The black-haired man turned his head toward me and smiled faintly.
Though he was quite a distance away, for the first time, I was able to see him clearly.
Apparently, homunculi have better eyesight than humans.
His face was fully visible—no mask, no hat.
I remembered his eyes being bright red before, but now that I was looking again, they were more like a deep wine-red, not as glaringly scarlet as before.
He was looking at me, too. His long black hair fluttered in the wind.
His eyes, like a bottomless crimson swamp, never left me.
His sharply chiseled nose looked unbearably lonely.
The sunken cheeks and countless tiny scars across his face seemed to tell a story of hardship.
A knight in black armor, with a face full of scars...
"Why the sour face, Reko?" the man asked, his gaze now turned toward the dragon.
Reko, the dragon, trembled with rage and shouted,
"I will never accept your opinion. You're not a true citizen of our kind!"
"My, my. A prince should know better than to flip his words like a coin," the man replied, amused.
A prince? First the dragon was talking about the imperial palace, and now this?
What's with all these royals?
So the dragon must be a prince from the Dragon Kingdom or something?
"...Krrn... Kreee."
The dragon let out a strange sound, glancing back and forth between me and the black-haired man with a displeased growl.
"Then let's hear your reason for objecting,"
Reko snarled, his eyes glowing red again.
The man shrugged.
"No big reason. The one who killed Kuklos wasn't the homunculus—it was a human. If you want revenge, go find that man and kill him."
"No, you can't!!!"
I shouted reflexively before I could stop myself. Both of the black figures turned to look at me at once.
I saw the black-haired man's brow furrow slightly.
Ah... I've made a mistake, haven't I? Damn it...
"Can't?" he asked in a low voice.
I flinched, but still managed to reply.
"K-Kahel was only acting in self-defense. Honestly, that bat attacked us first. He had no choice."
"I've been listening for a while now, little one,"
the man murmured.
"You sure like that word. 'Self. Defense.'"
He let out a quiet laugh, his voice rumbling like thunder. Reko the dragon let out a roar, as if ready to breathe fire.
"In any case," the dragon barked, "as Prince Reko of the Fellborn Dominion, I shall keep my word. And in honor of your mother—Tisbe…"
When the black-haired man said nothing, Reko continued.
"However, I never said I wouldn't punish her."
"…!!!"
Once again, fear flooded through me. The man still said nothing, his eyes coldly fixed on the dragon.
"If not death, then what should we do with her? Shall we cut off her limbs and drop her back into the flask, let her float around like a toy? Krahahahahaha!"
Laughter exploded like a thunderclap from the dragon and the surrounding beastlings, shaking the earth.
But strangely, I felt... calm.
Even though what he'd said was beyond horrific, I wasn't trembling like before.
Maybe it was because I trusted that man.
"Reko," the black-haired man said, his voice low and heavy.
"Hm?"
"I'm taking the homunculus."
At those words, the dragon slammed his tail furiously against the ground, sending up clouds of dust.
"No! I won't allow it. That girl is my prisoner."
"I don't care about your opinion. This isn't a negotiation—it's a notice."
"GRRAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Blood erupted into the air before I even realized what was happening.
I hadn't seen a thing, but somehow, the man's long spear had pierced through the dragon's tail and pinned it to the ground.
Reko screamed in agony, his massive body writhing in pain.
The man leapt into the air and yanked the spear free.
An even larger fountain of blood sprayed across the earth.
As the dragon's blood soaked into the ground, a strange hum filled the air—Wooooooong—and then a massive sandstorm began to rise.
In an instant, I felt my body being lifted off the ground.
"KYAAAH!!!"
I was swept up into a tornado-like whirlwind.
The deafening noise and flying dust slammed me against the flask wall.
Everything went black.
"Ugh…"
I opened my eyes. It was a place I didn't recognize.
The wallpaper and furniture were ridiculously ornate. I blinked, trying to process it all.
There was a statue of a pearlescent white elephant directly across from me.
A massive bed draped in silvery gauze-like curtains stood nearby.
I looked around.
I was sitting on top of a large mahogany-colored desk.
Opposite me was a sofa and table—royal purple and gold, the combination was pure luxury.
But no one else was there.
Where was I?
This place was too over-the-top, almost uncomfortably extravagant...
"You're awake, little homunculus."
The familiar voice came from behind me. Startled, I turned around.
There he was—the man who had saved me.
He stood there, watching me with amusement, dressed in a loose silk robe of brilliant white.
In one hand, he held a glass of wine.
His long black hair was unbound and messy.
Through the open robe, I could see his broad chest—more scars than skin.
"…."
I thought he would walk up to me, but he didn't.
He stayed where he was, raising the glass to his lips but never stepping closer.
"… thank you."
"For what?"
"I… I mean, for saving me…"
"I just hate Reko."
I blinked at him in confusion, and he took a few steps closer as he spoke.
