Chapter 8

A few days after going out into town, Fiona changed into the same clothes as last time when she was told that she would have another audience with His Majesty. While Matthias was checking if there was anything strange, Luke came into the room.

"Shall we go then?"

The three of them headed for the castle, walking along the brick path. Matthias was wearing a black knight's uniform today.

When they arrived in front of the entrance, Luke turned to face Fiona.

"Just to be safe, can I redraw the curse seal on your shackles?"

"Sure."

Fiona immediately extended her hands in front of her, and Luke gently touched the shackle on her left hand, erasing the pattern that was drawn on it. Then, with black magic gathering at his fingertips, he began to draw a new pattern.

Although the shape was different from the original, Fiona, who was not familiar with curse seals, could not tell the difference in their effectiveness. She thought that perhaps it was more powerful in case of an emergency.

"That's it. Shall we go then?"

Upon entering the castle, two knights followed Fiona and the others as they had last time. They then entered the throne room.

The king began questioning Fiona after a brief greeting.

"You said you have no loyalty to the empire. Has that changed?"

"It hasn't. I never had any loyalty to begin with."

"I see. Then, are you willing to swear loyalty as a magician of this country?"

"As a magician of this country, I swear I will use my power and never betray. However, I do not want to do anything unjust."

Fiona answered honestly and without hesitation, thinking about what she was feeling now. If she were asked to do something unjust for the country, she would choose to die with dignity this time.

Before that, she hoped to repay Matthias and the others.

"I see. If you have no intention of betraying, that's fine. Do you think you can get along well with the magicians and knights here?"

"I haven't interacted much with the people here yet, but I want to be of more use to them than I have been a burden. Luke and Reila have been very kind to me, and I've been really taken care of by Matthias. I feel like I'm being pampered a bit too much..."

As Fiona started talking about Matthias, Luke, who was behind her, covered his mouth and panicked.

– No, no! You shouldn't say anything extra!

He desperately wished in his heart, but his wish was not heard.

"But I appreciate it. You're always so kind and take care of me, like a mother..."

She added some extra words that she didn't intend to say. She quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late.

"Mother..."

Matthias muttered softly.

Luke looked distressed, holding his head, and the king turned away, trembling.

"Hehehe... That's all for the confirmation of your feelings. You may leave now."

"...Yes. Excuse me."

The audience ended in an awkward atmosphere.

After leaving the castle, they walked back along the brick path, their steps heavy.

Matthias, with a dark expression, muttered, "Mother... Mother..." and his steps were unsteady.

Watching his back, Fiona felt a wave of guilt and almost cried.

"What should I do? I didn't mean to say anything extra."

"It's my fault. When we arrived at the castle, I redrew the curse seal on your shackles. Actually, I activated a seal that made you speak the truth without any lies."

Luke bowed his head, his hands clasped together, looking apologetic.

"...Is that so? ...Yeah, I think that's unavoidable."

She thought it was good that she could prove she wasn't a threat to the king and express her true feelings. But it was not good that she had hurt Matthias.

"Hey, is the seal still in effect?"

"Yes. Do you want me to remove it now?"

"No, wait a moment."

Fiona approached Matthias.

"Matthias, I'm sorry. Being called mother-like is probably humiliating for a man. But I didn't mean it in a bad way. I meant that you take care of me and are considerate, just like a mother."

"...I see."

Matthias's voice was incredibly gloomy.

"Being with you makes me feel safe and happy. And you know, I think you're really handsome and strong. Your voice is cool, and you're so kind. I like everything about you."

"...L...like...?"

Matthias reacted to the word "like." He looked up, and their eyes met. Fiona smiled.

"Yes, I like you. You're the one I like the most out of everyone I've met. I'm not lying. The seal is still in effect."

Fiona showed her left shackle, and Luke, who was watching from behind, said, "It's true."

"The one... I see."

The "like" that Fiona expressed did not include romantic feelings, which was evident from her calm demeanor.

Still, it was a touching word for Matthias. He savored the happiness, letting the word "one" echo in his mind.

