Chapter 34
“…Consider yourself unlucky.”
The mage who had suddenly appeared beside the Grand Duke’s daughter was no ordinary spellcaster. If left alive, she would inevitably become a fatal obstacle someday.
The man drew a dagger from his chest, gripping it in a reverse hold, and drove it straight toward the woman’s chest.
Thud!
“…What?”
Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, the man let out a sound without realizing it. Instead of piercing bone and flesh, it felt light and soft—almost cushioned.
At that instant, something shot out from the wall and pierced straight through the man’s abdomen.
“Ghk!”
“For an uninvited guest, you’re making quite the racket.”
Under the faint moonlight filtering in through the window, Thermion revealed himself. A pale gray aura flickered along the blade in his hand.
“Sir Dayfold, are you watching?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Kubera entered through the door, forming a hand seal. A fierce wind erupted around him, sweeping every trace of the purple smoke out through the window.
“A technique commonly used by professional assassins. It’s lethal to mages.”
“Poison?”
“No. A sleeping herb with nerve-stabilizing effects. In small doses, it’s used to treat insomnia. But burning it unrefined in this quantity would knock someone unconscious for at least two days. It isn’t poison, so purification magic is useless.”
“Vile.”
Unless it worked instantly, this kind of drug was ineffective against an aura master. But if Kubera was right, Ailesia might have been completely helpless.
“I-I was told it was certain…”
“What you see isn’t everything.”
The man struggled to turn his head toward the bed. Thermion’s aura had wrapped tightly around his entire body, making even breathing difficult.
“…Impossible.”
The dagger was embedded straight into a thick pile of pillows. He had been completely deceived by an illusion spell.
“If you speak willingly, I’ll give you a clean death. Who are you? Who’s your contact?”
Thermion grabbed the man by the collar and asked coldly. The man clenched his eyes shut and refused to open his mouth.
“So you choose the hard way.”
“It doesn’t matter…! If the Grand Duke’s daughter isn’t here, then she must be at the estate!”
“Oh?”
Even Kubera hadn’t expected things to line up this perfectly. He exchanged a glance with Thermion and nodded grimly.
Slash!
“Ghhk…!”
Thermion swung his sword without hesitation, slicing open the man’s side. Kubera quietly murmured a spell, freezing the corpse solid before finally speaking.
“Will this be all right, Your Highness?”
“I never expected an answer in the first place. I could tell just by his expression.”
Thermion sheathed his sword and collapsed onto the bed. For now, all he could do was trust Ailesia and wait.
“The Grand Duke’s daughter will be safe, Your Highness.”
“…Yes. I suppose so.”
Kubera was convinced that Ailesia was a mage on par with the Grand Duchess herself—rank eight or higher. Thermion knew this as well.
And yet, his expression remained dark.
A sudden thought crossed Kubera’s mind, and he casually tossed out some bait.
“Could it be… that you’re worried about Instructor Milenov?”
“Me? Why would I worry about her? I’d be grateful if she just didn’t cause an incident.”
Thermion snapped irritably, as though he’d been waiting for the chance. It seemed a great deal had been building up inside him.
“Didn’t she turn Elly’s room upside down last time? She could have stayed safely in the back casting spells, but instead she went hand-to-hand against armed men with that slender body. Does that make any sense?”
“Hm… I’ll admit, that was a little unexpected.”
“She looks nothing but elegant, so I can’t understand why she’s overflowing with brute strength. I just hope she doesn’t get hurt and slow us down on the road. I don’t say it because of Elly, but every single day, whenever I think about her, it drives me absolutely mad.”
“Ho ho ho.”
Every single day, indeed. What on earth should he do with this young lord?
As always, Kubera could only laugh.
* * *
“Good work, Hilda.”
“Have a pleasant night, Head Maid.”
The two women parted at the entrance of the west wing after leaving Eleonora’s room. Hermann watched Hilda head toward the servants’ quarters for a moment before tightening her collar and heading to the main building.
After returning to her room on the first floor, Hermann locked the door and drew the curtains before sitting down on the sofa. She loosely removed the shawl from her shoulders and spoke.
