MTM 113

Clink! Clink!

“Harto?”

The horses began galloping nonstop. Harto, who had been making loud noises inside the carriage, slid down and returned to his original slime form.

“Hngh, hnghh….”

Then, tears like a waterfall began pouring from his eyes.

“Ha-Harto? What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“What suddenly happened….”

Allen and Leon looked at Harto in shock, but he couldn’t stop crying.

“Harto, if it’s because of Damien….”

Zed whispered soothingly, embracing him with a sympathetic expression, and Harto’s body trembled.

“I… I don’t know. It’s just… ugh, my chest hurts so much… The tears… sniff, just keep coming…”

Zed silently held Harto, who was crying like a child, tightly in his arms.

Harto’s heart-wrenching sobs didn’t stop until the carriage arrived at the Grenhardt mansion.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

The next morning, Harto woke up very late.

“Ugh…”

Whether it was from the flood of tears or the tension finally releasing, Harto, who had fallen asleep, lay limp beneath the covers, blinking sleepily with lingering drowsiness.

Squish.

“Hm…?”

Harto immediately checked his body. His human form was nowhere to be seen; he was a soft, black slime. Startled, Harto scanned the area around the bed. Only when he spotted the bracelet placed on the nightstand did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He crawled back under the covers and stared at the ceiling, recalling yesterday’s events.

‘Prince Damien… Is he alright?’

His pitiful tears and miserable appearance kept flashing before his eyes. The thought of him still alone in that narrow, dark prison at this very moment made his heart ache. He fully understood why Zed had tried so recklessly to bring him back.

‘A prison made of magic stones… Could Ser possibly have a way to break it with alchemy?’

Harto recalled how Ser had easily broken the bars’ magic at the Black Crown and decided he had to ask him about it.

Creak.

“Harto? You awake?”

Just then, the door opened and Zed entered. He looked like he’d just finished washing; transparent droplets clung to the ends of his hair, dripping down.

“Huh? Zed, your hair color…!”

Harto quickly pulled back the blanket as he saw Zed. His hair was no longer black. It had regained its original brilliant golden hue, shining dazzlingly. His jewel-like golden eyes were also their true color.

Seeing Zed’s true appearance after so long made Harto’s heart flutter.

“Yes, I figured there’s no need to hide it anymore.”

Zed flicked his wet hair aside and gave a small smile. Harto stared at him, mesmerized, the sight so unrealistically dazzling it left him breathless.

“Harto, you’re drooling.”

“Huh? Oh, right. Hehe…”

Harto hurriedly covered his mouth and laughed. Zed chuckled softly and plopped down beside the bed.

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. I was going to eat after you woke up, Harto. Let’s go eat together a little later.”

“Yes, I’m not really that hungry.”

“Really?”

Zed stroked Harto’s head again with a gentle touch before asking.

“Then should we sleep a little longer before going?”

Zed pulled Harto tightly into his arms, whispering softly. Harto flinched at the sudden closeness.

“Huh… Zed, did you stay up all night?”

“Yes. There was just too much to talk about.”

Zed had stayed up all night devising a plan to strike Magnus in earnest, based on information obtained from the underground prison of the imperial palace.

“When… did you decide?”

“Two days from now. I plan to gather as many troops as possible by then. It’s somewhat fortunate that the forces Magnus controls are smaller than expected, but…” ”

Zed then shared part of Isadora’s tactical plan and details about Magnus’s inner sanctum.

“We won’t just target the northern tower and western sanctuary. We need to perfectly pinpoint Magnus’s primary sleeping quarters and even his unofficial routes. For the next two days, we’ll monitor his every move, waiting for the decisive moment.”

Zed was determined.

Harto finally felt the reality of the impending decisive battle sink in when he heard their systematic plan, making him tense. Then, he cautiously lifted his head from Zed’s embrace and spoke.

“Zed, then…?”

“Hmm?”

“Me… could I be of help this time?”

“Harto.”

“Hmm…?”

Squish. Zed’s large finger playfully smushed Harto’s lips. It was the same prank Zed had pulled on Harto in the carriage back in the desert.

“Mmph…?”

Startled, Harto squirmed and let out a cute sound. Zed chuckled softly and pressed his cheek against Harto’s soft one.

“You’re already dependable and trustworthy just as you are, Harto.”

“R-really?”

“Yes… You fought brilliantly alone in the desert, and even when we were separated… you held on so bravely. The same goes for Reina and Ser. It wouldn’t have been possible without you, Harto.”

Harto felt so overwhelmed by Zed’s sincere praise that he didn’t know where to put himself, but it made him happy.

He was grateful that Zed trusted him.

“Hehe…”

When Zed released his lips, Harto smiled brightly. Zed, seeming to find Harto both admirable and endearing, slowly stroked his head with his hand.

“And Magnus…”

Zed suddenly spoke in a subdued voice.

“He must already know I’m after his life. Yet seeing him lying so still, dead quiet… he’s clearly waiting for me to walk right into it.”

Zed added that this fight was their destiny, meant to end the long, bitter enmity between Magnus and himself. He vowed to execute a meticulously detailed plan to prevent any innocent casualties.

“Yes…”

Harto nodded, seeming to fully understand the weight on Zed’s heart. As Ares Carseon, he knew at least a little of the deep wounds Zed had suffered in the imperial palace, and the burden of that loneliness.

‘It’s changed a lot from the original story… but maybe this path leads to a better ending for everyone…’

Harto thought this to himself, lingering in Zed’s embrace for a while, feeling his warmth.

“Harto.”

Then Zed looked intently at Harto and asked.

“So? Now that you know I’m Ares Carseon.”

“…Huh?”

“You asked me about it before, didn’t you?”

Zed recalled the conversation they’d had when they first met.

‘So… do you know about the Prince of the Regnovar Empire too?’

‘Why would a monster care about that?’

Back then, Zed had reacted with extreme prickliness and sensitivity. Thinking about it now, he’d instinctively put up his guard when asked about his identity.

“Has something changed? Are you disappointed because the prince you imagined is too different from who I am now?”

Zed seemed curious about what shift Harto felt between his fantasy of ‘Ares Carseon’ and the ‘Zed Shaden’ standing before him.

“Ah, no! Not at all…!”

Harto, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt, shook his head vigorously in denial.

“Really?”

Harto’s answer made Zed raise his eyebrows slightly in surprise. Then he whispered softly into Harto’s ear.

“I have changed.”

Zed gazed at Harto, wearing a gentle smile.

“It was truly a relief… that I could reveal my true identity completely to you, Harto, and no one else.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Harto grasp what Zed meant, his cheeks flushing crimson. Yet, his claim of no change wasn’t false. Even knowing Zed was ‘Ares Carseon,’ he had decided to stay by his side.

“Oh, right. Harto, would you take a look at this?”

Then, as if remembering something, Zed fetched two leather-bound volumes lying beneath the bed.

“What are these?”

Even just looking at the old covers, an unusual aura emanated from them. One volume contained meticulously drawn, beautiful spirit creatures in vivid colors, while the other depicted grotesque and hideous monsters so bizarre they felt chilling just to look at.

“This is the Encyclopedia of Spirits, and this is the Encyclopedia of Monsters.”

“Whoa…”

He’d suspected it. Zed added that he’d specially requested these precious books from Robert and really hoped Harto would read them.

“Pyu-?”

But it seemed the elementals were more interested than Harto himself. Led by Mir, Spi and Krom scurried over, scrambling to open the encyclopedias. Just as Harto was watching with curious eyes, Zed suddenly asked,

“Do you know where Hartiros fits in among these?”