Chapter 30
“That can’t be.”
The voice that answered him was completely unexpected.
A gust of wind blew, sweeping away all the dust.
Deborah, who had braced herself, expecting to be shredded into pieces by the magical bomb, slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing that came into view was a massive wall of ice.
The solid wall, unshaken even by the magical explosion, surrounded Deborah.
And on top of it, someone was standing.
When Deborah saw the deep blue shirt she had gifted, she cautiously called out.
“…Wi-Winter, miss?”
As if responding to her call, the woman on the wall turned her head.
Her flawless jet-black hair swayed like a curtain, and her golden eyes sparkled brilliantly, as if convincing one to believe in a higher power.
A gentle smile followed, along with her voice.
“Hello, Deborah.”
Winter was completely unharmed.
“Miss!”
Overcome with emotion, Deborah cried out.
Winter carefully checked Deborah, whose entire body was battered with injuries, then turned her gaze toward Hirkan.
Her eyes, cold like a frozen lake, fixated on him.
“How dare you lay a hand on our Mei’s subordinate?”
The point of anger was a little strange, but there was no one to point that out anyway.
Soon, the wall of ice collapsed and Winter lightly descended, glancing at the remnants of the magical bomb and clicking her tongue lightly.
“Tch, this wasn’t meant for this kind of use.”
Winter hadn’t expected to encounter Aisel’s invention here.
She figured she’d have to contact Riart immediately upon returning to the mansion to make sure he properly handles client management.
“Shall we have a serious talk, Hirkan?”
Winter spoke without a trace of a smile.
“D-Damn it!”
Hirkan staggered back in shock, but another person was behind him.
“Y-You…!”
It was Medilliane, blocking even his escape.
Deborah moved back to Winter’s side, drawing her sword.
Seeing Hirkan completely surrounded, Winter let out a small laugh.
“When we return to the Duke’s mansion, there’s a lot to say, isn’t there?”
“I’ll make you confess everything you know.”
Medilliane said, looking at Hirkan’s forehead.
Hirkan could not have failed to imagine the kind of torture Medilliane would inflict.
He immediately tried to pull out a teleportation scroll to escape.
Of course, Winter and Medilliane blocked that as well.
“Ugh, ughhh!”
Hirkan rolled on the ground, clutching his battered wrists.
In trying to use wind magic to rip the scroll, the area control was off, and he accidentally tore other things as well.
“Oh, my mistake.”
Clicking her tongue lightly, Winter approached Hirkan.
Hirkan, with veins bulging from the pain on his forehead, muttered, fumbling.
“Ho-How…?”
“Hm?”
“I-I was supposed to be… a frost-type magician…”
“Ah.”
In this world, it was common knowledge that a person could usually use only one type of magic.
Hirkan had seen Winter use only ice magic during their journey, so he assumed she was a frost-type magician.
In reality, that wasn’t true at all.
“That’s just the easiest for me to use, so I use it often.”
With that hint from Winter, Hirkan was horrified.
He was furiously trying to make sense of the situation in his head.
“Is it okay to tell him that?”
Medilliane subtly asked Winter.
He hadn’t been surprised by Winter using more than one type of magic from the start.
Winter nodded.
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
Her gaze then returned coldly to Hirkan.
“Even if you knew, you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone.”
After all, unless someone was a Grand Magician, no one would believe a person could use multiple magics.
Moreover, Winter’s mana control was difficult, and her healing magic was practically useless, so no one could consider her a Grand Magician anyway.
“Leave his wrists alone.”
“Yes, understood.”
At Winter’s command, Medilliane began tightly binding Hirkan, who was rolling on the floor.
Though unintentionally injuring someone’s wrists again, Winter didn’t care.
Once they returned to the Duke’s mansion, Hirkan would become the first victim of her notorious reputation as a collector of wrists.
Finding out who dared to order her killed would only increase the number of wrists she’d have to deal with.
“Um, miss.”
“Hm?”
Deborah suddenly stepped in front of Winter, her expression serious.
“My, my wrists too…”
Closing her eyes tightly, Deborah earnestly thrust both hands forward.
“Please cut my wrists too!”
“What…?”
Winter was utterly bewildered by the sudden display.
But Deborah was completely sincere.
