***

The charred Basilinte Castle was in the midst of repairs.
Fortunately, rain had fallen before the fire could spread greatly, and thanks to that rain continuing for more than ten days, most places remained intact.
However, there was no helping that the first floor lobby, where the fire started, had burned completely black.
“Tsk.”
Grand Magician Eckle, who had set foot on the first floor of Basilinte Castle, looked around with disapproval at the diligently moving servants and the blackened lobby.
Astrid came down the stairs with a pout at her master’s expression, holding Kalia in her arms.
“Master. Is that the face you make when seeing your disciple after so long?”
“Did you leave the magic tower to live in such an unsightly house?”
“You’re still sulking. Shouldn’t you have become more broad-minded after living for a hundred years?”
Though he maintained an appearance not much different from Astrid’s, her master was a grand magician over a hundred years old.
Honestly, except for his white hair, he didn’t look that old.
“The fact that I haven’t killed that man yet already shows how broad-minded I am.”
Astrid was the first disciple Eckle had taken after turning 90, and Eckle, who had doted on this genius disciple he found in his old age, greatly disliked Ferik.
Of course, Ferik also disliked Eckle, Astrid’s only master.
Astrid knew this fact well, but she didn’t really care whether their relationship was bad or not.
It wasn’t a relationship that would improve with her efforts anyway.
As long as they didn’t kill each other, that was enough. What else could she do?
From Astrid’s perspective, she had done her duty just by keeping secret from her master the fact that she had almost died from being caught in Basilinte’s curse.
Had he known, either Ferik would have died at her master’s hands, or Ferik, in defending himself, would have killed her master; one of them would no longer be in this world.
“What broad-mindedness from someone who’s been sulking and not visiting their only disciple? Honestly, if Kalia hadn’t awakened her magical power this time, you would have stayed cooped up in the magic tower and never visited.”
“You abandoned this old master first and went to that man! After all I did to raise you!”
As the quite handsome Eckle burst out in anger, the servants glanced at them with anxious eyes.
Because if they hadn’t heard beforehand that he was Astrid’s master, the two would have looked like they were having a lovers’ quarrel at first glance.
“Yes, yes. But you still love me, don’t you?”
She waved her hand dismissively and abruptly held out the deeply sleeping Kalia in front of him.
“Anyway, this is my daughter Kalia. She awakened with ‘fire’ this time, and of course I won’t be sending her to the magic tower, and what else was there…”
Thinking it was enough just to have shown her to Eckle, Astrid took Kalia back into her arms and turned toward the stairs again, adding.
“Let’s talk about the rest upstairs. There’s a lot to discuss.”
Eckle, who had never once won against his disciple, grumbled as he followed his still willful disciple despite meeting her after a long time.
“What about your disciple? You bragged about how kind and pretty they were, but why don’t I see them?”
“Ah, our Leti.”
Astrid’s voice was calm.
But Eckle, who had raised her, sensed something ominous in that calm voice.
“Our lovely, pretty, kind, cute baby…”
Click, the door they had entered locked.
Astrid turned to her master and smiled.
Raindrops violently beat against the window behind her. Soon, flash, lightning struck.
In the backlighting of the lightning, only Astrid’s blue eyes gleamed eerily.
“I’m going to retrieve them now. Get ready, Master.”
The hundred-year-old monster of the magic tower, Grand Magician Eckle, the only one in the current generation capable of spatial movement, flinched as he met his insane disciple’s eyes.
W-why am I…?

***

[Going. Protect.]
Colin found a note placed on his forehead when he woke up in the morning and trembled violently.
It looked especially ominous with a bit of blood stained on the edge.
It was around the time when the news he had sent about the “Prince” being here would have arrived at the main Basilinte castle, so the existence of this note felt rather unsettling.
Trembling with anxiety, he went outside, and the source of his anxiety, who was sitting at the table displaying unrealistically beautiful looks from early morning, asked.
“Hmm? What’s that? I can sense magical power from it?”
Colin was silent for a moment at the question about the note in his hand.
So it is from the main castle.
‘Then what about the blood stained on this note? Is it a warning that they’ll kill me if I don’t protect him properly?’
“…It seems to be a note from Lady Astrid.”
“…?”
Leticia tilted her head.
Even though the curse had been broken and magical power had returned, did her master know how to use teleportation magic? She was pretty sure her master had said she couldn’t do that either.
“Even if it’s just a note, they teleported it here from the main castle? No way.”
Unless they squeezed a hundred-year-old grand magician until he coughed blood, that wouldn’t be possible.
Leticia shook her head and cleared away her breakfast.
“Don’t you also supply to the magic tower? Maybe it’s from there?”
When supplying the magic tower, one would see servants doing menial work, not magicians. Magicians were such rare beings.
“Anyway, shall I prepare breakfast for you? I’ve already eaten.”
“No. Please don’t do any labor in this house…”
“…? Is this really such a big deal?”
Colin wasn’t one to indulge in luxury, but he wasn’t particularly frugal either.
For the convenience of commuting, he had purchased a modest and pretty two-story mansion on the central avenue of the capital, where land prices were insane, and on the first floor lived an elderly couple who took care of the household chores like cooking and cleaning.
So even if Leticia said she would prepare breakfast, all she would do was bring up the food and dishes made by the old lady from downstairs.
Leticia looked strangely at Colin, who flinched even at the sight of her holding just a plate.
“I don’t want to die for the trivial reason of eating a meal you prepared…”
“I didn’t poison it.”
“No. Master Chamuka will kill me.”
“Suddenly?”
“Just by staying alone with you in the same house, my life is already in danger.”
Colin stared with resigned eyes at Leticia, who didn’t understand his words at all, then slumped onto the table.
He wanted to have her stay somewhere else, but gave up thinking that such radiant beauty couldn’t be hidden anyway.
If that precious body got hurt by mistake, his life would be in even more danger.
“Even if Master Chamuka is a bit possessive, surely…”
Most of the “surely” that comes from your mouth turns out to be true.
Colin, who had been lying weakly, quickly raised his head at the sound of the door opening ominously.
Alarmingly, the beautiful boy wearing Colin’s borrowed clothes had put on a cloak.
“Where are you going?!”
“Just to the inn where Aina is.”
“Why!”
“Because I have something to talk about…? If you had let me bring Aina here in the first place, I wouldn’t need to go out, but you’re the one who wouldn’t let me bring her.”
“That, that’s…! If I brought that maid here, you would spend more than 8 hours alone with her in this house after I leave for work! Then both me, who allowed it and that maid would face catastrophe! Destruction!”
Is work very stressful these days? Why is he acting like this?
“Don’t go! Come back!”
Leticia left Colin’s house, leaving behind Colin, who didn’t seem quite sane.
Of course, Colin tried to stop her, but honestly, all he could do was plead.
Forcibly keeping her in the house?
If even Basilinte couldn’t do that, how could a mere merchant?
Meanwhile, Leticia just clicked her tongue at Colin’s description of Chamuka as “a madman who would kill anyone if provoked” as she went to meet Aina.
And when she met Aina, she briefly complained about his behavior.
“I don’t understand why he’s been so afraid of Master Chamuka since childhood. That guy.”
You’re the only one who doesn’t know.
Aina remained quietly silent.