Chapter 6 : Spirit

“W-What…?”

I couldn’t help but doubt my own eyes.

It was only natural—before I knew it, the grizzly bear in front of me had vanished into thin air.

An illusion?

Rather, what had just unfolded before my eyes was so unbelievable that I almost convinced myself I had imagined it.

Tree roots moved as if they were alive, and the ground opened up on its own?

And now, as if nothing had happened, everything was eerily silent.

The fact that the forest had returned to its usual tranquility sent shivers down my spine.

Even as fear coursed through me, I could only sit there in a daze, staring at the spot where the grizzly bear had been.

If I moved even a little, I might end up just like that bear.

Rustle…

“Ugh…!”

I stifled a scream and turned toward the source of the sound.

With fear gripping me so intensely, I couldn’t help but react sharply to even the smallest noise.

Could it be the owner of that voice from earlier?

Or was it another beast?

Or had the knights chasing me already arrived?

But—what emerged from the bushes was something unexpected.

A person.

Not just any person, but someone familiar… someone I never thought I would see here.

“Ophelia…?”

Flaming red hair and fiery crimson eyes.

Her face, as always, was blank and expressionless as she narrowed her eyes at me.

She was probably trying to remember who I was.

Thinking about it, Ophelia had always been that kind of person—shockingly indifferent to anything that didn’t interest her.

If not for my father and mother, I would never have met her in the first place.

Our first meeting hadn’t left a good impression, as far as I could recall.

Of course, I had only met her twice.

Now that I think about it, Ophelia was fond of those with exceptional magical abilities.

Those with overwhelming talent or vast theoretical knowledge.

That’s why she liked my mother and father.

But judging by the fact that she didn’t remember me…

Had she already seen it?

That my talent was utterly worthless.

I forgot my fear for a moment and let out a bitter smile.

Then, as I heard her voice, I snapped back to reality and turned to look at her.

“…Kalbrandt?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

After what seemed like a long moment of searching her memory, Ophelia finally seemed to remember me.

Her brow was still furrowed, which meant she was either uncertain or struggling to remember.

That only confirmed how faint my existence was in her memory.

Even though we had met twice and she had stayed at our family’s estate for a total of four days.

I forced myself to answer calmly while looking at her.

I hadn’t expected much to begin with.

I didn’t know why Ophelia was here, but she wasn’t the type to help others out of kindness.

Of course, that didn’t mean she was evil—just that she wasn’t the kind of person to bother with anything she found tedious or uninteresting.

How many people in this world get to live only by doing what they want, only pursuing what fascinates them?

Ophelia was one of the rare few who could afford to live that way.

“What was that just now? Was that your doing?”

As expected.

Instead of asking why I was here or warning me about the dangers of the forest at night, she immediately questioned what piqued her curiosity.

A perfect example of who Ophelia was.

“I don’t know either. I suddenly heard a voice whispering in my ear, and then something attacked the grizzly bear before vanishing.”

Even so, I explained the situation calmly.

She likely wouldn’t have cared even if I hadn’t answered.

I couldn’t ask her for help, but…

I still answered, hoping—just maybe—she knew something about what was happening.

A ghost? Or a demon?

Those were the only explanations that came to mind.

I didn’t actually believe in ghosts, and demons were things you only read about in ancient texts.

But I had no other way to explain what had just happened.

“A voice?”

Maybe…

Maybe I just wanted Ophelia to dismiss it as nothing.

To tell me it was just my imagination, just an auditory hallucination.

Because otherwise, I wasn’t sure I had the courage to keep going through this forest.

But instead of brushing it off, Ophelia frowned.

Her expression turned unusually serious as she stared at me.

“That child must have been…”

“…I see. So that’s why…?”

Muttering to herself, she seemed to be piecing something together.

I held my breath and waited for her to continue.

No, in truth, I didn’t dare move.

I had the unsettling feeling that they would ensnare me if I did.

Then—

“Follow me.”

After a moment lost in thought, Ophelia finally turned to me and spoke.

“Are you sure it’s safe to move?”

“What are you talking about? Just hurry up and follow me.”

I asked cautiously, but she only responded with a confused expression.

Seeing the urgency in her demeanor, I swallowed dryly and nodded before following her.

This wasn’t the situation I had intended, but given the circumstances, there could be no better outcome.

I didn’t know what had piqued Ophelia’s curiosity, but as long as I stayed by her side, nothing would dare to touch me.

Archmage Ophelia.

That name alone carried immense power.

Even the nobles of the Empire wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her.

Not even the Emperor himself would risk falsely accusing her of a crime just to get rid of her.

In a world where magic was the force that kept everything running, an Archmage was an existence above most.

Ophelia strode swiftly through the underbrush with her long legs, moving ahead without hesitation.

Fearing that I might lose sight of her, I quickened my pace to keep up.

Her complete lack of consideration for my speed was almost amusing—it was just like her.

But as I continued following, I suddenly had the feeling that she had slightly slowed her pace.

“Am I imagining it?”

No, it had to be my imagination.

Ophelia wasn’t the type to consider others, let alone me.

She hadn’t even recognized me at first.

And the fact that she was here, in this forest…

“She must not know about my family’s situation.”

The head of the Kalbrandt family was dead.

So was his wife.

And at the same time, it had been revealed that I had no magical talent whatsoever.

Ah, but that last part… she had likely already figured it out on her own.

The thought made me smile bitterly.

Then, as if on cue, Ophelia’s voice called out from ahead.

“Come in.”

She spoke as she pushed open the door of a small hut.

It looked ordinary and unremarkable, yet I could feel the layers of magical barriers surrounding it.

Even with no magical aptitude, I could sense the powerful wards warning intruders to stay away.

A clear message: A Grand Mage lives here.

Do not step inside lightly.

I swallowed dryly, imagining what might happen if I ignored the warning, then obediently stepped into the hut.

The moment I entered, I barely held back a gasp of awe as I took in the interior.

“Incredible.”

From the outside, it had seemed like a small, humble cabin, but inside, it was as vast as a mansion.

A crackling fireplace drove away the night’s chill, a large plush sofa invited relaxation, and a soft, luxurious carpet spread across the floor in front of a small wooden table.

Everything was perfectly arranged for comfort, making it impossible not to admire the space.

Magic.

Not the kind that made something appear smaller from the outside, but rather the rare and difficult expansion magic—something I knew firsthand was extraordinarily complex.

It was another reminder of Ophelia’s immense power.

“Now, explain again. What exactly happened?”

Before I could even sit down, Ophelia had already claimed the most comfortable seat and was looking at me with sharp eyes.

I hesitated for a moment, considering what part of the event she wanted to hear about.

Then, recalling what had just transpired, I calmly opened my mouth.

“It’s exactly as I told you before.”

“Be more detailed.”

“There’s not much else to add. I entered the forest, encountered a grizzly bear, and just as it was about to attack me, I heard a voice. Then, suddenly, something swallowed the grizzly bear whole.”

“Swallowed it?”

“To be precise, it was buried.”

If the ground itself was alive, then it had swallowed the bear.

If not, then the bear had simply been buried.

That was why I described it that way.

But Ophelia still seemed unconvinced.

“Tree roots wrapped around the grizzly bear’s body, completely restraining it. Then, the ground split open on its own and dragged the bear inside.”

I explained exactly what I had witnessed in detail.

As I spoke, Ophelia’s eyes sparkled.

She licked her lips in a strangely suggestive manner, making me unconsciously swallow dryly.

Then, curling her lips into a smirk, she spoke.

“I’ve found it.”

…Found what?