As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Duwe's relentless search finally bore fruit.
In the depths of the western forest, he discovered a small puddle of water—likely a remnant of the rainy season. With no wild animals inhabiting the island and the puddle hidden in a shaded area, Duwe meticulously inspected the surroundings for any signs of wildlife activity but found none.
After tasting the water and confirming it was fresh, relief swept over him. Without a second thought, the parched pair—boy and girl alike—threw themselves at the puddle's edge, gulping down the cool, slightly peculiar-tasting liquid with abandon. As the refreshing sensation soothed his parched throat, Duwe couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment, a shiver of relief coursing through him as the water slid down.
Once their thirst was sated, Duwe promptly removed his lambskin boots and began scrubbing them in the puddle.
"What… what are you doing?" Vivian blinked at him in confusion.
"Washing my boots," Duwe replied, not pausing in his task. "I'll use them to carry water."
"To carry water? In your boots?" Vivian's expression turned incredulous.
"Of course," Duwe said with a smirk. "Unless you can find another container—a bottle, a jar—this is all we have. My boots are made of lambskin and are quite watertight." He glanced at her, his tone tinged with impatience. "Don't frown at me. This is our only option. We can't just camp here by the puddle indefinitely. We need to return to the coast. If you think my boots are too filthy, you're welcome to use your own."
Caught off guard, Vivian fumbled to remove her shoes, spurred by Duwe's final warning: "Hurry up, unless you want to drink from my boots tomorrow."
Her cheeks flushing with discomfort, the young mage quickly pulled off her shoes. Unlike Duwe's boots, hers were of finer leather, though they had fared poorly after the day's trek. Beneath them, her white socks were stained with blood, evidence of broken blisters formed from their arduous journey.
Awkwardly, she knelt by the puddle and began scrubbing her shoes, mimicking Duwe's actions. She cleaned them obsessively, scrubbing over and over until Duwe's patience wore thin.
"Two washes are enough!" he snapped. "Why are you cleaning them so many times?"
"Th-they're dirty…" she stammered.
Duwe chuckled, watching her naïve determination. "Look, this puddle isn't large. Sure, your shoes might be clean now, but the water you're washing them in is filthy. In the end, what you'll be drinking is just dirty water anyway."
Vivian froze, her lips trembling with unspoken frustration. Finally, she filled her boots with water and stood, her face etched with resignation. "A-are we really going to drink this?"
"By tomorrow, when you're parched beyond endurance, you won't think twice about drinking water dirtier than this," Duwe said matter-of-factly. "Now, let's go."
As they began their return journey, Duwe led the way, clearing the path with his wooden staff. After some time, however, he noticed the mage falling farther and farther behind. Pausing, he turned back, his brows furrowed in irritation.
"You'd better pick up the pace," he called out. "It's getting late. Once the sun sets, it'll be pitch black. Walking through the forest at night is far more dangerous—we'll lose our sense of direction entirely."
Vivian nodded earnestly, quickening her steps despite her evident struggle. But after a few painful strides, tears welled in her eyes. "I… my feet… they hurt so much…"
Duwe frowned as he approached her. Looking down, he saw her small, delicate feet covered in scratches and mud, with several cuts from thorns bleeding faintly. Her once-soft ankles and toes bore the harsh marks of their ordeal.
With a sigh of exasperation, Duwe slung both pairs of water-filled boots around his neck, then turned his back to her, crouching slightly.
"Get on."
"W-what?"
"I said, get on," he repeated coolly. "I'll carry you back."
"But… but I—"
"No buts!" Duwe interrupted sharply. "Listen, little girl. We need to get back to the dragon before nightfall. We don't know this island well enough, and who knows what could be lurking in the dark. Neither of us is in any condition to defend ourselves. We're running out of time. Now stop arguing and get on!"
Silenced by his commanding tone, Vivian hesitated only a moment longer before climbing onto his back, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.Vivian trembled under Duwei's stern voice, too frightened to utter a word of protest. Mimicking his actions, she obediently hung her shoes around her neck and climbed onto his back without another sound.
Carrying the young sorceress a few steps further, Duwei began to feel the strain. Though his mind was that of an adult, his body remained that of a frail teenager—one who had suffered from congenital weakness since childhood.
"Th-thank you…" Vivian's stammering voice broke the silence. She spoke so softly that Duwei almost missed it, but he merely grunted in acknowledgment, offering no reply.
As night descended over the desolate island, Vivian lay curled against the back of the strange boy who bore her weight. Through the dense canopy above, fragments of a pitch-black sky peeked through, while below, the boy's labored breathing and unsteady steps were all she could hear. For the first time, she felt that this gruff and bullying little nobleman wasn't as terrifying as she had thought.
When they returned to the crash site, the slumbering dragon remained where they had left it. According to Vivian's halting explanation during their journey, the dragon was slowly regenerating from its injuries in a deep, hibernation-like sleep—a state that required no sustenance.
Duwei let out a sigh of relief. At least the limited freshwater supply would suffice for the two of them without the burden of feeding a dragon.
Back at their makeshift camp, Duwei dropped the petite sorceress unceremoniously onto the ground and collapsed nearby, gasping for breath like a man on the verge of death. "I'm done… finished…" he groaned, his body weak and trembling. "In my prime, carrying one girl, even two, wouldn't have been a challenge. Now, this frail body can barely manage a short trek."
Vivian, though unceremoniously tossed aside, did not complain. Instead, she scrambled to her feet and, seeing Duwei's exhausted state, hurriedly plucked a large leaf from a nearby tree. With endearing clumsiness, she sat beside him and began fanning him with it.
Duwei glanced at her, puzzled. "What are you doing?"
