episode_0104

“I knew family was coming…”

Asel let out a deep sigh, looking down at Evelyn who had naturally settled on his lap.

“Don’t you think it would have been right to at least say you were coming?”

“I wanted to surprise you!”

“…Right, I was surprised.”

Asel shook his head and rested his chin on the crown of Evelyn’s head. Her familiar lingering scent wafted around the tip of his nose.

It was a scent he had smelled so much he was tired of it just a few years ago. But not seeing her for mere months made him feel incredibly glad to see her. It felt like coming home.

“Ehehe. That tickles, Asel.”

Evelyn felt Asel’s breath and let out a small laugh. Then, she also brought one of Asel’s hands near her face and placed it firmly on her cheek.

Evelyn was just as glad to see him.

He was the only remaining blood relative in this world. There was no reason to dislike him, but reasons to cherish him were overflowing. To Evelyn, Asel was someone to protect, and at the same time, her entire life. From the time they ran away together from their parents until now.

In Evelyn’s heart, Asel’s presence had always been constant.

“Have you been well?”

“Me, well… How about you, sis? They said you started learning Magic Engineering.”

“Hehehe. Sir Pale is teaching me directly!”

Pale.

It was a name that remained in Asel’s memory. It must be the name of a mage who had achieved a high position within Wiheim solely through Magic Engineering.

The value of items she invented herself was immense, reaching hundreds of gold coins. The first self-propelled carriage and Wiheim’s special carrier pigeon were also creations of her hands.

Evelyn, her disciple, making a sophisticated sparrow-shaped carrier pigeon was probably also thanks to Sir Pale providing great help by her side.

“Sir Pale recently left Wiheim for a bit, saying she’s going to make a self-buoyant hot air balloon. That’s why I had the leisure to come find you!”

“Is she strict?”

“…A little? B-But she’s a kind person.”

At Evelyn’s words, spoken while breaking into a sweat, Asel let out a chuckle.

That Pale’s personality was eccentric was already a known fact among the people of Wiheim. Despite that, the way Evelyn defended her like that meant Sir Pale was treating her relatively well, in her own way.

‘Though that ‘own way’ is probably according to Pale’s standards…’

Still, it was a relief that she didn’t seem to be getting bullied.

Thinking that, Asel used telekinesis magic to lift Evelyn’s body and carefully seated her in an empty spot.

Even with the sudden flight, Evelyn didn’t panic and maintained her balance.

It was a flight she had done to the point of boredom in Wiheim. Asel had forcibly grabbed Evelyn while she was resting in the garden, saying he wanted to get a feel for telekinesis spells, and had done headspins dozens of times. It was enough time for her to get used to Asel’s magic.

“Oh, right. Asel! Are you okay? You almost died recently!”

Evelyn, who had been sitting in the chair and dusting off her clothes, suddenly remembered something and sprang up from her seat. Then, she dashed towards Asel.

She had just been seated, but she took her spot on his lap again. Asel forcibly held Evelyn’s hand as she started to unbutton his shirt and said,

“I’m perfectly fine. Didn’t I already explain everything?”

“I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes. Is this the first or second time you’ve hidden injuries?”

“…”

At a loss for words, Asel stopped resisting and waited quietly until Evelyn was satisfied. Evelyn didn’t hesitate to take off Asel’s shirt and carefully examined his skin.

“…Haah.”

“…”

As time passed in that state, Asel felt the gazes of the two people sitting nearby becoming increasingly intense. Seeing a line of drool trickle from Grace’s lips, Asel felt a strange chill.

“Hmm… You really are fine.”

Fortunately, Evelyn’s physical examination ended quickly. She buttoned Asel’s clothes back up herself and gave him a flick on the forehead.

“From now on, don’t get hurt carelessly! If you get hurt without my permission, I’ll be really angry!”

“…That’s not something I can control.”

“Tsk!”

Evelyn made a stern sound and poked Asel’s lips with her finger. Asel gave a wry smile and reluctantly nodded.

“I’ll try my best.”

Asel didn’t feel the need to mention the fact that he would cut off one of his fingers in the duel happening in just a few hours. That was better for everyone.

After finishing his conversation with Evelyn, Asel left the waiting room under the pretext of going to the restroom for a moment.

Suddenly, only women remained in the waiting room. With Asel, the only person she was close to, gone, Evelyn immediately shrank into a corner and took out the sparrow she had kept in her pocket.

[Chirp, chirp.]

Just as she was about to converse with the creation she had made herself.

“Lady Evelyn!”

“Sister!”

“Hoye?”

Grace and Elena, who had been quiet until now, took seats next to Evelyn. Seeing the two, who exuded a clearly aristocratic atmosphere, Evelyn hunched her shoulders.

“Uh, uhh… What is it…?”

