Having quickly regained her composure, my sister signaled her subordinates. She seemed to have judged that conversation was futile. Seeing her actions, Samuel placed his hand on his sword hilt.
At Samuel's response, my sister let out a faint laugh.
"No matter how well the Grand Temple treated you, a cleric's level is predictable. Roam has fully reflected on past mistakes. We can guarantee a better life in every way. Roam would be more familiar to you as well."
My sister seemed to have guessed that I was traveling with Samuel and would place myself under the temple's protection. I didn't bother correcting her misunderstanding.
The moment one side was chosen, political conflict would inevitably begin. While they fought, I simply needed to hide well.
Samuel clicked his tongue softly at the sight of my Freesian sister listing out practical benefits she could offer. With his hand still on his sword hilt, he asked quietly:
"Is the conversation over?"
It was an atmosphere where conflict was bound to happen. No matter how strong Samuel was, facing multiple opponents would be difficult, so the Dullahans would eventually have to step forward.
I slowly stepped backward, gauging when to call the Dullahans.
We were standing in a dense forest. The massive trees and lush underbrush were suitable for Dullahans to hide, but too cramped for fighting.
Could we quickly escape if Zenon brought horses while one or two created a threat?
Or perhaps eliminate all the subordinates entirely...
"Ugh!"
One of the subordinates standing behind my Freesian sister suddenly let out a short scream and doubled over. I could see light flickering faintly from his hand.
"Magic?"
"Young Duke, be careful!"
The subordinate with a pained face cried out urgently. My sister, who had been looking around, distorted her expression and glared at me.
"Anelli, you!"
Flames erupted!
"Careful!"
Samuel grabbed me and pulled me sharply backward. Simultaneously, flames shot up between us and my sister. They rose so high that my sister and her subordinates were hidden behind the flames.
The flames encircled my sister and her subordinates, trapping them.
"What is this..."
Looking at the flames with surprised eyes, I reflexively looked down at my bracelet. Had the magical device's function returned?
[Boss!]
[Boss, are you alright?]
[Why didn't you call us!]
[I'll burn this lizardman bastard and run.]
I came to my senses at the voices pouring in. When I looked up with startled eyes, the Dullahans who had revealed themselves came into view.
Zenon, who had brought the hidden horses, handed one set of reins to Samuel. With a stiffly frozen expression, he turned his body straight toward me.
"Zenon?"
"Get on the horse."
While I was pushed by his forceful offering of the reins and ended up mounting his horse in a daze, Zenon extended his hand toward the flames. I could see red light wrapping around his fingertips.
"That's..."
Following the movement of his fingers sweeping through the air, the range of flames expanded. The flames that shot up like a massive barrier settled stably.
This time, blue light flickered from Zenon's other hand. Blue threads wove through the light floating like red fireflies. It was like threading beads onto string.
This wasn't my first time seeing a mage's magic.
But the scene unfolding before my eyes now, I was seeing for the first time in my life. The magic I knew used auxiliary tools like magic stones, or scrolls with pre-drawn magic circles. Those were quick and fast, but not this impressive.
This was truly, literally beautiful.
The barrier made of flames was woven like a net by blue threads. It seemed to hold the fire back so it wouldn't spread too wide.
Though the trees and brush touching the flames blackened and charred, no embers transferred.
I had never seen such delicate magical manifestation before.
As I stared blankly up at the barrier flickering with red and blue light, Zenon let out a long breath. With slightly furrowed brows, he muttered in an irritated tone.
"Just to this extent..."
I could hear shouting from beyond the flames. Their urgency suggested something was happening inside.
"Did you kill them?"
"No. Should I have?"
"No, that's not it."
Isn't it more difficult to trap rather than kill?
I was looking blankly at the wall of flames when Zenon, who had quickly formed hand seals in the air to complete his magic, approached me.
"Excuse me."
Zenon mounted behind me in an instant and took the reins in my place.
"Let's go quickly."
The horses kicked off the ground between the narrow trees. I thought I might have heard my sister's voice calling my name just before we ran, but it didn't concern me at all.
* * *
Fortunately, the magical device that had malfunctioned during our escape regained its original function. Along with that, the Dullahans' transformation also became possible.
After confirming the magical device was working normally, we stopped our flight upon reaching a secluded stream area. We needed to switch horses and prepare our condition.
