There are many crimes targeting vagrants in rural inns like this. If a suspicious person were to invade this guest room, they would have no choice but to defend themselves with magic, but as mages belonging to the royal palace, they absolutely must not use magic on civilians according to the law.
“That’s why we’re blocking such unpleasant incidents in advance.”
Bailey, blocking Kalian who was pursing his lips as if feeling wronged, continued.
“Flying Squirrel-ssi, first let me explain the situation to you. We’re not as strange as you think. Actually, we…”
Bailey began to slowly tell their story while maintaining distance to avoid provoking the other person.
The reason Kalian came to this village several years ago. And the circumstances that led him to admire… no, to look up to Elijah.
“Sir Kalian wants to scout you to the royal palace right now. That… which Flying Squirrel-ssi showed.”
Bailey glanced at Kalian while pondering the appropriate words.
“Should I say he was captivated by your genius. …Admiration means that. That’s why we took the risk of committing an illegal act and extracted you from that suspicious person.”
“…”
“Excuse me? Are you listening to me?”
Bailey waved his hand toward Elijah, who had frozen without any movement.
“…I heard you.”
Only then did a single response finally return from the man. Bailey clicked his tongue inwardly.
That man, despite looking naive and simple, was quite formidable. Just being on guard and running away wasn’t the solution, but he seemed to lack some flexibility. Or perhaps he lacked social skills.
…And when it came to lacking social skills, his superior was quite formidable as well.
“Elijah-ssi, then shall we go together now?”
“Go where…! Sir Kalian!”
Bailey felt suffocated to death. They hadn’t even persuaded him yet, and asking him to come along out of the blue—that wary fellow like a flying squirrel would hardly follow.
“…Is the royal palace far from here?”
Huh? Bailey turned toward the man in surprise.
“You’ll, you’ll come with us?”
“Which direction is the royal palace?”
At the unexpected reaction, Kalian was equally bewildered. What direction is the royal palace? Of all things, he’d never heard such an absurd question before in his life. Exchanging glances with Bailey with a surprised face, he responded calmly.
“Of course, …it’s in the south, the capital. It’s been nearly 200 years since the magic towers in all four directions collapsed and the royal castle was built centered around the one remaining magic tower in the south…”
“The, the magic towers collapsed?”
“Pardon?”
This time an even more absurd question came back. When did the magic towers crumble…
People of this era don’t even know whether the magic towers exist or not. Only those who have studied history somewhat know at least in writing that magic towers once existed in all four directions.
Suddenly tension hung in the air. The cause was neither Kalian nor Bailey.
“Elijah-ssi…?”
It was because Elijah, wearing an indescribably complex and strange expression, suddenly closed his mouth. His sullenly closed lips were firm as if they would never open again.
With lowered eyes, he remained silent for a long time with a face where one couldn’t tell what he was thinking…
“Thank you for helping me. Then I’ll be going now.”
…and grabbed the door handle again.
“Elijah-ssi, if you forcibly open it like that, it’s dangerous…!”
The light seeping from his hand instantly covered the door. Before Kalian could take any countermeasure, the old wooden door of the inn crumbled like powder.
As if he himself had forgotten that a locking spell was placed on it, Elijah’s shoulders trembled with a start and he looked at Kalian, not knowing what to do. In his hand was the door handle, the only thing that hadn’t broken and remained intact.
“Wh-why did this break so easily…”
While Elijah trembled, not knowing what to do with the handle in his hand, Kalian was astonished like someone who had witnessed a miracle before his eyes. As expected, that person is a genius… He clicked his tongue while uttering words like an exclamation.
A locking spell absolutely cannot be broken unless the caster’s password is solved. If one tries to forcibly release it by applying magical power, one gets caught up in an explosion. Yet that fellow just stopped at breaking the door with his bare hands. It meant he instantly absorbed or extinguished the triggered explosion.
“Elijah-ssi, letting such talent rot in the countryside like this is a great sin. Instead of doing that, come with us, mmph…”
“Sir Kalian, please be quiet…!”
Bailey hurriedly covered Kalian’s mouth. If he carelessly ran his mouth, it would only have the opposite effect in persuading the flying squirrel. Bailey asked calmly.
“Flying Squirrel-ssi, do you know how much that door costs?”
