Chapter 06
“You… you really don’t know who I am?”
Maybe it was because of how serious my expression looked. Philion fell into deep thought.
“The person I met in that back alley?”
“No.”
“The one I ran into at the tavern?”
“No.”
“Perhaps at the auction house… no.”
What on earth happened at the auction house that made you stop talking halfway through?
Still… this guy really did have a lot of women around him.
“My apologies. I honestly have no idea.”
Just then, it seemed Dale had returned.
“Let’s get going!”
“Then we’ll be on our way.”
At Bridin’s words, Philion turned around, and once again, I had no choice but to let him go.
But I couldn’t bring myself to follow.
I was too stunned, able only to stare at his retreating back.
Philion Elfert… don’t tell me…
“You’ve… lost all your memories?”
* * *
“Yeah. He’s got amnesia.”
Bridin spoke casually while unloading the luggage from the carriage.
After Dale returned, we reached a village around dusk.
The inn was crowded with mercenaries who had come to hunt monsters just like us, but fortunately, we managed to secure rooms.
As soon as Hemil went upstairs to rest, I quietly asked Bridin,
“He really doesn’t remember anything? Why?”
“He says he didn’t know anything from the moment we found him. Dale was going to hand him over to the town guard, but apparently he begged to come with us. Said he’d do absolutely anything.”
“Anything…? He said that?”
I turned toward Philion in disbelief.
He and Dale were standing together.
Instead of going upstairs with their belongings, they were talking. I couldn’t hear what they were saying.
‘So Dale really does treat Philion however he likes.’
Philion was carrying all the luggage.
He even stood with his head slightly bowed, unfailingly polite.
I’d never seen him treat anyone like that.
Not the elders of the Mage Tower.
Not even his own grandfather.
Not even his master, Lord Serios.
He’d always acted arrogantly toward all of them.
“But he’s not an idiot,” Bridin continued. “It’s only his past memories that are gone. He still knows quite a lot. And he’s incredibly good with a sword.”
“A… sword?”
“Yeah. He fights well even without one, but when he has a sword? That’s the real deal. Even if he’s surrounded by monsters, he somehow cuts his way through. Seriously… it’s beautiful to watch.”
“WHY?!”
The shout burst out before I could stop it.
Philion, Dale, and everyone around the stable all turned to stare at me.
Even Bridin looked startled.
Still, he kindly answered.
“Well… he probably learned before he lost his memories. His body just remembers.”
Exactly!
I knew he’d learned swordsmanship.
He was one of those annoying people who excelled at everything, so naturally he’d be good with physical skills too.
But come on!
If we’re talking about instincts engraved into the body…
It should’ve been magic!
Do you even remember the title of the original novel?!
The Master of the Mage Tower!
‘He forgot even his magic?!’
I wanted to run over and smack him across the back of the head.
You idiot!
Just how badly did you manage to hit your head?!
Do you have any idea how incredible your mana was?!
It was such a waste I thought I was going to lose my mind.
All that priceless talent…
Thrown away by that moron!
“You know him?” Bridin asked.
“No!”
But I had no intention of helping him remember.
His magical talent was simply too precious.
And honestly, I couldn’t help thinking how pathetic it was that he’d somehow managed to lose every last memory.
Seeing him bow his head before someone far weaker than himself made me feel…
Just a tiny—
A very tiny—
Bit sorry for him.
‘Those eyes… they truly didn’t recognize me.’
No matter what I said, it wouldn’t get through to him.
‘More importantly, I’ve already exited the original story.’
If someone was supposed to restore Philion’s memories…
That role undoubtedly belonged to Erion.
I didn’t know how those two had drifted apart, but in the original story, they were destined to get married.
There was no reason for me to interfere.
Eventually, Erion would save Philion.
“You’re really saying you don’t know him?”
“Never seen him before.”
“Hm. Really?”
I nodded again.
If Bridin found out that man was Philion Elfert…
He’d hand him over to the Mage Tower immediately.
I desperately needed money too…
But I didn’t want to solve my problems by cornering Philion.
As someone who’d transmigrated into this world…
I at least had that much loyalty.
“I was just… ahem… curious. I wondered why he follows Dale so devotedly.”
“Well, I thought it was strange too when I first saw them. I even wondered if Dale had brainwashed him with drugs or magic.”
“…”
“But that wasn’t it at all. He just worships Dale unconditionally. If Dale told him to jump off a cliff, he’d do it himself.”
“…Would he really give an order like that?”
“If it benefited him? Dale absolutely would.”
“…”
“Well… guess he’s just unlucky.”
“Unlucky enough to latch onto someone like Dale.”
…
Still…
It wasn’t any of my concern.
Erion would take care of everything.
Maybe this was simply part of a side story I’d never gotten around to reading.
Or maybe I had read it and just forgotten.
There was absolutely no reason for me to get involved…
“Maybe it’s trauma.”
Bridin suddenly spoke.
“Dale wasn’t the first person the Black Dog ever met. There were others who treated him kindly. Others who wanted to help him.”
“But for some reason… he became obsessed with Dale alone.”
“Why…?”
“I think… the Black Dog’s original master looked a lot like Dale.”
His voice was unusually subdued.
“Maybe not his master. Could’ve been family. A friend…”
He paused.
“Or even a lover.”
I immediately thought of Erion.
