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Chapter 17
Soon, the children were given their next task.
It was to control flames along a marked path on the ground.
Fwoosh!
The first to go was Lord Abellus. His flames rose in a spiral shape.
Watching beside him, Skyvola exclaimed in awe.
“Isn’t the power of fire always beautiful, young master?”
“……”
“Not just in appearance, but in its meaning even more so. It’s the power that allows humans to protect hearth and home. But if someone fails to control it and lets it consume everything…”
Lord Abellus, silently focused on his power, frowned slightly.
“…then that power is better off not existing for such an incompetent person, wouldn’t you say?”
Startled, Lord Abellus’s arm trembled slightly. And in that moment—
Boom!
The flames suddenly surged and exploded. The discharged magic flared a deep blue.
“Because a person who can’t control their own power is no different from a monster.”
As Abellus hastily withdrew his power in shock, Skyvola calmly finished his words.
The malicious intent in that remark was so palpable, it sent chills down my spine.
The instructor, who came running to manage the situation, scolded Lord Abellus.
“Young master! If your control is lacking, you should at least make an effort to focus! Having lots of mana doesn’t mean you can just rely on brute strength! How long do you plan to act so arrogantly?!”
“I wasn’t being arrogant. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Lord Abellus bowed his head.
What the—?!
I beat my chest in disbelief.
Something was clearly off.
Skyvola’s constant interference was loud enough that even I could hear it from this far away—so why was the instructor just ignoring it?
Though the instructor offered a few more words of reproach, he ultimately said nothing to Skyvola.
Finally, he declared a break and left the training hall.
Lord Abellus stood alone for a while, clenching his fists tightly in the spot where the instructor had stood.
Lord Abellus…
My heart ached seeing him all alone, with no one on his side.
Part of me wanted to run out to him right away and say it was okay.
Once the instructor was gone, the three remaining children began chatting among themselves.
“Bellicia, the instructor left, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. He must’ve stepped out for a bit?”
“Good.”
Skyvola nodded and stood up, then dashed in the direction of the armory—where I was.
What? Why is he coming this way…?
As he reached out his hand, a large flame erupted toward me.
“Ahhh?!”
Crack!
The shield that had been hiding me split in two, leaving me fully exposed in the training ground.
“You’ve been hiding there for a while.”
“Who’s that? How’d she get in here?”
Bellicia asked.
“It’s a baby! A baby! Hi, baby!”
Unlike the two serious kids, Bellicus just shouted in excitement.
Cough! Cough…!
The acrid smoke made me cough uncontrollably.
The three children stared at me with curiosity as I flailed my little arms to wave away the dust.
“H-H-Hello…”
But while they only watched in amusement, I was the one to greet them first.
“Isn’t this Lady Calidora?”
Skyvola was the first to recognize me.
“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”
“My father mentioned you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“My dad said he saw you at the family meeting too!”
While the children chattered excitedly around me, my attention remained fixed on Lord Abellus, standing off in the distance.
I—I’ve been found out. But it’ll be fine. I have the perfect excuse ready, and there’s no proof I followed him here.
Lord Abellus was staring at me with a stiff expression, clearly flustered.
But unlike the other children, he didn’t approach me. He simply kept his distance.
“Why were you here all alone?”
Skyvola asked.
“I came to see the Goddess… but I got lost…”
“Oh, you were heading to the temple. Once class is over, we’ll take you there.”
Skyvola smiled warmly.
Seeing such a friendly expression, I became certain.
He’s dangerous. Too cunning to be just a kid.
Skyvola had only recognized me after looking at my face for a while.
Which meant he launched that flame into the armory without knowing who was inside.
If it had been a powerless servant or a lost traveler instead of me, they would have been killed instantly.
Their body would’ve been incinerated to ash.
No properly trained noble child would use their powers so recklessly.
From a very young age, they’re taught not to make such mistakes.
This is bad. I should stay close to Lord Abellus.
“Hey baby, where are you going! Play with me!”
“I like Lord Abellus more.”
I tried to walk quickly to escape, but Bellicus kept chasing me.
Because of that, I couldn’t go to Lord Abellus and had to circle around the training grounds.
“Hey! She’s not a baby—she’s a lady!”
Bellicia shouted at us.
“Why? My sister said the daughter of a traitor like Calidora can’t be a real lady…”
“S-Shut up!”
So they’re spreading rumors about me like that.
I’ll have to tell the family head when I get back down the mountain.
“Bellicus, wait a sec. I have something to say.”
Skyvola ran up and blocked my path.
“Nice to meet you, my lady. I’ve actually been wanting to meet you.”
“You know me?”
“You’re famous! The adults said you’re really powerful!”
Bellicus shouted, and Skyvola nodded beside him.
“Everyone in Hella was buzzing about the arrival of the blue flame to follow Lord Abellus.”
“M-Me?”
That was news to me.
I must have looked flustered, because Skyvola gave me a curious look.
“Saves me the trouble of searching.”
I blinked at his strange mutter.
Searching? What does that mean?
Then Skyvola pulled something from his pocket.
“My lady, would you try holding this for a moment?”
When I saw what it was, I instinctively stepped back.
It was a moonstone ring.
Though it’s often used as jewelry due to its beautiful appearance, moonstone has a special trait.
It reacts to the magic of the person who touches it—by glowing.
That’s why moonstone has long been used to test others’ mana.
“I—I’m leaving now.”
I turned quickly, hiding my hands.
I had poured all my mana into the earlier scroll, so I was practically a shell right now.
If the moonstone touched me, it wouldn’t react at all—something unthinkable for a noble.
Skyvola frowned slightly.
So they’ve been itching to test my powers…!
As I resolved to run away, Skyvola suddenly yanked my tied-up hair from behind.
“Ah!”
I nearly fell but managed to keep my balance. The ring was shoved toward me.
“D-Don’t touch—!”
It was then—
“Skyvola. I’ve thought this for a while, but you’re surprisingly brave.”
Lord Abellus approached with firm steps and grabbed Skyvola’s forearm.
Clang—
The ring, overwhelmed by intense mana, shattered with a sharp crack.
“What do you mean by that…?”
Skyvola’s voice trembled slightly.
“You’ve never missed a day emphasizing how terrifying uncontrolled fire is.”
Black smoke rose from Lord Abellus’s grip.
“And yet, you demand my younger sister—who’s never even trained—to show you her power?”
“U-Ugh…”
Skyvola stared in horror at the arm in Abellus’s grip.
He was born with a body resistant to fire, so he probably never felt heat before.
But a high-level fire power was a different matter.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
As Skyvola screamed in agony, Lord Abellus released his hand. Skyvola collapsed to the floor.
“W-What the hell are you doing?! Y-You monster!”
Skyvola clutched his burned arm and whimpered on the ground.
