DMHS 104

Swaaah.

The small ferry advanced against the rolling waves.

It was far too small and fragile to cross the sea, but the voyage went smoothly because the weather was clear without a single cloud.

The man standing at the bow pointed toward the distant island.

“That place is the Spirit King’s mansion. On the ninth and nineteenth day of every month, the weather stays calm enough to sail. But since the Spirit King doesn’t receive visitors, I can’t say if you’ll be allowed inside.”

Kian, who stood behind the sailor, answered.

“We’ll know once we set foot on the island. Thank you for taking us, even though it was an unreasonable request.”

“How can you say that when you came with His Majesty’s letter?”

The sailor cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“For generations, since our ancestors, we’ve been delivering supplies to the mansion. But we have no idea what happens inside.”

“I see.”

“What brings you both here? You don’t look like people from an ordinary family…”

Lucien, who was sitting on the gunwale, pointed toward the island in the distance.

“That’s the place.”

Sensing that he should not continue the question, the sailor changed the subject.

“Ah, yes. It looks like a normal uninhabited island. It’s strange that there’s even a mansion there. Actually, our village’s the same. There’s nothing special to see except that over there, the Phoenix Cliff.”

Because the weather was so bright, they could see the mainland they had left behind.

Kian’s gaze followed the sailor’s fingertip.

Along the coast from where they had boarded the boat, there was a cliff that bared its rocky surface. Unlike the brownish soil around it, that place had earth so vividly red it looked like blood.

“Do you know the old tale about the boy and the phoenix?”

Kian nodded instead of answering. The story of the phoenix was one of the most beloved old tales, known throughout the entire kingdom regardless of region.

But Lucien, who had lived in the royal palace, seemed unfamiliar with it.

“What kind of story is it?”

“Once upon a time, a kind boy lived in the mountains with his widowed mother. They lived by picking fruit and chopping wood in the deep forest. One day, hunters invaded the mountain.”

“Was there a dangerous beast living there?”

“No. The mountain had long been known as a paradise for birds. From orioles, sparrows, and pigeons to hawks, eagles, and peacocks, all kinds of birds lived there. Deep within the mountain, there was a waterfall that never dried up, even in droughts, and the birds came every day to drink from it. The sight was said to be so beautiful that even the place where the goddess was born in the beginning of time could not surpass it.”

“It must have been a place humans were not meant to touch.”

“That’s right. But the hunters didn’t come there on their own. They were following the command of a greedy king. The king wanted to capture all the birds he had heard of in rumors and bring them to his palace. But he could not fulfill that wish. The strange thing was that any bird taken from the mountain would grow weak in a cage and die within half a day.”

Lucien seemed to focus more on the story. He rested his chin on one hand and tapped the gunwale with the other.

“The king, enraged because he could not have his way, ordered the hunters to kill all the birds in the mountain. The hunters shot arrows and killed the birds one by one. The boy ran around trying to stop them and picked up a small hummingbird that had fallen from its nest and treated its wounds.”

“Hmm.”

“But even though the hunters killed bird after bird, their numbers didn’t decrease. If anything, the number seemed to grow as time passed. Finally, the hunters decided to burn the entire mountain.”

Lucien smirked.

“That sounds familiar.”

“Does it? Old tales tend to resemble each other. Anyway, the boy climbed the mountain to escape the fire. He climbed until there was nowhere left to run and reached a cliff. There, he released the hummingbird into the sky and threw himself toward the sea. And at that very moment, the hummingbird turned into a phoenix.”

The sailor was now completely absorbed in the story.

“The phoenix caught the boy as he fell from the cliff and soared high into the sky. The flames from its wings scorched the earth below, and the land still glows red from that fire to this day. What do you think? Isn’t it a good story?”

During that time, their boat reached the island.

“I’ll unload the supplies we brought. You two should go to the mansion and try the door. It’s never opened before, but who knows what might happen this time.”

Lucien stepped off the boat first and offered his hand to escort Kian. Then he spoke to the sailor who remained behind.

