CHAPTER 08………………………………..
Dong—dong—dong.
The bells rang loudly from the bell tower.
The bustling streets of the Marquisate had surrendered all evening calm, turning noisy and chaotic. It was completely different from the quiet streets Adamas and Sapeiros had passed through earlier in the early morning.
“Everyone, stay calm and evacuate!”
Amid the panicked crowd and merchants hastily packing up their stalls, guards shouted directions to guide people to safety.
“Waaaah!”
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh, don’t push! Ouch, you stepped on my foot! Uncle, my foot!”
It was a nightmare all day long. Adamas was swept along by the throngs of people.
“Why is everyone acting like this…?”
Struggling to lift her head amidst the crowd, Adamas saw a dark, looming shape ahead. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
“No way…”
A massive three-meter-tall lump of black clay, sculpted into a giant golem.
Its huge body exuded a faint red glow as the sun set, and something small on its forehead seemed to glint.
“Hahaha… could this really be the ‘thing’ Sapeiros warned would come from across the desert?”
This Marquisate was just cursed. Adamas muttered a curse under her breath.
“Wow… damn Marquisate! Is it destined to be ruined no matter what?”
What she had only seen in magic textbooks—the “thing” itself—was now right before her eyes.
A golem, an unknown monster that had crossed the desert.
“Three golems…? Where’s Sapeiros?”
Even as the crowd pushed her around, Adamas scanned desperately for Sapeiros.
She found him right under the bell tower, focusing intently with his rapier at the ready.
A shimmering blue aura began to rise from the blade, enveloping the long, thin rapier.
“Aura Blade!”
The blade doubled in thickness, the edge extending twice as long.
“As expected of a Swordmaster.”
The youngest unofficial Swordmaster of the Francis Empire, Mano Sapeiros, shone in this moment of genius.
With his blade wrapped in blue aura, Sapeiros charged at the golem.
Kwaaak—puff!
With a thunderous crash, the golem’s head was severed. Without hesitation, Sapeiros went after the second golem, which immediately retaliated.
Seeing Sapeiros struggle under the dual onslaught, Adamas bit her lip anxiously.
“Yah-yap!”
He shouted as he attacked, but lacking time to concentrate, the power of his blade wasn’t as strong as when he cut the first golem.
The more the golems rampaged, the more the city broke apart, and Adamas clenched her fists tightly.
She had to help Sapeiros somehow…
“Uwah! Don’t push!”
She couldn’t get close. The panicked crowd tried to move away from the golems, and instead of approaching, she was pushed back.
“Ah! Ouch, my foot!”
She had to get over there.
She couldn’t defeat the golems herself, but even drawing their attention a little would make it easier for Sapeiros to cut through them.
“Please, don’t push.”
“Clear the way!”
The screams of people falling and rolling, children crying for their mothers, all erupted simultaneously.
Then, a massive gust of wind brushed past Adamas’s ear, followed by a surge of hot air from behind her.
Cutting through the air in front of her was fire.
Shhaak—Bang!
The flames shot toward the feet of the golem.
Sapeiros didn’t miss the instant.
He sliced through the golem’s slowed neck with his blue Aura Blade. The head exploded like fireworks, scattering dust into the air.
With all his strength, Sapeiros pushed off the ground, and without hesitation, severed the remaining golem’s neck. The fluid, natural motion left Adamas in awe.
Thunk-thunk-thunk.
All three golem heads fell in less than ten minutes.
Witnessing a Swordmaster’s battle for the first time, Adamas was speechless.
The sharp blade cutting the wind, the shimmering blue Aura Blade—it made her heart race.
Wow… I really like Swordmasters.
Sapeiros slowly turned his gaze toward Adamas, though technically it was toward the area behind her.
Ah, right, the fire came from behind.
Adamas quickly turned her head. There stood a mage in a red robe.
He must have been around forty.
His deep rose-colored hair and eyes gave him an astonishingly beautiful yet cold impression.
Sapeiros’s eyes were icy as he looked at the mage. He didn’t see an ally.
Dong—dong—dong.
