On Raziel's second day, he was on the counter again.
His routine book reading continued as he waited for his personal guards to come. His nose stuck on the book now with his trusty quail pen and ink prepared by his side.
He was now planning to create proper medicine. He is once again starting from scratch as they never really had herbs to use as medicine in his time period. Only those laser beams that can numb ones pain and the cell restoration machines that can revive or eliminate cells in the body.
But none of those are as useful as this. The machines cannot even cure a simple cough.
Writing formulas, the boy tried to weight estimations for how much he'd use from one plant to another. He's going to try them later on, but for now, where the hell was his personal guard?
The young man lifted his head trying to sense if the guard is already here without his notice. But unfortunately, none was there.
He looked back down to his sheets while earning a curious glance at the innkeeper who did not understood the young one's formulas.
For him, it looked like scribbles. But seeing as Raziel was too focused on it, he couldn't help but think that it was no ordinary letters.
"What are you doing now?" Mariam, one of the inn's waitress placed a hand on her waist as she peeked through the redhead's--who's hair is now dyed brown-- shoulder and saw the foreign letters.
Hearing her question, Raziel brightened up. He cannot refuse queries about his theoretical analysis and hypothesis. "I'm formulating some medicine." He replied.
"And how would those scribbles help?" Mariam raised her eyebrow.
"Ah!" The boy snapped as though he had just realised. "My father taught it to me. It's easier to calculate like this." He explained through the equations that he showed.
"Is that so? Where are you from, kiddo?" She asked.
"I'm from Dorma." He replied.
"And why did you decide to come in such a busy capital in Roan alone?"
"Oh, I'm attending my friend's party." He explained. "He invited me so I came."
"What a nice friend you are. But you shouldn't go alone. Did your parents allowed you?"
"Mhmm" Raziel hummed in agreement. "I'm old enough anyway so dad always allowed me." With a personal guard, but not the point.
The man looked at him not convinced with his explanation. Just what kind of father allows his kid to travel from Dorma to Roan alone? He wondered.
When Raziel finished up with his first medicinal hypothesis, he closed his notes and removed his glasses before pinching the bridge of his nose. The slight daze hit him when he removed his eyeglasses but it adjusted after.
In the middle of his long awaited rest, the young man began to feel a strong mana approaching. A mana he felt the other day but soon dispersed. He sensed it for a while, tracing what it was doing as it moved around like it was in search of something.
On his search, another humanly strong mana was following as well. It seemed to be a strong mage... but not enough to threaten him, the same as the mana that was moving around.
It was getting closer and closer until the tavern door slammed open with no one pushing it.
Ackk--!
Before Raziel knew it he felt a strong pressure hit his stomach. The pain wasn't really too much but it was strong enough to push him down and get knocked on the floor.
"Ouch." He selflessly muttered as he felt something weighed to his lap and stomach.
The door opened again, revealing a familiar black hair and eyes in black covers, trailing behind the man was a woman with red hair followed by an old man with the formal butler uniform in benign smile and the last to enter was a male with red hair.
...oh...
They all scanned the room until their eyes darted to the young man who fell on the floor.
--You're that weird kid right?! The one who promised that I will be saved?!
Raon spoke through his mind which surprised the young man. He touched it just as gently when he held it before that even the black dragon would not forget.
Yes, it was really him!
"Hey, kiddo. What happened to ya? Studied too much?" The innkeeper peeked through the other side of the counter as he noticed the boy fell.
Mariam was also worried as he helped him back up to his feet.
Raziel smiled at them. "I'm okay." He said while holding on to the black dragon's invisible back.
After Mariam checked her properly, she left and it was the group's cue to approach him.
"Excuse me." It was the old butler who spoke when they were face to face. His benign smile hinted recognition to the boy when he saw the green beautiful eyes. He knew that only one person can make himself shine even in the gloomiest part of the planet. With certainty, it was this boy.
Raziel smiled as well in a welcoming gesture. "Ah, Ron. It's been a while!" He greeted, earning quite an unexpected look from the group.
"So it seems, young lord." He replied.
Looking as Raziel had disguised himself with dyed brown hair, it seemed that he was trying to avoid being recognized as the 'red saint' or 'the prince' so he lowered it a bit.
The boy looked pleased with Ron's sharp perspective. It seemed that he knew him well despite only seeing him four times.
"Oh, Cale-hyung is here as well." The boy said as he peeked behind Ron's, pretending to have only noticed.
Cale, the redhead like him frowned. A completely different Cale Henituse from the one he met before.
"Ah, shall we speak to my room over some tea?" He invited.
As the group agreed, Raziel placed the invisible black dragon beside the table and collected his books and notes and placed them to his spatial bag before carrying Raon again.
"Mr. Innkeeper, I'm going back to my room." Raziel beamed at him and the said man only nodded back at him.
The group followed him.
Meanwhile, Kim Rok Soo was a bit surprised as the boy knew who Ron is... ron who never left the Henituse estate and had called him out as well. Did he miss something in the novel? Did Cale ever had friends?
