Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools Volume 8 [Parts 1 to 4] by Hisaya Amagishi

Author:Hisaya Amagishi
Language: eng
Format: epub

The knights’ chatter and laughter drowned out the rushing of the river. Grato had been chowing down on grilled crab dripping with butter and quenching his thirst with the citrusy white wine. The one he had steamed himself was great and all, but crab was best grilled to go with wine—that was what he had thought, at least, until one of the knights brought him the crab soup flavored with the Esterland seasoning known as miso. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

“Captain! More estervino? It goes wonderfully with the tomalley you made!”

“A cup then, please.” After answering the navy-haired knight, he turned back to the old man in the simple chair beside him. His hair and beard had turned completely gray, and he was just as tall as he had been, but his muscles were no more, leaving him thin and bony. The tree may have withered, yet its roots were strong—no part of the man seemed weak; it would have been no surprise to anyone to learn that he had once been the vice-captain of the Beast Hunters. Grato recalled how, when he had just entered the Order, this man would yell at him all the time with such vigor. “Lord Bernigi, some estervino for you?”

“I’ve had enough.” The old man cast his tea-brown eyes to the ground and shook his head. He was very fond of crab, yet he’d had but the single piece of the steamed and none of the grilled. This sea serpent used to drink wine past the carryover, yet he only emptied the glass he’d initially been served. Perhaps this was him showing his age or his poor health.

Grato couldn’t help but worry. “Is the armored crab not to your liking today, sir?”

“Such is not the case; it tastes fine.” He spooned some of the soup from his bowl, went through the motions and chewed it a few times, then gulped it down seemingly without really tasting it. The crab should have been tender, but the single bite he had taken was probably not to his taste.

Last week, Volf’s brother Guido had sent a quick note saying that “former vice-captain Lord Bernigi has been having less appetite and more need for rest,” and that might explain the old man’s behavior. It was curious that Guido had known about his condition, but Grato had no interest in finding out why. Of course he had worried; after all, Bernigi had been such a big part of his life. The day after he had received the letter, Grato had penned another inviting the ex–Beast Hunter to the armored crab feast that would be held under the guise of field training, only half-expecting him to accept. Bernigi must’ve had days when he felt better or worse too; Grato hadn’t wanted to force the old man into coming, so he had added that he was free to decide on the day of.

“You needn’t worry for me. My health is fine.” The silence was brief, but it must’ve been enough time for Bernigi to see through Grato.

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