Chapter 52
Rebecca whipped her head around, her expression dizzy with shock. At first, the casual tone in Ailesia’s voice had distracted her, but now she noticed the full extent of Termion’s injuries. His armor was battered and dented in multiple places, soaked through with blood, a complete mess.
Ailesia hesitated, glancing at Rebecca, uncertain how to interpret her reaction.
“I came as quickly as I could, but Termion was badly hurt… I feel terrible.”
“What reason would you have to apologize to me, Master? It’s fortunate that it’s only me.”
“I’ve already stabilized him with first aid. Let’s quickly finish up and return to the base.”
Rebecca tilted her head, confused. She had been wondering why Ailesia hadn’t transported Termion back to the base immediately.
“Master, couldn’t you just take His Highness there using spatial teleportation magic?”
“He wouldn’t survive the shock in that state. His internal injuries, due to being an Aura Master, are beyond what I can heal.”
“I understand. We’ll move as quickly as possible.”
Having grasped the situation, Rebecca immediately began directing the knights. They gathered the scattered Snow Ogre corpses and cleaned up the drake’s bloodstains across the area.
Once the immediate cleanup was complete, Rebecca finally had a chance to hear the details from the knights.
“It happened three times. Exactly three times.”
“They knocked the drake away in the air, froze its breath with ice magic, and when it fell to the ground, they struck it with lightning—BAM!”
“It was probably just over a minute. Honestly, I thought the world might end!”
Meanwhile, the blonde mage who had performed this unbelievable feat was berating Termion with her usual stern look.
“Next time, don’t think about fighting—just blow the whistle first. If you do this again, I’ll really get angry.”
“I understand and reflect on it.”
“Reflect? That attitude? You’re lecturing Ellie now?”
“…Are you threatening me using a five-year-old as leverage?”
“Threatening? Hah. Maybe I should wrap you up tight in bandages and tie you to a bed for a week.”
“That’s a bit… ahem! Ugh…!”
“Ah! Look at my sanity!”
Termion coughed up a little blood and clutched his chest. Startled, Ailesia immediately summoned a carriage from a pocket dimension.
“I really am crazy… leaving a patient lying on the bare ground like that.”
She scratched her head and layered multiple blankets inside the carriage. After warming it magically, she called out to the surrounding knights.
“Double-check the splints and move him carefully! Don’t let his body shake at all!”
“Yes, Master!”
“We’ll make sure not a single hair moves!”
Termion let out a hollow laugh. Ailesia’s behavior now gave her a completely natural authority over the knights.
‘…After seeing that magic up close, I guess that’s only natural.’
It was also Termion’s first time seeing her cast offensive magic. Watching her manipulate the drake like it was a toy, without even chanting a spell, was beyond shocking—it was awe-inspiring.
He wondered what it would have been like if the Grand Mistress herself had intervened. She probably could have handled a single drake easily, but could she have pushed it back with the overwhelming force Ailesia had? That was uncertain.
“Let’s return for now. I’ll store the drake’s body in the pocket dimension. It’ll be better to examine it in detail at the base.”
“Yes, Master. The cleanup is almost done as well.”
Ailesia intended to leave only a few knights to escort the carriage, sending the rest back to the base. However, the knights all protested vigorously.
“How can you say that? You can never have too many on escort duty.”
“If we’re going to work hard, we should all do it together. Don’t feel slighted, Master.”
“…Fine, as you wish.”
Ailesia was slightly bewildered. Why were they suddenly acting like this? She looked around, but everyone’s expression was the same. Some even exuded the solemn aura of preparing for another hunt. At this point, it was almost like a fan club—or a cult.
“I’ll lead, Master. Keep a reasonable pace; the other knights will adjust accordingly.”
“Very well.”
“Return to the base! Maintain strict perimeter security and don’t let a single mouse approach the carriage!”
Rebecca took the lead, with the other knights forming a protective formation around the carriage. Ailesia deliberately remained at the driver’s seat.
‘…It would feel awkward to sit inside right now.’
Having shared that tense moment with Termion earlier, sitting in the narrow carriage for the ride back would be uncomfortable. She noticed some knights sneaking glances at them, like spectators watching a couple’s quarrel.
Of course, she knew Termion had no ulterior motives—he was probably just trying to reassure her after her panic.
‘Who’s worrying about whom? It’s ridiculous.’
Despite appearances, Termion was quite gentle. The fact that he treated her this way meant they had grown closer.
Ailesia herself was surprised at the intensity of her own emotions. She hadn’t expected to feel so flustered. When she first heard the whistle, she felt only mild anxiety.
By the time she arrived, Termion was already collapsed and bloodied, and the knights were desperately trying to block the drake, even with their bodies.
Seeing that sight, she had completely lost her composure.
‘How did I even get here… that damn lizard!’
Though Termion was essential for Eleonora’s “perfect ending,” she had never treated him as just a side character. He was someone she needed to protect.
She had already lost her aunt in vain—could she let Termion die here too? That was impossible.
Had she not arrived in time, Termion and the knights at the scene would have been doomed.
‘…Could this really be a butterfly effect?’
In the original story, Termion would never have faced such danger.
Though the overall flow hadn’t changed much, new incidents—absent from the original—had occurred. Perhaps her intervention had made the early events more dangerous than they would have been. The thought brought a wave of guilt.
She also felt the pressure of the knights’ near-reverent attitude toward her, as if she were a savior.
“Hah…”
In other novels, clever thinking alone often solved problems. Why was this so exhausting?
Despite her unsettled mind, the carriage moved smoothly, without a single jolt.
“You accomplished a great feat. Thank you, Master.”
“No… if I’d been a bit more careful, Termion wouldn’t have been injured like this…”
Ailesia’s eyes remained somber as she looked toward the barracks of the medical unit.
Perhaps it was because she had spent too long lost in her thoughts during the return journey. No matter how she tried to shake off the bad thoughts, she kept shrinking inward.
‘Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I faced a situation like this.’
After all, she rarely experienced surprises of this magnitude. Most problems could be solved with magic, and she usually kept a comfortable distance in human relations.
‘…No, why am I acting so unlike myself?’
Anyway, the crisis was over. Now she had to focus on what came next.
Her self-reprimand for today would end here. It was time to return to being the proud, powerful witch she was.
Calming herself, Ailesia finally brought up the original matter she intended to discuss with Kubera.
“When we faced the drake earlier…”
“Was there something unusual?”
“The flames it shot from its mouth were dark crimson.”
A color characteristic of black magic’s mana. It seemed suspicious that Termion had happened upon a first-class magical beast by chance.
“…You said it used dark crimson flames?”
“This time I intercepted from a distance, so I couldn’t smell anything, but don’t you get the feeling something’s off?”
“It’s strange to call it a coincidence. Did you bring the corpse?”
“It’s stored in the pocket dimension for now, but it’s inconvenient to take it out.”
“There’s an open area behind the base. Let’s go there.”
Kubera led the way, with Ailesia following. She suddenly remembered something.
“Would it be alright if I called Rebecca?”
“Rebecca?”
“I thought it would be better to inform her before telling the regular knights.”
“Hmm… that makes sense. We’ll also need to discuss the immediate plans anyway.”
For that reason, they stopped by Rebecca’s quarters on the way to the open area.
“What is it, Master?”
Rebecca was resting, her armor off, hair loosened.
“Wow…”
What a violent-looking scene! She looked like a supermodel ripped straight out of a fashion shoot.
