Chapter 40
The moment I heard the word, I practically jumped in place. The back alley of Othern, which was practically my main turf, could be accessed directly from the Ducal estate? Well, thinking about it, it made sense. If it was the First Duke who installed it back when the Duchy had just taken on the role of managing Othern’s security, then it was logical that he’d set up a teleportation circle for efficient and systematic operations.
There’s more?!
— …I don’t remember. Where was it again…
Komet’s voice gradually faded away. I couldn’t tell if he really didn’t know or was just pretending. He usually shouted so much it made my head ring, but now? Suspicious. Very suspicious.
So you don’t know where the circle leads, or even where it is? Are you trying to help or not? You made a contract with me—shouldn’t you be helping me?
— I’m only interested in fighting, you know. There’s no reason for me to remember every stupid thing your former masters did.
Stupid things? I glanced down at my right arm with a frown, then shook my head. Well, maybe it made sense. If all Komet wanted was combat, then maybe he had no reason to remember other stuff.
…Which meant I’d have to go find and test them myself. I furrowed my brow and stepped onto the staircase leading to the main building.
It had been several months since I became younger, so I’d explored the house plenty. But I’d never seen anything resembling a teleportation circle.
Which meant it was probably located in places far from where a child like me was allowed to go. Probably in the kinds of important, restricted spots where the head of the household might move around—like the training warehouse. They called it a “warehouse,” but it was where the family stored old battle records, tactics, and martial arts manuals.
So, logically, the right place would be the main building. It had to be.
— The private room.
That’s when Komet spoke again, out of nowhere.
— You were so annoying, I thought about it. There’s one in front of the private room. I’m sure of it.
Private room?
That’s the room connected to my parents’ bedroom, isn’t it? If I stepped even one foot near there, they’d probably sense my energy instantly…
What if I get caught? I hesitated, then checked my appearance. I was still in pajamas and slippers.
Should I cry? Pretend I had a nightmare and go looking for my mom and dad in my sleepwear like a little kid? That would make sense. The only problem was that faking tears to get what I wanted felt underhanded. Still… I tiptoed down the hallway toward the private room, suppressing any sign of movement.
And then—
There it was. A white glowing shape.
It was there.
Komet had been right. That magic circle glowing over there looked similar to the one I’d seen in the training warehouse. The script etched on it looked a little different, but… I stepped closer to examine it.
— Hoh, master. Do you know magic?
Of course not!
Even while replying, my mind kept racing. Magic had practically vanished in this era. Still, since this circle looked slightly different from the one in the warehouse… maybe I could figure out what kind of teleportation circle it was, or where it would lead, if I analyzed it?
But how was I supposed to activate it?
I accidentally stepped into the center of the magic circle.
The moment I did, a bright light flashed before my eyes.
“W-Whoa!”
My eyes, momentarily blinded by the white light, took a while to adjust back to the darkness. I blinked rapidly to clear my vision and managed to stop wobbling.
I was still standing inside a magic circle. But something had changed—the place. I could tell from the air and the smell. It wasn’t the clean, dry, and faintly fragrant atmosphere of the indoors anymore.
This place was damp and humid, and the air was thick with a mix of different smells. I shivered. I was definitely outdoors. Judging by the moisture, I was probably in an alley, not the main street.
“…Where the heck am I?”
The magic circle underfoot wasn’t glowing as brightly as before, but it still illuminated the area enough to see.
I squinted and looked around to get a better grasp of my surroundings. I saw familiar buildings—dilapidated and shadowy, like the ones in Othern’s back alleys… No, not like Othern’s alleys. They were Othern’s alleys.
“The back alley…?”
I muttered to myself and looked forward again—and locked eyes with someone.
Right in front of me, a pair of black eyes were staring silently at me.
Goosebumps shot up all over me.
“WAAAAAH!”
I screamed and swung my fist. But my punch was casually caught. Smack—my fist was completely enveloped by a firm hand.
“W-Who are you?! Let go of me!”
“Wow. You’ve gotten a lot fiercer.”
A familiar voice. My eyes widened. That gentle but strangely lilting tone—I’d definitely heard it before. This voice…
“Jute?”
“Whoa, you remembered.”
It was that boy who had once served as a squire. The one who said he was visiting the Duke’s house to see the flowers… and had run away from the exhausting life of a squire without hesitation.
Now I could finally make out his whole face. It hadn’t been that long ago—just a few months—but he looked different. His features had sharpened, and his once-soft face now carried a distinct presence. A hint of melancholy lingered there. He also seemed taller.
“…Is it really you?”
“Of course, it is.”
He let go of my hand, looked down briefly, and then met my eyes again. Now that I noticed… his face was awfully close, wasn’t it? The moment I became conscious of that, I felt a warm flush creeping up from my ears.
“…Why, I mean, why are you here?”
“No reason. I just felt like someone would come if I stood here. Someone I’ve been waiting for, someone I’ve missed.”
I frowned at his reply. What the heck?
“What? That’s a lie. How would you know that?”
“Dunno. I just felt it. I was so bored I thought I might die, and then it was like I was being rewarded.”
He smiled faintly. I used to think he was just some weird kid I didn’t like very much. But seeing that expression… something around my chest tightened painfully.
Why? Why did it feel like my heart was racing, like something ached near my chest? …I shook my head. I was probably just startled. Anyone would be, if someone suddenly appeared right in front of them in a dark alley.
“…Where is this?”
“Othern.”
“Othern where, exactly?”
“First alley past the 3rd East Gate of the Othern back alleys. Does that help?”
Of course I knew. How could I not?
“…Why did I have to land in such a rough part of town?”
Othern’s back alleys were divided into East and West. Though both sides were infamous for poor security, the eastern side—this one—was especially dangerous. If I’d been unlucky, I might have landed right into a group of vagrants, criminals plotting a burglary, or drug addicts.
I clicked my tongue and glanced around. Whoever set the coordinates had messed up. I get that they wanted fast access to Othern, but they could’ve at least made it a safer alley.
“What were you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.”
“Stop lying. I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”
“It’s not a joke… I just had this feeling someone was coming. The more bored I got, the sharper my instincts got.”
“What are you even saying?”
“….”
I snapped at him, and Jute looked down at me, quirking one eyebrow slightly. It was an expression that said, How would you know?, like he was teasing me just a bit. Then, out of nowhere, Jute spoke again and asked bluntly:
