POV: Riley

‘Seriously? Enda…really?’

She should have teleported Nainiae and I to a place that was easier for us to find the way. Instead, she had, at first, placed us deep in the forest.

I was curious why she did that.

Sighing, I opened the carriage door, “Dark Mage? What are you all on about?”

I walked over to Nainiae’s side, placing a hand on one of her trembling shoulders.

“Young Master, are you on the same side as the Dark Mage?” One of the mercenaries of Lightning Boulder, who had the arrow aimed at Nainiae--switched their target over to me.

“...Don’t aim your arrow at me.” I felt displeased and looked at her, allowing some of my Killing Intent to slip out.

The archer suddenly twitched, her face went pale, and her body stiffened as though petrified.

“As I asked, what’s this about a Dark Mage? You randomly accuse my maid of being some Dark Mage.” I looked at them, releasing the pressure on the archer.

She breathed out deeply.

Horai, who was completely terrified, and was embraced in Reitri’s arms and shivering.

Reitri looked up and answered me, “That is…The Magic that Ms. Nainiae used--it was black, wasn’t it?”

“So what if it was black?”

“Black-coloured Magic…its a trait unique to Dark Mages.”

I looked over at Nainiae--to which, she shook her head, saying that this wasn’t true.

“Is everyone with black-coloured Magic a Dark Mage then?” I asked Reitri.

He had opened his mouth, but he wasn’t able to answer.

“This is the innate colour of her Magic--so what is she supposed to do?”

Nainiae looked like she wanted to say something, probably that it was caused by the experiments, but I subtly squeezed her shoulder.

I looked at Basilisk, and asked, “Tell me, is there anything other than the fact that she has black-coloured Magic, that makes you think she is a Dark Mage?”

Basilisk seemed unable to answer, he turned his head again and looked at Nainiae.

“...”

It seemed that Nainiae got embarrassed when his gaze was drawn to her disfigured hand, she quickly hid it behind her back.

“I can put my title of Young Master of Iphelleta, a house of a Count, on the line for my claim. What could you put on the line for yours?”

Nobody seemed able to answer.

After looking around the people who were now silent, I shrugged and continued, “I don’t know about Rainfield, but in Solia, if you were found guilty of insulting a Noble, the minimum sentence is life imprisonment. Did you know that?”

I sighed, “I came here to relax, because this is my vacation.”

I narrowed my eyes at them, “If you insist on turning against us because of something my maid cannot control--preconceptions and prejudice. That’s fine.”

My face broke out in a smile, “I guess we will just act as you accused us, like a Dark Mage would--we will kill all the witnesses, and continue to Rainfield.”

Having heard my words, the people around us flinched.

Nainiae looked at me with confusion, but she didn’t seem like she would complain if I actually ordered her to act like this.

“Is that what you want?” I asked them.

“...No.” Reitri stood straighter, shaking his head, “I…I do not think Ms. Nainiae is a Dark Mage.”

He had answered as the representative of the group.

“I am sorry, Young Master Riley.” Reitri apologized with a lowered head.

He then looked at Basilisk and the rest of the mercenaries of Lightning Boulder.

It seemed that they understood. They lowered their weapons and apologized to Nainiae and I.

Basilisk looked down for a few seconds, before looking at Nainiae, “I’m sorry. It’s just--can we please hear your story?”

***

All of us were sitting in a circle, they had to take a seat because of the length of Nainiae’s story--Nainiae was sitting right by my side, and the female archer sat at my other; she had apologized to me quite a few times with a pale face.

Having heard Nainiae’s story, Horai started to cry in a way reminiscent of a certain idiot… ‘butler’ back at the Iphelleta mansion.

“I…see, so that’s what happened to you. Solia’s Magic tower…That son of a bitch, Astroa!” Basilisk said the name viciously, “How could…How could they?”

He paused for a second, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Tears leaked from his eyes.

Nainiae brought a handkerchief from the Dimensional Space, and gave it to Basilisk, “H-Here. Please use this.”

She looked a little uncomfortable as she sat back down again.

“Thanks…” Basilisk blew his nose.

I felt a little irritation, I had specifically come here to avoid Ian…yet Basilisk’s current actions were reminding me of that butler.

“So, has all of your suspicions been cleared?”

“If our commander is sure…we have no reason to have any more suspicions.”

Rorona and Isen, two of the members of Lightning Boulders, replied to me.

“How could you be so certain?”

I had thought that they would still be doubting Nainiae, but to the contrary, they nodded in agreement so easily--this made me feel slightly suspicious.

Narrowing my eyes, I asked why.

