Chapter 221

Chapter 221: Chapter 221

Dulce woke up to a letter from Moira, the kindly witch had somehow managed to acquire an invitation letter for him, as well as directions to the institution of magic.

Eynsworth was even further than Alderth so they needed to begin their journey soonest. It was a cold winter morning, the first shoots of spring already breaking through the rain-soaked earth.

"It is another spring I won’t spend in Dewmire," Dulce sighed, drinking tea in the leisure room by the fireplace. It seemed like spring always brought new journeys his way.

The servants had already begun to make arrangements for the journey, the positive side was that they their return journey would be over in an instant.

"Then don’t leave," Ruoxi said shortly, unimpressed by the disruption to their slow, lazy days in the cottage.

Dulce didn’t even consider it, not only was he resolute in freeing Kath’tan from their binding contract, Miss Moira had been incredibly kind in her assistance.

"There’s no chance of that. Hopefully, we’ll return before winter, if not, there is always another spring."

"When do we leave?" Asael asked.

"In the morning," Dulce replied, his gaze drifting outside the window.

It hadn’t snowed in days, so the landscape looked even more barren without the cover of snow.

The trip to Eynsworth would take a little over a month, so they would arrive in the city well into spring. It would be a cold, rainy trip, once he wasn’t looking forward to.

"Or I could attempt the entrance exams alone," He suggested, considering it thoughtfully. "It likely that I’ll be turned away at the gates after all."

"We’ll come along," Caedos refilled his tea cup, "It makes little difference."

Dulce thought it made a lot of difference, journeying alone meant that he could make the trip in a handful of hours and be back the very same day if he couldn’t gain admission into the institution.

But he didn’t say more on the topic, the weather was merely a minor inconvenience, more to the horses and coachmen than to any of them. He still forgot not to worry about the Demons...

"Can Demons wield magic?" He asked curiously after a lull in conversation.

Winter had felt like an eternity and at the same time only a handful of days. The warm mornings and late nights spent in this very room had taken on somewhat of a wistful quality.

"Not like humans can," Asael was the one to answer.

Demons did have inherent abilities that could be termed magical, but that was the most of it.

"Since it’s our last night in the cottage, a celebration should be in order." Ruoxi had said just before dinner.

Dulce had been thrilled by the idea but the others were unimpressed, knowing that the Incubus was simply looking for an excuse to drink wine.

Steaming bowls of fruit wine was served alongside dinner, conversation and warm light spilling out the windows which had to be cracked open as it had gotten too stuffy in the dining room.

As they were about to leave on a journey, Ruoxi was quick to capitalize on that to make them all spend the night drinking wine and playing cards. As otherwise, Dulce would have kept Caedos company for the night.

The Hellhound was unruffled by this underhanded tactic, comfortably settled into his new life.

It had felt like far too long since they rode a carriage together. They set out at first light, Dulce making sure they were all covered up from the biting morning cold despite himself.

The Vampire wore a happy smile, wrapped up in a scarf that made him look like a sweet melon. He had prepared properly for the journey this time, no longer impoverished.

They wouldn’t have to walk or skimp on coins, and there was a tall pile of books although he had barely been able to get much reading done in a while.

He had also prepared boxes of hard candy, taffy and candied fruits. Treating it like a pleasant summer trip and not a journey through the mountains for an important event.

They would cut through the small country of Dellmont then through the western mountain pass to get to Eynsworth. Fortunately, Dellmont was closer to Mistfall than Alderth was to Mistfall, unfortunately, it meant that most of the duration of their journey would be spent in the mountain pass.

The journey kicked off without fanfare, the snow had been washed off the roads, so while parts were muddy, it was far better than piles of snow. They would leave Dewmire and then head north east to Dellmont.

By mid-morning, they were already on the stretch of road that cut through the wide swathe of forest separating Dewmire from the rest of the kingdom.

"Will you return to the cottage if Demons aren’t allowed in the institution?" Dulce asked.

He remembered that Miss Moira had mentioned that it had been so long since a summoning was carried out that the rules allowing bound Demons and familiars might have gone obsolete.

The atmosphere in the carriage grew a little tense but their answers were written on their chilly expressions. Paltry human mages couldn’t keep them out so they had little choice in the matter, but they didn’t say that out loud.

"Acquiring a house in Eynsworth is a simple matter," Dulce answered his own question. "I’ll have to trouble you to wait for me there. Candied fruits anyone?"

They had barely begun their journey, yet the lively Vampire had already stuffed sugar-glazed fruits into their hands. He had braided his hair for the journey, the only one still wearing a scarf around his neck.

"How unfortunate that we don’t have a nice hot pot of sweet tea to go with it." He sighed, biting down on a carved piece of candied apple.

Kath’tan glanced down at the sticky treat that looked much smaller in his large hand. He no longer had his claws protracted constantly, it made his own hands look unfamiliar to him.

Ruoxi wore a lazy smile of his own, his dark pink eyes saturated with light. "There’s wine, ask the fire-breathing Hound to heat it up for you." He suggested, the first to finish the sweets Dulce had shoved in his hand.

"There’s no need to go through the trouble..." Dulce was already starting to demur, but before the rest of his words could fall out, a carafe of heated wine was already placed in his arms.

The warmth was pleasant, the heat seeping through his clothes. "Thank you," He appreciated and without even taking a single sip, he right away started trying to get the others to drink.

Kath’tan was the only one yet to eat his candied fruit, he stared down at it with a distant look in his eyes, turning down Dulce’s offer to drink sweet, hot wine.

Caedos and Asael ate the candied fruit but also turned down the wine, leafless trees whipping past them as they drove.

"Drink it up before it cools," Ruoxi said when the Vampire turned to him, "I’m fine with sweets." As he said that, he took the candy box that the Vampire had put to the side to take more candied fruits.

Not wanting Caedos efforts to go to waste, Dulce drank down the entire jug of wine, the carriage filled with the cold scent of winter and the sugary sweet scent of sugar and fruits.

They arrived in the next town late in the afternoon, and without needing to bother with sourcing a carriage, they continued on smoothly only they were on the outskirts of the town.

It was late winter so they had to stop for the night at an inn. The horses and the coachmen needed to warm up from the cold so that they didn’t succumb to illness.

With a personal coachman, there was no reason to personally arrange rooms anymore. Five rooms were prepared for them, all rooms apart.

"I didn’t miss the fledgling-sized beds of inns," Kath’tan grumbled as he strode into Dulce’s room.

Although five rooms were booked, all four Demons piled into his room. It was so familiar that Dulce didn’t realize he was smiling. "I’ll have the coachmen remedy that." He said indulgently.

"It’s a cold winter night," Dulce went on, standing in the doorway as the Demons immediately got comfortable in his room, coats and waistcoats going off. "We should eat dinner inside, I’ll have that arrange." He said even as he turned to the door to make good his words.

He soon returned after informing a barmaid of their wishes, and without so much as reminding them that they all had their rooms which would certainly provide them more comfort, he sat next to the fireplace, finally unwrapping his scarf.

Caedos had taken the bed that had earned Kath’tan’s ire, for an enormous Demon, he was adept at fitting into otherwise small spaces, his long limbs curled up comfortably.

A knock soon brought their dinner, served on steaming trays by a barmaid. She left in a sway of skirts, caring little about the crowd in the room although they had all booked individual rooms. They had already paid after all, they could do whatever they wished with their inn rooms.