Chapter 1
Thump… thump…
With a muffled sound, strands of red hair spilled over the edge of the bathtub, flowing down like blood.
Somewhere nearby, a loud, uneven pounding echoed, but the woman in the bath only enjoyed her soak with an indifferent face.
“Haa… persistent, aren’t they.”
With movements as graceful as her voice, she rested her arms on the edge of the tub.
Her relaxed posture suggested she might drift off to sleep any moment, but her clear eyes were as cold as ice.
Bang! Bang!
Almost as if someone realized she was listening, the steady pounding suddenly grew harsher.
“Tch…”
Her smooth forehead wrinkled in irritation.
With her naturally sharp eyes narrowed upward, her already fierce expression became even harsher.
“I can’t take this anymore. Whoever that lunatic is, I’ll at least see their face.”
She muttered to herself and stretched out her hand. At her gesture, the bathrobe hanging on the wall floated up into the air and landed before her.
Empire Calendar, Year 517, March – Dawn.
In a deep, nameless mountain valley, a beautiful mansion appeared out of nowhere.
At a glance, the house looked like a ruined, abandoned estate. Its cracked stone walls seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Yet, strangely, the garden was clean and well-tended.
Creak!
The rusty gate opened with a harsh squeal, and through the narrow gap, a small, dirty creature—no, a boy—squeezed himself inside.
“……”
He stared at the neatly trimmed garden trees, then suddenly vaulted over the garden fence.
Every step he took crushed rare flowers and herbs, yet he didn’t even look down.
Reaching the mansion’s main doors, he grabbed the huge doorknocker without hesitation and slammed it.
Boom!
The noise echoed as if the doors would break, yet not a single light stirred inside.
“Sir Suilen, are you there?”
Bang! Bang!
“Sir Suilen? Sir Suilen, are you there? Sir Suilen…”
Even after an hour had passed, the boy only kept knocking in silence.
At last, with a faint click, the bolt slid open and the heavy doors swung wide.
“At this hour, which lunatic—?”
A graceful, irritated voice muttered, and then the boy’s sight was filled with scarlet hair, bright as spider lilies.
A woman appeared, wearing only a thin robe thrown loosely over her shoulders, holding a steaming kettle in one hand. She tilted her head at the sight of him.
“What’s this? Just a kid?”
Without hesitation, she reached out and ruffled his hair.
Her piercing eyes softened, and a playful smile spread across her red lips.
“A little brat wouldn’t come here to die so soon. So, what brings you here?”
The boy’s hair was a mess from her touch, but he didn’t flinch. He lifted his chin and asked:
“Are you Sir Suilen?”
At the sound of that name, the woman’s eyes flashed.
But the light vanished just as quickly, replaced by a lazy smile.
“Sorry to disappoint. That’s not my name. The person you’re looking for lives over there.”
She raised her hand and pointed toward a mountain peak across the valley.
“Easy to get confused, right? They all look the same.”
The boy, expressionless, pulled out a blue envelope from his robe.
“This is a letter from my master, addressed to Sir Suilen.”
“And your master is…?”
“……”
The boy said nothing.
The woman smirked, twisting her lips slightly.
“Well, isn’t that just like him. Made something that looks exactly like me. Fine, tell him I got it.”
She took the letter, and the boy vanished into thin air as if he had never existed.
A sudden gust of wind scattered her long red hair through the air. She calmly swept it back from her forehead.
The still-damp strands clung to her pale fingers like silk threads.
“…Hayden.”
Even as she spoke her old friend’s name, her voice carried no warmth.
When the wind finally died down, the woman—Carl Suilen—lowered her head slightly.
At her feet lay the black robe the boy had worn.
It was shabby, more like scrap fabric with buttons sewn on—plain, cheap, and worthless.
“Left behind garbage?”
Brushing her hair back again, Carl Suilen studied the robe.
She picked it up by the corner and shook it.
Her face slowly darkened.
Hidden beneath its ragged surface were layers of high-level magic circles—something invisible to the naked eye.
