“Wouldn’t you agree?”

Helix covered his mouth. Somehow, he felt he couldn’t control his expression.

“To the lady, you’re practically her lifeline.”

At the Master’s continued words, Helix’s mouth twitched and stiffened again.

“…Right. Leah must be anxious. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Hearing the guilt in his voice, the Master spoke soothingly.

“Why don’t you try to make it up to her?”

“How do you mean?”

“For example…”

***

Deep inside Dragonlord Azura’s lair, in the magic library.

Leah visited this place again. Helix had said he would find her a book about dual cores.

‘Ugh. I’ve been running away for days because I didn’t want to face Helix.’

She felt her face burn with embarrassment just thinking about how she had lashed out with words like “old person” and “ancestor” at someone who was still trying to adjust after being imprisoned for hundreds of years. She couldn’t face Helix after what she’d done.

So she had been avoiding him, but Helix brought her here saying ‘Now that you’ve become a dual core, shouldn’t we make use of it?’

‘He’s right, so I couldn’t avoid it…!’

Apart from feeling embarrassed and sorry, it was true that she needed to grow quickly as a mage.

Leah tried hard not to look at Helix as she raised her head.

The enormous library filled her vision, with ancient bookshelves stacked like towers. While her heart fluttered at the impressive sight, she couldn’t help but tense up as she remembered the magic elevator.

Just then, a fresh scent wafted by.

Helix had moved to stand right next to Leah. He spoke toward the library.

[Dual core.]

His fingers briefly touched her hand that had gone cold with tension before pulling away.

Pong.

As mana warmly heated her hand, the air in front of the library rippled.

“…Huh?”

A ramp of light was forming, spiraling up around the massive tower of books.

Helix extended his hand.

“Let’s go up.”

“Huh? Oh, right?”

Leah dazedly took the hand in front of her and followed his lead. As soon as they stepped onto the edge of the light ramp, it began to move slowly.

“…An escalator?”

She muttered to herself before suddenly turning her head toward him.

“Helix, how did you do this? It’s different from last time?”

“I changed the settings for ascending the tower so you wouldn’t be scared.”

Leah’s eyes widened.

“Is that possible when you’re not even the lair’s owner?”

“It’s nothing special.”

Helix said gruffly, then added.

“I am a guardian, after all. It only took three days.”

‘…You spent three whole days working on changing this?’

Her eyes wavered with guilt and gratitude. As she looked up at him speechlessly, Helix asked with a tense expression.

“How is it, Leah? Less scary? Is it manageable?”

“What do you mean manageable?”

Leah squeezed his hand tight.

“It’s really amazing, isn’t it? It’s incredible? Whoever did this is so thoughtful, and kind, and reliable?”

“…Do I deserve such praise?”

“Of course. You’re my one and only contractor in the world.”

Helix’s hand tightened.

It was strange.

Though her hand was so small and white that it seemed it would break if he squeezed too hard. How could its owner lift and drop him with just a single word?

He fiddled with Leah’s hand absently as he spoke.

“Leah, I’m not good with words and I’m an old person, so I can’t express my feelings well like you.”

“No, that was me getting emotional… I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s true that I’m from old times. But please know this.”

Helix said.

“I am living here, by your side, now.”

“…”

“So I hope you won’t feel anxious.”

He felt her squeeze his hand harder at his words. It was a movement that contained all of her nature – weak yet desperate, and bold.

He found it lovable, wanted to protect it, wanted to help it.

“I’m here beside you, aren’t I? It suits you better to live freely and boldly, doing what you want.”

She wanted to shake her head.

Wanted to say she didn’t believe it.

When the contract ends, you’ll leave. When dragons appear, you’ll go seek revenge.

But such thoughts disappeared before Helix’s earnest gaze, and what filled Leah in this moment was a joy she wasn’t even conscious of.

“Here it is, the book about dual cores.”

Helix pulled out a glowing book.

As Leah reached out to take it, he hesitated for a moment.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t it a book?”

Leah pulled up Helix’s hand holding the book and flipped it open. She noticed something tucked in the middle of the thick book.

It was a bookmark that sparkled transparently in various colors like a jewel.

“It’s pretty. What’s it made of? Crystal? Mana stone?”

“Do you like it?”

Despite his words, Helix’s face was slightly stiff.

“This is a fragment of Azura’s mana.”

“You mean the Dragonlord who owned this place? That big lizard who kept you imprisoned?”

Leah’s eyes narrowed.