The bell rang again from the tower.
People evacuating and hiding surged back toward their homes.
Guards and knights from the Marquisate cleared the golem’s remains, approaching Sapeiros to hand him something and converse.
Seizing the distraction, Adamas pushed through the crowd to reach Sapeiros.
The battle had clearly been intense; Sapeiros’s face was drenched in sweat.
Adamas sent a cool breeze over his face.
“Sorry. This is the best magic I can do.”
The gentle wind teased the front of his hair, cooling the sweat on his face.
“…It’s enough.”
She had wanted to help but had done nothing.
“Why the expression? Are you hurt, Adamas?”
“No. It’s nothing. Just some dust in my eyes.”
“The guards will handle this. Let’s go.”
Sapeiros wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Ah, o-okay.”
Holding Adamas tightly, he led her out. He didn’t glance at the mage watching them.
“S-Sapeiros?”
Sapeiros’s hand on her shoulder trembled. He bit his lips tightly, as if drawing blood.
He didn’t even acknowledge the person who had helped him—and the mage didn’t care.
Ah, I see.
Adamas knew this mage. She also understood why Sapeiros ignored him.
The only family practicing magic in Mano.
The head of the Currendum family, who, along with the Onyx, practically ruled the Marquisate.
Currendum Mage.
Dawn was breaking.
“Sir Sapeiros, can’t we stay a bit longer? Your shoulder’s injured, and you pushed yourself during the fight with the golems.”
“I cannot cause any more trouble.”
“I don’t think the Marquis would see it that way.”
“So you don’t want to go with me?”
“Of course not.”
Adamas said boldly.
“What? Why?”
“No matter where your home is, it’s no better than staying at the Marquisate.”
In truth, Adamas had already asked Hidenight if there was a spare maid’s room. Hidenight had joked lightly but refused seriously.
Instead, he said that if Sapeiros’s home was inconvenient, they could stay at the Marquisate as long as needed.
“Oh, thinking about it… why should I go to your place? The Marquis said it’s fine to stay here!”
“I cannot allow an unidentified person near the Marquis.”
“Do you see me as a danger?”
“What do you think?”
“Hey!”
Is that a yes? Or ignoring me?
If it’s yes, it’s unpleasant; if he’s ignoring me, it hurts my pride.
Sapeiros did both at once.
“People often tell you you’re unlucky, right?”
He silently went his way, ignoring Adamas’s mood.
Adamas shook her head and followed him.
“Sir Sapeiros, your home is large with many servants. Why live separately?”
Sapeiros sighed.
“Have I not said it? I will not cause trouble. Why do you keep asking questions and ignoring me?”
“I just don’t understand.”
He wouldn’t see it as trouble. In fact, the Marquis had seen them off, telling them to stay a bit longer and visit often.
“Just quietly follow. It won’t be cramped for two.”
“Oh, so you wanted just the two of us? A man and woman alone in one house? Oh my! Does this mean we’re engaged now?”
Adamas winked and clung to Sapeiros’s arm. Sapeiros, expression unchanged, quietly rested his hand on his sword.
“Hey, stop. That move—now.”
Adamas quickly removed her hands.
“Being alone with a swordsman… this might happen, right?”
“No! Don’t make the mood creepy. Hands off the sword!”
“…Slow. Walk faster.”
“Who wants to walk slowly? You do. You walk too fast.”
“Tsk, might be faster to carry you.”
“Oh, really? My fiancé’s little sister wants to be carried?”
Adamas bounced along toward Sapeiros’s shoulder. He swatted her away casually.
“My fiancé’s little sister. Embarrassed? I said carry me!”
“How many times will you say ‘fiancé’s little sister’?”
“Why? Embarrassed? Even after I proposed in style, why act like this? Huh?”
Sapeiros pressed his lips together and walked ahead quickly, leaving Adamas behind.
“Ah, okay. I won’t tease. Lead the way. Let’s go! To our house!”
“…Our house.”
Sapeiros nodded quietly and began walking.
Very slowly, so Adamas could keep up.
