Kyran and Zephyr returned to the cottage to prepare for their departure.
Inside they found Anette already busy making dinner. She lived alone for so many years and rarely bothered to eat on time. That was how she forgot to properly look after Kyran’s needs and instead got absorbed in tending to her new garden.
Kyran washed first at a separate small bathroom at the back before having dinner with Anette and Zephyr.
Silas also returned while they were having dinner, and Kyran told them his plan to leave with Zephyr after dinner.
The two wanted to stop him at first. After all, he was still recovering. His fever had gone down, but his internal injuries had not healed yet.
Silas also reminded Kyran that night was never a good time for humans to venture out of the forest. Like every forest within the empire, those nocturnal forest beasts were fiercer than diurnal forest beasts.
It was Zephyr who assured them that he would take Kyran out of the forest before the beasts started their hunt.
Kyran only gave Zephyr a strange look because he made it sound as if he was a useless person that needed looking after. He did not refute, though, since Anette and Silas agreed.
Wait.
Did it mean they trust Zephyr than him?
That was a bit annoying.
After Anette made sure Kyran had enough potions with him, he and Zephyr left the cottage.
“Are we really going to travel by foot?” Zephyr asked as they walked toward the south of the forest.
They had been walking in the forest for almost an hour, and he was already getting bored. He also noticed that he had not heard any beasts apart from forest sounds such as insects, night wind, and the constant flow of water nearby.
“For now,” Kyran replied. Then he looked at Zephyr and added, “I don’t mind warping us out, though.”
Zephyr’s face twisted at the mention of ‘warping,’ and he shook his head at once, “Walking is fine.”
At the moment, Kyran was already using Nar’s face. He also changed into a dark blue windbreaker and dark pants. He did not wear his black coat because its design was similar to his clothes while running away from the army. Although his coat’s protection enchantments were good, he was not expecting to encounter any beast anyway, so wearing regular clothes was enough.
Zephyr also changed his clothes since his armor was also conspicuous. Kyran lent him some of his clothes; a black long-sleeved shirt and dark pants. Zephyr’s size was smaller in human form, and Kyran’s clothes were a little big for him, but with his magic, he adjusted it to fit his size.
“You know, I can change into my mother’s form,” Zephyr suddenly said. “I don’t normally allow humans to ride on my back, but since your my new master, I’ll give you an exception.”
Kyran raised his brows as he stopped to look at Zephyr.
“Why didn’t you tell me that earlier? And wait, when you said your mother’s form are you referring to…?”
“Unicorn,” Zephyr answered, also stopping on his tracks.
Kyran frowned, “So your parents are not Quilins?”
Zephyr raised an eyebrow at him and tilted his head in confusion, “What do you mean?”
“I have read that Quilins are born from a lesser dragon and a unicorn, but I suppose those were the early generations. So I thought that your parents were already pure Quilins.”
Zephyr immediately frowned at Kyran’s words.
“That’s rude! I am a pure Quilin!” He burst.
His outburst confused Kyran. He did not say he was not a pure Quilin. Why was he suddenly angry?
Before Kyran could defend himself, Zephyr continued, “Don’t disregard my father! Though I am a servant, we Quilins are proud to be the product of real dragons and unicorns!”
Kyran blinked at Zephyr’s revelation and soon felt an incoming headache.
“Wait. You’re… you’re a half-dragon? I mean, half real dragon?” Kyran asked in disbelief.
“Of course,” Zephyr replied, his voice full of pride.
“You… Why did you not tell me sooner?” Kyran berated and had an urge to hit his head.
“You did not ask.”
“…”
“I am proud of my birth, but I don’t go around flaunting it.”
Kyran could not help but groan while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Now it made sense why Zephyr’s beast form was huge. He was born from a real dragon and a unicorn. He got his huge size from his real dragon father. It also explained why he could change into a human.
Wait, how did a real dragon and a unicorn even manage to procreate…
Kyran immediately blocked the sudden thought.
“Fine. Don’t tell anyone about this,” Kyran warned Zephyr.