“…Pardon?”
A few years ago his occupation was petty thief, and he was wanted. Just now when they discovered him, he was also in a situation of being chased. Whether he was a real petty thief or not, seeing him caught up in such unpleasant situations every time they met, he surely wasn’t living a very peaceful life.
“Didn’t you just damage the inn’s facilities?”
“I, I… I, nothing…”
The green eyes trembled left and right. Bailey knew well that threats could be the best card at times like this. First, making him follow was the urgent priority. Scouting him to the royal palace in the future could be done by putting in more effort and persuading him slowly.
“You didn’t do anything? We just saw it clearly with our own two eyes. I should call the inn owner right now and inform them of this situation.”
“But I…”
“But nothing, do you have money to compensate?”
“…”
This should be enough for you to follow us now… My superior doesn’t seem to have any intention of giving up on you.
“If you accompany us, we will of course take responsibility for damaging that door and also solve the cost on your behalf.”
Toward the flying squirrel who kept glancing at the open door while only maintaining a posture to run away, Bailey muttered with feigned concern.
“To custom-make a new door like that, it would cost at least 5 marc…”
As expected, at the last part, the flying squirrel’s face turned pale. The door handle in his hand trembled.
Bailey clicked his tongue inwardly. You don’t even have money, so you think you won’t follow us… We’ll even take responsibility for breaking the door, we who have guaranteed status will accompany and protect someone in a situation of being chased… Where in the world are such kind people?
“If, if you… want to accompany me that much…”
He finally opened his mouth. Extremely tense, Kalian waited for the words that would flow from Elijah’s mouth without blinking once.
“Instead, please make it so I can leave this village by today. …Th-that’s my condition.”
Bailey was so dumbfounded he forgot what to say and opened his mouth. What? In a situation where who’s the desperate one, he says such words? If anyone saw, they’d think they were begging and begging him to please come along, so he had no choice but to permit it.
“Of course, Elijah-ssi!”
Bailey held his forehead at the sight of Kalian brightening up as if he’d been waiting. To think bringing along that petty little thief would require being this servile… They could just threaten and drag him along, but the situation looked like they were serving a master, leaving a bitter taste.
“If you accompany us, we’ll treat you the best!”
…Of course, seeing his superior’s attitude, it didn’t seem far from the actual situation.
* * *
The village downtown in broad daylight was so bright and peaceful that danger couldn’t be found anywhere.
However, Elijah was noticeably anxious as if searching for a monster lurking somewhere. Bailey thought it was just the characteristic guilt of a petty thief.
Sitting alone opposite the two people in the narrow carriage, Elijah kept glancing out the carriage window while anxious throughout.
“Flying Squirrel-ssi, now that we’re accompanying each other like this, would you tell us your proper name? Who you are from where…”
Bailey didn’t think Elijah’s name was real. At his question, Elijah, who had been looking out the window, trembled his shoulders with a start.
“Just call me what you’ve been calling me.”
“Then is it okay to keep calling you Flying Squirrel-ssi?”
“…”
Elijah glared at Bailey sideways and closed his mouth. He seemed displeased. Kalian interjected in time and rebuked Bailey.
“He said Elijah-ssi. That’s enough, what’s this about flying squirrel from earlier. How rude.”
“Because it doesn’t seem like his real name.”
“…It is my real name.”
Elijah answered that way and sat closer to the wall. The uncomfortable feeling was clearly displayed on his face. To lighten the atmosphere even a little, Kalian continued talking.
“Elijah-ssi, who on earth was that man last night? Who is he that he looked like he would devour Elijah-ssi like that…”
However, rendering the other’s efforts meaningless, Elijah’s face became even more gloomily shadowed.
“That person is…”
‘My Rose.’
The last moment that suddenly came to mind pierced his heart. He shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have hurt that child…
But it was too late to take it back now. Going back was even more out of the question. Rose would absolutely not leave him alone. If he met him again, he couldn’t guarantee what would happen to him then. His ankles suddenly felt heavy as if restraints were wrapped around them.
“That person is… a debt collector.”
Twisting his fingers hidden inside his sleeves, Elijah calmly lied. He couldn’t very well say, I have a vampire I raised preciously like a child, but now that child might devour me…
