9
To an untrained eye, Noah’s movements would have seemed like the powerful physical attacks typical of an Omber.
But all around him, unabsorbed mana pulsed outward—and it was definitely mine.
‘He’s supplementing his strength with mana.’
That was why, despite days of starvation and whipping, he could move like that. It must have been the first time he had ever possessed mana.
“No need to call Miller, then.”
Noah seemed to perceive me as the target and attacked only the guards surrounding me.
His movements were so fast they were almost impossible to track, and the guards were incapacitated in an instant.
The nobles in the audience were paralyzed with fear, screaming in shock.
Noah wielded mana with terrifying brilliance, even beyond my concerns. Yet his mind seemed unstable, unable to calm down. Every breath made his back rise and fall, and his vacant eyes and ragged breathing were beast-like in their ferocity.
“I never imagined a situation like this…”
Amid the chaos, the mages arrived. Miller and the Orlun mages blinked in disbelief at me, one hand covered in blood, and Noah wrapped in red mana.
“Are you alright?!” Miller shouted.
He, like Jeffrey earlier, seemed to think I was hurt by Noah’s attack. Seeing Noah so frenzied, I felt my legs weaken, unable to stand properly.
I sank to the floor, silent. Miller exchanged signals with the surrounding mages.
They drew rods embedded with magical crystals and began to concentrate, their mana glowing brightly in response to the dormant crystals.
The situation was becoming dangerously volatile, especially judging by Miller’s intense gaze.
I quickly tried to stop them.
“Wait! Stop the attack…!”
Ignoring my voice, Miller swung his rod without hesitation, sending a powerful shockwave toward Noah.
In the blink of an eye, the stage collapsed under the force. Dust rose where Noah had been standing, obscuring him from view.
I stared blankly into the smoke, frozen.
Then, a shadow fell over my head. Enveloped in red light, Noah emerged from the smoke, bypassed the mages, and lunged at Miller with his dagger.
The blade aimed for a vital point stopped just before it could touch Miller’s face. The mage had restrained him with magic.
Miller’s reaction was almost instinctive, but even a one-second delay would have cost him an eye.
He generated a wave of mana, pushing Noah away from me. Noah spun mid-air and landed lightly on the ground.
“……”
Hearing about the Omber’s “strong bodies and natural combat instincts” sounded distant in writing—but seeing it firsthand was suffocating.
Giving magic to someone like him was literally giving wings to a tiger.
Noah’s gaze then swept toward the audience. The stage was in chaos, and nobles scrambled to leave the auction hall.
Only Duke Rosenberg remained, standing calmly with his hands behind his back, observing.
I clicked my tongue.
‘Madman, provoking him without asking to be killed.’
As expected, it only excited Noah further. The red mana surrounding him flared even brighter.
The pain from Noah’s hand on my palm was intense. He twisted his body and slowly stepped forward. Though many were injured, very few were incapacitated.
He was strong, but still young. He could not fight all these people at once.
If he attacked the duke now, the plan I had executed so far would have failed.
‘But what can I do, powerless to magic?’
I clenched my injured hand. Just as Noah leapt toward the stage’s edge, instinct took over, and I shouted:
“Noah!”
He stopped in his tracks. His fiery red mana seemed to dim as he turned to look at me.
Seizing the moment, I stripped off my robe and ran toward him.
In a single motion, I wrapped him in it. Noah did not resist, and I held him calmly, taking a deep breath.
My rapid heartbeat and trembling breaths were transmitted to him, and I could feel his body relaxing in my arms.
“…I think continuing the auction is impossible.”
Nobles had fled, the stage lay in ruins, and fallen guards littered the floor. Jeffrey looked completely stunned.
I lifted the robe slightly to check on Noah. He had completely calmed, remaining still and allowing me to touch him. It was as if the previous frenzy had been a dream.
At that moment, Duke Rosenberg stepped onto the stage.
“What is the meaning of this?”
I looked up at him. He was visibly angry, having even removed his mask. Jeffrey hurriedly followed behind, trying to soothe him.
“This should not have happened. The one brought from beyond the southern border, yes, that one…”
Jeffrey repeated himself, clearly shocked.
The duke approached Noah and me, disbelief etched on his face.
“Raise your head.”
Noah, still in my arms, did not move. The duke, humiliated, could not restrain his anger and lifted his staff.
I moved to block him—but Noah finally raised his head, meeting the duke’s gaze.
The duke froze instantly. Black hair and eyes were symbolic of the Omber—but now Noah’s eyes shone like rubies.
It was the same color as mana blessed by me.
There was no clearer proof that he could feel mana. The duke bit his lip, glaring at Jeffrey beside him.
“Dare you try to cheat me?”
His words, spoken slowly, barely contained his rage. Jeffrey shivered, stammering:
“I-I assure you, when I brought him, everything was as expected…”
Jeffrey looked ready to cry as he stared at Noah. Noah, under the robe, gripped my hand tightly—without that, his rising anger might have been uncontrollable.
“Foolish.”
The duke spoke abruptly, turning to me.
“Even if you claim to have found mana in that slave, do you understand whose plans you’ve ruined?”
I held Noah firmly and replied:
“I did what was right. That’s all.”
“…Right, you say.”
The duke’s lips twisted, then he spun around.
“The friendly auction is closed. You must return this month’s investment in full.”
He left with his attendants. Jeffrey, unsure what to do, followed. The tension in my shoulders eased once they departed.
As long as the duke remained, the root problem wasn’t gone. Slavery could resurface under another name, elsewhere.
I refocused on the guards and mages approaching me.
‘First, I need to resolve this situation.’
Miller glared at Noah, warning:
“Lady Isabella, it’s dangerous. Step aside.”
“And if I do?”
Miller froze, uncertain of my intent.
“He attacked our guards and mages…”
“Anyone would react that way when dragged into a strange place and threatened with death.”
Miller, muttering, glanced at the wounded mages nearby.
“…Then what are you going to do with him?”
I gazed down at Noah, who now seemed drowsy. After a moment of thought, I answered:
“I’ll take him with me.”
