Chapter 110………………………..
Encounter (8)
It didn’t matter. Temia and he were inherently different humans, so Lowell thought the day would never come when he could fully understand her way of thinking.
Still, just being with Temia gave him at least the confidence that he could become a better person than before.
“Well, if she ends up thinking a little more positively of me because of this, that’s a bonus.”
So, if he was willing to endure a little inconvenience now, they could both achieve a satisfactory outcome. After calculating this, he intended to move according to whatever Temia wanted.
Lowell let out a light sigh and moved forward.
Temia kept glancing at him, apparently anxious because he moved without a word. Her eyebrows drooped, her eyes darted around, and whenever they met his gaze, her lips quivered as if expecting some response. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, unsure of what to do.
“She must be worried I’ll tell her to stay behind.”
Had he really been that cold before? He found himself reflecting on that.
“……That’s cheating.”
“Huh? Wh-what?”
“Acting so cute is cheating.”
In the end, to prevent further misunderstanding, Lowell reached into the fallen man’s chest and took out a vial filled with black powder, hanging it on his potion holder. Then he carefully hoisted the limp child onto his back.
Seeing this, life returned to Temia’s face, and Lowell sighed again, thinking:
She’s too soft for her own assistant…
And somehow, I don’t really mind it.
“So, you came this way?”
“Yes. There were traces of magic left along the path, so I followed them.”
“Then you couldn’t have memorized the route… or could you? Your memory’s incredible, after all.”
“It’s not just that. Since you’ve started, why don’t you give me a bit more praise?”
“……Looking back, making me memorize all the materials and their locations in the workshop in such a short time was a bit harsh. But Lowell, you didn’t even have that problem, right? You memorized everything at once, didn’t you?”
“That’s true. But thanks to a certain young lady, I’m not exactly at ease right now. I’m not sure I have the time to read magic traces in detail.”
Temia glanced sideways. The child they had brought with the carriage earlier was still on Lowell’s back. Luckily, the emergency antidote he had administered earlier had stabilized the child’s breathing.
They were trudging through damp ground, not exactly to escape, but to examine the vast area systematically. Still, they had to move quickly since enemies could appear at any time.
The problem was that this was taking longer than expected.
Before long, they found themselves accidentally passing the same spots two or three times.
Moreover, the only thing they could gather from these repeated visits was gray dust.
“Are you going to keep complaining?”
“No. I just hope Temia doesn’t forget my troubles. Why do you have to see everything so negatively?”
“Ugh, fine. I said thanks earlier, didn’t I?”
Temia, growing suddenly flustered, snapped at Lowell. She had recovered somewhat after taking a stamina potion, but Lowell had to keep moving tirelessly while carrying the child.
Having spent every day locked in the workshop, it must be exhausting.
Most of his time was spent conducting research and casting magic recklessly. Carrying someone around while investigating everything would be taxing. Being in an unknown place also required constant vigilance, doubling mental fatigue.
Lowell’s thoughts weren’t much different from Temia’s.
If we were low on magic, we’d have collapsed before even leaving.
Recalling the situation in his mind, Lowell muttered. Whatever happened, failing to escape here could become a serious problem, so now was not the time for other thoughts. He sighed and spoke.
“If we stay like this, we’ll all be exhausted.”
“……I agree. There’s no way there’s only dust here! But I can’t find anything.”
“I’m not saying we should leave immediately, so relax. We’ll finish the investigation properly. In the meantime, is there anything in particular that caught your attention? If something bothers you, we can focus on that.”
“Well… I heard small bubbling sounds every now and then while walking. Maybe I imagined it.”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, it did seem a bit odd earlier.”
Fortunately, this led to a productive result. As if on cue, their gazes met in midair.
“I thought I misheard, but no matter how I looked, there’s no reason for that sound to come from boiling herbs in a place like this.”
“That’s true. There were no traps, and it wasn’t continuous either.”
“But does this really help us?”
“Of course it does. Follow me. If you hear the sound louder anywhere, stop and tell me.”
Temia nodded and began moving quietly behind Lowell, careful not to interfere. She tiptoed as if walking on clouds to avoid her footsteps masking the subtle bubbling sounds.
Minutes passed. Sweat soaked Temia’s forehead, and her calves ached.
Luckily, her effort paid off, and she pinpointed the spot where the sound was clearest.
Blinking to clear sweat from her eyes, she gasped:
“W-what… is this?!”
Before her stood a massive door.
Temia rubbed her eyes repeatedly, astonished. Lowell couldn’t hide his amusement, twitching his lips.
“What do you mean, what is it? It’s hidden by magic. Never seen magic before? You’re surprised.”
“Ah, no, it’s just… it’s so seamless! We passed this place so many times!”
“Well, I’ve been focusing on you, Temia, so I didn’t notice such a simple thing. Traces of magic everywhere, but I never thought the space itself was concealed.”
“Oh! That’s right, we followed those traces to come in here, didn’t we?”
“Yes. Earlier, I thought it was magic hiding traps, so I ignored it. I even tested each step for dispelling magic… but nothing.”
No wonder he looked exhausted. Beyond physical fatigue, he had been concentrating constantly while using magic everywhere. He wasn’t the type to chant spells, so Temia hadn’t known, but he had worked hard.
Perhaps when he said he wasn’t entirely at ease earlier, he wasn’t just referring to carrying the child. Temia lowered her head solemnly.
He’s probably thinking something useless again.
Reading her mind instantly, Lowell naturally cast a spell to open the door and turned to her.
“Anyway, we found it. Let’s investigate properly this time. You must be tired of seeing only dust.”
“That may be, but… sorry for snapping at you while you were using magic.”
“I see it as an opportunity, so it’s fine. And look, I’m perfect, right? Doing everything you ask. Just your type, isn’t it?”
He smiled slyly, which seemed out of place for the situation.
“W-what nonsense are you saying? A joke now?!”
Temia shouted reflexively, feeling her face flush. He really hadn’t hidden his feelings at all. Lowell, as if reminding her, acted cheeky every chance he got.
Doesn’t this man have any shame? How can he say this so casually?
Temia looked at him in disbelief. Lowell just shrugged.
“I’m never joking. You’ll only accept me if you like me, right?”
“……”
In any case, he had a remarkable talent for leaving people speechless. Temia couldn’t find a response and clamped her mouth shut. Lowell chuckled quietly at her reaction.
“I like that you honestly reacted instead of brushing it off, Temia.”
“……Stop teasing me now!”
“Alright, alright. If Temia says so, I’ll stop. Are you less tense now? You seemed really stiff.”
He looked at her face, and for the first time, Temia realized she had been holding her breath almost entirely.
Was he really paying attention to me the whole time?
That he noticed her tension before she did felt like proof of just how focused he was on her.
Thinking back, there had been a time like this before—when Kairly came to the workshop. Seeing her stiff, he had joked to help her relax. Back then, she hadn’t even liked him yet.
Lowell was always kind to her.
That crude, awkward kindness was consistent only with her.
It felt like a feather tickling deep in her throat.
