Chapter 40 – Maximilian
December 10, 2023
“The first day we boarded the ship, she didn’t come to the dining hall, so I went down to the cabin and found her crying.”
“Crying? Lady Cordelia? Why?”
“She said it was because she missed her hometown. Can you believe that? This is the same girl who ripped her father’s letter to shreds just because it annoyed her.”
“That is strange. Lady Cordelia doesn’t seem like the type to cry over her hometown.”
“My point exactly. Something must have happened, but she won’t say a word.”
“Well, don’t pressure her too much. Just be kind to her. I’m sure she’ll tell you when she’s ready.”
“Do I really have to cater to my disciple’s feelings now?”
Leonard sounded annoyed, but from the next day, his attitude toward Cordelia noticeably softened.
That day, too, Cordelia handed in a sheet of paper that was practically blank, but Leonard didn’t say much.
“This is fine. Let’s move on to the next lesson. We’re almost at the Diloana estate anyway.”
“We’re already there?”
“Yeah. At this rate, we’ll arrive in a day or two.”
At those words, Cordelia’s expression visibly darkened. The paper in her hands crinkled as she clenched it.
“Already? It’s already over?”
“Over? We’ve been on the road for nearly a month since we left the Abrams estate.”
“It’s too short… I’m not ready yet…”
As if something had broken inside her, Cordelia began to cry without warning.
Leonard was about to scold her for crying again, but then remembered what Baron had said the day before. He forced himself to use a gentler tone.
“What’s there for you to prepare? All you have to do is sit still and I’ll handle everything.”
“I’ve only been learning magic for a month—no, not even two months yet!”
“Exactly. So just stay by my side and don’t do anything.”
“But there’s still so much I want to learn—hic.”
“Someone who wants to learn so much sure doesn’t do their homework, huh?”
Leonard waved the blank sheet in the air. For some reason, Cordelia began sobbing like a child.
The old Leonard would’ve been disgusted and walked away at the sight of a crying woman—but Cordelia was different.
Awkwardly, he pulled her into a side hug and patted her back.
“Alright, alright. I won’t give you any more homework for a while. Just stop crying. You’re already not very pretty, and crying’s making it worse.”
“S-sob… W-why… magic… hic…”
Her words were so tangled in her crying that they were nearly incomprehensible. Cordelia buried her face in Leonard’s chest and cried harder.
Leonard felt the dampness soaking through his shirt and gently continued patting her back.
Eventually, her shaking shoulders began to calm.
“I don’t know if I’m raising a kid or training a disciple.”
“Sniff… Sniff…”
“Done crying?”
“Yes… sniff.”
“Then tell me why you were crying. You’ve been ignoring me, skipping assignments… what’s going on?”
“I just needed time to sort out my feelings.”
“What feelings?”
“Just… everything…”
Cordelia pulled away and wiped her tear-streaked face with her sleeve.
“Master. Do you remember what I offered when we first met? That I’d help you return to your original body if you took me in as your disciple.”
“Yeah. I remember.”
“I’ll help you.”
Leonard nearly said, ‘What do you mean help? You’re just watching the barrier while I do all the work,’ but he held back. He couldn’t make her cry again after finally calming her down.
“Yeah. Thanks, disciple. I feel so reassured with you here.”
Instead of replying, Cordelia smiled like sunlight after the rain. Leonard found that smile so pleasant that he didn’t say anything more.
“I think we’re here,” Baron said, though it was obvious without his words.
Throughout the journey, the greenery of the Ansen region had been lush and summery, but this place was different—a forest still caught in the heart of winter, as if spring had never come.
An eerie aura drifted through the air, and not even the sound of birds could be heard.
“Don’t get too close.”
“Okay.”
As Cordelia stepped closer, she was astounded by the dense magical barrier surrounding the forest. She had been impressed by Leonard’s lab protected by twelve layers of magic, but this far surpassed that.
Baron came up quietly and asked, “Lady Cordelia, can you see anything?”
“Yes. The entire forest is covered with tightly packed magic circles. Just like you said, if you take even one wrong step, you’ll be burned to death instantly.”