The Mercenary King Erion was much stronger than he’d been five years ago…
But he looked nothing like that punk Dale.
Pink hair and red hair weren’t remotely alike.
Philion may have lost his memories, but he wasn’t stupid enough to confuse something like that.
If anything…
That hair color resembled the Volks family…
‘…What?’
I froze.
Red hair.
Those oversized, unfashionable glasses.
And the fact that he was a mage.
It wasn’t Erion.
It was…
‘The Raiel Volks from five years ago…’
At that instant, voices I’d heard only days earlier echoed inside my head.
“They say he attempted forbidden magic to save Raiel Volks.”
“Well, of course. Philion Elfert loved Raiel Volks.”
Then Bridin continued in the present.
“Anyway… before he lost his memories, the Black Dog had someone precious to him.”
“And… I think…”
“He was abandoned by that person.”
“…”
“And after that…”
Bridin lightly smacked the back of his own head.
A gesture implying a devastating blow to the skull.
“So that’s probably why he obeys everything Dale says.”
“He’s terrified of being abandoned again.”
Abandoned?
I never abandoned him.
I never had him to begin with.
And if we’re keeping score…
Philion was the one who betrayed me first—
“You okay, Rex? You don’t look so good.”
“Huh? O-Oh… I… I’m fine.”
I was fine.
There was no reason not to be.
Like I’d said…
I never abandoned Philion.
We weren’t family.
We weren’t friends.
And we certainly weren’t lovers.
Yet…
I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
As I stood there biting my lip in frustration…
A memory suddenly resurfaced.
…
It had been shortly before Erion entered the Mage Tower.
Just like always, Philion had insisted that I liked him.
And just like always, I’d denied it.
That day, though…
The conversation had gone on a little longer.
“I keep telling you—I don’t love you!”
“Because you’re the complete opposite of my ideal type!”
“Your ideal type?”
“Exactly!”
“So what kind of person is your ideal?”
For once…
Philion looked genuinely serious.
So I answered just as seriously.
“Someone who believes everything I say.”
“That’s it? That’s way too eas—”
“And someone who agrees with me no matter what.”
“Someone who never argues.”
“Someone who thinks only my opinions matter.”
“Hah.”
“So you’re looking for a slave?”
“So what if I am?”
“You got a problem with that?”
To be perfectly clear…
Back then and even now…
That wasn’t actually my type.
I’d only made it all up to refute Philion’s ridiculous assumption.
His absurd belief that Raiel loved Philion.
“And above all…”
“They should never force their own opinions onto me.”
“Like you’re doing right now.”
“…”
“I hate it.”
“Even if you’re joking.”
“I absolutely hate it!”
I grinned triumphantly.
“So?”
“We’re completely different, right?”
“Who knows.”
Philion smiled too.
“We’ll see.”
At the time…
What I’d heard was—
“You really think you can keep yourself from falling for me?”
Arrogant jerk.
Still…
It wasn’t a line important enough to remember.
Philion had been insufferable every single day for five years.
Eventually…
I’d forgotten all about it.
But…
What if…
Philion hadn’t?
‘Could it be… the reason Philion follows Dale around is…’
The moment I clapped both hands over my mouth in horror—
SMACK!
A sharp slap echoed through the stable.
“Talk.”
Dale glared at Philion.
“Or do I have to hit you a few more times before you come to your senses?”
* * *
Dale Noyan intended to head straight upstairs.
It had been an unusually exhausting day.
Whatever Hemil did beside him…
He just wanted to collapse into bed.
If not for the blonde woman standing beside Bridin repeatedly glancing their way…
He would’ve already been asleep.
No…
To be precise…
She wasn’t looking at him.
She was looking at the Black Dog.
Come to think of it…
She’d been staring at him earlier too, before Dale had returned.
So he asked,
“You were alone with that woman.”
“What did she say to you?”
The problem was…
His obedient slave remained strangely silent.
Growing irritated, Dale ran a hand through his hair.
At that moment…
His eyes met the blonde woman’s once again.
She looked as though she might faint from sheer shock.
Feeling oddly self-conscious, Dale quietly hid the hand that had slapped the Black Dog behind his back.
Only then did the Black Dog finally speak.
“She asked why I came here.”
“…And?”
“She also asked whether I remembered her.”
Dale let out a long sigh.
“That’s all?”
“That happens all the time.”
“I thought it’d be something important.”
Over the past year he’d kept the Black Dog by his side…
Countless people had approached him.
Some out of pity.
Others because they wanted to possess him.
Too many people had taken an interest in the Black Dog to count.
And every single time…
The Black Dog rejected them without hesitation.
Eventually, they became so bothersome that Dale told him to hide his face if he wanted to avoid attention.
Without a word of complaint…
The Black Dog wrapped bandages around his face.
Because of that…
Dale didn’t feel particularly threatened this time either.
If anything…
He found the Black Dog irritating.
“You kept your mouth shut over something that trivial?”
“You’re really trying my patience.”
“My apologies.”
He was just wondering whether he should kick him again, right there in front of everyone—
When the Black Dog quietly added,
“But this time…”
“It didn’t feel like a lie.”
Dale couldn’t help but pause.
“W-Wait.”
“You’ve met that woman… Rex Emil… before?”
“No.”
“Nothing comes to mind.”
“However…”
As he spoke…
The Black Dog turned his gaze toward the blonde woman.
