Chapter 6
Was that despair? Or pity?
I couldn’t read the emotion that flickered across his face and simply stared at him blankly.
“Sir Raymond has discovered quite a remarkable talent.”
The priest spoke to me and personally handed me a handkerchief.
“Has he?”
Thanks to that, I tore my gaze away from Simon and accepted it with an awkward smile.
“So, the young lady’s ability is…”
“Priest Whitman, may I speak with you privately for a moment?”
Simon interrupted as the priest began addressing me again.
The two of them walked to a place where their voices couldn’t be heard and began speaking quietly.
‘What are they talking about?’
I had no choice but to stare at them from afar.
For some reason, the atmosphere looked serious.
‘Priest Whitman seemed pleased too. Isn’t having a lot of mana always a good thing?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why Simon had made that expression.
A short while later, Simon returned after finishing the conversation, looking as composed as ever.
“Thank you for today.”
“I hope for a favorable outcome.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
After greeting the priest, Simon turned to me.
Were we finished here?
“Goodbye!”
I bowed reflexively.
Priest Whitman smiled gently at me.
Even after leaving the temple and getting into the carriage, Simon showed no sign of telling me what he had discussed with the priest.
As he continued staring out the window, I finally couldn’t contain my curiosity.
“Can I ask what you talked about with the priest?”
“If I say no, will you stop being curious?”
“…You never let anything slide, do you?”
Simon let out a small laugh at our usual exchange, but his expression gradually hardened.
So it definitely wasn’t something trivial.
“Is there… some kind of problem?”
“If you call it a problem, then yes. Ariel’s mana far exceeded my expectations.”
“What? Isn’t that a good thing?”
At my innocent question, Simon answered seriously.
“In this world, there are people who cannot tolerate the mere existence of someone who possesses something that could threaten them.”
“…”
“To such people, a mage of low status who was born with overwhelming mana—and lacks the physical strength to defend herself—makes an excellent target.”
For some reason, Simon looked sad as he said that.
He wasn’t crying, nor was he overtly emotional…
“Ariel, your ability has so far only been used to neutralize small locks at best. But magic can be applied in many ways depending on the amount of mana one possesses.”
“Does that mean there’s a lot of room to apply my ability in different ways?”
“Yes. And very few people can handle nullification-type magic. Can you imagine how many would covet that power?”
Honestly, it didn’t feel real.
I had only just learned that I could use magic. How could I immediately grasp the danger of it?
But still—
“…Did I say something amusing?”
Simon asked blankly as I suddenly smiled.
I gave him an answer that might have sounded foolish.
“No. I’m just happy. I was relieved to realize that you were making that face because you were worried about me.”
“What are you—”
“Thank you for worrying about me. The fact that you’re telling me this honestly means at least you don’t intend to exploit me, Simon.”
At my words, Simon fell silent and stared at me as if stunned.
Was he thinking I was being naive?
But I was sincerely grateful that he was warning me out of concern.
Looking at my carefree smile, Simon spoke.
“Didn’t I say? We’re using each other. There’s no goodwill involved. If someone outside targets you, it would affect my work—”
“Yes, yes, I’m sure. So what does that have to do with the private talk you had with the priest?”
“…”
Ah. The type who talks more when flustered.
I cut off his rambling and asked smoothly.
Simon then replied calmly with something astonishing.
“I asked for Priest Whitman’s help. Officially, it will be reported that you possess ‘slightly more mana than an average person.’”
‘No way…’
My mouth fell open at his bombshell.
I never imagined their private conversation was about falsifying documents!
“The priest agreed to something like that?”
“We have a close personal relationship.”
A close personal relationship? What kind of relationship could a high-ranking priest and a knight have?
“Be honest. There’s more you haven’t told me, right? Some secret about your birth or something.”
“This must remain a secret between the three of us. If it’s discovered, we’ll all lose our heads. I think that’s being quite honest.”
At that, I couldn’t press further.
Even if his reason was to monopolize my ability, his resolve to protect me at the risk of his life felt genuine.
And I didn’t particularly mind hiding my existence and ability.
‘The richest of the rich are the anonymous rich.’
If I changed my mind later, I could deal with that then.
“By the way, can someone with ‘slightly more mana than average’ join the royal knight order?”
“I was just thinking about that. It will likely be difficult for you to formally join. Instead…”
“So this is the assistant?”
“Even if she’s only a ‘probationary member,’ she’s my assistant. Show some manners, Ian.”
Simon enunciated each word with elegant emphasis, and they pricked at me.
Forcing a smile, I greeted the man called Ian with my eyes.
He had smooth silver hair and eyes of an ambiguous color—perhaps blue, perhaps gray.
He possessed teleportation abilities and, aside from me, had joined the order most recently.
When I heard that from Simon, I had been excited at the thought of befriending someone my age…
But—
“Hmph… Even so, isn’t she just a spare you can discard anytime? I hear she’s only good for picking locks. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to carry tools instead?”
After hearing that devil’s mouth, I changed my mind.
“Excuse me! I’m not a tool. I’m a person!”
Unable to hold back, I shouted, and Ian snorted.
“Hmph. Parachute hire.”
I shot a fierce glare at Simon, who was clearly enjoying this situation.
After deciding to conceal my vast mana, Simon had petitioned His Majesty the King to hire me not as a formal member of Utis, but as his assistant.
The King accepted.
As a result, I became a member of Utis without an investiture ceremony, retaining my status as a commoner.
Instead of a rise in status, we adjusted the profit distribution significantly and finalized our contract.
Today was the day Simon introduced me to the other members as his assistant.
‘It would’ve been perfect if I weren’t treated like some nepotism hire.’
I was certain.
Simon was enjoying this!
The satisfied look on his face as he pretended to agree with Ian and tease me made it obvious.
Feeling my heated glare, Simon turned toward me. When our eyes met, he flashed a dazzling smile.
If not for how pretty his smiling face was, he’d be no different from a devil.
‘He definitely lives to tease me.’
He hadn’t been this bad when we first met…
There was a lively energy in Simon’s face as he amused himself.
Perhaps emboldened by Simon’s apparent support, Ian stepped forward again.
“I’m against this. Bringing a civilian to a mission site, sharing members’ information—if she lets something slip somewhere, we’re all—”
“Ian Seize.”
Simon’s voice cut in, stripped of its humor.
“How many times have I told you to show manners? Ariel is not a civilian. She’s someone I personally requested from His Majesty to serve as my assistant. So mind your own duties.”
“…Understood.”
His tone was so cold that I understood immediately why Ian backed down at once.
It was my first time seeing Simon scold someone seriously instead of smiling while delivering cutting remarks.
Was it a warning not to cross the line?
“If you understand, let’s move.”
Ian nodded and extended a hand toward me.
I still disliked his insolent gaze, but I had no choice but to take his hand.
Immediately, I felt a strange sensation as if my body were lifting—and the scenery around us changed in an instant.
When I regained my senses, we were deep in a forest far from any houses.
‘So this is what teleportation feels like.’
The moment we arrived, Ian released my hand without hesitation and pointed ahead.
“The other members are currently engaged in battle in that area.”
Following his gesture, I tilted my head.
He said they were fighting, but the front was completely silent.
Simon explained.
“It’s illusion magic. It blocks sound and shows a false space. It’s cast by one of our members, so follow without worry.”
As I stepped where Simon led, I felt as though I were passing through a thin transparent membrane.
“This is…”
The moment after—
An entirely different scene unfolded before my eyes.
