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chapter 11
It had happened countless times already between Rohide and Laila.
Rohide ignored her. Laila cried.
Nothing ever changed.
He was bored.
Wouldn’t something different ever happen?
His eyes, hollow beyond what anyone would expect from a ten-year-old, stared blankly into the distance.
Just then, a violent gale swept through the forest far away.
Calling it a gust of wind hardly did it justice.
The force behind it was far too great.
He had heard rumors lately that strange, powerful winds had been appearing around the capital more and more often. They felt… artificial somehow. He desperately wanted to go see for himself.
But that was impossible.
A prince was a prisoner of the palace.
As always, Rohide silently watched the distant storm and let his thoughts drift.
I wish I could simply surrender myself to that wind.
The clearing looked as though a typhoon had just torn through it.
Standing there was Adele, quietly staring at her tiny fist.
Nearby, Vincent sat sprawled on the ground in shock after falling backward.
And lying flat on the earth was the mage, completely drained after using every ounce of strength he had to restrain Vincent’s frantic struggle.
The only one still standing was Adele.
Her thoughts were tangled as she slowly turned toward Vincent and the mage.
That mysterious marble that had suddenly appeared…
It had to be connected to them somehow.
Its timing had been far too suspicious.
The marble had revealed itself the very moment Vincent declared that he would never go to the enemy nation.
Vincent had already begun acting differently from the future Adele remembered.
Originally, he had failed to graduate from the Academy, endured endless scorn, and eventually left the kingdom in disgrace.
Now that the future had changed…
What exactly was this marble?
Originally, it contained visions.
But this one was different.
Its interior was completely empty.
Looking into it, Adele felt as though she were staring into her own uncertain future.
Does it only appear when someone tries to change the original story? As if the characters themselves are truly alive…?
She snorted at her own ridiculous imagination.
A marble appears just to tell people not to tamper with the plot? That’s the kind of absurd suspicion only ordinary people would have.
And besides…
If someone truly was managing the story as though it were a book, why had they retreated after confronting nothing more than a mere character like herself?
There was still far too much about this world she didn’t understand.
But this…
This had to be coincidence.
Maybe the marble had simply appeared because it felt like it.
And if it showed up again—
She would just introduce it to the same spicy punch as before.
Renewing her determination, Adele slowly opened her fist before clenching it tightly once more.
A moment ago, she had unleashed a power far beyond what her tiny body should have been able to withstand.
Yet she didn’t feel like collapsing.
If anything…
Power was surging through her.
It felt as though something that had blocked her for years had suddenly burst open.
By releasing that overwhelming strength, she almost felt as though she had returned to the peak of her former self.
Aura flowed through her once again.
This uncontrollable strength…
It feels like I could conquer the entire world.
She imagined the world resting in the palm of her hand—
“…No.”
First she needed to turn the future villain into a decent human being.
The exhilarating rush filling her chest quickly settled as she calmed herself.
A knight needed mastery over both sword and heart.
At that moment, Vincent cautiously spoke.
“A-Adele…? Are you okay?”
Even though the danger had already passed, fear still lingered in his voice.
“I’m the boss.”
Her calm reply finally snapped him out of his daze.
Vincent shook his head vigorously before leaping to his feet and rushing over.
He immediately began examining her from head to toe.
“You’re not hurt? What was that just now?”
The questions poured out like arrows.
His eyes were already shimmering with tears.
Adele hurriedly shook her head.
If she didn’t reassure him soon, the boy looked ready to burst into tears.
He had been frightened himself…
Yet the first thing he did was worry about someone else.
The training’s starting to pay off.
Quite pleased with herself, Adele smiled in satisfaction.
“Life never goes the way you expect.”
“W-What does that mean?”
“It means strange things like that happen every now and then. That’s just life.”
She wasn’t entirely sure what she meant herself.
But it sounded incredibly cool.
Vincent felt as though lightning had struck him.
His mind flashed white.
At the same time, his heart pounded so violently that he could barely think.
T-That’s it! This must be… that thing… awe? Reverence? Whatever it’s called!
Whether it was awe, reverence, or some other emotion he couldn’t name, Vincent clutched at his racing heart and struggled to catch his breath.
It was simply too overwhelming for a child his age.
Meanwhile, the mage finally recovered enough stamina to stagger to his feet.
