Chapter 28
“Why are Mia’s hands so sharp when she hits?”
“My Mia’s hands have always been a little strong… I know because I’ve been hit too…”
“You’ve been hit too…?”
Father nodded with a satisfied smile.
This isn’t something to look proud about, Dad…
It was chaos.
But this was no time to zone out. I discreetly checked the pocket watch.
It’s about time they arrive.
“…Mia, should we head out now?”
“Mm, I feel a little carsick, so let me rest for a bit before we go.”
“Rest, rest! We still have plenty of time before Nergal’s trial!”
Emil fanned me with his hand, clearly worried about my condition.
Since I wasn’t actually carsick, it felt a bit awkward.
This place was more or less a resting point for carriages, so aside from our own, other coachmen were feeding their horses or taking breaks.
It felt strangely like a highway rest stop, which amused me.
Come to think of it, in this life, I’ve hardly had chances to travel far like this…
As I let myself drift into those thoughts, staring blankly, a cloud of dust appeared in the distance.
Someone was galloping toward the Palmos Resting Point on horseback.
Soon, with a loud commotion, the horse skidded to a halt.
When the dust cleared, I saw the rider.
A lean figure in simple hunting clothes, with auburn-red hair and a freckled face.
It was exactly the person I had been waiting to meet today—
Lila Bech.
Her shoulders trembled faintly, her entire body looking drained as if struck by a great shock.
She tried to dismount, but her weakened legs betrayed her.
“Ah…!”
Just as she was about to collapse to the ground—
A soft, inky-black cloud of magic wrapped the ground like a cushion.
Thanks to it, Lila landed without harm.
Startled, she scrambled back to her feet.
“Th-thank you!”
“It’s nothing…”
It had been Father—casting a spell in the blink of an eye to prevent her from being hurt.
I couldn’t help but admire, once again, his quickness and precision in magic.
“Wow, Uncle! What was that just now? A new spell?”
“Just… a variation of Shadow Mist…”
Emil’s eyes sparkled as he clung to him, but Father instantly stepped back, avoiding him.
As I watched them, stifling a laugh, I noticed something that made me flinch—
Lila was standing there with tears streaming down her cheeks.
I quickly poked both Father and Emil, who were in the middle of starting a magical debate.
Of course, Emil, with his natural sociability, reacted first.
“Huh? Why are you crying?”
“I-I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
I hopped down from the carriage and handed her my handkerchief.
“Here, use this.”
“Th-thank… you…”
“You’re not hurt, right?”
“Yes… I’m not injured…”
She glanced past me toward Father and Emil, then quickly bowed her head in embarrassment.
“Are you… by any chance, Sir Silvan and Sir Emil of the direct line?”
“Ah—yes, that’s us. And you are…?”
“I am Lila, eldest of the Bech family. Forgive me for showing such disgraceful behavior.”
“There’s no need to think of it that way. Did something happen?”
To Emil’s gentle question, she lifted her head and spoke clearly:
“Yes. I have an urgent matter to report directly to the Grandmaster.”
“Because of it… my safety is now at risk. I know it’s shameless of me, but may I ask to accompany you to the Council?”
I exhaled softly, hidden from view.
The pieces I set in motion are working perfectly.
In the original story, Lila Bech was the classic “enemy who becomes an ally.”
She had once been destined to become the head of the Bech family, but due to the schemes of her half-sister, she nearly lost her life.
Her body and Dark Core were destroyed in the process.
Afterward, blaming her own naivety and ignorance, she survived as an information broker in the underworld.
She clawed her way up from the depths of hell, and though she initially bore resentment toward the Hallloren family and the Empire, in time she was moved by the protagonist’s kindness and offered her aid.
A common enough story.
But seeing her now—still unscarred—I felt many things.
The Lila of the original bore terrifying scars across her face, her appearance alone radiating intimidation.
Pain is best never endured at all…
I wasn’t trying to help her out of some overflowing benevolence.
Nor did I believe in saving everyone.
But if I could both ruin my enemies at the Council and save someone in the process—why not kill two birds with one stone?
With that in mind, I had sent her a secret letter.
“Hmm… Mia, would you be okay traveling with her?”
“Of course! This seems really important—we should help!”
Ironically, I had orchestrated everything precisely to protect her… so not traveling together would have been ridiculous.
“Very well, then… let’s go together.”
“Truly, thank you! This debt… I will repay without fail.”
“It’s not a debt. Please… just forget it.”
Father squeezed my hand, hesitating as we headed for the carriage.
The thought of a stranger joining us in such close quarters already weighed heavily on him.
Sorry, Dad…
While Father looked visibly burdened, Lila’s eyes brimmed with gratitude.
Of course—
She probably thinks Father is the one who sent those secret letters.
Naturally, I had written to her anonymously.
After all, who would believe a six-year-old child sending such dire warnings? She would’ve dismissed it as a prank.
So I fed her tidbits of information I remembered from the original story—just enough for her to uncover her sister’s treachery and prepare.
And today, I promised in the letter that if she could slip away to the Palmos Rest Stop, she would be safely escorted to the Council.
An anonymous pact.
Now, seeing only Father here to help, she naturally assumed he was the mysterious benefactor.
I had even warned in the letters that neither side should ever mention the sender’s identity—so she kept quiet as expected.
Good. That’s all I needed.
If Lila—once a master information broker of the underworld—were to awaken here in the world of light, she could become a formidable politician.
Should she view Father as her savior and lend us her strength in the political arena, she would be an invaluable ally.
Of course, the bombshell she was about to drop at the Council today was the most crucial.
As I thought this, Emil smoothly stepped forward.
“In that case, my lady, please ride with me. Uncle and Kalmia surely have things to discuss privately, so they can travel separately.”
Emil…!
The social instincts of a natural extrovert at work.
He gracefully escorted Lila toward the carriage he had brought.
Since Father also had his own carriage, it wasn’t odd for us to split up.
“Ah… t-thank you. I appreciate it.”
Father, rarely one to show his emotions, genuinely looked relieved.
My dad really is such a funny man…
Unlike him, I found talking to strangers interesting, so I couldn’t fully understand his discomfort.
“Mia, are you sure you’re rested enough?”
“Yep! Let’s go now!”
Father carefully lifted me into his arms and placed me inside the carriage.
As I nestled against his chest, a fragrance like incense lingered—warm and comforting.
I don’t want to let go…
But he awkwardly set me down on the seat.
It was too embarrassing to ask, “Dad, can you hold me longer?” so I sat quietly, hands folded.
Well, anyway.
Now that it was just the two of us, it was the perfect chance.
I decided to finally ask the question that had been gnawing at me.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Mm…?”
“Why did you send Emil to me?”
“….”
Of course, I already knew Emil had half sweet-talked him into it.
But Father was a man of iron will. Even with countless voices urging him to become Grandmaster, he never budged.
So he must have had his own reasoning for entrusting Emil to me.
