-san. I made you handle all the cleanup…”

“I don’t mind one bit. I have plenty of energy to spare.”

After the red dragon returned to dragon territory, there were still various tasks to handle, such as the cleanup and explaining what happened to the Dragon Knights. However, Silas had taken care of everything while Monica was confined in the inn.

Ever since the incident, most of the 7th Investigation Division had grown cold to Silas and Monica, with some of them even glaring at them from behind their backs. Only Robson behaved the same as usual.

Those stares were what left Monica in this state.

(She’s still bothered by not being able to persuade Captain Dunning…)

Honestly, Silas was happy to act as her shield. The timid and docile Monica would be an easy scapegoat by herself, but having the intimidating Silas at her side thwarted many of those stares.

(Maybe that’s why Barrier-niisan teamed me up with her.)

While thinking about that in the back of his mind, Silas observed Monica’s current status. Her face showed clear signs of weariness and emaciation.

“By the way, are you eating properly?”

“…”

Seeing Monica avert her eyes, Silas immediately understood that she had not been eating. He crossed his arms.

“Nee-san, when you rode on my back, you were so light that I had to double check you were still there. I can see why your disciple packed emergency rations.”

“Ugh… I-I’m sorry…”

“If you lose any more weight, I’ll have to apologize to your disciple. I’m heading out now to buy some food, so did you want anything in particular?”

Monica fiddled with her blanket for a bit, then lifted her head when she came up with an idea.

“Um, t-then, I want to eat something unique to Eastern Ridill.”

“Like a local specialty of this town?”

Monica went silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, and then explained in an embarrassed tone.

“Um, you see, my disciple seems to like the recipes from Eastern Ridill… not that I can cook them or anything, but I want to try them out.”

Silas understood that feeling.

Monica had an apparent lack of interest in food, but it seems like she wanted to learn more about her disciple’s favorite foods. Such shared topics could spark an enthusiastic conversation once she returned home.

In that case, what would be appropriate? Silas placed his hand on his chin in thought.

“Then it’s gotta be venison skewers. Oh, and for home cooking, you can’t go wrong with pies. Each household has its own recipe for the pie crust, and they pay special attention to the decorations.”

“Oh, my disciple is great at making pies too!”

As expected. Silas began pondering how Monica’s disciple would make a good wife. There was a saying in Eastern Ridill: “When choosing a wife, you gotta pick the girl who can make a good pie.”

＊　＊　＊

Silas went out to buy some food for the sequestered Monica, before realizing that he might not have any copper coins. He stuck his hand into his pocket and flinched at what he found.

This was no copper coin, but an acorn. Silas pulled it out and examined its glossy surface.

(That Auntie kept going on and on about bugs, then she leaves us with this.)

Before departing, the red dragon had left two acorns in Monica’s hood.

This was because Silas told the dragon that humans didn’t eat bugs, and the dragon had listened to him.

How could he possibly continue to hunt dragons without first hearing them out?

It was a known fact that dragons are dangerous. Many looked down on humans, and some even hunted them for fun. But couldn’t the same be said for humans?

(…Guess I’ll have to study up on the spirit language.)

His hatred for dragons would never fully disappear, but the least he could do was listen to their side of the story before stabbing them in the forehead with his spear.

(I’m always all talk. I haven’t accomplished anything.)

It all started with his regret at the empty “everything will work out somehow” that he told to his young friend. Thus, Silas wanted to become a man who could say, “I’ll take care of everything,” no matter how difficult the situation.

But for this mission, he had accomplished absolutely nothing. It was Monica who faced off against Dunning and the red dragon.

——”Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

Her words were not empty. The little senior had challenged Dunning with resolve, then dominated him with chantless magic once the negotiations broke down.

Meanwhile, all Silas could do was wave around his spear recklessly in anger.

That little witch understood what it meant to wield power.

“…Woops.”

While lost in thought, Silas had accidentally passed by the market into the residential area. The red-roofed building diagonally to his right was his childhood home.

The neighboring house was where the family of his young friend used to live. It was currently occupied by a completely unrelated elderly couple.

There was a man looking up at that house. He wore a hood and his face was wrapped tightly in bandages.

(What’s with that guy…?)

The man seemed to be staring intently at the home where Silas’s young friend used to live.

However, Silas was acquainted with the elderly couple living there and, as far as he knew, they did not have any children.

“You there. Got some business with the folks living there?” Silas called out to the man.

“…”

The man slowly turned to face him.

Light blond hair was visible under his hood. Seen through the gaps in his bandages, the man’s eyes were light blue, with a drop of green.

Silas found those eyes familiar for some reason.

“Hey, long time no see,” the man replied.

“Huh?”

Silas frowned, as the man continued in a soft, warm tone.

“Leader.”

That was a nostalgic word for Silas.

Silas had fancied himself as the leader of the kids in town, and wanted to be respected by everyone younger. He often went around saying, “Call me Leader,” and his young friend admonished him for that.

