EPISODE 27

Cordelia, who had jumped up from her chair, was sharply addressed by Tyrain.  

“Reflect on what happened earlier. What will you do if something similar occurs again?”  

“Then shouldn’t you be the one to stay with me? The child I chased after was a wizard. It might be more dangerous to leave us behind.”  

“…Wait, what are you talking about?”  

Seeing the serious expressions on Noah and Tyrain’s faces, Cordelia realized it was indeed a worrying matter.  

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”  

“I was going to! But when I saw that guy, I was so shocked I forgot.”  

“Oh dear… What is this about?”  

Feeling somewhat unjustly scrutinized by their gazes, Cordelia defended herself.

“I didn’t intentionally call a wizard, you know!”  

“We might need to report this. There’s an unauthorized wizard in the country?”  

“Are unauthorized wizards really that rare? It’s quite common near the border zones.”  

“True, but…”  

The presence of such wizards is a good excuse to keep the temples, which have a monopoly on magic, in check, so the royal family tolerated it to some extent. But this was only possible under the precondition of it being a border area.  

“I understand what you’re thinking, but don’t report it just yet. If you do, we’ll have to overhaul the entire situation. Do we need to burn down the whole house just to catch a flea?”  

It was a cold but accurate conclusion. Besides, as Noah emphasized, Cordelia was the one who mattered most in this situation, so Tyrain reluctantly agreed.  

“First, explain the situation. What happened?”

***

Cordelia rushed at the boy and pushed him to the ground. As a red light appeared in the boy’s eyes, the tip of a sharp dagger was aimed right in front of them.  

“Don’t move. If you try anything funny, I’ll stab you.”  

The man’s eyes were quite fierce despite his bold words. When the boy kept silent and looked at him cautiously, the man added with a gentle tone,  

“Wizards aren’t without weaknesses, you know. Am I right?”  

This was one of the pieces of knowledge Lyneth had shared when she came to inform her about being part of the inspection team.  

‘Wizards operate magic through their magical power. Usually, it’s innate, so only those with talent can become wizards.’  

Lyneth had made Cordelia hold her eyes with her hand. Lyneth’s serious gaze was fixed on the finger that had stopped about a hand’s width away.  

‘There are two methods to block magical power. One is to use a special metal control device, and the other is to damage the eyes, which are the source of magical power.’  

‘The eyes?’  

‘Yes, since they are the focus of magical power, damaging them interferes with the use of magic. Don’t go around talking about this. I’m shivering thinking about the possibility of a leak.’  

Despite the casual tone, Cordelia could sense the underlying anxiety in Lyneth’s eyes. Instead of mentioning it, she exaggeratedly clapped her hands.

‘Wow, is it okay to tell me that?’

‘Of course not.’

After a brief hesitation, Lyneth continued.

“Since the lady has been involved with magic, there’s always a chance she might get entangled with it again. While it’s a weakness, it’s not an easy target. But wizards are generally frail and tend to look down on ordinary people, so if you look for an opening, you might be able to subdue one. Probably.”  

Cordelia nodded vaguely at the repeated warnings to avoid dangerous actions and to leave it to others unless necessary. She had to brace herself for more nagging and resolve to keep the dagger close.  

However, she hadn’t expected to be in this situation so quickly. Her heart pounded loudly.  

Would it be faster to use magic or to strike at the eyes? As she nervously looked down at the opponent, the child gave a faint smile. Even with the blade right in front of him, the boy showed no sign of fear.  

“Seems like you know where the weaknesses are. Even so, you’re quite fearless.”  

“I’m not too thrilled about being dragged around like this.”  

Cordelia was somewhat taken aback, considering the boy’s small stature and Noah’s strength. The fact that the boy didn’t immediately strike her down or drag her away suggested he had no intention of causing her harm.  

Despite her racing heart, Cordelia tried not to flinch.  

“And to be honest…”  

Cordelia took a deep breath before speaking.

“Whoever your master is, inviting people like this is uncool, don’t you think? If you wanted to meet my lady or me, you should have sent an invitation. If he can afford to hire a wizard, he must have plenty of money. Can’t he make that small investment?”  

Does he know how many invitations to banquets she gets? She only responds to the most polite ones after filtering them out. These ruffians wouldn’t even get past the Duke’s mansion, so why are they trying to bypass everything like this?!  

Swallowing the urge to say more, Cordelia glared at the boy.  

“We’re staying at the inn <Plador>. We won’t run or hide, so come and visit properly with the proper formalities!”  