“It’s because our commander is a great judge of character. He had never been wrong. Although it is an ability that’s limited by a few conditions.”

“He was incorrect when he thought Nainiae was a Dark Mage.” I said with a raised eyebrow.

“W-Well, he has problems with Dark Mages, so he obviously ignored his instincts.” Rorona looked down.

“Alright. And what are the conditions?” I decided to believe her.

Rorona perked up at my question, she opened her mouth and started to explain about her commander, “Yes, actually, the commander is Human…”

“...Rorona.”

When Isen called her name, Rorona, who happened to be the archer who had aimed an arrow at me, changed her words, “Ugh, anyway. Should I say, it’s something like his…instincts?”

Rorona seemed annoyed that she couldn’t say more about him as she looked at Basilisk, who was holding both Nainiae’s hands and crying.

Nainiae looked over at me, she looked a little uncomfortable. I reached over and pried her hands from Basilisks’. She looked pleased, squeezing my hands with pink cheeks.

“What about a Dark Mage near Rainfield?” I decided to move the subject along.

“The rumours were true, an infamous Dark Mage that had been spreading terror for a long time, is now active near Rainfield. It’s pretty well-known news around here. I would have thought that it would have reached Solia. You didn’t hear about it?” Isen asked.

“Umm, I feel like I have heard of it.” I decided to ask him for more details, “Are there any people who have actually seen the Mage, or were hurt by them?”

“Yes, there were.” Rorona answered instead, she looked down with a sad expression, “Our former commander was one of the victims.”

They were referring to Basilisk’s dead father.

“There are many other victims, other than our commander. The number is probably still growing as we speak. I have a wanted poster…Would you like to see it?” Isen asked as he brought out a piece of rolled-up paper, handing it to me.

I sighed after checking the content.

The figure in the poster wore a black cloak with a deep hood, their face couldn’t be seen.

Their characteristics were: ‘Uses black-coloured Magic’ and ‘Animates corpses.’

I passed the poster back to Isen.

“God damn it, this means it’s likely that the same misunderstanding will happen again.”

Nainiae looked apologetic.

“It’s okay Nainiae.” I smiled reassuringly at her.

Isen spoke, “That Dark Mage hasn’t been caught for ten years; so I think it was fortunate that Ms. Nainiae was in Solia--and looking at it now…she is a little young to be the Dark Mage.”

“Actually, we…have also been hunting that Dark Mage. We had been active in Ansyrium, but there was an opportunity, so we joined the merchant group going to Rainfield.” Rorona added, fiddling with her fingers.

I turned and looked at Reitri’s merchant group, who had gotten up and began getting ready to travel.

Suddenly, loud footsteps rang out in the distance, Isen and Rorona noticed a few seconds after I did. Rorona was already looking in the direction of the sound, her face became serious.

“O-Ogre?!” Rorona jumped to her feet.

“Why is an Ogre here?” Isen joined her.

Everyone else was beginning to stand up, weapons in their hands.

The Ogre roared, seeming to have found some food, it began drooling as it charged towards the carriage.

“Is this one the mate of the one before?” Basilisk immediately got over his overly-emotional reaction to Nainiae’s story, leaping up with his spear already in his hands.

The rest of the merchant group were all hurriedly moving the carriages.

I felt a little confused, not at the reactions--but because there was something off about the approaching Ogre.

“Wait, Commander! That Ogre…it seems to be in a bit of a strange condition. It looks like his arm and head aren’t correctly attached…” Rorona spoke, her eyes were narrowed as she stared at the Ogre, noticing that its eyes were pitch-black.

But, she wouldn’t get the chance to explain the strangeness--the Ogre was already nearby, enough to cast its shadow to the people.

“Hey! Young Master, get up! The Ogre is coming.” Basilisk shouted to me when he saw that I was still sitting down, he had cold sweat on his forehead.

When I read the poster, it explained that the Black Mage could reanimate bodies…the sign of which was pitch-black eyes and aura, their power was increased and they were much more powerful than their living counterparts.

The Ogre roared again, raising its fist.

I had been hoping to see Lightning Boulder in action, but if they continued like this--some of the merchants would be badly injured, and the carriages destroyed.

With a sigh, I picked up my sword and unsheathed it, swinging it in what appeared to be an aimless motion.

The Ogre, which had been charging towards the group--suddenly fell to its knees, raising a dust cloud.

“...What?”

Not only Basilisk and the mercenaries, but also the merchants, were staring with wide eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the Ogre’s head was gone.

“So, the Dark Mage can force dead bodies to move, like zombies?” I asked Rorona, who was currently standing by my side, “Like a certain already-killed, twice-killed, Ogre?”