~Chapter 8~
I stood frozen, clutching the pouch of gold coins like it was forever. Then, lowering my head as much as I could, I spoke in a small, timid voice.
“W-Why are you here…?”
“The reason we’ve come is to offer our apologies!”
The two knights who had pointed their swords at me spoke together. It wasn’t a question but a tone full of remorse. Being earnest, they quickly started to explain.
“Previously, we showed great disrespect to the Lady. Though our actions were meant to protect the Divine Beast, we acted hastily and caused trouble. We have no excuse but beg your forgiveness!”
Introducing themselves as Rail and Betton, the knights bowed in a sharp salute and apologized.
Though I was indeed startled and scared by them… honestly, if I had been in their place, I would have misunderstood too. Above all, I just wanted to get rid of these witnesses to my embarrassing past as soon as possible.
“Please, stand up. I understand it couldn’t be helped. Besides, it all resolved without injury in the end.”
The knights looked at me with wide eyes, then straightened up and answered loudly.
“Thank you!”
“Now that the Lady has forgiven us, we feel free to leave!”
Yeah, just go! Facing you now is embarrassing enough!
But contrary to my wish, Ethan and the knights went to the front of the carriage, the very front of the procession, and mounted their horses.
“W-Why are you going there?!”
I shouted in surprise, and Ibel gave that usual smirking look.
“Hey! Does it make sense to have a procession without knights? What if bandits attack?”
“You’re going with me all the way to the Feahil mansion?! Aren’t you busy?! Captain, you don’t need to go yourself—”
Then Captain Ethan Kreut spoke directly.
“My intent isn’t just to escort Lady Rinnegrim, but I also have business in the village of Sez near the Feahil mansion.”
“Why the village of Sez…?”
“The Lady’s residence is near the western forest governed by the Wolf Divine Beast clan, right?”
I nodded.
“Yes. Just a little further by carriage and you reach the western forest.”
“Recently, there have been reports that wild dogs from the western forest are attacking villages.”
Reports—plural—meaning this wasn’t a one-time event. But that was strange.
“Those wild dogs should be under the Wolf Divine Beast’s control. Why would the creatures with Izzy attack villages…?”
“That’s what’s odd. The first time, we just thought it was negligence by the Rudel clan, the wolf divine beasts’ stewards. Even after a second attack on a village, Lunaris merely issued warnings.”
“But going there yourself means…?”
“A week ago, the third attack happened. Again, a messenger was sent, but for some reason, there has been no reply. The pigeon divine beast carried the message personally, so there’s no concern about it being lost. It’s well past time to return, but with no word, we must go meet the Rudel clan ourselves.”
“I see…”
It was bigger than I thought. Our mansion was far enough from the forest that wild dogs attacking us seemed unlikely, but hearing about village attacks worried me.
“Then why come with me? If time is urgent, shouldn’t you go ahead?”
Ethan hesitated briefly before answering.
“Baron Nilsson advised to seek Lady Rinnegrim’s help. If there is something wrong with the dogs, he believes the Lady will notice.”
“What?!”
What was this? How much does Nilsson trust me? More importantly, how can they assign such a big task to a newbie who hasn’t even started work?
“Baron Nilsson trusts Lady Rinnegrim greatly. He says her understanding of animals will be of great help.”
“I mean, yes, but… these aren’t ordinary animals. They’re divine beasts’ clans!”
The empire has five divine beast clans:
To the east, the dragon clan Drekie; to the west, the wolf clan Rudel; to the south, the snake clan Sinatra; to the north, the tiger clan Axion.
Finally, the Rihwiella clan is the new divine beast clan overseeing the capital and central region, coordinating major affairs.
For unknown reasons, the five clans guarding the cardinal directions don’t tolerate outsiders entering their territory or invading theirs.
They live quietly in their lands. Except for the Rihwiella clan, outward activity is rare.
Especially the Rudel clan, which is known to be extremely closed off.
“Is it really okay to go to the western forest…?”
“We’ve sent word that the Rihwiella clan’s subordinates will visit, but we’re unsure if we’ll get a reply.”
Still, wasn’t it crazy for a newbie to get involved in such a major issue?
“Let’s depart. We must hurry.”
But Nilsson was my superior now. As a lowly junior, if the boss says jump, you jump.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
“But isn’t four people too few if something’s happened to the Rudel clan?”
“Lady, you don’t understand! Our captain—”
“Ibel. We’re leaving.”
