44 – Knights (7)
“Miss! You’re safe!”
“Douglas? It’s been a while. How did you get here…?”
“Didn’t you send me a message with this magic device? I had a hard time, but thanks to that, I could come up here.”
“I’ve never sent anything like that.”
Douglas, who bows like a knight, kneeling on one knee with his body covered in wounds.
Marie, whose face is covered in cream as she puts her tongue inside the parfait cup to scrape off the bottom chocolate.
Immediately after the conversation between the two, a tremendous amount of messages from Marie fell like a bomb, but I ignored all of them.
In the first place, the only thing I did by impersonating her was to connect her to the Heaju faction.
Instead, I should have received thanks for making it easy for the knights, who had no place to go, to climb the tower.
In fact, their skills were quite outstanding, and the plan to send only one or two people to the 19th floor was completely overturned.
There were more people than expected who maintained their strength even after the battle.
“One day, you suddenly came to our counter.”
“The caretaker?”
Now that it has come to this, I stepped forward to make it more convincing.
As expected, Marie’s eyes, who heard the bait, subtly wavered.
Even after the destruction, the noble young lady was deeply moved by the knights who remained faithful to themselves, continuing their adventurous lives.
As time passed, the young lady matured even more, but the connection between them remained unchanged, leaving them at a loss for words.
If there hadn’t been traces of chocolate on their lips, the impact would have been even greater. In any case, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
“Is everything you said true?”
“Yes, I helped you because you wanted to meet Lady Marielle. There were wicked sorcerers who interfered along the way, but I took care of it all.”
“Douglas?”
“That… well, yes.”
Although she seemed to have a lot to say, he didn’t have the leisure to unravel the knots of the past with her.
The only reason they could stay here was thanks to the consideration of the representatives of the courtiers.
Outside the lounge, security guards and government-affiliated wizards who had belatedly grasped the situation were wandering around.
Douglas unfastened his sword belt and raised it above his head, making a suggestion.
“Lady, come with us beyond this world. The time has come to rebuild Holcroft and restore its former glory.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why? Don’t you want to uphold the pride of the viscount’s family anymore?”
“There are more important matters at hand now.”
Could she persuade the knights who were determined to take their master away, even if it meant using force?
Marielle, who wondered if she was being too naive, had always questioned her own high-level thinking.
Classes were put aside, and all she did all day was manage the gallery and chat online, with occasional strange hairstyles.
When they occasionally came to monitor, she pretended to practice magic with a nonchalant attitude.
To be honest, even if I were a professor, I would rather tell them to go outside and pursue their dreams. I was worried about whether I could turn the knights’ hearts with some flashy rhetoric.
“It seems fortunate that I can’t forcibly abduct them at this point.”
As the uneasy atmosphere grew, it seemed unlikely that they would achieve their goal.
As the silence dragged on, the faces of those present hardened.
Finally, Mariel, who had been tilting her head while basking in the light pouring from the splendid chandelier, opened her mouth.
With eyes that shone even brighter than the jewels on the ceiling, she looked at me.
“The caretaker will leave.”
“Are you sure it’ll be okay?”
“This is our family’s problem, so I’ll take care of it.”
Although I was somewhat uneasy leaving her alone, I also had things to do.
I had to move the Isajel that I had hastily hidden in the combat zone to the lounge of the Haeju faction.
Just in case, I asked Serah and Arthur, who were outside, to keep an eye on Mariel, and then I headed downstairs.
“Oh, oh… Wait a moment!”
While searching through the ruins of the partially collapsed 11th floor, trying to find the place where the “hole” had been made, a familiar member of the Order called out to me.
*
“The reason I’m still in this tower is because of the man who just left.”
“What do you mean…?”
“While you all were coming here, you must have seen the caretaker’s abilities, right? Even if I were to go alone, it would be difficult to regain the glory of the past.”
But with Clarke’s power, it would be possible.
At those words, including Irene, none of the knights dared to object.
The sight of the black mages, who should tremble in fear when they meet on the battlefield, falling like autumn leaves with a single swing of the spear.
However, it wasn’t a situation where the truth of those words could be confirmed immediately.
“Are you saying that such information is written on General Jeon’s monument?”
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“Yes, that’s right.”
“Did he promise to rebuild Holcroft to you, Miss?”
“Yes, he did.”
Mariel elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth and began to speak as she placed her hand on her chest.
In any case, it was more important to find a partner for the reconstruction of the family than to worry about revenge for the Fourth Prince and the completion of the mystery that the knights were concerned about.
So, even if it meant selling out Clark, there was a need to convince them first.
Just deceiving them to a certain extent… she repeated to herself several times.
“He has already become a prisoner in my body, day and night.”
“Really, to Miss Mariel…?”
“I can’t even imagine.”
Because he seemed to be an extraordinary person, there were conflicting opinions within the knights as well.
Douglas also fell into contemplation and organized his thoughts on whether it was a reasonable matter.
“What about comparing him to that scoundrel in Bayern?”
“Anyway, their personalities seem similar, but if he serves the family, wouldn’t it be better for the side that has already gained power?”
“That’s nonsense! What if Holcroft ends up being absorbed in return?”