The only reason she hadn’t noticed earlier was because a divine-veil enchantment cloaked its power.
“…Why would he send something like this?”
Looking around the dark garden, she tilted the kettle and poured out water.
The glowing water streamed around her feet, spreading into the shape of a complex magic circle across the damp ground.
“Hide.”
At her single command, a powerful barrier spread out, concealing the mansion from sight.
By the time she returned inside, the estate had vanished completely from the mountain valley.
A pitiful orphan, abandoned at birth on a temple doorstep.
At ten years old, he heard the voice of the God of Light. He went on to create holy magic that could defend against mana, inherited his teacher’s noble title, and gained a fortune.
That was Hayden.
Our first meeting was so ordinary it was almost boring. But because Hayden himself was so unusual, I remember it vividly even now.
It was a spring weekend afternoon, years ago.
Summoned to the Tower of Truth by my master, I was given a shocking assignment:
“If you want to graduate the Academy, stay by Hayden’s side.”
“What?! Priest Hayden? That half-baked Count? Master, why would I—?”
“You’ll want your diploma, won’t you?”
“This is insane!”
I, a marquis’ heir, was ordered to serve under a mere commoner-turned-count?
And not just anywhere—his unit, the Holy Knight Order, was filled with commoners and low-born soldiers!
Not for a year, but for five years?
I didn’t even want to imagine the rumors.
“You’re sending me there?!”
But my master, Nuchel, only smiled mysteriously.
“If you don’t want to, don’t. When have you ever listened to me anyway?”
“……”
The quill in her hand danced lightly, mocking me.
Of course, she knew me well. At the time, I was an arrogant brat convinced no one could outshine me.
I dismissed Hayden’s rumored talents as exaggerated nonsense, spread by commoners.
Still, my protests didn’t last long.
If I refused, my only option was to repeat five more years of Academy life. So I had no choice but to accept.
When I finally arrived—two hours late—Hayden was still waiting in the same place.
“You’re here at last.”
I can’t remember his face that day, but his voice was deep, cold, and oppressive.
“Seems the journey was too long for Lady Suilen.”
His tone was rough, commoner-like.
I frowned, but he continued.
“Or is it that the weather’s too pleasant, and you’d rather do nothing?”
I didn’t realize he was mocking me, so I only gave an awkward smile and nodded.
“You’re right.”
“……”
“By the way, using nicknames already? Suilen, huh? Fine, I’ll allow that. But don’t call me ‘Lady.’ Use ‘Miss.’ Should I call you Count Segynable in return?”
As if granting him a favor, I asked.
Hayden lowered his eyes.
“…Shit.”
Only much later did I learn that word was a crude curse, something you’d only hear in a back alley.
After that, for years, we were closer to enemies than allies.
He hated my laziness, and I refused to yield even the smallest ground.
From enemies to rivals, from rivals to comrades, from comrades to friends…
We spent ten long years together, yet even then we never exchanged warm greetings.
When I left the capital three years ago, our contact ended completely.
So why now? Why send a message after all this time?
Instead of returning to my lab, I lit a lamp in my bedroom.
I tossed the dirty scrap of fabric aside and sat halfway on my desk, studying the envelope.
“…That’s one hell of a barrier spell.”
At this late hour, using a magic technique that hadn’t even been published yet?
The sealing wax was unusually sloppy—completely unlike Hayden’s usual perfectionism. Inside the envelope were more than ten sheets, folded and stuffed in haste.
“He looks like someone under threat.”
I chuckled lightly, then slid one sheet halfway out.
Sssh.
But then I froze.
Even the letter itself was covered with anti-tracking and anti-scrying spells.
No one would go to such lengths for a casual letter.
“…Is this a request?”
No, it couldn’t be. This was the worst possible timing.
After months of frustration, my research was finally making progress.
If this letter was a request, knowing Hayden, it wouldn’t be something easy or trivial.
“…Should I just pretend I never saw it?”
I waved the envelope in the air like a fan, hesitating.
But in the end, I grabbed it with both hands and braced myself.
Because no matter what, I couldn’t ignore Hayden’s message.
