Chapter 42

The fresh air caressed my skin.

Sigh. Taking a deep breath, I sprang to my feet.

I was in the bedroom of the villa.

"Hmm."

I closed my eyes and tried to sense the movements in the villa.

The atmosphere in the villa was chaotic. I could feel the frightened people running through the corridors and the busy movements of the crew trying to calm them down.

'At least everyone seems to have completely escaped the mental magic trap.'

Could it be... Did Luga kill them all? I looked at the beautiful woman sitting by the window with a suspicious eye.

Under the dazzling spring sunlight, the woman, who exuded a breathtaking beauty, gazed down from the window.

She looked as if she had just returned from a different world, dressed perfectly from head to toe.

Luga, who had somehow prepared a cup of red tea, took a sip and met my eyes. I asked reflexively.

"Where were you?"

"It wasn't anything special, dear. Hmm. Where should I start? At first, you see. The morning air was so nice that I decided to go for a walk by the lake alone."

To me, it sounded like she had gone out to cut off the heads of the mages.

"But then a large airship descended from the sky and docked next to the Black Rugar. The people who came down from it quickly took control of the area and started hunting mages and helping people."

"Ally? They flew here in a hurry to help with the affairs of this remote valley?"

"Well, if they came to help, it makes sense, doesn't it?"

She nodded lightly towards the window.

I brushed off my wrinkled clothes and stood next to Luga.

In front of the villa, people were bustling about, having rushed out of the building. The guards who had accompanied the Black Rugar seemed to be on high alert, checking the surroundings.

'Sword Saint Jin... I can't see him. Is he cleaning up the area?'

Among the people, I saw some very unfamiliar uniforms. They were the opposite of the white uniforms worn by the knights of the Berkeley Greighton family, who had supported the Sword Saint.

"Luga. Could those people have come to help us...?"

Knock knock.

At that moment, an urgent knock came from the door.

A crew member? As soon as the door opened, Jager rushed out from the corridor.

"Hey, Gray! Take the lady out immediately. We need to evacuate! Assassins are attacking the nobles..."

His voice gradually faded. The breathless Jager looked at me with a strange expression, as if trying to figure out how to interpret the scene before him.

But only for a moment. Jager quickly regained his composure and greeted me.

As if he was meeting me for the first time.

"Nice to meet you, my lady. Has Lord Gray Weatherwuz gone out first?"

Oh, right.

'I'm back to my original form.'

If I had known it would end like this, I wouldn't have broken the ring. Jager, who was looking around the bedroom with a subtle gaze, recognized Luga.

"Lady Weatherwuz? You were here. Where is Gray...?"

Luga, who approached gracefully, linked her arm with mine and smiled.

"My husband isn't here. It's a good thing you came. Shall we go together?"

"Yes, indeed. It's best to get out quickly. We will escort you."

"Let's go, my foolish maid Daisy."

Do I have to play Luga's maid now? It's a bit overwhelming, really.

"This way."

The two of us didn't press Jager for Gray's location. Luga's attitude was so relaxed that it seemed they assumed he was fine somewhere.

We descended the stairs under the protection of (much weaker) adult males. During this time, Luga asked Volkwyn.

"It feels like I had a strange dream. It seems there's a problem here?"

"Yes, that's right. But it seems the major issue has been resolved, so there's no need to worry. After all, Duke Raphaelo Jenail, the greatest hero of Pen Rota, is protecting us."

"Ha. His arrival in Irigel this morning is truly a stroke of luck, a stroke of luck. Isn't that right, Volkwyn?"

The greatest hero of Pen Rota, who arrived in Irigel this morning.

There was no need to ask who it was. Volkwyn revealed the name himself.

"Indeed. Who could have predicted the appearance of Duke Raphaelo Jenail?"

Raphaelo.

I involuntarily held my breath.

A close friend who had fought with me for 10 years was here in the Irigel villa. Right here, in the same place as me.

I had never imagined such a day. After all, things don't always go as planned. I thought we might run into each other by chance at some point.

