* * *

Ronen shook his head emphatically, raising his voice.

“No way! Earlier, His Grace shared so many interesting stories at the infirmary. Isn’t that right?”

The High Priest smiled knowingly.

“Since the young lord seems so interested, I might have to dig deeper into the bundle of tales I’ve brought today.”

Ronen, beaming, grabbed Ed’s hand. “Ed! Let’s go! I promise you’ll enjoy the stories too.”

---

Ed walked beside the High Priest, carrying a portable magic lamp.

Unlike the warmth of the campfires inside the tents, the cool air outside brushed against his face.

“Being near the mountains, the wind is colder than I expected. Are you alright, Your Grace?”

“This much is fine, Ed. The temple is surrounded by forest, so I’m quite accustomed to this level of chill. My only concern is for the young lord.”

“I’m fine too, Ed!”

Before Ed could respond, Ronen, holding a magic lamp, swung it playfully as he marched ahead.

Watching Ronen’s energetic movements, Ed raised his voice.

“Young master, please don’t go too far ahead.”

“Got it, Ed!”

Unfazed, Ronen bounded back to walk beside them.

Seeing this, the High Priest chuckled and remarked, “The young lord seems to have quite an affection for you, Ed.”

“Yes, I like him very much.”

“Oh? What do you like about him?”

“Ed is always warm and kind. Back when I was staying at the Count’s estate, he taught me many fun games.”

“But don’t others also take good care of you now, young lord?”

“They do! Everyone here is very nice, but…”

Ronen paused mid-sentence, then darted to the High Priest, motioning for him to bend down so he could whisper.

“Ed doesn’t treat me as the Grand Duke’s younger brother. He just sees me as Ronen. Sometimes, he feels like a friend, and other times, like a brother.”

Watching the two share a private conversation, Ed felt a mix of curiosity and slight longing.

‘What are they talking about?’

However, seeing Ronen’s delighted expression, he suppressed his thoughts and illuminated the path with his lamp.

---

The group continued to chat and walk leisurely until they reached the middle of Mount Garenda.

Here, clusters of hyacinths, gifted to Ed by the Grand Duke, were in full bloom.

‘His Highness hasn’t been resting properly these past few days…’

The sight of the flowers triggered a flood of thoughts about the Grand Duke, ones Ed had been avoiding.

Seeing a potato-shaped rock reminded him:

‘Is His Highness eating properly? Last time, it seemed like he skipped meals whenever he was busy.’

When Ronen laughed brightly in his thick coat:

‘His Highness loves seeing Ronen smile like that.’

Even when animals darted through the underbrush:

‘The fur of that beast His Highness summoned was so soft. I wonder if I can ask to pet it again sometime.’

“Ed?”

‘And earlier, His Highness left the tent with Sir Irtel and Jaynon. What could they be doing?’

“Ed!”

The warm touch of someone’s hand and the sound of his name pulled Ed out of his thoughts.

Looking down, he saw Ronen waving at him.

“Ed, do you hear that?”

A faint, high-pitched sound reached Ed’s ears.

“Is it a baby animal? I’ll check it out just in case.”

“If it’s dangerous, run away immediately, Ed!”

“Don’t worry, young master. Sir Jaynon mentioned that there aren’t any dangerous beasts around here.”

The High Priest, scanning their surroundings, cautioned him.

“The earthquake from a few days ago might have displaced some animals. Be careful.”

“Yes.”

Moving cautiously toward the sound, Ed parted the grass and gasped. “Ah.”

There, lying in the brush, was an injured fox kit, whimpering as it struggled to move.

“Was it hurt during the earthquake?”

Unable to resist his curiosity, Ronen peeked over Ed’s shoulder.

Adjusting the light so as not to startle the fox, Ronen looked at the animal, then at the High Priest, his feet shuffling anxiously.

Seeing the group, the fox bared its teeth weakly but was too exhausted to react further.

“Judging by the lack of any parental traces nearby, it seems to have been abandoned after getting hurt while fleeing.”

“Let me take a look,” the High Priest said.

When the High Priest sank to the floor, Ed immediately moved to take off his coat and spread it on the ground.

“Your Grace, the floor is cold.”

The High Priest, however, stopped him and began examining the fox’s condition.

“It’s all right, Ed. The treatment will be done soon, so there’s no need for that. Instead, could you shine the magic light closer? I can’t see the wounds clearly.”

The fox, too weak to move, looked at them with uneasy eyes.

As it tried to shift its body, the High Priest enveloped it in divine power.

“I mean no harm.”

Ronen, crouched beside the High Priest, blinked as he watched the fox, which had been baring its teeth moments ago, gradually calm down.

Eventually, the whining fox let out a strange noise—something between a wheeze and a hiccup.

The High Priest, having confirmed the wound, began the treatment.

‘Is this really how foxes sound?’ Ed tilted his head.

‘It almost sounds like a seal….’

The fox made another peculiar sound.

“Euehh, ehehh.”

When the High Priest finally finished treating the wound and stepped back, the fox cautiously began to rise.

Finding it wasn’t in pain, it licked its hind paw repeatedly, tilted its head, and then started hopping about.

“Feeling that good?”

Ronen chuckled as he watched, and the fox, as if understanding the question, started circling him and the High Priest.

When it brushed against the High Priest’s leg affectionately, he patted its head a few times before gently pushing its rump.

“Go on now. Return to where you belong.”

Despite the dismissal, the fox didn’t leave, lingering as Ronen looked on with a wistful expression.

He mimicked the High Priest, nudging the fox lightly.

“Take care of yourself, fox. No more getting hurt.”

The fox hesitated a bit longer but finally disappeared into the underbrush when the High Priest and Ronen stood and feigned indifference.

Ronen couldn’t take his eyes off the swift-moving animal until the High Priest spoke.

“Are you feeling a bit regretful, Young Master?”

“…Yes, a little.”

“So am I. But it’s not good for wild animals to grow too attached to humans. That’s why I sent it off quickly before we grew too fond of it.”

Ronen gave a small nod as the High Priest picked up the magic light and began walking.

“By the way, Young Master, I know a tale somewhat similar to this. Would you like to hear it?”

“Does it involve a fox?”

“No, but it’s about a dragon.”

“Really?”

“Ed, don’t wander off too far. Come and listen too—it’s a story related to the northern region.”

Ed, who was just as intrigued by stories involving dragons, slowly approached the High Priest.

“As you may know, there are many tales about dragons, Young Master.”

“Yes! And I also know that while the dragon my brother summoned was small, dragons are usually as big as houses!”

Ronen’s eyes sparkled as he clung to the High Priest’s arm, clearly enamored with the idea.

‘The dragon his brother summoned was beautiful, but it wasn’t very large….’

“Indeed. Some say they’re as big as northern castles, covering the entire sky.” The High Priest spread his arms wide as they retraced their steps.

Ed gulped unconsciously as the High Priest began recounting a story different from the ones he had researched.

“One day, a dragon, injured after being attacked, sought refuge deep in a forest….”

Ed felt a sense of déjà vu as he listened.

“To heal the dragon’s severe wounds, the help of a priest was needed, but the village in the depths of the forest had no priest.”

“Did the dragon die then?”

Ronen’s voice trembled as he clutched the High Priest’s robes.

“Fortunately, the village had a healer who could act in place of a priest.”

* * *