Little Tyke

Before the examination ended, the headmasters weren't allowed to recruit students yet. They just gritted their teeth with impatience while waiting for the event to end. They were so desperate to invite the young girl with demonic talent.

Albert and Eirlys were also heading back to the Bonneville's residence while the examination was still going on. Based on the performance of Eirlys, Albert believed that it would be troublesome if they wait for the examination to get end. The headmasters of different academies would surely give him headache.

On their way, they met countless of officials from different academies. Albert didn't have enough time to entertain them and so he made a lot of excuses and just received the invitation letters from those officials.

There was only a week left before Eirlys would depart from the residence. Albert started to prepare some important things for Eirlys. Eirlys on the other hand was also busy.

In the past 4 months, aside from training with her father, she also wandered around the market to buy some herbs and other equipments that she needed. And to hide her identity, she bought and always wore a common face mask and dressed in simple and tidy clothes whenever she went to the market.

She was very capable on identifying herbs with its uses. Back then when she was still doing her missions as an agent, her job was only to command her subordinates to complete their missions. Usually, every member of a team in their organization knew how to cure their own wounds or any bad conditions on their body. However, Eirlys, in her previous life, was the one who usually treated their wounds and illnesses of their body.

Since they didn't have any medicines with them, they could only rely in their surroundings. Fortunately, Eirlys knew enough knowledge in medicine. She only needed to pluck some useful herbs somewhere for the treatment of her subordinates.

This was one of the reasons why all of the people in their organization respected her so much. Although she always wore an indifferent expression on her face, she still showed her concern through her actions although they were ranked far lower than her.

It had been 5 days after the examination happened and the Bonneville's residence had received countless of invitations already. All of those invitations were from the academies all over the 2 continents.

They were all eager to make Eirlys as their student. There were even some that actually want to seek an audience at the Bonneville family's residence but unfortunately, they were all rejected by Albert.

In the room, there was a young girl in a light blue dress who was busying herself in front of a cauldron. The whole room was filled with the scent of different herbs. This kind of scent could make a person feel light and relax.

"Young Miss, the Master ordered me to relay a message to you. Master said that the Young Miss should make her way to the training grounds as soon as possible. Although I don't know where it is, the Master said that the Young Miss can go there without anyone accompanying her." Hazel's voice sounded at the door. She didn't dare to open it as she was ordered these past few days to not disturb the Young Miss as much as possible.

"Alright. Just a moment, I'll head there right away after I'm done here." Eirlys answered while still focusing on stirring the liquid elements in the cauldron.

"Yes, Young Miss. Then please excuse this servant."

After making another set of potions, Eirlys tidied things up and made her way to the secret training grounds.

"Eirlys pays her respect to master." Eirlys saluted respectfully.

"There's no need for formalities this time. There's something that I'd like to give you as congratulatory gift as your father." After saying those words, Albert took out a big nest with an egg. The egg's size could be compared to a human's head. It has an azure color with some purple lines on it.

"This is..." Eirlys couldn't believe her own eyes. She could remember this kind of egg's appearance. According to the book where the descriptions of different magical beast were written, the egg in front of her was somewhat the same with the legendary water elemental azure dragon. But she could not remember some purplish lines on the egg drawn in the book.

"This is a type of a dragon. But as you can see, it is different from the water elemental azure dragon. I know that you have been reading books in your spare times but I believe that you definitely could not remember an azure egg with purple lines on it in those books. Well actually, it isn't recorded yet in any books since the people in this place haven't discovered this type of dragon as of now. Or should I say, it came from another world and it is pretty much possible that it is its first time of this kind of dragon to be in this place." Albert explained softly as he caught the doubt in Eirlys' face earlier.

"Then does that mean that no one could ever recognize it in the future?" Eirlys asked curiously.

"Perhaps yes.. but I'm not sure if there are some experts in this world who came from our realm. But it's unlikely to be that way since it's highly prohibited that the people in higher realms to go here." Albert pondered for a moment and answered.

"Then how about you, father..." Eirlys looked to her father with her eyes sparkling in curiosity.

"Ah, right. We shouldn't be talking about these things for now." Albert shook his head and looked deeply to Eirlys. "Eirlys, all of your questions will eventually be answered in the future. All you have to do now is to improve yourself. When you are strong enough, you'll know and understand our situation."

"Father..."

"Alright. Now now.. I still have something to give you." A face mask appeared on Albert's hand. It's quite different compared to the ones in the market though. Eirlys could feel some magical energy on it.

"A face mask?" Eirlys mumbled without turning her sight from the face mask.

"That's right. This face mask is not simply an ordinary face mask. Come on, try it." Albert gently put the face mask on Eirlys' face without waiting for her reply.

After putting it on, some changes could be seen immediately. Eirlys' skin was not as white as before. Her eyes turned to sapphire from black and her previously ink-like straight hair was now wavy blonde hair. Her face countenance also changed. Eirlys completely turned to a different person.

"How is it?" Albert smilingly asked his daughter.

He could see her checking her skin and hair. She even touched her face many times already. After seeing this, Albert took out a mirror and let Eirlys look at her own self.

