Chapter – 10
An Ending Full of Mysteries
I fell into the fountain.
Just before I hit the water, I saw the lights of the mansion come back on.
Splash!
“Lili!”
The sound of water exploding upward overlapped with Al’s shout.
A small hand immediately grabbed my arm and pulled.
“Gasp!”
As I broke the surface, the first thing I saw was a little boy whose eyebrows were drooping into a worried frown.
It was hard to believe this pitiful-looking child was the same person who had fearlessly stood before a monster only moments ago.
“I’m sorry…”
“You must have been scared.”
Of course he had.
It had been the first time either of us had ever been attacked by a monster.
And on that very first encounter…
We’d been forced to fight without any adults to protect us.
Butā
“Idiot!”
Al yelled at me before splashing into the fountain and dragging me onto the edge.
Then he took off the robe he was wearing and draped it over my shoulders.
(Oh…)
(As expected.)
The son of House Forsten, one of the greatest noble families in the kingdom.
Not only had he inherited the spirit of chivalry…
He’d also been thoroughly taught to put ladies first.
“What about your injuries?”
“I’m fine.”
“What about you?”
“…Just a scratch.”
“What?!”
That was serious.
Even if it was only a scratch…
I’d allowed the heir of House Forsten to get hurt.
“I’m sorry!”
“Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s nothing.”
“But…”
Al glanced toward his right elbow.
There really was a small scrape there.
He must have fallen when my lightning spell struck the monster.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
I declared solemnly.
Silence followed.
A moment laterā
Al burst out laughing.
“Idiot.”
After saying that…
He ruffled my soaking wet hair.
“You really are an idiot.”
“W-What was that supposed to mean?!”
“That was obviously a joke.”
“The last thing I’d want is having you hanging around me for the rest of my life.”
How rude!
I’d been genuinely worried about him!
Seeing me puff up with indignation…
Al grinned.
“Well…”
“I’ll call it even if you give me tomorrow’s snacks.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
He gently patted my head again.
This time…
His touch was warm and reassuring.
The navy-blue of his eyes shimmered in the light spilling from the mansion.
For some reason…
My heart skipped a beat.
“So tomorrow, let’sā”
Before he could finishā
“Grrrrrrrr…”
A low growl sounded behind us.
“…!”
Glauros.
Now that the light had returned, I finally saw him clearly.
He was roughly humanoid.
But his entire body was covered in something resembling black stone.
Bat-like wings protruded from his back.
His grotesque body trembled as he slowly raised his head from where he’d collapsed.
Then…
He looked toward the heavens.
His lips quivered.
“Lord Noctifilis…”
“…Why?”
No one answered.
(Noctifilis must have decided the battle was lost… and retreated.)
That’s why the mansion’s lights had returned.
The black rock covering Glauros’ body crumbled away.
His right arm fell heavily onto the ground.
(He’s about to die…)
Or so I thought.
Thenā
A brilliant white sphere of light suddenly flashed into view.
It instantly enveloped Glauros’ body.
A moment later…
Crack!
The white light burst apart.
Standing there…
Was Glauros.
Completely unharmed.
“How…?!”
I couldn’t help whispering.
Only moments ago…
He’d been on the verge of death after taking my lightning strike.
Glauros’ pitch-black eyes locked onto us.
“…!”
I yanked Al backward.
Almost simultaneouslyā
The fountain exploded.
Chunks of shattered stone slammed into my arms and legs.
Pain shot through them.
“Ahh…”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you…”
“…My lord!”
Rolling across the ground in ecstasy…
Glauros muttered those words.
I couldn’t make out whose name he’d whispered.
But that hardly mattered.
(We’re going to die!)
The magical power pouring from Glauros now was nothing like before.
It had increased dozens of times over.
Its malice was overwhelming.
Dark magical power poured from his body…
Twisting into enormous spirals.
Al was completely frozen by terror.
His body wouldn’t move.
Cold sweat drenched my own body.
My hands and legs trembled uncontrollably.
(…We can’t win.)
For the first time…
I accepted death.
Thenā
FWOOOOOOSH!!
A vortex of crimson flames swallowed Glaurosā
Along with every trace of his dark magic.
At the same moment…
My body gently floated into the air.
This warm magical power…
“Father!”
The instant he lifted me into his arms…
I clung to him tightly.
Warm.
Strong.
Safe.
It was Father.
“Grave!”
Father roared.
A fierce gust of wind answered him.
It was Duke Forsten.
The vortex of flames that had engulfed Glauros now gathered around the Duke’s sword.
The swirling fire wrapped around its blade…
Growing denser…
Until it becameā
A blazing sword of fire.
One swing.
Glauros’ head flew from his shoulders.
The truth behind the incident remained shrouded in mystery.
The mastermind was undoubtedly the monster called Noctifilis.
Ancient records identified it as the creature capable of casting the spell that stole light.
That much was certain.
Noctifilis had plunged House Rosenford into darkness.
Then Glauros had infiltrated the mansion to kill Al and me.
The fact that both our fathers had been lured away to the Great Western Forest to subdue monsters…
Surely wasn’t a coincidence.
But everything before that remained a mystery.
How had those two monsters entered the capital?
Where had Noctifilis escaped to?
How had it escaped?
What spell had put everyone except Al and me to sleep?
No one knew.
Nor did anyone understand the mysterious white light.
The light that had restored a dying monster…
And multiplied its magical power many times over.
Was it magic?
Or something else entirely?
Nobody knew.
And finally…
Why had they targeted two helpless childrenā
Al and me?
That mystery also remained unsolved.
At dawn…
Al returned home with Duke Forsten.
“Let’s play together again tomorrow.”
The promise we’d almost made…
Couldn’t be kept.
Still…
I had a feeling our strange connection would continue for many years.
I waved goodbye from my bedroom window.
Just before climbing into the carriage…
Al flashed me his usual cocky grin.
I couldn’t help smiling back.
That afternoon…
Father and Mother came to my room.
Apparently they’d waited until my injuries had been treated and I’d gotten some rest.
“Lilietta!”
“What were you thinking?!”
“If you’d simply hidden and waited, I would’ve reached you immediately!”
“The royal court mages were already mobilizing!”
Father scolded me through tears.
Beside him…
Mother held my hands tightly while crying just as hard.
“And you removed the sealing spell without permission!”
I knew they were right.
That spell had been placed there to protect both my body and my heart.
Removing it on my own deserved punishment.
But…
At that moment…
There had been no other choice.
“Because…”
“I thought…”
“I was the only one who could protect everyone.”
Father and Mother both fell silent.
Because…
It was true.
If Al and I hadn’t fought…
The rescue might not have arrived in time.
We could have died.
“…You’re right.”
Father gently patted my head.
“I’m sorry, Lilietta.”
“If I had been in your place…”
“I would probably have done exactly the same.”
I believed him.
Even if he had only been three years old…
He would have fought to protect the people he loved.
“You did well, Lilietta.”
His voice trembled.
Warmth spread through my chest.
“You were truly brave.”
He hugged me tightly.
Wrapped in Father’s strong arms…
At last…
I finally let out a long breath of relief.
That incident completely changed my life.
I learned just how much…
Only three days later.
A summons arrived from the Royal Palace.
The letter from the King contained only a single message.
There are signs that the Demon King is about to return.