If this got out, there was no telling what it would imply about his family. The Regis was related to dragons. As far as the public knew, the Regis were the ones who confirmed that there were no longer dragons. Not even half-dragons. A lesser dragon was different from half-dragons, after all.
“Even your human followers?”
Kyran cleared his throat and replied, “They’re not my followers.”
He paused for a moment before answering Zephyr’s question.
“Don’t openly tell them.”
“Alright,” Zephyre replied. “So should I change into my mother’s form?”
Kyran shook his head, “No. Unicorns are rare beasts. If someone sees us…”
How come he met people—and other ‘beings’— that could easily attract attention? First Nolan, who was a hidden Magus, then Cyneah, who was likely related to the Royal Family, now Zephyr.
Wait. Kyran did not meet Zephyr perse. He chased him and then kidnapped him.
Kyran sighed. He felt his luck had gotten worse as he grew older.
Zephyr nodded his head. “Alright, then we’ll just walk.”
The two continued their journey.
Not even five minutes had passed when Zephyr spoke again.
“I think something has happened here.”
Kyran kept his focus up ahead as he asked, “Why do you say so?”
“We haven’t met any beasts so far.”
“…”
“We are in the middle of the forest, and yet there are no beasts. It is a little alarming,” Zephyr explained, not realizing that Kyran’s expression had turned dark.
When he looked at Kyran and saw his expression, he misunderstood it and thought Kyran was suddenly worried.
He then said, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Thanks,” Kyran replied, not bothering to explain that the reason why there were no beasts around was that they were deliberately avoiding him.
“Could it be those two humans who left yesterday is the reason why there are no beasts around?”
“No.”
“How are you so sure?”
“I just know.”
Kyran could not help but frown. He already noticed that Zephyr was deliberately making small talks. He did not like small talks, to be honest. But if he thought of Zephyr’s situation before they met, he could somehow understand that he was probably longing to talk with someone.
‘Let’s use this time to get to know him,’ Kyran finally decided.
As the two made their way out of the forest, they exchanged information and talked about almost anything they could think of.
Kyran, who usually did not like having small talks, eventually realized that it was not that bad. At least now, he more or less got to know Zephyr better. They had a tacit understanding not to discuss anything about what happened a thousand years ago because they agreed to talk about it with the rest, so they mostly talked about events that recently happened.
Zephyr already heard some information from Anette and Silas, but what he heard from Kyran was also new. It mostly involved what happened to the Regis Clan after the dragons left.
Although there was some information that Kyran told him that did not correspond to his knowledge, the two were able to talk about it and come up with their conjectures as to why it happened.
Soon, the two arrived at a village.
Since this village was near a forest, it would not be surprising if several hunters kept watching for stray small to medium-sized beasts. However, only two people stood guard at the village’s entrance. Apart from this, the two appeared to be ordinary villagers.
When Kyran and Zephyr walked past the entrance, the two villagers did not even spare them a look.
Before Kyran could try and ask the two villagers for information, he instantly felt several eyes looking at them. He then realized that the two villagers were just there to let those who entered the village lower their guards.
The real guards were hiding in the shadows.
[Master. There are four humans with malicious intent directed on us.]
Zephyr’s voice sounded in Kyran’s head. It was similar to how Nolan communicated to him before.
Kyran was reminded that he had not learned how to respond to this type of communication. How troublesome.
Without saying anything, Kyran only gave Zephyr a meaningful look as they walked inside the village.
Kyran did not plan to stay in this village, so they kept walking toward the other end of the village. All the while, the eyes that he felt followed them.
It was not until they had left the village that Kyran finally felt those eyes leaving them as well. However, he also sensed two people following them.
[Master. There are two humans following us. I can eliminate them.]
Kyran’s brow furrowed as he looked at Zephyr with a dull expression.
‘Says the Quilin who can’t kill humans,’ he thought to himself.
“No need. They’ll meet some beasts soon, we’ll just keep going to the next town,” Kyran replied in a low voice.
Zephyr frowned a little and whispered back, “How did you know?”
“I just know,” Kyran replied.
True to his words, after gaining some distance from the two humans, Zephyr noticed some beasts closing in on the two.
“I did not know you have precognition ability,” he said, feeling awed.
