episode_0071

Luke returned straight to the outpost.

It was just as the soldier said.

Where did it come from?

Mutant creatures that had swarmed in all at once were indiscriminately attacking the soldiers.

“Get in line!”

“Potion flies away! Damage!”

The response of the northern soldiers was skillful.

The knights are lined up.

Throws a curse-removing potion from the rear.

Then the wizards intercepted.

Dealing with the mutant creatures wasn’t difficult.

However, the problem was that there were too many of them and they were gradually retreating.

“I’ll clear the way.”

Gaelan ran forward, hiding Dien behind him.

Chook-

Mutant creatures split by a single sword.

Falling like a fallen leaf, bleeding profusely in the air.

“Are you okay, sis?”

Then he glances at Victor and looks after Dien’s safety.

Although he didn’t say, “What are you doing quietly?”, the similar nuance was clearly conveyed in his eyes.

“Uh, uh. I’m fine―”

Dien tried to stop them before a strange sense of competition developed.

Phagejijik-

The thunder summoned by Victor had already fallen into the middle of the horde of mutant creatures, breaking the waist of the wave.

“… … ”

“… … ”

Two people whose eyes met in the air.

No matter how kind a person is.

Any man who has a woman has a high sense of pride.

“Be careful, it’s dangerous, sis.”

Crunch-

Gaillan dashed out and cut down the mutated creatures that had gathered near the outpost.

“Please stay inside the tent.”

Kwarrung-

Victor summoned clouds that dropped hail and lightning, blasting the mutant creatures behind him.

Krrrr…!

“This little shit!”

Phew!

Anne responded when a mutant creature occasionally popped out from the side.

“Ugh… Thank you, but… … .”

Dien walked as if she were a princess, escorted by her.

If she were a real princess, she wouldn’t have bowed her head.

“Whoa, what are these guys?”

Anne, who had turned the saber-toothed tiger’s neck, shook her hands.

“I think it would be right to rush to the princess?”

“Yes, that’s for sure.”

That was the reason why there were mutant creatures that Gailan and Victor missed.

Do they feel Elin’s energy from afar?

Flying into the sky.

Bouncing off the ground.

He ran with his eyes rolled back, not caring that his body was hurting.

“Let’s get in before we get any more attention.”

“Uh, yeah… I’ll take Elin. You help Gaelan or Victor… .”

“I don’t like it.”

Dien’s offer was firmly rejected.

“Doesn’t it look like it’ll be sorted out quickly without my help?”

“No, but still… .”

“To begin with, I am not a battle mage.”

It’s no secret that Luke doesn’t like fighting.

This is a very unusual move for the Bucklin family.

Actually, if you are exceptionally good in every area except combat, it won’t be a problem.

“If you can avoid a fight, don’t you have to fight it?”

“Hmm… Well.”

Dien recalled the scene of Luke’s magic sword sparring test that he had seen by chance.

It’s not a physical magic duel that you share with Anne for the sake of friendship.

A test where you have to give it your all and defeat your opponent.

The first thing Luke did when he reached the finals.

-Kuaaaah!! You coward!!!

-You can’t stop a simple trick. I’m disappointed.

… it was like throwing sand in the other person’s eyes.

Luke’s progress didn’t stop there.

Run away using space magic.

Sometimes he uses flash magic.

He continued to summon a waterfall over his opponent’s head, blocking their vision.

Eventually, the opponent surrendered.

Luke took the lead.

Dien thought he was crazy when he saw that sight.

-You made your opponent surrender without causing a single wound.

-A student who breaks the mold of magic sparring… .

The professors praised Luke for giving up his humanity in exchange for magical skills.

A non-combat magic victory, you say… .

“At that time, I thought it was a line, so I didn’t go for a while.”

“It was really comfortable.”

“… … ”

anyway.

I understand Luke’s intentions.

No matter how much you attack the mutant creature’s eyes, it won’t surrender.

I guess you’re just going with Dien and taking care of Elin.

Choaaaak-!

Kookung-

Seeing Gailan and Victor being so competitive, I really didn’t need to bother with them.

After the front has been somewhat organized.

I went into the tent.

“Lie down here.”

Dien diagnosed Elin right away.

It was a job that was not even in my fortune to be a doctor.

As I made potions in the North, I also learned how to take care of patients to some extent.

After looking around Elin like that.

“… There’s nothing particularly wrong?”

Elin was sleeping very comfortably.

“It looks fine on the outside. But what if there’s something wrong on the inside?”

“That’s right.”

“First of all, it seems like there isn’t a big problem with mana hearts.”

I tried flowing mana into Elin’s body.

Again, no problematic areas were found.

Because I drank the potion earlier.

It was also natural that the curse did not work near the mana heart.

“Then why are you suddenly doing this?”

“Well… ? Let’s wait a bit. I’ll make you a nutritional supplement potion… .”

“Hmm… … .”

Luke crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

Hearing that Elin, who I was worried about, was okay made me even more confused.

I couldn’t speak because the mutant creatures were coming.

The barrier I touched earlier.

At the entrance to the cave, no magical power was felt at all.

In other words, it is not a barrier created using magic.

