Male Lead, Don’t Follow Me! - Chapter 35

“Are you planning to leave for the capital right away?”

I asked him cautiously.

His departure would benefit us, but for some reason, I felt uneasy about it. Not that I had any desire to accompany him, of course.

“Ah, you should prepare too.”

“…Pardon?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We’re going together.”

Why is that obvious?

I gaped at Bishwaltz’s audacity.

“Weren’t we lovers? It doesn’t make sense to stay apart.”

Good heavens.

I shuddered at the words that came out of Bishwaltz’s mouth and stood up from my seat.

***

Returning to my room, I sat on the bed with a blank expression.

“What on earth was that madman blabbering about?”

I shivered, my whole body covered in goosebumps.

Flopping down on the bed, I soon found myself rolling around, suppressing a scream as if throwing a tantrum.

‘Argh! This is driving me crazy!’

Going round and round, we were back to square one. To think we’d be going back to the capital again.

If this was going to happen, why did they send us on a dispatch in the first place?

He was truly incomprehensible. I didn’t want to understand him, but wasn’t this too much?

As anger welled up, I started pummeling my pillow, hitting it repeatedly with my hands.

After thrashing about as if in silent meditation, I soon thought better of it and composed myself.

Actually, after beating it up a bit, my anger subsided.

“A saint, huh? Well, in a way, it’s a good thing. They can be lovey-dovey together, and Ephelia and I can just ignore them.”

After calmly thinking it through, my mind became surprisingly stable.

I wonder if I might have bipolar disorder.

It wouldn’t be strange if I had gone mad since falling into this place, but still, I wanted to end my life with a sound mind.

Yes, think positively.

My strength was gradually increasing, so maybe I’d be able to protect myself now.

Going up to the capital would make Mother happy too, so it’s a good thing.

Wrapping up the story with beautiful thoughts made me feel much lighter.

While packing my luggage, I hummed a tune, thinking that when I got home, I should go somewhere with Ephelia to rest.

***

“I suppose I’ll have to go and bring her back.”

“Archmage. We’ve received reports of a magical beast appearing.”

“…A magical beast?”

“They say it was seen in the Forbidden Forest.”

Nonsense.

Serhin didn’t agree with the magician’s words and received the letter.

Kiara is in another region now, so she couldn’t have an alibi for such mischief, who else could have played this cute prank?

His red eyes slowly read through the letter.

His calm expression quickly distorted, and the crumpled paper rolled on the floor.

“We’re going to the Forbidden Forest immediately.”

“Pardon?”

“Send word to the spirit users as well.”

“Understood! Surely you’re not planning to go alone?”

“Well, is there anyone here besides you and me?”

Serhin tied his hair irritably. The long strands flowing down were bothersome.

The situation was more serious than expected, and this time it might really be a magical beast.

‘Of all times, Ephelia is elsewhere now.’

If she were here, it would have been easier, but there was no time to think about such things now.

He shouldn’t have sent magicians everywhere for the investigation.

“I’ll buy some time for now, so come quickly.”

“Yes!”

The magician quickly disappeared. A strange light gleamed in Serhin’s red eyes.

This was beyond interesting and becoming quite troublesome, wasn’t it?

He disappeared from the magic tower with a short sigh.

***

The Forbidden Forest he arrived at had a distinctly different atmosphere than usual.

From the flow of mana to the foul smell permeating the air, it was an atmosphere where one could believe there really was a magical beast present.

“Ah, really. I’m such a diligent worker.”

Serhin trudged into the Forbidden Forest.

The forest, shrouded in darkness, gave no sign of life. It seemed to be quietly hiding, waiting for the right moment.

“Where could it be hiding?”

Though he had never encountered one before, it was clear that this would be quite challenging.

The appearance of a magical beast was not a good omen.

‘Well, the timing is certainly impeccable.’

A woman exuding a similar aura to the saint, and magical beasts appearing simultaneously.

If there is a god, they must surely love her. It’s like a divine message to work without rest.

“I wonder what the Imperial Family will say about this.”

He had reported it, but he was busy narrowing down opinions with the nobles. Crown Prince Liandore had said he already had a headache from that and told him to get lost quickly.

How could someone with such a foul personality hope to engage in politics?

Serhin clicked his tongue briefly and carefully surveyed the forest. It must be quite a cautious creature, no doubt.

“Let’s not waste time and finish this quickly.”

He rummaged through the forest with magic, searching for the magical beast. It seemed strong enough not to cower and hide, so why wasn’t it showing itself?

“At this rate, dawn will break.”

Serhin felt irritation creeping up on him. Suddenly, a burst of light shot up over the Forbidden Forest, illuminating it brightly.

At the same moment, the presence that had been hiding revealed itself and lunged at him.

“Big in size and quick to boot.”

He swiftly dodged and used magic. Despite the powerful spell, the magical beast seemed unaffected.

‘A higher-level magic than mine?’

No one knew how to use higher-level formulas than him, the Archmage of the Empire. Yet the inscriptions on the magical beast’s body were clearly superior magic.

“This has become troublesome.”

He tightly tied his hair and soared upwards, continuously unleashing attacks. The only solution was to keep destroying the magical formulas. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold out.

