“Let’s go out for a bit together.”

He looked over Leah’s all-black attire.

No matter how you looked at it, it screamed ‘I’m about to do something suspicious.’

“Where are you going all wrapped up like that?”

“You know that place where they said monsters appeared? Knight Biden said it was in the village northeast of the villa.”

“…”

Helix stared at Leah intently.

At his gaze that clearly said ‘I thought you weren’t going to help,’ Leah cleared her throat.

“Ahem, well, I’m not exactly going to help the villagers.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I just want to practice magic.”

So this was what she meant by having something up her sleeve.

As Helix smiled faintly, she became embarrassed and tried to change the subject.

“I’m not going to help, really. Just feeling a bit responsible… Anyway, let’s go together.”

Helix hesitated for a moment.

He had felt bitter earlier seeing Leah also swayed by political logic, thinking nobles will be nobles after all.

But here she was, heavily armed in the middle of the night.

“…Let’s go together.”

His answer came late because he felt sorry for doubting her briefly.

“Great, then let’s get ready and head out.”

Leah said.

“The knights guarding the villa’s back door will be changing shifts soon. We need to slip out during that gap.”

The owner trying to breach her own house’s security.

Helix chuckled.

“Leah, you’re meticulous in unexpected ways.”

“I feel like I just got subtly insulted.”

“It’s a compliment.”

***

“Still, you did well to think of calling me to go together.”

“Killing two birds with one stone.”

The two walked quickly after secretly slipping out of the villa.

“I was worried since it seems the monsters crossed over when the barrier was broken.”

“I felt the same.”

“That’s why I asked you to come along.”

Leah continued.

“Besides, this is my first time fighting monsters, seemed dangerous to go alone.”

“Good thinking. Though I’m not that reliable a partner right now…”

“What?”

She looked at him incredulously.

“Partner, you’re being too modest? You protected me from that dog monster last time too?”

“That was dangerous.”

Helix’s expression hardened slightly.

“I shot mana to stop it but didn’t expect the monster to get back up… I was careless. I shouldn’t have thought like when I had my old powers.”

What’s this?

Leah recalled how he had shot mana like a martial arts master. That was without power?

‘Then what was he like when he had all his power?’

Just then.

Guooo…

A monster’s howl pierced the night air.

“H-help me!”

A human scream followed.

Leah and Helix started running at the same time without hesitation.

Grrrr.

In the forest they rushed to, a bear-like monster was about to strike down a hunter. Leah reflexively stretched out her hand.

“Fireball!”

A fireball shot from her fingertips and hit the monster’s head.

Kueoook!

As the monster staggered, clutching its blazing head, a second attack struck.

Kuok!

The monster let out a single cry and turned to flee.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Just as a large fireball was forming in Leah’s hand.

Kwajik!

Kwaddeuk!

With the sound of trees being brutally snapped, another monster lunged at Leah from a different direction.

“Leah!”

There was a sense of déjà vu.

Helix blocking her front.

The dawn’s north wind clashed with the heat rising from Leah’s flames. The strong, acrid wind made Helix’s long silver hair and robe hem flutter.

He turned to look at Leah.

His elegant and cool face was full of dismay.

“Leah, get away!”

She reached out as if entranced.

Kwaboom!

There wasn’t just one or two monsters approaching behind Helix.

Pung! Kwaboom!

Leah gritted her teeth and rapid-fired Fireballs at them.

“I told you to run!”

“If I run away alone, what about you?”

When Helix knocked monsters down with mana, Leah attacked them with fire magic.

“More will keep coming! Your magic is getting weaker too, isn’t it?”

Helix was right. The flames that had initially turned monsters into complete charcoal were gradually losing power.

Kwaaah!

The monsters with their heads and shoulders on fire roared. Leah grabbed Helix’s sleeve and said firmly.

“Let’s bolt.”

Helix also gave up on trying to make her evacuate alone.

“There’s a stream nearby.”

He grabbed Leah’s hand and started running.

Kuooo!

The monsters, still burning but not dead, kept chasing.

Leah glanced back and was terrified. The pressure was like huge fireballs the size of bears rolling after them.

She unconsciously squeezed Helix’s hand tight.

Helix said.

“Don’t worry. I smell water. The stream will appear soon.”

“You can smell water?”

As Leah asked in surprise, she too heard the sound of water.

The two ran gritting their teeth, but were dumbfounded when they saw the source of the water sound.

“This isn’t a stream… it’s a river?”

And it was a river at the bottom of a cliff.

Kwaaauoo!

The monsters, certain of catching them, howled like in triumph.

They approached the two leisurely, like looking at prey they’d already caught.

