If Zahid and Fire were in their right minds, there was no way they wouldn’t have noticed my arrival—so the ‘awakening of the Divine Beast’ process must have already begun.

Hadn’t they said they would merge with each other?

And Zahid’s soul, having entered Fire, would burn up all his strength and then disappear.

“No! I said no!”

I desperately entered the pond and pulled Zahid’s body away from Fire.

“Stop, Fire! Stop!”

Zahid only flinched slightly but did not open his eyes. Only Fire’s eyelids lifted a little.

“Fire, stop! You can stop, right? You can stop, can’t you, huh?”

I couldn’t even think of wiping away the tears streaming down my face as I clung to Fire.

I tried to pour ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) divine power in—but it was immediately repelled.

“Keong keong……”

<He wants this…>

“No, no, no, no!”

I shook my head desperately.

“This isn’t it, Fire! Stop it!”

“Keong keong keong. Keong keong.”

<I can’t help it. He wants this.>

“Even if I… ngh, beg you, won’t you listen? Even if I order you to… sob… won’t you stop? Huh?”

My tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Maybe it was because I’d been tense for so long during the journey—my whole body trembled.

“I… I… ngh… I love… ngh… I love you…”

Too scared, too afraid to even look at Zahid’s face, I buried my face in Fire’s fur.

I had once watched Zahid die. I was terrified the same thing would happen again.

[“Isn’t that the answer? Saying anything that comes to mind when you lose reason in a special situation.

Don’t think about how to do it—just throw a huge tantrum like you always do and snap at him.”]

Now I understood why Yuta had said that to me.

He must’ve been worried that if my feelings weren’t truly genuine, if they were forced, I wouldn’t be accepted as Fire’s master.

But right now—not even a hint of that doubt remained.

I had already been certain of my feelings when I saw him again in Leta Village. It wasn’t about repayment. It wasn’t guilt or gratitude. It wasn’t responsibility or duty.

“I love Zahid…”

I used to think those words should be said in a more beautiful setting. That was what I believed. Maybe it was greed for what I hadn’t been able to do in my past life.

I wanted to say it while dressed beautifully, looking into each other’s eyes, whispering sweetly.

Like ordinary lovers, believing in the most special love in the world.

“Sob… So… ngh… I can’t… ngh… let you go like this…”

My knees scraped and bled as I rushed into the pond.

With a trembling body from all the tension, a face soaked with tears, I turned away from Zahid and murmured in pain,

“Stop, Fire… please stop… It’s because I love him… because I love him…”

It was the most helpless, pitiful confession of love in the world. Just as I had always been in my previous life.

And then, as I poured divine power in again, light began to burst forth from Fire’s body.

* * *

Just before sunrise.

Zahid, who looked about eighteen years old, was swinging a sword in the training ground.

Fire yawned beside him.

I stared at the illusion unfolding before my eyes, lost in thought.

Normally, right before becoming the master of a Divine Beast, one could see the beast’s memories. In other words, this was Fire’s memory.

Zahid was handsome, but he always looked a bit older than his age, so he must’ve been around fifteen or sixteen at the time.

“Take it slow, slow down.”

Not long after, Julian appeared at the training ground, munching on an apple.

“Working harder won’t make Rosie show up sooner, you know.”

Thanks to that line, I could pinpoint the exact time this illusion was set. It was after I had entered the Magic Tower—this was Zahid’s daily life.

Julian and Zahid exchanged a few words.

From the content, it seemed Julian was staying at the Dyfenril duchy for a few days for personal matters.

The two of them began sparring, exchanging swords evenly until eventually, both collapsed from exhaustion.

“If I hadn’t lost my memory, I’d be beating you easily right now.”

Julian sighed in irritation.

“I was a legendary genius who knew everything about the future, and the strongest acknowledged by everyone.”

Then Shulva, who had come with a towel and water, bluntly said:

“I’ve told you a hundred times—it wasn’t that impressive.”

“Ha… What would you know about how amazing I was.”

Julian shook his head and chugged the water.

Zahid said nothing and just gave a small smile, absentmindedly touching the two rings on his fourth finger out of habit.

“All right, let’s get moving.”

Once the sun had fully risen, Julian sprang to his feet.

They were in the middle of taking down one of Aietar’s underlings. Their day passed in a whirlwind of nonstop work.

Zahid returned to the duchy without looking tired at all. Then he began looking through the catalogues prepared on his desk.

‘What’s that?’

He was looking over catalogues of women’s clothes, accessories, various shoes and hats, and stationery—his eyes dead serious.

‘Was there another girl? He is about the age to be hitting puberty, after all. Maybe he got briefly distracted? And then came back because he realized there was no one better than me?’

As I frowned, Zahid murmured lowly.

“Fire, do you think Rosie’s grown this tall by now?”

“Keong keong keong.”

<Not even close.>

“This floral dress is pretty. Do you think it would suit her?”

“Keong keong keong keong.”

<It’s tacky.>

“…What if guys at the Tower start flirting with her?”

“Keong keong keong keong keong, keong keong keong, keong keong.”

<Only guys like Ethan are there.>

Zahid chuckled and rubbed his tired eyes.

“My father told me he fell in love with my mother at fifteen and chased her for life with endless gifts.”

“Keong keong keong keong.”

<It was a spectacle.>

“Who knew I’d be so jealous of that.”

“Keong keong keong, keong keong.”

<Just like last life.>

Zahid let out a long sigh and called Shulva to place an order for several catalogue items.

“This one, and this, and this too.”

“Ah…”

Watching him, Shulva said with a flat expression,

“That’s not how you do it, my lord.”

She pointed to the first page of the catalogue, then gave advice to Zahid—who stood on the boundary between boy and young man.

“At times like this, you say: ‘From here to here. All of it.’ That’s how it’s done.”

Zahid looked skeptical and objected,

“Hmm… but Rosie already has something really similar to this. I saw it at the Academy.”

“Still, you say, ‘All of it.’ That’s how it’s done.”

“You sure? I think it’s better to pick things one by one while thinking of her.”

“Julian Noart did it that way.”

“Did Rosie actually like it? She loves extravagant spending, sure, but she also hates wasteful resource use.”

“…Hmm. Then you could just buy out a jewelry shop you like.”

At that, Zahid tilted his head and, in a voice cracking from puberty, replied,

“I don’t know much about the jewelry business. Wouldn’t it be better socially and economically if we leave management to a professional investor? Then I can purchase higher-quality goods, and it benefits society overall.”

“…Where on earth did you learn such a rational way of thinking? It definitely won’t help when dealing with women—”

“From Rosie.”

“……”

“As long as it helps with Rosie, it doesn’t matter.”

“Ahem. Ahem!”

And so, teenage Zahid triumphed over Shulva.

“Anyway, even just the items you picked will require us to add another room for Lady Rosie.”

Shulva pushed up her glasses with a resigned look.

“That brings the total number of Rosie’s rooms at the Dyfenril duchy to seven. Since the sunk cost is substantial, I sincerely hope you overcome all obstacles and marry Lady Rosie.”

“Don’t just hope—take care of Julian Noart for me while you’re at it.”

“I’m already doing my best to figure out a way. If I don’t eliminate him before he regains his memory, I’ll be in trouble too—since I helped with Rosie’s engagement.”

With deadly serious expressions, the two of them exchanged lighthearted jokes.

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