Chapter 30

A wave of relief spread through Elodia’s heart. She nodded briefly.

“I am fine.”

“D*mn….”

Sierd looked down at the man whose jaw had been struck and who was now lying on the floor, while Elodia was quickly helped up by Jack. The man spat on the floor and pushed himself up with his hands.

“You bastard….”

Smack!

But he was immediately knocked down again.

“Ugh….”

Smack!

After several blows to his jaw, the man was left sprawled, powerless.

Elodia stared blankly at him, then looked up.

A tall man, whose powerful build couldn’t be hidden even by his thick coat, finally pulled his hands from his pockets. As he turned around, his gaze bore into Elodia.

“Are you all right, Elodia?”

As he was about to leave the cabin, he took hold of his sword.

“It just so happens I needed an example of what happens when someone touches the Fernande Ducal House. This works out well.”

* * *

“Isaac! Weren’t you going on a trip? Are you really leaving?”

Thierry, dressed as a vacationer, shouted at Isaac.

“When would I ever have time for a leisurely trip?”

“Uh, um… Weren’t you here to find your daughter?”

“That’s right, but she’s not here. Duke Fernande is a nuisance, too.”

“Oh, that. Is it because of the wide-area block? I heard the Duchess was kidnapped, so what can you do?”

“Why would a wide-area block be deployed because the Duchess was kidnapped? There’s no connection.”

“Hey, do you really think the Duke would waste his time keeping you in check or trying to compete with you by deploying a wide-area block?”

“He might.”

Isaac crossed his arms and nodded with a serious expression.

Thierry looked at him as if he were pathetic.

“Just assume they were attacked by a mage. There seem to be a lot of foreigners among the passengers.”

“Whatever. I almost missed the code tracking my daughter’s mana. We’re heading back. Pack your things.”

“We? We?!”

Thierry gestured at his flashy vacation outfit and asked again.

Isaac clicked his tongue.

“You’re not an attack-type mage, so what will you do alone? Seems there are impure people on board, so if you want to stay alive, follow me.”

“Oh, you worry about me? I’m touched to know you thought of me as a friend…”

Thierry wiped his nose and obediently followed Isaac. Life was precious, after all.

Isaac paused, turned around, then resumed walking.

“Worry… I’m worried who’ll do my work if you’re gone. That’s what I’m worried about.”

“…Am I your sl*ve? Huh? Do you think I stay in the Mage Tower because I like you?!”

“Too bad if that’s not the case.”

The two bickered as they walked down the corridor. Meanwhile, Kelvin, who was hiding behind a door, curved his lips into a smile.

‘He was getting on my nerves anyway. This works out well.’

There was no longer any need to lure Sierd using Elodia or Cesar as bait. Besides, they were always heavily guarded and surrounded, making even an abduction difficult.

‘If Duke Fernande dies right after a large-scale mana operation in a suspicious situation, the Mage Tower Master won’t be able to avoid responsibility…’

It was very difficult to lure away and deal with the three while avoiding the Tower Master’s eyes.

‘Now that they’re leaving, things will get easier.’

Kelvin no longer needed to hide his strength. He clenched and unclenched his fist, determined to make a move on the stage.

‘I haven’t had any contact with the assassins, but just in case, it’s best to act before anyone catches on.’

If things went wrong, Kelvin would just pull off one big job and flee the Empire. After all, unless it was a very special case, the Tower Master wouldn’t leave the Empire. What mattered to him was something else, and his priorities would never change.

Kelvin supported the back of his head with interlocked fingers. Then, whistling, he headed toward the engine room.

* * *

After roughly sorting out the situation, Elodia returned to her cabin with difficulty.

As soon as Cesar fell asleep, she slumped onto the bed. Sierd glanced at her, then approached. Sitting beside her, he suddenly grasped her sleeve.

“Excuse me, Elodia.”

His gaze was persistent, lingering on her reddened skin—the marks left by the rope.

“Give me your hand.”

“Here.”

Elodia hesitantly offered her hand to Sierd, glancing around.

The distance was uncomfortably close, and the atmosphere was quiet.

Sierd, having prepared a first aid kit at some point, took out disinfectant and began cleaning her wound. When Elodia flinched, he didn’t forget to check her expression.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“No. Just… it stings a little.”

After Sierd finished disinfecting the wound, Elodia broke the silence.

“I didn’t know you had such a gentle side.”

“I’ve always been a gentle person.”

“……”

Sierd applied ointment, wrapped a bandage, and then got off the bed.

Elodia stared at him with wide eyes, then suddenly placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Get up!”

“……”

Sierd looked at her, puzzled.

Elodia spoke in a flustered tone.

“A-aren’t you going to treat my ankle?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, shouldn’t I just stretch my knee like this?”

“Ah.”

Elodia lifted her leg from below the bed onto the bed.

Sierd hesitated, then covered her bare leg with his jacket and sat on the edge.

Elodia fiddled with his jacket.

“I’ll admit you’re really attentive.”

Sierd smiled faintly, placed her ankle on his thigh.

“Uh…”

So that’s why he covered her with his jacket.

She scooted closer to him.

While sitting there, tense, the treatment was finished before she knew it. They’d already taken turns washing up before putting Cesar to bed, so now it was time to sleep… Yet the bedroom, filled with a strange heat, felt stuffy, and sleep wouldn’t come.

“Ahem. Thanks for treating me. I’ll turn off the light now.”

She cleared her throat and spoke.

Click.

The light went out, darkness filled the room. Elodia and Sierd lay down with Cesar between them.

“Sierd, thank you so much for today. Honestly, I was a little scared. I didn’t believe anyone would come to rescue me, so I was late in thanking you. I mean, our relationship is… based on interests, right?”

“Your subordinate was wiping away tears—was that just because of interests?”

“If you mean Jack, maybe he was worried about losing his job.”

“That’s not entirely wrong, but there was genuine concern for you, too.”

“…Was there?”

“People don’t feel only one emotion at a time. You must have felt it, too.”

“…….”

Although Elodia and Sierd were bound together as a couple by interests, it seemed that Sierd’s act of rescuing her was also driven by genuine concern for her. Elodia realized that, just as he said, she had felt complex emotions at the time.

‘For example, even in the midst of fear, I thought of Sierd.’

For a moment, she missed him dearly. But she decided not to confess that particular feeling.

“Well… Good night, Sierd.”

“Have pleasant dreams.”

Knowing what his wish for pleasant dreams meant, Elodia smiled silently.

“You too. It’d be nice if you dreamed of me.”

At least, she was sure that if she appeared in his dream, it wouldn’t be a nightmare.

She replied playfully, and Sierd let out a soft laugh.

After making sure Cesar was properly covered with the blanket, Elodia finally closed her eyes in comfort.

But then…

Clunk.

“Huh?”

“……”

The vibration of the ship was felt, followed by a loud thud. It was similar to the vibration she felt when she was kidnapped, but a little different.

Recalling the explanation Sierd had given her earlier, Elodia asked with her eyes still closed.

“Is it you again this time?”

“……”

Sierd didn’t answer. As the silence stretched, she opened her eyes. Instinctively, she grabbed Cesar’s hand and sat up.

Meanwhile, Sierd turned on the light. He quickly dressed and grabbed his sword.

He looked out the window and answered.

“…No, it isn’t.”

At the same time, someone knocked on the cabin door.

“Guild Leader! Guild Leader, come out immediately!”