"I didn't save you. I merely taught Reko a lesson for his arrogance."
"Well… even so…"
As I mumbled, the man stepped even closer. Now, we were standing very near to each other.
But unlike others, he didn't press his face to the flask like it was some display case.
He merely observed me from a short distance, sipping his drink.
His eyes now gleamed a calm wine-red.
Yet somehow, they felt even more intimidating than when they'd been scarlet.
I couldn't bring myself to speak so easily.
I should say something… anything…
Maybe ask why I was here?
Tell him I wanted to go home?
"Uh, I…"
"You want to go back to your home?"
He cut in abruptly, as if reading my mind.
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
Then he chuckled and pressed his palm to his forehead, letting out a deep laugh.
"Don't be surprised. I didn't use any mind-reading trick or anything. It's just…"
He tucked the arm holding his wine glass beneath the opposite elbow, crossing it lazily.
The motion tipped the glass slightly, spilling a few drops onto the floor.
The blood-red liquid dripped onto the pristine white fur carpet—drip, drip—and for some reason, it looked terrifying.
I'd never seen a wine that red before. It looked like straight-up red paint.
Could wine even be that color?
While I stood frozen, staring at the spill, the man spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"Pani."
"…!!"
Oh right, I was kind of famous around here now, huh? Haha…
Still, this guy must be someone really important if he knows who I am.
I couldn't help feeling weirdly flattered.
"Yes. You're the one created by Kayton and his students."
"…Yes."
"I imagine Kayton's panicking right about now. Losing you."
"P-probably…"
I answered, but inside I couldn't stop wondering:
Who was this guy, and how did he know so much about me?
I was sure Kayton and I didn't know him.
Then I remembered—when Kahel had heard his name, he'd reacted like he knew something.
Elias. Yeah… even the dragon had called him Elias.
"The man you defended with your life—Is he your lover?"
He asked suddenly. Was he mad that I'd stood up for Kahel earlier?
I broke into a cold sweat.
"W-what? Of course not. I'm just an artificial being in a bottle.
And Kahel only acted to protect me and the maid. I couldn't just let him take the blame."
"When a homunculus's development is complete, they usually live out their life alongside the alchemist who created them."
NO WAY!!!
Don't tell me I'm supposed to live with Kayton forever?!
"Of course, it varies. Sometimes they become a partner, sometimes a child, or even just an assistant."
Even as he said it, the man never took his eyes off me.
They weren't glowing red anymore, but the sheer intensity of his gaze was making me anxious.
"Ah… I see…"
"Mm."
He fell silent again.
God, this was uncomfortable.
Look, I'm grateful for the rescue and all, but could you maybe let me go now…?
"U-uh…"
"I'm not a philanthropist."
"…Huh?"
I flinched at the sudden growl in his voice. His beast-like eyes were burning into me.
He looked like a black panther in human form.
"I expect compensation."
"..."
I swallowed hard. So he was going to make me pay for saving my life.
"Is this about what happened earlier?"
"It is."
My heart pounded. Was he going to demand an organ like some mob boss?!
I mean, I haven't even finished growing yet!
"Demons never give anything for free."
"…Are you a demon?"
"Half."
He downed the rest of his wine in one long sip. A chill ran down my spine.
Then I noticed something horrifying—the wine he'd spilled on the white carpet…was turning brown.
It wasn't wine.
It had looked like red paint, but now I realized—it was blood!
Whose blood…?
He wiped his lips with his arm, then slowly licked them. And looked down at me.
Oh god. He drank his drink—
Now he's going to ask for mine?! Is he a vampire or something?!
"W-what does that mean…?"
"What will you give me?"
"Wh-what do you want…?"
"Something you can give."
"I… I don't think I have anything like that…"
My teeth were chattering with fear.
From the moment we met, I knew he wasn't normal—but I hadn't expected him to be a half-demon vampire freak!
I'd thought dealing with him was better than having my limbs cut off by that dragon, but now… I wasn't so sure.
"You'll be fully grown soon."
"..."
What was he trying to say?
Right…
I guess in this little flask, I wasn't much use to him.
He'd probably want something once I grew into my adult form.
"Let's do this."
"…??"
"Come see me. Every night."
"What??? How???"
"It's simple. Once everyone in your house is asleep, I'll teleport you here."
"…And what exactly would we do?"
He looked me over with a chilling stare. The kind a predator gives just before pouncing.
What did he want from me…?
"We'll decide that when you get here."
"I don't… get a choice, do I?"
The corners of his mouth curled up.
He'd said he didn't like Reko, but everything about him had the same twisted vibe.
"Have you ever made a deal with a demon?"
"…Of course not…"
"If you break one—you die."
"W-wait, are you saying you're really a demon?!"
I lost it and kicked the side of the flask with my foot. Bubbles frothed violently in the liquid around me.
The way he was acting, I couldn't help but think—he was just toying with me because I was a newborn homunculus!
"Me? I'm…"