NOVEL NEXT C5
Chapter 5: Time Flies
No one can hold onto the passing time.
The reason why the time that has passed feels short is probably because of this.
The warm breeze. The shining sun. The falling leaves and the white snow covering the world.
This cycle repeated five times, and once again, the season arrived when the warm wind began to melt the frozen land.
…
A vast forest located in the north of Count Valentine’s territory.
Called the Black Forest, it was a dangerous place filled with monsters, and in the middle of this forest, there was a boy.
His visible age seemed to be in his early to mid-teens…
With a height neither too tall nor too short compared to his peers, and a calm impression, the boy had black hair that shone with a blue hue like the night sky, and amber-colored eyes that resembled those of a reptile.
“Am I still far…?”
Muttering to himself, the boy fiddled with the pair of horns on his head and the black scales on his tail that protruded over his pants.
Polymorph. A magic also known as shapeshifting magic.
Though it had been three years since he had gained the ability to transform into a human, his tail and horns remained visible.
As though they were proof that he was not human, his horns and tail proudly showed their presence…
“Ugh…”
As if displeased with their existence, the boy groaned quietly while touching them.
An ambiguous form, neither human nor dragon.
If others saw him, they would surely call him a monster and point fingers at him.
“Sigh…”
What could possibly be the problem? As he thought this, the boy let out a short sigh.
[Meat…smell…]
With a crackling sound, a large shadow loomed over the boy as a tree behind him broke apart.
“…?”
At the same time, the boy turned his head toward the direction of the sound.
[Ogre… hungry… I eat you…]
What the boy saw before him was a large creature resembling a human form.
It was a grotesque sight, a mixture of goblin and orc, with an enormous size. The creature wore rough clothing made from beast skins and carried a crude club made of a thick tree branch, with various animal skulls tied to it by leather straps.
An ogre. A monster also known as a man-eater.
The ogre approached, dripping filthy saliva and stomping toward the boy.
However, even as it approached, the boy ignored the ogre as if it was of no concern.
The ogre felt puzzled by the boy’s indifference but soon raised its huge club and prepared to strike.
At that moment.
[What…?]
The ogre hesitated as an intense heat suddenly surrounded it, and it began to look around in confusion.
Under its feet, something began to glow brightly.
In the midst of the unknown situation, the ogre looked down at its feet and saw strange, glowing geometric shapes.
The next moment…
-Whoaahh!!
[Ughhh-!!!]
Flames erupted suddenly, engulfing the ogre. The ogre, surrounded by fire, rolled on the ground, screaming to extinguish the flames.
But the flames wouldn’t go out, and the ogre’s struggling body soon stopped moving.
Before long, all that remained in the spot where the ogre had been was a charred, unrecognizable mass and ashes.
“Haah…”
Despite having taken down an ogre, which would require dozens of well-equipped soldiers, in a single moment, the boy let out a short sigh, showing no particular emotion.
“Shall I call it a day…?”
Brushing the soot off his shoulder, the boy muttered and looked up.
The trees were so thick that the sky wasn’t visible.
However, this didn’t matter much to the boy.
Groaning softly, the boy crouched down, and his form began to change.
With a cracking sound, his bones rearranged and muscles bulged.
Black scales rose up on his skin, and his teeth grew sharp.
“Uuuuugh…”
After transforming, feeling the discomfort, the boy…no, Schwarz, let out a low groan and spread his large wings.
The next moment, with a gust of wind, Schwarz flew into the sky, heading toward Count Valentine’s mansion with a loud cry.
* * *
Count Valentine’s territory was originally a place with little human traffic.
However, today was different.
Countless carriages and a procession of people could be seen below.
The cities and villages in the territory were also bustling with people coming and going.
And all of this was heading toward the direction of Count Valentine’s mansion.
As the mansion came into view, Schwarz soon began descending toward his quarters, which were located in a secluded area of the mansion.
“Schwarz!!”
A moment later, a girl approached and called out to him as he landed.
She had long silver hair that reached her waist, with side tails tied on either side, and the vibrancy of a young girl in her growth period. Her appearance had an irresistible charm that made anyone smile.
“Did you have a good walk?”
“Kyaw!”
In response to her question, Schwarz lightly nudged his snout against Milia’s cheek.
“I’m sorry. I was so busy this week that I couldn’t go with you.”
“Grurung.”
With a gesture as if telling her not to worry, Schwarz shook his head, and Milia laughed softly, patting his head.
The reason she was so busy was the same as the reason for the numerous guests arriving at the Count’s domain.
It was because today was her fifteenth birthday.
Many people thought that the Count, who ruled the border region, held less power than central nobles, but the truth was the opposite.
The Count of the border region, or the Border Count, was exempt from taxes paid to the royal family and could legally maintain an army due to the special responsibility of defending against external invasions.
Having the legal right to maintain an army also meant that the Count had the royal family’s trust.
In the world of nobility, where power was everything, the Border Count, who could legally have an army and had the king’s trust, held immense power, and unlike the title of Count, the power of a Border Count was not inferior even compared to a Duke’s house.
Because of this, it was only natural for many guests to come on her fifteenth birthday.
“How about sneaking out tonight?”
“Kyung!!”
With a playful smile, Milia suggested, and Schwarz, frowning, stomped his foot roughly.
It was a silent protest, as if asking if she had already forgotten about what happened five years ago.
“Alright, alright. It’s just a joke, a joke.”
“Grung…”
I can’t stop you, can I?
Schwarz let out a disgruntled groan as he looked at Milia.
“Miss!! Where are you?!”
Just then, an urgent voice calling for Milia came from not far away.
The voice was familiar to Schwarz as well.
“Miss!”
A moment later, a woman appeared around the corner and, letting out a sigh of relief, approached them.
With her brown hair tied up and her brown eyes, she was wearing a neat maid outfit and large glasses, giving off an intellectual atmosphere.
“Heyne? What’s going on?”
“What are you doing here, again, when you were supposed to be getting ready?!”
Looking at Milia with a confused expression, Heyne, the head maid of the mansion, snapped at her.
“I should check if Schwarz is coming!”
“Not today! Now, let’s go! The Count specifically told me to keep a closer eye on things!”
Milia answered back as if she wouldn’t lose, but Heyne, with a look that made it clear she couldn’t let this slide, pushed Milia’s back.
Having served as Milia’s maid since her childhood, Heyne seemed to have a natural way of handling Milia.
“Ah! Wait a minute!!”
“No matter what you say, some things just can’t be avoided!!”
Milia shouted to wait for a moment, but Heyne paid no attention to her plea and dragged her toward the mansion.
Once Milia and Heyne disappeared, silence returned.
“Phew…”
Watching them, Schwarz let out a soft laugh, turned around, opened the door to his quarters in the barn, and stepped inside.
With the sound of straw being stepped on, he walked to a spot covered with hay bundles. After organizing the area, he curled up and coiled his body into a tight ball.
The bright sunlight pouring in through the small window began to warm his black scales, and feeling drowsy under the warm rays, he yawned widely.
From the looks of things, Milia wouldn’t have time for him today…
I’ll take a nap first and then think about what to do.
With that thought, Schwarz closed his sleepy eyelids and slowly drifted into a sweet afternoon nap.