Wine and Poison Chapter 21 - Strange Night

As soon as he heard the story from him, Scylla immediately expressed her intention to gather it. 

 

Saffron was an extremely precious herb, with endlessly varied uses. 

 

It possessed a mild toxicity, but the effect was so minor that it was hardly considered noteworthy as a poisonous plant. 

 

On the other hand, it proved quite useful as an antidote.

 

After nearly dying from the snake venom in Thyrsos, Scylla had changed her mindset—she now wanted to secure antidotes whenever possible.

 

“Let’s go together tomorrow, Master. That herb can also be used as a spice, so our meals will become much more delicious.”

 

And so, the two of them—unusually—set out together.

 

While Scylla carefully dug up the saffron from the root, Langsion hunted nearby and gathered an appropriate amount of basil leaves for the day.

 

The walk back to the cabin was warm and cheerful. 

 

Having obtained saffron—something not easily acquired even in the city—Scylla was beaming like someone who had stumbled upon a treasure of gold and jewels. 

 

Langsion couldn’t help but smile as well. 

 

It wasn’t a picture-perfect smile, it was a sunshine-like smile. 

 

Making her happy was more difficult than pleasing even the most haughty noble young ladies of the city, so this moment felt rather nice.

 

Making humans smile was easy. Toss them some jewels, and they were usually delighted. 

 

That was never difficult for him.

 

Even right now, if he went to the city and gave an order to maenads, all kinds of dazzling gems would arrive in his hands in less than an hour. 

 

But Scylla wouldn’t be happy receiving jewels as gifts, and he couldn’t quite picture her adorned with them either.

 

Nevertheless, Langsion imagined it, taking the most beautiful offerings piled up in his temple—the finest gems—and placing them on her ears, her neck, her wrists, her ankles. 

 

It probably wouldn’t suit her, yet somehow it didn’t seem like it would look bad.

 

Seeing her beaming expression, he thought gold might actually work. 

 

It would match those eyes that sparkled like gold. 

 

Amber would be nice too—something not too expensive. 

 

Since both gold and amber were overflowing in the storehouse anyway, it might be best to try them on her one by one. 

 

Before he realized it, Langsion was already mentally selecting which jewels would suit her best.

 

That was when it happened.

 

The smile vanished from Scylla’s face as quickly as a candle flame snuffed out.

 

“No…”

 

She let out a low groan. Then she immediately broke into a run. 

 

The saffron she had been holding in both hands scattered to the ground with a soft patter. 

 

Langsion turned his head.

 

Gray smoke was pouring out thickly from inside the cabin. 

 

Flames leaped up over the roof. The log cabin had become mere prey to the fire.

 

The blaze showed no sign of dying down until it had completely devoured the cabin, yet Langsion merely raised an eyebrow slightly. 

 

Even as the cabin burned, he felt no particular emotion. It was unexpected, so he was mildly surprised, nothing more. 

 

The mountain air had been very dry lately; that must have been why the fire started.

 

In the old, musty-smelling cabin, Langsion could find no value whatsoever. 

 

What was interesting was the human who lived there—not the cabin itself.

 

But Scylla was different.

 

While Langsion remained calm even as the cabin burned before his eyes, his eyes widened when she threw herself toward it without the slightest hesitation.

 

That idiot!

 

The memory flashed through his mind of the time she had tested Thyrsos’s snake venom with her own tongue. 

 

The boatman on the river Styx was already waving her over, beckoning her to come quickly—yet here she was, rushing to hasten her own death. 

 

What on earth was going through that head of hers? 

 

Even if he didn’t turn her into a Mainades, couldn’t he at least tie her arms and legs down somehow? 

 

For now, he’d have to shove wine, nectar, anything into her mouth just to feel a little peace of mind. This fool of a human who seemed hell-bent on dying!

 

“What are you doing, Master!”

 

“No! My poisons!”

 

Langsion snatched her at the doorway and pulled her tightly into his arms. 

