[V11C35] Childhood Memories and Crispy Pies

Despite the drizzling rain, Silas Page the Dragon Slayer Mage suddenly knelt down on the wet ground.

His stern face and tightly knitted brows suggested he had undergone tremendous suffering, or was contemplating an indescribable despair.

“Um, Silas-san…?”

As Monica grew perplexed, Silas slowly stood up. He seemed better now, as if he had let go of all his worries.

“Uh, sorry. I was just really shocked to learn that Ike was your disciple…”

“Eh?”

Now Monica was the one being surprised.

Why did Silas refer to Isaac as Ike?

Isaac Walker was the name of a boy who died twelve years ago.

In addition, he had only regained his face a few days ago. That wasn’t nearly enough time to make new acquaintances.

Monica turned to Isaac, who explained while swiping the droplets off his bangs.

“Silas-niisan used to live next door when we were children.”

Addressing him as ‘Silas-niisan’ was enough to convey his familiarity with Silas.

As Monica struggled to fathom this chain of surprises, Isaac gestured towards the door.

“Shall we go inside? Don’t want to catch a cold in this rain.”

＊　＊　＊

Once inside the house, Isaac took Silas’s wet coat and placed it on a hanger, then handed towels to Monica and Silas.

The rain had weakened into a mere drizzle, so Monica was hardly wet. However, Isaac insisted, “You need to dry your hair properly,” as he carefully wiped a few drops of rain off her hair.

While watching this play out, Silas let out a mutter as he wiped off his face.

“…Man, I can still hardly believe it. To think I would bump into Ike here of all places.”

Monica nodded repeatedly as Isaac wiped her hair, making the silent appeal that she was just as surprised.

Isaac collected the wet towels and put on a faint smile——or rather, one that was intended to be a reassuring smile.

“Silas-niisan,” Isaac said. “Did Duke Erin mention the name of your collaborator on the dragon detector project? You know, the one in Sazandol who is researching underwater reconnaissance magic.”

“…Huh? Why do you know about that…?”

“Because that collaborator is me, Isaac Walker. I look forward to working with you.”

Both Silas and Monica widened their eyes to the limit.

“Collaborator!? You!?”

“T-This is the first time I’ve heard about this…! Even though I’m your master…!”

Though shocked, Monica now understood how Isaac got hold of the dragon detector blueprints. That would be easy if he joined the project as a collaborator.

However, research collaboration was not something that could be arranged overnight. There were complicated procedures involving funding, research facilities, and, of course, usage rights. When in the world had he started making these arrangements?

Monica gave Isaac a dissatisfied glance, and Isaac frowned apologetically.

“Sorry for not telling you, Monica. Things have been a bit hectic since my return…”

Certainly, Isaac had encountered Gluttonous Zoe immediately after his return to Sazandol, losing face of Prince Felix. Calling it hectic was an understatement.

Unlike Monica, Silas seemed both surprised and delighted.

“I see, so it’s you… Ah, damn, I wish you told me sooner! A research project with the two of us, huh…”

Silas ruffled his blonde hair, savoring the moment.

“…I never thought the day would come.”

Those words were filled with emotions unknown to Monica.

Isaac nodded in agreement as he offered chairs to both of them.

“I’ll excuse myself since you probably have something to discuss among fellow Sages. Call me when you’re done; I’ll prepare tea and snacks in the meanwhile.”

“Sure, make my tea a bit on the strong side,” Silas replied.

Isaac put on a nostalgic smile and continued taking Silas’s order.

“Shall I heat the pie crust to a golden brown?” Isaac asked.

“Yeah, I don’t like it when the crust gets soggy with the filling…”

“Right. In the past, you used to fuss about it being undercooked.”

“I know, but that was just the pie getting soggy because of the moisture in the filling. Back then, I really thought it was undercooked.”

“Looks like you’ve gotten smarter, Silas-niisan.”

“Dammit, Ike! If you’re going to refer to me as an older brother, then show some respect!”

“Sure thing, Leader.”

Isaac chuckled as he left the living room.

While watching him leave, Monica could not help but speak her thoughts aloud.

“Ike looks so happy.”

Behind their playful banter was a sense of deep familiarity.

Whether Isaac was aware of it or not, his manner of speaking became more relaxed and casual when talking to Silas.

This felt a bit strange to Monica, as she had always seen him speaking eloquently and confidently, in the form of Prince Felix.

With a slightly embarrassed smile, Silas leaned back against the chair’s backrest.

“Sorry about running my mouth like that, Nee-san… I couldn’t help myself, it just felt so nostalgic.”

“Don’t be. If Ike is happy, then I’m happy too.”