His arms and legs were still trembling.
Despite his rather pitiful appearance, however, his gaze remained razor sharp.
“Just what are you, Miss Adele?”
Before Adele could answer, Vincent stepped protectively in front of her.
“What do you mean, ‘what’? She’s the Boss!”
A miracle.
For the very first time, Vincent had actually called her Boss.
Adele’s nose practically pointed toward the heavens.
It seemed her overwhelming display of strength had finally earned his submission.
People were always like that.
Especially villains.
Strong before the weak, weak before the strong.
Back when she had been a knight, plenty of fools had looked down on her simply because she was a woman.
But weren’t knights supposed to let their swords do the talking?
Whenever someone underestimated her…
She answered with her blade.
Afterward, every one of them fell in line.
Just like Vincent now.
“That’s the right attitude. Continue serving me that way.”
Vincent nodded so enthusiastically his head nearly flew off.
The mage, meanwhile, shook his own head just as vigorously.
These children kept dragging him into their bizarre games, and he was beginning to lose his grip on reality.
More importantly…
This was no time to indulge in childish banter.
He needed to figure out what that mysterious phenomenon had been.
Until now, he had simply thought Adele was a slightly suspicious little girl.
After witnessing what had just happened…
He realized “slightly” didn’t even begin to cover it.
What thoughts hid behind those transparent emerald eyes?
Every time those chubby little hands clenched into fists, mana swirled around her much like when he himself cast magic.
Yet…
It wasn’t magic.
It was Aura.
A power that even the most gifted knights required at least ten years of relentless training to awaken.
Ten years?
She hadn’t even lived ten years.
Calling that talent would be an insult to the word.
A thrilling chill ran through the mage’s body.
Looking at the goosebumps rising along his arms, a grin slowly spread across his face.
It felt wonderful.
Like the thirst for knowledge that had consumed his entire life was finally about to be quenched.
The mysterious force throwing the world into chaos…
And the tiny child who had smashed it apart.
How extraordinary.
There was one place he absolutely had to visit if he wished to uncover the truth behind what he had witnessed today.
Whether even that place held the answers…
He couldn’t say.
Still, he had to leave before the sensation of that bizarre phenomenon faded from his memory.
…Why is he smiling like a complete creep again?
Watching him gave Adele goosebumps for an entirely different reason.
“Kids, I’m heading out first.”
The mage waved with a meaningful smile.
“I’ll probably be gone for quite a while.”
Vincent and Adele answered at exactly the same time.
“Then hurry up and leave.”
“Where are you going? And for how long?”
The rude young noble’s reaction was exactly what the mage expected.
But Adele—the aloof, indifferent Adele—was actually curious about his plans.
For some reason…
His chest warmed.
“Why?” he asked hopefully.
“Are you worried about me?”
Adele immediately frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
She looked him straight in the eye.
“Who’s going to feed me?”
…Of course.
The mage hurriedly blinked away the tears threatening to spill before the merciless children could notice.
Waving once more, he called out,
“Figure it out yourselves!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his body gradually turned transparent.
Moments later…
He vanished completely.
“Huh?”
Vincent rubbed both eyes furiously while looking around.
“The Boss’s servant can do stuff like that too?”
Was this the same presence-concealing trick Adele had shown before?
He never once considered that it might actually have been magic.
Instead, admiration filled his face.
The Boss truly trained her servants well.
Adele, meanwhile, had only one thought.
…Who’s going to feed me?
Do I have to find another job now?
Would anyone even hire a little kid?
And where am I supposed to live?
He was the one who came to me first! He fed me, gave me a place to sleep… and now he’s suddenly leaving?
People really can’t be trusted.
So when they say there’s not a single trustworthy person in the world… they were talking about that guy standing right beside me all along!
Just what I’d expect from someone from the enemy nation.
What a terrible person.
Now she was unemployed.
No income.
No meals.
She was facing death by starvation before she could even begin conquering the world.
Adele stood there, pale-faced, staring blankly at the empty space where the mage had disappeared.
Beside her, Vincent asked quietly,
“Adele… what are you really going to do about food?”
“Where did ‘Boss’ go?”
“Your servant ran away, didn’t he?”
“So where did ‘Boss’ go?”
The conversation continued in the strangest way possible.
Each question was answered with an entirely different question.
