Chapter 3.19 - Wednesday, July 20th, 11.03am

After a long-lasting night— Felix, Asha, Pearl, Forsjá, Restia and that man is finally able to earn a good sleep.

Especially those three, they were pretty exhausted from their fight against Dómr.

Since everyone was up all night— I put all of them to sleep.

Restia is sleeping in her room, that man is in the living room, while the others were at the backyard sleeping together.

Even though I'm entirely exhausted myself, but I couldn't get a single wink of sleep— because I know I'm not able to until I'm able to find Ruby.

It's been six days since she's gone.

While marking the places I have been on my map with a pen while lying on the grass, I realized only one-third of the island were searched.

…It's around 11am now.

The only ones who are wide awake, are me and Dómr— which Dómr is resting next to me.

After folding the map neatly and put it aside on my left, I turn my head to face Dómr— the Alpha of the Fenrir wolf, the guardian of the forest, my father's contracted beast.

"…Dómr," I murmured. "Don't you have something to say to me…?"

"…Young master."

It's the first time Dómr called me young master. However, it doesn't feel unfamiliar to me at all.

"…I'm sorry." With his ears drooping down, he apologizes with a sad voice.

"Is that apology for me, my father, or yourself…?" I muttered.

"Young master— your parents won't be coming back…"

"…I know."

Even though I know, yet it still pains me to hear this.

"Is there any way to restore your memories…?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, no…"

"…I see."

Hearing his reply, I could only heave a sigh.

My father really didn't leave a single hint behind about their whereabouts.

He doesn't want us to find them…?

Where would he go…?

Well, it's not like I could step out from this island either.

Come to think of it… it seems my knowledge about my father isn't as straightforward as I thought.

Since Dómr is his contracted beast, I'm sure he knew my father longer than me.

"Dómr, how long have you been here for…?"

"…Hmm… Now that you ask… it seems it's been eleven years since I came here."

"With my father?"

"Yes."

Eleven years… I couldn't think up of a good reason aside from me.

"Is it because of me he came here to this island?" I asked.

Ten years, adding the time my mom is pregnant with me, then eleven years could only mean they came here because mom is pregnant.

"Young master… believe in your father— whatever reason he did so… I know he loves you very much."

"…You don't need to tell me that, Dómr. I know, and I will always believe in him."

"Young master… you don't understand— it's hard to continue on believing in someone."

"Are you saying you are doubting my father, Dómr?"

"Of course not!"

"…With you staying here with me, I know dad must be trying to protect us even if he's gone."

"Young master…"

"By the way, Dómr— what exactly happened on this island when you came here with my father?"

"If there's an appropriate word… then 'chaos' would fit in perfectly."

"How exactly…?"

"The beach that you occasionally went— is the place where we shipwrecked on. The first impression I had on this island… is its reek of smell."

The incident about that shipwreck is real? I thought it really is a story meant to entertain us.

"Reek of smell… you mean— there are corpses everywhere?"

"Not only corpses... half of the forest was also destroyed because of the war of the Black Cats and White Snakes."

"Then… who are the ones asking for helping during that time? Is it the Fenrir wolves you are leading now?"

"Yes. However, your father's priority is the plague."

"Ah, I heard this from Pearl and Asha. How did my dad solve the plague…?"

"Your father created a vaccine from the old White Snake's corpse— his body is immune to the plague… we used those vaccines to save everyone in this forest."

"I see."

"Did you… named them? The cat, leopard and the snake."

"Ah… I sort of named them by chance. But they are not my contracted beast, though."

"Kukuku… I'm glad. I'm glad they could finally become yours."

Looking at his grin, I confirmed that he raised them like they are his own children.

"You really are the one who taught them everything," I said. "No wonder Felix is so obsessed with me."

"The cat, is it? When I found her lying in the forest… your father and I decided to pick her up."

"Why didn't dad take her with him…?"

"Her curse is real, young master. Your mother is pregnant— your father can't allow the slightest mistake to happen to you and your mother." Dómr said. "Besides… her hatred that she bared towards the snake is so powerful that she went into a breakdown. It took me so many years just to wash away the pain inside her heart."

"Is this why you take in Pearl and Asha as well? Were you expecting them to reunite with Felix?"

"...No. It's just that I know how does it feel to be an orphan— to live alone. I merely don't want the same tragedy to happen to three of them." He muttered. "I'm sure… with them meeting you, they will gladly follow you just like how I followed your father decades ago."

"Dómr, I thought your memories were erased…? Why were you able to recall the past…?"

"Only my recent memories were erased."

"How recent?"

"………about a month, I think."

Hearing Dómr's reply, my body feels like swelling up from the inside.

"…A-Ah… AHHHH…!!!"

BAM!!!

The frustration that builds up in me made me throw a punch on the ground, which my fist buries in it.

I thought I heard it wrong— no, it would be accurate to say that I want it to be wrong.

Unfortunately, it's not.

If dad erased Dómr's memories up to one month ago, this would mean he's already planning to leave in one month ago— I can't believe Nightmare and I completely didn't notice it at all.

We are a failure of a son.

"Young master." Dómr suddenly murmured, it's as if he wants to cheer me up. "It's normal. Not even my daughter knew of that I'm your father's contracted beast."

"You mean… just like dad— you mean to hide it from us…?"

"…Yes." He replied embarrassedly. "I always thought he was a fool— until I became a father myself."