"I'm glad you feel that way. If I can be the one for you, it's fine even if you think of me as a mother. I don't find it humiliating, so don't worry."

"Really? But the king said, 'How pitiful.'"

"...He's different from ordinary people, so don't take it to heart."

"That's a relief."

Fiona was relieved to see Matthias's expression soften. Luke, who had been watching from behind, also let out a sigh of relief.

"Huh? But Luke looked really strange when—"

"Ah-ah! Fiona, stop! Let's end this conversation and show me your left hand."

Luke, sensing danger, interrupted her to prevent any further trouble. He quickly stepped between the two.

Fiona extended her left hand as requested. Luke removed the seal that made her speak the truth and then took off the shackle.

"That's it. The right shackle that seals your magic is still on, but from today, you don't need the left shackle and chain. You're free to move around the grounds."

"Huh? Why?"

"You've been recognized as harmless. Your intention to escape has already been confirmed."

"Confirmed... So, the outing the other day was—"

She realized that the times she was alone in town were part of that confirmation.

She had thought about escaping and getting a curse remover to free herself, but she didn't have the heart to do it. She just waited idly.

"For me, that was a side effect. The more important thing was to take you out into town."

"Definitely."

Matthias had put all his effort into making Fiona enjoy herself. He was actually upset that he had to leave her side a few times.

At the station, he had been grumbling with a frown on his face.

"I see... So, I'm free now."

Fiona's expression was not bright.

Her magic hadn't returned, so she couldn't be of much use. But she was free to move around.

"Does that mean I won't be able to spend time with Matthias anymore..."

"Gr..."

Matthias felt a pang of sadness at her melancholy tone. However, it was true that he would have to return to his neglected duties.

"I'll still be able to have meals with you in the morning and evening. I plan to visit you on my days off or when I have free time. Is that okay?"

"Really? Great. Thank you, Matthias."

Seeing her smile, Matthias clenched his fist in joy, his heart swelling with happiness.

***

With her newfound freedom, Fiona began eating in the cafeteria.

Matthias said she could eat in her room, but she declined, saying it would be a hassle. It goes without saying that he looked disappointed.

When lunchtime came, Matthias came to her room to escort her to the cafeteria.

In the cafeteria, dozens of magicians and knights were having their meals. Some were in robes, some in knight's uniforms, and some in casual clothes. Fiona bowed to those she made eye contact with.

After ordering her meal and waiting a moment to receive it, she carried her tray to an empty seat.

Fiona ordered a small serving of tomato pasta and a salad, while Matthias ordered a mountain of sliced steak, a mountain of bread, a salad, and soup.

"Matthias always eats a lot, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, using artifacts makes you hungry quickly. Wasn't it the same for you?"

"I guess so. But I can't eat much, so I used to get by with sweets. I like sweets, so it wasn't a problem. But in the empire, the food became poor, and I couldn't get sweets anymore. Instead, I was given pills, which was tough..."

"That must have been hard. Eat a lot here."

"Thanks."

She was told to get dessert later, which she looked forward to as she started her meal. Reila came over.

"Fiona, you're joining our training from tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. I can't use magic yet, but please take care of me."

"Sure, I'll take care of you."

Fiona was to become a member of the First Magician Corps, led by Reila. Her sealed magic would be gradually released as they monitored her.

"There are some difficult people in our group, so it might be a bit challenging. But I'll support you as much as I can."

"Thank you."

When she heard about the difficult people, Graham's face came to mind. He was the one who had thrown water at her in the hallway.

***

The next day, Fiona changed into black pants and a white shirt, and loosely braided her hair. She went to the cafeteria, had breakfast with Matthias, Luke, and Reila, and then returned to her room.

Training was to start in an hour, so she spent the time reading a book or daydreaming. When it was time, she opened her closet, took out her robe, and put it on.

It was a deep green robe for a kingdom magician.

In the kingdom, general magicians wore deep green robes, while specialists like healers and curse removers wore white robes.

She went outside with Reila, who had come to pick her up, and walked for a while to reach the training ground of the First Magician Corps.

