Yohan and the inspectors, who had crossed the border for their mission, joined up with reinforcements and successfully escaped Tenerope.
Thus, before returning to Rogino, Yohan, who had fallen into a deep sleep from the aftermath of battle, slowly opened his eyes in a temporary shelter prepared by the reinforcements.
Judging by the absence of light in the tent, it was late at night. He couldn’t hear even the faintest murmurs everyone else must have been asleep.
“Phew.”
Letting out a breath, Yohan lay back down on the cot. His whole body felt as stiff and heavy as a chunk of iron, and a burning pain coursed through him, as though his mana circuits had been scorched.
Still, there was one bit of good news.
“I succeeded in opening my mental domain.”
Although he still lacked sufficient training to wield transcendental-level magic, merely achieving the mental domain signified that he had become a bona fide transcendental mage.
Reaching such a rank in less than a year since formally learning magic was an incredible feat. Perhaps even celestial-level mages didn’t grow at this rate.
But to be honest, Yohan felt less thrilled and more bewildered by his growth. Sure, he knew he had talent, but… to this extent?
“If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve started learning sooner.”
Then, he wouldn’t have needed to dodge characters or resolve incidents by punching his way through them…
Anyway.
To Yohan’s mind, there were three main reasons for his explosive growth.
First, his constitution was absurdly advantageous. The more mana he used, the more his capacity grew he could even recover mana faster than he consumed it.
Second, his mana purity kept increasing over time, enhancing the power of spells even at the same rank.
Third, his learning speed for rune symbols was exceptional, allowing him to master magic with minimal obstacles. Of course, it had required effort, too.
In any case, these three factors combined had propelled Yohan to transcendence within just half a year.
“Why did this happen?”
He stroked his chin, furrowing his brows. It was still puzzling. In the past, none of this had been the case. His mana had stagnated, and its purity wasn’t particularly high. Only his aptitude for rune mastery remained unchanged.
“Specifically, since I met Francia.”
That was when he first truly applied himself to training. He hadn’t noticed anything strange at the time, too focused on becoming an elite mage… but still, something felt off.
“Should I look into this?”
The best way to find answers was to ask Francia directly.
“I’ll talk to her when I return.”
It wasn’t an urgent issue, just a minor curiosity Yohan had. It wouldn’t matter if he never solved it. But wasn’t it intriguing? Why had his mana surged so dramatically after meeting Francia?
“Hmm…”
While he was lost in thought, Eris stirred and looked at Yohan with a groggy expression.
Noticing her gaze, Yohan smiled faintly.
“You’re awake.”
“Ah…”
Their eyes met.
Her ash-gray pupils trembled slightly.
The prince who had come to save her just before she died…
It still lingered in her mind.
Yohan, holding her in his arms as he cleared away the building debris.
Him, shouting at the top of his lungs to keep her conscious until the very end.
Suddenly, Eris recalled, as if struck by an arrow to the brain, the words she had said.
“You’re so handsome…”
“I wish you were my lover.”
“Your skin looks great, too.”
Oh, no!
Those were things she wouldn’t have said under normal circumstances—not even once.
Words so ridiculous that even her nanny would’ve widened her eyes in shock if she heard them.
Eris covered her face with her hands, trembling as embarrassment consumed her from head to toe, her body burning with shame.
“Haah…!”
Eris, overwhelmed by the humiliation, couldn’t bring herself to look Yohan in the eye. To hide her face, she pulled the blanket over her head.
The blush on her cheeks deepened and spread, turning her entire face crimson. Her once-pale, snow-white complexion had vanished, leaving only a bright-red, flustered girl.
“Are you feeling alright?”
Eris peeked out slightly from under the blanket, nodding her head. She couldn’t manage to speak, as her voice refused to come out.
“That’s a relief.”
Yohan smiled faintly and gazed at her warmly. That gentle look made Eris feel as though a heavy weight had suddenly dropped onto her chest with a thud.
In the past, she could have endured this with logic. But after he saved her life, even meeting his gaze had become difficult.
“Ah, hold on a second.”
Yohan leaned forward, drawing closer to her. He was getting nearer and nearer. What was this? What was he trying to do?
Eris froze completely, her body locked in place as a whirlwind of thoughts filled her head. Meanwhile, Yohan’s hand slowly approached her.
“This hair ornament doesn’t seem to suit you very well,” he said.
With a gentle smile, Yohan carefully plucked a wooden shard from her hair. As his fingertips brushed against her, Eris’s heart pounded loudly in her chest.
“A-ah…?”
The suddenly narrowed distance made her heart race and her breath catch. Yet, all he did was remove a piece of wood from her hair, leaving her with a strange sense of disappointment.
“T-thank you…”
Half-covering her face with the blanket, she murmured her thanks to him.
“Is the renowned Grand Mage Rahardt alright…?”
“Yes, I’m completely fine. It seems there’s a highly skilled healer around.”
Though Yohan still felt some pain, he was undeniably better than before.
“That’s a relief…”
Eris mumbled in a voice so small it was barely audible.
After that, an awkward silence settled over them. The strange discomfort of the moment weighed on them both. Yohan was no exception Eris had been acting unusually ever since earlier.
‘This feels… oddly familiar.’
The situation, while different in form, reminded him of Rudella. Only then did Yohan start reflecting on his own actions.
‘I’ve been too kind again.’
His long-standing habit of sugar-coated words and considerate gestures, dating back to his academy days, had likely led Eris to misunderstand.
‘I really need to fix this…’
But it wasn’t something he could change overnight.
Starting at the academy at the age of ten meant this habit had been with him for nearly a decade. Expecting it to disappear with a simple snap! in a single day was absurd.
“Still, I should make an effort to control myself.”
Yohan closed his eyes and shook his head as he resolved to be more mindful.
At that moment—
“Oh, you’re both awake. Are you feeling alright?”
Francia entered the tent.
“Francia? Why are you here?”
“I’m also a mage of the Second Bureau of Public Administration, remember?”
She gave a small smile and approached Yohan. Sitting down on the edge of the makeshift bed, she pressed a warm, damp cloth against his hand.
“I’m glad to see you seem alright,” she said.
“Did you heal me, by chance?”
“Yes, it was me.”
“You would’ve been in serious trouble if I hadn’t intervened. Your mana circuits were a mess, your body was riddled with injuries, and you had both anemia and mana poisoning. You were in a precarious state.”
It made sense. He had fought both a Grand Swordmaster and two elite knights simultaneously while recklessly opening his mindscape. Expecting to come out unscathed would’ve been asking too much.
“You promised me, didn’t you? That you’d retreat if things got dangerous.”
“Yet you break every promise you make with me,” Francia said, her hand gripping the cloth with more force as she continued to clean his arm.
“I told you not to overdo it, but you overdid it. I told you to run if it got dangerous, but you stayed and fought. I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened.”
As she spoke, Francia glanced cautiously at Eris, noticing her stealing glances at Yohan’s exposed torso.
“…And you can’t even keep the promise not to smile at other women like that. Are you some kind of philanderer, Yohan? Is that it? Not content with just me, not even with two women?”
“I’m sorry…”
“Forget it,” Francia replied, sounding irritated yet diligently continuing her work. She wiped Yohan’s injuries with care, using healing magic to mend any wounds that hadn’t fully closed.
Meanwhile, Eris sat frozen, covering her mouth with her hands, replaying Francia’s words in her mind.
‘Two? Did she just say two?’
What was going on here?
Wasn’t Yohan engaged to the Lady of the Ferbache family? Did that mean there was someone else in addition?
Was Yohan Rahardt truly the scoundrel she had suspected all along?
Eris’s eyes trembled, the shock hitting her like a thunderbolt.
But it wasn’t all bad news.
Didn’t that mean she had a chance too?
The man who had saved her when she thought she would surely die, the man who had appeared like a comet and checked every box on her list of preferences—her very own prince…
Being second or even third didn’t matter. What was so wrong about polygamy? Most great nobles kept mistresses. Yohan Rahardt certainly deserved that privilege.
Of course, figures from the Four Great Houses usually didn’t do such things, but who cared? The important thing was that Eris saw an opening for herself.
‘…!’
Eris shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts. Surely, this racing heartbeat could just be a fleeting emotion, couldn’t it?
She shouldn’t let herself be swept away by a momentary impulse. And yet, she couldn’t stop herself from stealing glances at Yohan. Her eyes seemed drawn to him, time and again.
At that moment, Francia turned her gaze toward Eris. Her stare was steady, sharp, and cutting like a predator eyeing a bug that dared land on its meal.
“Ahem.”
Startled by the subtle hostility in Francia’s look, Eris cleared her throat unnecessarily and awkwardly turned her head away.
“Yohan, is your body alright?” Francia asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Yohan replied.
“Then how about a little stroll?”
“A stroll?”
“Yes.”
Yohan was puzzled by the sudden suggestion but saw no reason to refuse.
“Alright.”
“Let me help you with your coat.”
“No, that won’t be nece—”
“Oh, hush.”
Yohan, having risen from the cot, allowed Francia to assist him without further protest.
“We’ll be off, then.”
“Y-yes…!”
Eris stammered as Yohan and Francia left the tent. Outside, only a few soldiers and knights stood guard, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
Yohan and Francia slowly walked into the forest, their steps unhurried and the atmosphere quiet.
“I heard that Fedelian Rogino is dead.”
“Yes. Although, I wasn’t the one who killed him…”
“What I’m about to say might be unpleasant are you sure you’re alright hearing it?”
“It’s fine. I’m not so naïve as to scream at the mention of death.”
Relieved, Yohan nodded and resumed his explanation.
“Whoever did it, they completely erased his body, leaving only his head behind for identification. It was as if the rest of him had been erased in an instant by some powerful magic.”
“I tried searching for traces, but there was nothing. It was as if someone had deliberately wiped everything clean, leaving no clue to follow. Even tracking residual mana was impossible it wasn’t human mana to begin with.”
“So now I’m wondering if it’s even worth investigating. The prime suspect would be Tenelope, but I doubt we’ll ever find the real perpetrator.”.
“Does it really matter, though?”
“You could just say you’re the one who dealt with him.”
“But—”
“Everyone would believe it. You’re the one who pushed him into a corner, after all.”
“That’s true.”
“Exactly. So don’t overthink it.”
Yohan nodded slowly. The Imperial family likely wouldn’t dwell on it either, given that Tenelope’s betrayal had been exposed and their coup attempt thwarted.
“By the way, I heard the Grand Duke of Renokhonan has been captured?”
“Yes. He’ll be formally executed according to proper procedures,”
“The two who tormented us have completely fallen.”
Francia said, a light and relieved smile gracing her face as she clasped Yohan’s hand. Their fingers naturally intertwined, forming a gentle hold. Her slender, delicate hands felt warm.
“It’s all thanks to you, Yohan.”
“I was merely doing what needed to be done.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is.”
Smiling brightly, she rose slightly on her tiptoes, aligning her height with his, and pressed her lips against his cheek. Her soft lips brushed against his skin.
While Yohan stood momentarily stunned by the unexpected show of affection, Francia laughed shyly, her face flushed a deep red.
“Yohan, you’ve changed everything. Thank you, truly.”
“I didn’t do that much…”
“No, it’s all because of you.”
Lifting their clasped hands, she lightly kissed the back of Yohan’s hand.
“Meeting you is the greatest fortune of my life.”
Yohan had indeed changed everything. He thought he had merely helped her fully realize her potential, but she saw it differently.
Once again, she conveyed her feelings to him openly and sincerely.
“I like you. Truly.”
Francia’s thoughts briefly wandered back to the time before her return. The hellish scenes of that past flickered faintly before her eyes.