Eirlys was so stunned and exclaimed, "Woah, this is great! It's like I completely changed my body!"

She had a lot of identities before for her job and so she was known to be an expert in changing her identity everytime she appears in public.

Back then, she was so confident that nobody could ever recognize her with her face masks as well as her make up skills but after witnessing the scene now, her confidence from before completely shattered. It could be said that her changing of appearance in her previous life was like that of a child's play when it is compared to the face mask that her father had given her.

"It's good that you like it. You're planning to hide your identity when you attend to an academy, am I right?"

"Yes, father. This... is it okay? I mean, it would be disrespectful of me for not using my own identity, right father?" Eirlys bit her lower lip while asking nervously. She didn't expect that her father actually saw through of her plans.

"Haha, what are saying now? Of course, I won't blame you for that. Actually, I was also thinking of the same thing. I know it would be troublesome if you appear in public as Eirlys Bonneville. So I bought this face mask especially for you. I assure you even your maidservant, Hazel, couldn't recognize you if you ever pass by into her when you wear this." Albert laughingly said to Eirlys.

"Eh? Really? Could it be that even my own aura would change?"

"Yes." Albert put a satisfied look on his face and continued, "Alright now. Take off the mask and subdue this magical beast."

Seeing that there were some small cracks appeared in the egg's shell, Albert immediately reminded Eirlys.

"Alright, got it." Eirlys took off the face mask and sat cross legged near the nest where an egg laid.

Crack~ crack~

Few more cracks appeared and there were even sounds of the egg cracking.

Eirlys already knew what she should do and started her incantation for forming a contract with a magical beast.

After finishing her chant, a light appeared as the egg opened and a little guy's head was peeking from inside. Its fist-sized head was like that of a puppy. And the furs on its body were also visible. It's eyes were also watery and it looked so adorable.

Eirlys was dumbstruck as she could not tell if this little guy was really a dragon or what? (What the hell? It doesn't look like a dragon at all! A puppy.. It looks more like a puppy waiting for its mother to feed it some milk!)

Albert on the other side seemed to have expected this scene and calmly said, "It just looks like that when it is newborn. It will eventually transform itself to a mighty dragon. Just wait for that moment to come."

(So it's actually like that. Thank goodness. I thought my father was just making a prank or something.) Eirlys heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh? So that's the case, haha." She laughed awkwardly and tried to calm herself down. Should I just bring it always with me or use my magical energy to hide it in my body?" She then added.

"No, not now. Until it transforms itself to its true appearance, you should not keep it in your consciousness as it could affect its progress."

"Oh, alright then." Eirlys nodded and rubbed the dragon's head with her hand. It actually enjoyed this kind of contact just like a puppy.

"Little Tyke..." After thinking deeply while rubbing the head of the newborn dragon, Eirlys muttered.

"Hmm?" Albert seemed to have heard Eirlys muttered something.

"I'll call it Little Tyke from now on." Eirlys firmly said while her eyes sparkled in joy.

"Cough. Uh, Eirlys.. don't you think it's kinda.. you know, disrespectful to the dragon race if you call it like that?" Just thinking of how the mother of this dragon would react if it discovered that its son was actually given a name 'Tyke', Albert suddenly felt goosebumps.

"Eh? What's the matter, father? That name suits it well, don't you think? Just look at its appearance, it's like a stupid puppy. I really can't compare it to any dragon or whatsoever at all." Eirlys questioningly gazed at her father.

Albert was stunned by his daughter's claims. He couldn't help but put his palm on his forehead to support it while he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He could not imagine the situation if the dragon race were to hear his daughter's words.

Just thinking about it made him feel a chill running through his spines. "Cough. Eirlys.. uh, you better not say those words in front of any dragon.. alright?"

"Mn, got it." Eirlys stood up while carrying Little Tyke like a baby. She then continued, "Is there anything else, father?"

"Uh, right. You should make Little Ty.. cough, the dragon familiarize itself to you as its master. And also be careful not to leak the poisons that you've been brewing in your room."

"Eh.. father. You.. you actually knew all this time?" Eirlys didn't know that all of her actions within the past few days were known by her father.

"Of course, that's only natural since I am your father. And oh, you should pack your things here." Albert threw a storage ring to Eirlys and smiled.

"A storage ring!!" Eirlys excitedly exclaimed while examining the storage ring. "And the space inside is actually so huge!"

"Mn. I already put there the things that I have prepared for you. If you have anything else to bring then just put it there." Albert dotingly said to his daughter.

"Alright. Thank you, father!" Eirlys immediately put the storage ring on her index finger. The size of the storage ring was originally big but after wearing it, its size shrunk and it fitted on Eirlys' finger.

"There are still 2 days before you leave in this residence. You don't have to go here to train. Just prepare and relax yourself within these days. It will be a long journey for you to go to that academy. You're now dismissed."

"Mn. Understood."

Eirlys went back to her room. Little Tyke was sleeping soundly on her arms.

(Uh, so... where should I put this little one?) Eirlys pondered for a while. (Uh, whatever. I'll just let it sleep with me.)

After putting the little dragon on her bed, she continued brewing potions and various kinds of poisons.