Chapter 48

When Irene’s bodyguard introduced me as the son of Viscount Haegstett, the woman in front of me… Iriya  suddenly turned pale. I had thought she might already know, having investigated me beforehand, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

She immediately collapsed to the ground in a hurry.

At this sudden turn of events, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

“I did not know you were of noble blood! I beg your pardon…! I apologize from the bottom of my heart for my rude behavior until now.”

The common people I had met before, if they had known from the start that I was a noble, would sometimes bow low in subservience. But after talking to them several times and becoming somewhat acquainted, they never suddenly kneeled down. My sister blinked repeatedly in surprise at the unexpected situation.

“No, please don’t worry about it…!”

I tried to calm her down, but I wasn’t sure if she was even hearing me.

As I was struggling to figure out how to speak to her, a cool voice came from behind her, from a pitch-black shadow.

“Raise your face, Iriya . This man does not wish to be bowed to, and that is why he did not reveal his status.”

“…Your Excellency…”

She finally raised herself and looked up at her bodyguard, the demon.

…Hm? Your Excellency? Why is she calling the demon she serves like that?

“Do you think this man would strike you as if he were some noble from that country? That he would treat you with disrespect, like those of the same bloodline?”

“No, I… I don’t think so…”

The demon, Belial, known as a symbol of fear, calmly questioned her.

At first, I had thought that the reason for Iriya ’s formal and distant attitude, despite using respectful language, was because she had some bad secret.

I had been more cautious because around the same time she appeared, a troublesome store called Bikneze opened up nearby. Even though I had gradually come to understand she wasn’t involved in any bad deeds, something still felt off.

However, perhaps her defensive attitude was a result of being hurt by the nobility, and her way of hugging herself to protect herself might have been an expression of that. It felt like my suspicions had caused her to build that wall.

There are also some nobles in this country who look down on lower-ranked people and treat the common folk as if they are nothing, acting violently. Perhaps she had suffered such treatment.

I was ashamed that I hadn’t been able to show more concern for her, even though I was supposed to be in a position to protect the people.

Could it be that the terrifying truth she revealed just recently, about not being able to protect herself when she was hurt, stemmed from this?

“And so, do you think I will allow someone to abuse my contractor in front of me?”

“…You said you wouldn’t allow it.”

“You understand, don’t you? Then raise your head! I can’t stand this!”

Belial, looking somewhat exasperated, extended his hand to help Iriya  stand up.

Iriya  turned her gaze to me, a little embarrassed, and as usual, placed her hands in front of her and gave a graceful bow.

“I apologize, I showed you such an unbecoming sight.”

“No, I should have explained things earlier. I’m sorry for making you anxious.”

“My brother, Zike, doesn’t get angry without reason.”

Irene, who had stopped crying, clung to my arm with a shy smile on her face.

Since the horses couldn’t be used anymore, we would have to walk back to Renant.

Several people had died. The surviving bandits were tied up, so I would leave a watch on them and head toward Renant with a few others to call for reinforcements.

“Irene, ride my horse.”

“…But what about the woman who helped us?”

Irene seemed sorry to be the only one riding a horse. Her legs were still shaking a little, so walking would be difficult for her. The three bodyguards were watching closely.

“I’m fine. I can use flight magic, so don’t worry about me.”

“Oh my! You’re a skilled mage! I believe the man over there was called Iriya , yes? Is it alright to call you Iriya ?”

While I helped Irene onto the horse, my sister was chatting with Iriya .

“Yes, I’m called Iriya . And Lord Belial is the demon I have contracted.”

“A demon!? I’ve never seen such a refined and beautiful demon before!”

“Hmm… unlike my brother, you have good taste.”

I was somewhat relieved to see my sister regaining her spirits after crying, and Belial, pleased with her praise, gave me a smug grin.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you for the wonderful medicine, Iriya . Irene, it was thanks to her that my illness was cured.”

“Is that so!? Iriya , you’re our benefactor, aren’t you? Zike, you should stop being so rude!”

“That’s right…”

I could only respond with a wry smile, pulling the reins to guide the horse with my sister on it.

“By the way, why are you here all alone, Lord Zieg?”

“Oh, I received word from my mother that ‘Irene has gone ahead, but if the disease is contagious, I don’t want you meeting her.’ I went out to get some fresh air after the sickness was cured, and decided to ride out to meet her. Then, I heard the scream… I was quite worried.”

I had been feeling good riding my horse after such a long time, but when I heard the commotion of battle, I really began to worry.

If only I had arrived a little earlier, I might have been able to keep my sister from getting so frightened. And also, I wanted to see her magic.

As we got closer to town, I noticed that two of the three bodyguards guarding Irene were lagging behind.

“…What happened?”

“No, please don’t mind us…”

When I looked closer, one of the young men had an odd gait. He seemed to have injured his leg, and another was accompanying him.

“If you’re hurt, don’t push yourself. Tell me immediately, and I’ll treat you.”

“It’s not a serious injury…”

“I’ll use recovery magic! You’ve always helped me!”

Irene clapped her hands together, eager to help the bodyguard who was reluctant to accept the healing.

I gently held Irene in my arms and carefully helped her down from the horse.

When the bodyguard revealed his blood-soaked pants and exposed his leg, I saw that his calf had been badly cut, and I wondered how he had managed to walk this far. Being tough can be a double-edged sword.

“Gentle wind, gather and surround. Spirits who sway in the sunlight, carry your song. Give the wounded the strength to stand once more. Return color to the withering flower. Wind Heal!”

When Irene chanted, a sweet floral scent drifted through the air and gently caressed the wound. However, the injury was so severe that the basic recovery magic couldn’t completely heal it. It seemed a little better, but not healed completely.

“Ah… I’m sorry, it’s not fully healed…”

“No, it’s much better! It doesn’t hurt anymore, I can walk now!”

The soldier, who had just received the recovery magic, tried to comfort Irene, but I suspect it would still be tough to walk on it. I probably made things harder by making him endure this.

“Irene, you should use stronger recovery magic.”

“But I haven’t been taught that… I’ve been learning mostly attack magic. …I was too scared to even use it.”

“That can’t be helped. Just do what you can. Here, use this magic.”

Iriya  took out a note and smoothly wrote out a chant with her slender fingers, then handed it to Irene. Reluctantly, Irene received it, beaming with gratitude and repeating the words to herself as she memorized them.

“Spring breeze, wind that sings in the field. Blessings overflowing, petals plucked in the basket. Flourish, you who are full. Pain and hardship will not remain with you. Bree Wind Heal.”

Incredibly, the wound completely disappeared! The intermediate-level wind recovery magic…

Not only had she saved my life, but now she was generously teaching me such magic.

“Thank you! I’ll surprise the teacher with this!”

The guards also expressed their thanks. Iriya  smiled modestly, saying it wasn’t a big deal.

“Thank you, I’ll also express my gratitude. And… I’m really sorry for everything up until now. From now on, if there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“…Thank you. I won’t hold back if the time comes.”

Her carefree smile, the first time I had seen it, was as warm as spring sunshine. Yet, it made me feel strangely uneasy.