DTBTHS Chapter 36

'I—those with red eyes—don't burn.'

Yet most died young because of fire, which meant they suffocated, or were crushed by burning debris.

His head spun.

The spirit beasts still circled the rock, looking up at him.

Aim for the leader. The final instruction.

'Where did Aeon Flare go?'

Unlike the other spirit beasts, it hadn't even glanced at him as it passed. Where was it now?

He raised his head, looking past the surging flames to scan the surroundings.

Beyond the whirlwind of fire, on a wide, flat rock, the horned wolf sat motionless.

Axel realized their eyes had met.

'It's been watching me.'

The gaze was bored.

The boy jumped down into the rock base where flames surged.

Even knowing he wouldn't burn, leaping into that sea of fire wasn't easy.

But he did it.

Insane heat whipped around him. Even the sky seemed to burn.

Walking through fire was difficult, like moving through deep water. Axel gritted his teeth and walked through the sea of fire step by step.

It's hot. So hot that this place felt like hell.

With steps that seemed ready to collapse, the boy crossed through the flames.

He could see fire catching all over his body. Flames clung to him, wrapped around him, draped down his entire form.

His father's sword at his waist melted away.

He tried frantically to grab it, but only molten metal lingered briefly in his hands before flowing away.

Axel looked down at his empty hands, then kept walking.

Tears seemed to form but dried immediately.

While everything he possessed burned, only his clothes and dagger remained intact.

The common factor: they were items sent by his new master.

'Treated to resist fire.'

He knew. He sent them knowing.

Adrian Black had undoubtedly sent him to Crystal Oasis knowing Axel would encounter Aeon Flare—and knowing he wouldn't die.

'Bastard.'

At this moment, if Adrian were standing before him, he might stab that dagger into the man's eyes.

Though he probably couldn't kill him.

'How? Why?'

Until he learned how Adrian had figured all this out, and exactly what he intended by doing this, he absolutely couldn't kill the man.

Finally, Axel reached the base of the leader Aeon Flare looking down at him.

Even sitting, it was so large he had to crane his neck back to see it properly.

Aim for this? Surely he didn't mean to fight that massive spirit beast with just a dagger in this inferno.

'Does he mean tame it?'

How?

He felt lost. After hesitating, Axel reached his hand upward.

He'd once asked his father:

'How do you become a spirit knight?'

'You have to tame a spirit beast and form a contract. Becoming a spirit beast's contractor lets you become a spirit knight.'

'How do you tame a spirit beast? That's... difficult to explain in words right now.'

'You still want to know? Hmm. First you need to gauge your spirit affinity. Weapons skills, physical techniques, and riding arts all need to work together...'

After struggling to explain for a while, his father gave up when he saw young Axel's expression.

'The simplest method is: first, get on top and hold on. Until the spirit beast gets exhausted and gives up.'

Axel grabbed the blazing wolf's flames with his outstretched hand.

Gripping them like fur, he climbed up the massive wolf.

The horned wolf simply watched him like a god of fire.

Out of breath, he slipped and barely caught himself several times before finally standing on its back.

The back was incredibly wide. It felt like climbing onto a mansion's roof.

'Can this even be called riding?'

Probably not.

Aeon Flare showed no reaction even with him standing on it.

Axel looked around frantically, then spotted the blade-like horn extending long.

The boy ran forward and grabbed hold of that horn.

Aeon Flare shot to its feet. Then it began bucking wildly like an untamed horse.

Given its enormous size, the impact exceeded any wild horse. Rocks shattered. Sand shot up like mountains.

Axel wrapped his arms around the horn and held on.

GRAAAOOOOO. An enraged howl surged upward. The flames covering the spirit beast's entire body bristled.

The heat intensified, but the boy didn't burn.

Then Aeon Flare began sprinting. The headwind tore at his ears like knives. The surrounding landscape stretched into long streaks.

'At least this makes breathing easier.'

With wind pouring in, fresh air entered his throat parched by the heat.

Axel inhaled deeply and clung on.

The sun set. The moon rose.

Beneath the blackened sky, Aeon Flare spewed fire in all directions throughout the night.

On the white desert, the spirit beast transformed into fire rolled like a fallen sun.

"Ugh."

His leg felt broken.

Axel clung to the horn, leaning against it, and endured.

The sun rose again.

The spirit beast continued raging. The boy held on.