Flustered, she quickly took out a magical tool from her waist and said, blushing bright red.
“I-I stole your magical tool! I’m really sorry! And I said bad things about you, even just for a moment… and you had to go through trouble because of me, and also…”
As she spoke, the situation felt serious.
Deborah felt tears prick at her eyes at her foolish and stupid behavior.
A simple wrist was nothing—she even thought of offering her ankles and neck.
Seeing the determination in Deborah’s eyes, Winter chuckled.
She could almost read Deborah’s thoughts.
Of course, if someone else had done the same, there would have been no forgiveness. But knowing what Deborah would do in the future, Winter waved her hand dismissively.
“Fine, just stick with me for now, and run errands like my limbs.”
Deborah’s eyes lit up like never before at those words.
“Consider the wrist received.”
Winter only took the magical tool Deborah offered and turned away.
Watching Winter’s indifferent back, Deborah’s eyes sparkled more than ever.
They prepared to leave, having bound Hirkan tightly in the carriage’s hold.
They would need a new driver and carriage, but at least they weren’t far from the Duke’s mansion.
That must have been why the assassins had fought so desperately.
“Mei.”
Medilliane, inspecting the carriage, turned his head.
Winter, glancing around, approached, and Medilliane naturally lowered his head.
Winter leaned toward his ear and whispered.
“Do you have mana, secretly?”
Medilliane’s lips curved slightly.
“Why?”
“Just… a feeling.”
He had shown no sign of using his power while others were around, though using magic seemed effortless for him.
Deborah, who had been slashed by Hirkan, barely received treatment in the nearby village.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Medilliane nodded lightly.
“Officially, I’m not supposed to use mana as part of the secret guard.”
“Why?”
Medilliane paused, then answered honestly.
“The Duke said it’s not good to stand out too much.”
Because of his naturally noticeable appearance, Medilliane usually disguised himself during missions.
Even though he had healing magic in addition to his exceptional swordsmanship, showing it was unnecessary in the Duke’s eyes.
“True. Healing can be done by doctors or priests anyway.”
Winter nodded, understanding.
Medilliane watched her, a faint, peculiar smile forming.
Winter had no clue yet how Medilliane used his healing.
“Miss! You were here!”
Deborah suddenly appeared between them while they were whispering.
“Ah.”
Winter stepped back from Medilliane immediately.
She remembered being scolded once before for interrupting a conversation between him and herself.
“Dylan was… here too?”
Deborah was on guard, but this time toward Medilliane, not Winter.
Medilliane smiled wryly, understanding her behavior.
“Already switched sides?”
“Switched sides? I’ve always been your follower, miss!”
“…Suddenly?”
Winter was equally confused.
“O-Of course, I was foolish at first and didn’t see your true self… but now I understand why Dylan follows you. Your strength! Your beauty! And your kindness too!”
Blushing, Deborah twisted her body awkwardly in front of Winter, speaking with dreamy, dazed eyes.
“I couldn’t help but fall for you.”
“R-Really?”
Winter awkwardly laughed, and Medilliane’s eyes grew cold.
Deborah, who had already been annoying, now seemed even more irritating to him.
“What’s with that look, Dylan? Miss! I’m so scared!”
“……”
Scary? Hardly.
Watching Deborah unflinchingly provoke Medilliane, Winter could only feel awkward.
Weren’t they supposed to have a master-servant relationship?
“Di, Dylan?”
Cautiously calling Medilliane, he let out a noticeable sigh.
Protecting the smaller, weaker Deborah had clearly frustrated him.
“I’m liking her less and less.”
Medilliane abruptly walked away, visibly sulking.
Winter chuckled, and reminded Deborah as well.
“Deborah.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Be careful when walking at night for a while.”
“Y-Yes…”
Fear finally caught up to Deborah, and she answered solemnly.
But it was short-lived. She quickly regained her momentum, following Winter and chattering away.
“At first, I was puzzled. Dylan is usually so strict with Summer, but you treat him so kindly.”
“Summer?”
Winter frowned at the unfamiliar name she’d never heard in the original story.
“Who’s that?”
“There’s someone he cherishes very much.”
Deborah pouted slightly.
“Summer, huh…”
Winter murmured, watching Medilliane, who had already disappeared from view.
That name strangely stuck in her mind.