'Hmm.'

If I were to meet Raphaelo. Or if I were to run into Natasha. If such a day were to come, how would I feel? The thought of reuniting with an old friend always left me with this curiosity. But...

'Surprisingly, I'm not that affected.'

I'm not particularly nervous. I'm not even worried about being exposed.

Me.

Am I living more carelessly than I thought?

One thing was certain, though. Seeing the slight desire to acknowledge Raphaelo, my mind was clearly feeling a warm welcome towards him.

'But this isn't for Raphaelo's sake.'

Let's think about it the other way around.

If I had repeatedly warned him not to leave alone, and Raphaelo had ignored me and stormed into the Great Mage Mephisto's castle alone?

If he had died?

If he had suddenly reappeared after four years and acknowledged me?

'At first, it might be a bit confusing, but I would definitely be happy.'

But what if the reappeared Raphaelo was actually a woman?

If we had shared... such... intimate moments, and the friend I firmly believed to be a man was actually a woman?

'That would be...'

It might be unpleasant.

Not only unpleasant, but it would also taint the precious memories of our old friendship. It might even make me want to erase those memories as if they never existed.

I don't want that. I don't want to tarnish Raphaelo's past, which he had spent 10 years in hell.

'I don't want to be a source of discomfort for him.'

So, let's not overthink and make unnecessary mistakes. I managed to handle the reunion with Lord Roseville and the Sword Saint without any issues.

Jager, who was leading the way down the stairs, turned to Luga and brought up a different topic.

"By the way, I heard from Gray that Lady Weatherwuz is from the Astrosa Kingdom. Is Duke Raphaelo's reputation high in that region as well?"

Luga glanced at me and smiled.

"Um? Was my husband talking about me?"

"Of course. That guy cherished you so much, and he even considered exploring relics for your sake."

Don't say unnecessary things. How can a friend talk about his husband's private life in front of his wife? Sneaky bastard.

"Ah. Relic exploration."

"The five relics of Dian Ket, right? I'll share a secret with you. They are very dangerous, my lady. Don't even think about them."

"Why are they dangerous?"

Jager looked a bit awkward as he whispered to Luga.

"I can't say much in detail..."

At that moment, Luga, who had stopped in the middle of the stairs, met Jager's eyes.

"Why are they dangerous?"

Her eyes flashed a sharp bronze color. Instantly, Jager's and Volkwyn's eyes lost focus.

Mind control magic. Just like the assassin who had disguised herself as a noble lady on the Black Rugar, Jager's lips moved slowly and weakly.

"...Because they are the relics that Duke Berkeley Greighton, Duke Jenail, and Rogui are after."

You're really taking advantage of the situation.

'Stupid Jager. Who told you to blurt out other people's secrets?'

Luga looked at me without any surprise.

"Aha. So my husband sold me to his friend to get that information."

I pretended not to know and moved away from Luga.

Smiling, Luga pulled my arm closer and whispered to Jager.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice."

The focus returned to Jager's blue eyes. He looked at us dazedly and took a few unsteady steps back.

"...Ah, what just happened?"

"Be careful. You might fall and hurt your head."

Luga dismissed Jager as if nothing had happened.

Her skill was so proficient that I wondered if she had been controlling my mind all along. This guy... Could she be reading my mind every day?

A brief doubt crossed my mind.

'Luga is a living unethical and breathing illegal entity. Can such a person be a royal mage?'

Before boarding the Black Rugar, I thought it was possible... But now, I'm not sure.

If she were a royal mage, wouldn't she have been more proactive in dealing with the mysterious large-scale mental magic trap happening here in Irigel?

The book she was reading last night, *100 Advanced Pen Rota Empire Dishes for Skilled Chefs*.

Her connection to the Northern Continent Alliance.

A mage who is familiar with being revered but has no significant ties to the royal family.

Her acquaintance with Dian Ket.

Putting it all together, a somewhat unique conclusion emerges.

'Not only might she not be a royal mage... She might not even be from the empire.'