“When you finish unloading and we still haven’t returned, you should leave.”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t wait longer?”

“Of course. We’ll go on ahead.”

After a short pause, Lucien added a few more words.

“Thanks. The story was enjoyable.”

The sailor bent his back and sent them off, saying it was nothing special.

Kian gazed at the mansion that stood beyond the sandy shore.

It was so grand that the word castle fit it better than mansion.

Kian had visited this place once every few centuries.

‘Back then, it was to deliver the goddess’s oracle.’

This time, Kian came to see the Spirit King Rowan to ask whether there was a way to return the souls that had turned into beads to their original state.

Despite how far it had looked, the mansion was close. The building stood against sheer cliffs on three sides, except for the coast where a boat could dock.

Lucien tilted his head to look up at the pointed spire at the top, then stood before the heavy door.

He knocked on the solid brass handle.

Thud, thud, thud.

“We’ve come to see the Spirit King.”

At Kian’s words, the massive door opened without a sound. Lucien, who had expected it to remain shut, was surprised.

“This is unexpected.”

Kian raised his shoulders, he was surprised too, though the thought that came to his mind was the exact opposite.

‘I knew an old companion wouldn’t turn me away.’

The two stepped inside the mansion.

Unlike the hot weather outside, the interior was cool. The cold air that had settled on the floor seemed unmoving.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

From the entrance to the grand hall and up to the stairs, the lights turned on one after another.

In the brightened space, rows of servants stood on both sides to greet them.

“Welcome. Thank you for visiting the mansion.”

All the servants wore white aprons with frills. On closer look, not only were their clothes the same, but their height, build, and faces were identical.

“May I ask your names?”

“Lucien and Kian.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Lucien. The master is currently asleep. Will you wait until the master awakens tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll show you to your guest rooms. Please follow me.”

Kian followed the servant up the stairs.

Clack, clack.

Each time the servant walked, there was a sound like pieces of wood striking together. Kian already knew what they were.

‘Marionette dolls on strings.’

Spirits were consciousnesses born from all things in the world.

At first, they existed only as formless souls, and after a very long time, they created bodies capable of holding awareness.

But that process took ages. The spirits in the Academy, independent beings with self-awareness, had probably existed since the age when fire, earth, and lakes first formed. It would be right to say they had lived since the beginning of the world.

That was why most spirits drifted about only as souls.

The Spirit King Rowan liked to place wandering spirits into marionette dolls.

The servants in the mansion were dolls that held the souls of young spirits.

“The master uses the top floor. You may enter any floor and any room except the one where the master stays. Shall we prepare separate rooms, or will you share one?”

Lucien gave the answer.

“Separate.”

‘…?’

“Understood. I’ll show Lord Kian his room first.”

The servant opened the door in front of Kian. Even after the introduction ended and Lucien left with the servant, he still wanted to ask.

‘Separate rooms?’

Even though Lucien had made such a fuss before about sharing a single room in small inns?

The guest room was very spacious. The bed was especially large, enough for three or four grown men to lie side by side.

Kian looked down at the vast bed, then went into the bathroom.

‘Has he lost interest in sleeping with me?’

The strange feeling that had followed him since the Academy wrapped around his entire body.

‘He said it wasn’t because of the potion.’

He had been relieved and let it go because of that. But now…

‘If it wasn’t that, then what? Does he just not want me anymore?’

He knew it was a trivial worry. He knew he was overthinking it. But as the sudden thought that crossed his mind…

Thump.

His heart dropped to his stomach.

Kian lowered himself into the bathtub. The emotions that moved apart from his head were unfamiliar.

‘What is this…’

Kian inhaled and exhaled, trying to sort through his tangled feelings.

If he didn’t, it felt as if those dark, heavy emotions would spill out at any moment. The disappointment, the hurt, and the small sting of betrayal hidden within them.

‘It makes no sense to feel betrayed.’

Lucien had only said they would use separate rooms.

It was Kian himself who reacted too sensitively to every word and action from him.