Chapter 188:
As Rosaria stepped forward, Phoebe reflexively exclaimed.
- You can't come!
At Phoebe's words, Rosaria stopped.
Of course, Rosaria was surprised, and even Phoebe herself was taken aback.
What would have been an urgent tone in her voice now sounded threatening to her.
- You shouldn't... come.
Even her gentle manner of speaking was lowered to a deep tone.
Strength flowed into Rosaria's hand gripping the hem of her dress.
It wasn't the tone of voice or the dragon's appearance that frightened her.
It was the fact that Phoebe had uncharacteristically tried to stop her so desperately that scared her.
- Miss, Phoebe needs to leave now.
"Why? Where are you going?"
- To a place where there are no people... I need to go to a space where I can be alone.
At Phoebe's words, Rosaria fiddled with her fingers.
"When will you come back?"
Rosaria could understand what Phoebe was trying to say.
But she denied it.
Not wanting to accept what she understood, she asked her a question.
At her desperate question, Phoebe couldn't find the courage to answer.
But she had to gather her courage.
- I can't come back now. Phoebe is... no longer human.
At Phoebe's words, Rosaria shook her head in denial.
"No! Even if you're not human, you're still my unni. Even if you're not human, you're still Phoebe!"
- I'm sorry.
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Phoebe moved her front foot.
As she took one step, Rosaria, who had to run dozens of steps to stop her, did something very simple.
She stood in front of her and spread her arms.
"You can't! You can't go! You have to stay here! You must!"
Her body trembled.
She stood with her small body and arms outstretched.
It was an insurmountable wall.
- Miss...
Phoebe closed her eyes tightly.
With a painful step, she passed over Rosaria's head.
"I'll sever our ties!"
Phoebe's footsteps stopped.
Severing ties was the word Rosaria hated the most.
For the first time, she, who believed that she could be friends with anyone, brought up the word severing ties to someone.
Rosaria's face turned bright red.
"Liar. You said you wouldn't leave... Hiccup, you said if I missed you, you wouldn't leave... I told you not to go..."
Moisture rises in her voice.
"I hate liars. I hate Rosaria too. I don't even want to see you! So I'm going to sever our ties. Just go! Waaahh!!"
Rosaria eventually burst into tears.
Her loud sobbing echoed through the empty space.
Phoebe stood still as if she had been hit hard on the head.
It hurt.
Her words felt like they were stabbing into her heart.
It was Phoebe who had promised to always be by her side.
It was also Phoebe who had said she would be there until she didn't want to see her anymore.
So, what should she do?
She must keep her promise.
'What about the future?'
Who knows? Who can tell what will happen?
Even prophets often get it wrong on the appointed day, so who can know the future?
All she can rely on is the faith in her heart.
She must resist the power trying to consume her and stand in front of Rosaria.
Phoebe had made up her mind to be with Rosaria with that mindset.
Somehow, it would work out.
What if she fails?
That won't happen.
She knew it well because she was not smart.
Phoebe repented for her mistake and turned her steps around.
She looked down at Rosaria, who was crouching and crying.
- Miss, I'm sorry. Please don't cry. Phoebe was wrong.
Rosaria's crying didn't stop.
Feeling so guilty for making her so sad, Phoebe was crushed.
She wanted to hug her, but she couldn't with this body.
Even without that, Phoebe knew how to comfort Rosaria.
She closed her eyes and stretched her tone as much as possible.
- Miss, Missy...
She cautiously leaned her face towards her.
- Do you want to touch my horn?
Rosaria lifted her head.
A pair of sharp and huge horns were in front of her.
Rosaria hugged the horns.
Rough and rugged, but like embracing a soft pillow, Rosaria fell asleep as she was.
***
The area in front of the Silence Tower was incredibly noisy.
The magicians of the Silence Tower tried hard to control it, but it was difficult to disperse the gathered crowd.
Most of them were nobles, commanders, and even tower lords.
"Is that the black dragon...!"
"Isn't it dangerous?"
"If it were dangerous, it would be rampant now. Don't make unnecessary trouble because it's not dangerous."
They all kept their mouths shut and carefully avoided offending Phoebe, who had turned into a black dragon.
Reed alternately looked at the paper he had spread out and the black dragon in the closest proximity to him.
"It's just like the illustration."
That's why Reed couldn't help but ask cautiously even though he knew.
"Is it really... Phoebe?"
- Yes, it is.
This was the second question.
If he asked a third time, Phoebe might get upset, so he didn't bring up any more questions.
"Was this fate...?"
- I guess so.
"How's your body?"
- Surprisingly, it's okay. It's just strange that my body has grown and I have to walk on four legs, but I guess I've adapted to it?
"What about your mood?"
- It's not great... but it's manageable.
"That's good."
It didn't seem like her emotions had disappeared and she had become rational.
Her body had grown, but inside, she was undoubtedly the same Phoebe Reed knew.
- I...
"Uh-huh?"
- I had something I wanted to say... but I think I can't do it now.
"Really?"
- Because my body... has become so big that it's only going to cause trouble.
Her unconfident tone was unlike Phoebe.
It made sense.
Her body had grown and she had become a dragon, so everything would change.
Reed absentmindedly put his hand on her head. Phoebe closed her eyes tightly, feeling his touch.
- Hehe, don't worry. I'll find out if there's something I can do even with this body. Always be positive.
She must have been trying to smile weakly, but to Reed, her eyes were starting to fill with moisture.
He couldn't even dare to look at her.
Phoebe had chosen to sacrifice herself for Rosaria, and he hadn't been able to accept her feelings, leaving her in this predicament.
"I..."
As Reed was trying to decide what to say,
"I don't know what you're talking about, but it looks like you're breaking up. Can I interrupt?"
An old man approached and interrupted them.
