~Chapter 5~
I was terrified.
Absolutely terrified.
‘I can’t let them test my mana!’
It was because, after lunch, Teacher Eurice had suddenly come by and said that all new children had to undergo mana inspection.
‘I can’t let them find out I’m a mage. Not here.’
So I locked myself in the restroom, pretending I had a stomachache.
Sitting on the toilet lid, I recalled the words Teacher Eurice had muttered to herself.
“They say the one they’re after is a girl mage… But really, is it necessary to go this far just because someone crossed the border?”
Luckily, it seemed they hadn’t received an exact description. And besides, I was being mistaken for a boy.
‘Thanks, Leviathan, for abandoning me.’
Tch. I hated to admit it, but thanks to that cold man, I had plenty of excuses to hide behind.
‘But wait—has word already spread that I’m alive in this kingdom?’
I’d always known it would leak someday, but I hadn’t expected it so soon.
‘No… judging by the half-hearted pursuit, they must not be certain yet.’
The “mana inspection” Eurice mentioned was probably using a simple mana-detecting artifact.
‘If they truly wanted to capture me, they’d have sent a tracking mage, not just a tool.’
In other words, this was likely just a probe.
They weren’t sure of my survival, or my location, or anything else—so they were casting a wide net.
Which meant that if I could get through this crisis, I’d be safe for a while.
“Time to run.”
That was my neat conclusion. Without hesitation, I slipped out of the restroom and headed toward the back garden.
And then—
“Huh?”
I spotted some thug-like man jumping out through a large window.
“What the—Mister?”
“Out of the way!”
Wham! He shoved me aside without mercy. I tumbled, but popped right back up like a spring doll.
A heavy pouch was clutched in his arms.
“He really is a thief?”
Judging by the look, it was the donation funds.
Even if life was hard—
“Stealing from an orphanage? Seriously?”
As expected, the weak were always the easiest targets.
I glanced around carefully.
What to do.
“Hmm.”
Maybe I should tweak my plan.
‘If attention shifts to the thief, it’ll be easier for me to escape, won’t it?’
I recalled the narrow passageway I’d noted earlier.
Yes. Let’s go find Mister.
If I clung to his leg, surely—even he wouldn’t just kick me away.
“Good.”
I placed my palm on the ground and let a trickle of mana flow.
The earth rippled.
“Ughhh!”
The staggering thief tripped violently over a suddenly-raised stone.
Clatter—gold coins spilled from the pouch like a waterfall.
Crash! A pile of nearby crates toppled onto him for good measure.
“What was that noise?”
“A thief! Thief!”
I shouted at once and bolted.
“A thief? Knights!”
“Call the guards!”
The uproar at the orphanage faded behind me. I crawled through the gap in the hedge I’d found earlier.
Outside, a cold drizzle had begun to fall.
Fearing capture, I hurried as quickly as I could.
Was Mister Leviathan at the palace? Or at the knight order?
“Hahh… hahhh.”
I stopped in a dark alley after only a short while, out of breath.
‘Damn this mana-starved country… Why’s it this hard?’
Honestly, I was shocked.
I’d used only the tiniest sliver of mana—barely a drop in the ocean.
‘This land really is hostile to mages.’
Not only was my own power reduced to less than a quarter, there was no free mana in the air to draw on.
Or maybe I’d used too much earlier, chasing after Mister.
“Ugh…”
My head spun, my strength draining fast.
Boom! Thunder cracked.
With the cold downpour beating down, even my eyes stung.
‘First, get to the knight order…’
Leaning on the wall, I forced myself onward.
But what if they turned me away again?
“….”
I felt like a black cloud was dogging me.
“Urgh.”
I shook my head quickly. Weak body, weak mind!
“To the knight order!”
I clenched my fist with resolve.
Carefully, I straightened out my disrupted mana channels.
“If they kick me out again, I’ll curse them.”
Because a mage’s curse was more terrifying than any dark creature.
But as I stepped out of the alley—
“Mister?”
He was there! Impossible!
“You…”
His face pale, Mister Leviathan’s eyes went wide at the sight of me.
Why did he look like a ghost after just one day?
Puzzled, I took a step closer.
“What are you doing—wah!”
In an instant, I was swept into his broad chest. Warmth enveloped me.
Wait—I was supposed to be the one clinging!
Startled, I only blinked rapidly.
From his solid body, heat shimmered like a mirage. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding wildly.
‘He couldn’t have been looking for me… could he?’
No way.
“Rubian.”
I froze.
The name I’d never told him—spilled from his lips.
“Ruby.”
His hand rubbed my back, as if worried by my chilled body.
That rough touch was so gentle.
I forgot my resolve to cling and simply melted into his arms. The body I’d been holding together by willpower collapsed in an instant.
“…Mm.”
My jewel. My treasure.
A voice overlapped faintly, like a hallucination.
“Wait. What’s wrong with you?”
As my vision blurred into the distance, realization struck me.
“Ruby? Ruby! Stay with me!”
The only thing I couldn’t hide from him… was my name.
And then—blackout.
When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling swam into view.
Ah… where am I?
‘Too neat to be a barrack…’
Then memory snapped back.
“Mister!”
I lurched up—then collapsed weakly again. More importantly—
“Clothes! My clothes!”
Regardless of being a girl, I couldn’t let anyone see me bare.
‘I’ve got a mage’s mark!’
It was stamped just below my right waist: proof I was a mage of Arcadia, sworn to the Demon King.
‘If that’s found out, it’s all over!’
Panicked, I looked down. My body was wrapped snugly in thick, soft towels.
Did he see? Did he notice? The mark! That I was a girl!
“You need to get dressed,”
came a gruff voice.
It was Mister Leviathan.
I swallowed hard.
Feeling my body bundled like a cocoon didn’t ease the anxiety!
Thank goodness—I must not have been unconscious long.
“You were trembling so hard I just wrapped you up. Tch. Why doesn’t the knight order have any children’s clothes?”
Wouldn’t it be stranger if they did?
“This won’t do. Take a warm bath, then wrap up in towels again.”
“I-I’ll do it myself!”
I quickly grabbed a dry towel. A small tub of steaming water sat nearby.
“What can you do?”
He’d been rolling up his sleeves, but froze mid-motion. His voice softened.
“Come here. It’s dangerous.”
I shrank back on the large sofa.
“I know you’re upset. But right now—please.”
Upset? Why would I be?
He didn’t look well himself. Still like a drenched rat.
“Rubian.”
“I… I have a big scar on my body…”
I stammered. My throat burned with every word.
“I don’t want anyone touching me…”
Eyes squeezed shut, I prepared to use magic if he came closer.
Should I cast memory magic? An illusion? But… I didn’t want to use such spells on him.
Leviathan raked his hand roughly through his hair, staring down at me.
“This is driving me mad.”
“….”
“…Can you manage on your own?”
I answered instantly.
“I’ve always done it alone! I’ll be fine!”
For a moment, something flickered in his violet eyes. But I didn’t have the luxury to care.
“Alright. I’ll turn around.”
I hastily dressed. My hands trembled, but I didn’t care.
Just finish quickly. Rest. He was starting to look triple.
“All done!”
Fresh, dry clothes made me feel much better.
“What a temper you have.”
He lifted me gently, as if mindful of my damp body, and laid me on the bed.
It was warm, soft, impossibly comfortable. Sleep tugged at my eyelids like a promise.
I rubbed my eyes, watching him quietly.
And then I remembered the way he’d held me desperately in the rain.
“Why were you in front of that alley?”
My head throbbed, but I had to ask now.
“Don’t tell me… you were looking for me?”