“You must have been bored waiting.”
“Not nearly as much as you must be, Head Maid.”
The man sitting across from her poured tea into a cup he had prepared in advance. After taking a light sip, Hermann’s expression softened.
“Your skill is as refined as ever, Chairman.”
“One must make an effort not to be neglected by a lady in one’s later years, ho ho.”
Among the Grand Duke’s retainers, the person second only to Hermann in tea expertise was Count Gavin.
How people would react if they knew this was an amusing thought—but for some reason, it remained one of the estate’s best-kept secrets.
“Has the Grand Duke’s daughter retired for the night?”
“Most likely.”
“Then it’s time to prepare for the hunt.”
At her answer, Count Gavin’s gaze turned icy.
He was wearing leather armor, boots, and gauntlets rather than his usual dignified uniform. A loose black robe concealed them from view.
“To think there was a rat hiding within the knight order… it leaves a bitter taste.”
“Did you truly have no suspicions, Chairman?”
“Only vague ones. I’d been considering how to set a trap.”
“At first, I thought she was merely a skilled and kind mage…”
“She is a blessing not just to the Grand Duke’s daughter, but to the entire duchy.”
Both of them thought of the same person and shared a faint smile. After draining his cup first, Count Gavin stood up.
“My joints are already aching. I should take a day off tomorrow.”
“Be careful, Chairman.”
“I’m not so weak as to fall to mere fledglings, ho ho.”
Count Gavin quietly parted the curtain and stepped onto the terrace. Watching his back clad in black, Hermann felt a wave of nostalgia.
He’s clearly excited.
It had been over ten years since Count Gavin retired from active duty. Of course he’d be pleased to wield a sword again.
Once known as the “Hound of the Snowy Mountains,” how restless must he have been, buried in paperwork instead of battle? Even now, purely in swordsmanship, he was likely still the strongest in the duchy.
“Will it snow, I wonder?”
Before closing the terrace door behind him, Hermann paused to savor the night air.
Despite the thick clouds veiling the sky, the night was surprisingly mild.
* * *
Four men gathered in the garden near the west wing. Everything about them was black—save for the eyes visible through their masks.
“You’ve arrived, leader.”
“Are you certain the Grand Duke’s daughter is in her room?”
“We confirmed the head maid and a maid leaving the west wing earlier.”
After hearing the report, the leader nodded and gestured. All four leapt through the air and landed on the terrace, one of them reaching for the door handle.
“It won’t budge.”
“A locking spell.”
When the leader extended his fist, a strange ripple spread from the handle, undulating like waves.
There’s no way such high-level magic would be placed on an empty room.
He lightly swung his sword, wrapped in a dark crimson aura, and the spell shattered instantly.
“Begin.”
The other three lit incense candles taken from small bags. The leader cracked the terrace door open slightly, carefully propping the incense inside before closing it again.
It took less than five minutes for the room to fill with smoke. The four men entered, waving away the purple haze as they searched for the bed.
I heard the Grand Duke’s daughter’s tutor always sleeps with her.
A blonde adult woman lay on her side, the blanket pulled up to her shoulders, holding something in her arms—likely the child.
“Put restraints on her and gag her. Just in case, cuff her hands as well.”
As the men approached the bed, the woman’s eyes snapped open.
“Since when did you get permission?”
The leader reacted instantly, thrusting his sword—still steeped in demonic energy.
Baaang!
“Urgh!”
A radiant golden wall erupted around the bed. Unable to withstand the recoil, his body was flung backward, rolling across the floor.
The others hurriedly drew their swords, but Ailesia had already vanished from the bed.
“I got lightly scolded last time, you know—”
She spoke calmly.
“For turning the room upside down.”
“Above us!”
Clinging to the ceiling, Ailesia smiled sweetly and swung her staff.
“So—out you go.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rang out, blasting all the men onto the terrace. No matter how desperately they tried to resist, it was useless.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
The leader—who had been thrown back by the barrier earlier—glared at the terrace door, now firmly shut.
At that moment, a chilling presence brushed against the back of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine.