When he noticed the books in front of him belonging to that kid, he wondered if he was actually a scholar.
So he kept quiet through the entire entry and observed. The same with Choi Han and Rosaline who came with him.
When they reached the room, Ron stopped at the door and bowed his head again. "Pardon the discourtsey your Highness, this Ron shall stay outside and prepare some tea." He excused himself.
The door closed and only five of them were left in the room. Raon finally showed his form which showed a healthy little black dragon in front of him.
Raziel smiled again in satisfaction of seeing him okay, snuggled on his stomach so adorably while he stroke his back.
Now I know why Euclidean likes to carry me around...
Meanwhile, three more pair of eyes finally got over after Ron had dropped the bomb and called him 'your highness' before leaving.
Finally giving them notice, Raziel smiled at them again. "It's been a while Cale-hyung, I feel bad not being able to visit often." He said.
Cale's frown did not disappear as he looked at the younger with brown hair and green eyes. He never really knew he had a prince friend so it was still confusing him to no end. But he replied anyways.
"Yes, it's been quite a while." He said politely.
And this young man called him hyung. Are they that close?
"Hey, weird kid. Why is your hair dyed?" The black dragon who will be named Raon in the future asked.
Raziel hummed. "I'm blending in." He replied, stroking its circular soft head. But in a matter of seconds, finally undid his dye magic. His hair slowly faded and turned back to red.
Although it's only the hair that changed, it actually felt like a huge impact. The brown hair suited him, but the red hair just made everything about him feel perfect. As if those red locks was what made him what he is for some reason.
Rosalyn gasped. "I don't wish to be rude your highness, but may I know your name?" She asked, although they were bearing the same status, she bowed for the sake of respect as she is now pretending to be a travelling mage.
"I'm the crown prince of Dorma, Raziel Rory Acheros. It's nice to meet you." He formally introduced. He couldn't stand as Raon was still snuggling in his lap...
is this Raon's instinctive brotherly bond by blood showing?
"How did you know about the dragon?" Cale suddenly asked, his eyes obviously suspicious.
The green eyed redhead's lips lifted. "Well, I found him four years ago, hyung." He replied.
There was a strange silence that surrounded the group after he said that. They only stared at each other. While Raziel could tell the harsh look that came from Choi Han who seemed to be asking why the prince had not saved the dragon if he had known, he couldn't tell what Cale was thinking.
It only broke when Ron had knocked and entered the room whereas Raon went back to his invisible form.
"I can't save blackie because of the magic restraints all over the place." The boy explained, taking the cup of tea(not lemon tea) and sipped. "And I cannot carelessly take my soldiers to Roan towards a noble's territory without any valid reason and formality to the royal family. It will cause mistrust and I wouldn't like it if this country gets destroyed as two of my friends lives here."
Well, it's actually not the real reason. It's simply because Cale was the perfect parent for Raon so he decided not to take him.
But nonetheless, they could not believe what he said. 'That if a war breaks out between their country, Roan will certainly be destroyed.'. It didn't sound like he was boasting their military prowess, but his words just now was traced with viciousness.
"So I decided that I'll watch over him outside. No matter how close I am to destroying such tainted piece of land." He smiled again. The innocent face and smile that spouted the vicious words.
"I see." Cale also took a sip of his tea.
"Are you a mage?" Rosalyn suddenly asked in which the boy turned to and smiled. "If I may be bold to ask, there's been rumours that's spreading around the continent about your father being a dragon. Could I get your confirmation on this, your highness." From that question, Cale felt even more afraid than before.
"Well that's--"
--blag!!!--
The noise of something crashing onto the hallway cut his sentence. Everyone turned to the door in which it stopped and without knocking, the door was destroyed open.
On the floor lays the innkeeper who looked beaten and around him were numbers of men. Four can be seen at the door, but they weren't sure how many were outside.
The innkeeper who weakly collapsed on the corridor looked towards the door trying to search for Raziel until a familiar youngster the same green eyes made him realise that he was merely wearing a disguise.
"Kiddo, r--un--" he lost consciousness as soon as he was mercilessly kicked on the head.
"We've been waiting for this." The leader-like man smirked, popping the joints of his finger. "Hey, hand over that kid if you still want your heads." He pointed over Raziel, licking his lips that as disgusting as it may sound, lustfully eyed the teen as well.
The room went into a gloomy silence because of his impudent actions. Raziel who was sitting down because Raon was still there just stared at the man blankly.
"They said a cutie new slave will be here and they didn't seem to be wrong." He snickered with glee. His lascivious eyes checking out the boy from head to toe. "Perfect. Just perfect."
"Ho..." Cale scoffed as soon as he heard this. No matter how many people they have in store outside, it doesn't really make a difference.
Because they have a black dragon, the strongest mage, strongest sword master and an assassin.
So entering this room filled with the most dangerous people, is already a mistake...