Isolene slept with the window locked as usual. She installed the anti-assassin magic tool that her family, Count Sien, had given her on the window. It was a pretty good high-grade magic tool, so even if a monster came and hit it with all its might, the window wouldn't break.
However, this magical tool had one fatal flaw. It only strengthened the window, but it could not prevent the window from opening and closing.
Ordinary intruders would give up and turn away when they see the window glowing softly due to the effects of the magic tool, but those who know this loophole are different.
The intruder used his sleight of hand to unlock the window and then swung it open.
"Gyaaaah! What the! Ugh!"
"Shut up and follow me."
The intruder covered Isolene's mouth. Isolene, who had been struggling, stopped moving at the tingling sensation in her neck. A sharp dagger was already pointed at her neck.
The intruder dragged Isolene towards the wide open window, then lifted Isolene onto his shoulder and jumped down.
And the moment he jumped down.
"Help me! There's an intruder here!"
"Ugh!"
Isolene stabbed the assassin in the shoulder with the dagger she had hidden in her bosom. It was a dagger coated with paralyzing poison.
Isolene, who had been through this kind of thing more than once or twice, skillfully twirled her dagger in front of the fallen intruder.
"Ha! It's already been three years since I survived in this house where intruders come and go every single day. Do you think I can't subdue something like you? Knights! Over here!"
However.
The knights did not come.
Normally, they would have come right away after hearing the sound.
"What?"
Isolene felt a chill and gripped the dagger tightly in both hands. Then, she slowly walked to the place where the knights usually stood guard.
"...!"
Here, to the west, all the knights standing guard had fallen.
There was also a knight who was still conscious and gasping for breath. He looked at Isolene and moved his trembling hands. It seemed like he had something to say. Isolene immediately ran to him.
"Steve, what's going on?"
"Assassin... Magic...Wizard..."
The knight pointed somewhere in the air. The moment Isolene looked in that direction.
"Hi?"
A woman sitting on the windowsill on the third floor greeted her leisurely. She was wearing a black robe and was holding a doll in her hands.
"What, what is it?"
Isolene was confused. A wizard?
She had seen many intruders, but she had never seen a wizard.
'Why did the wizard get involved in such a complicated matter?'
Wizards originally dislike being involved in difficult and complicated matters, and are reluctant to even reveal their identities. Most of the requests they receive are annoying, such as being asked to become living weapons, performing impossible tasks, or provide labor.
"Who sent you? Has His Majesty the Emperor finally ordered us all to be killed?"
"I don't know who sent me either. It's just a man in a black robe."
The woman stabbed the doll near the shoulder with the needle she was holding in one hand.
Then Isolene.
"Ugh!"
She felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder. Soon, she felt a warm sensation in her shoulder. Blood was flowing out.
"Unfortunately, the Grand Duke won't be able to hear your screams. No one else but you and I can enter this space."
A chill ran down Isolene's spine. A puppeteer. She had seen them in fairy tales long ago. But she had never heard of a spell that controlled space.
Once again, the woman stabbed the doll's left knee with another needle. Isolene let out a shrill scream and fell to the ground.
"How are you? Are you hurt? Are you helpless? Are you mad with regret for being such a worthless human being? Why did you choose to stay by the Grand Duke's side? Do you regret it?"
"...!"
The bleeding was severe. Isolene felt her vision becoming increasingly distorted. The sounds of the world were also becoming more distant.
The woman started laughing and shouting loudly.
"Ahahaha! This is hilarious! This is so hilarious!"
At that moment, a stone flew from somewhere. It hit the woman's head.
"What the hell is so funny about this, you intruder!"
Anna, who appeared from nowhere, blocked Isolene's path. The woman clicked her tongue and stroked her hair.
"Tsk. There's still one more rat in my space."
"Pervert! You say it's fun to see other people in pain!"
"Anna, stop"
Isolene reached out with a trembling hand to stop Anna. Anna, trembling, stood in front of Isolene until the very end.
