Chapter 20
Thermion sat back down in his chair, flipping through documents while deep in thought.
If they’re not idiots, they’ll move tonight.
There was no way to know exactly when the barrier would be fully restored until repairs actually began.
That was why he had asked Kubera to do what he did. If the three highest-ranking people in the estate were informed, they would naturally keep others quiet and act as usual.
Still, after that much commotion, no matter how much the servants tried to hush it up, rumors would spread.
Tonight was the only time anyone could be sure the barrier was incomplete. Baron Beighton wouldn’t pass up such a perfect opportunity.
I’ll have to leave the rest to Aylesia.
Watching things unfold exactly as planned made him feel a little bitter.
He had seen her abilities with his own eyes and decided to trust her. Yet every time he dealt with her, he couldn’t help but feel painfully aware of his own shortcomings.
“…Tch.”
He had to admit it.
They weren’t that far apart in age, yet Aylesia embodied the ideal adult he had always imagined.
And the way she treated Eleanora—
Watching her smile brightly at his niece with that fairy-like beauty made his heart soften without him realizing it.
“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll get wrinkles. Such a handsome face—you should take better care of it.”
Why did her pointless nagging suddenly come to mind?
Thermion stabbed the quill he was holding straight into the ink bottle.
* * *
In the dead of night, a group moved silently across the ducal estate.
Now’s our chance.
The man who had once spoken secretly with Baron Beighton twisted his lips into a grin.
Just after noon, an urgent message had arrived from Beighton. The ducal estate’s spatial coordinate distortion spell had been neutralized—tonight was the time to act.
Just in case, he had also confirmed it through a servant he had secretly recruited.
A massive shockwave swept through the building, they said. That kind of impact could definitely damage the barrier.
Facing the Tigel Knights head-on would be suicide—but his goal was the kidnapping of the young duchess.
Even if the newly appointed tutor was a mage, once they got close and used teleportation magic, it would be over. Even a High Mage would find it difficult to track distorted spatial coordinates.
Only the Grand Dame at the ducal castle had that level of ability. By the time she moved, all traces would already be gone.
“All units are assembled, Sir Brantin.”
“Unit One will draw the Tigel Knights’ attention. Unit Two heads for the main building. Unit Three blocks off the west wing. I’ll go to the west wing myself.”
“Who’s handling the young duchess?”
“Baron Beighton will move. Once he brings her out, we’ll immediately use teleportation magic to escape the estate. I’ll fire a signal flare before exiting. You all know the rendezvous point.”
“And him?”
“No.”
Brantin’s short reply was ice-cold.
“He doesn’t even know who we are. He’s perfect to abandon as a disposable pawn.”
There was no need to take along a piece that had already served its purpose. From the moment he finished talking with Beighton in the warehouse, Brantin had decided to discard him.
“If we hesitate, escape will become difficult. I don’t want to lose any of you here. Avoid unnecessary sacrifices.”
At his seemingly considerate words, the black-clad subordinates bowed deeply.
These were elite personnel—nothing like Baron Beighton. Considering the time and resources invested into each one, they needed to return alive whenever possible.
Twenty fighters on par with Aura Experts. Even the ducal house won’t stand a chance against a surprise attack of this scale.
With black magic reinforcing their bodies, they could momentarily exert nearly double their strength. Even the formidable Tigel Knights wouldn’t be able to deal with them easily.
“Move out.”
The subordinates dispersed to their assigned positions, and Brantin headed toward the west wing.
The ducal estate, soaked in deep night, was utterly silent. Aside from the dim lights at the entrance, there wasn’t a single light visible inside the buildings.
The young duchess’s room is on the third floor of the west wing.
From the bushes nearby, he spotted a group entering the west wing—Baron Beighton and two retainers following him.
He could have gone directly to kidnap the girl himself, but that risked leaving traces. The alarm magic that detected outsiders was still functioning.
Beighton and his retainers carried authorized marks so they wouldn’t trigger the alarms. As head butler, Beighton also possessed the master keys to every room.
The tutor worried him slightly—but that only mattered if she were awake. There was no way a sleeping woman could handle three grown men breaking in.
Five minutes since they went in. They should be coming out soon.
He had instructed them to exit through the terrace once they secured the girl. Then he would use flight magic to take her away. A simple plan.
… Why is it taking so long?
Brantin watched the terrace, growing uneasy.
Were they struggling with the tutor? But for something to have gone wrong, it was far too quiet.
Unable to wait any longer, he cautiously rose—
CRASH!
“Aaaargh!”
Someone flew out through the terrace with a thunderous noise.
“…Damn it!”
Startled, Brantin hurriedly activated flight magic and shot up toward the terrace.
* * *
Climbing to the third floor of the west wing, Baron Beighton struggled to suppress his rising laughter.
Everything was going perfectly.
The Tigel Knights were scheduled for early morning training tomorrow, so tonight there was no guard near the young duchess’s room.
There was one servant on corridor duty—but that person had already been bribed. As head butler, Beighton could easily reassign guards.
Click.
With the soft sound of the key turning, the door opened.
Up to this point—complete success.
If only he hadn’t heard a voice the moment he stepped inside on tiptoe.
“What exactly do men who sneak into a young lady’s room in the dead of night want?”
Aylesia sat upright beside the bed, staring at him with a cold expression.
Why is she awake?
He had mixed a heavy dose of sleeping potion into dinner and dessert. She had eaten everything—she should have been unconscious until morning.
“No answer?”
Overwhelmed by her presence, Beighton swallowed hard before speaking.
“Haha… Lady Milenoff. What brings you to this room?”
“I asked first.”
She spoke casually, without honorifics. His temper flared.
Who does this nobody think she is…!
But getting angry here would only ruin everything. He forcibly smoothed his expression.
“I received His Grace’s order to escort the young duchess due to an urgent matter.”
“For what reason? She’s sleeping soundly.”
“I don’t know the details. I’m only following orders.”
As Beighton made excuses and approached the bed, Aylesia raised her hand, stopping him.
“If it’s that urgent, tell him to come himself.”
“…What?”
“If you’re dragging a child out in the middle of the night, that’s the least sincerity you should show. Who do you think you are, ordering people around?”
“Haa… Lady Milenoff.”
Barely suppressing his irritation, Beighton sighed.
“If His Grace sent me, doesn’t that mean the situation is urgent and he’s unable to move himself?”
“You’re joking.”
“… Excuse me?”
Aylesia stood and strode toward him.
“If something that serious happened in the estate, and instead of knights, three useless men show up to take Ellie?”
“……”
“Why would I trust Ellie to you? If you were going to lie, you should have thought it through better.”
As she took another step forward, Beighton’s eyes flashed.
He swiftly pulled out a dagger hidden behind his waist and slashed.
The cold blade aimed straight for Aylesia’s neck.
No matter how skilled she is, at this distance—!
If he didn’t give her time or space to cast magic, she was just an ordinary woman in her twenties. He believed he could easily kill or subdue her.
His fatal mistake was not knowing that Aylesia had once been a legendary adventurer.
Whoosh!
The blade cut through empty air as Aylesia ducked like lightning.
She planted her right foot forward, twisted her body the opposite way—
And her left leg lashed out like a whip, smashing into Beighton’s jaw.
CRACK!
“Ghh—!”
Beighton’s eyes rolled back as his body lifted into the air—
Then crashed to the floor.
