Chapter 18
Several weeks had passed since Matthias went back.
Spring—and the spring festival—were already nearing their end.
So I thought I’d go take a leisurely look around before the festival ended…
Why was I here at the festival with the one person I least wanted to be with right now?
“What are you staring at? I don’t like this either.”
When I glanced sideways, a blunt voice immediately came back at me.
I let out a deep sigh while looking at Ian.
Today was an exceptionally peaceful spring day.
By coincidence, it was a day when Simon wasn’t at the shop, so I planned to go see the festival after work.
I especially wanted to watch the fireworks—the highlight of the festival.
But from the moment Ian showed up at the shop without warning, all my plans began to fall apart.
Appearing out of nowhere by teleportation, he said to me with his usual cold expression,
“Emergency summons from the captain.”
“Pardon? Simon isn’t here right now.”
“I wasn’t talking to Simon. I was talking to you.”
Standing there in a crooked posture, he spoke as if he were annoyed and then held out his hand.
I looked at Ian with displeasure.
Would it kill him to say the same words a little more kindly?
And what’s with this sudden emergency summons, anyway?
With no other choice, I grabbed the tip of his hand.
The next moment, we were teleported to a place I had never seen before.
I began scanning the space, which looked like someone’s office.
“This is…”
“It’s my hideout. I call people here when I assign missions directly.”
At the voice nearby, I turned my head and saw the captain sitting with her back to a window.
Suddenly facing her, I bowed first in greeting.
“Then, I’ll be going now.”
When Ian tried to leave after confirming that the captain and I had exchanged greetings, she stopped him.
“No. I called both of you together, Ian.”
At her words, Ian and I unconsciously looked at each other.
I really didn’t want to get tangled up with that man.
Judging from his expression, Ian was probably thinking the same thing.
Seeing us like that, the captain smiled gently and said in a soft voice,
“I have a mission for you two.”
She handed us a sheet of paper with a sketch of a man’s face.
He was a middle-aged man with shaggy brown hair and long, narrow eyes.
“His name is Derek. He uses mental-type magic. If you’re caught and controlled by him, your consciousness is sealed and control of your body is taken away.”
“Isn’t he the criminal who caused countless casualties?”
When the captain briefly explained the man, Ian frowned.
She nodded concisely.
“Yes. We received a report that he’s appeared at the festival. You’ll go and deal with him.”
“I object. You want me to go on such a dangerous mission with someone who’s no different from a civilian? Please let me go alone instead.”
Ian protested as soon as the captain finished speaking.
But she shook her head firmly.
“No. Precisely because it’s this kind of situation, I decided you must go with Ariel.”
Her gaze shifted to me.
Looking straight into my eyes, she asked,
“Ariel, you were the one who解除—removed—the magic from Victor’s binding device, weren’t you?”
“Pardon? …Yes.”
After hesitating, I nodded.
So everything was reported after all.
To both the temple and the captain, my magic was reported as nothing more than the ability to open magically locked doors.
So what did she think after hearing that I had neutralized the magic of a restraint device?
What if she suspects me of being a spy again, or accuses me of undermining royal authority?
Seeing how clearly tense I was, the captain smiled gently.
“I didn’t call you here to scold you, so you don’t need to be nervous. I simply want you to use that ability for the knight order.”
Though her words sounded soothing, I could feel unspoken pressure within them.
In other words, she was giving me a chance to prove myself.
A chance to prove that my lie had not been driven by any ill intent.
“Derek’s magic is mental-type, but once activated, it materializes into chain-shaped restraints. And the consciousness of the person under his control is sealed by magic. If you解除—dispel—the manifested sealing magic like you did with the binding device, they should be freed.”
If that was true, then with my ability, I could help people who had been mentally controlled.
After thinking for a moment, I nodded.
I couldn’t help but be afraid of this suddenly assigned dangerous mission, but I also had no room to run away.
And if it was something that could save someone using my ability, I didn’t want to refuse.
“Then… I just need to support Ian, right?”
Seeing that I didn’t refuse despite my obvious tension, the captain smiled.
“Yes. But remember, you are only rear support in case of the worst situation. If Ian hasn’t fallen victim to his magic, you must never step forward first.”
“I understand.”
“Then I wish you good luck. Ian, as her senior, protect Ariel well and teach her properly. She might end up being the benefactor who saves your life.”
“…Understood.”
And so, on this fragrant day, I ended up wandering the festival-filled streets alone with Ian.
So bright…
I shaded my eyes from the harsh late-spring sunlight and looked around.
Shops decorated with spring flowers lined the streets, and children ran in rows through the alleys.
The voices of merchants calling for customers and the cheerful laughter of people chatting with one another rode the warm breeze.
And a vicious criminal is somewhere in a place like this…
No matter the reason, we had to catch him as soon as possible before an incident occurred.
I turned toward Ian to discuss our plan.
But before I could even speak, Ian cut in first.
“Go back.”
“…What?”
“I said go back. I’ll handle this myself.”
With cold, firm words, Ian began to walk off on his own.
Stunned for a moment, I let out a hollow laugh and hurried after him.
“Hey, you can’t just tell me to go back and expect me to leave on my own. I received orders too.”
As I chattered and matched his pace, Ian started walking faster and faster.
Oh, really?
Seeing him act so childish, my stubbornness flared up too.
Fine—then I’ll chase you at full speed if I have to!
When he saw I had no intention of giving up, Ian finally stopped and snapped at me,
“I told you to go back! I don’t want to clean up after dead weight like you!”
“Dead… weight?”
Did he just call me dead weight?
First a tool, then a lock-opener, and now dead weight.
At that creatively insulting remark, anger boiled up inside me.
Does he think I came along because I wanted to? I came to help, and this is how he treats me…
Standing face-to-face with Ian, I couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh and let out a rough breath.
No—don’t get angry. Let’s try talking rationally first.
I calmed my frustrated feelings and said,
“No, the captain personally ordered me to accompany you in case of an emergency.”
Then he looked at me with an astonishingly annoying expression and said,
“There is no ‘in case.’ I just have to make sure I subdue him without getting caught.”
At that moment, I pressed a hand to my forehead and decided to give up on being rational.
Then I stretched out my leg and kicked Ian hard in the shin.
“Listen to me for once!”
“Are you insane?!”
Ian shouted in shock after getting kicked in the leg.