 

Scylla stretched her hands desperately toward the cabin. 

 

Up close, the flames looked far worse than he had thought.

 

The workroom was completely filled with violently swelling gray smoke and vivid red fire; nothing inside was visible anymore. 

 

Heat blasted out even from the doorway, but she paid it no mind. 

 

Langsion refused to let her go—not even for a second. The moment he loosened his grip, she would obviously bolt straight into the workroom.

 

“It’s already too late.”

 

“Anything—anything at all, I have to save something! At least my research logs up to now!”

 

“Look properly, Master. It’s too late. Everything’s already burned.”

 

“Nooooooo!”

 

Struggling violently in Langsion’s arms, Scylla screamed. Her hoarse voice, thick with desperation in every cracked note, laid bare just how devastated she was by the situation.

 

But the clear sky held not a single rain cloud. 

 

The flames grew mercilessly larger.

 

Boom!

 

At the enormous explosion, Langsion grabbed the back of her head and turned his body to shield her. 

 

Chunks of charred tableware and other blackened debris rained down around them. 

 

The explosion had come from the direction of Scylla’s workroom. 

 

That room had been packed with every kind of research material, including mineral poisons—substances that would detonate on contact with fire had gone off.

 

A chill ran down Langsion’s spine at the realization that Scylla had nearly rushed into the cabin that had already turned into an inferno. 

 

Oblivious to his feelings, she kept reaching desperately toward the burning structure.

 

Should he knock her out?

 

Langsion seriously considered it.

 

“This can’t be happening…”

 

Scylla’s murmured voice was thick with tears. 

 

The tears she shed seeped into Langsion’s chest, a place that had previously held only incomprehension toward her.

 

“Don’t cry.”

 

Langsion held her tightly and whispered into her cold, pale ear. 

 

As if his comfort couldn’t reach her, Scylla continued to weep.

 

That was the moment.

 

Kkyuuu—!

 

Scylla’s tear-filled pupils suddenly widened. 

 

A black shadow slithered rapidly out from the cabin. It was Thyrsos. Tears welled up in his small, pebble-like black eyes.

 

Panting with relief, Thyrsos crawled toward Langsion. 

 

Just as he was about to scramble frantically up onto him—

 

Plip—

 

A cold droplet fell onto his head. 

 

For a second, it seemed like rain. He turned his gaze upward.

 

“Nero…”

 

In Thyrsos’s jet-black eyes was reflected Scylla’s face, tears streaming down.

 

“Thank goodness. Thank goodness you’re safe…”

 

The enormous, terrifying human who always tormented him was crying. 

 

Seeing eyes brimming with pure relief, Thyrsos’s tail gave a tiny twitch.

 

He glanced at Langsion. Langsion gave a small nod. 

 

Thyrsos changed direction. He slithered up her ankle. When Scylla reached out her hand, he rested his head in her palm.

 

Chup— 

 

A thin tongue flicked out from the triangular snout that proved he carried venom. As the tongue lapped at her palm, Scylla’s pupils trembled.

 

“Don’t cry, Master. Even Nero isn’t crying.”

 

I didn’t tell him to lick her hand.

 

Surprised inwardly at this unexpected behavior from Thyrsos—who never let any human near him except Langsion—he whispered softly.

 

At that moment, with a tremendous roar, the cabin collapsed completely in on itself. 

 

Langsion caught the back of Scylla’s head as she tried to turn and held her still.

 

“Don’t look.”

 

“…”

 

“There’s no need to look. Look at me, Master.”

 

It’s okay, Langsion kept whispering. 

 

Seeing her finally start to listen to his voice, he found himself unable to stop the unusually gentle words of comfort. 

 

Look only at me. Just look at me. Forget that wretched thing—look at me. 

 

It felt strange. 

 

The one whose heart should be shaking was Scylla, yet the warmth he felt from her body in his arms was slowly, from the bottom up, filling the hollow space inside his own chest.