Samuel left to survey the surrounding terrain and leave traces to mislead pursuers.
Tristan, transformed into a bumblebee, also left to seek cooperation from nearby bee swarms.
Zigor transformed into a small bird and flew up to watch the surroundings, and Ganik took the young lizardman and entered subspace. Palides stood guard in the form of a human knight to ensure my safety.
And Nadab, who had been confined in subspace all this time, was finally able to come outside.
[I thought I'd never get to carry the Boss again.]
Nadab, who learned that I had ridden Zenon's horse for a brief time, stomped his feet and vented his frustration. I patted the back of his neck to soothe him and looked back at Zenon.
He had been full of anger the entire ride, and was now composing himself in front of the trickling stream.
Just when I thought he was quickly recovering from his anger, his face turned into a frown. After hesitating briefly, I approached his side.
"When was the mana seal released?"
"It wasn't."
Zenon, crouched by the stream, repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists. His slumped shoulders looked completely lifeless.
"I should say it was partially undone. Some of my mana returned, so I tried to use that to accelerate releasing the remaining seal... It seems it will be delayed."
"Did the magic you just used cause the problem?"
"Yes. That mage behind was secretly trying to work something, and I had to block it hastily so I couldn't control the mana amount properly. Plus, the barrier wasn't offensive type, so manipulating it delicately consumed a lot of mana. In the end, only a handful remains in my hands."
"Mana normally recovers, doesn't it?"
"Of course, if it were a normal state. But my magic circles are completely bound, so it only depletes without recovering."
Zenon looked at his own palm as if regretful. His disappointment was evident. I stared at him for a while before suddenly speaking.
"You could have used the other magical devices I have."
"After that mage secretly activated magic? You probably would have been subdued without even being able to use the magical devices."
It seemed one of the subordinates behind my sister was trying something with magic. As a fellow mage, Zenon must have detected it quickly.
"But my subordinates were there, and Sir Samuel too."
"What good would come from revealing you have Dullahans as subordinates?"
"Well..."
"Besides, there were too many people for a single paladin to handle."
Zenon's explanation was fully understandable. As he said, there was nothing good about exposing Dullahans to my Freesian sister.
It's just that Zenon earlier didn't seem to have intervened with such rational judgment.
The image of the red barrier reflected in his flashing golden eyes came to mind.
At that moment, he was definitely angry. The barrier made of flames was essentially a manifestation of the anger he was feeling.
"What I mean is, there was no reason for you to go out of your way to help me."
At my words, Zenon paused. As he looked at me with puzzlement, I averted my gaze and spoke calmly.
"You don't like conflict to begin with. Besides, right now you want to release your mana seal badly enough to wear illegal magical devices. There was no need to jump into a situation that could cause problems."
Zenon blinked as he looked at me, then suddenly asked:
"Was my intervening unpleasant for you?"
"No."
"Did you perhaps find that shameless conversation persuasive?"
"As if!"
"Then, were you worried I'd raise my price?"
"That's not it either..."
The words couldn't continue. I couldn't figure out how to explain.
Your anger glaring beyond the barrier was excessive? Or that it wasn't a situation worth your anger? If you intervened out of unnecessary sympathy, those were pointless emotions?
Or that despite all that futility, your anger looked beautiful, which was strange?
At my silence, Zenon scratched the back of his head. It was his usual somewhat thoughtless and light demeanor.
"I'm not asking to raise the price. I intervened voluntarily."
"Why did you intervene?"
"I was angry, so I had to be able to bear it."
At his muttered complaint, I reflexively questioned:
"Why were you?"
"You didn't."
"What?"
"You didn't get angry, Lady Anelli."
Zenon coughed awkwardly and turned his gaze away. Gazing quietly at the trickling stream, he laughed without energy.
"If it were me, I couldn't have had such a calm conversation while smiling like that."
That was an answer I hadn't expected. Not anger at my sister's words, but anger at my attitude toward my sister.
With my lips slightly parted, I also turned my gaze to the stream along with him.
"..."
I looked at the sparkling water surface and thought back carefully. Hadn't I been angry earlier? I was certainly dumbfounded by my sister's words, and laughter had bubbled up.
I had laughed, but I didn't think I had been angry. It seemed I hadn't felt it was worth that much effort.
"So you got angry on my behalf instead?"