[V13C30] Wildianu Goes for a Stroll

As evening approached the town of Sazandol, the white lizard Wildianu continued darting through the narrow back alleys.

Upon exiting the alleyway, he spotted a small flower shop with the poster “Rose Festival Underway!” on the wall.

Wildianu curled his lizard tail slightly. He recognized the shop, as this was the fifth time he passed by it.

Isaac had suggested that he go out for a stroll. Upon leaving Monica’s house, he realized that he had no particular destination in mind, so he decided to head towards the lighthouse. There, he would take a brief look at the sea and return home.

However, Wildianu had yet to reach the lighthouse even after an hour elapsed.

(Master’s domain has a port too, but the layout is completely different…)

Erin tended to have wider roads and spacious buildings, resulting in a relatively relaxed atmosphere.

On the other hand, Sazandol had many more people and buildings. This meant narrow and complicated streets, making the entire town seem chaotic. The repair effort after the Black Dragon incident only added to the busyness.

While Wildianu was not directionally challenged, he struggled to grasp the unnaturally intricate layout of a town made by human hands.

During his service to Queen Irene, there were a few occasions where he almost got lost in the palace, and he made similar mistakes at Serendia Academy and Erin under Isaac.

He managed to recover from being “almost lost” because contracted spirits could sense the location and distance of their partner.

(Master has not moved from Silent Witch-sama’s estate. That means this direction is north… The lighthouse should be southwest from there…)

The form of a lizard allowed him to pass through narrow gaps and climb walls, but in unfamiliar locations, Wildianu wanted to find paths commonly used by people. This helped him remember the correct path for later, when he has to transform into human form.

In the early days of his contract with Queen Irene, he sometimes got his head stuck trying to pass through a narrow gap in human form, receiving much laughter from her.

While reminiscing about those memories, Wildianu advanced along the edge of the road, turning into a different street than before.

He continued a bit further, sensing a change in the air. The increase in moisture indicated that he was getting close to the sea.

After passing through the warehouse district, he saw three huge boats lined up in the port. Each of them was far taller than your average cottage.

Wildianu climbed onto the roof of the warehouse to get a full view of the ships. Each of them had five towering masts to support an ample number of sails.

While Wildianu had seen similar ships in Erin, he could not help but feel overwhelmed each time he saw them.

These were vehicles that navigated the sea by harnessing the power of wind. The crystallization of human wisdom.

(To think a vessel this large can carry so many people and goods across the sea without sinking… The power of humans far exceeds my abilities.)

While observing the ships, Wildianu recalled the words of his former master, Queen Irene.

He had been born in a small spring deep in the forest, and it was there that he learned the existence of ships.

After learning that the spring’s water and mana were about to dry up, she had said this to him…

“Come with me, Wildianu. I will be your ship.”

Then, the beautiful woman kissed the white lizard perched on her fingertips.

As Wildianu gazed at the ships, lost in thought, he suddenly felt himself floating. Someone had grabbed his tail and lifted him into the air.

However, he was on the roof of a warehouse, so there shouldn’t have been anyone here.

Wildianu flailed his small limbs as the one responsible spoke up.

“I guess you’re not shriveled up today?”

The man pinching Wildianu’s tail had black hair and was dressed in old-fashioned robes. He was Nero, aka the Black Dragon of Worgan and self-proclaimed familiar of the Silent Witch.

“…I’m taking a stroll through the town at my master’s suggestion,” Wildianu answered.

Nero merely grunted and released Wildianu’s tail, allowing the lizard to land softly.

“So my junior is here?” Nero asked, glancing in the direction of Monica’s house. “Is Monica back too?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’re definitely getting some tasty food tonight.”

Nero started walking off, so he seemed to have no business with Wildianu. He probably did not care very much about the water spirit.

Wildianu hastily called out Nero’s name to stop him.

“Black Dragon of Worgan, Bartholomew Alexander Nero-sama.”

“…The heck are you going on about?”

Wildianu had combined all of Nero’s names in an attempt to remain polite, but this only made Nero exasperated.

“Could you please teach me the correct way to take a stroll through Sazandol?” Wildianu continued, looking up at Nero with his small lizard head.

“Why should I do that?”

“I want to know where Master and Silent Witch-sama go.”

Wildianu intended to start by remembering the places Isaac and Monica frequented. That way, he could assist with shopping and other tasks.

He believed that Nero helped out with such tasks on a regular basis, so seeking guidance from him was the most efficient way to learn.

Nero squatted on the edge of the roof, resting his hands on his knees, and gave Wildianu a damp glare.

“Just ask your owner or Monica about that,” Nero countered.