“Silas-niisan, what do you mean? The leader of what?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just show some respect and call me Leader.”

“If you want respect, you need to earn it.”

“…What. Are you really six years old?”

Remembering the nostalgic exchange hit Silas right in the heart.

Just like the boy from back then, the man in front of him tilted his head slightly to the side.

“Did you not want me to call you that anymore? I do believe you are a respectable adult now.”

“…!”

Silas stumbled over his words for a few seconds, before finally uttering the name of the boy from his memories.

“…I-Ike? Isaac Walker?”

Silas could not see the man’s face under the bandages. However, his blue eyes seemed to be narrowed in the form of a smile.

“Long time no see, Silas-niisan… Or should I call you Leader instead?”

“Y-You’re alive…?! I heard that your carriage bumped into a herd of earth dragons, and…”

Silas’s neighbor Isaac had lost his father to the dragons. Then, his mother took him and his younger brother in an attempt to evacuate to safety. However, the carriage they boarded ended up getting attacked by earth dragons, and there were almost zero survivors.

That said, there was no accurate source of information listing all of the victims and survivors. Far too many people had gone missing, and the confusion jumbled up all of the reports.

Perhaps Isaac’s mother and brother had survived as well. Silas held onto this glimmer of hope, until Isaac lowered his gaze and continued.

“…Yeah. I was the only survivor.”

Silas went speechless.

Isaac had only been six years old at the time.

After holding back a series of curses, Silas observed the bandages covering Isaac’s face.

“Those bandages…”

“The earth dragon incident left me with some scars. It’s something I’d prefer to keep hidden.”

“…I see. What have you been doing all this time? I didn’t hear anything about you coming back to Lugaroa, so I guess you’re living somewhere else?”

Isaac remained silent. However, the parts of his mouth visible through the gaps in the bandages appeared to be smiling.

“Hey, Ike. Is something the matter? Is that why you came back…?”

“I thought I might be allowed to meet you here.”

“…?”

Isaac lifted a portion of the bandages covering his mouth and continued.

“You see, Silas-niisan, I’m in a bit of a complicated position right now. Whether or not I managed to meet you was a bit of a gamble. It seems I won that bet.”

Isaac stared directly at Silas. It was as if he was engraving a person into his memory. One that he might never see again.

“It’s been so long, so I wanted to talk to someone who knew me… And thanks to you, I’ve accomplished that.”

“Hey, wait. What’s with that face!?”

Silas approached Isaac, who quickly bowed his head and lowered his hood.

“I just wanted to talk to you for a bit, Silas-niisan. Just like the old days. That’s all, really.”

“How can you be satisfied with this?! We have so much to catch up on!”

Before Silas managed to reach Isaac, he had already turned his back to leave. His sense of balance and agile movements were the sign of someone who had undergone special training.

“…Sorry,” Isaac apologized. “But I don’t have much time. I have to go now.”

“Oi, wait, Ike!”

Isaac began walking off, but Silas shouted at his back. Proudly and arrogantly, as a confident mage should.

“I’m one of the Seven Sages now! Silas Page the Dragon Slayer Mage! …You know about the Seven Sages, right? We’re the most powerful mages in the country.”

“…Yeah, I know them well.”

“So…”

Silas clenched his teeth.

He needed to say it now. Or else, he might never be able to utter those words again.

“If there’s ever anything troubling you, just rely on me! I’ll… I’ll do everything in my power to help you!”

In truth, he wanted to say, “I’ll take care of everything.” But this was the best Silas could manage at the moment.

(Count on me, Ike. And I’ll do everything I can, just like Nee-san did for me. For sure this time.)

Silas stared desperately at the back of his departing friend, until Isaac paused to turn around.

“…Got it. Thanks, Leader.”

Had the feelings he wanted to convey reached Isaac?

Surely, they must have. Isaac had always been a perceptive boy.

Trying to cover up his embarrassment, Silas absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair.

“I lack experience, so I won’t be as good as Silent Witch-neesan… But well, you know. I won’t lose if it comes to a brawl…”

“Hold on a second.”

Isaac abruptly interrupted him.

Silas looked puzzled, wondering if he had said something strange. Meanwhile, Isaac walked back over to him and began questioning him in a strangely low tone.

“Silent Witch-neesan…?”

“Yeah, you know her? The Silent Witch. She’s my senior.”

“…Why are you calling her ‘neesan’?”

A reasonable doubt. Monica was younger than Silas, so Isaac was confused as to why Silas used the honorific meant for an older woman.

Silas crossed his arms and nodded in understanding.

“Well, because she’s my senior in the Sages. Plus, she’s pretty damn amazing. Got quite the guts for someone that small… What’s with that face?”

“…Nothing, really.”

Silas could not see Isaac’s face behind the bandages, but for some reason, he imagined a sparkling smile there.


What Silas didn’t know was that behind the smile, Isaac was marveling at how unnecessarily complicated their relationships had gotten.

(…Well, I’m also pleased to hear that my master has been recognized by her coworkers, of course.)

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