Ethan grabbed Ibel’s collar and led the way, and soon the procession began to move.
I stayed behind in the carriage, lost in serious thoughts.
“Wild dogs attacking…”
clink!
“I hope no one was seriously hurt…”
clink!
“Even if they come to our mansion, Mom’s room is deep inside, so it should be safe…”
clink!
“Ah! Shut up!!”
Though my words were annoyed, the corners of my mouth were pulled up in a smile. The source of the noise was the box full of gold coins.
Worrying about distant troubles feels less real than the happiness right in front of you. I pushed aside my worries for a moment and sank into happy thoughts.
“What should I do with this money?”
After some thought, I decided to buy a house near the palace. It would make commuting easier and let me care for my mother closely.
For someone who barely got by, getting a house in the capital felt like Cinderella waking up to a new life overnight.
“To the divine beasts, I pledge eternal loyalty.”
I bowed deeply to the palace, already far away and out of sight. Buried in the scent of metal, I sank into happy daydreams.
“…Huh?”
A soft voice broke through soon after.
“Uhm…”
“Get up.”
The gentle voice was unfamiliar but pleasant. Wait, unfamiliar?
“Uhm…?”
“Get up. What kind of manners is it to summon someone and let them sleep?”
“…Huh?”
“If you waited any longer, you’d have drooled.”
I thought I must be dreaming.
Who wouldn’t think that if a handsome man with black hair and jade eyes suddenly sat inside a carriage with just me and my money?
Just as I wiped my mouth to check for drool, the carriage jolted violently. A box next to me bounced, spilling coins everywhere. The clinking sound snapped me awake, and I squeezed myself into a corner.
“W-Who are you?!”
The man ignored my question, just watching the spilled coins with indifferent eyes.
“You called me.”
“When did I?!”
The driver and knights wouldn’t have let a stranger board without my say-so. I hadn’t even noticed this man get in. So he must be a stowaway—or a thief after my money!
“Knight!”
I knocked on the window and called out to Ibel, who was riding right beside us. But he kept staring ahead, not hearing a thing.
He wasn’t ignoring me. He couldn’t hear.
It was like the carriage was a sealed space; no sounds or sights escaped from inside.
“When you spill money, it all comes back.”
The man’s low voice came just as the spilled coins began to flow back up like a reverse waterfall, returning into the box.
Click. The lock clicked shut, and I finally regained my senses.
“…A magician?”
I gasped without realizing it. No doubt—the beautiful man before me was a magician. An incredibly skilled one.
Thanks to my father, I knew some magic basics, so I recognized how amazing it was for a man to cast magic without even a spell word.
“Oh. You recognized me quickly.”
The man chuckled, eyes curved prettily. He must be the magician personally contacted by His Majesty the Emperor.
“How did you come so fast…?”
“Only those without magic worry about time.”
“Oh…”
Annoying.
He looked so confident he must have a lot of magic power.
“But why sneak into the carriage?”
The man frowned at that, but didn’t deny it. After all, anyone could see he snuck in.
He nodded toward Ethan at the front.
“That guy.”
“Captain Kreut?”
“Annoying.”
That was all the explanation. He probably wanted to avoid Ethan’s attention.
“Oh…”
That was the end of our conversation. The carriage rattled on as the man gazed out the window, and I watched him carefully.
As he closed his eyes, I openly studied him.
His clothes, just barely visible under his black robe, were neat—not flashy, but classic: a white shirt and black cotton pants. His face was handsome enough not to be dull. An amethyst earring hung on his left ear, shimmering in the breeze.
His jaw was sharp but strong. His red lips looked moist, and his nose was smooth and prominent. Then his eyes, looking at me—wait, when did you start staring?
“Sorry…”
Startled like a caught criminal, I bowed my head, blushing furiously. Embarrassed beyond belief—caught staring at someone’s face! Besides the embarrassment, I had no excuse for such rude behavior.
A soft laugh came.
“So what? Look, your employer wants to appreciate your face. Why not?”
The magician said that, then propped his chin up, deliberately inviting me to stare. His eyes twinkled mischievously.
I quickly waved my hands.
“No, I’ve seen enough. Sorry. That was rude.”
“Even if I say it’s fine, you probably get that look often. You get used to it.”
“Oh, probably. Haha…”
If anyone else said it, I would have thought them insane. But with his handsome face, it sounded believable.
