—Flame sprites? If Volcanus is a greater spirit, something that would need Volcanus to replenish its mana, is it...

“The Dragon?”

“You know of it, child?” Ashur turned to the boy with a look of surprise.

“Volcanus had mentioned it earlier, grandpa Ashur,” Urie answered.

“O-Oh, is that so?” Ashur flinched but nodded and continued to speak, “Indeed, Volcanus, the fire spirit, was sealed in order to stifle the lifespan of the dragon of flame. In order to prolong its life, the creature would fall into a deep sleep once the presence of Volcanus disappeared.”

Simone added, “In which case, if we were to restore the two tower's connection, that would equate to effectively waking up this dragon, yes?” How much danger did the creature pose, that the greater spirit would isolate itself? Simone didn't know, but he could tell enough from the elven elder's hesitance.

“Correct. Which is why we must be quick if we are to proceed. Only for a moment must the bond be established—just enough time for the child return. Although...” Ashur's fingers once more danced nervously on the table, ”I fear a factor we should take into account is how the shadows would react.”

“Huh? Do the Nifyr have something to do with the tower?” This time, it was the red-haired captain of the Flame Brigade that spoke up, as keeping track of the murky denizens were within the title's responsibilities.

“The Nifyr, you could say, are byproducts of a dream. Call them the dragon's nightmare if you wish. I am only aware that they are evidence of the dragon's hungering of mana. Other than that, I know as much as the rest of you; how they managed to creep onto our side is a matter that had long baffled the Elder Council,” Ashur answered.

Urie rubbed his small chin free of stubble as an idea popped into mind. The scruffy old man that was to blame for him winding up here might have an idea. Though first of all, he had to figure out a way home before he could even interrogate the indolent headmaster.

“Then? How are we going to restore the tower's connection?” Simone asked.

“An artifact which acts as the medium of restoration is held within storage by the council. With my authority as high elder, gaining possession of it will be on no challenge.”

“Bah. So the hard part of the job goes to me," Luca quipped.

“Hard, brother-in-law says! Hah! With the entirety of the Flame Brigade, we'll have them do the work of three of you! You'll only have to put in twice the work!”

“Three... Hey, twice doesn't add up!” Luca complained but did not speak against the plan. Simone heartily guffawed and Stella sat in silent agreement. Urie, however, stood up from his seat and drew in their questioning gazes.

“Why?” The young boy asked briefly. Why involve everyone in his predicament? He was fine with tackling it all on his own—just, he couldn't yet imagine the scale of the things that Ashur had told them.

The sudden talk of getting a lot of people involved—not just those around the table, or even including these relatives of Celeste—made it increasingly obvious that getting him home would be a huge hurdle, and the thought of that slowly overwhelmed him.

Urie was taught to always help those in need, but he was never placed in a position to receive.

—I can't impose on them like this. I do want to go home but...

“I'm troubling you all so much.”

From the air they exuded and how they spoke; everyone gathered at the table was an important person, or at least, carried a certain amount of responsibility within the city. Growing up within the Loeth House, Urie was familiar with people of authority and learned not to throw tantrums at their absence. Instead, he took to solving his own problems by himself and although there was the presence of his mother, this trait had thoroughly ingrained itself; a certain fixation—his eagerness to head to the Erden Wall—was born from this.

“I...” Urie felt conflicted—trying to muster up a word of refusal, but couldn't bring himself to shy from their support.

“Oh, little Urie...” Stella softly pulled him in an embrace, covering the dithering expression on his face. “You shouldn't have to worry about these things. It's the adults' job to take care of you kids—including getting you home safely.”

Urie returned the embrace while burying his head on her shoulder. His stomach churned as apprehensions surfaced one by one, allowing him to realize why he couldn't bring himself to refuse the help. Not long after, his escaping thoughts had dampened the cloth on Stella's shoulder.

The hurdles to return home were unknown; there was the Nifyr and the Dragon, both of which didn't seem scary. Rather, what Urie found frightening of was the sudden possibility of never seeing his family again.

—Is this what Celeste felt? Was she this scared?

The inquisitive boy could now fully empathize with the tears Celeste had shed the day she first arrived at the Loeth residence.

It was after a few seconds later that Stella eyed the people at the table, even forgetting her grudge against the elf sitting across her. “Let's take a break and continue once little Urie has settled down,” she said, while gently patting the boy's head.

Coupled with unsuppressed sniffles, Urie let out an almost inaudible mumble. Making out what he'd said, Stella gave him a warm smile.

“I'm sorry mama... I'll dry this later with magic...”