***

Everyone gathered in the living room at Bishwaltz’s sudden call. A frantic-looking magician handed over a letter and hurriedly urged them.

“It seems you need to go to the Forbidden Forest immediately.”

“Now?”

“A magical beast has appeared.”

“…A magical beast?”

Come on. What magical beast? They don’t even exist in the first place.

Last time, that was just fake traces I created, there was no real magical beast.

“You’re lying, right? It’s just Serhin trying to get us there quickly, isn’t it?”

“Lady Ephelia, the spirit users have also been called to gather there. Let’s go together.”

The urgent-looking magician extended his hand to Ephelia, his voice devoid of any humor.

I quickly grabbed Ephelia’s hand.

“Ephelia.”

“It’s okay, Kiara. I’ll be back soon.”

“I want to go too!”

“I’m sorry. Unlike the Archmage, I’m not strong enough to take more than one person.”

The magician firmly shook his head. Ephelia nodded at me as if to say it was alright.

“Come slowly. They said everyone’s gathering, so I’ll go ahead and assess the situation.”

“Ephelia!”

With Ephelia’s consent, the magician quickly teleported away.

I blinked in dismay as she disappeared instantly before my eyes.

‘Ah! I shouldn’t be doing this, I need to hurry!’

I quickly searched my pockets for a magic scroll.

Helia fidgeted nervously before seemingly making up her mind and approaching me.

“Please take me with you!”

“…What?”

“That might be a good idea. We were planning to go to the Imperial Palace together anyway. A magic scroll should easily handle three people.”

“That may be true, but…”

I had no intention of taking these two with me. Why should I do that with my own hands?

Seeing me hesitate, Bishwaltz grabbed my hand.

“Aren’t you worried about Lady Kirin? I’m sure I can be of help in some way.”

“…Ugh.”

His words made sense. He had power and was in charge of the investigation. Even with Serhin there, things would only flow properly if he went.

I reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, both of you take my hand.”

Serna, having also received the message, said she would go to the spirit users.

“Please take care of Helia.”

She lightly touched my shoulder before quickly disappearing.

There was no time to pack. What else could matter when Ephelia might be in danger if we were even a little late?

I immediately tore the scroll.

My vision flickered, and then a chaotic scene unfolded before me.

“Aaagh!”

“Hurry with the healing!”

Magicians and spirit users were tangled in battle with an unidentifiable entity.

It was squishy yet impossible to define its shape.

“W-what is that?”

I quickly pulled out magic scrolls and started using them. I employed everything I had on the people around me.

‘I’d believe it if someone said this was a battlefield.’

The Forbidden Forest I knew was nowhere to be seen.

In a place where only darkness existed, people’s screams and the smell of blood filled the air. A foul odor wafted through, making me nauseous.

“Ugh, what on earth is this smell?”

I covered my nose and set out to find Ephelia. I saw spirits with a blue light.

In the center, I spotted someone fighting the magical beast.

“…Serhin?”

With one arm in tatters, he was still casting spells. Ephelia also seemed injured and struggling.

‘This can’t be.’

This was unbelievable. That they couldn’t defeat a single magical beast.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Helia shouted at the people.

I, who had been standing in a daze, turned my head to witness light pouring down.

Suddenly, I felt hands around my waist, and my body was pulled to the side.

With an indescribable scream, light flashed and enveloped us.

Confused by the sudden turn of events, I looked up bewildered.

I saw Bishwaltz’s face, holding me tightly. If it weren’t for him, I might have taken that force head-on.

The thought made me shudder. What on earth was Helia?

“…The magical beast has disappeared.”

“I can’t believe it.”

Helia slumped to the ground, exhaling heavily.

“Ah… Thank goodness.”

She collapsed on the floor and immediately lost consciousness.

***

Helia remained unconscious for days. She was immediately transferred to the Imperial Palace for protection.

“How can they change their attitude so easily when Lady Kirin has done so much until now?”

“But from what we’ve heard, her power is incomparably greater, isn’t it?”

The spirit users continued their serious conversation. The impact of Helia’s power was greater than expected, and it became the talk of everyone.

“Is she still not conscious?”

“Yes, it seems she may have used too much power.”

Serna, who had come up immediately, rubbed her brow. She hadn’t expected such a great power to be used thoughtlessly.

I stood up from my seat, watching the divided opinions.

“Where are you going?”

“Since I’m of no help here, I’ll be leaving now.”

“I, I!”

The Grand Spirit User, at a loss for words, clicked her tongue at me. But my only concern was Ephelia.

“Such opportunists.”

How could they think of pushing her aside so quickly? They must have been trembling with jealousy all this time. Honestly, Helia’s power was astonishing.

But isn’t it too hasty to judge her like this when we don’t even know exactly who she is?

The Telphone family…

I headed straight for the Imperial Library. Spirit users needed to be knowledgeable in various fields, so I frequently visited the library.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek at the forbidden books at a time like this.”

The Imperial Family must be in chaos as well. I planned to use this confusion as an opportunity to look for books on black magic. The appearance of the magical beast and Helia’s emergence were both suspicious.

“Well, if I’m wrong, that’s for the better.”

After all, there’s no harm in being cautious about everything.

Volume 1 End