Cromwell had suffered countless injuries worse than this. Yet strangely, he didn’t think she was being foolish.

Lorelai rummaged through her pocket with trembling hands. While he silently watched her actions with curiosity, a white handkerchief emerged from it.

When he simply stared at the object whose purpose he couldn’t determine, Lorelai slightly furrowed her brow. He didn’t find it disrespectful.

As if resolving herself to something, she bit her lower lip firmly and pressed the handkerchief against Cromwell’s neck.

“How could you let yourself bleed.”

She spoke in a distressed tone.

He couldn’t understand why she was acting this way when she wasn’t the one injured.

This wasn’t something to be upset about. While thinking this internally, one corner of his heart strangely softened.

“Weren’t you cheering for Cipher.”

Cromwell asked her as she frowned and pressed against his neck. It was only a few weeks ago that she had tried to dissuade him, asking if he was serious about facing his opponent.

That single comment seemed to release the tension enveloping her body, and Lorelai exclaimed in shock.

“No, Michael isn’t injured!”

This unprecedented reaction greatly improved his mood.

If she saw Michael up close properly, she wouldn’t say such things. Cromwell thought while looking at Lorelai.

But he had no intention of showing her Michael’s condition and adding to her worry.

After finishing her words, Lorelai pressed harder on his neck, angry. When Cromwell let out a groan pretending to be in pain, she panicked and loosened her grip.

It was amusing to see her reactions.

“It would be more appropriate to worry about yourself than me.”

But now wasn’t the time to banter with her.

Cromwell called for Caligo, who arrived shortly after.

After examining Lorelai’s body from various angles, Caligo grabbed her wrist and asked.

“So, miss, you took a direct hit from the aura?”

“……I was far away though?”

“Oh my? You certainly have a way with words.”

Caligo wrinkled one eyebrow.

“If you’d been close, you would have fainted.”

“But I didn’t, did I?”

Lorelai retorted impudently.

Her hands, which had been finely trembling, visibly regained stability.

Seemingly more comfortable now, she exhaled deeply.

With a good sense for magic, she repeatedly clenched and unclenched her hands as if trying to grasp the traces of magical energy remaining in her body.

Then she asked Caligo, who was about to leave,

“Aren’t you going to treat the Duke?”

Lorelai acted as if this was a procedure that naturally had to be followed, unlike the two men who hadn’t even considered it.

It was a distinctly different mindset from everyone else—including Cromwell himself—who didn’t pay attention, thinking that being strong meant healing would happen on its own.

Whether it was kindness flowing from her unconscious or a habit ingrained in her body. Though he couldn’t tell which, Lorelai often treated him like an ordinary person.

Cromwell didn’t find such treatment particularly unpleasant.

Caligo, knowing well that this level of injury was fine for him, looked at Lorelai again as if double-checking instead of performing unnecessary treatment.

“What treatment would he need……”

“Oh, he’s bleeding right now, isn’t he?”

Lorelai responded with slight irritation, as if she’d heard nonsense.

She urged Caligo by patting his arm repeatedly, telling him to hurry.

“Good grief. She’s rough.”

Caligo complained incredulously at this treatment he was experiencing for the first time.

“A grand mage, of all people……”

“Because you’re a grand mage, you should use that talent for non-mages.”

She didn’t yield a single word.

Cromwell expected Caligo to make an expression like ‘Why am I even here?’ and as predicted, he made a dumbfounded face.

“Well……, then I’ll begin……”

Though he often received such treatment in wartime situations, it was admittedly awkward to receive it when not between life and death, when conscious and with limbs intact.

Caligo pressed his neck briefly as if performing a completely unnecessary act, and the wound Michael had made disappeared instantly.

Watching this action from the side, Lorelai smiled contentedly.

✧ʚ .·:¨༺♡༻¨:·. ɞ✧

His neck became smooth as if there had never been a wound.

‘Phew.’

Though not a life-threatening injury, seeing blood still made my heart sink.

‘Thankfully Caligo was here.’

With the treatment finished, I thought this would conclude matters, but the conversation between Cromwell and Caligo grew increasingly longer.