If that’s the case, then it means you can’t solve it alone.

“… I really don’t want to contact him.”

Luke took out the long-distance communication paper with a displeased expression.

A person so unpleasant that Luke, who always speaks politely, calls him ‘hey’.

But this is also for Elin.

I wrote a letter and sent it.

* * * * *

There was a sudden attack though.

All were suppressed without major damage.

No, rather, there are the next heads of the prestigious families.

It was easier than usual to stop mutant creatures.

Before we knew it, the year had passed.

Dinner time came after dinner.

“Hnyaaaa… I’m tired even though I didn’t do anything.”

Seeing that Elin was fine, Dien came out of the tent and stretched.

I would like to just wrap my hair around my head and sleep.

Today, that just wasn’t possible.

Swish, swish.

Dien looked around and avoided the soldiers’ eyes as he walked towards the empty lot.

A quiet open space after completely eradicating all surrounding mutant creatures.

How long have I been kicking the ends of the earth with my feet?

Jeobuk-

Footsteps were heard from behind.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Dien stuttered and turned around.

“Sorry I’m late.”

There stood Victor, who had just finished bathing.

Although the blood of the mutant creature did not get on it because it was firing magic from a distance.

But I did sweat, so I cleaned up my body.

Besides, I have something important to say today.

“No. I didn’t know that mutant creatures would suddenly invade like this… Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Victor sat down across from Dien, the corners of his lips slightly raised.

Victor’s parents.

Even the Count and Countess of Bucklin had only seen Victor’s smile a few times in their lives.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Hmm… a little?”

It was a lie.

Even though he was a Dien, he wasn’t lazy enough to carry around a heating potion.

but.

“I will cast a warming spell on you.”

If I say this, Victor will take care of it.

I like the feeling of Victor’s mana warmly wrapping around my body.

Dien had lied without realizing it.

“I’m worried that it might be too hot.”

“Ahh… .”

Of course, Victor wasn’t so clueless that he couldn’t see through Dien’s lies.

So I covered it with a very weak insulating magic.

Whoaah.

Dien’s face was also on fire.

That might be the reason.

“Um… What do you want to say today?”

Dien barely managed to open her mouth before collapsing in embarrassment.

Actually, I had some idea of what he was going to say.

But isn’t expecting something different from actually hearing it?

Knock knock knock knock.

Dien waited for Victor to speak, feeling her small heart beating rapidly.

“Yeah. Right. I said I had something to say.”

“… but?”

Dien tilted his head in a somewhat anxious haste.

“Seeing something so sudden happening today, I guess it’s still too early.”

“Yes?”

“Isn’t Dien thinking of retreating from the north after the mutant creatures are completely resolved?”

“Not completely, but I was going to go down if I didn’t need to.”

Victor nodded as if he had expected that.

“So I’ll tell you later for sure. Someday this situation will be resolved―”

“Okay, wait a minute!”

Dien jumped up from his spot and covered Victor’s mouth.

Because I moved so quickly, I ended up climbing onto the table and pressing my lips against Victor’s.

It wasn’t the unsightly behavior that was important at the time.

“Take back what you were about to say.”

Because it was obvious to anyone that what Victor was about to say was a flag.

Will this situation be resolved and I can speak properly?

No matter how you look at it, doesn’t it sound like we’re about to be attacked by mutated creatures?

Of course, I can’t imagine Victor being attacked by a mutant creature… but anyway!

“Speak now!”

Victor blinked in surprise.

“What you were going to say. Please say it now, because I want to hear it right now.”

Dien felt like hiding in her hair even as she spoke to herself.

As everyone knows.

She’s not originally like this.

All I did in life was curl up in a cabin with the blackout curtains drawn and take a nap.

You keep your mouth shut and believe in such ridiculous superstitions.

I realized anew how much I like Victor.

“… Will you do it? I will believe you?”

Victor nodded.

As the little Dien’s hand fell.

Open your mouth slowly.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“… I almost did it.”

“Hmm.”

Victor tilted his head as if he didn’t know.

He looked at Dien as if he thought it was okay.

Somehow Dien ended up on the table, so our eye level was just right.

“Then… I will do it.”

Ahem, he cleared his throat and held Dien’s hand tightly.

Dien was surprised as if the game was starting.

In the end, he didn’t pull his hand out.

“I don’t know if you know this, but… No. I’ll leave out the cliches.”

Victor shook his head.

I added strength to the hands I was holding.

“I don’t know when it started. Since I came to the North, sometimes my heart starts beating abnormally.”

“… … Me too.”

Dien answered shyly.

“At first I thought there was a problem. But when I returned from the North, I realized.”

Victor paused for a moment and looked at Dien quietly.

“My heart races like crazy only when I’m with Dien.”

It was the same even now.

Heart pounding.

Heart pounding.

Is it Victor’s heartbeat?

A loud heartbeat, which might be Dien’s heartbeat, rings in my ears.

A quiet northern night where not even the sound of a bug can be heard.

A dim light source, relying on a torch.

A man and a woman holding hands tightly in a place where there is no one.

In a world where time seems to have stopped for a moment.

Victor smiled broadly and opened his mouth.

“Will you marry me?”