IDWDMCA 28

 Chapter 28

The Tower Master, Serge Drake, was currently holed up in the Magic Tower to examine the monsterization of the Yellow Plague beast in greater detail.

He had been excitedly jumping around at the news that a changeling truly existed and even wanted to join the emergency monster disposal unit, but he reportedly couldn’t leave the ongoing research, which made him extremely regretful.

“Tower Master will surely complete the magic cannon according to the blueprint I ordered. He is the greatest mage of our era.”

“There are only a limited number of people who can place private custom orders with the Tower Master. So you’re asking me this as a chance, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Since I’ll be leaving for Sheila Village soon as part of the disposal unit… there’s no one but the Tower Master who can perfectly complete this magic cannon within such a tight schedule.”

Serge’s personality aside, his skill was trustworthy.

When there was no way to avoid it, one might as well enjoy it.

‘Let’s get a top-tier magic cannon for free using the crown prince’s pass.’

I sent sparkling eyes toward Claudio, and he burst into quiet laughter.

“Beatrice, you really never miss an opportunity. If there’s something you can get, you’ll squeeze everything you can out of it.”

“My life is at stake, after all. I have to try everything I can.”

“Well. That is your strength.”

Claudio kept chuckling for a long while, as if he found something amusing.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the magic cannon is completed and delivered to you before the day you leave for Sheila Village.”

“If possible, please also make the magic bullets inside from silver coated with holy water.”

“Understood, understood. But make sure you come back alive.”

At that moment, the playful look completely disappeared from Claudio’s eyes.

He was truly worried about me.

“…….”

“This is my selfish request, but I don’t want to see another person beside me die. I hope you’ll keep that in mind.”

A strange emotion welled up inside me.

Even though I knew who his traumatic enemy was, the fact that he worried about me simply because I was someone of his side touched somewhere deep inside my heart.

“I’ll be fine. I will definitely return with all my limbs intact and bury my bones in the Proposal Office.”

Let the one who regrets it be Evelyn, not me.

Claudio’s cloudy expression cleared a little at my bold declaration.

“Yeah. I’d be grateful if that happens.”

“As part of that, I have one more request.”

“What is it?”

“Please let me leave work early today. Since I’m going on a mission, I want to take a vacation and prepare calmly at home until departure.”

The departure date set by the Empress came quickly.

During that time, I went crazy making potions using the magic reagent kit I had bought by treating Claudio as a benefactor.

Among them, the most carefully prepared was the “restoration potion” made considering the changeling’s traits.

‘If I show the parents the changeling’s true form in front of their eyes, they’ll believe Owen’s words and cooperate in finding their children.’

Changeling is a monster that replaces human babies, believing their own offspring are ugly.

But even changelings don’t wish for their own young to die. If I ask them to hand over the human children they abducted in exchange for saving their original changeling babies after restoring them, they should comply in most cases.

‘Fortunately, they’re not a particularly ferocious type of monster that eats humans…’

What worried me was something else.

Would the imperial mage corps unnecessarily provoke the relatively docile changeling and cause it to go berserk?

Or…

‘Though I hate to think about it, maybe there are other monsters living around the changeling’s territory.’

I desperately hoped it wasn’t that.

‘Let’s not worry beforehand. Everything will work out.’

I had to believe that.

“Phew.”

While putting various magic reagents into glass bottles, there was a knock on the door.

“…Who is it?”

Worried that Evelyn had come to stir trouble again, I tucked the magic cannon under my ribs and carefully opened the door.

Unexpectedly, it was Gabriel.

“What is it, Gabriel? Why are you here at this hour?”

“What do you mean, why. I came to see you.”

Gabriel coughed lightly while looking at me, and there was even a faint warmth in his gaze.

“…Did you hit your head? Shouldn’t you go see a doctor before coming to me?”

There was no way this guy would look at me warmly.

I asked in serious concern, and Gabriel sighed while rubbing his face.

“I know what you’re misunderstanding, but I’m fine.”

“That’s strange…”

“More importantly, there’s something more important. You’re going to Sheila Village under the Empress’s order, along with the imperial mages. With Evelyn.”