"You… you looked so tired. I-I thought I'd fan you," she said earnestly, her wide eyes sincere.
Duwei couldn't help but chuckle. This girl, foolish as she was, had a certain charm to her foolishness. "Thanks, but… do you realize it's early spring? It's still pretty cold."
He gently took the leaf from her hand, smiling as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Enough of that. We need to build a fire. Otherwise, the night chill will be unbearable. If either of us falls ill, we'll be in serious trouble."
Though the dragon's warmth could technically fend off the cold, sleeping beside such a colossal creature came with its own risks. One careless movement in the dragon's sleep could crush them both—and Vivian would go down in history as the first sorceress to be killed by her own magical pet.
With Vivian's help, Duwei gathered firewood. She summoned a feeble fireball spell—her diminished magical abilities barely sufficient to ignite the pile. As the fire blazed high, its light pierced the darkness, casting a beacon that might, with any luck, be spotted by a passing ship.
Exhausted, Duwei sprawled out on the sandy beach, sighing heavily. Just then, a faint rumble broke the silence.
"Grumble…"
Another rumble followed. Duwei turned, amusement dancing in his eyes as he looked at Vivian.
"S-sorry… it's… my stomach." By the light of the fire, Vivian's face turned crimson as she clutched her belly. "I'm hungry."
"Me too," Duwei admitted with a sigh. "If only we'd found some small animals on this island. A bit of open-air grilling wouldn't be bad."
"W-what about fruits?" Vivian's hunger seemed to have sharpened her wit.
Duwei shook his head. "Look around. Do you see any fruit trees? Not even berry bushes. Just leaves and grass. If there were fruits, I'd hardly need you to remind me."
"Th-then… fish?" she ventured hesitantly, her eyes wide with hope.
"Do you know how to swim?" he asked.
Vivian shook her head.
"Neither do I," Duwei replied with a bitter laugh. "I'm as land-bound as you are. And even if I could, I already checked the shoreline earlier. There were only empty shells and sea snails. Unless you have a way to digest their tough shells?"
"But… but I'm so hungry," Vivian murmured, tears welling in her eyes.
"Let's get some rest," Duwei said firmly. "Tomorrow, I'll try to find a long stick to fish in the shallows. For now, there's nothing we can do. It's too dark, and neither of us can swim. One mistake, and we'll drown."
Resigned, Vivian sat down beside him, her stomach growling in protest. Unconsciously, she edged closer to his side, seeking warmth and comfort.
"Let's talk," Duwei suggested with a wry smile. "It might take our minds off the hunger. Besides, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. For better or worse, we're stuck together."
"W-what should we… talk about?"
"For starters," Duwei said, gazing up at the stars, "you're so young—probably not much older than me. How did you become a high-level sorceress? That's quite the achievement."
"I… I don't know," Vivian stammered, hugging her knees. "I've been with my teacher since I was little… I've hardly ever left home. This… this is only my second time."
"Wait!" Du Wei suddenly leaped to his feet, a spark of excitement lighting up his face as he fixed his gaze on Vivian. "What about the phantom sprite? You still have it, don't you?"
Vivian nodded hesitantly and loosened her robe. The tiny creature was locked in a small cage dangling from her waist.
"Ah, stomach, salvation is at hand!" Du Wei's eyes glinted with a ravenous green light as he swallowed hard. "Hey, you silly girl! We don't have to go hungry anymore. Look at this little thing—so plump and tender. Even without proper seasoning, skin it and roast it a bit, and it'll surely taste quite decent."
"…" Vivian blinked at him, her wide eyes uncomprehending for a moment before the meaning of his words struck her. Then, with a shrill cry, she exclaimed, "Ah! No, no! You can't! You can't eat my Juju! It—it's the professor's pet! If you eat it, I…I…"
"I can't worry about that now," Du Wei declared, raising his voice. "We've gone a whole day without food! If this keeps up, none of us will have the strength to move tomorrow. And who knows if we'll even catch any fish!"
"No, no, no! Don't eat my Juju!" Vivian clutched the tiny cage to her chest as though her life depended on it, refusing to let Du Wei snatch it away. "Don't eat my Juju!"
"Hmph! Then let's eat your dragon!" Du Wei snapped. "It's enormous—cutting off a bit of its flesh won't kill it, will it?"
"E-e-eat…my dragon?"
Vivian felt faint.
Just when she had started thinking this peculiar young noble wasn't entirely insufferable, he transformed into a devil before her very eyes!
Eat her dragon? Oh, merciful gods! Have pity on poor little Vivian! In her entire life, she had never heard of anyone daring to eye a dragon as their next meal—much less treat it as mere food!
"No, no, not my Radiant Sun! And not my Juju either…!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she wailed, "Papa, Mama…"
Seeing her desperate tears, Du Wei could only sigh and shake his head. "This won't do, and that won't do either… Fine! I'll let it go for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll try catching some fish. But if I fail, we can't just starve to death, can we? If it really comes to that, there'll be no choice—I'll have to deal with the phantom sprite!"
At that moment, it wasn't just Vivian who was crying. Even the chubby little phantom sprite in the cage, a rare magical creature capable of understanding human speech, trembled with fear. Its bean-like eyes stared blankly at Du Wei as its round, fleshy body curled into a quivering ball.
Relieved by Du Wei's reluctant compromise, Vivian prayed fervently in her heart.
Oh, merciful gods! Please, protect poor little Vivian… Let this devil catch a few fish tomorrow. Oh, no, no, it's not that Vivian is greedy; it's just to save Juju's life… If possible, Vivian won't eat the fish, or maybe just a little, tiny one… Please, merciful gods… But…oh, I'm so hungry… Vivian really, really wants to eat some fish too…