Chapter 43
“…It feels strange.”
“Hm?”
“It’s such an obvious thing to say, yet no one has ever said something like that to me before.”
“I’m the first?”
“Yes. And also…”
Termion lowered his gaze.
Ailesia’s slender, snow-white hand was warm despite the bitter cold. Seeing it resting over his own—hands made thick and rough from years of wielding a sword—felt oddly out of place.
“…It’s warm. Unexpectedly so.”
“That’s because I’m a witch. Isn’t it fascinating?”
“….”
As if snapping out of his sentimentality, Termion twisted his lips slightly and abruptly pulled his hand away.
* * *
After Eleonora had run around until her face turned bright red and then went off to bathe in warm water, Termion finally brought up the real reason he’d come to see Ailesia.
“We depart for the Guardveil Mountain Range in three days.”
“For the magical beast subjugation you mentioned before?”
“Yes. We’re planning for about three weeks, though that may change depending on the situation.”
Kubera had left for the Guardveil Mountain Range’s forward base the day after arriving at the grand duchy. He was currently scouting the area and checking various barriers and traps.
“So if it’s three weeks from now, you might be back by the Holy Night Festival?”
“I’ll do my best… but preparations are later and less thorough than last year, so I can’t be certain. For Ellie’s sake, I intend to finish as quickly as possible.”
“Perfect timing.”
She had been planning to visit the Guardveil Mountain Range herself anyway—now she had a convenient excuse.
Planting one hand confidently on her hip, Ailesia grinned.
“By any chance, does your subjugation force need a super-strong witch who’s smart, skilled, and beautiful to boot?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Come on, think about it. You totally need one, right? Hm? Hm?”
“What are you even—”
Where had the gentle, mature woman who’d comforted him earlier gone? Had he imagined it?
Watching Ailesia’s eyes sparkle like a child who’d found a new toy, Termion pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Ailesia.”
“Yeah?”
“The magical beasts there are on a completely different level from the intruders at the estate.”
“Oh, I know that much.”
No, she clearly didn’t. He had no idea where to even begin persuading her.
There was no denying Ailesia was an exceptional mage. Having lived in the Chernil Forest, she would be very familiar with magical beasts.
Even the wolves she commanded, or the serpent that had emerged from the lake, ranked at least Class Three among magical beasts.
But the true problem wasn’t the beasts—it was the Guardveil Mountain Range itself.
“Beyond the beasts, you’ll be fighting the cold. And in certain areas, you may not be able to use magic at all.”
“Can’t use magic?”
“The Guardveil Mountain Range has many zones where mana doesn’t circulate properly. Even the knights can only rely on aura there.”
“Do you really think I couldn’t even protect myself?”
“This isn’t something you can solve by stubbornness, Ailesia. In the first place, why would a private tutor involve herself in something like this?”
Despite his deliberately sharp tone, concern was clearly woven into Termion’s voice.
‘She’s already helped more than enough.’
Hadn’t he already burdened her? And now she wanted to accompany them on a dangerous magical beast subjugation? No noble family in the world treated a guest this recklessly.
Above all, knowing she’d stay by Eleonora’s side would allow him to focus fully on the mission with peace of mind.
For Eleonora’s sake—and for Ailesia’s—this was the right choice.
“If you go, what will happen to Ellie? She’ll raise an uproar if she’s separated from you for even a day.”
“Ellie’s on winter break for now.”
“…What does that mean?”
“A rest and self-study period for efficient learning. Cutting-edge educational methods.”
“…You do realize it’s only been about a month since she properly started studying, right?”
“You said yourself that ‘private tutor’ is just a title. Didn’t you say you were more like a nanny and playmate?”
“That wasn’t the point.”
And in Termion’s eyes, it may have been only a month—but counting the time they’d spent together in the forest, it was closer to three. By modern standards, that was nearly a full semester.
With a slight pout, Ailesia continued.
“And why would we be separated? You’re not planning to hunt magical beasts all night, are you?”
“Of course not. We’ll return to base before sunset, or build temporary camps if necessary.”
“Then I can just come back to the castle in the evening.”
“…What?”
Termion stared at her blankly.
“I’ll help with the subjugation during the day, then come back to the castle around sunset, eat dinner with Ellie, play with her, put her to bed—and then head back to base. What’s the problem?”
“Well, um… haah.”
If things went exactly as she said, there truly wasn’t much of a problem.
Kubera already knew she could use spatial transfer magic, and as long as they obscured it the same way she had when arriving at the grand duchy, the other knights wouldn’t question it.
Even so, he couldn’t simply agree. His voice rose despite himself.
“Then what’s your real reason? You’re not just going to sightsee.”
“That’s hard to explain right now. Instead, I’ll make you an offer.”
“An offer?”
“You said there are areas where magic doesn’t work, right? I think I know why.”
“…Is that true?”
“Wouldn’t that be useful information for House Letis? Take me with you, and I’ll tell you.”
“…Even so—”
“If you don’t want to, forget it.”
As Ailesia shrugged, Termion sank into deep thought.
The strange phenomena in the Guardveil Mountain Range weren’t just obstacles to subjugation—they were major hindrances to developing the region itself.
If the cause could be identified, it would help with barrier placement, trap construction, and planning efficient routes for subjugation.
The knights could avoid dangerous zones and fight at full capacity, making operations far more efficient.
‘It’s clearly a good opportunity…’
Still, tying family interests into his relationship with Ailesia left a sour taste.
An equal exchange would be one thing—but she kept giving far more than she received, and that weighed heavily on him.
‘And if I flat-out refuse… she’s the type who’d follow secretly anyway.’
As he struggled to decide, Eleonora returned to the room after finishing her bath.
“Uncle! Teacher!”
“Our Ellie, all clean?”
“Yep! Sparkly clean!”
“Then shall we have a tasty snack?”
“Wow! Cake!”
Eleonora’s eyes lit up as she grabbed her fork. Watching his niece smile brightly on Ailesia’s lap, Termion let out a quiet sigh.
“Ailesia. Let’s continue this discussion later.”
“Huh? What discussion? Uncle, did you say something mean to Teacher again?”
“When did I ever?”
Termion shot Eleonora a disbelieving look.
‘Mean things? Since when?’
He’d been curt with Ailesia at times in front of Eleonora—but no matter how he thought back, he’d never said anything cruel or crossed a line.
“Then… a date?”
“…What kind of person do you think your uncle is?”
“The world’s most handsome bad guy!”
“…Is this also part of her education?”
His gaze sharpened as it shifted from his niece to Ailesia. Snorting lightly, she wiped the cream from Eleonora’s lips.
“Sweetie, Uncle’s going to hunt magical beasts in three days.”
“Magical beasts?”
“You know those bad monsters that live in the mountains? The ones that bother people and break buildings.”
“And then?”
“Teacher’s thinking of going with Uncle. So during the day, Teacher won’t be able to stay with you. Will you be okay?”
“Uuuhm…”
With her fork still in her mouth, Eleonora tilted her head. She looked between her uncle and her teacher, then asked carefully.
“Ellie can’t come along, right?”
“The mountains are much colder than here. And there are lots of scary monsters—you might get frightened.”
“Then why is Teacher going?”
“Because Teacher’s a super-strong witch and has to protect Uncle. We promised, didn’t we?”
“That’s right! Teacher’s the best!”
Watching the two of them giggle at each other, Termion finally let his expression soften.
