Chapter 72.1

The next day, when it was time for dinner, Dave showed up at the cottage.

On the day of the incident, Dave received a signal from the Marquis and rushed headlong into the Jenus Mountains. Now he had to investigate the entire course of events on behalf of the Carthia family.

Yurina, who was currently buttering bread for Reynard, greeted Dave with a smile as soon as she saw his face.

“Milady.”

“Come in quickly.”

Yurina pulled an extra chair to the edge of the bed and invited Dave to sit down.

“Will you go to my father?”

“I should have reported to the Marquis and Master Riggs first.”

He had rushed so desperately out of the capital to the Jenus Mountains that even his chin was now covered in stubble. After all, he didn’t get a chance to shave.

Now Dave politely declined Yurina’s offer and turned to Reynard.

Fortunately, Reynard’s health improved markedly on the last day. But still, tears welled up in Dave’s eyes at the thought of a serious injury to his beloved student. Leaving the bowl of soup, Reynard hesitantly said to him:

“You don’t have to be so pissed.”

“Great. Is that what I taught you? You couldn’t even use magic and you got hurt. And at the academy they taught you in vain?”

“You said yourself that no other genius like me was born. I even graduated from the academy ahead of schedule.”

“Anyway, you should think about your behavior.”

Despite the grumbling, Dave’s face expressed relief. Then he asked, covering his face with both hands, as if he couldn’t bear Reynard’s self-confidence.

“I heard that you were badly hurt. But what happened to you?”

“As you can see, everything is okay. Yurina and I don’t understand why everyone is so fussy.”

Raynard raised his injured right hand, then frowned slightly. Although it was only for a moment, Yurina caught that detail.

“Are you really okay?”

“The muscles seem to hurt a little.”

Raynard immediately kissed Yurina on the cheek, who looked like she was about to cry. Then he turned to Dave. After confirming that he was still hiding his face behind his hands, he also kissed Yurina on the lips.

Raynard smiled at Yurina, who raised her eyebrows as if to scold him, and then he asked Dave.

“Did you find out anything about this case?”

“Right, Dave. Did you know something? My father said there was magic involved.”

Yurina remembered the words she had heard from the Marquis and Riggs. At first, they were reluctant to give out details, but when she asked the same thing over and over again, they shared explanations.

“They say the magic circle has been damaged.”

Unlike the hunting grounds where competitions were held, the area around the cottages was strictly controlled by a protective magic circle. Since this is the place where the Prince himself stayed, the imperial mages always took maximum measures.

It’s said that sometimes small animals such as mice and rabbits crossed the circle, but that wolves and bears, this has never happened before. However, this time it wasn’t even a loner, but five wolves broke through the barrier.

When the imperial mages carefully examined the place where the wolf was first seen, they said that there were traces of an invasion on the magic circle. It was said that this was the work of a rather experienced mage, who wasn’t noticed by mages in the service of the imperial family.

“Besides, they said that the wolves were chasing Yurina specifically.”

It was an unconfirmed theory. However, according to Sir Aaron, who was present at the scene, a pack of five wolves rushed to Yurina. With that, such a move didn’t make much sense.

Even if Yurina was small and weak, there were knights with swords on the spot. There was no point in ignoring such a threat and heading straight for Yurina.

Besides, it was said that it was very suspicious that a pack of wolves suddenly rushed to the gap in the circle.

“And it’s strange that Ray’s magic didn’t work.”

So Marquis Carthia cautiously suggested that the wolves were also hypnotized. Some mages scoffed at this theory, saying that there wasn’t logic in it, but Crown Prince Curtis took this opinion very seriously.

In the end, under the orders of Curtis, the Imperial Knights pursued the person who caused damage to the magic circle.

At that moment Dave hesitantly continued.

“As a result, we are in the dark.”

“What are you talking about? So many days have passed, and nothing has even been found?”

The royal family knights are a squad that only the most talented can join. Knowing what they were capable of, Yurina and Marquis Carthia believed that they would be able to catch the intruder in the shortest possible time. But they returned empty-handed?

Reynard also expressed doubts.

“They didn’t cope with a trifling task? And they are called imperial knights?”

“It has been reported that there are definitely traces of tampering in the magic circle. But there was nothing unusual about the wolves.”

“Have you personally checked, master?”

Dave shook his head wildly.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t personally look in this. They said it was the work of the imperial knights, so I wasn’t even allowed to. Fortunately, I have an acquaintance among the knights. This is the only reason why I was able to ferret out at least this.”

Raynard thought for a moment, then stood up.

“I’ll go there.”

“No.”

Yurina grabbed his arm as he was about to get out of bed.

“Where are you going with your shoulder?”

“It’s okay now. The doctor said everything was healed.”

“Lies.”

Raynard gently rejected her hand.

“I’ll go for a minute. And do without magic.”

“You could have left it to Dave.”

“I think it will be easier for everyone if I also go and see everything in person.”

Yurina folded her arms across her chest.

“Then let’s go together.”

“Stay here.”

“Ray.”

“If we go together, I will be worried. You just need to sit here, okay?”

His tone sounded more like an order than a request. Yurina glanced at Reynard, who was smiling, and at Dave, who only nodded in agreement, and reluctantly let go of her hand.