“But both of them are very busy…”

“Well I’m busy too. I need to patrol around to make sure the stray dogs don’t mess with my territory, then eat meat at the stalls and go to Lana’s place for sweets.”

“In that case, please allow me to accompany you.”

Wildianu seemed unusually persistent today, causing Nero to place a hand on his chin and pursing his lips in thought. The human form of a dragon seemed to be much more expressive than a spirit.

Eventually, Nero stood up and grinned down at Wildianu. His mouth resembled a crescent moon.

“Show me some respect and call me Senpai.”

“Understood. I look forward to your teachings, Senpai.”

“Good, follow me.”

Nero turned around, fluttering his robe, and immediately leapt off the roof. They were high enough to break the legs of a human, but he showed no hesitation.

Wildianu followed him by jumping onto Nero’s robe, but Nero frowned and waved him off.

“You want to know how to walk through this town, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then walk on your own two feet.”

“…My apologies.”

Wildianu had almost forgotten that was an option, since he constantly rode on Isaac’s coat.

The fact that Queen Irene’s contracted spirit served the Second Prince needed to be kept secret, so Wildianu usually remained hidden. However, walking through Sazandol in human form should pose no problem.

Wildianu hid in the narrow gap between warehouses and transformed into his human form——a young man in a servant’s uniform. After adjusting his pale aqua hair into a muted silver color, he tried to emerge from the gap.

That was when he realized the problem.

…He couldn’t move because it was too cramped.

Without any change in expression, Wildianu began flapping his arms in an attempt to escape.

“Oi, junior. Why are you fooling around?”

“…I apologize. It seems I have gotten stuck.”

Wildianu remembered the necessity of transforming into human form periodically. Otherwise, it would dull his senses for where a human could fit.

——Oh dear, my Wildianu is as careless as always.

He could hear the chuckle of a beautiful woman chuckled in his distant memories.

＊　＊　＊

After getting pulled out from the gap, Wildianu followed Nero through the streets of Sazandol.

As expected from one of Ridill’s most prominent ports, there were quite a few people wearing exotic clothes.

Some wore loose clothing exposing their chest, typical of the maritime nation of Alpatra. Others were draped in colorful fabrics with a turban on their head, from the desert country of Shezaria. There were even people wearing bizarre-looking clothes that Wildianu didn’t recognize.

Even in this town, Nero’s old-fashioned robe stood out, and he only became more noticeable with the servant-looking man walking next to him.

That said, Nero was humming to himself, completely oblivious to the attention they received.

(Perhaps I should study the correct attire for going on a stroll…)

Meanwhile, Nero continued walking down the main street, occasionally turning into an alleyway to growl threateningly at stray dogs.

However, there was no way that the black dragon, a First-Class Dangerous Species, would seriously engage in territorial disputes with stray dogs. Surely, he was taking such measures to ensure the Silent Witch’s safety when walking through the city.

After returning to the main street, Nero let out a small grunt. Perhaps he saw someone he knew.

Wildianu followed his gaze to find a woman with flaxen-colored hair wearing a violet dress. He knew her face and her name.

(The friend of the Silent Witch… Lana Colette-sama)

Lana was giving instructions to the people unloading a carriage parked in front of a tableware store.

Since she was the president of a trading company, she was likely in the middle of her job.

After giving all the instructions, Lana glared at the black-haired young man standing idly nearby.

“Ugh! Cliff, go help them with the unloading. We only need one person giving orders, and that’s me!”

“That’s not in my job description.”

“It’s not like you have anything better to do, so just pick up something light!”

“Nope, not my job.”

Lana groaned in exasperation again, then placed her hand on a wooden crate.

“Fine, then I’ll carry it myself! Even I can handle something like this…”

Lana pushed the crate in front, causing the crates behind it to tilt forward slightly. However, she did not notice anything because it was happening above her head.

In the next instant, Nero slipped through the crowd and leapt forward with great momentum.

He landed on the edge of the carriage and supported the wooden crate about to fall on Lana with one hand.

“Bartholomew-san!” Lana exclaimed, looking up at Nero in surprise.

“You want me to unload this? Or should I leave it here?”

“Um, we need to unload all these crates into the store…”

Nero nodded, effortlessly lifting the crate as he turned to Wildianu.

“Oi, junior! Help out, will ya?”

“Yes, sir.”

Wildianu approached the carriage and lifted one of the wooden crates.

The physical abilities of a spirit correspond to their mana. Wildianu was relatively young for a greater spirit, so he didn’t possess a high amount of mana, but his strength was comparable to that of an adult man.

As Nero and Wildianu started carrying the wooden crates, the man referred to as Cliff finally spoke up again.

“Looks like I have something to do now. With our accelerated unloading speed, we’ll need someone inside to handle the unpacking instructions.”