The vast training ground was filled with twenty members, including Graham, a black-haired man with long bangs parted in the middle. Fiona thought, "I knew it."

"Everyone, this is Fiona. She's no longer the enemy, so be friendly. I won't tolerate any bullying!"

Reila put her hands on her hips and said firmly. The responses were varied: "Yes, sir!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Sure thing!" "Eh..." "What a hassle..." The last one was Graham.

"I'm Fiona. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused. I want to work hard and be useful. Please take care of me from today on."

She greeted them in her usual slow and calm manner.

The members were momentarily stunned. "This is not what we expected," they thought, and started whispering to each other.

"Alright, let's stop chatting and start with a warm-up run. Thirty laps around the training ground. Fiona, it's been a while, so if you feel like you're at your limit, you can walk."

"Yes, ma'am."

Fiona followed at the back.

She hadn't exercised properly in a few days and wasn't very good at endurance. She might not be able to keep up until the end, but she resolved to do her best and started running.

She managed to complete the thirty laps without walking.

"Good job. You made it to the end."

"Phew..."

She finished two laps behind the others, sat down on the spot, and smiled weakly. She was completely exhausted.

"Graham, give Fiona some water."

Reila called out to Graham, who was standing nearby.

"What? Why me?"

"Because you're there. It's an order from the captain."

Graham approached Fiona with a thoroughly annoyed look and lazily extended his right hand.

"Open your mouth."

Fiona looked up and opened her mouth as instructed. After a moment, water came from his fingertips and a suitable amount entered her mouth. She closed her mouth and swallowed, and he told her to open it again, so she received more water.

"Is that enough?"

"A little more."

"Ugh."

Despite his annoyed expression, Graham gave her water a few times, and she swallowed it.

"Thank you, Graham."

Fiona smiled and thanked him as her throat was refreshed.

"It's an order from the captain."

He said it bluntly and turned away, walking off.

Reila was a bit surprised that he had obediently given her water. She had expected him to pour a large amount of water over Fiona's head out of spite.

She didn't know that he had already done that to Fiona.

After a short break, they moved on to a training session where each member cast medium-sized spells from a distance. Fiona, whose magic was sealed, watched.

Everyone spread out across the vast training ground, drew magic arrays in the air, and cast spells into the sky.

"If you notice anything, let me know."

Reila, who was watching the members, said to Fiona. Fiona pointed to a woman creating a tornado in front of her. She had blue hair a little longer than her shoulders and looked to be in her early twenties.

"The magic array of the blue-haired woman could use some improvement."

"Really?"

The two of them approached the woman. Fiona pointed to a part of the magic array she had drawn.

"I think this part should be changed."

She drew a better pattern on the ground. This was a pattern that Fiona had created on her own after reading many magic books.

The woman frowned but reluctantly changed the part of the magic array at Reila's urging. When she cast the spell again, the tornado rose higher into the sky than before.

"Wow, the power doubled. The magic consumption hasn't changed."

"Really!? Good job, Fiona."

"Thank you. You're amazing, Fiona."

"You're welcome."

Blushing slightly from the praise, Fiona felt a bit embarrassed.

Reila then led her around the training ground, pointing out areas that could be improved.

The training ended in the morning, and Fiona returned to her room to take a shower. She had exercised thoroughly for the first time in a while and was sweating. She was tired but felt refreshed.

After showering, she dried her hair with a magic device and put it in a ponytail. She put on a black sleeveless dress and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

She was hungry, so she ordered a fish dish, a salad, and two pieces of bread.

Matthias and Luke were on duty and not there, so she sat at a counter seat by the window and ate alone.

After eating quietly for a while, a tray was placed with a clatter on the seat next to her, and she looked up to see who it was.

"Is this seat okay?"

The blue-haired woman spoke to Fiona.

"Sure."

She smiled and replied, and ended up sitting next to Nina, a member of the First Magician Corps, for lunch.

Reila, who had been planning to sit next to Fiona, watched the scene from behind and smiled, deciding to sit elsewhere.