CH 71

After a while, a camp was made

The first warp targets were fifty mercenaries from Lloyd’s Merchant and thirty Paladins, and twenty unimportant carriages and workers. Also Cass and two of his men stood inside the warp magic circle.

Except for Cass and the workers, everyone had drawn their swords and had finished preparing.

There was also a magician among the mercenaries who deployed a double defensive magic circle.

Soon after, when the magic circle was activated, bright light emanated from the floor, and everything on top of it disappeared.

“Kyuu?”

Kyuu tilted its head.

I looked at the place where they disappeared with a nervous face.

There was no way to know what the situation was like on the other side.

I heard that it would take less than half a day to reach the mine once they arrived, so this shortcut must be taken.

It was the time when I was looking at the warp magic circle with anxious eyes while fidgeting my nails. The magic circle shone and a man appeared.

“…!”

Looking at Cass’ neat appearance, I could feel in my gut that the other side was safe.

The faces of the Paladins who were waiting also brightened.

“The other side is safe.”

We let out a sigh of relief. And immediately, the second camp went up into the magic circle.

Thirty Paladins and seven carriages loaded with equipment and all the rest of the workers went up.

The remaining forty Paladins, fifty mercenaries, Cass, and I were scheduled to do the final warp.

After a while, the light came on and after they disappeared, we immediately climbed onto the marble magic circle.

My heart was pounding. Magic circles and warp transportation that I only saw in comics and novels.

The mercenary magician infused a little magic to activate the magic circle.

After a while, light began to emanate from the floor.

Oh, it’s amazing.

And the bodies of the Paladins around me began to become translucent.

By the way…

“…?”

My body was the same. As if the light were escaping me.

At that moment, I felt an ominous feeling.

What. What is this?!

The light flashed and all the nearby Paladins and luggage disappeared. Yet I was the only one left on the marble magic circle.

I opened my eyes wide.

‘How did this happen?’

“Why… doesn’t the magic circle work?”

Then, behind me, who opened my eyes wide in surprise, I heard a familiar voice. When I turned my head and looked back, Cass stood one step away from the magic circle.

His eyebrows stiffened and I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

It was really embarrassing.

“But the Marquis…?”

“Seeing that you alone didn’t transmit light, I quickly came out of the magic circle.”

“Ah.”

“Because I can’t leave you alone here.”

I felt a bit of relief in his words.

Putting aside this absurd situation, if I had been left alone here with only corpses… Ugh.

“…Is it because of the holy power?”

I thought about why I couldn’t warp to the magic circle.

And after a while, something flashed through my mind.

“…Gosh.”

And I quickly took off the pendant I was wearing. It was a moment of embarrassment over my massive mistake.

“What is that?”

The crazy price of 4,000 franc, <Pendant of Seal>, had only one effect.

When worn, it seals abilities such as holy power, divine power, and magic within one’s body.

In addition, it offsets external attacks of magic, including holy power, divine power, and Magi, with a certain probability.

The magic circle works with magic.

If this pendant recognized the magic circle as an external attack…

“It was my mistake.”

I belatedly covered my face with both hands.

It has become a situation where I have to spend the night alone with Cass.

After a while, Cass and I were sitting side by side in a log camp with a hole in the ceiling.

“A pendant that offsets magic… You mean you forgot to take it off.”

His eyebrows hardened.

He deserved to be angry. As we have to wait here, unable to move, until the magic circle resets tomorrow morning.

In this gloomy place that smells of rotting corpses, we have to spend the night without food or blankets.

“I’m sorry. I should have taken off the pendant.”

It’s basically a holy relic, so wearing a pendant didn’t block the oracle. That’s why it seems that I was wearing it without much thought.

“Because of me, today…”

The sunset was already setting outside.

I looked at the sky in a daze and sighed before telling him.

“It’s my fault.”

If he hadn’t retreated from the magic circle, I would have had to spend the night alone. Just thinking about it feels so terrifying.

Cass sat with his back against the wall, not answering.

Darkness fell even in his ultramarine blue eyes.

He was probably angry. He must have been angry.

After a while, he opened his mouth and let out a voice.

“It’s fine.”