"Hmph… this is what happens when you don't listen to my dad."

"Hmph… says the one who always doubts the words of his father all the time."

Hearing that, I was dumbfounded.

"…I did?" I inadvertently murmured.

"That was before when you lost your memories— but I don't think you would remember at all."

"Because… of this seal I have…?"

"…I don't know, young master. Three years ago, you and your family went on a trip across the world— but then returned after a year later with that creature— and your loss of memory."

"Father never told you the reason?"

"He did not." Dómr shakes his head as he replied.

…My loss of memories.

Two years ago, when I wake up at Mattanarafa's house after a surgery—

—deep within my body… lies a disease that would make the power within me to go berserk.

Because there was no way to erase this power, this power is temporarily suppressed by an incomplete seal.

The so-called 'Twenty Seals'.

A seal that stabs nineteen magic daggers over my body and a large magic great-sword through my chest.

Because it's an incomplete seal, it has a massive side effect.

I had memory loss, up until the point to eight years old.

My mana was sealed completely.

I don't have the ability to learn, nor I have the ability to invoke what I learnt in the past.

I don't have muscle memory.

Every time the seal activates, the backlash would give me intense pain.

My original personality is split into two.

Plus, a deteriorating body which would make me grow weaker as each day passes— and this is the life-threatening one. If I don't train my body, I will one day deteriorate till the point where I wouldn't have the strength to walk and might die from asphyxia.

If that seal was forcibly removed, I would explode from the inside of my body and die— or so the great doctor, uncle Raphael told me.

However, it wasn't dad nor Mattanarafa's parents— uncle Raphael or aunty Lilith who placed that seal on me.

Dad knows who did it, but he never told me.

Even till now, I still don't know the exact reason behind my seals.

But that doesn't matter now.

No matter what has become of me… my family still loves me the way I am.

"…Dómr."

While taking the map from the ground, I take a leap to Dómr's back.

"What is it…? Aren't my kin and the leopard's enough for your search?" Dómr uttered.

Dómr's Fenrir wolves have been searching in the forest since yesterday. As for Asha's snow leopards, they head out this morning as soon as they woke up after the battle.

"No, that's not it. Take me to the place where you bury Asha's mother."

"…I see," Dómr murmured. "That could wait."

His words inadvertently came to a pause.

"What's wrong, Dómr?"

He looks… hesitant.

"Young master… I…" While standing up, he hesitated for a moment. "I… want to take you to a place."

"Okay…?"

………………………………………

During our journey, Dómr would occasionally stop once he hears a howl, letting me mark the map on the locations they've already searched for.

As for the snow leopards, they will report to Dómr about their search through their telepathy.

Finally, at the wolf's territory.

Dómr stops at a very… dark and clean place.

It's surprisingly clean— I mean, there's not even a single piece of leaf on the grass below his feet, although we are in a forest.

The taller trees nearby, in the shape of an ellipse surrounds a smaller tree, which is about 50m in height.

Under the dim surrounding, this small tree had leaves glowing with a Celeste-blue light.

And Dómr is staring at it.

If I remember correctly… this tree— Celestial Luminous represents…

"Dómr— this is?" I asked.

Dómr did not respond.

"…I see," I murmured.

Judging from his silence, I immediately understood.

This is a graveyard… of his beloved wife.

Adding the situation now and recalling our conversations, the reason he brought me here— the only conclusion I can come up with is…

"Is it about your daughter…?" I asked.

"Young master… I want you to take my daughter to see the world." Dómr murmured.

…I knew it.

"…Why?" I asked.

"I have seen the world before— I knew it's beauty. That's why… I want my daughter to see it."

"Why are you asking now…? Is it because of that man?"

"…You don't understand. He's not an ordinary person."

"Well, yeah, I could see that."

Just from their fight and his knowledge alone, I could tell he's an extraordinary person.

"Young master… Have you… ever heard of Central Imperial Island…?"

Central Imperial Island.

Dad always told us that Central Imperial Island is the best ever country that he had ever come across during his journey.

The youngest founding nation;

The most peaceful nation;

A wonderful country.

However, this island was isolated from the outside world. No one could enter unless they have permission from the king itself.

"Central Imperial…… That's the place dad said he would take me to, over and over."

"Yes… I'm sure your father would've told you about that place."

"…You mean, that guy is from that island? How did you know?"

"Young master… I don't think his arrival is all that accidental."

"Are you telling me he came here because he had a connection with my dad…?"

"…Yes. Somehow, I think he's even one of you father's closest friend."

"……What do you mean, you 'think'?"

"…Although I had never met him before, your father told me about such a person whom he could depend his life on— a human with white hair, red eyes… I'm sure there are only a few humans who had such a combination."

"Then… what made you believe that he's the one my father talk about?"

"I recognize his scent."

"…Your nose sure is convenient."

"Young master, as you leave this island— I want you to take them with you." He reminds me once again.

Including Felix, Asha, Pearl, and Fortuna.

"What about you, Dómr…?"

"Someone has to stay."

If dad somehow returns, Dómr will be the one waiting for him.

I'm sure that man would not stay for long. I know he will leave very soon.

Not only food and water but also living independently without our parents…

Dómr's concern towards us isn't light-handed— he considered our problems, that's why he would tell us to leave.

"I'm not planning to leave until we find Ruby," I said.

"…I understand."