Iaar looked at the familiar teaspoon in her hand. Beside it was the water she had just boiled. On the magnificent Hysterm family’s tea brewing stand, every item was essential, and at the same time, every item was placed in perfect order.
She didn’t even pause to think about “how did I suddenly get back here?” Her hand instinctively reached out, beginning to prepare the tea that Will would drink that afternoon.
The water had already boiled.
First, she briefly scalded the tea leaves, performing the awakening tea step.
Then, she couldn’t forget the tea strainer, carefully placing the tea leaves onto it.
She used her own fingers to feel the temperature on the outside of the teapot, estimating if the water temperature inside was suitable.
Her technique was so skilled that she even felt as if it were like a “dreamscape,” where anything she thought of could be immediately realized and completed.
She looked at the meticulously arranged, exquisite black tea before her, tidied her maid dress, scratched the beast ears on her head, and combed down the hair at the back of her ears that was most likely to stick up and look untidy.
Then, carrying the tea, she walked out of the kitchen.
In the familiar, long corridors of the Hysterm family’s home, the curtains had already been drawn by other servants. Bright sunlight shone on the ground covered by the red carpet, leaving behind bright squares, which were further divided into neat sections by the windows.
Stepping on these squares, she carried the tea. Even with a full cup, she could walk steadily without spilling a single drop.
“Iaar, good morning.”
“Iaar, are you going to see Will again today?”
“Iaar, the Young Master is still so strange. But he’s a bit better today, he’s reading in his room.”
“Iaar, you really take good care of the Young Master.”
“Iaar, hurry up and go.”
“Iaar…”
“Ia…”
“I…”
The chaotic voices of other servants reached Iaar’s ears, which were clear to her.
Today, for her, was an “ordinary” day.
An “ordinary” day in the Hysterm family, with the Young Master.
In the morning, she would first undergo sauna training, then wake the Young Master. Perhaps the Young Master would give her a lesson, or perhaps he would have her undergo some cruel training.
Then, in the afternoon, while the Young Master was reading, she would brew the black tea he liked best, which she had practiced for a long time, and bring it to him.
Opening this door…
He would be at the desk in the room. Outside the window were green trees in the springtime bloom. The sunlight shining into the room would tinge his brown hair with a thin layer of gold. Perhaps he would be tired from reading and take off his glasses. The glasses on the desk would reflect his profile, and his small gesture of rubbing his eyes.
Everything was as it was in the past…
Opening this door, Iaar saw a dilapidated room.
A dirty bed with the mattress removed, books scattered all over the floor, a curtain with a hole in it fluttering in the wind, and thick snow constantly “pouring” in from outside the window.
—He is dead.
It was her own voice.
—Will Hysterm is dead.
It was Iaar’s voice.
—He won’t come back.
—It’s your fault.
—You didn’t protect him at all.
—You were just carrying out the loyalty you believed in.
—You just wanted to possess him.
—As punishment, you will forever and ever live in broken memories.
—No, this isn’t even broken memories.
—Look clearly, it’s his tombstone.
As the snow slanted in from the window and was blown away by the wind, Iaar finally saw what remained at the location where Will was sitting at the desk…
It was his tombstone.
The black tea tray in Iaar’s hand slipped.
*Bang.*
Accompanied by the sound of breaking cups, she opened her eyes.
Lying on the inn’s bed, her hands were raised halfway in the quilt, even trembling slightly. She found that tears were already streaming from her eyes.
“I was quite happy yesterday, and yet I had such a nightmare…”
Iaar stood up. She hadn’t drunk any alcohol yesterday, but she did feel a headache.
Realizing this, she slowly sat up.
This dream seemed to foreshadow something, perhaps a revenge against the Hysterm family members that the Young Master hated the most, followed by a reality that had to be faced.
“It’s already this time. White Castle… No, Peflan didn’t call me to wake up.”
She looked at a note placed on the table. She was very alert and sensitive now, and at first glance, she recognized that this note was brought by Peflan, and it wasn’t there in the morning.
Unfolding the note, she saw what was written on it—
“Alright, I know your current state.
Poor little dog, to help you better guard his grave, I’ll help you a bit.
This is a top-secret document from the Adventurer’s Guild, and its description is very similar to what you’ve described. The address of the Fire Dragon, whose name might actually be ‘Al’.
Go for it. If you believe this path is the right one, keep going.
Oh well, I’m not expecting you to find a new teammate either.”
Iaar flipped the note over.
On the back were four characters, clearly the name of a dungeon—
The End Ash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It only took three days for Iaar to arrive at Mondot City, the city where The End Ash dungeon was located.
This city was situated between two high mountains, one of which was a relatively rare volcano, forming a natural wind gap.
Because of the wind gap, the entire city was covered with windmills—both large and small. Large windmills were built on cliffs to perform ordinary water pumping, while small windmills became toys that children could spin by blowing.
It was a vibrant city, but this vitality seemed to come more from the windmills than from its dungeon.
Standing in the desolate Mondot City, Iaar realized that there didn’t seem to be even a commercial street here, nor a place for adventurers to trade loot.
The Adventurer’s Guild also looked rather deserted, at least much more so than the one she had just left.
“This is a bit strange. But… since there’s still an Adventurer’s Guild, there should be relevant information.”
The “Fire Dragon” of The End Ash was the emperor of the entire dungeon.
Dungeons with a Fire Dragon as their emperor were not common.
At least, in Iaar’s many subjugation missions, she had rarely encountered a situation where the Fire Dragon to be subjugated was itself the emperor of the dungeon.
“If… the Young Master were here, he would surely offer some interesting insights.
Iaar recalled how, whenever she encountered such “trivia” about a dungeon, Will would excitedly begin explaining the reasons he found from various books, research, and scientific studies…
“Hmm… For example, because the Fire Dragon’s claws were too short, it couldn’t complete daily administrative work…?”
Thinking of this foolish answer, Iaar shook her head.
“Regarding this Fire Dragon…”
This Fire Dragon also had no “name,” but its information was marked as “high risk” in the Adventurer’s Guild. Moreover, its skills were indeed very rich, especially…
It possessed extremely high-temperature flame jets—this seemed to align with why Will had subjected her to high-temperature training.
Iaar guessed that this was the reason Peflan thought it might be the “Al” she was looking for?
“Its evaluation is—the body itself is not strong, but it is extremely difficult to deal with.”
“Firstly, it has good aerial maneuverability and is particularly adept at dodging Archer’s shots. Secondly, its use of flame magic is masterful, posing a high threat. Lastly, it is very ‘intelligent’ and is thoroughly familiar with adventurers’ methods for dealing with Fire Dragons.”
Iaar frowned, looking through the subjugation records page by page.
“Supplementary note…”
“It might be a female dragon, and there are even witnesses who have observed…”
“Its ‘human form’.”