Above all, Monica was glad that Isaac had someone he could act like ‘Isaac’ to.

Monica’s disciple, Isaac Walker, was not some ghost who didn’t exist.

(But still…)

Monica glanced briefly at the door leading to the kitchen. She recalled the story Silas had told her during their stay in Lugaroa.

“Um, Silas-san. About what you mentioned before, the doctor’s son who lived at the house next door… Could he be…”

“…Keep what I said between us, okay?”

As she suspected, Isaac was the boy who had lost his father.

Recalling Silas’s story about the boy hiding from the adults and crying silently by himself, Monica clenched her fists above her knees.

Then, she turned back to the still awkward Silas.

“I… I think it’s wonderful that you’re Ike’s friend,” Monica said.

Silas blinked a few times in surprise.

Monica twiddled her fingers and continued with a faint smile.

“Thanks to you, I got to know Ike a little better.”

In response, Silas lifted one corner of his lips into a toothy smile.

“Nee-san, you really are Ike’s master, huh…”

“Hehe… Yes, he’s my disciple.”

While exchanging awkward smiles, the two came to terms with their emotions. Monica still had some complex feelings about the matter, but she was glad to learn more about Isaac.

Those were her true feelings.

“…Ah, crap. Thorn-neesan is going to scold me for this. I almost forgot the main topic. First is this, the orders from Barrier-niisan.”

From his jacket, Silas took out a letter wrapped in oiled paper.

In Louis’s handwriting, it detailed the current situation in the capital and their instructions for the future.

“Nothing new going on in the capital,” Silas explained. “No sign of dragon activity. Also, the shadow removal spell you developed will be verified at the Royal Institute of Magic, so wait for confirmation before using it.”

Louis and the researchers of the Royal Institute were all skilled, but verification took time. It wasn’t feasible to send them the spell in the morning and expect it to be verified by dinnertime.

It would likely take a few days, even if expedited.

“Also, I heard about Theodore and Gluttonous Zoe appearing in Sazandol. That guy may be good at hiding, but starting tomorrow, we’ll be mobilizing everyone in the Association to locate and beat the crap out of him.”

“…Tomorrow?”

Until now, they hadn’t been able to launch a large-scale search effort due to a lack of a decisive plan to capture Theodore.

Even if someone found him, Monica and the others lacked mobility, so they could not rush to the scene.

But with the addition of Silas, who excelled in flight magic, they had a lot more options at their disposal.

“Oh, and a message from Thorn-neesan. She said it’s fine if you return to the Association by tonight, so rest up until then.”

Apparently, Melissa had also noticed Monica’s lack of sleep.

Monica nodded with a wry smile, while contemplating the meaning of this.

(The large-scale search operation will start tomorrow… In that case…)

If she was to act, then today was her only chance.

Monica secretly resolved herself.

＊　＊　＊

Once Monica finished her conversation with Silas, she called out to the kitchen and Isaac returned with a tray of tea and pie.

However, the baked pie crust contained no filling, like an empty plate waiting to be filled.

Isaac poured cream into the crust, topping it off with blueberries and mint leaves freshly picked from the garden, then cut it into even slices.

He rarely pre-baked pies like this, instead preferring to fill the crust before baking. This time, Isaac must have pre-baked to provide Silas with the crispy pie he asked for.

“Please enjoy it before the crust gets soggy,” Isaac said.

For some reason, those words caused Silas to furrow his brows, frowning as if in pain.

“You’re so considerate; it brings tears to my eyes… But why does it have to be you, Ike?” Silas mumbled, glaring at Isaac’s apron.

“What am I getting scolded for?”

Silas let out a wistful laugh and shook his head.

“No, it’s not your fault. Just forget about it… Reality can be harsh.”

“Silas-niisan, you have a tendency to get ahead of yourself… I guess you got crushed by the gap between ideals and reality.”

“Ike, you rascal. Stop trying to beat me to death with logical arguments.”

Monica simply listened to their banter as she bit into the crispy pie.

The firm pie crust went well with the tangy cream and blueberries, creating a pleasant sensation in her mouth. A refreshing flavor, perfect for early summer.

As Monica was enjoying the pie, Silas looked over at her.

“Nee-san, let me know if Ike starts getting cheeky with you. I’ll give him a good scolding.”

“Monica, you can consult me if your big junior starts misbehaving. I can already think of ten ways to blackmail him, just off the top of my head.”

“Dammit, Ike. I said to show me some respect!”

“Sorry Leader, but you don’t deserve any if you keep acting all high and mighty.”

Whether it was Silas venting his frustration or Isaac returning the sarcasm, both seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Monica couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. Everyone was just so happy.

She silently thanked Melissa for arranging this meeting.

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