Blood flowed from his hands that had been gripping the blade-sharp horn continuously.

'I can't die in a place like this.'

If he died, he couldn't keep his father's dying wish.

Besides, he felt he couldn't die—if only out of resentment—before seeing that bastard Adrian Black's face.

Half held together by love for his father and sense of duty, the other half by sheer stubbornness.

When blood flowed from between his clenched teeth, when his bloodshot whites became indistinguishable from his red irises—

Aeon Flare's movements stopped.

The boy smiled palely, covered in blood. It was his victory.

An expensive carriage stood at the Great Desert's outskirts. It appeared to belong to a noble family, but the crest was covered.

The carriage was large and spacious. With even a bed inside, it was perfect for travel.

In one corner, Veronica dozed off, nodding sleepily. In another corner, Simon reviewed reports. Lucy had stepped away briefly to shop.

Ariadne Eldier sat by the window, looking outside roughly once every five minutes.

The Archmage watched her with an odd expression.

"I thought you came to see your old grandfather, but it seems you have another real purpose."

"I did come to see you, Grandfather. I'm just doing two things at once."

After throwing the protagonist before Aeon Flare, she absolutely couldn't sit quietly at home waiting.

Conveniently, the Western Mage Tower was located near the Great Desert.

The Archmage was staying there, teaching mages at the royal family's request.

Ariadne had used visiting her maternal grandfather as an excuse to ultimately come here. With Veronica and plenty of other guards in tow.

"This isn't just casual sponsorship for amusement, I see. Coming out to wait like this."

The Archmage sighed deeply.

Both the Archmage and Rebecca assumed Ariadne sponsored the boy because she was interested in red eyes.

She'd vaguely explained that her interest in red eyes and knowledge of Axel's existence came from records in her father's laboratory.

Ariadne made an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry. Since it's the first mission I've given him, I'm worried."

"What's so dangerous about mining seven-colored crystal? Everyone around here makes their living from it."

The Archmage grumbled.

He didn't know Aeon Flare was sweeping through the Great Desert.

He knew that a volcanic eruption had triggered the Aeon Flare phenomenon, but not knowing where it had gone was normal.

"Still. He's a child."

"Goodness, child. Why do you always forget you're far younger than that boy?"

The Archmage clicked his tongue. Ariadne smiled awkwardly.

"Archmage, it's almost time for your lesson."

A servant waiting outside knocked on the carriage door with the announcement. The Archmage stood grumbling.

"I should go. Don't stay too long—return before sunset, child."

"Yes, Grandfather."

The Archmage returned to the mage tower.

Ariadne remained glued to the window.

She knew this had happened in the original.

She knew the protagonist couldn't possibly burn to death.

Far from burning to death, she knew he would become Aeon Flare's master.

Even knowing, she felt anxious.

'What if my interference changes the original progression?'

She'd created as similar a situation as possible, but many things had still changed.

That's why she'd hesitated, then sent the hint.

In the original, Axel realizes this truth on his own.

Based on fairy tales he'd read as a child and things he'd heard while wandering with red eyes.

Teaching him outright seemed like it would interfere with the protagonist's growth, but leaving it alone made her anxious something might go wrong and he'd fail.

'And if it follows the original exactly... it's too painful and precarious.'

In the original, the protagonist only realizes he doesn't burn after gouging out and throwing away one of his own eyes.

Even after realizing it, not knowing what the Aeon Flare phenomenon is, he tries to tame a different spirit beast that will disappear soon.

Only after the spirit beast he'd mounted and endured dies at the end of its lifespan does he notice the leader's existence.

In the novel, Robert Black then summons even a priest to treat Axel who returned having lost one eye, nursing him throughout.

'After that, the protagonist starts genuinely feeling like that bastard is his father.'

From Robert's perspective, he simply couldn't treat his pawn carelessly anymore now that it had tamed the notorious Aeon Flare and become a spirit knight.

'...I really hope he finishes without gouging out his own eye. And I hope he doesn't suffer clinging to the wrong spirit beast either.'

It's just the trigger for becoming entangled with the villain. He doesn't need to experience that.

Setting aside being the novel's protagonist, he's only twelve years old—she hoped he wouldn't go through such horrific experiences.

'I taught him about the Aeon Flare phenomenon and sent hints, so he should return in better condition than the original.'

Ariadne checked outside the window once more. Then she stood up abruptly.