“Oh?”
A sound of admiration escaped Raven’s lips as he watched Evelyn from behind. Her entire body was wrapped in a golden aura.
The color of the aura had deepened.
It resembled gold, or perhaps it shone like the sun itself.
Raven scratched his cheek, thinking, “Is it because she’s a Hero that her growth is so extraordinary?”
“If I want to be a companion to the Hero, I can’t just sit around.”
Perhaps sensing Evelyn’s aura, the monster flinched and backed away.
Thap!
As Evelyn leapt high into the air, the monster turned around and began to flee.
“That won’t do.”
It didn’t matter whether it was solid rock or metal. Her sword could now cut through anything.
With a confident smile, Evelyn swung her sword twice in front of her.
Golden aura crossed in an X shape, striking the fleeing monster’s back.
Thud!
Boom!
The monster’s steel-like body was sliced effortlessly. Its long form was cut into four chunks and crashed to the ground.
“Why did you waste time?”
“I was trying to gauge how strong the monster was.” Evelyn shrugged in response to Raven’s clicking tongue.
“No monsters left.”
Raven, having used a detection spell, confirmed it.
“Let’s go back.”
“Let’s at least wrap it up.”
Raven shot her a sharp look, clearly not wanting to waste any more time.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Evelyn, who had wanted to check on the estate and Seril, nodded reluctantly.
“Duke!!”
After the monsters were cleared, Elliott and the knights finally arrived.
“What’s the damage?”
Dismounting, Elliott looked around and asked a nearby knight.
“Thirty buildings destroyed, around twenty people injured.”
As the knight reported, Elliott’s eyes quickly turned to Evelyn. His green eyes scanned her quickly before glancing away.
“Mages, begin repairing the buildings immediately. Knights, check for any more injured and escort them to the infirmary.”
“Yes, sir!”
At his command, the mages and knights moved into action.
“Apologies for the delay.”
After giving his orders, Elliott approached Evelyn and bowed slightly.
“You moved the moment you got the signal. Besides, the mages came with you and responded quickly.”
Evelyn shook her head at Elliott’s sheepish look.
It really had been perfect timing.
“Thanks to that, I could test the results of my training too.”
Evelyn tapped her sword. Maybe because she’d just defeated a high-grade monster, the sacred sword was practically glowing with excitement.
At this rate, they might not need a separate expedition to the Snowy Mountains.
“When are we going?”
Raven cut into their conversation, glancing anxiously at the Duke’s castle.
“My maid was hurt. Let’s just check on her and go.”
Evelyn smiled wryly, noticing how Raven’s mind was already filled with thoughts about the ruins.
“Lady Evelyn, I’m alright. Please go ahead. The mage treated me well.”
Seril, who had quietly approached, spoke with a pale face. Her right arm was still missing.
“The healing seems stable.”
Raven checked her shoulder and added something to the support magic circle.
“It’ll hold for at least another week, so even if we don’t find the arm quickly, she’ll be okay.”
Seeing his look, Evelyn gave Seril a look of apology.
“Another mage is retrieving— Oh! My arm!”
Seril squealed with joy as a mage returned carrying her missing limb.
“Northern folks really are something else,” Evelyn thought. “Smiling so brightly even with a limb severed…” She admired their courage.
“Alright, then let’s go.”
“How about helping with the repairs while you’re here?”
Just as Raven was about to drag Evelyn off, Elliott caught him again.
“Should we?”
Evelyn looked at him as if to say, “Help with this and I’ll let you go in right after.”
Raven ran a hand roughly through his hair.
“Swindler.”
“The day’s not over yet.”
With a sly smile, Elliott pointed to the still-bright sky.
“If you help, we can finish everything by noon.”
“Noon? It’ll take the whole day.”
“I’ll give you a one-week free pass.”
Free… pass?
Raven frowned.
“Don’t tell me you were planning to use the Grand Duke’s estate without paying?”
Elliott gave him a sharp, amused look.
“O-of course not…”
Raven’s face said otherwise. He had been so focused on the fact that the legacy belonged to a former Hero that he hadn’t considered that it might legally belong to the Hero’s descendants—the ducal family.
“Can I argue it’s public property for humanity’s sake?”
Raven’s mind raced.
“That place is part of the Duke’s estate. Everyone will be charged for usage, including the Magic Tower.”
“The rich are worse,” Raven muttered inwardly, glaring at Elliott like he was a villain.
“But if we want humanity to win, we’ll need to use everything we have.”
Charging a fee meant there were likely facilities there even mages could benefit from.
“Very well. Of course I’ll help. And I trust you’ll give the Tower a favorable rate.”
Raven smiled, switching gears in an instant. If he asked Evelyn nicely, maybe he’d get a discount.
Unaware that Evelyn was still bitter about him not coming north when she summoned him, Raven turned and moved.
“What happens in the North concerns the Tower too. I’ll help however I can.”
At those words, Evelyn finally burst into laughter.
*
“The Grand Duchess is the Hero?!”
One of the Duke’s mages widened his eyes in shock.
“So that’s why they got married…”
Sighs of despair spread among the mages.
“Revealing this now would cause chaos in the Empire. So, all of you must sign this confidentiality agreement.”
The Duke waved the contracts in his hand. The mages instantly sensed their lives would be forfeit if they didn’t comply.
They glanced nervously at Evelyn, who merely smiled quietly.
“So when can we enter the ruins? Tomorrow?”
“Right now.”
Raven, looking exhausted, asked, and Evelyn smiled faintly in reply.
“What ruins?”
“We discovered a legacy left behind by the previous Hero. It’s close enough to be called a building, but it’s more like a relic site. The Graham knights are already inside training.”
Elliott replied as the mages looked at him with curiosity.
Their faces mirrored Raven’s earlier expression.
“And you didn’t tell us beforehand?!”
The Duke’s mages looked betrayed.
“You’ve been busy with garden repairs and castle inspections, haven’t you?”
One by one, the mages signed the contracts and completed their agreements with Elliott.
Raven, notably, did not sign—but the ducal mages let it slide, considering his relationship with the Grand Duchess.
“Once we go in, you won’t want to leave even overnight. Are you sure you want to go now?”
“Just prepare some meals.”
Evelyn, knowing how deeply the mages would get absorbed, asked just in case. Ramain, one of the ducal mages, smiled.
Even if meals were prepared, they probably wouldn’t touch them.
“Then let’s move quietly.”
The mages entered the ruins quietly and gasped in wonder.
“Should I start telling the Duke’s staff that I’m the Hero?” Evelyn wondered, watching the mages move from place to place, checking the magical formations in the training ground.
It wouldn’t be easy to keep preparing meals and hiding the staff’s disappearances every time this many people moved.
Besides, the people of the North were loyal to the Graham family—there’d be no issue even if the truth was revealed.
She decided to speak with Elliott and consider revealing it inside the Duke’s estate.
Watching the mages scatter, Evelyn approached the teleportation platform.
“Everyone, there’s one very important place.”
“What is it?”
Raven ran over quickly.
“Why didn’t you just fly over?”
“You can’t use flight magic here. Or any kind of body-enhancing magic.”
At Raven’s grumbling, Evelyn’s eyes widened.