“The original owner of your dragon mana might try to intimidate you again. I prepared this, but… I’m not sure if I should give you this mana.”

“Why? If it’s from a Dragonlord, wouldn’t it be super powerful mana?”

“I don’t like giving you the mana of Azura, my enemy. But this is the only dragon mana I can get right now…”

His voice trailed off as he let out a soft sigh.

“I wanted to give you something most precious and safe, Leah.”

The large man sighing with his gruff expression looked cute. Leah smiled and swung their joined hands.

“Who says you can’t express yourself?”

Gray eyes focused on her, waiting for her next words. Leah met his gaze and smiled.

“When you pack your sincerity so tightly and say only pretty words like this.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It is.”

Helix smiled back, seemingly relieved.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“How could I not?”

Leah wrinkled her nose. A playful smile spread across her face.

“Find me other magic books too. I want to look at them with you.”

“Of course.”

***

Flutter flutter.

Leah waved the bookmark while rolling around on her bed.

It was very pretty how it shone with different lights every time she moved it.

“My lady, what is that?”

Janet, who was massaging her legs, asked.

“Helix gave it to me, isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s pretty but a bit scary.”

Leah smiled knowingly.

“Janet, you have good instincts. Maybe you should try learning magic?”

“Oh no, not me.”

Janet waved her hands.

“My lady, you can shoot flames and such. I’m too scared to do things like you do.”

“There must be other magic besides fire magic.”

“I prefer just listening to your stories after you use magic.”

“Then I’ll have to do well so I can tell Janet stories.”

Which means I should make better use of the dual core too. Leah fell into thought while poking her lips with the corner of the bookmark.

The magic book about dual cores.

The book went on at length explaining how humans who possessed two mana cores became excellent archmages, and how their magic was so powerful it even surpassed dragons.

While she was reading with excitement, she came across some scary parts too.

‘Dual core… it really was a double-edged sword.’

In terms of her past life, it was like an ultra-powerful engine with terrible fuel efficiency.

While it produces tremendous output, mana wears out quickly, so you always have to pay attention to mana supply.

In places lacking mana, magic efficiency drops significantly, and in the worst case, the overheated mana cores compete for mana and break, causing the mage to lose their life.

‘Ugh, how scary.’

She became a mage to live a long healthy life, she couldn’t die in such a horrible way.

‘Looks like I need to stick close to Helix. I should have just made our contract a subordination one back then!’

While thinking such exploitative thoughts and pondering various things with the bookmark in hand, Janet spoke to her.

“My lady must be thinking about magic. You’re always so busy these days.”

“It’s not much. I can still help work out Janet’s muscle knots.”

“Still, please rest a bit more. Since coming to the North, you’ve been so focused on magic training that you haven’t had much chance to look around, right?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Her life had been limited to going between the dragon’s lair, the Hel Mountains, and the villa.

‘This is like the work-academy-home route. I lived like this in my past life too, what’s this about.’

Though it couldn’t be helped, it made her feel bitter.

‘I emphasized health because I wanted to live well wielding the silver spoon I was born with in this life!’

Yet while regaining her health, learning magic, dealing with monsters, and saving children, she had barely done any comfortable sightseeing.

“So my lady.”

Janet carefully brought up the topic. She said that every year after the harvest in her hometown village, they have a modest festival with food and drinks.

“A festival?”

“Yes. It’s not big and fancy enough for you to see, my lady, but it’s quite lively. You should get some fresh air too. Please come with Helix.”

“Wouldn’t I just get in the way of the festival if I go?”

“Oh no, not at all! Everyone will brag to their grandchildren about enjoying the festival with someone like you, my lady. My sister will be happy too.”

Leah was intrigued.

‘A village festival with Helix, that sounds fun.’

She wanted to check on Louise’s herb garden too, and was curious about how Lord Dylan was adapting to his guard duties.

“Then shall we go check it out?”

***

“My lady! Helix! You came together!”

Louise ran out with a bright smile to welcome them. Baby Jo, who had grown even chubbier, also welcomed them with a beaming smile while holding onto the doorframe.

“Sis!”

“Jo, you can’t be so rude to the lady.”

“Pretty sis!”

Leah waved her hand at Louise, who was troubled by Jo’s persistent welcome.

“It’s fine. This baby will go far in life with such good social skills.”

“Leah, while it’s true that you’re pretty, calling you a pretty sister isn’t necessarily good social skills.”

Leah burst out laughing at Helix’s serious observation.