At the last part, I flinched.

“…If you came to warn me because you’re worried I might bully Evelyn, then you don’t have to. Actually, it’s the opposite—I might die there.”

I blurted it out.

Gabriel would be on Evelyn’s side, so no matter what I said, he wouldn’t listen.

‘I thought he would get angry and leave, thinking I was slandering Evelyn.’

But contrary to my expectations, Gabriel nodded at my words.

“That’s exactly why I came to find you.”

“…?”

“I realized belatedly that I had misunderstood you all this time… I’m sorry.”

An apology?

“Did Evelyn tell you to do this?”

I shot him a suspicious glare, and Gabriel shouted in shock.

“No! This is entirely my own will.”

Suspicious…

I still examined him through the half-open door crack, not lowering my guard. Gabriel scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“I know you’re displeased with me, but could you open the door a little? Now that I know Evelyn might kill you in Sheila Village, we should prepare in advance. Someone of my level should be decent reinforcement, right?”

“…Are you really going to protect me without asking for anything in return?”

“Yes.”

It was a hard offer to believe, but Gabriel’s skill was excellent enough that he wouldn’t easily be overwhelmed by monsters or mages.

Creak.

I carefully opened the door and welcomed Gabriel.

“…I don’t know what you’re plotting, but since you made a promise, write a sworn contract too. I feel like I need even a cat’s paw in this mission.”

Even though I was extremely wary, Gabriel strangely didn’t mind. He just smiled bitterly and nodded.

“Okay. By the way… so this is the kind of house you live in.”

Gabriel’s gaze moved across the house.

It was a fairly clean and comfortable home, but I suddenly felt embarrassed and snapped back.

“You didn’t not know, did you? Given that I was expelled from Agorta, this is already something to be grateful for.”

“……”

“Forget it. Let’s just have a strategy meeting.”

“…Yeah.”

Gabriel stared at my face throughout the conversation.

‘What is wrong with him?’

I didn’t bother asking and desperately ignored his gaze while planning.

While preparing various things, the day to go down to Sheila Village arrived.

Perhaps because the Empress believed there were no monsters, there were very few people sending off the emergency monster disposal unit.

Moreover, the Empress herself did not come. Only the crown prince came in place of the Empress to wish the unit well.

“I hope no one gets hurt and returns to the capital.”

At Claudio’s words, I resolutely nodded, but Evelyn and the other imperial mages just snorted, looking indifferent.

Gabriel knelt on one knee in front of Claudio and made an oath in a solemn voice.

“Receiving the sacred call of the Empire and the Holy Temple, I will definitely punish the evil ones and return.”

“May the blessing of the Lord be with Sir Cronwell.”

After the simple greetings were finished, the imperial mages opened the teleport gate. Inside the gate, Sheila Village looked like any ordinary village.

“Let’s go.”

Leading Evelyn, the imperial mages jumped into the gate without hesitation.

“Let’s go in.”

“…Yeah.”

Finally, Gabriel and I jumped into the gate.

Holding the pink string tied around each other’s wrists tightly.

‘Gabriel said there was one thing I should remember if I didn’t want to die.’

“It’s simple. Stay right next to me.”

This string was a means to stay as close as possible.

The string, imbued with divine power, was not actually physically connected, but it prevented us from moving beyond a certain distance. The effect would last until one of us untied it, making it the best tool to execute our plan.

If someone wanted to kill my half-mage self by staging an accident, the easiest method would be to lure me to separate from the group.

I just took this measure because we couldn’t hold hands.

But Evelyn’s eyes narrowed when she saw the pink string connecting us.

“Oh my, sister. When did you become so close to Sir Gabriel? How romantic—a pink string.”

“…It’s not what you’re thinking, so mind your own business. More importantly, shouldn’t we go find the village chief first?”

“Hmph, I already know that without you telling me.”

Evelyn turned away haughtily and left with the imperial mages following her.

“Hey, don’t be late, sister! Don’t start whining to be taken care of after falling behind!”

“That girl….”

“…Let’s hurry too.”

I and Gabriel grabbed the reins and ran forward.

A party that clearly had no harmony—would it be okay……?