Wonder

A day has passed. We didn't discover anything new apart from the ritual circle and the note that the duke has written.

I didn't tell Eden or Roman about the feeling I had because I wasn't sure of the reason for the reaction.

Going to the main hub of the inn, I saw that Eden was eating breakfast while Roman was focusing on a scroll in front of him.

I sat down at their table and saw that he was trying to decrypt the paper from the vampire we caught last night. Roman's eyes were glowing unnaturally, with sweat all over his face.

Then, I felt a pinch on my right side, and I saw that Eden was doing it. She pointed at the food in front of her and asked, "Do you want some?"

I nodded, and she gave me the rest of the stew she was eating. Looking at it, I couldn't help but think of how she still can't taste it, but is also eating it nevertheless. I took the spoon and started to eat, and felt the different vegetables mix in my mouth.

Eden had a smile on her face as she looked at me eating, not touching anything she left for herself.

I felt the mana around us change; it was coming from Roman. It intensified, and then in a moment, the feeling was gone. He took a deep sigh and let go of the scroll.

"Did it work?" Eden asked him.

Roman let out a dry, breathless laugh. "Of course, it worked. It may have drained nearly all my mana, but I'm still a Froste knight." The more he talked, the weaker his voice got. He then got up, asking the inn owner for water.

After coming back, Roman took a deep breath. "It's a message from Lord Conall Winfield to Lord Albescu that confirms my suspicion that they weren't going after us at the start. But since they found you two, they thought they'd take the opportunity."

I stopped eating and looked at him. "What did Conall say?"

"Lord Conall was talking about how he didn't like the fragile truce between humans and vampires. And how the vampire houses are becoming weaker due to it, while the humans are using it as a way to gain advantage, more ground, and whatever. He believes that if the truce was real, they should reveal it to the vampire and human citizens alike, but they didn't."

After he said the last word, we all went silent for a bit. Then Roman lashed out, "This is stupid. Does he think that citizens who are scared of each other will accept it in a moment if it is announced just like that?"

Eden then replied, "Peace won't come because the people who control a nation want it. They also have to resolve the years of war and slaughter that both sides inflicted on each other."

Roman nodded. I pointed out, "But isn't Conall saying the same thing? That the noble families—both human and vampire—don't trust each other enough to announce the truce?"

"It's not that simple," Roman said. "It's just..." He rubbed his temples, his voice strained and quiet. "Look, the decryption took more out of me than I expected. My head is pounding. We can debate this later. For now, let's just focus on the mission."

"What are we going to do now? The duke's mansion had nothing." I asked.

"He used to go to a certain bookstore a lot; we can ask them about what he read or people he met with there. Trying to find any lead on who was helping him." Roman explained.

Eden hummed. "That seems like a stretch, but sure. As long as this ends fast, I can deal with it."

Then, the three of us got out of the inn into the bright sun. We were walking on the street and chatting until we reached a small bookstore, and we followed him inside.

The place was dusty and dimly lit, and then the bookstore keeper, an old man who looked like he could die at any moment, looked at us in surprise. "Oh, I don't usually get customers. Welcome. How can I help you with that?"

Roman walked forward and showed the emblem for the Froste family, and the old man froze. "We want to know what the duke was doing when coming here."

The old man nodded, then took a book beside him, put on his glasses, and started reading. Ah, the duke," the old man rasped. "A knowledgeable man, to be sure. Every time he comes here, he reads a few books all about myths and stories that date back centuries. I wasn't sure he was interested in them when I first met him. Oh, here."

The man flipped the book and pointed at the reading history of the Duke.

Roman saw it, then looked at me and Eden. "Okay, guys! Let's read."

I looked at Eden and then back at Roman; I guess today is going to be eventful. We all sat at a table that was lit by the window outside; Roman put books on the table.

I took one, titled "Dragons and Fairy Tales"; the content was simple. It explained how dragons went extinct ages ago; they were the ruling class of the world before humans ruled it.

And this was a collection of the fairy tales that Dragons had, so it's just a super old storybook. Most of the stories here were nothing special. However, what caught my attention in them was how similar the stories were to the ones back on Earth.

A girl who finds herself in another world, full of magical rabbits and entities.

A girl who had to go to the woods to give her grandmother medicine.

A man who steals and gives to the poor.

A princess who sleeps eternally, waiting for her lover.

However, as much as I was fascinated by it, I was uninterested in them. Most of the myths were also just weird and nonsensical, but one stood out to me.

It spoke of a parasitic entity known only as the "Wonder." It was not a physical being but a hunger that latched onto ambition, feeding on it and promising immense power in return. It can destroy you, but if you know how to use it, you can gain unimaginable power. The first king was one of those people who used Wonder. offering him a "wondrous gift"

The fairy tale goes as follows.

There is a hunger named Wonder. It promises one a "wondrous gift."

The First King was its first known host. To win a throne, Wonder gave him the power to see the desires of all men, to play them like puppets on a string. He built his kingdom on their secret wants and fears.

But once his ambition was fulfilled and his kingdom won. Wonder devoured his own wants, then his memories, until nothing of the man remained. He ruled for an age, only to be forgotten by history.

"Hey, Roman, check this out." I gave him the book, still open on the page I was on. Eden was also interested, so she came in to see.

Roman then said, "It seems like the duke played some cruel joke on himself. Naming his friend 'Wonder,' or maybe it is his friend. But I am not sure; if it were this strong entity from the Dragon Ages, then it should've been more well-known. So it being a nickname is more likely. However, I will keep a note of it. Thanks, Taro."

As I heard Roman talk, I remembered the feeling that I got from the circle in the chamber of the duke. And my heart started beating faster.

What if it's Wonder? The thought struck me. Has it been attached to Conall this whole time? Did it latch onto him after the duke died? Is that why my ring reacted with such fear?

And this unnatural reaction from the ring—I am still not sure why it does it, but I am sure the feeling and the intention were fear and warning.

I didn't know what to say, just standing there. I hoped I was wrong, but if this is true, then it might be more dangerous than I originally thought.

At sunset, we finished reading. Roman said he needs to go back to sleep and recover his mana naturally. Warning us not to get into any trouble.

So I and Eden just walked around the bustling city. Eden looked at me and then asked, "Taro, I found a place you might want to go."

"Huh?" I was confused but nodded, following her.

Darkness covered the sky; the more I followed Eden, the more I realized where she was taking me.

Both of us stopped and looked at the gate of Nerton's cemetery. "You said you wanted to say goodbye," she said, her tone as even as ever. "So I asked around."

I nodded without saying anything; both of us walked inside. It was empty, with a layer of unnatural coldness about it.

Walking in between the countless graves, I saw one that wasn't any more special than the others. On it was engraved "Dorothea." I stood there.

My legs were attached to the ground, my heart ached, but I didn't cry. Remembering the time I had with her and how much she affected me.

"Goodbye," I said in a tone so low nobody could hear.

Turning my head to Eden, who stood beside me all this time. "Thank you, Eden."

She just nodded. Her relaxing expression is everlasting.