As she snapped at him and showed her indignation, the boy suddenly started laughing. Seeing his face break into a wild grin, Cordelia felt a pang of sympathy. Was he suddenly losing his mind?  

“No, really… I see it up close now.”  

The boy fumbled around Cordelia’s hands and quietly grasped something invisible. His gesture, as if holding something thin, startled Cordelia.  

No, could it be…  

“Hey, aren’t you going to let go of that hand?”  

As she moved the knife closer, the boy released his grip and met Cordelia’s wavering gaze.  

“Understood.”  

“Eh?”  

“I’ll adjust it as you said. So, could you step aside a bit?”

“So, are you going to let us go like this?”  

As Cordelia hesitated, she kept her guard up and stepped back. The boy promptly stood up from his seat. With a gesture, the noise that had been in her ears returned.  

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”  

Cordelia blinked in surprise as the boy, now turning with a polite tone, walked away. Wait a minute.  

He’s taller than she thought…?  

It wasn’t a mistake. Though still small, the figure was not a child. As she blinked again, the person who was presumed to be a child had already disappeared. Staring blankly at the spot for a long time, Cordelia fumbled to tuck the dagger back into her belt.  

Then she cried out in alarm.

“Oh right, my money!”  

***

“Well, in the end, I couldn’t find the purse. Ugh, it still makes me mad thinking about it.”  

As Cordelia finished her explanation, Noah, who had been serious all along, added.

“Given the circumstances, that wizard was probably sent by Duke Persique. The men who tried to take me had similar hints.”  

“What? Wait a minute, did they send people after you too?”  

“Yes, it seems the boy was just a decoy.”  

“Hold on. That means he brought an unauthorized wizard to the palace!”  

Seeing Cordelia’s serious expression, Tyrain lightly countered.

“Well, we can’t be certain of that. Since we’re near the duchy and the border, it’s understandable if they say they came to ensure the Duke’s safety. It’s a lawless area after all.”  

“That can’t be right!”  

“Yes, yes, I understand. It’s just that such excuses are possible.”  

Just as Cordelia was about to say more, there was a knock on the door. The three of them exchanged looks. Noah, the owner of the room, asked.

“What’s going on?”  

“A man came and delivered a letter. He said it was as promised. Would you like to see it?”  

“Sure.”  

Tyrain, who was near the door, received the letter from the guard and checked its contents. It seemed to be a typical invitation at first glance. Seeing the Persique family’s seal at the bottom, Tyrain clicked his tongue. The date was set for tomorrow afternoon.  

“Well, that’s some swift action.”  

“What should we do?”  

“Isn’t it okay to go? Since they sent an official invitation, if anything happens to us, we’ll have grounds to protest. At least they can’t avoid responsibility, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous. The duchy maintains neutrality, so they wouldn’t risk war.”  

Tyrain looked at Cordelia with a surprised expression, as if seeing a grown chick flying for the first time. Cordelia, noticing his look of disbelief, calmly added.

“I’ve been in social circles for 12 years. Shouldn’t I know how to handle this level of decorum?”  

“Well, I’ve only seen you at the banquet, so it makes sense.”  

“Ah, right…”

“Even though you showed some nerve by openly slapping someone back then, it seems like you’ve learned to hide your claws now.”  

“What? Were you there back then too? And when exactly was that…? Besides, there were reasons for everything. If someone heard you, they’d think I’m going around hitting people.”  

When Cordelia glanced at Noah, he didn’t seem particularly surprised. Relieved, she sighed, and Tyrain scrutinized her actions sharply.  

“Should we refuse then? What do you think?”  

“It wouldn’t be a problem, but somehow it doesn’t seem like that’s the end of it.”  

That was true. Considering how persistent the situation had been just a moment ago, it seemed better to deal with it sooner rather than later.  

“I have a few traps that can resist magic to some extent, so I’ll give those to you. For now, why don’t the two of you go and check it out?”  

“Are you not coming with us?”  

“The Duke knows my face, so it’s not possible. If he sees me, he’ll immediately realize that this issue is more significant than it appears.”  

“Was your position that important?”  

“Isn’t that a rather blunt way to put it?”  

Despite the bluntness, Tyrain, who was laughing heartily, addressed the two of them.  

“The risk of an ambush has been reduced, so you should rest. I’ll be back soon.”  

Before Noah could say anything, Tyrain quickly left the room.  

“Why am I being dragged along?!”  

While grumbling, Cordelia followed Tyrain out to the alley behind the inn. Tyrain looked around to ensure no one was nearby before he grabbed Cordelia’s shoulders and spoke seriously.  

“Lady, you didn’t do anything to our boy, did you?”