It was late at night, and the house was quiet. Yi Ai'er stood alone in the empty corridor, holding a lantern.
As a "dog," she had developed a very disciplined early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule. By now, she had already changed into her pajamas and was starting to feel sleepy, rubbing her eyes as her soft voice broke the silence.
"I just finished copying the book and went to the bathroom… I saw the young master… yawn… the light is still on here…"
"Ah, I went to bed after I finished reading the letter," Will replied.
"The young master… yawn… said the same thing last time… but when he got up in the morning, he fell asleep on the table. Don't stay up late… I'm really worried," Yi Ai'er said softly.
"Don't worry. I'm still young—I won't die before my time," Will thought to himself. After all, he stayed up late regularly when he was nearly thirty, so why should it be a problem now in his teens?
"Hmm… why does that sound wrong? Well… good night, young master~" Yi Ai'er said, gently pushing the door closed, a hint of unspoken thought lingering in her tone.
Will returned to his desk.
The ancient book itself wasn't difficult to interpret. Most of the text was understandable, though he needed to infer some missing words and sentences. It was curious that the language in this world hadn't changed much over hundreds of years—though Will didn't expect a detailed accuracy like toilet paper to be realistic in world-building.
As he read, he jotted down simple spells and procedures on draft paper, mentally analyzing their meanings.
The Extreme Flame Meteor was actually considered a basic technique in ancient flame magic. Witches specializing in ancient magics even used it as a simple, long-range attack.
But in this ancient text, the old-fashioned principle of "the older, the stronger" applied. Even a basic technique from the past could surpass modern magic if executed correctly.
"First, apply the medium to the spherical object… Then… the chant goes like this… Okay…"
"The temperature required for the medium… is so low?"
"Hmm… is the activated magic considered ancient magic? The modern substitute would be…"
While muttering to himself, Will began to feel sleepy, watching the candlelight flicker and blur.
Then, a "nightmare" appeared before his eyes—a scene that had never happened in this world.
In the firelight, the same color as the candlelight, brown-gray animal ears swayed. She wore a maid outfit, slightly off balance but standing as firmly as she could.
Her body was alternately burned and frostbitten—not in patches, but as a chaotic mix. Anyone not proficient in ice armor possession would face this exact problem against monsters far beyond their abilities.
Before her towered a massive fire dragon, far stronger than she could hope to be—the final boss of the 50th dungeon floor, the Fire Dragon Al.
She panted, staggered to her knees, then tried to rise again. Her white socks were dusted with ashes. The dragon's shadow engulfed her.
A massive claw struck beside her. With no weapon in hand, she was blown back by the shockwave.
"Wu… Wu… I'm sorry… I really… I shouldn't have done this…"
"Yes… I'm sorry… Xiu… I should have stood up for you every time… oooo…"
She lay on her side, still trying to lift herself and look at the shadow on the dragon's back.
"Can you come back? You're… so strong…"
"Everyone in the Star of the Morning Star misses you…"
"I… I miss you too—"
"Come back, I… I can make tea for you every afternoon… and bake small cakes for you…"
"If anyone scolds you again, I'll speak for you…"
But next to her was a small dragon girl, clinging, her ears brushing his cheeks, her tail sweeping across his back.
"I don't want to kill you, and I won't go back, so just surrender."
The shadow on the dragon's back ignored her completely, leaving coldly while clutching the dragon girl's arm.
"Ooo… I lost, after all…"
She had the same inhuman "ears" and "tail," yet she lost miserably, bruised and scorched by the fire dragon.
She hugged her arms, streaked red and purple, half-kneeling. Her tail—tip burnt—dragged across the ground. She trembled, tears falling but evaporating instantly on the hot floor. Her wolf ears drooped, blood scabbing the tips.
"Xiu… I know I was wrong… you… you won't leave… From now on… I will always stand by you… I won't listen to them anymore…"
Her injuries worsened; her burned skin fell to the ground as ash. She trembled, her armor slipping from her shoulders, sobbing until she couldn't speak.
Will watched her weak, helpless form in the flames.
He remembered the scene from the fairy tale he had given Yiel—the exaggerated depiction of every failure from the original story. The dragon girl, the burnt tail, the trembling shoulders, drooping ears… the distant figure on the dragon's back that could never be reached. A total, utter loser.
And the fire even resembled a crematorium.
"Yiel…" Will's heart ached.
As a "spectator outside the story," he shouldn't feel so distressed. In the original tale, the failure of a character to pursue their love was supposed to entertain readers—watching someone lose their beloved, helpless, while the male lead moved on to someone stronger and better.
But… this was the clingy, obedient little maid who had been by his side for over ten years.
The little maid who would knock on his door in the middle of the night with a lantern, yawn, and tell him to go to bed early.
"Yi Ai'er——"
The little maid who would sit in the garden, listening to his lectures, diligently writing in her notebook.
"Yi Ai'er!"
The little maid who would wake early, train, play with him, and serve freshly brewed black tea.
"Yi Ai'er!!!"
Will reached out, crossed the imaginary flames, and grabbed Yiel's trembling shoulders.
"Young Master?!"
He wasn't reaching into the dream illustration with his "soul." In reality, he held Yiel's wrist, clad in velvet pajamas, her face flushed under the desk lamp. She held a thick blanket tightly. And he was five or six years younger than the Yiel in the dream.
"Was it a nightmare? Oh… yes… I knew it all along… huh, I got a little too involved…"
Will looked up at Yiel holding the blanket.
"But… Yiel, why are you here?"