“But the spear…is a weapon that is less inferior compared to a sword.”
“So, do you have the confidence to fight and win against that guy you fought earlier?”
As the sound of grumbling did not diminish, Irene quietly stood up from her seat.
And after saying that she would go to the bathroom for a moment, she cautiously left the 19th floor.
Descending straight to the 11th floor through the stairs, she found Clark near the entrance of the labyrinth.
He was muttering to himself while looking down at the sword hanging from his waist.
“This is the right place… but damn, the Summoner Faction. Can’t even remember the coordinates properly?”
“There!”
“Huh?”
“Oh, there’s one thing.”
The moment she saw the spear rushing towards the warlock who had been in a trance during the battle, she remembered.
During her time as a receptionist, his face was always at the top of the missing persons posters distributed by the organization.
One of the three great adventurers who were once called the vanguard of the Holy Land, opening the era of the torch that illuminated the unexplored lands of the continent.
Feeling a burning thirst, Irene cautiously approached.
“Could it be that you are ‘Changjeok’?”
“Not sure?”
“To be honest, no. No matter how hard I try to recall, I can’t remember the name I saw.”
Before entering the labyrinth, he said that it would be absolutely impossible for him to think of it on his own.
The laws or curses of the world, he said.
However, the reason she wanted to hear the answer directly was simple.
If he was indeed Changjeok, Mariel would entrust the future of Holcroft to a man who had achieved achievements surpassing that of the Seven Sages.
It was as good as declaring that she would make him her lord.
“Do you happen to know about this, miss?”
“If you know?”
“I’ll go back upstairs right now, grab the assistant director by the collar, and drag him out of the tower.”
“If you don’t know?”
“Still… my task won’t change.”
Satisfied with his response, he shrugged his shoulders and turned his head.
Without negation or affirmation, it was a sufficient answer, so Irene immediately went back up the stairs.
In the lounge, the discussion about whether Mariel’s plan was trustworthy or not continued without end.
“Attention, everyone!”
She clapped her hands to draw everyone’s attention and spoke briefly.
“Let’s go down now. It seems our role ends here.”
*
It had been exactly six days since the infiltration of the Eunik Knights into magic tower, and they had returned to their hometown.
The traces of the battles that took place on the 11th floor had already been neatly restored.
I held the “Ultrasonic Lawbreaker,” which the dormitory manager had given me to install in each room, and knocked on Mariel’s door.
Although it was questionable whether it would actually be effective, I heard that it was an artifact that prevented non-magicians from intruding into the dormitory.
“I’ve come.”
“I hope you have a reason for visiting. And while you’re at it, practice your interference device.”
“Doing whatever I want. You’re going to do it anyway, even if you don’t like it.”
“Then, excuse me.”
Mariel was still lying in bed, rolling around as she greeted me.
Through a note sent with Douglas instead of Galtel, she was in the midst of exchanging messages with the Earl’s people.
She didn’t know the range of the transmission, but it seemed they were planning to gain power in the vicinity of Matap, not the northern region, for the time being.
As soon as she finished setting up the “Outlaw Exterminator,” Mariel approached her suddenly and said,
“Manager, manager.”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t have any plans after this, could you spare some time?”
In fact, she did have plans.
Something quite important, in fact.
She had drilled a hole in the 11th floor and hid Isagel in the Grand Maze, but she hadn’t been able to find her for six whole days.
She had to take her out soon, as she might die any moment.
Fortunately, it seemed that Mariel’s business wouldn’t take up too much time.
“Come here and take a picture with me.”
“A picture? Why?”
“The old elders of the family are suspicious. They might send the Order of Knights again, so we decided to submit evidence periodically.”
Before I could ask what evidence, she suddenly got up, hugged a pillow, and approached me closely.
Long eyelashes, disheveled hair, and a dress that felt overly revealing when viewed from above.
She often rushed at me suddenly, but this time, she approached with a much more cautious speed.
Even when practicing with the interference device, we had never faced each other so closely.
“S-sit still. Don’t move at all and sit like a statue.”
She extended her arm, holding a location note, towards our faces.
As our breaths mingled, her hair tickled my cheek.
I sneaked a glance and noticed a cookie crumb stuck to her trembling lips.
Damn it. Clean up after yourself.
I hesitated, wondering if I should cautiously raise my hand to wipe it off, when Mariel suddenly turned her head.
Thump.
In front of me, her golden pupils swelled up, as big as a full moon.
As I tried to chase after what had submerged under the crimson sea, I checked the crumb on my lips.
Feeling the current flowing from the tips of my hair, we simultaneously stepped back and fell.
With a thud, Mariel fell under the bed, and a while later, she lifted her head with a dazed expression.
Without waiting for someone to speak first.
There was no trace of her ladylike manner of speech.
“It was a mistake.”
“It was an accident.”
“I clearly told you not to move.”
“I was staying still from the beginning, it was you who turned your head.”
For a while, we sat on the same bed as if nothing had happened, lost in remorse.
At the farthest end.
That evening, we saw fireworks in the cityscape outside the window of the dormitory.
According to the merchants, it was said to be a celebration by the spirits of a fallen noble family, gathering to raise a toast to their lineage on the family’s hill.