“You don’t need to be scared! My name is Elena! Asel’s closest friend!”

“Oh, Asel’s friend…?”

“Yes!”

Elena smiled brightly and gently held one of Evelyn’s hands. At the cold touch, Evelyn gasped and swallowed.

“I want to become close with you too, sister! If you’re Asel’s sister, you must be a good person!”

“…Th-Thank you, but unlike Asel, I can’t use any magic…”

“Ah, that doesn’t matter at all! It’s just that you yourself are a good person, sister!”

“…We just met now, though?”

“…Uh, um…”

At Evelyn’s apt point, Elena’s mouth was momentarily shut.

Taking that opportunity, this time Grace spoke towards Evelyn.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Grace, the daughter of the Duke of Vaidel’s family. I am truly happy to meet Lady Evelyn.”

“…Yes, yes…”

“I never imagined meeting Asel’s family in a place like this. Because of that, it seems it will be difficult to offer proper hospitality. If it’s alright, would it be possible to treat you separately after the duels are over?”

“Ah, no.”

It was an immediate refusal. A crack appeared in Grace’s beautiful smile. With a reluctant expression, Evelyn slowly moved to sit next to Elen. Elen flinched from the sudden proximity of Evelyn.

Hiding behind the small Elen, Evelyn said,

“Ah, well, we don’t seem that close yet… And nobles are a bit uncomfortable…”

“…I’m also a noble.”

Elen blurted out. Evelyn looked down at Elen and mumbled in a small voice.

“…Because you look similar to how I did when I was little. Uh… Specifically, your build…”

“…”

Elen began to seriously contemplate how to react to her words. When an objectively beautiful woman says she looks similar to her own build when she was young, is it a compliment, or is she being sarcastic about her being skinny?

Elen simply could not figure out the correct answer…

“I’m not a noble.”

At that moment, Celine, who had been quiet, sat next to Evelyn and whispered. Evelyn let out a gasp! and reacted like a cat.

“I was also born in the slums.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. My mother was a prostitute, and I don’t know who my father was. My mother, who was the only one I had, also died because of some strange Corpse Necromancer.”

“My parents tried to eat me alive! In a physical sense!”

“Ah, that happens often.”

“…”

Grace and Elena’s mouths hung open as they listened to the two of them talking. It was because the topic of conversation was something they could not even imagine.

And so, the waiting room was divided into two people who looked as if their souls had left, Elen who was contemplating, and Celine and Evelyn who were chatting.

“…What is it?”

Asel, who had returned from the restroom, frowned as he looked at them.

***

Time passed, and the start of the duels was approaching. Evelyn returned to the 미리 prepared spectator seats according to procedure, and Asel watched the screen set up on one side of the waiting room while waiting for his turn.

The screen was in a form that copied and projected the scene inside the Radiance Spell Magic Tool that grasped the layout of the duel arena at once. Thanks to it, it was possible to watch the duels here without needing to go to the arena itself.

[…Hoo.]

Beyond the screen, the figures of a first-year student and a second-year student began to appear.

Unlike the first-year, who was clearly full of nervousness at a glance, the second-year’s face was overflowing with composure.

It was a natural thing. Unlike them who had already experienced a duel once last year, everything was a new experience for the first-years. Of course, they were bound to be nervous.

[Both sides, take your stances. The moment the gold coin hits the floor, the duel begins.]

Soon, the professor acting as the announcer said in a serious voice, holding a gold coin between his fingers.

Then, without hesitation, he flicked it.

Tiiiing!!

The gold coin, making a clear sound, ascended, rotating, and fell down. Watching the gold coin cross their line of sight, the two people prepared for battle.

Tuk.

The moment the coin touched the floor.

[Ice Spear]

[Earthquake]

The two people who had mastered different types of magic simultaneously activated their spells.

Asel observed the two people’s battle with interested eyes, his eyes sparkling.

Clashes between mages other than himself always inspired him.

This was exactly such a moment. Instead of the familiar Ice Magic, Asel carefully observed the Earth Element Spell formula and drew a rough diagram of the spell formula in his head to understand its intricacies.

But before he could be satisfied, the duel was over.

[I, I forfeit.]

Approximately 10 minutes later, the first match concluded with the blood-soaked first-year student declaring his surrender.

From the spectator seats, a mix of cheers and shouts of disappointment were heard, half and half. On the screen, the scene of the two students shaking hands warmly after the duel was reflected.

After that, a similar pattern continued. First-years lost, and second-years continuously claimed victory.

[Yay! I won, Asel!]

Elena, who participated in between, also crushed her opponent, but that was the first and last victory for the first-years. After her, only news of defeats followed one after another.

As time passed like that.

“Asel. It’s your turn.”

Asel’s turn for the duel had come.