He was one of the university professors who came with Dolores from Escolleia.
Reed asked him angrily.
"What do you mean?"
"After examining this black dragon's body and consulting with several scholars, it turns out that you, the deputy tower lord of the Silence Tower, don't need to part ways."
"...Really?"
-What, what do you mean?
Reed and Phoebe widened their eyes and asked.
"Do you know what it means when mana is leaking from your body?"
"What do you mean, mana is leaking?"
"If it's not intentionally released, it means that the deputy tower lord's mana vessel is gradually shrinking, and the overflowing mana is being naturally discharged."
"So the mana vessel is shrinking... that means it's returning to its original state?"
"That's right."
The old man nodded.
"I measured the size and height just in case, and there was a 50cm error. The range was too large for it to be a mistake, so I was sure. It's certain that her size is gradually shrinking. By my estimate, she'll probably return to her original state or become human again."
"I see."
Reed's face, which seemed like it would shed tears at any moment, became somewhat relaxed.
Seeing his expression, Phoebe also felt at ease.
- So, am I going back to my original state?
"Yes, it seems so."
- I see. Back to my original state... my original state...
Phoebe covered her face with both hands.
She wanted to hide and cry somewhere, but there was no way she could hide in this form.
Reed hugged Phoebe's head.
"I'm glad... I'm glad."
- Yes, I'm glad.
Reed held her until she calmed down.
Although it had a counterproductive effect in calming her down, Phoebe let Reed hold her close.
She wanted to be closer, even in this body.
***
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***
'Phoebe is returning to her original state...'
Although it was good news, Reed couldn't easily accept it.
It meant that the origin of the dragon had disappeared, and it wasn't an item that could naturally disappear.
It had to exist and someone had to bear it.
"Then who on earth has taken the origin of the dragon?"
"I'm not sure about that either."
The scholars only knew about Phoebe's condition.
Reed checked Gorgan and Saul's conditions just in case, but there were no signs of anything unusual with them.
'Are there any other half-dragons left... or in the worst case, if Roderick is actually alive...'
It was the most likely hypothesis, but if it were true, it would be quite a headache.
There's nothing more annoying than having a decisive moment prolonged.
Reed prayed that it wasn't the case and tried to find other possibilities.
However, the truth was closer than he thought.
-Meow.
Reed looked down at the sensation of something tapping his foot.
It was a small creature that was attracting attention by headbutting him lightly.
It was Rosaria's elemental, Meowmeow.
Despite its name, Meowmeow was a salamander in the shape of a lizard.
'Thinking about dragons, it feels like it's somehow a cousin of a dragon.'
Reed thought so and spoke to Meowmeow, who was headbutting him.
"Meowmeow, daddy is busy right now... Huh?"
Reed stopped talking and picked up Meowmeow.
It was more to confirm what he saw rather than wanting to hug him.
"Huh?"
Reed doubted his eyes even after looking several times.
Something was attached to Meowmeow's tiny four legs.
"Scales?"
-Meow.
Although it looked like a lizard, it was purely an elemental.
It could freely change according to the attributes that Rosaria could handle, such as light or water, but it was impossible to have the characteristics of a real lizard.
"Could this be..."
-It is what you're thinking.
The one who answered him was Orneptos.
"This small elemental... an elemental..."
-It bears the power of that blonde fool.
He didn't ask how or why it was possible.
For Rosaria, having such power was enough.
Of course, no one could prove or solve it.
"..."
-Meow?
As he looked with mixed feelings, Meowmeow tilted its head.
Reed gently stroked Meowmeow’s head.
A skillful touch that knew the pleasing points.
Meowmeow swayed and wagged its tail.
'Is this one going to become a dragon?'
He inadvertently recalled the story Rosaria had told him before.
When they entered the labyrinth, Meowmeow had turned into a huge dragon, and she rode on top of it.
'Could that have been a possible future?'
Whether it would become a cute little dragon or really grow into a dragon.
-Meow. Meow.
Meowmeow, who had been listening, suddenly began to cry.
It glanced around cautiously, showing signs of anxiety.
"Are you listening well to Rosaria?"
-Meow.
Meowmeow nodded its head.
"You have to listen well."
-Meow~.
Perhaps because it was more gentle than other elementals?
It didn't seem like it would do anything bad to Rosaria.
As long as Meowmeow obeyed Rosaria and Rosaria didn't have any ill intentions, there shouldn't be any problems.
Since the issue with the origin of the dragon was resolved, they could feel relieved in a way.
"Go back to Rosaria."
-Meow.
Meowmeow nodded its head and began to crawl away again.
Currently, Rosaria and Phoebe were in an awkward state.
Rosaria felt sorry for cursing at Phoebe, and Phoebe felt sorry for not trying to keep her promise.
'It sounds like such a trivial matter...'
Especially when hearing Rosaria's reason, it seemed so trivial.
However, it was a serious matter for them, so Reed couldn't dare laugh or make fun of it.
'They can apologize and talk to each other later.'
Their relationship had deepened, so a small argument wouldn't completely ruin it.
They both needed time to think, so Reed left them alone.
Reed buried the ground that Roderick had dug up as it was, without restoring it.
He completely removed the underground secret space where the dragon had been studied, leaving it in its broken state.
After taking various measures to make the foundation sturdy again, the incident was temporarily resolved.
The night was deep, and Reed looked up at Phoebe and asked.
"I'd like to tell you to sleep inside, but you're too big to bring inside."
-That's okay. It's not cold, and being like this... somehow makes me feel stable, hehe.
"Feeling stable outside?"
-Somehow, thinking that I'm protecting this tower gives me strength. It feels like I've really become the watchdog of the Silence Tower."
At those words, Reed chuckled.
Her unnecessarily optimistic side was so adorable.