Chapter 86
“Sorry. I was reckless.”
Kaon bowed his head stiffly, his face hardened. He now stood before Leonidas not as her younger brother, but as the representative of Ferdinand.
“So you do realize you were reckless. I suppose that’s something, at least.”
Leonidas tilted her head and clicked her tongue. The moment Kaon suddenly threatened the mage, her first thought was not about her brother but about the enormous damage his actions could bring upon Ferdinand.
If the mage were to lodge a formal complaint with the Tower and the matter was taken to the royal tribunal, there would be no way to cover it up. The fault was clear.
But then she saw the expression on the mage’s face in Kaon’s grip and her thoughts shifted. The mage’s face was entirely calm.
“You should be grateful to that mage. The reason this hasn’t turned into a full-blown incident is because he chose to let it go.”
“……”
Kaon stubbornly kept his mouth shut. He knew he had acted far too rashly. But he had no intention of being grateful to that man. Not in the slightest.
“On the very first day we arrived in Vellium, I saw him in the city. And not as part of the Central Tower—the closest one to Vellium—but as a mage from the far-off Eastern Tower. Strange place for him to show up, don’t you think?”
The Towers not only housed mages but also regulated their members so that they did not infringe on each other’s territories. In other words, boundaries were of the utmost importance.
The Eastern Tower and Vellium were separated by no less than 310 tir (about 500 km). With such a distance, any mission in that region would be assigned to the Central Tower, never to the Eastern.
“And as if by chance, it was that very day he caught Alessia when she almost fell. Even when she told him to let go, he ignored her.”
The memory made Kaon scowl deeply. Over some silly flour pastries—because of something that trivial—Alessia nearly got hurt. He found himself pathetic every time he thought of that day.
Even after hearing the whole story from Alessia, his anger did not subside. The way that man had looked at her was unbearable.
If only his gaze had been lecherous outright—it would have been easier. Then Kaon could have beaten him senseless and tossed him to the city guard without hesitation.
But the man’s eyes were impossible to read. They shone strangely, almost like someone who had been drawn into a bizarre religion. Even when Kaon shoved him away, those glowing eyes never left Alessia.
It wasn’t just that day. Even earlier today, while Kaon’s hands were around his throat, the man’s eyes darted about, searching only for Alessia. It was a chilling obsession.
“Why would someone who supposedly lives only in the Tower show up in Vellium that day? And he didn’t even bother denying it. He knew his words didn’t add up.”
If it had been just once, Kaon could have brushed it off as bad luck. He could have resolved to never leave Alessia alone in such places again and simply kept the man in mind.
But twice? No. And then to top it off, the man had the nerve to talk about ‘an amazing coincidence,’ wearing that shameless smile. Just watching him spout such nonsense had required immense restraint.
“I don’t think you acted without reason. As your sister, I know you well enough for that.”
“……”
“But who else would understand? Only I, because I know you. Would the tribunal listen if you said the same thing there? That you preemptively punished a Tower mage because he seemed to harbor impure intentions and approached with malice? With no proof, only your judgment?”
Kaon dropped his gaze, ashamed. His sister’s words were painfully true. Leonidas, as family, could take his temperament into account. But the royal judges would look only at the case.
Worse still, the king would surely lean in the mage’s favor—he wanted to attract more mages, after all. Everything about it would weigh against them.
With no proof, threatening a mage and then slandering him could even bring harsher punishment.
“On top of that, he’s a rather skilled mage. Next year, the decision about our relations with Ingelos will be made. The Tower sent him here as a gesture of goodwill.”
Kaon’s fist tightened. If Leonidas acknowledged his talent, the man had to be among the best of the Eastern Tower.
The Tower wouldn’t have sent a high-ranking mage, known for being reluctant to leave, without reason. Ferdinand was one of their wealthy patrons, and this was clearly preparation in case marriage talks with Ingelos fell through.
It was all so transparent—calculating, nauseating. Who had said Alessia would be sent away again? Kaon had no such intention. And yet these fools were already preparing for her departure as if it were inevitable.
If he could, Kaon would have overturned the Tower, the mage, and everything in between. But he knew better than anyone that such thinking was childish.
