In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 135

EPISODE 135 

CHAPTER 20: THE POSSIBILITY OF A HAPPY ENDING

“Um, do you think this wizard will fall for it?”  

As they were reviewing the plan, everyone turned to look at Noah, who had posed the question. He continued calmly.

“In person, she seems more meticulous and wary than I expected.”

The fact that she had magically bound him to prevent any contact made him think that it wouldn’t be as easy as they had hoped.

“I’m starting to doubt whether she’ll adhere to the rules we’ve laid out.”  

“Of course, she’s not going to willingly follow our rules. She doesn’t have to, right? She’s powerful enough to disregard them.”  

Lyneth answered brightly, smiling as she spoke.  

“Well, now we have two paths to consider: we can either push the situation to ensure she follows the rules, or we can operate under the assumption that she might not.”  

Cordelia thought that sounded rather simplistic, but Noah nodded as if he understood.  

“So, we’ll start by assuming she’ll at least pretend to follow the rules, and we’ll set up magic detectors at each location. If the wizard comes through, we’ll know for sure. And if we detect someone using magic, we can send people we’ve prepared to follow her.”  

They had already asked Benjamin to order the devices from Hazel’s Workshop. Cordelia raised a concern.  

“But what if she figures out that they’re detectors?”  

“Of course, she’ll figure it out.”  

“What?”  

“She’s not an ordinary wizard. I imagine she’ll catch on pretty quickly. Even if she does detect the traps, likely, she won’t take us seriously.”  

Cordelia was skeptical at the nonchalance.  

“Then why set them up at all?”  

“It’s a trap. If it doesn’t seem plausible, she’ll suspect something else is going on. Think about it, Lady Cordelia. If there’s food on a trap but nothing else around, wouldn’t that raise suspicion? It has to look as normal as possible to avoid drawing attention.”  

“True enough. So, what about the goods?”  

The most critical topic had finally arisen. Silkion, who had been silent, spoke up at last.  

“I’m planning to place a teleportation spell on the items.”  

“Teleportation?”  

“It will transport them to a specific location the moment someone touches them.”  

Then Lyneth chimed in.  

“Exactly. Honestly, if it were me, I’d think it would be faster to just steal the seven tokens than go through the hassle of tailing. Even if she just wants to check the contents, it’d be easier that way. So, she’ll probably sneak into the storage on the first night of the festival. No doubt about it.”  

Can she say such villainous things while dressed as a priestess?  

The reason they had deliberately scattered the tokens across the capital was to buy time, but it seemed there was more to it than that.  

“But what if she levitates the items without touching them?”  

A wizard hovering in the air shouldn’t have any trouble lifting something.  

“Oh, we don’t have to worry about that.”  

Lyneth responded with a smirk.  

“I asked the person making the items to inscribe a spell on the boxes too. It’s designed to activate the moment someone with magic touches it. After all, to check the contents, they’ll have to touch the box, right? If the core has a spell on it, people usually don’t think the shell would too.”  

“Ah.”  

“Don’t worry. This bait will catch a big one.”  

So meticulous and persistent. Cordelia realized anew that she could not afford to turn Lyneth into an enemy, nodding in agreement.  

* * *

As soon as the old woman was transported into the magic circle, white light began to emanate from the circle beneath her. The moment she saw the red-haired woman outside tilting a green-glowing potion toward the magic circle, she instinctively understood.  

These people are planning to perform the counter-spell right here!  

For a curse counter-spell, the same magic circle used to cast the curse, along with a body part from both the caster and the target, is required.

She couldn’t believe it. As she quickly examined the magic circle, it seemed to be the one she had engraved. But how? Reconstructing a magic circle is not an easy task. Assuming you know nothing about it, how can you accomplish in half a year what would normally take three months just to get the basics of the configuration? Or had they gained more information?

In such cases, it’s typical to pour hair or bodily fluids into the magic circle, so she never expected the caster would be placed entirely inside the circle. But that’s not what’s important right now. Seeing the catalyst being poured in, she realized she had to act before the magic was completed. She attempted to teleport, forcing her way out, but it was silent.

“What…?!”

The old woman looked down at her immobile legs. An ominous voice clung to her ear.

“Not a chance.”

Dozens of shadows emerged from beneath Silkion, entangling her shadow tightly. A cold energy, as chilling as ice, crept up from her toes to her head, causing her to gasp.

She swung her hands violently, shooting sharp light at those outside the magic circle. However, the attack bounced off an invisible barrier before it even reached the red-haired wizard performing the spell.

A brown-haired man standing behind the woman glared in their direction. A barrier master, perhaps. The brilliantly cascading lights changed direction, piercing down towards the shadows gripping the old woman’s legs. In that brief moment when the shadows parted, she tried to teleport once more.

