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Editor note: Helios is my favourite character till now. I’d like a baby Helios too! Which character did you guys like?
A Walk in the Skies and the Underworldly Gate - 3
Helios, who had been cutting through the sky of the kingdom, now flew through gaps in the clouds, slightly reducing his speed. His wing flaps became minimal, gracefully gliding through the air as if catching the wind with his feathers. It was a very elegant sight.
While I wasn’t well-versed in dragons, the common image I had was of them flying with a loud flapping sound to support their massive bodies. But compared to that, Helios’s movements were much more refined.
“I don’t know much about military matters, but I think the Astoria Kingdom’s knights were primarily cavalry,” I said.
“That’s true. The abundance of dragon knights is probably due to the neighboring Sacred Nation of Rashid. Half of their land is made up of deserts, making cavalry ineffective. It’s a country with many dragon knights and skilled magicians in terms of mobility. They don’t seem to be eager for war, but their defense is much stronger than that of the Astoria Kingdom. If the Sacred Nation of Rashid were to make a serious move, they might have swallowed up the Dystiana Empire and others,” Julius explained.
“Even though the Sacred Nation of Rashid is smaller?”
“It's not about being inferior in military power just because the land is smaller. The Dystiana Empire didn’t have a decent army to begin with... Until you bought me, everything else didn’t really matter to me. That’s why thinking about the country’s power and situation like this is a first for me. That time, just winning the battle in front of us was enough. That’s all that mattered on the battlefield.”
Beyond the forest at the kingdom’s border, a vast desert stretched out. It looked like a sea of yellow sand.
I had learned in the academy that the Sacred Nation of Rashid was a divine country supported by faith. People there offered prayers at morning, noon, and night, and the people were known for their gentle nature.
Research on the Gates to the Underworld itself was advanced in the Sacred Nation of Rashid. I was told that the researchers from the Sacred Nation of Rashid were the first to unravel the mysteries of the Gates to the Underworld.
And that they were the ones who discovered that the monsters overflowing from the Gates were manifestations of the grudges of the deceased. Some of them never returned from the Gates, having entered the Underworld to study about how to close the Gates.
I found it quite frightening to engage in such risky activities, especially considering what they were dealing with.
Afterward, I also pondered whether my deceased mother might be in the Underworld.
“But Julius, you’re already my... how should I say it... um…”
Saying he was my slave didn’t feel right.
It’s true that Julius is my slave, but I didn’t want to use that term right now.
“Well, um... you’re a reliable partner for work! Since the war is over, it’s all okay now,” I tried to convey, avoiding the term ‘slave’.
I didn’t know what exactly was okay, but I hoped that the difficult times for Julius would come to an end.
I would surely become a good employer, and Julius was reliable since he was very strong.
“...Yeah, you’re right. It’s over,” Julius agreed.
“That’s right! By the way... do you perhaps have someone important in the Dystiana Empire? I hope I’m not causing you trouble or anything by keeping you here,” I asked cautiously.
Julius might have had a fiancée.
Perhaps he was being coerced because that person was being held hostage, causing him to obediently follow the Emperor’s orders and fight in the war.
If that were the case, calling him my ‘partner’ might be nothing more than an imposition. It would be nothing but a nuisance.
As I thought about that possibility, my heart felt heavy.
However, keeping quiet wouldn’t lead to anything good. If it bothered me, I should just ask. I had once kept quiet without asking anything when Eliza wanted Julius, and it led to a one-sided argument with Julius.
So I shouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
Julius looked down at me with a curious expression.
“I don’t have one, and it’s not a nuisance. …Chloe, I’m fine with being your slave.”
Julius easily dismissed my concern that he might have someone important in the empire.
Then, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad that I wasn’t causing any trouble. If Julius truly wanted to return to the empire, I had intended to end the contract and let him go.
The thought of it pierced my chest like a needle, but I considered it unavoidable.
“Partner, do you dislike it? Maybe the position of ‘partner’ is already taken? After all, there’s Helios-kun. Although I feel like Helios-kun is more like a beloved spouse than a partner…”
Feeling relieved, I spoke with a bright tone that even made me want to chuckle.
I’m quite straightforward, aren’t I? Until Julius came into my life, I hadn’t thought I was such an easy-to-understand person.
Although it was more accurate to say that I’d been avoiding genuine interactions with others until Julius appeared.
“You’re noisy. Can’t you be quiet for a bit?”
“I’m talking to make up for Julius-san not talking, so be grateful.”
“...That’s true, I guess.”
Julius looked down at me and smiled.
It wasn’t a sarcastic or mocking smile; it was more of a genuine one, as if he had laughed at something unexpectedly funny. With his beautiful face, he seemed like someone from a completely different world.
I was surprised and found myself staring at his face for a while.
It felt like we had been gazing into each other’s eyes for an eternity. In this world where nothing but the blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see, there were only Helios, Julius, and me.
Forgetting everything happening on the ground, it would be nice if time could freeze just like this. The sky above was so serene, calm, and satisfying that I couldn’t help but wish for it to stay this way.
I wonder, is this what a Celestial Realm feels like?
According to the theories of researchers of underworldly matters, there exists a lower realm filled with resentment and an upper realm brimming with happiness. The lower realm is where sinners fall, while virtuous individuals ascend to the Celestial Realm.
It was also said that those in the lower realm eventually transformed into monsters.
“Julius-san… Whether you’re my slave or partner, it doesn’t matter. Let’s expand the alchemy shop together, okay? The goal is to build a house on a spacious plot where Helios-kun can have two or three companions.” Feeling a bit awkward in the silence, I spoke up.
I expected him to call me noisy, but Julius nodded slightly.
“...Helios also wants a mate. If they become a pair, they can lay an egg. Flying dragons only lay one egg in their lifetime. So I want to raise it successfully and create another riding dragon.”
“So, it’ll be the three of them. Then we’ll need a large garden, won’t we? I was thinking, we don’t necessarily have to live in the royal capital, right? After all, the world is vast, isn’t it, Julius-san?”
Julius-san, you seem so lively when talking about dragons. I was happy to see him excited. Despite everything that had happened, it was all in the past.
From now on, we’re free to do anything.
So, it’s going to be okay.
Although Eliza’s words had left a deep wound in my heart, I now felt like I could move on.
“...The world is vast, indeed,” Julius repeated my words as if he were realizing it for the first time.
“By the way, Julius-san, why did you decide to raise a dragon egg?”
“...It was a long time ago, before my father was killed, when I was much younger. We had some business in the Sacred Nation of Rashid, and my father brought an egg back as a souvenir. They said it was challenging to raise, so I was determined to prove them wrong... and that’s how Helios was born.”
“You’re quite competitive, Julius-san.”
“When someone says it’s impossible, it just makes me want to overcome it and prove them wrong.”
“Is that how it works? I can’t understand because I tend to give up easily.”
“That’s fine for you. There’s no need to push yourself and get hurt.”
“...You’ve been surprisingly kind since yesterday,” I spoke with my head down. I didn’t want him to see my flushed red face.