MCAV Chapter 14

Chapter 014

“Heehee…”

A thin, middle-aged man shook his head wildly, then suddenly stood up as if having a seizure. He wandered around the cave several times before banging his head against the wall.

His actions were clearly not those of a sane person.

After moving strangely for a while, he suddenly stopped in place. His dull eyes became sharp and focused.

“I need test subjects. More, more—lots of them. No, no… Just one good test subject would be enough.”

There weren’t many suitable test subjects in this area. That was the problem with small villages.

It was safe since there was little chance of being caught by others, but the quality of test subjects was poor.

“No, no, that won’t do.”

If this continued, it would be harder to research black magic. He needed to summon demons as soon as possible to grow stronger.

“Should I change locations?”

Muttering to himself, the man glanced around the cave. A dark, eerie atmosphere filled the space, and the strong smell of blood lingered in the air.

“Yes, I should move somewhere else.”

After all, he had used up all the suitable test subjects in this area.

“Now, where should I go?”

The man thought for a moment, raising a finger in the air. Then, as if making a decision, he turned his gaze in one direction.

“Yes, that place will do.”

His finger pointed toward the road where Adele had once passed by in a carriage with Ronschka and Lucas.

***

One, two, three, four…

Carefully counting the silver coins, Adele finally made up her mind and swept them into her pocket. A special day was approaching.

Ronschka’s birthday.

But Ronschka had never been celebrated on his birthday before. That day had always been painful for Adele.

Because his mother felt that way, it must have been a difficult day for the child as well.

‘I want to change that.’

That’s why she had been preparing in advance. She had read Baby Bear’s Happy Birthday Party to him so many times that the book was worn out. By now, she could recite the entire story from memory.

Ronschka still didn’t understand why Baby Bear was happy to eat cake on his birthday, but he listened quietly.

‘It’s all my fault.’

Her chest tightened with guilt.

But this time, with Madeleine’s help, she was preparing a proper birthday party.

Madeleine had promised to bake a cake herself. Kish and Leon were helping with the decorations. Adele would handle the cooking—though she would have to rely on her past life’s memories, it should be good enough.

‘And the gift.’

The most important thing was choosing a present.

Ronschka had never received anything from his mother before. He didn’t own anything of his own.

He acted as if it didn’t bother him, but Adele felt heartbroken about it.

“What should I get him?”

She rolled the coins in her palm, listening to the clinking sound. She needed something meaningful, something he could always carry with him.

After thinking for a long time, Adele decided to go see for herself.

Yes. Today was her first time going out since coming to the mansion.

“I want to go too!”

Just as she was about to board the rented carriage, Ronschka came running over.

Oh no. She had planned to buy the present in secret, but it seemed Madeleine hadn’t been able to hold him back.

“I’m just going to the market for a bit.”

“S-Still, I want to go!”

Ronschka was excited. His stuttering had improved a lot, but when he got emotional, it still happened sometimes.

“I-I’m going too!”

His eyes were filled with worry.

She had thought he was fine after spending so much time together in the mansion, but it seemed he was still anxious about being apart from his mother.

“I’m leaving all my things here, and I’ll be back soon.”

“E-Even so!”

“Alright, you can come with me. But you must stay by my side at all times, okay?”

“Okay!”

Ronschka smiled brightly and nodded. Just then, Adele noticed a familiar blonde-haired boy in the distance. It was Leon.

Leon ran up to Adele, looking excited.

“Can I come too?”

“Of course, why not?”

Adele was relieved. She was unfamiliar with the market, and having company would make things easier.

Lucas, worried that Adele might get lost in the marketplace, had assigned a servant to accompany them.

The servant’s name was Jin. He was tall, serious-looking, and didn’t talk much. Adele hadn’t seen him many times, but he seemed reliable.

“Did you get permission from your teacher?” she asked Leon.

“Of course! He told me to be careful. I’ve been to the market many times before.”

Leon grinned confidently.

And so, the four of them—plus the carriage driver, making five—set off for the market.

***

After traveling through winding, narrow roads for some time, they finally reached the city. Once they passed through the gates, finding the market was easy.

Adele was surprised at how clean and organized it was. She couldn’t help but admire it.

Her plan was simple: explore the market, find a good gift, and buy it without Ronschka noticing. She had already discussed this plan with Jin.

Their first stop was a candy shop, filled with colorful sweets.

Ronschka seemed very interested in the candy. Adele bought him a little, and he stuffed his cheeks full, looking like a cute little squirrel.

Next, they visited a clothing store, but there was no need to buy anything—Lucas always made sure Ronschka had plenty of clothes.

Then they passed a blacksmith’s shop. There were weapons and tools for mages, but Adele didn’t have enough money for any of them. She decided to come back another time.

Going from shop to shop was tiring, but Adele felt happy. Seeing Ronschka smile made her smile too.

Then, she spotted an old shop with a worn-out sign. It looked like a stationery store.

As she browsed the shelves, one item caught her attention: a beautifully crafted pen, made of wood and metal.

‘Is it expensive?’

She quickly checked the price.

‘Oh, I can afford this!’

A pen would be useful for studying and easy to carry anywhere.

Adele hesitated for a moment, then glanced back. Jin, understanding her plan, was keeping the children distracted.

“I’d like to buy this,” she whispered to the shopkeeper.

The elderly shopkeeper moved slowly, inspecting the pen carefully before nodding and disappearing into the back of the store, probably to wrap it.

Adele waited patiently and checked on the children. Ronschka and Leon were happily munching on large cookies.

‘They’re so cute.’

“It’s ready,” the shopkeeper finally said.

Adele smiled as she accepted the wrapped pen. Now, all she had to do was meet up with the children and return to the mansion.

Her first trip outside had gone smoothly.

Or so she thought.

Just as she took a step forward, she saw a dark shadow behind the children.

Frowning, she squinted to get a better look. It was a person wearing a tattered robe.

A bad feeling crept over her.

At the same time, Jin suddenly shouted, “Who are you?!”

A small explosion followed, filling the air with smoke.

Adele couldn’t see anything, but she couldn’t afford to lose the children.

She ran desperately, rushing past the fallen Jin and reaching the robed figure.

Ronschka and Leon lay unconscious at the stranger’s feet.

“Get away from them!”

Adele threw herself at the figure, making them stumble.

She reached for the children but failed to grab them in time.

A split second later, the figure struck back, sending her crashing to the ground.

When she managed to get up, the stranger—and the children—were gone.

‘Magic? But magic is strictly controlled in this era… unless…’

Adele’s face turned pale.

‘A dark sorcerer.’

That was the only explanation.

‘Stay calm, Adele. Stay calm.’

She raised a hand and slapped her own cheek. The sharp sting helped clear her mind.

‘Think. What can I do?’

In the novel, the kidnapping happened in the mountains. But this was the city. Unlike the wilderness, there were people here—people who could help. The city guards, for example.

Gritting her teeth, she ran to the injured Jin.

Luckily, his wounds didn’t seem too deep.

Adele handed some money to a passerby and asked them to take care of Jin.

Then, she ran as fast as she could toward the city guards.