Chapter 40
I practically lunged over the table.
“Oh, right. I forgot the Lady of Hyren didn’t know yet. Just like you guessed, Sir Rudis really did know a way!”
“Now, now. Let’s calm down and explain it step-by-step. Like the most classic, comfortable plot.”
‘Ah, of course… these are true main characters.’
They had already come up with an escape plan, at least in part. As expected, once the protagonists met, everything started falling into place.
“We should start with the subjugation contract. Sir Rudis, would you explain?”
‘Ah, this really is Sir Rudis…’
All I could do was keep being impressed. The days I’d spent struggling against Eon flashed before my eyes.
Just like in the original story, Rudis really did know the secrets of magic. Karina had asked me how I could’ve known that, and I’d dodged the question by saying it was just a hunch I got from reading his novel.
“As expected of a cultured lady who loves my books. Even your instincts are brilliant.”
Even Rudis’s dramatic way of speaking, which Karina often criticized, sounded charming to me now.
“The ‘Tome of Bondage’, written after a thousand years of waiting, is actually based on ancient records of magic.”
I looked at him with eyes full of hope and listened to his words like they were divine revelations.
He continued, explaining how old records of forgotten magic still remained on the Eastern Continent, even after they had disappeared from the Empire.
“So strictly speaking, we can’t break the contract. Like I said before, that’s only possible if you have more magical power than the Tower Master… and you’d need to know the exact spell formula he used.”
“But there’s another way, right?”
Rudis didn’t disappoint. He nodded.
“There’s a way to block the master’s vision temporarily.”
“By master… you mean the Tower Master?”
“Exactly.”
I stayed quiet, waiting for a more detailed explanation. Surely, he didn’t mean it literally.
“That ‘eye’ refers to the mark on your body. Through it, the master can sense your location, your actions… even your thoughts and emotions. It’s a magical spell that sounds like pure fantasy, so I never imagined anyone would actually use it.”
Rudis pressed a hand to his forehead.
“If, by any chance, my novel inspired him…”
“That’s impossible. The disappearances started way before your book existed. So stop with the delusions.”
Karina cut him off sharply, and Rudis lifted his head again.
“If the Lady doesn’t mind, may I examine the mark with my own eyes?”
He was asking, in a roundabout way, to see the symbol on my wrist. I pulled back my sleeve and showed him the strange emblem that had been burned into my skin.
It looked like two snakes coiled around each other, twisting and looping endlessly. At first glance, it seemed simple, but on closer inspection, the lines were impossibly tangled—there was no clear beginning or end. You couldn’t even tell where one snake split into two or came back together again.
“Amazing…”
Rudis didn’t dare touch my wrist. He only hovered his hand over it, eyes fixed.
“Could you hold still like this for a moment? It’s too complex to memorize just by looking.”
He took a notebook and fountain pen from his coat pocket—a writer’s journal, most likely.
“I’ll copy the mark.”
“What will you do with it?”
“I’m going to burn it in sacred flame.”
“The sacred flame?”
“The eternal fire at the temple.”
“Will that really block the Tower Master’s surveillance?”
“There’s one more step. We’ll cover the current mark with another contract…”
As he began to draw, Rudis’s speech became more clipped.
“You mean overwrite it with another spell?”
Karina took over explaining while Rudis focused on his work.
“Sir Rudis mentioned a kind of magic called the ‘Shadow Contract’.”
I tilted my head. I’d never heard of that before—alchemy was my only specialty.
“It’s a contract spell that summons a shadow sleeping in the darkness. The shadow takes your place temporarily, tricking the Tower Master into watching it instead of you. I don’t fully get it either… but that’s what he said.”
She glanced at Rudis for confirmation.
“Is that right?”
Rudis nodded silently.
“So, do you think you can cast the Shadow Contract?”
I couldn’t answer right away. I didn’t know what shadow magic was or if I could even cast a contract spell. Honestly… I wasn’t confident.
It hadn’t even been five years since I realized I had magic at all. All I’d done with it so far was make potions. I wasn’t a natural-born mage like Eon, nor was I someone like Seline who had studied for years.
‘But still…’
I couldn’t show weakness in front of these two, who had worked so hard to help me.
“I’ll look into it. The Tower has a lot of grimoires. I’m sure at least one of them mentions the Shadow Contract.”
I put my hope in the wall of books that lined one side of my lab. Karina nodded, her expression full of trust.
“And… the eye-blocking spell only works at night. From after sunset until dawn.”
“So we’ll have to escape after dark.”
“Yes, sometime after 5 p.m.”
Karina looked uneasy, probably remembering how strict the Tower’s rules were.
“The scary thing about the Tower’s rules is that you’re expected to return no matter what. But if you’re escaping for good… those rules won’t matter anymore.”
I already planned to run away. Once I was gone, breaking the rules wouldn’t matter—whether it was once or a hundred times.
“You’re right.”
Karina nodded like she hadn’t thought of it that way, then suddenly changed the subject.
“Hold on. Shouldn’t we order food? The owner’s been staring at us for a while now.”
Only then did I realize our table was still empty. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention over something so small. I quickly stood up in agreement.
The innkeeper was already waiting at the counter.
“Today’s lunch is sausage with peas, and tomato stew.”
The moment I heard the menu, Eon came to mind.
‘That picky killer would’ve gone hungry today.’
I chuckled at the image of him pushing aside tomatoes and peas like a sulking child.
‘Wait. Did I just laugh at a memory of him?’
Apparently, meeting the protagonists had relaxed me enough to joke about Eon. Only now did I realize how tense I’d been all this time.
When I returned to the table, Karina continued from earlier.
“Once everything is ready, you’ll hide in a convent north of Bainarn. Not even the Tower Master can barge into a temple’s territory. And since it’s a place for women only, he won’t be able to follow.”
As long as it wasn’t the Tower, I didn’t care where it was.
“Will they really take me in?”
“I know the head sister well. If I go with you and explain, she’ll understand.”
“Then… Lady Lemont, are you the one escorting me?”
“Yes. I’ll guard you that day.”
Karina’s eyes were serious.
‘What if something happens to her?’
The thought came up reflexively, but I pushed it down. She was the protagonist. I didn’t need to worry about her safety. A main character always survives to the end—to find love and fulfill their goals.
“I feel bad troubling you like this.”
“Please don’t. As a knight of the military police, it’s my duty to protect the Lady of Hyren.”
Karina straightened her back and answered like a proper knight. Then, a bit more hesitantly, she added:
“Still… if you feel like you owe me, I’d like to ask for your help with the disappearance investigation…”
“Of course. I’ll help however I can.”
The Tower wasn’t just full of insane researchers and creepy maids. There were also normal women—most of them probably brought in like Tara.
If there was any chance to save them, I wanted to. I wasn’t powerful enough to do it alone, but I could support Karina however possible.
“Thank you, Lady of Hyren. Your testimony will help raise awareness at the top.”
Karina held my hand tightly.
“No—I should be the one thanking you.”
I placed my other hand gently over hers. A warm feeling wrapped around us both.
“Such harmony between two ladies is truly moving. But perhaps we should save this emotional moment for later. After all, the Lady’s daring escape from that demonic Tower Master is only just beginning.”
Rudis tucked his notebook away as he finished the drawing. Karina sighed, shaking her head at his theatrical words and letting go of my hand.
“Well, now that we have a rough plan, shall we work out the details?”
Just then, the food arrived. The three of us continued talking as we ate. It was a humble lunch at a shabby pub—but it was far more satisfying than any fancy restaurant meal I’d ever had.