"That is...!"
It was at that moment that the woman, whose hair was on end, was about to twist the doll's neck.
Somewhere, a "clank" sound of glass breaking could be heard.
"Who dares touch my food?"
"Who are you to break my barrier... ugh!"
Gremory climbed up the wall like a cat and kicked the intruder in the head. The intruder fell far into the bushes. Gremory, still angry, walked slowly into the bushes and took off the intruder's robe.
The yellow-haired woman was startled when she saw Gremory
"Cough, cough! What the heck, you! How did you break my barrier? Are you a wizard too?"
"Witch."
"Huh? What the heck... Gyaaak!"
Gremory stepped on the woman's right shoulder. It was the same place where Isolen was injured. A cracking sound came from the woman's shoulder as it was pressed down by an enormous force.
The wizard was not a very patient person. She surrendered immediately.
"I, I'm sorry! I made a mistake! Now, take all my weapons!"
Then, she handed over the doll she was holding with her good left arm.
"Did you know how to say that! Haha!"
And then the doll exploded.
The smoke cleared quickly.
Gremory looked down at the wizard with a completely normal appearance.
"You lied to me."
"...!"
"I hate being lied to."
And she trampled on the wizard's left knee.
"Ugh!"
Upon hearing the sound, Chession and the knights came rushing in.
The wizard was captured by the knights and taken to the underground torture chamber.
Chession examined Isolene's condition. Her white pajamas were completely covered in blood.
"Just hold on a little longer."
Chession sprayed the 'beauty potion' on Isolene's shoulders and knees. The wounds healed quickly, and Isolene, accustomed to such situations, stood up, dusted herself off, and confronted Chession.
"Well, it's a bit much to not be able to use your power against just one wizard. Didn't I advise you to spend a lot of money to buy a magic-blocking relic before?"
"Um, sorry. But if I had bought it back then, all the people of the territory would have had to endure a harsh winter."
"And who on earth did they have a grudge against that made they come as an assassin? The Duke of Lurnel? Or the Marquis of Nel? Didn't I tell you not to make enemies outside!"
"That, that's not it. Let me explain..."
While Chession was being scolded by Isolene, he felt intimidated.
Gremory stared blankly at Isolen, who was wearing blood-stained clothes.
'When I found Lenia, she was covered in blood like this.'
As she looked at Isolene, who was talking normally, she kept seeing the dead Lenia overlapping.
Friend.
My friend.
Isolene.
If only she had been a little later, if only she had died like Lenia.
A surge of emotion welled up in her, almost to the point of vomiting. Gremory didn't know what it was, but one thing was certain. She was glad that Isolene was alive and well and talking like that.
"Anyway, Your Highness! Are you listening to me? Even if it costs a lot of money, why don't you buy a magic-blocking relic... Huh? Mori?"
Gremory clung to Isolene's back, who was chattering away. Isolene was silent for a moment, wondering what was going on, and then burst out laughing when she saw Gremory's slightly reddened eyes.
"Ahahaha! What, you were worried about me?"
Worry. Worry. Yes, this is a worry.
"Yes."
"Were you that scared that I might die?"
"...?"
Gremory pondered. Was she really that scared? Was she scared that she wouldn't be able to prevent her friend's death again?
Gremory, who had never felt any fear even after being locked in solitary confinement for ten years in the Demon Realm, is now afraid of the death of a single human, her prey?
She has no idea how it all came to this. It's quite confusing, but she doesn't hate it at all.
"I think so."
"Our Mori, you look cute today."
"Let's have a tea party. You said you wanted to do one before."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's have a tea party!"
Isolene smiled playfully and patted Gremory's head.
However, there was a problem. Gremory would not let Isolene go at all.
When she had to go back to sleep that day, she occupied a corner of Isolene's bed in Isolene's room, followed Isolene around when she went to work in the morning, and rolled around on the wide sofa near Isolene during tea time.
Eventually, the exploded Isolene hit Gremory on the forehead.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment