Colder than the moonlight, yet hotter than the sun.
Suppressing the deep-seated desire for revenge within me, I slowly took a step forward.
My head was spinning, my mind in turmoil, yet my steps did not falter.
“Where do you intend to go?”
Ophelia’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned my gaze slowly to meet hers.
In her fiery red eyes, there was no fear, no disgust—as if she were not looking at someone who had killed dozens, but merely at something that piqued her curiosity.
I let out a quiet scoff and answered indifferently.
“Anywhere, I suppose.”
The scent of blood lingered thickly in the forest.
The bodies had not been fully dealt with, so before long, beasts would come swarming in.
Though the spirits were strong, I could not expect them to always act as I wished.
After all, I knew nothing about spirit magic.
Why did these spirits aid me? How long would they continue to do so?
How was I supposed to control them?
For now, I needed time—to understand this power and to grasp the true extent of its might.
“…It looks like it might rain.”
At Ophelia’s words, I lifted my head to the sky.
Only pure white clouds floated in the vast blue expanse.
It didn’t seem like rain was coming, yet I gave a small nod nonetheless.
“Let’s go together.”
“There is no need for that.”
One must not trust people.
Humans always act in accordance with their own greed.
When Medrock suffered from famine, Kalbrandt had provided aid.
“Medrock will never forget Kalbrandt’s grace.”
When Zenon struggled under the invasion of foreign tribes, Kalbrandt had given them strength.
“Our Zenon family will surely repay Kalbrandt’s kindness.”
And Hocrux…
That was where she was.
The place where my fiancée once lived.
Even if our engagement had been annulled, I had not expected her to strike against me without hesitation.
It was almost laughable.
Thus, I could not accept Ophelia’s offer either.
She had not even shown her face when my parents died—so how could I now accept her outstretched hand?
She was a Grand Mage.
In other words, an unpredictable force.
I had no idea what she wanted from me, but I had to be cautious.
At my firm refusal, Ophelia’s crimson eyes darkened slightly as she regarded me in silence.
Was she trying to read my intentions? Or was she simply displeased?
Either way, it didn’t matter much to me.
After today, we would not meet again.
Perhaps the next time we crossed paths, she would stand as my enemy.
There was no need to be considerate.
“…I.”
Ophelia’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts once more.
“I have been researching the spirit magic you possess. At the very least, I know more about it than you do.”
“Thus, I wish to investigate it further. You gain knowledge from me, and I gain a specimen from you.”
I knew.
That was merely Ophelia’s superficial excuse.
In truth, wouldn’t it be foolish not to see through it?
Perhaps she knew as well—but that was the only justification she could offer.
Even so, I remained silent for a moment.
Danger.
If Ophelia intended to take my life, there was little I could do, even if I kept my distance.
At first glance, spirit magic seemed powerful, but my proficiency in it was still far too low.
Benefit.
If I could gain knowledge of spirit magic from Ophelia, it would be an invaluable advantage.
The issue was understanding her true intentions.
Of course, I had already noticed her interest in spirit magic.
Someone with no interest in it wouldn’t carry around such a specialized detector.
But as I had said before—that was only her surface-level excuse.
Risk and reward.
Weighing between the two, I soon made my decision and nodded.
“So be it.”
If danger lurked either way, then it was better to keep her close and take what I could in return.
Avoiding her out of caution would only mean losing an opportunity.
Besides, the name “Ophelia” carried a weight that could prove useful in many ways.
At my answer, Ophelia smiled faintly and stepped closer to me.
The ground was drenched in pools of blood, yet strangely, none of it splashed onto her feet.
It was as if she were walking slightly above the ground.
“Your methods are quite excessive. Was this your command?”
Ophelia surveyed the scene with curious eyes, completely unfazed by the carnage.
Despite the bodies scattered around us, she showed not the slightest hint of disgust.
Rather than finding that disturbing, I simply found her composure intriguing.
Most women would recoil at such a gruesome sight.
“No, I only ordered them to kill.”
I hadn’t gone so far as to dictate the method.
But the spirits—perhaps in response to my fury—had left not even a trace of their victims.
They had, quite literally, torn them apart.
Not that it mattered—had the corpses remained intact, they would have soon become food for the beasts of the forest anyway.
“…Then, does that mean the spirits acted of their own will?”
“I can’t say for certain, but I believe they were influenced by my emotions.”
“That may be the case.”
In truth, this was Ophelia’s first time witnessing spirit magic firsthand.
Even she had many uncertainties.
Still, knowing the vastness of her knowledge, I was sure she held much that would be useful to me.
“If you have nowhere else to go, will you follow me for now?”
“Where do you intend to go?”
“I’ve already chosen our destination. A place mentioned in ancient texts—one said to be rich in spirits.”
“Understood.”
I had never imagined Ophelia would be so devoted to studying spirit magic that she would go as far as reading ancient manuscripts.
I let out a small scoff at her words but accepted her offer nonetheless.
If we traveled to a place abundant in spirits, I would have more opportunities to commune with them.
“Then, let’s be off.”
Ophelia naturally extended her hand toward me.
I grasped her hand and exhaled softly.
As our hands met, she gave a faint smile and closed her eyes for a brief moment.
Realizing what she was about to do, I, too, shut my eyes.
Soon, a pure white light enveloped us.
With the flow of mana, Ophelia’s magic began to unfold.
“They’re all dead?”
Calcento furrowed his brow at the knight’s report.
“They were completely wiped out. Not a trace was left behind.”
“Does that even make sense?”
Calcento couldn’t bring himself to believe the knight’s words.
They had been sent to capture Luen—a mere boy with no talent for magic.
The idea that they had all been so easily slaughtered was unfathomable.
It wasn’t as if any of the neighboring territories would have helped, and no one in their right mind would dare assist Luen.
“…Not a trace left behind,” the knight repeated.
“How absurd.”
Calcento let out a dry laugh and shook his head.
He had no idea what could have caused such a massacre, but the notion that dozens of men had vanished all at once did not sit well with him.
“They may not have been knights, but I never imagined they’d be wiped out in an instant.”
“Do you suspect he had an ally?”
“We’re still investigating… but it seems magic was involved.”
“Did you think I didn’t already know that?”
There was no way so many could have disappeared in such a short time without the use of magic.
It was possible that a knight had been involved, but to erase so many people without leaving a trace would have required exceptional skill.
The real question was—who had helped him?
Annoyed by the knight’s clueless response, Calcento took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure.
“Follow the traces. If he has an ally, we cannot allow him to live any longer.”
Whoever had foolishly chosen to aid that boy would soon come to regret it for the rest of their life.
With that thought, Calcento smirked as he gazed out the window.
He had returned to Kalbrandt—a place he had once been forced to leave.
But now, Kalbrandt belonged to him.
And this time, he would never leave again.
Calceto exhaled deeply, running his fingers over the teacup on his desk.
If only Luen, the thorn in his side, would disappear, everything would be perfect.
“Not that the boy can do anything, anyway.”
He was simply an obstacle in his way—nothing more.
For his uncle, for the family—
Luen needed to vanish quietly.
“But still, he cannot be allowed to live. Not as long as he carries the blood of Hamel Phil Kalbrandt.”
Why did it always have to come to bloodshed?
With that thought, Calcento took a sip of tea, letting its warmth settle his mind.
And he smiled.