‘They’ve completely forgotten about me.’

Naturally, I was curious about what they were whispering about in front of me.

The two of them were intently staring at something in Caligo’s hand.

Just as I was wondering what they were looking at so seriously, Caligo spoke.

“About this button, I’ve got nothing.”

A rare sense of defeat could be read in his expression.

On his palm was a small silver button with a somewhat familiar pattern engraved on it.

“What is that?”

“A button. From the intruder.”

Caligo answered.

The intruder’s button? It’s just part of clothing, isn’t it?

Just as I was experiencing cognitive dissonance watching them treat this ominous object, which should be thrown away without regret, with such care……

—Traces of a spell were found on the silver button fastening the mask. It’s a spell that kills once the mission is complete.

That button must be this one.

Caligo, remembering my presence a beat late, showed me the button instead of continuing the conversation while ignoring me.

He seemed to be hoping to get a flash of inspiration from me. He must be quite stuck without any leads about the button.

“It has a spell cast on it.”

Caligo added an explanation.

“I know from what I heard before. Can I touch it?”

“That’s dangerous……!”

“Oh, she can touch it. Miss, go ahead and touch it all you want.”

Two contradictory responses came out. Cromwell was against it, while Caligo said it was fine.

I wasn’t sure whose advice to follow.

It depends exactly on what curse is cast on it, but come to think of it, it’s a spell that kills after the mission is complete……

‘In the game, it just reduced mental power a bit, but still.’

It’s difficult to touch something readily when it’s related to death.

“……”

These days, I trust Cromwell more than Caligo.

“Are you experimenting on me? Trying to see if a regular person dies from touching it or not.”

When I withdrew my hand with suspicious eyes, Caligo jumped up as if feeling wronged.

“Miss, even I have principles. No matter what, would I let you touch something dangerous? Just touching it briefly is fine.”

“……”

The problem is that he’s fundamentally a person without principles……

“Cromwell. You touch it.”

Caligo said when I didn’t move an inch.

“The Duke is the Duke, though.”

He’s someone with a different durability from ordinary people to begin with. Seeing Cromwell touch it wouldn’t change my mind.

“Aura can’t counter spells. Maybe magical power or holy power could.”

Caligo explained as if talking to a five-year-old child.

‘I feel a bit sorry now.’

“Alright.”

Seeing him speak like that, he seems sincere.

I took the button before Cromwell could stop me.

Fortunately, my health and mental stats didn’t budge.

The button seemed ordinary at first glance.

The silver button didn’t match the man’s shabby attire. It was the one flaw.

—We’re assuming there’s someone behind this.

Cromwell’s words seem correct.

Not expecting an answer from me, Caligo gestured as if to say ‘If you’re done looking, hand it back.’

‘In the game, if the spell caster was alive, it would glow.’

Objects with spells cast on them—in other words, mediums—emitted an eerie light.

“Ah, wait a moment.”

It was difficult to see that light outdoors under the bright sunlight.

I covered the button with my other hand to block the light, then created a small gap to check inside again.

‘As expected.’

A faint light emanated around the inscription engraved on the button.

“The spell caster is still alive, right?”

After confirming, I handed the button to Caligo and spoke.

“……”

“……”

I’m giving him the button he’s been asking for, so I don’t understand why there’s no response.

Come to think of it, Cromwell was also looking at me strangely.

How long did this awkward silence last? Caligo finally spoke.

“……Miss, you know quite a bit about spells, don’t you?”

Hearing those words, I belatedly realized one important fact.

In this world, it’s strange to know a lot about spells.

Just now, I had very naturally confirmed whether the spell caster was alive or not.

The concept I had been maintaining so well was crumbling.

Caligo put aside his consistently playful attitude and narrowed the distance between us, emanating k*lling intent.

♡Caligo Gaudium: The lady being a spell caster… I’m truly disappointed.

……Mages dislike spell casters.

Even saying they dislike them is an understatement.

Mages abhor spell casters second only to clergy.

Because they consider spells to be heretical to magic……

“Do you have a connection to spells, Miss?”

Caligo asked in a low voice.