“Fine,” Lana replied. “I’ll take care of the outside. Cliff, you handle the inside.”

“Got it.”

They quickly divided their tasks on a list and returned to their roles.

Meanwhile, Lana turned to Nero and Wildianu.

“Bartholomew-san, that box goes under the store counter. And, um… for your junior, could you please take that box to the back warehouse?”

“Sure, leave it to me.”

“Understood.”

They ended up taking an unexpected job, but it did not take very long to unload the carriage.

As a spirit, Wildianu could work almost non-stop, and Nero’s inhuman strength and agility made him fast at everything he did.

That said, Wildianu was surprised to see Nero casually helping Lana. He didn’t appear to have much interest in humans or even spirits. Perhaps he had taken a liking to her.

Once they finished unloading, Lana offered a polite bow to Nero and Wildianu.

“Thank you very much. We appreciate your help.”

Nero seemed satisfied after receiving her praise, but then he suddenly looked up at the tableware store they had transported the crates into.

“Hold on, Lana. This isn’t your store, right? Is it like a delivery or something?”

“Right, today I was transporting goods for the Rose Festival. I’m one of the people in charge of project management.”

Wildianu had seen several posters about the Rose Festival around town.

You apparently earned points by buying rose flowers or items with a rose motif in the commercial district, which could be exchanged for commemorative prizes.

Lana showed off a few scarves and accessories from the paper bag at the corner of her carriage.

“These are products from my store. If you’re interested, you can take something as thanks for your work today. This scarf has a rose pattern woven with glossy thread, but the base color is the same, so it’s not too flashy. Highly recommended for men. And these cufflinks will add a touch of elegance to your sleeves…”

“I’d rather have food!”

Despite Nero’s interruption, Lana showed no sign of displeasure. In fact, she was still smiling.

“You’re always so humble, Bartholomew-san. My secretary could really learn a lesson or two from you.”

“…Place him in front of a table of food and he devours all of it. How can you call that humble?”

The black-haired secretary seemed to be mumbling discontentedly from the side, but he suddenly raised his head in realization. He took out a wrapped bundle from inside the carriage and handed it to Wildianu.

“This is a token of my thanks. Take it.”

“H-Hold on, Cliff, that’s…!”

Wildianu opened the package slightly to find a summer vest.

Was it really okay to receive such a splendid item for helping out a little?

Seeing Wildianu’s hesitation, the black-haired secretary repeated, “Take it.” Wildianu looked into his eyes behind the thick glasses, and he seemed to be serious.

“Um, feel free to refuse if you don’t like it,” Lana interjected. “I think this tie suits you better than the summer vest…”

“I graciously accept,” Wildianu responded.

Lana Colette ran a company dealing in fashion items. If her secretary prepared this summer vest, it must be a quality item.

Wildianu had been worried about what to wear while walking around town, so receiving such a piece of clothing was a stroke of good fortune.

“Thank you very much.”

Wildianu expressed his gratitude, and the black-haired secretary nodded magnanimously. Nero watched with a grin, and for some reason, Lana’s eyes seemed to be swimming.

＊　＊　＊

By the time Wildianu and Nero finished their stroll and started heading back, the setting sun was casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets.

Monica lived in an upscale residential area, so the nearby houses were also affluent, with beautiful flowers decorating their yards. While admiring these sights, Wildianu hugged the wrapped bundle to his chest as he walked behind Nero.

The body of a spirit was essentially a cluster of mana, so he did not experience fatigue in the same way as humans. However, he did feel something similar to mental fatigue after engaging in unfamiliar activities.

But right now, Wildianu did not find this fatigue to be bothersome. Perhaps this was what humans referred to as a pleasant tiredness.

“There’s Monica’s house.”

Nero, who was in high spirits after Lana treated him to a meat skewer, stopped and pointed at the house ahead. He seemed to be grinning for some reason.

In the next moment, he enveloped himself in shadows, covered in a darkness so pure that it could not be pierced by the evening sun. Eventually, he transformed into the shape of a black cat.

The black cat looked up at Wildianu with the same golden eyes.

“I just remembered something I have to do. Go ahead without me, just make sure you enter through the front door, okay?”

“Understood.”

“You can wear that thing you got if you want.”

This sounded like a reasonable idea.

He could reassure Isaac by showing his ability to adapt to Sazandol. Moreover, a physical item would convey the results of his stroll more eloquently than words.

Wildianu nodded and took off the jacket he was wearing. Then, he put on the summer vest, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

He wanted to ask Nero how he looked, but Nero had already leapt over the fence of a nearby house.

Understanding that Nero must have an urgent matter to attend to, Wildianu stepped forward to knock on the front door to the Silent Witch’s house.

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