Chapter 4.5

Garzen’s idea to use magic to break the bars was a good one.

Unfortunately, the result wasn’t.

“See? I told you it wouldn’t work….”

Brienne mumbled gloomily, sitting against one wall. After failing to break the bars, her whole body felt drained, and she could barely stand.

“Still, I thought you were a genius, Miss.”

“So did I.”

Garzen and Lusell, both visibly disappointed, sighed deeply. Brienne glanced at the men sitting down beside her, annoyed that they were showing their disappointment so openly.

Who said she was a genius, anyway?

“You set yourselves up for disappointment and now you’re blaming me? If you have any conscience, don’t do that.”

“We’re not blaming you. It’s just that we couldn’t help hoping. Like I said, I still don’t know why those bastards only closed my mana circuit… Oh, right!”

Garzen, grumbling with a sigh, suddenly looked up as if he’d remembered something.

“That’s it…! Miss, how about opening my circuit? Do you think you can do it?”

“Oh, that’s actually a great idea!”

“Open your circuit? How?”

“You’re good at sucking up mana—just do the opposite and force it in, that’ll open it!”

Brienne narrowed her eyes at Garzen, whose voice grew louder with excitement. She was starting to get annoyed at being treated like some kind of baseless mage. And it was frustrating not understanding a single word.

“Seriously, I don’t understand a thing you’re saying, so explain it in a way I can get…! I know nothing about magic.”

“Ah, right. Sorry, sorry….”

Garzen, embarrassed by Brienne’s raised voice, awkwardly smiled. After a moment’s thought, he scooted closer to her.

“Okay, let’s say I’m your teacher and I’ll explain step by step. Miss, give me your hand.”

“My hand?”

Brienne looked skeptically at her hands, which were tied behind her back. Garzen nodded and twisted his body so that his large, warm hand covered hers. Brienne, startled, mumbled awkwardly.

“T-this is a hand, right? How can a person’s hand… be this big?”

She knew Garzen was bigger than most people, but seeing it firsthand was truly surprising. As Brienne looked up at him in disbelief, he bent down and flashed a sly grin.

“Ah, didn’t you know? Everything about me is huge. Not a single part left out.”

“I… see.”

‘Why did he have to say that with such a mischievous smile?’

Brienne looked at Garzen with a puzzled expression. Garzen, proudly sticking out his chin, took her hand and closed his eyes.

“All right, let’s try again. Close your eyes like I do, and imagine letting whatever’s inside you flow outward. It doesn’t matter what it is.”

Brienne closed her eyes, half in doubt. She’d already failed once, so she had no confidence, but now she had to at least try something.

“……”

But five minutes passed, then ten. Nothing happened between Brienne and Garzen. After a long silence, Garzen let out a grunt and peeked open one eye.

“Miss, is it not working?”

“No… Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do.”

Brienne mumbled weakly and sighed in frustration. In response, Garzen gently interlaced his fingers with hers.

“How about now?”

“Squeezing harder isn’t going to make anything happen….”

Brienne stopped mid-sentence, frowning, and tilted her head. Actually, this time she really did feel a faint tingling sensation.

“…That’s strange, let’s try again.”

Turning fully away from Garzen, Brienne pressed her back to his and gripped his hand tightly with both of hers.

‘He said to let out whatever’s inside.’

She’d just been annoyed. So maybe, like Lusell said earlier, she needed to feel angry? Brienne focused as hard as she could on things that made her angry.

‘Kaiden Bannon. Melosi Bailey. Oh, and Derrick Harrington, too. Not just them. All those Rontiano nobles, every last one….’

And at that moment.

“……Ugh!”

With a loud groan, Garzen suddenly let go of her hand. Startled, Brienne’s eyes flew open. Garzen, clutching his hand tightly, was breathing heavily, his face twisted in pain.

“Your Highness…! Are you all right?!”

Lusell, who had been watching, shot to his feet and checked Garzen’s hand. Brienne looked at Garzen, flustered.

“W-what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She didn’t know what had happened, but it was clear from Garzen’s expression that it was serious. Garzen, his face clouded, spoke in a low voice.

“…Miss, by any chance. Did you ever use a soul-binding spell with that mage?”

“What? W-what did you say?”

“Was it Herace Belif? Did you two decide to become…involved like that?”

‘That close?’

Brienne hurried to deny it, but Garzen muttered to himself.

“No, that can’t be. Miss knows nothing about magic, and she can’t even break down a door on her own… So did that mage bind her soul without her knowing? That bastard?”

“Zen, seriously, what are you talking about…?”

‘Soul-binding spell?’

At that moment, something flashed through Brienne’s mind. It was Shylo’s voice, explaining magic right before she met Herace Belif.

<Mages are independent beings and can’t be with other mages. Once their souls are bound, they can never be apart for life.>

<Lovers joined that way can’t be separated, not even by death>

Recalling that vivid voice, Brienne looked at Garzen with confused eyes. She’d never bothered to think about it, believing it had nothing to do with her.

“Yeah, that must be it. The caster always has to be the one with stronger magic, anyway.”

‘……Herace.’

Why hadn’t she thought of it before? Come to think of it, she’d hesitated a few times to ask him about magic. But even so, it was odd that a mage like Herace had never even hinted about magic to her.

‘Could it be…?’

‘Did Herace really use a soul-binding spell on me?’

‘If so, why?’

As Brienne narrowed her eyes, Garzen flexed his hand a few times and stood up. He rolled his neck and muttered in a low voice.

“Well… It feels like my heart’s on fire, but at least the circuit’s open. Miss, you did great.”

“The circuit’s open—really?”

Lusell, delighted, stood up as well. Garzen nodded, grumbling quietly.

“Yeah, though I hate that someone else’s mana is mixed in with mine…”

“S-so is it over now? Can we get out?”

Brienne, getting up in a daze, lowered her voice and asked. Garzen turned to her with a broad grin and winked.

“Of course we can. Even if I look like this, I’m still royalty of Roeta.”

No sooner had he finished than a faint light shimmered from Garzen’s hand. The light sharpened into a blade, slicing through the rope binding his wrists, then brushed past Brienne and Lusell in turn.

“All right, shall we go?”

Now free, Garzen strode toward the bars. At that moment, the bars Brienne had tried to break earlier shattered instantly.

Bang!

“W-what the… you!”

The guard, who had been dozing off, sprang to his feet at the loud crash. Brienne glanced nervously outside and asked Lusell,

“Is that… okay?”

Lusell stretched and replied nonchalantly,

“Don’t worry. His Highness will take care of everything. We just need to stay back.”

‘Take care of everything?’

Brienne’s gaze turned to Garzen. By then, the guard was drawing his sword and approaching him.

“D-don’t move…!”

“Sleep spell!”

At that moment, Garzen shouted and struck the guard on the nape. The staggering guard collapsed instantly.

‘…That’s supposed to be magic? It doesn’t look like it at all.’

Brienne looked at Garzen in disbelief. Garzen grinned mischievously and jerked his chin down the corridor.

“Since we’ve come this far, let’s take a quick look around before we go. This sleep spell is infinite. It doesn’t even require mana.”

“I agree.”

Lusell, who had been standing back, quickly followed him. Brienne, who thought they were escaping right away, felt a bit deflated.

“What? Aren’t we going outside?”

“We will. But first, let’s take what we need.”

“It’ll just take a moment.”

“No, but…….”

Brienne tried to object but ended up closing her mouth. She’d received help until now and couldn’t just leave on her own, so she reluctantly nodded.