Fantasia of the Silver-Biding House of Eggs ~Eastern Country & Northern Country~ | Chapter 10

[healingbonds]

Chapter 9 << | index


Akira: Nero did?

Heathcliff: Yes. Nero seemed concerned over how the egg was doing the whole time, so I went to show it to Nero as soon as it hatched.
He was delighted and kept saying “That’s amazing!”...... He was as happy as if it had been his own egg.
His praise made me so happy that I offered my silverwork to him as a present, but he refused to accept it.

It belongs to you, since you took care of it. You should cherish it. I’ll take good care of my own egg too.
Apparently that’s what Nero told Heath.

Akira: I see......

Warmth blooms from the bottom of my heart, and I try to savor that emotion.
Both the young Heathcliff and the aged owner had desperately tried their best to protect the eggs they very nearly lost.
The egg Heathcliff hatched, and the eggs the owner had poured his love into — they aren’t the egg that Nero let go. A broken egg cannot be returned to life.
But perhaps they healed the wound in Nero’s heart that spilled from his own hands in the past. At least enough for him to consider hatching an egg once more.

Heathcliff: But in the end, Nero...... He has to let go of his silver egg again.

Akira: Ah......

Heathcliff looks down sadly. In exchange for their help in capturing the lion, Nero offered his own silver egg to the Northern wizards.

Owen: Come on, hand it over.

Mithra: I don’t like it when people make me wait.

Nero: Haha...... You don’t have to rush me.

I look for Nero, and find Mithra and Owen edging closer to him.

Akira: (It’s such a shame when Nero finally wanted to try hatching another silver egg......)

Bradley: ......Hmm?

I turn around to find Bradley grinning fearlessly. It seems like he heard the conversation between Heathcliff and me.
With a smirk on his face, he strides up to Nero.

Bradley: Hey, Eastern chef! Like the Eastern tiny said, your egg sure is pretty damn small.
You sure you didn’t get an inferior one to match your personality?

Nero: Huh!? Quit picking at my egg. It’s not that different from yours......
.......No, I guess you’re right. It’s actually really small.

Bradley: Yeah, there’s no point in taking care of a tiny egg like that if all it’s going to produce is junk. You might as well just boil it and eat it.
No Northern wizard would fall so low as to accept an egg like that. Right, brothers?

Owen & Mithra: ............
I guess......?

Akira: (He’s verbally strong-arming them into agreeing.....!?)

Nero: Sorry guys....... In exchange, I’ll make anything you guys like when we get back to the magic headquarters.
A mountain of fresh cream, burnt coal, heaps of fried chicken — whatever you want. How about that?

Owen & Mithra: A mountain.......

Mithra: ......I guess that’s a deal. It’d be more work to deal with an inferior egg anyway.

Owen: I’m going to ask for so much cream that your arms are going to fall off making it. Look forward to it.

Heathcliff and I let out simultaneous sighs of relief at the Northern wizards’ exchange.

Heathcliff: T-thank goodness......! Now Nero gets to hatch his own egg.

Akira: Yes, it looks like it......!

After Mithra and Owen walk away, Bradley shamelessly leans his arm on Nero’s shoulder, throwing a glance at his silver egg.

Bradley: What a shame. I was going to take it off your hands if you were still acting like you didn’t want the egg.

Nero: ......But is it okay? Can I really take this......

Bradley’s eyes narrow meaningfully at Nero’s words.

Bradley: Didn’t you hear me? No Northern wizard would fall so low as to accept such a tiny egg.
Try your best to pray that yours doesn’t give birth to a monster, Eastern chef.

Nero: ......Shut up.

Bradley breaks into a laugh before departing in a good mood. Nero might’ve snapped at him, but I can see the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
Nero looks down at the egg in his hands, and gently taps it with his fingertips — “hello, hello.”

Nero: ......Nice to meet you.

✦✧☾✧✦

A few days after we return from the mission in Eastern Country.

(Knocking)

Nero: Sage, are you free?

Akira: Nero? Yes, please come in.

Nero: It’s okay, I’m fine out here. I need to get back to my preparations after this.
The thing is, I managed to hatch my egg.

Akira: Eh, the silver egg?

Nero: Yeah. That’s why I thought I’d show you.

Nero wipes his fingers on his apron before pulling something out of his pocket.

Akira: ......Ah.



I gasp in amazement. What appears is a small desert spoon.

Akira: Amazing..... What a pretty spoon......

Nero: You can tell it’s silverwork hatched from a silver egg. You won’t find such high quality spoons anywhere else.

It is just as Nero says: a single glance is enough to discern the fine quality of such a beautiful spoon. Despite the absence of ornate decoration, it glitters like a jewel.

Nero: This is for you. Isn’t it just the right size for eating ice cream?

Akira: Eh? I couldn’t take it. It hatched from your egg, after all......

I demur hastily. Nero snaps his fingers, and his familiar magic cutlery appears and encircles him.

Nero: I’m fine. I’m already used to these guys.
Besides...... My silver egg safely hatched.
You know, I feel like I did what I wanted to do, so I don’t have any more regrets..... Well, in any case, I’m satisfied.

Nero laughs sunnily.
His expression no longer looks like the sky before the rain, nor is he wearing the same face as he did as he gazed into the pond that night.
Maybe when the silver egg hatched, it also broke the wounded layer of hard shell enclosing Nero’s heart.

Akira: ......Thank you. I’ll treasure this spoon, and your feelings too.

I thank him earnestly, and Nero looks sheepish before nodding and leaving my room.

(Door closing)

Akira: ......What a beautiful spoon.

I raise the spoon up against the light streaming in from the windows. It glitters and sparkles, casting a white radiance like the moon that hangs in the sky.
The silver egg reflects the desire of the wizard who raises it.
I think about Nero’s feelings that went into keeping the egg warm, and how it came to be born in the form of this spoon.

Akira: (Is this the manifestation of his wish as a chef of wanting to make delicious food? But something like a pot would’ve made more sense.....)

At that moment, I recall the good luck charm that Heathcliff told us about. A silver spoon as a charm to protect the safety of children and travelers.

Akira: (Could it be.......)

Maybe that’s what Nero has always wished for at the bottom of his heart, whenever he stands in his kitchen.
For the people who eat his cooking to be safe and sound. For them to be healthy and at peace, and to live each day well and happy.
I clasp the spoon as gingerly as I would an egg. The spoon adjusts to the heat of my palm, growing faintly warm.
The very same warmth I feel when I eat Nero’s cooking.

Akira: (......It’s about time for the other wizards’ eggs to hatch, too.)

I wonder what kinds of silverwork were born from each of the eggs that they warmed and raised. What kind of desires did their eggs give birth to?

Akira: Maybe I should go and ask everyone?

I tuck the spoon away in my drawer, and leave my room with a heart pounding in anticipation.

Chapter 9 << | index