~ Chapter : 75 ~
“Why would a noble take this path instead of the main road?”
“Brave, aren’t they? Without any guards. Where are they even headed?”
“I-I-I’m just on my way home…”
When Amon reluctantly replied, they snickered and muttered to each other.
What kind of day is it today?
Judging by the fact that all four of them were holding staves used for holy magic, they seemed to be skilled magic users.
Feeling the blatantly hostile stares, Amon pressed his face against my back, looking terrified.
“Master, should I call Kelden?”
“Too far. Stay by my side; don’t get separated and caught.”
Instead of replying, Amon gripped my clothes tightly.
Even though this shortcut had a lot of alleys, I never imagined that there would be robbers in such a bustling shopping area in broad daylight.
‘Now that I notice, this alley is unusually empty.’
We must have taken a wrong turn.
“That little one is mine!”
Amon went pale at the words of the robber wearing a robe.
“What? That looks the tastiest, and you want it all for yourself? Share it with me!”
“Ugh…”
The rings on Amon’s fingers were studded with jewels as he clutched his mouth.
“They’re… going to eat me! Save me, Master! Someone help! Help!”
Panicking, Amon screamed at the top of his lungs, but the people nearby just looked on, frozen.
“Shh. With just that voice, I don’t even need to use magic.”
“B-But…”
“No need to panic over something like this.”
I pulled a staff from my robes, and the robber in front spat on the ground.
“Miss, even so, dealing with four of us will be tough. We don’t give special treatment to nobles.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah! If you tie yourself up and give us what we want, it’ll be better for everyone, right?”
Without answering, I swung my staff in front of me.
But unlike the enemy staves crackling as if about to explode, nothing happened with mine.
‘Huh? I feel like I’ve experienced this somewhere before…’
I frowned, and the robbers watching me nervously tilted their heads in confusion.
“What? You just carry it for show? That staff looks expensive—why not give it to us?”
“M-Master, why are you doing this?”
“Nothing. Stay behind me.”
No matter how I tried to gather holy power, I could grasp nothing.
I could sense holy energy around me, but when I tried to channel it into magic, it scattered helplessly like paint in water.
“Hmm.”
Scratching my cheek in frustration, I noticed Amon’s eyes starting to water like tiny drops of dew.
“Master…! Waaah! Someone help me! Please!”
Despite being tiny, his voice was deafening, echoing through the alley.
“Ugh. Kid, will you shut up?”
“Cover that mouth! The guards will come!”
The robbers frowned at Amon.
To them, Amon’s cries were more threatening than my staff.
I leisurely observed the scene, scanning the wandering spirits around with my eyes.
‘Nature spirits are merciless when in your hands.’
Because of the constant tension recently, summoning spirits uncontrollably would be like inviting disaster.
But in this situation, I couldn’t afford to pick and choose.
I ignored the staves aimed at us and looked for a wind spirit drifting nearby.
“Not sure if I picked the wrong day or you did.”
Just as I tried to speak to the spirit, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Suiren. You came out without guards?”
“Hayden?”
Forgetting the enemies in front, I turned around happily, only to see him frown.
“Watch where you’re going. I heard a commotion and came, but I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“I had guards with me on the way here, but I had to leave them elsewhere for some business.”
Before I could ask what was happening, a few armored knights ran out from behind him.
“Oh?”
The robbers facing me lost morale when the nobles and knights, swords at their sides, rushed in.
“Who are you? Drop your weapons and surrender!”
“Damn, no wonder you were so confident—you had reinforcements.”
The sound of muttered curses followed by the clatter of weapons being dropped filled the air.
Two of the knights stepped forward and skillfully bound the robbers, leaving me dumbfounded.
“Who are these people? They don’t seem like the city guards.”
“They’re my companions.”
Companions?
They weren’t knights of the Segnible family.
I tried to recognize the crest on their uniforms but couldn’t match it to any family.
It had been twenty years since I memorized noble family names, so there was no way I’d recognize a crest from a family I had no ties with.
I glanced at the pink-haired woman a few steps behind Hayden.
“Who is she?”
Hayden rolled his tongue in his mouth and whispered subtly.
“She politely refused the invitation, as you suggested.”
Ah. Awkward.
‘Do we really need to whisper like this…?’
Since returning from Narial, his behavior had become noticeably more friendly.
When I stepped back slightly, Hayden moved closer to me.
“But Suiren, why didn’t you resist at all?”
“I did resist… I don’t think my holy power is working.”
“What do you mean?”
I pulled out my staff without another word and aimed it at Hayden.
“Suiren?”
“Just watch. You won’t get hurt.”
He frowned in displeasure, but I immediately cast a simple light spell.
“….”
To the eye, nothing happened.
But Hayden, being perceptive, would sense something was off.
Sure enough, squinting at my staff, he murmured seriously.
“Suiren. Your holy power isn’t gathering—it’s dispersing. Who sealed it?”
“Sealed?”
I’ve never felt anything like that before.
I had seen high-ranking clerics seal the magic of demon clerics before, and those clerics always looked tortured, as if under torture.
“I haven’t felt anything unusual… does that mean my holy power won’t return?”
When I asked desperately, Hayden remained calm and silent.
“Let’s see.”
I quickly held out my hands.
Hayden grabbed my wrists firmly and channeled holy power through me.
I watched him with concern as he closed his eyes and concentrated.
“How is it?”
“It’s fine. Once you rest back at home, it’ll recover quickly.”
“So my holy power really is sealed?”
It sounded like a question he should ask, but I really knew nothing about sealing magic.
I would have to experience it myself.
Seeing my confusion, Hayden gently stroked my back.
“Let’s go back for now. Where is your carriage?”
“My carriage is a bit far…”
There was a public carriage stop just a little further.
Amon and I were headed that way too.
Seemingly thinking the same, Hayden nodded briefly.
“Then we’ll take the public carriage. I’ll escort you.”
Hayden put his hand on my shoulder, and the woman quietly watching us from behind called out hurriedly.
“Count! You didn’t answer my question earlier…!”
Her voice trembled slightly but was not weak.
Hayden sighed wearily instead of turning to her.
‘Who is she?’
I peeked over his shoulder to see the young lady blushing.
“I’m not trying to bother you. If we can’t be friends, at least allow this much.”
“?”
It sounded like a date request.
Hmm. Did one young lady monopolize all the escort requests this year?
“Which family’s daughter are you?”
She finally bowed to me after whispering something into Hayden’s ear.
“I’m Aciol, Lady Suiren.”
“Aciol?”
Ah. The girl who dominated social events while I was absent.
She blinked slowly at me, her large eyes calm and confident.
“You haven’t recognized me after so long, have you, Suiren?”
“Not possible. Nice to see you, Lady Aciol.”
Though I was meeting her for the first time, she stared at me boldly with clear eyes.
‘Since she’s popular lately, inviting her doesn’t harm Hayden.’
I drew an X on Hayden’s chest with my fingers.
‘No.’
Shaking my head, a small smile appeared on Hayden’s lips.
He didn’t seem to dislike my reaction entirely.
Trying to hide his rising smile, Hayden slowly turned back.
“Sorry, Lady Aciol. The guest list is full this year, so we cannot invite more.”