At his words, I asked, pardon?

He continued his words with dark eyes staring out the opposite window.

“As I said before, it was just a reasonable choice for me. Your safety has to do with Lloyd.”

It wasn’t long before he turned to look at me.

In the red sunset light, his ultramarine blue eyes looked like the deep sea.

I just stared at him without saying a word.

His lips moved again.

“Thus I’m not angry.”

After a while, he turned his head to the front again.

Looking at his calm and expressionless face, I said.

“…Thank you.”

He was a born merchant and, in some ways, a monstrous man who compared even a person’s life to a penny or two.

Even the female lead, Camilla, has been betrayed by him. Yet today he looked a little… different.

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, criticizes him for his desolation.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, advocates his sincerity.]

The mind of a person whom even the Gods can’t know for sure. There’s no way I can get to know him.

[The God of Love, Odyssey, hastens the night.]

It was getting darker all around. And there was an occasional roar of animals outside.

When he made a rustle, I flinched in surprise. It seemed that I was unconsciously nervous.

He took a stick from his inside pocket and pressed its middle. Then the rod started to glow.

“Is it a magic item?”

“Yeah. It was something I had with me in case of an emergency.”

He put it around and it brightened up quite a bit though.

The light was a bit dim, but it wasn’t completely dark, so it was a little better.

“You’re thoroughly prepared.”

A small smile formed on his lips at my words.

We stood still with our backs against the wall. It didn’t seem like sleep would come easily, and the night felt like it was long.

After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth.

“Have you ever liked someone?”

I pondered for a while at the unexpected question.

“Mm. I don’t know. By the way, didn’t the Marquis know about the rumor that I liked someone?”

Rumors that the Saintess liked Prince Kyle had spread far and wide in the temple, and as the owner of the Lloyd’s Merchant with the best information in the Empire, there was no way he was unaware of the rumor.

“I know. At least that rumor is false.”

At the unexpected answer, I looked at him.

“Just by looking at one’s face, you can tell if they’re in love.”

Although he has uninspiring ultramarine blue eyes, he is the person with the best wits in the Empire.

“As expected, it seems that you are far from dating.”

I answered calmly.

At the back of his tongue, he uttered a, pft.

“I guess it’s because I don’t have enough room in my heart yet.”

I opened my mouth lightly and smiled.

“It’s troublesome to decide who to trust and not to trust. Just believing in myself and living a happy life is all I want.”

It was the first time I came here and confided in someone like this. I don’t know if it’s because of this lighting that gives off a truth or dare game atmosphere.

Cass stared at me after a glance.

“When I’ve only heard of you through rumors, whoa, seeing you in person is the complete opposite.”

Since it’s someone else, so it has to be.

“Isn’t this why people have to experience it to know?”

I heard his low voice.

Then I asked him, changing the mood.

“What about the Marquis? You must have done a lot of dating.”

In modern times, as a second-generation conglomerate, women would have been hit over and over again. His face was also handsome, and he was a scion who gave off a cold yet intelligent feeling, so it was only natural.

“I’ve met many.”

Again, this was the answer I expected.

“As needed. Like a tool.”

However, the next sentence was something I didn’t expect.

“… … A tool?”

“A practical relationship in which the woman provides what I need and likewise. And when I feel I don’t need it anymore, I’ve ended the relationship. Should I say it’s a two-way tool?”

I don’t know what ‘need’ is, but it was clear that it was the line of the Cass Lloyd I knew.

He looked out into the darkness outside and continued.

“But lately I’ve been having trouble.”

“Even though I’ve never been in a relationship, I like to hear about love concerns, so tell me.”

Stories like this are interesting. I listened to him attentively.

[The Gods are listening together.]

“Recently, I often think that I need a woman. I used to listen to it intermittently, but now unconsciously, suddenly, and all of a sudden again. It bothers me confusingly”

Is this probably how sociopaths express their desire to be in a relationship, I wonder.

“But the curious thing is, I don’t know why I need her.”

After a while, his voice, which reached my ears, was low.

It was a love concern that was beyond my understanding.

[The God of Love, Odyssey, smiles with a mysterious look.]

“…Why do you think it is?”