“Stay back!”

Leah raised a Fireball in one hand threateningly.

Pause.

The monsters that had briefly stopped now came closer without hesitation. Their eyes said what could you do with a cliff behind you?

“These guys really…”

Leah’s blue eyes flashed brightly.

As she changed her expression and stretched out her hand, one monster leaped out from the group.

Kyaak!

“Leah!”

Almost simultaneously with the Fireball hitting the monster, it shot something from its mouth. Helix pulled Leah back and took the slime attack in her place.

“Helix!”

The robe hit by the slime was melting as if burning.

“Oh no, did it touch your skin?”

“I’m fine. This much is… ugh!”

He let out an involuntary groan.

“Are you in pain?!”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Helix replied but quickly raised his robe sleeve in front of Leah.

Kyaaak!

Though his sleeve was crumpling from the monster’s slime, he paid no attention and blocked Leah with his body.

Kyaak!

Kyaaak!

Her ears hurt from the monsters’ triumphant cries, and the tattered robe hem fluttered on Helix who stood protecting her.

“These bastards…”

Leah muttered darkly as she raised her hand.

“You’re all dead! Firestorm!”

Kwagwang!!!

Flames exploded outward with Leah at the center.

The monsters flew like burning leaves at the unexpected form of attack.

Helix grabbed Leah who was half out of her mind from casting large-scale magic for the first time.

There was no other choice.

Helix held Leah tight against his body and jumped.

Splash!

***

A man watching that scene from afar gaped.

“…Self-destruction?”

Though it wasn’t completely thoughtless since there was a river behind, normal people wouldn’t cause a flame explosion that could engulf themselves.

‘There was no information that Lady Leah Piert had a reckless personality when angered.’

Even after being trained as a spy and entering the Piert Ducal Family, he hadn’t sensed such tendencies.

The man rubbed his eyes and checked where Leah had been again.

Firestorm.

True to its name, charred monsters lay scattered in the clearing swept by the flame storm.

“Whew…”

Magic, of all things.

He’d wondered what she was up to, sneaking out of the villa in disguise at night, but she was attacking monsters with magic.

And when chased by a pack of monsters, she caused a self-destructive flame storm with her back to the river.

What had Count Trow said when placing him as a spy?

‘She’s a girl raised sheltered by the Piert Ducal Family and physically weak. She must have many vulnerabilities.’

She wasn’t without vulnerabilities.

It’s just that you might end up charred if caught trying to find them.

The spy shook his head.

“I should follow them.”

He muttered in an unconsciously excited voice.

Since that man had grabbed and jumped into the river with her, the lady would probably be safe.

“…”

The smile hanging on the spy’s lips faded.

Looking in the direction where Leah had disappeared, he got up.

Swoosh.

His figure vanished in an instant.

***

Leah had secretly trusted Helix.

‘If the fire gets too big, he’ll jump with me!’

But she hadn’t expected this.

Blink.

She closed and opened her eyes at the scene before her.

Even after blinking, what she saw was a cave, and beside her was Helix.

Leah’s eyes trembled.

Being soaking wet and alone with him in a narrow cave.

“Um…”

“You’re awake.”

She nodded and sat up properly.

“Where is this?”

“Inside a cave by the river.”

So we are by the riverside after all.

Leah looked around the small cave and muttered.

“I thought we’d cross to the other side of the river when we jumped…”

“The current was too strong.”

Helix said while roughly pushing back his wet silver hair.

“You fainted as soon as you hit the water.”

“Oh no.”

He said he’d found this cave by the river while swimming with Leah.

“You must have had such trouble…”

“What can I do when my contractor is weak.”

He clicked his tongue looking at Leah whose lips had turned blue.

“Weak, yet so rash.”

“But you got hit by poison… ouch.”

Helix’s long cold finger lightly poked her cheek.

“Excuse me.”

Pong.

Mana spread from her cheek.

The trembling of her lips that had been chattering without her realizing stopped.

“…Next time could you tell me before healing?”

“How about not creating situations that need healing next time.”

She had nothing to say to that.

“I’m not confident.”

“Be more careful. My heart won’t last because of you, Leah.”

Leah’s ears burned at the sudden words.

“Leah, what’s wrong?”

“Uh. Um. Uh… c-cold…?”

Helix nodded.

“You probably used up all the mana stored in your circle with that magic earlier.”

“Yeah. Maybe that’s why. Still feeling cold.”

As she tried to change the subject, she suddenly asked.

“Helix, are you okay from the monster poison earlier?”

At Leah’s words, Helix turned around and started taking off his clothes.

“…Eek?”