SWRD 29

Chapter 29

In an instant, a warning light flashed in my mind.

Just like that time in the kitchen, I wanted to run away. But this time, I had no idea how to escape.

Rustle.

…Right then, a small sound tickled my ear.

I instinctively turned my head toward the noise, as if I were reacting without thinking.

No sooner had I turned than Killid asked a question.

“What do you see?”

“No, it was a sound—”

I was about to explain that I just heard footsteps or something similar, but before I could finish, Killid immediately threw something toward the bushes I had glanced at.

Then, a shrill “Screech!” erupted from the thicket.

I stared with my mouth agape.

“What are you doing?”

“You said you heard something.”

“No, let me finish! I did hear something, but it wasn’t suspicious. Just footsteps.”

The sound was like someone stepping on dry leaves or twigs.

It was the kind of sound anyone could make.

So just because someone screamed from the bushes didn’t necessarily mean they were an intruder. It could just be a servant or a soldier…

‘It’s not the butler, right?’

The butler’s quite old. If he’s hurt, he’ll need a long recovery.

At this point, all I could do was hope—sorry as I was—that it was one of the sturdier soldiers or knights.

“That’s not what’s important.”

“What? What are you saying? Do you know how old the butler is?”

Killid looked at me as if I were the one talking nonsense, then spoke again.

“The sound you heard.”

“Huh?”

“Whatever it was—I didn’t hear it.”

It had been a quiet enough sound that missing it wouldn’t be strange.

I had only picked up on it because I was desperately looking for anything to distract myself…

But just as I was preparing to argue back, something struck me.

“…The scream? Did you not hear the scream either?”

The scream that came from the bushes.

It had been so clear, it would’ve been weirder not to hear it.

Killid answered immediately.

“I didn’t.”

The moment I heard that, I froze.

Just then, Enfi approached.

Killid left me with Enfi and made his way to the bushes.

A moment later, Killid emerged from the thicket carrying an unconscious man.

I didn’t even have time to focus on the fact that he’d lifted a grown man with just one hand. The spectacle was completely overshadowed by something else.

That man—he was someone I’d never seen anywhere in the mansion.

✧ ✧ ✧

Kaiden Eos returned to Kroforth exactly two weeks after his previous visit.

“It’s been a while.”

He greeted me briefly, then went straight to the point.

“I’ve succeeded in restoring the orb’s ability.”

“…Already?”

“I entrusted the task to the Magic Tower.”

The Magic Tower. A familiar name—because one of Elisa’s (the real one’s) mentors was its leader.

I won’t go into detail about how Elisa, supposedly the most powerful mage, ended up studying under the leader of the Magic Tower.

Just know it involved an improbable blend of coincidence and luck—typical of a novel protagonist.

In any case, if it was the Magic Tower—a group of nothing but geniuses—it made sense they managed to restore the orb so quickly.

But the Tower isn’t affiliated with any nation, not even royalty.

So it’s odd they accepted a royal request so easily…

Maybe the suspicion showed on my face, because Kaiden spoke again.

“I have an old friend at the Magic Tower.”

“…Ah.”

“Thanks to them, we were able to succeed. We’ve finished testing it, so I’ll explain what the orb can do.”

Kaiden’s explanation wasn’t far off from what I had already guessed.

But it did include more detail.

“First, if someone carries the orb for more than an hour, their presence becomes hidden. No sound, no aura. In this state, even sounds from right near them become concealed.”

“I understand.”

I recalled the event from two weeks ago. Killid hadn’t heard the sound of a branch breaking beneath the intruder.

…Ugh. Just thinking about that makes my head throb.

But now wasn’t the time to bring it up. I shook off the mental stress and focused on Kaiden’s words.

“And when someone carrying the orb touches another person, that person’s presence is hidden too.”

“Okay.”

“Moreover, the orb seems to draw hidden people toward it.”

“…Draw them in?”

“We found through experimentation that once someone is hidden by contact with the orb-holder, they can’t move beyond a certain distance from the orb.”

What is this, some gravitational orb? Seriously…

“However, the moment either person loses consciousness, the orb’s effect vanishes.”

“Both of them?”

“Yes. The one holding the orb, and the one they touched.”

Kaiden’s words made two things suddenly make sense.

First, why the kidnapper I had seen in the alley made sure their victim was still conscious.

And second, why Killid was able to see the second intruder he had lifted.

Ah, of course. The kidnapper avoided knocking the victim out, because that would nullify the orb’s effect. And the second intruder—he lost consciousness, so the orb’s power disappeared and Killid could see him.

“Also, the orb only conceals appearance. It doesn’t make someone intangible.”

“So even if someone’s hidden, they can still be hit?”

“Exactly.”

That much I already knew. After all, Killid had knocked out an intruder he couldn’t see or hear.

“…That’s everything we verified about the orb’s power.”

Kaiden finished speaking and sat a little straighter.

As if to say, “I’ve said my part. Now I’m ready to listen.”

…Right. In truth, I was the one who had summoned Kaiden here via letter.

Though Kaiden had also wanted to tell me something, so I guess the timing worked out well.

“What did you mean in your letter by ‘it wasn’t a coincidence’?”

“I was the one who broke the orb.”

“…What?”

I silently pulled a pearl from my pocket. It was about the same size as the orb we had just discussed.

I handed it to Kaiden—he accepted it calmly—and began.

“Let’s say this is an intact orb.”

“…”

“The restored orb is white, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but… I don’t recall telling you that.”

I shook my head.

I hadn’t heard that the orb was white.

I’d seen it.

“There was another intruder recently. That intruder had a white orb. But…”

I paused for a moment, then reached out and touched Kaiden’s shoulder. He let me do it without question.

When I touched his shoulder lightly and withdrew my hand, I continued:

“When I did that, the orb turned black.”

“No way…”

“It’s true. When I touch someone holding the orb, the orb seems to break. If I touched the orb directly, I assume the result would be the same.”

I hadn’t had a chance to touch an orb directly yet—but I added that and moved on.

“And even if the orb is still functioning, I can see the person holding it. I can also hear them.”

“…You’re saying you’re completely immune to the orb’s power.”

“Yes. Though I don’t know why.”

Did my voice sound unintentionally somber?

Kaiden studied me carefully, then said,

“You make it sound like bad news.”

“…”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“…Should I be?”

“You’re safer now.”

I’m safer, huh… He wasn’t wrong.

If someone tried to sneak up on me using the orb, I’d be able to see them. I could just point them out—“They’re right there!”—and everyone around me would beat them to a pulp.

They’d be torn apart before they even knew what hit them.

…That’s how it would be in Kroforth, anyway.

‘The real problem is once I leave here.’

Who would beat up suspicious orb-users for me then?

Once I’m out there… I’ll be alone.