chapter 25
“……!”
Startled, I jumped up instinctively—and that turned out to be a huge mistake.
Crash!
The chair I knocked over with my leg fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
“What the—?!”
“What was that noise? Ugh, my head…”
At the sound, Luspell’s eyes flew open, and Owen also lifted his head from the table.
Even Leonhardt’s black eyes were regaining focus.
As soon as he sensed the commotion, he used his aura to instantly sober up.
‘Oh crap!’
Without a second thought, I turned and bolted outside.
I sprinted at full speed, throwing myself into the carriage parked behind the building.
“Hah… Hah! Go! Now!”
I pounded on the carriage wall in panic. The startled coachman quickly pulled the reins.
Neigh! Snort!
The four horses let out long cries and began galloping.
The carriage passed in front of Charles Beerhouse.
Through the window, I saw Leonhardt, Luspell, and Owen outside the building, scanning the area.
‘They’re looking for me!’
I immediately ducked and hid my face.
My heart pounded so hard that I struggled to breathe even while sitting still.
I barely had time to feel indignant about having to hide when the carriage suddenly stopped without warning.
“What the… why are we stopping—?!”
Leonhardt was approaching the window, looking terrifying.
‘Can I just ignore him and run…? No, that won’t work.’
He definitely recognized the crest on my carriage.
“Sh*t!”
I hastily removed my cloak and stuffed it under the seat.
Just as I smoothed my messy hair, there was a knock on the window.
Pretending to be calm, I opened it.
“Your Highness? What brings you—”
Leonhardt raised a hand to cut me off. His voice dripped with displeasure.
“You’re following me now?”
“Following you?”
“Weren’t you just at Charles Beerhouse trying to sneak away?”
“Charles Beerhouse? What’s that? I’m on my way to see Professor Luspell.”
“Luspell?”
“Yes, I need his help. Oh? You were just with him?”
I pointed behind Leonhardt.
But Luspell looked odd. He was clearly wary.
He’d never been exactly warm, but he’d never shown such blatant hostility before…
Did Leonhardt say something to him?
“Professor Luspell, did you forget our appointment?”
“Oh, that… let’s forget about—huh?”
Luspell suddenly stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath.
Then he calmly changed his words.
“I’ll help you tomorrow.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll trust you one more time.”
I gave Luspell a pointed look, then turned back to Leonhardt.
“Your Highness, may I go now?”
“…You really weren’t at Charles Beerhouse?”
“Do I look like someone who drinks commoners’ alcohol?”
Leonhardt stared at me, then stepped back.
I tapped the carriage wall and leaned back into my seat.
Fixing my gaze forward, I endured the stinging glares on my cheek.
Finally, once we were out of their line of sight, I let the tension drain from my spine.
“Phew… Thought I was done for.”
I truly had no idea at the time—
—that Luspell had smelled Charles Beerhouse’s dark beer on me.
The three men gathered once more inside Charles Beerhouse.
There was no trace of intoxication among them.
Thanks to their unique abilities, they had completely sobered up.
Leonhardt ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“What are you thinking, Luspell? Are you really going to help her?”
“Yeah.”
“Did something make you change your mind?”
Instead of answering Owen, Luspell called over Charles.
“Charles, did anyone come in while we were drinking?”
“Yes, someone in a hooded cloak. I didn’t see her face, but it was a woman. She said she was a friend of yours.”
“Did you see what she did?”
“She just sat there. She looked so pitiful, I gave her a beer.”
“Dark beer?”
“Yes, sir… W-Wait, was she not a friend of yours?”
“Friend? Please.”
“She said it so sincerely, I thought she was. Oh no, I’ve interrupted your time together, haven’t I? I’m so sorry!”
“It’s not your fault. She would’ve forced her way in one way or another.”
“Seriously, who is she…?”
“I’m starting to feel hungry now that I’m sober. Got any snacks?”
