Chapter 22: Hesia Is Right

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Hesia Is Right

In the shadows outside the main building of Eagle Claw Manor, the sound of panting broke the night’s silence.

Ferdinand and Otto had stealthily slipped back.

Their faces were a mixture of pain and excitement.

Ferdinand’s face was covered in large, red, swollen lumps. His eyelids were so puffy they were just a single slit, as if he’d been ravaged by a swarm of venomous hornets.

Otto’s face was likewise swollen into a "pig’s head."

The two exchanged a look. No words were needed.

Ferdinand pulled a fist-sized glass bottle from his coat, its opening sealed with a fine mesh screen.

Inside the bottle, three enormous mosquitos buzzed about restlessly.

Otto, his neck also covered in welts, nodded with difficulty. He pointed upstairs in the direction of Cyril’s room, then toward Mage Dugan’s guest room.

The division of labor was clear!

Ferdinand crept toward Cyril’s room, cradling his "spoils of war."

Otto, meanwhile, headed for Dugan’s guest room.

...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

Dugan opened the door. The Dwarf’s already large eyes went wide as saucers, and the short whiskers on his chin curled up in surprise!

"By the Earth Mother Goddess!" Dugan gasped, staring at the "pig’s head" before him. "Otto? You... what happened to you?"

Otto tried to force a smile, but it pulled at the lumps on his face, making him grimace in pain. In a muffled voice, he said, "Mage Dugan... We... we... caught the mosquitos..."

He pointed upstairs to Cyril’s room. "Let’s go to Young Master Cyril’s room to test them for him."

Dugan looked at Otto’s miserable state, then glanced in the direction he was pointing. The corner of his mouth twitched.

’Mosquitos?’

The cicadas, beetles, praying mantises, ladybugs, fireflies, and rhinoceros beetles they had tried before all had precedents in the lore of the Insect Mage.

When Cyril had first shouted about mosquitos, Dugan had just thought the boy was overwrought and spouting nonsense.

He hadn’t considered it a real possibility at all.

But now, looking at Otto’s face, Dugan fell silent.

’These two foolish boys... they actually went and caught mosquitos?’

Dugan sighed.

’Oh, whatever...’

’We’re leaving for Fernandez first thing in the morning anyway.’

’Might as well put an end to Cyril’s delusions.’

"Sigh... Let’s go."

...

「Inside Cyril’s room.」

The flames in the fireplace leaped and danced, illuminating several faces, each with a different expression.

Cyril wrung his hands nervously, his eyes burning with hope.

Ferdinand, his face a mass of welts, carefully cradled the glass bottle containing the three "giant mosquitos."

Dugan stood to one side, a complicated look on his face.

When Dugan saw the three mosquitos in the bottle—their bodies far larger than normal, their proboscises terrifyingly sharp—his eyelid twitched again.

’Earth Mother Goddess above! What in the world do the mosquitos in this swamp eat to grow so big?!’

’No wonder Otto and Ferdinand were bitten so badly!’

Dugan cleared his throat, preparing to begin the final testing procedure.

"Cyril, get ready. I’m going to begin establishing..."

"Wait! Dugan!" Cyril interrupted him. "Not yet! I need to perform a ritual first!"

"A ritual?" Dugan was taken aback, his brow furrowing.

To his surprise, Cyril opened the mesh seal of the glass bottle and slowly extended his arm toward the opening.

"Young Master Cyril!"

Dugan’s eyes widened even more. "Are you crazy?!"

But Cyril paid him no mind.

Drawn by the scent of fresh blood and flesh, the three mosquitos in the bottle unceremoniously plunged their proboscises into Cyril’s skin.

Cyril’s lips moved silently, as if he were reciting some kind of Spell.

Watching this scene unfold, the look on Dugan’s face shifted from astonishment to regret.

He felt he never should have made this trip to Print.

’This kid... seems to have lost his mind.’

’Does he really think that by feeding the mosquitos a little blood, they’ll be so grateful they’ll start obeying his commands?’

’This is even more ridiculous than that story I heard in the tavern the other day, ’Brave Hero, the Demon Lord Says She Wants to Date You!’’

Just as Dugan was about to step forward, pull Cyril away, and end this farce—

Something unexpected happened!

The three mosquitos, which had been greedily sucking blood, suddenly stopped in perfect unison!

As if they had received an order, they withdrew their proboscises from Cyril’s arm and then... lined up. Like well-trained soldiers, they formed a single horizontal line at the bottom of the bottle and stood perfectly still.

