I opened my eyes in a space surrounded by walls on all sides. What woke me was none other than the black wolf. The wolf living in my shadow was a magical creature, its crimson eyes gleaming through pitch-black smoke.

Though I gestured in welcome, the black wolf remained seated, gently wagging its tail. As I moved closer, I saw a hole as deep as a sinkhole. Surely not…. When I looked at the wolf with unease, it immediately leaped into the hole, appearing to have waited for this moment.

Hmm. I suppose I have to follow. Reluctantly, I threw myself into the hole where I couldn’t even see the bottom. A strong wind brushed past my ears, making them feel momentarily stuffed. How far had I fallen? When I gathered my consciousness that had been drifting through the tunnel, I saw a grass field in the distance. Unlike my expectation of crashing straight into the ground, the green grass undulated like a trampoline.

I somehow managed to land steadily and raised my tired body. The entrance I had come through was now hidden behind thick trees, and the black wolf had vanished without a trace. Instead, I saw an enormous sand dune reminiscent of a desert landscape. Unable to contain my curiosity, I carefully reached out toward the dune. But before I could touch it, the hill inflated like a balloon and then deflated. That’s when I realized.

This wasn’t a sand dune… it was the curved back of a magical creature.

Sensing my presence, the magical creature slowly awoke, revealing its elongated triangular head. It had the form of a dragon I’d only encountered in legends. Moreover, its upward-pointing horns resembled an ornate crown worn by a nation’s king. But strangely, one horn was cut in half. Somehow it looked painful, and I unconsciously reached out, causing its long, slit eyes to snap open. The moment I met those mesmerizingly brilliant golden eyes, my mind suddenly cleared.

“Hah, haah….”

Taking rough breaths, I opened my eyes to see a wooden ceiling with visible grain. Was the dormitory always like this? As I blinked in confusion and turned my head, three people looked at me in succession, resembling falling dominoes.

“Tae-oh!!”

“Finally awake, I see.”

I wouldn’t receive such a warm welcome even if I suddenly showed up after skipping the lab for several days without notice. Looking at Asrein, Jin, and Sezan’s faces in turn, I managed to speak with difficulty.

“Where… is this?”

“You collapsed in the forest, so we hurried to a nearby inn.”

As I slowly raised my upper body, the wet towel that had been placed on my forehead fell onto the blanket. Ah, so I collapsed. No wonder. I thought it strange how I was lying in bed when I had no memory of coming down from the forest on my own.

Moreover, my hand that had been cut by the rock had been neatly disinfected and bandaged. Thankfully, there was no problem moving my fingers. While repeatedly making and releasing a fist meaninglessly, I tried to figure out where to begin explaining. Gratefully, Asrein spoke first.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine except for feeling a bit hazy.”

“That’s the effect of the antidote.”

“…Antidote?”

“The hallucinogen I gave you was manufactured for use on magical creatures, so it’s practically lethal to humans. Especially to someone as frail as you.”

Frail one. Each syllable became a thorn lodging itself neatly in my chest. Since that frail person had recklessly acted, getting scolded was entirely predictable. Sitting elegantly on a mahogany stool with crossed legs, he stared at me persistently.

“How did you manage to get affected by the drug when it wasn’t even meant for humans?”

“…Well… about that…”

“And why is your magical power depleted again?”

I used the hallucinogen to subdue someone trying to harm a magical creature but ended up getting affected myself, and then Agnus jumped out to protect me, depleting my magical power. It was a series of unbelievable situations too complex to summarize in one sentence.

Putting aside the reason for depleted magical power for now, I vividly described what happened after hearing about the magical creature and running into the armed man. Then I suddenly asked Sezan.

“Did you catch him?”

Though I asked hopefully, Sezan slowly shook his head.

“I immediately chased after him based on Tae-oh’s words, but the fog grew increasingly thick until I eventually lost him. Then I got lost on the way back and ran into the professor and Jin.”

“…That’s when I appeared, right?”

“Yes. After moving you to the inn, the professor contacted the knights who investigated Bivrint Forest. Meanwhile, I also looked around the village. I thought there might still be some evidence left. But unfortunately, I found nothing. Whether they sensed something and all withdrew, there were no suspicious groups.”

The atmosphere in the inn room gradually grew heavy. Asrein had contacted the Angelus Knights who thoroughly searched the Bivrint Forest area, but they couldn’t find any traces of the poachers, let alone magical creatures. They were thoroughly meticulous, quickly withdrawing and removing all their traps at once. But it’s too early to give up. Trying to lift the mood, I spoke in the most hopeful voice I could manage.

