[V12C13] Wasp vs. Dog

Silas Page the Dragon Slayer Mage was using flight magic to soar through the skies of Sazandol. After completing his patrol, he returned to the Mage Association.

Ideally, he wanted to pinpoint Theodore’s location as well as deal with the water dragons at the harbor, but he had strict orders from Melissa to focus on patrolling.

The reason being that Silas boasted the highest combat prowess and mobility among those currently present in Sazandol, making him crucial for the upcoming operation. Melissa likely wanted Silas in peak condition for when the moment came.

The Association had a few other mages capable of using flight magic, so Melissa assigned them to patrol the areas that Silas didn’t cover.

Regarding the water dragons in the harbor, Melissa speculated that Theodore intended to use them as bait to lure Sazandol’s mages into battle, wearing them down. Thus, she advised everyone to leave them alone as long as they did not come ashore.

(So does Gluttonous Zoe have some power for controlling dragons? Calling so many lesser dragons is practically like…)

Silas cut off his thoughts as he descended in front of the Mage Association, noticing a familiar figure standing at the door.

It was a tall blond man with an eyepatch over his right eye. His childhood friend Isaac, the disciple of the Silent Witch.

But why would he be here?

The Silent Witch’s memories had been devoured by Gluttonous Zoe. Could it be that something happened to her?

(No. Not again.)

When Silas first reunited with his childhood friend in the town of Lugaroa, Isaac had seemed incredibly unstable.

They had so much to catch up on, yet he said, “I just wanted to talk to you for a bit,” abruptly cut off the conversation, and tried to leave.

Isaac exuded an aura of resignation, as he had given up on everything. This frustrated Silas beyond measure.

But later, he saw Isaac wearing an apron and serving pie and tea in the Silent Witch’s house. Silas felt incredibly relieved to catch this glimpse into Isaac’s ordinary daily life.

Even after losing his family, he still had a place where he could find solace.

(Then Silent-neesan got her memories taken by Gluttonous Zoe… Ike seemed composed, but it must have been rough on him.)

Please, no more bad news. Silas made a silent prayer as he landed in front of Isaac.

“Ike, why are you…?”

“Silas-niisan.”

Isaac stared at Silas with a sort of calmness in his blue eyes. The dangerous aura from earlier was completely gone, replaced by a quiet determination.

“I came to ask for your help,” Isaac continued.

Those words struck Silas right in the heart.

Silas clenched his staff and shouted, “Of course!!”

This answer had been decided the day he irresponsibly told the young Isaac, “It’ll work out somehow.” If Isaac ever asked him for help, he wouldn’t just respond with words, but with all his might.

Silas’s ear-splitting shout caused Isaac to flinch back in surprise.

(You better not laugh and call it an exaggerated response. This is something I’ve regretted for so many years. Now I get the chance to make amends.)

This was the entire reason that Silas Page became the Dragon Slayer Mage.

“You want me to save Silent-neesan, right? I know. I promise to save her no matter what.”

Isaac squinted his uncovered left eye slightly, making a faint smile. That smile felt so nostalgic to Silas.

“Thank you, Silas-niisan… Leader.”

“Yeah, I’m the leader, so you can count on me for anything!”

“Okay.”

Isaac only gave a simple reply, but that strangely pleased Silas.

“Alright, you just stay with Silent-neesan somewhere safe, and I’ll…”

“I’ve compiled an analysis on Theodore Maxwell, which I wish to share with the Fourth Thorn Witch and the Sages present here. I believe your plans should be reassessed based on this information, taking into account the reinforcements from the capital. Also, we must absolutely avoid cornering Theodore Maxwell in an urban area, so choosing the location is particularly crucial…”

As Silas went speechless, Isaac continued speaking while going over the documents in his hands.

“…Essentially, I want permission to participate in the operation… Silas-niisan?”

Isaac paused, noticing Silas crossing his arms and staring off into the distance with a slight smile.

“…Ugh, I guess you’ve always been that kind of guy,” Silas mumbled.

“Why am I being insulted out of nowhere?”

“Because you’re not cute enough to be a little brother anymore.”

“I may not be one to talk, but imposing your ideals on others isn’t very manly, Silas-niisan.”

Just as Silas was no longer a powerless child, Isaac had also become an adult. He was strong enough to stand on his own feet, and save the people precious to him.

Silas regained his composure and gestured toward the door.

“Alright, let’s hear the details inside. Come on in.”

“Thank you. Oh, and by the way…”

Isaac looked down at his feet. Silas followed his gaze and saw a black cat sitting there on the ground.

Isaac lifted the cat and showed it to Silas.

“Can I bring this guy with us? He’s really attached to me, so he gets lonely if we’re separated.”