Dugan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head!

Cyril opened his eyes, which now shone with a confident light.

"Number One! Number Two! Do three clockwise circles in the air!"

"Number Three! Fly through the middle of them!"

Under the gazes of the three onlookers, who looked as if they had just seen the Undead—

Two of the mosquitos beat their wings and took flight, managing to complete a precise circular flight despite the tight confines of the bottle!

And "Number Three," with a BUZZ, shot straight through the gap that opened between its two companions! The movement was fluid! The command was clear! The execution was perfect!

BUZZ—!

After completing their task, the three mosquitos landed back on the bottom of the bottle, once again forming a line, as silent as statues.

Dugan: "..."

’But I haven’t even started establishing the mental link yet!’

’What... what the hell is going on?!’

’Have the mosquitos become sentient spirits?!’

Ferdinand was trembling with excitement. He shot a look at the equally dumbfounded Otto, and their eyes met!

SLAP!

SLAP!

The two chubby guys leaped into the air and high-fived!

Then they exchanged another look, and Otto quickly left the room to inform Baron Uer.

...

「In the study.」

After hearing Otto’s report, Baron Uer’s face was etched with disbelief.

"Cyril... he really commanded the mosquitos?!"

"It’s absolutely true, my Lord!" Dugan’s voice rang out. "I saw it with my own eyes. Young Master Cyril used a special method to establish an unprecedented connection with the mosquitos!

He gives them commands, and they execute them with precision! This is a talent for communication I have never seen before!"

"Although no one has ever used mosquitos as their primary contracted partners, there are indeed many types of mosquito-like Demons that possess Extraordinary Power.

The talent Young Master Cyril has shown has limitless potential! I swear on my honor as a Mage, if he embarks on the path of the Insect Mage, in time, he will surely shine brilliantly!"

Cyril, who had followed Dugan in, added, "Father, Hesia was right!"

"This... this... Could it be... that Hesia... really taught you some kind of... Secret Technique?"

Dugan, also filled with curiosity, looked at Cyril.

Cyril hesitated for a moment, but seeing as Hesia’s method had indeed worked, he decided not to hide it any longer.

"Hesia told me that he’d once heard of a special ’ritual’ that required one to proactively offer their own blood to the mosquitos, then piously recite an ancient Spell."

Dugan’s brow furrowed. "What Spell?"

Cyril seemed a bit embarrassed, but he cleared his throat and recited it in a low tone:

"Oh, winged ones who buzz in the Dark Night,

O messengers who sup on the nectar of life!

I offer my flowing blood as sacrifice,

And call upon you!

Hear my Will!

And revere me as—

The ’Dominator of Blood’!"

Dugan: "..."

The muscles in his face twitched a few times.

’This Spell... is even worse than that book, ’Brave Hero, the Demon Lord Says She Wants to Date You!’ At least that story was catchy.’

He gave a dry cough and turned to Baron Uer. "My Lord, I think... perhaps... In any case, Young Master Cyril’s talent is beyond doubt!"

Then he looked at Cyril. "Cyril, time is of the essence. Since you have now found your direction, we will depart for Fernandez first thing tomorrow morning! Professor Mei Li will be absolutely delighted to see you!"

Baron Uer, still recovering from the shock, nodded subconsciously, his gaze landing blankly on his desk.

Seeing this, Dugan knew he should give the Lord some time to process everything, so he led the excited Cyril out of the study.

Ferdinand and Otto also took the hint and excused themselves.

Only Baron Uer remained in the study.

The crackling fire in the fireplace illuminated his face, which was a mask of confusion and shock.

His gaze fell upon the glass bottle on the desk.

As if possessed,

Baron Uer reached out and carefully opened the mesh on the bottle.

He took a deep breath and stuck his hand inside.

"Hiss..."

He fought back his discomfort, his lips moving silently:

"Oh, winged ones who buzz in the Dark Night..."

"O messengers who sup on the nectar of life..."

"I offer my flowing blood as sacrifice..."

The study was utterly silent.

There was only the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace and the buzzing of the mosquito.

Baron Uer finished the Spell and opened his eyes, full of expectation.

He saw that the mosquito was still firmly attached to his hand, its abdomen swelling at a visible rate... showing no signs of stopping.

Never mind lining up or doing circles!

The old Baron’s face flushed red. He gave an embarrassed cough, quickly pulled his hand out, and hastily sealed the mesh screen.