Amid the noise, a dull sound and groans could be heard from somewhere.
In a narrow alley, a short but solidly built man was being attacked by a group of thugs.
“That’s bad!”
As I ran toward them, Belial shouted from behind.
“Wait, you can’t fight! Why are you running ahead?!”
“Don’t come, girl! Go get help… ugh!”
The man, who had turned toward us, was interrupted by a kick to his back.
Without hesitation, I began chanting.
“Unshaken and steadfast, earth beneath. Build the wall of your mark, rise up from the ground. Separate them! Earth Wall!”
“A mage? Deal with her first!”
One of the thugs shouted, and I heard footsteps behind me. There seemed to be a lookout.
However, the footsteps quickly stopped.
“…How troublesome! If you’re going to fight, at least bring a more challenging opponent!”
“Take this, Ice Lancer!”
A voice came from the roof above. There was someone else up there!
A man who seemed capable of magic launched an ice spear, aiming directly at Belial.
“…Is this all you have?”
Belial lazily waved his red, curved hair, looking up with a bored expression, and extended his hand.
A fireball shot from his hand, instantly evaporating the ice and reaching the rooftop with unbroken momentum, echoing a painful scream.
By the time the scream reached my ears, Belial was already gone. Only a few of the reckless attackers lay motionless on the ground.
The man who had been attacked by fire retreated just in time to avoid injury. But by the time he backed up, Belial had appeared in front of him.
“…If what you aimed for was Iriya , you could’ve strangled her right there… What a shame.”
Unable to turn around in fear, the man was struck from behind and collapsed, losing consciousness.
It seems that Belial is in a bad mood today…
The victim, who had been assaulted, was now surrounded by the earthen wall I had conjured, successfully blocking the attackers. The thugs who had been assaulting him stumbled backward, hitting the suddenly risen wall, which they angrily struck before turning to glare at me.
As I prepared for my next spell, Belial landed lightly from the roof with a soft thud, his cloak billowing gently.
“What is going on here?”
The town’s captain of the guard, Sieghart, arrived, having heard the commotion.
Looking around, I noticed a crowd of onlookers had gathered. Sieghart appeared from the opposite direction to us, effectively trapping the attackers in a crossfire.
The thugs seemed uncertain of which way to go, shaking their heads in confusion.
“What should we do now?”
“That red-haired guy is dangerous…!”
Sieghart, accompanied by several subordinates, charged in and easily subdued the attackers, who were trying to escape by attacking in panic.
The disorganized thugs were quickly captured, and all of them were securely bound.
“…You again.”
Huh? We were only here to help…
Ignoring the somewhat unpleasant Sieghart, I released the earth magic.
“Ugh…!”
A dwarf, covered in dirt and blood, appeared. With a beard growing from his chin, he looked to be in his middle age by human standards. He seemed surprised by the change in circumstances, with the guard surrounding him and the thugs now bound in ropes.
“You’re not too badly hurt. I’ll cast a basic healing spell to make you feel better.”
“No, it’s not that bad. I don’t need magic.”
The dwarf waved his hand dismissively, but I kneeled beside him and began my incantation.
“Gentle winds, gather and swirl. Spirits that drift in the sunlight, bring your song. To those wounded, bring strength to rise again. Let the withered flower bloom once more. Wind Heal.”
A soft, soothing breeze surrounded him, and the scent of flowers filled the air as his wounds healed. The effect wasn’t very strong, but it was enough to heal small cuts quickly.
“Wow! That’s amazing, the pain’s gone already. Thanks, mage!”
The dwarf spun his arms around to check his condition.
“You’re very welcome. I’m just glad you’re alright.”
“…Why was that dwarf inside the wall?”
Apparently, Sieghart hadn’t fully understood the situation. He hadn’t seen the dwarf being attacked and only saw the mysterious earthen wall and the ongoing struggle.
“Those thugs picked a fight with me, dragged me into this narrow alley and were about to rough me up. These two girls saved me. Looks like there’s another mage up top too.”
After hearing the dwarf’s explanation, two of the guards, under Sieghart’s orders, immediately entered the building.
“We’ll sort this out in the station. You’re the victim, so don’t worry.”
It seemed like this would only involve a brief questioning.
By the way, Belial didn’t come. I told the guards that if they wanted to take him, they’d have to do it by force, but in that case, the town’s safety wouldn’t be guaranteed.
Sieghart, looking slightly embarrassed, seemed to feel sorry for having doubted us.
When we arrived at the station, before Sieghart could ask anything, the dwarf from earlier called out to me.
“Hey, thanks a lot, girl! I’m Timo, a blacksmith. What’s your name?”
“I’m Iriya . I make magic items.”
As I introduced myself, Timo laughed heartily and slapped his knee.
“So, you’re Iriya ? Clemens always spoke highly of his skilled craftsmen, but he never mentioned how cute you were!”
