Chapter 2

I returned home and laid the woman I had carried on the bed.

The woman seemed to still be in a daze, continuing to breathe heavily and letting out pained moans.

The woman continued to sleep restlessly, both that day and the next.

Occasionally, I would come into the room to change the wet towel on her head or place a sponge soaked in water to her lips.

The next morning, something unusual happened.

While I was having breakfast in the adjacent room, I heard a faint rustling sound coming from the bedroom.

Had she woken up...?

I left my half-eaten breakfast and opened the door to the adjacent room.

...By the way, I forgot to knock. Living alone for so long had completely erased it from my mind.

No one was on the bed.

Only the rumpled sheets, which indicated someone had been lying there, remained.

"Ah."

A voice came from the side. It was the woman's voice.

I turned my eyes and saw the traveler I had saved—a young woman with snow-white hair, around fifteen years old—standing in front of the bookshelf.

Her eyes were trembling with shock, and her mouth was tightly shut in fear. The two words "caution" seemed to seep from her stiff body.

Well...

If you woke up in an unfamiliar house and a man about ten years older than you suddenly opened the door, you'd probably be frozen with fear.

I raised my hands and opened them upward.

"Are you feeling okay? I found you collapsed on the road and was worried, so I brought you here to take care of you."

It seemed she understood what I was saying. She looked startled and hurriedly bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have acted that way toward the person who saved me! Thank you so much!"

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

I waved my hand dismissively.

"Are you hungry? You've been bedridden for a while. I was just having breakfast. Would you like some?"

"N-no! I can't impose on you that much!"

Just as she was shaking her head, the scent of the soup I had been eating wafted into the room. A gentle, pleasant aroma. As if it had been triggered by this—

Gurgle.

The woman's stomach growled.

"Aaah, aah, aah...!"

The woman, blushing, pressed her hand to her stomach.

I chuckled.

"Don't be shy. It's not good for your body to overexert yourself."

I led the girl to the dining table and placed bread and chicken broth in front of her.

"It's a soup made from the birds I shot. It's delicious."

"Itadakimasu!"

The girl said this and started eating the food with great enthusiasm. ...She must have been really hungry...

When she had finished, I asked her,

"Do you want seconds?"

The girl, after a moment of hesitation, said timidly,

"Y-yes... please..."

After finishing that, she bowed her head to me, who was sitting across from her.

"Thank you so much for this feast."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes, very much."

The girl blushed.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Laura."

"Laura, huh. My name is Alberto—"

I swallowed the family name I was about to say.

My father's voice echoed in my mind.

—You are exiled. Never use the name Luminous again.

"...Alberto."

Then I asked Laura a question.

"That road leads to the capital... Were you heading to the capital, Laura?"

"Yes, I was going to take the entrance exam for the Royal Magic Academy."

"Really?"

Come to think of it, I had taken the exam around this time of year.

"...Are you interested in magic, Alberto?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm sorry for looking without permission, but there were a lot of magic books in the room earlier..."

"Oh."

I remembered. She had been standing in front of the bookshelf earlier. She must have seen the remnants of my dreams that I couldn't discard, which I had brought from my family home.

"Just out of interest. I dabbled a little. I had aimed for the Magic Academy, but I eventually gave up... I didn't have the talent."

I said this with a thin smile.

It was a lie. I had enrolled in the kingdom's Magic Academy, but I didn't want to share that bitter past with anyone.

At that moment, Laura visibly became flustered.

"H-h-h-huh!? S-s-s-sorry!?"

"Huh?"

"That, that, to someone like you! I said I was going to take the exam!"

Laura bowed her head repeatedly, making me feel apologetic.

...Hmm...

I felt apologetic myself. After all, I had lied.

"...Don't worry about it. I've come to terms with it."

"T-t-t-that's a relief!"

I changed the subject to help Laura, who was flustered.

"So, while you were on your way to the academy—why did you collapse?"

"I walked from my hometown to the kingdom, and I guess I was exhausted..."

"That must have been tough."

"I'm so glad you took care of me. I don't think I would have recovered this quickly. The schedule was quite tight..."

"How tight? When is the exam?"

"Tomorrow, February 17th, starting at noon."

...Tomorrow?

"Tomorrow, February 17th?"

"Yes, that's right, but—?"

Laura looked at me with a puzzled expression.

I swallowed hard.

Then, with a feeling like pronouncing a death sentence, I opened my mouth.

"Sorry, but February 17th is 'today.'"

"..."

Laura's mouth opened in shock.

Her face gradually changed to one of panic.

"W-what!? Today is the exam day!? I only slept for one day, right!?"

"No, you slept for two full days."

"Wh-what...!"

Laura was speechless.

I looked out the window. The soft morning sunlight was streaming in.

The exam hadn't started yet.

But it would begin in just four hours.

Even if we rushed, we wouldn't reach the capital until the evening. Especially with her weakened body.

There was no way we could make it.

Laura clutched her head.

"I'm so sorry, Mayor, Uncle, Aunt, Mom, Dad, everyone in the village! You all sent me off with such encouragement! I couldn't live up to your expectations!"

I stood up.

"Don't be so down. We still have four hours. We can make it."

"B-but, there's no way—!?"

"We have about an hour to spare. Your luggage is in the bedroom, so get ready for your journey. Oh... it might be a good idea to tidy up a bit. It's a big stage, after all. Feel free to use the water bucket."

The girl looked at me with a blank expression, not understanding what I meant.

"Huh...?"

"We can make it. Take your time and come out when you're ready. I'll wait outside."

With that, I went outside.

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"We can make it. Take your time and come out when you're ready. I'll wait outside."

After saying this, the man—Alberto—went outside.

Laura couldn't understand at all.

We can make it?

There was no way we could make it. Was it just to comfort her? But Alberto had no reason to say such a thing.

Many questions came to mind, but Laura stopped doubting.

There was only one option left.

She had to cling to the thread of hope Alberto had offered.

Although Alberto said she had about an hour, Laura got ready in just thirty minutes.

When she went outside, Alberto was waiting.

He had brown hair and black eyes—his face was quite handsome. He was about ten years older than Laura. A quiet and composed man.

Alberto stood up from the tree stump when he noticed Laura.

"You're quick. Are you ready?"

"Yes. ...I don't want to waste a single moment. But can we really make it...?"

"Of course we can."

Alberto stood next to Laura.

"I'll use my magic—Magic Arrow—to get you there."

Magic Arrow?

Laura's confusion only deepened.

Magic Arrow was a basic—no, a very basic—spell. It was the first spell most mages learned.

It was just a white arrow that shot at a target.

How could such a spell help in this situation?

"Well, the capital is in that direction."

Alberto pointed diagonally upward.

"Sorry, but you'll have to cling to my body. It's dangerous."

Although it was embarrassing, Laura did as she was told. It was too late to hesitate now.

Then, she suddenly remembered something.

Laura recalled the scene where she had been resting. While she was resting, a bird fell from the sky and hit the ground.

—It's a soup made from the birds I shot.

Alberto had said this.

The bird must have been shot down by Alberto's magic.

But that was a strange story.

The range of Magic Arrow varied depending on the user's skill, but it was generally fifty meters.

To shoot down a flying bird, it would be difficult to aim from below.

However, Alberto wasn't nearby at that time.

So, what does that mean?

"...Um, Alberto?"

"What is it?"

"How far can your Magic Arrow reach?"

"13 kilometers."

"Huh?"

She thought she had misheard.

Alberto's calm voice continued.

"Magic Arrow."

Immediately, Laura's vision began to blur rapidly.