Despite her short training, she could at least read the basic inscriptions on the magic circles.
At that moment, Loti jumped down from the carriage and tried to run forward. Cordelia quickly blocked her.
“No, Loti! It’s dangerous here!”
She took a rope from Baron, tied a knot, and secured Loti to a nearby tree.
Loti scraped the ground in protest, but stepping into this forest even slightly could mean death, so there was no other choice.
“Stay still, alright?”
“Cordelia. Come here.”
“Coming!”
At Leonard’s call, she left Loti behind and ran toward him.
“Can you see it?”
“Yes. Just like you said, the center is the weakest point.”
“These massive barriers are always finalized in the center. Because all the formulas converge there, it’s naturally unstable.”
“I see.”
“Remember what I taught you about coordinate systems? Call them out.”
“Umm… okay. 354, 212, 45. 401, 762, 47.”
Cordelia identified the weak points with her eyes and translated them into coordinates. There were more than seventeen warped areas.
As she read each one, Leonard pinpointed them with precise magic energy. Cordelia was amazed by his accuracy—every blast landed perfectly.
She was just identifying them visually, but Leonard calculated everything in his head.
Together, they located every weak point in the barrier. It took over two hours.
“All done. Step back now. I’ll break it on the count of three.”
“When it breaks, should we all enter at once?”
“No need. I’ll go in alone. You two wait here.”
“You’re going alone?”
Cordelia wasn’t the only one surprised. Veluce and Baron began shouting in protest.
“You can’t! Who knows what kind of monsters are in there?”
“We came all this way to protect you! We can’t let you go in alone!”
“Ugh, noisy fools. Then come if you want. But don’t expect me to save your lives.”
Leonard waved them off, clearly annoyed.
“Be careful,” Cordelia said, choosing to stay behind. She knew she’d only be a burden if she went.
The three men stood firmly at the entrance. Leonard pulled a pouch from his coat and took out the most crimson-colored relic inside. Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
A surge of powerful magic erupted. Cordelia watched in awe as the energy engulfed Leonard and fused into his body.
He raised one hand into the air.
“One, two, three.”
At the count of three, a tremendous burst of magic exploded from the weakest point in the forest’s barrier, unleashing a violent magical storm. The three men were instantly sucked into it.
The wind was so strong it nearly knocked Cordelia off her feet. She clung tightly to a nearby tree trunk.
“Ugh!”
The storm’s force was overwhelming. Cordelia felt her body lift off the ground. In the distance, she saw Loti being swept into the air and screamed.
“Loti!”
The tree she was holding creaked and began to uproot. Cordelia flailed, trying to grab onto anything—but it was no use.
“Kyaaah!”
She, too, was pulled into the storm.
She managed to wiggle a single finger. Her entire body ached as if she had been beaten.
Cordelia slowly opened her eyes. Thick foliage blocked the sky, allowing only a little sunlight to shine through.
“Ow, ow…”
She groaned as she sat up and looked around.
The inside of the Diloana estate was nothing like its frozen exterior—it was overflowing with lush greenery.
Cautiously, she examined her surroundings. Contrary to their expectations, there weren’t any monsters—no, not even small animals.
“How do I get out of here?”
The three men probably didn’t even know she had fallen in. Worst case, she might be trapped here all alone.
The realization struck her like lightning. She couldn’t just sit still—she had to find someone, anyone.
“Master! Baron! Veluce!”
She began walking in the direction of the sun, calling their names.
The forest was either enormous or she had landed far from the others, because no matter how much she shouted, no one answered.
After what felt like at least two hours of walking, she hadn’t seen a single person—not even a squirrel.
Fear began to creep in. She had no food, no water, no way to start a fire—how long could she survive?
Then—rustling.
Cordelia called out hopefully, “I’m Cordelia! Who’s there?”
The sound of brush being parted grew closer. She moved toward it.
“Is it you, Master? Or maybe Bar—”
And then, their eyes met.
Cordelia froze.
Why had she assumed anything moving was human?
The creature had black eyes and bared its fangs at her. It had the sleek build of a wolf—but five eyes. Its claws looked sharp enough to shred her in an instant.