“Clemens… You mean Clemens Binal?”
“Yeah, that’s the one!”
It seemed Timo was close to Clemens. Since he’s a craftsman, they might be workmates.
“…Could you guys wait a bit? I think we can talk later.”
Sieghart gestured for me to sit down at the desk. There was a reception table in front of the desk, with six chairs lined up.
I noticed something flickering around his gold-brown hair at the nape of his neck.
It was a fairy. It was about the size of a palm. Since I hadn’t seen one much before, I couldn’t help but watch it, and when the fairy noticed my gaze, it hid behind Sieghart.
“…This little one is shy and doesn’t like to leave the office or my quarters,” Sieghart said with a wry smile. “It’s not that she dislikes you.”
“So, are the people who attacked you familiar to you?” he asked.
“Nope, not at all. Saying we ran into each other is just an excuse. They deliberately bumped into me,” I replied.
“…Deliberately. Then, rather than targeting someone else, it seems they were after you. Considering there was a lookout and even a magician waiting on the rooftop…”
Sieghart’s eyes narrowed. He seemed to have an idea about this. I had heard that the security had gotten worse recently, and perhaps this was part of some interference with Vinal?
“So you saw them and came to help,” Sieghart continued.
“Yeah! This girl’s magic is quick to activate! And that guy with the red hair, he’s the demon Clemens was talking about, right?”
“Yes, Lord Belial.”
I thought I saw a slight shift in Sieghart’s green eyes. Maybe he was wary of Belial.
As a member of the guard, I guess it’s natural, but I didn’t feel too good about it. He had helped me, yet I couldn’t understand why he was suspicious.
“That guy easily wiped them out, and just hopped up to the rooftop like it was nothing. Really impressive!”
Timo, who had been surrounded by the wall, must have figured out that the top was open and that Belial could fly in and out. He complimented him, but I stayed silent, only giving brief answers.
Later, back in my room, I realized that I hadn’t informed my family of my whereabouts yet due to all the hustle and bustle.
I had prepared communication magic, but I had made them think I was dead, so I needed to hurry. Still, I wasn’t sure how to word it. I wanted to send a message before leaving this town, to reassure them. Would my sudden departure make them angry?
I took out new stationery and a pen to write a letter. My family consists of my mother and younger sister. I had to tell them I had moved to Lenant in the Chenkaslar Kingdom and that I was doing fine. I also made sure to emphasize that they should keep my being alive a secret.
It hadn’t been that long since I left, but it felt like I hadn’t seen them in forever. After moving to the royal capital, I could only visit a few times a year, so it hadn’t changed much, but… now, I wished I had spent more time with them.
I shook my head and prepared the Magic Mirror, which I had modified for communication magic. Though it wasn’t technically a mirror since I wasn’t using any glass, it was more of a Magic Triangle.
I had only left the experimental version at home, but I hoped it would work!
With two concentric triangles drawn, I inscribed sacred names in black on each side, and in the center, I added the rune for “journey” instead of a mirror. Surrounding it were unique patterns and characters.
“Let the wheel turn, call the wind. The small paths in the forest, the grassy roads, the field dikes. I will travel with you. Rise and go, my heart light as a butterfly.”
As I recited the incantation, the letters seemed to float up.
Placing the letter on top, I moved on to the spell for connecting spaces.
“To the ends of the earth, may my voice reach. To the bottom of the sea, let my thoughts fly. Through all things, the light that passes through, in the palm of the great and sacred name, all things are contained. My step forward is the same as going back.”
Though no immediate change occurred, as I continued to send mana, the letter floated up gently, swayed, and then suddenly vanished.
Success!
…But I couldn’t confirm whether it had actually reached them. I’d have to trust that it worked for now.
Hoping the letter would reach them, I went to bed.
It wouldn’t be long before I left this inn. When I returned from the next journey, I planned to look for a place to live.
The next day, I received contact, and my departure was set for two days later. I wondered who I’d be traveling with and what kind of journey it would be.
I hoped there would be a dragon involved.
In the office of the guard post, after everyone left, the small fairy was fluttering around Sieghart as he organized paperwork.
“Ziek, that girl is a good one. Why do you look at her like that?”
“Silphy. I understand, but… Did I look that harsh?”
“No, not harsh, more like you were probing her,” Silphy said.
“That’s… probably because I’m curious about that demon,” Sieghart admitted.
The fairy, named Silphy, landed beside the papers on his desk. Her thin, dragonfly-like wings gently brushed against the cold table.
“We’re both afraid of demons. And I think she’s afraid of human malice,” Silphy added.
“Malice, huh…” Sieghart chuckled lightly. “I don’t mean to be suspicious, but… I’ll have to be careful. I don’t want to make any of them angry, especially the ones with contracts.”
“I know you’re doing your best, Ziek,” Silphy replied.
The light in the office stayed on well into the night.