The cat let out a displeased meow, sounding strangely similar to an irritated grunt.

Since it was not uncommon for mages to have familiars, Silas nodded without any hesitation.

“Yeah, fine by me. Bring him in.”

“Thank you, Silas-niisan.”

Meanwhile, the black cat continued meowing while patting Isaac’s arms with his front paws.

He seemed very playful for a cat. Isaac had always been good with animals, so seeing this made Silas feel a bit nostalgic.

＊　＊　＊

Isaac entered the command room to find the Fourth Thorn Witch, Melissa Roseberg, at the main desk. Ray Albright the Abyss Shaman was sitting at a smaller desk beside her.

Melissa, who was leaning back in an expensive-looking chair, put a scowl on her freckled face once she noticed Isaac’s entrance.

“Who brought this dog into the room?” Melissa grumbled.

“Thorn-neesan, come on now…”

Silas entered the room from behind Isaac, trying to reprimand Melissa, but she did not seem to care.

“What? He’s the pet dog of Duke Erin, so I’m not wrong,” Melissa added.

Apparently, the exchange at Monica’s house had left her incredibly irritated.

Meanwhile, Ray paused his quill at the side desk to observe Nero, the black cat at Isaac’s feet.

“Not going to comment on the cat? …Well, handsome guys only bring animals with them as a calculated move to get closer to girls… How irritating…”

Now both Ray and Melissa were glaring at Isaac.

“So? Why are you here? If you’re asking me for something, then you better wag your tail and beg like a good dog.”

“To be honest, I am very grateful to see you again, Lady Melissa.”

Isaac replied calmly, ignoring Melissa’s open hostility.

Displeased with his composure, Melissa narrowed her eyes and put on a malicious smile.

“Oh, I see the dog is clever enough to understand human sarcasm.”

Isaac was being pricked by malice as sharp as a rose’s thorns, or perhaps even the sting of a wasp. However, he casually brushed off Melissa’s provocation and placed a set of documents on her desk.

It was clear how much Melissa detested Isaac, but for better or worse, she was a pragmatist. As long as Isaac provided valuable information, she was willing to lend an ear.

“This is my analysis of Theodore Maxwell,” Isaac explained. “Please give it a read and tell me what you think.”

Melissa glared at Isaac again to probe his true intentions, and Isaac simply met her gaze. Despite his intimidating face, Melissa refused to back down one bit.

Then, Isaac placed an additional stack of papers and leaned in close to Melissa, whispering in a lower tone.

“You should understand my line of thinking more than anyone else in this room.”

Melissa grimaced and began casually flipping through Isaac’s documents. She was pretending not to care, but her eyes seemed to be thoroughly scanning every last word.

“…You…! This is…!”

Melissa’s complexion changed quickly once she finished reading. Her widened eyes were asking Isaac the silent question of “How do you know about this?”

However, Isaac knew that Melissa would not voice that question out loud.

Once she was finished, Melissa passed the documents to Ray and Silas. The two seemed confused at first, but their expressions changed rapidly.

“Oi, Ike… Come on, this can’t possibly be right…” Silas said.

“But if my hypothesis is correct, it would explain the school of water dragons in the harbor. As well as how Theodore Maxwell, who was a simple biologist eight years ago, managed to steal Gluttonous Zoe out of the treasure vault.”

Isaac gave a calm reply to the skeptical Silas.

Meanwhile, Ray ran his hands through his purple hair once he was done reading.

“T-This is the worst… What are we going to do…? The reinforcements from the capital aren’t even here yet…!”

Following Ray’s shout of frustration, a member of the Mage Association entered through the door following a subtle knock.

The young female staff member glanced nervously at Isaac, probably uncertain about whether it was appropriate to report in front of a visitor.

This caused Melissa to tap the desk impatiently with her red-painted nails.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just a stray dog who happened to wander in. If you have something to report, then get on with it.”

“Y-Yes ma’am, the envoys from the capital have arrived.”

“Is the Magic Corps? The Dragon Knights?”

In response to Melissa’s question, the young staff member shook her head with a troubled expression.

“N-No, um, the envoys are just two individuals…”

This did not make any sense to Isaac.

Gluttonous Zoe, the root cause of everything, was confirmed to be in Sazandol. Thus, they should deploy all available forces to recapture the artifact. There was no benefit to reserving their forces at this point.

Melissa seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she furrowed her brow and continued questioning the staff member.

“Two? …Are they Sages?”

“No, they introduced themselves as Cyril Ashley and Glenn Dudley.”

At this point, even the calm Isaac flinched back in surprise.

It made sense for Glenn to come as the disciple of the Barrier Mage. But why would Cyril be in Sazandol now of all times?

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