“Oh! Yes, sir! Right away!”
Charles rushed into the kitchen after taking their new order.
With just the three of them left in the tavern, Luspell spoke in a low voice.
“That woman. Adrian Ibrante.”
Owen tilted his head.
“How do you know?”
“She reeked of this place’s dark beer.”
“Ah… That confirms it.”
Leonhardt’s previously bored eyes turned sharp in an instant.
‘I hoped it wasn’t true… but she really followed me here?’
And she even drank beer while watching him drunk?
Leonhardt shivered and his expression turned cold.
“She denied it so brazenly. So it was a lie. But how did she even know I was here?”
“That’s what’s strange. No one knows we meet here once a year.”
Owen fiddled with his rosary and smirked coldly.
“Seems our fallen sister has quite the capable informant. One good enough to track us in secret.”
“I think so too.”
Leonhardt pressed his fingers to his temples in frustration.
For five years, Adrian had stayed quiet, but now she was acting strange again.
When will she give up on me? I’m sick of it.
“When did she start following us? I didn’t notice anything.”
“That’s why I’m meeting her tomorrow. I’ll plant a paper doll and find out how she fooled a Swordmaster’s senses.”
The paper doll was a magical device Luspell created.
Originally for remote communication, it could also spy on places it was hidden.
It couldn’t move or hear sounds, but it could reveal whom Adrian met with.
“But…”
Leonhardt shook his head.
“Do you really need to go that far? Who knows what tricks she’ll pull.”
“I may be a wreck, but I’m not stupid. I know she’s targeting you, but I won’t fall for her games.”
“The academy…”
“That time, I was just caught off guard. This time, I’ll just plant the doll and leave. Won’t even see her for long.”
Owen and Leonhardt were worried but couldn’t stop Luspell.
It had been a long time since Luspell had volunteered to do anything.
There was a flicker of life in his eyes again—eyes that had been dull ever since Adela died.
They couldn’t stop him.
Because they knew how fragile he was.
If this could help Luspell regain his will to live, they were willing to accept some risk.
‘Please… let Luspell recover.’
‘I can’t lose another friend.’
And so, Owen and Leonhardt made a decision they would regret for a long time.
They never imagined that Luspell, the most reserved among them, would be the first to fall to Adrian.
The next day, late morning.
I was groaning in bed without even having breakfast.
“Ugh… this hangover…”
Incredibly, my body couldn’t handle even a single glass of dark beer.
My temples throbbed all night, my stomach churned—I barely slept.
I had no idea how Adrian lived like this. No wonder the butler never offered wine at meals.
“If I’d at least gotten drunk, it wouldn’t feel so unfair… Ugh, my stomach…”
— Oh dear, just one drink and you’re like this? Our Rian’s gotten so weak…
— Don’t be discouraged, Rian. Think of it this way—you now get drunk with one glass. Much more cost-efficient!
— You used to down gallons of the stuff and be fine. Is your body made of cotton now? Gnome, what do you think?
— …
I pressed my fingers against my temples.
“Why haven’t you all gone back to the Spirit Realm yet?”
— Ugh, don’t even start. I told them to leave, but they made such a fuss about it.
— Rian, I wanted to ask—why do you only keep Undine by your side?
— Yeah! Damn it, why always the water bimbo? Does she at least tell you where the water veins are? Gnome, say something. You don’t wanna leave either, right?
— (Nods!)
This is why I don’t summon all four great spirits.
If I say one word, they say four.
They were so noisy that my headache got worse.
I crawled under the blanket and plugged my ears.
Best to just leave them alone for now.
If I force them out, they might blow my head up.
‘It’s not like I’m forcing mana to them anyway…’
Just as I was about to doze off, clutching my burning stomach, an unwelcome thought snapped me awake.
— Guys, remember what Leonhardt said yesterday? That cryptic line—“It’s not a misunderstanding.” What do you think he meant by that?