At that moment, she felt a tug on her clothing and heard a whoosh, cutting through the air.

She barely dodged a blade swinging behind her. Wait, was that even a blade?

As she was blocking the magic pouring towards her, the old woman reflexively grabbed the weapon that was about to strike her, moving somewhat hastily. Her finger, sliced by the finely honed edge, bled.

As soon as she confirmed it, Cordelia threw the scissors she was holding onto the ground. The blood on the blade seeped in, causing the magic circle’s light to shine even brighter.

Everything in the world is woven with intricate necessity. The old woman could read that flow to some extent. She was especially adept at understanding the psychology of wizards like herself. Even when faced with unexpected situations, she could respond without issue.

“Indeed, you were included in the caster.”

A low, calm voice. The variable the old woman hadn’t calculated smiled at her.

Inside the now-completed magic circle, the old woman met the gaze of the woman watching her silently.

Surely, she wouldn’t have dared to move inside the circle, especially with something like that in hand.

“Yeah, you’re cleverer than I thought. Quite a good plan.”

With her blood just added, all the conditions for the spell were met. Trying to erase the magic circle that had already begun to activate would surely backfire. Cordelia’s deep blue eyes looked at the old woman, who was acknowledging her defeat.

“No, not at all.”

“What?”

“It’s not a plan at all. I just acted as I pleased.”

The old woman burst into laughter at the unexpected answer. The coarse laughter poured out of her frail body.

“Aren’t you afraid of magic, girl?”

“There are things in this world that are scarier than that.”

As if regaining her composure, a man rushed up behind the woman and tightly embraced her, trembling. The woman reached out and lightly patted his hand.

“Cordelia, are you okay?!”

“Of course, I’m fine.”

Is that young man’s emotion that important?

“The price of defying fate is a harsh one. Are you truly prepared to bear that weight?”

As she dropped her bloodied hand, the old woman asked gravely, and Cordelia tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.

“Well, I don’t know much about fate or anything. And what does it even mean to defy fate? Even without your interference, we would have met someday, wouldn’t we?”

Cordelia swept back a few strands of hair and replied with a displeased expression.

“First of all, if fate truly exists… then I’m the one who decides my fate! No one else but me. Don’t you think a third party should step back? Who are you to interfere in our lives?”

As Cordelia shouted forcefully, the old woman smiled softly at her, while Noah, holding his lover, sent a calm gaze her way.

“Well, yes.”

This kind of conversation could be interesting.

With that last remark, bright light poured from the magic circle, and Cordelia instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. When she finally opened them, the person in front of her had disappeared.

Those outside the magic circle finally approached Cordelia and Noah. Lyneth, glancing around, clicked her tongue.

“Tsk, we missed her after all.”

“Do you want to chase her?”

“No thanks. We’d just come up empty, and I felt like I might die from exhaustion. Lady Cordelia, how’s your hand?”

“Yeah! Wow, it’s clean!”

After confirming her clean hand, Cordelia looked at Noah’s right hand. Despite seeing the lack of markings on his palm, she still seemed uneasy and said seriously.

“Take it off.”

“Pardon?”

“Just stay still!”

Cordelia quickly moved behind Noah and yanked up his shirt. Suddenly, silence fell.

What’s this reaction? Noah cautiously asked.

“Uh, Cordelia?”

“…It’s fine, it’s gone!”

After checking Noah’s back multiple times, which was completely clear of any bruises, she finally relaxed her legs.

“Ugh!”

“Cordelia!”

Cordelia collapsed onto the floor, looking up at Noah as she reached out.

“Hold me. Ah, I’m so tired.”

Seeing Cordelia smile bashfully as she spoke, Noah knelt instead of extending his hand, meeting her gaze. The shift in his usual behavior made Cordelia blink in surprise.

Huh? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden? It feels a bit scary. Just as she was about to freeze in confusion, Noah gently spoke up.

“By the way, Cordelia.”

“Hmm?”

“What was that action just now? When did you hide those scissors?”

Oops.

“Ha ha, well, that’s….”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop being reckless like that…!”

Noah’s voice, which had risen higher than usual, suddenly stopped. Cordelia, looking into his face, was genuinely taken aback.

“…Noah?”

Is he crying?

Tears streamed down Noah’s cheeks from his beautiful eyes, the saddest expression she had ever seen on him. Even that face was truly beautiful, but it made Cordelia’s heart tighten, and she pressed against her chest.

Even trying to think rationally, looking at that face made her feel like she had committed a terrible mistake. She might have been wrong, but no. She was at fault. So, what now?

Suddenly feeling like a major criminal, Cordelia fumbled her words, and cold sweat trickled down her back as she desperately tried to explain herself.