“Kaon. You are no longer a child.”
Leonidas’ voice cut sharply at his thoughts. She had been forced to grow up sooner than anyone, and her words could not be dismissed.
“If you suspect he has a purpose, then uncover it. If you wish to punish him, do it not with your fists but with just cause.”
With that, Leonidas waved him away. Kaon engraved her words into his mind as he quietly withdrew.
“Could you show me that again, just once more?”
“Of course.”
As Alessia stepped out of the library, she turned toward the sound of voices—and was surprised by the pairing she saw. Nia and Elliot.
In any domain, unless there was an immediate war, it was customary to let guests rest on their first day.
Even Elliot, who had laughed through the entire banquet earlier as if the daytime incident hadn’t happened, seemed likely to have gone to rest. But here he was, with her younger brother.
“How can you do that without even reciting a spell? Oh—Alessia!”
Nia, his eyes sparkling with excitement, ran straight over when he spotted her. Alessia gently drew him to her side as Elliot approached at a leisurely pace.
“Oh, what a coincidence.”
Elliot spoke lightly, placing a hand over his chest and bowing his head.
Alessia noted the knightly manner in him, rather than that of a mage. At first glance it looked courteous, but it felt as though he were simply imitating someone. The posture was flawless, yet devoid of sincerity.
“I hope Nia hasn’t been a nuisance to you, Lord Elliot.”
With a picture-perfect smile, Alessia asked just as politely. Acting contrary to her true feelings was something she excelled at. Whatever Elliot’s reason for hovering near her, she had no intention of being taken in easily.
“A nuisance? Not at all. He’s a sweet child, eagerly responding even to my meager tricks. If anything, I fear I might be the one troubling him. Did I, young master Nia?”
“No way! Sis, this man’s magic is amazing. He used teleportation without even chanting!”
Nia was practically vibrating with excitement. Alessia briefly wondered if he might be under the influence of mind magic—but dismissed the thought.
Anyone who spoke with Nia for even a short while would know how little he actually understood. And mind magic required vast reserves of mana and mental strength—it wasn’t something to waste on a child for no reason.
“Elliot, show that magic to my sister too!”
“In front of two of Ingelos’ great mages, you’d ask me to perform? I’m far too bashful for that.”
“But it’s so cool….”
“Well, since you insist.”
Feigning reluctance, Elliot slipped a hand into his pocket.
Alessia instinctively tightened her grip on Nia’s hand. Startled at the sudden contact, Nia looked up at her—but then grinned happily and clasped her hand in return.
Alessia didn’t notice his smile. Her entire focus was fixed on Elliot’s movements.
Surely he wouldn’t dare cause trouble inside Ferdinand’s castle, surrounded by their knights. And yet, somehow, she felt that this man wasn’t bound by such concerns.
“Now then….”
Elliot pulled out a silver coin that gleamed in the moonlight. Alessia’s eyes narrowed.
He balanced the coin on his right palm and repeatedly opened and closed his hands, almost as if to say, “Watch carefully, see where it goes.”
“Left hand, it’s in the left!”
Standing opposite Elliot, Nia pointed excitedly to his right hand (which was on their left). Alessia thought she knew what he was about to do.
With theatrical flair, Elliot crossed his clenched fists, moving them back and forth like a stage performer. He exhaled dramatically, as though preparing some great spell, and then thrust both arms out.
“So—which hand holds the coin?”
“This time it’s this one. It was the same last time, Sis,” Nia said confidently, pointing to Elliot’s left hand. Elliot, however, turned his gaze toward Alessia, as if curious about her opinion.
“Well… I’d say behind the ear.”
At that, Elliot smirked.
“Sis! How could a coin come from behind the ear!” Nia protested, urging her to choose again. But Alessia only kept her eyes on Elliot in silence.
Elliot slowly opened both hands. The coin was in neither. While Nia looked around frantically, Elliot reached up toward his own ear—exactly as Alessia had said.
“Correct. As expected, you are perceptive.”
And he produced the very same coin.
Nia’s eyes went wide as saucers and he shouted, “Woooow!” But Alessia only smiled faintly.
There was nothing surprising about it. She had seen this “magic”—no, this sleight of hand—before.