“Don’t worry. I… I saw him! The man had short brown hair and black eyes. Though his armor had no specific emblem and his appearance was utterly ordinary… it should be easy to find a man affected by the hallucinogen.”

If we could catch this lead, we might eventually reach the leadership who gave the orders. Moreover, he ran freely through paths that even Sezan, who was familiar with mountain hiking, got lost in. He must have frequently visited Bivrint Forest, enough to navigate even when it was covered in fog. Perhaps to set traps. I opened my mouth to share even these amateur deductions, but an elegant hand stopped me.

“Enough.”

“…Pardon?”

“You just woke up.”

“But…!”

“But what? Looking at your enthusiasm, it seems you’re ready to run out right now when you should be resting more.”

Hit right on the mark, I bit my lip hard. It frustrated me that they couldn’t leave the inn room because they were nursing me when they should be out looking for traces right now. I tightly gripped the blanket with my uninjured hand, then forced a smile and looked up.

“You’re right. I’m sorry for troubling you by having to carry me through the rough mountain path. Haha….”

“Does this seem funny to you?”

“…No….”

“We were fortunate to treat you in time. …You were in serious danger. This is no joke.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“To think you would use it on a person… Haah.”

Asrein pressed his forehead while letting out a deep sigh. My shoulders felt infinitely heavy with guilt toward those who had worried about me until I woke up. That’s when Sezan, who had been wearing a death-like expression the whole time, suddenly approached and knelt before me. I stared blankly, unable to gauge what was happening.

“It’s all my fault.”

“What? No, what are you saying?”

“I failed to do my duty properly and caused serious trouble. …I am deeply ashamed.”

I had not the slightest intention of blaming Sezan. I hurriedly grabbed his arm and tried to make him stand, but the large man didn’t budge an inch. His face, stained with guilt, looked notably gaunt. After struggling and grunting to no avail, I looked up at Asrein with a pitiful expression. Finally, he spoke with a voice tinged with resignation.

“Get up. They’re saying it’s fine.”

“That’s right. This isn’t Sir Sezan’s fault.”

It’s those bastards’ fault. Though I earnestly expressed this, he couldn’t even meet my eyes. Left with no choice, I leaned forward slightly and whispered quietly in his ear.

“Sir Sezan. If you don’t get up, I’ll kneel here too?”

“No, that’s….”

“I mean it.”

After checking the atmosphere, he got up from his spot upon seeing my resolute attitude. Then I pointed to the chair that Jin had kindly brought over. Sezan sat down stiffly, resembling a student dragged to the faculty office, politely folding his hands. He still couldn’t meet my eyes. Knowing he would surely remain alone in a corner emanating gloomy energy if left alone, I whispered softly.

“I’m just glad you returned safely.”

When I smiled brightly trying to ease his guilt, the corners of Sezan’s eyebrows drooped slightly.

“That’s… what I wanted to say.”

After watching him fidget with his lips for a moment, I changed the subject to lighten the mood.

“Ah, right. And…”

Building on the momentum, I took out the bundle of fur I had carefully stored in my pocket.

“This is a new trace I found. I wanted to store it separately, but since there wasn’t a suitable place, I put it in my pocket.”

When I took out what appeared to be magical creature fur, Asrein and Jin’s eyes grew wide. Asrein immediately took out a handkerchief and held it out to me. While carefully placing the fur on his handkerchief, I also took out the memo with the footprint drawing.

“The footprint I found under the leaves was quite small. And… although I didn’t see its actual appearance, the man confronting the magical creature wasn’t scared at all. If it were an adult, he would have at least hesitated a bit. If it’s a baby that strayed from its group, I think we should observe and protect it.”

When I showed the crumpled memo, Asrein carefully examined the fur and footprint shape.

“Will this help?”

I carefully watched his expression, like having my thesis topic examined. The corners of his usually stern mouth drew an elegant curve.

“Excellent.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, we can identify the magical creature.”

Finally, I received praise from Asrein. My face immediately brightened at the welcome news that came with it.

“Can you tell just from the fur?”

“Traces separated from life can be tracked through magic. Though it becomes faint as time passes.”

As someone who doesn’t know the first thing about magic, I didn’t fully understand what he meant… but I guess it means it’s helpful. Asrein placed the handkerchief with the fur and a water bowl side by side, perhaps intending to use magic. I opened my eyes wide, not wanting to miss a single moment of him using magic.

According to Sezan’s previous explanation, to use magic, one needs to either recite or write a prayer. However, if you have sufficient magical power, there’s no need to go through the trouble of reciting prayers. I wondered how Asrein would do it. As I watched with eyes sparkling with curiosity, Asrein muttered while extending his hand over the water bowl.

“Show me your true form.”

…What? That’s it?