TAMDHP 07

Chapter 7

“Isn’t it fascinating? It’s an important spell that allows us to remain as the Shadow Knights.”

Behind Simon, who was calmly explaining the magic used by a member named Leila, a sandstorm rose into the air.

“Ah, the dust…”

As Simon brushed the dust off with an unbothered expression, I asked with a dumbfounded face,

“A-Are you really fighting right now?”

“Well, would we be… pretending to fight?”

Ian shot me a glare and corrected his tone into polite speech after glancing at Simon.

But I couldn’t react to Ian at all. I could only stand there blankly.

An unbelievable sight was unfolding before my eyes.

A single person was facing dozens—no, hundreds—of soldiers.

I narrowed my eyes and looked closely at that person.

Unarmed, he deflected blades with his bare body and swung his fists.

What is that…?

Noticing my gaze, Simon spoke as if the timing was perfect.

“That brute-looking man over there is Kyle Aizer. He’s an enhancement-type ability user.”

“That’s a person?”

It was a purely innocent question, with no intention to insult.

“He’s a bit too savage to be called human, isn’t he?”

Simon chuckled quietly in agreement.

I couldn’t close my mouth as I stared at the man named Kyle Aizer.

Thanks to his iron-like skin and immense strength, the soldiers clinging to him were sent flying helplessly.

Like a wild bear, he strode lightly across the battlefield, knocking soldiers down one after another.

But even with his performance, it didn’t look like he could handle all the remaining enemies alone.

Moreover, the one who appeared to be their leader was using magic.

My concern soon became reality.

Kyle Aizer was caught by vine magic and rendered completely immobile.

Watching him roar like a trapped beast, bound tightly by tough vines, I hurriedly turned to Simon.

“Is it really okay not to help?”

Simon moved his lips as if to answer me.

But I couldn’t hear him.

A massive explosion suddenly rang out from behind us.

Reflexively, I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my ears. When I cautiously opened them, I saw a crater in the ground as if something had detonated—and countless people collapsed around it.

This is fire magic… I’ve never even heard of magic on this scale.

If someone took that attack head-on, there would be no surviving it.

“I was about to say there’s no need to help, but it ended before I could.”

As if it had all been a lie, the world grew quiet.

Then, someone walked calmly through the bodies.

A woman, dressed in a neatly pressed uniform as if she needed no defense at all, approached with her black hair fluttering behind her.

I didn’t need to hear it to know.

She was undoubtedly the one who had ended everything.

“That’s our Captain,” Simon whispered softly.

I nodded and greeted her politely as she approached.

She extended her hand toward me.

“Rachel Oliver. You can call me Captain.”

“Pleased to meet you!”

“I heard you were just an ordinary person. You look very tense.”

At my stiff, almost shouted reply, the Captain let out a small laugh.

“Is there any recruit who wouldn’t be tense in this situation?”

When Simon said that lightly, the Captain finally looked around as if noticing the surroundings and spoke awkwardly.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but it was an emergency.”

I carefully asked her,

“May I ask what happened?”

“It’s nothing unusual. People who think, ‘With my magic, couldn’t I take over a kingdom?’—those kinds of arrogant fools show up from time to time.”

So it was treason…

A chill ran down my spine.

I had never heard that rebellions were frequent. Had they all been dealt with like this?

And these people… had they handled situations like this over and over again without batting an eye?

“You don’t have to worry too much. We deal with information, so we rarely go into battle. And especially not assistants.”

Simon must have noticed my tension as he reassured me.

Ian nodded vigorously beside him.

Perhaps he meant that it was ridiculous for an assistant to worry about her life—but strangely, his strong agreement made me feel relieved.

At that moment, a large man staggered toward us.

It was Kyle Aizer, who had been caught up in the Captain’s attack.

“Captain, what if you send me flying along with them?”

“You can handle it.”

“It feels like you’re testing my limits more and more…”

He muttered with a sulky face, then noticed me and walked closer.

“So you’re the assistant? I see…”

“H-Hello!”

Even though he had only come a little closer, his enormous build gave off overwhelming pressure.

“Nice to meet you. If anything’s difficult—or if Simon bullies you—tell me.”

“How do you know Simon bullies people…?”

“I know his temper better than anyone.”

At that, I felt a deep sense of kinship with him.

“Can I come to you for advice sometimes?”

“Of course. Do you like cookies?”

“Sir…”

Despite his appearance, he was clearly delicate and kind!

The complete opposite of Simon, who looked gentle on the outside but had a devil inside.

“Wow, you’re saying that right in front of me? That’s pretty hurtful.”

Watching me and the big man, Simon spoke in a tone that didn’t sound hurt at all.

“By the way, where’s Ian?”

No sooner had the Captain asked than Ian, who had vanished earlier, reappeared with someone.

“I brought her.”

“You’re here, Leila.”

At the Captain’s greeting, Leila gave a small nod.

When our eyes met, she offered me a faint smile.

Perhaps it was her silver hair that looked tinged with purple—or simply her natural aura—but she felt mysterious.

“I’m Ariel April. Please take care of me!”

“I’m Leila Everin.”

After saying that, she stepped away from me with a smile, as if she had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Are introductions over now?

It felt like a storm had just passed; my mind was in chaos.

Still, meeting the people I had only imagined made me feel at ease.

I’m glad they all seem welcoming.

If every member had been like Ian…

I didn’t even want to imagine it.

I shuddered and glanced at Ian.

He was hovering near Leila, talking to her.

But something about his attitude was strange.

Was his face a little flushed? And why couldn’t he keep his hands still like that…?

At that moment, a light bulb flashed over my head.

Well, well, would you look at that?

Seeing Ian’s hands fidgeting behind his back, I couldn’t suppress the curl of my lips.

It’s a crush. Definitely a crush.

If he picks a fight with me again later, I’ll use this.

I’m not just going to sit there and take it anymore.

Perhaps he felt my burning stare, because Ian suddenly turned to look at me.

Our eyes met from afar.

With his lips, he mouthed,

“What are you looking at?”

His articulation was so clear it was impossible not to understand.

Just as I was about to retort—

“Ariel!”

At Simon’s shout, I suddenly found myself rolling on the ground.

Wait—was it just me?

When I opened my eyes, which I had shut instinctively, I saw the dirt ground—and Ian, who was wrapped around me.

“Figures. The ‘parachute recruit’ zoning out again.”

“What?”

Hastily getting up at his words, I looked around and saw vines growing where I had been standing.

“This is the same as earlier…”

It seemed I had almost been taken hostage by a rebel who had been playing dead.

And Ian had noticed and saved me with teleportation.

“So you were alive, Hamilton.”

At the Captain’s voice, I looked up and saw her stepping on the head of the man called Hamilton with the heel of her shoe.

“You should’ve just died earlier.”

As soon as her calm voice finished speaking, flames engulfed his body.

A desperate scream rang out. I couldn’t even imagine the pain of being burned alive.

I knew I should turn my head away. I knew I should stop looking.

But for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he burned.

“Ariel.”

At Simon’s voice calling me, I turned toward him and saw my reflection in his blue eyes.

Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath without knowing.

When he saw me gasp sharply for air, Simon gently turned my body away.

Then, with the same smile he always wore, he said,

“Honestly, why are you looking anywhere other than at me?”