She should come back sometime.
As she clearly remembers, there was a villa owned by the Grand Duke of Hessengard a little distance away.
Aside from the Haldis region, there was usually at least one villa or mansion owned by the Grand Duke in any beautiful place within Hessengard. However, Erna rarely left the Grand Duke's castle.
She heard that guy uses it often.
Erna had heard that Callion, who had been roaming outside the Grand Duke's castle for a long time, would stay in a building owned by the Grand Duke whenever one was near where he needed to stay. She learned this fact thanks to Vanessa, whom she met at the council, who suggested that Erna take a look around those places as well. At that time, Erna didn't have much reason to leave the castle, so she didn't think much of it, but it seemed likely that she would use those places often as expeditions to subdue monsters increased, just like now.
She'll have to check again when she gets back to see where everything is.
Erna stretched again and turned over. Her body was quite refreshed from the good sleep.
Lately, she's been on edge every night because of that guy... huh?
As Erna pondered, she realized there was a contradiction in her thinking. How could she have slept soundly in the same room as the person who annoyed her the most?
Come to think of it, it was ridiculous. Sleeping in the same room as that bastard, Callion, without even being on guard? Besides, something like that happened not long ago?
The surroundings are even swarming with monsters. Ordinary people might not be able to sense it, but Erna was a mage, and among them, a powerful one with the widest range of magical energy she could perceive. Therefore, if there were many monsters nearby, Erna should have been acutely aware of their presence. Yet, to think she slept soundly without ever opening her eyes in this place teeming with monsters?
Was I so tired that I couldn't even feel it?
It is possible that this could happen if you are truly exhausted to the point of collapsing. However, if that were the case, one shouldn't be able to wake up feeling this refreshed after sleeping; what on earth is going on? Erna looked around the room, puzzled by this unresolved question. Perhaps someone had cast a spell related to her in this mansion long ago.
However, no matter where she looked in the room, she could not sense any trace of magic. Instead, Erna discovered a different trace.
“...”
The traces remained on the bed where she had slept. She was certain she had slept peacefully in the middle. So why were the edges of the bed so deeply sunken? It looked as if someone had been sitting there for a long time. Erna looked at the rug beneath where the mattress had sunk. There were traces on it that looked like someone's feet had been resting there for a long time. Just in case, she placed her own foot on the mark, but seeing that it was about half a handspan larger, it certainly wasn't hers. Without a doubt, there was only one person in this room who could have left such a mark on the bed.
She told him not to cross over.
Yesterday, before falling asleep, Erna glanced at Callion. He was glaring at the bed with a look that seemed ready to devour it. Normally, he would have climbed onto the bed, telling Erna that he had the right to sleep comfortably too, and that if she didn't like it, she should go sleep somewhere else, regardless of what she said. But because of the guilt he had committed, he couldn't say a word yesterday and just watched her reaction. So, thinking "serves him right," she fell asleep, only to find out he had been enjoying the bed while she was fast asleep.
Don't even dream today.
There was no way she could do it a second time. Erna resolved that she would prevent Callion from approaching the bed, even if she had to use magic.
“Grand Duke? Are you alright?”
Cedric looked at Callion with a slightly worried expression.
A knight must make their own body a weapon. Just as one polishes a sword every day, maintaining the body in peak condition through training was a prerequisite for a knight, and among the knights Cedric knew, Callion was the one who managed himself most rigorously.
He used to check his condition even more thoroughly, especially when he was out on an expedition to subdue monsters like now. However, no matter how he looked at it, Callion's face now looked like someone who had stayed up all night doing extremely hard work.
Darker-than-usual eyelids, slightly bloodshot eyes, and even hair that remained disheveled.
“Why are you suddenly asking such a question?”
"I am telling you this because it seems you didn't sleep well last night.
At Cedric's words, Callion remembered last night.
"If you cross over, you will die."
Erna said that and immediately lay down on the bed. Not long after, deep breathing could be heard. Callion had to sit on the sofa, holding his breath in silence.
He thought he was apologizing, but somehow it seemed like he had only provoked Erna further. Her eyes were filled with contempt, especially as she asked how he usually behaved to do such a thing in a dream.
Callion felt wronged. He had truly never once in his life thought such a thing. But why, of all times, did he have to have such a dream?
No matter how much he felt wronged, the damage was done, and everything was his fault. That is why Callion looked at the carpet Erna had pointed to. As long as he didn't cross over there, everything would be fine.
Thinking this, he lay back down on the sofa and tried to sleep. Although it was far too small for his body, it seemed better than sleeping on the floor. However, not long after he closed his eyes, he heard a strange sound.
“Uh... uh-huh....”
It was definitely a groan. And it was Erna's groan. Wondering what on earth was going on, he quickly sat up and grabbed the sword he had placed on the table next to the sofa. However, contrary to his expectation that something had attacked, Erna was alone in the bed. After confirming that there was nothing else around, he put the sword down again and stood up.
“Ugh.. Ugh!”
He saw Erna twitch under the blanket. Is she sick? Why is she acting like that?
"Hey."
“...”
"Hey."
“...”
"Pumpkin."
“...”
Erna always got annoyed at the word "pumpkin." It seemed to remind her of what happened at the wedding. Of course, just as she was on edge at the word "pumpkin," Callion also got annoyed at the word "earthworm." He didn't care at all whether anyone swore at him or not, but he wondered why that word alone was so irritating.
In any case, seeing that there was no answer at all even after she had said the last word, she could tell that she was asleep.
But why is it like this?
Why is she suddenly making strange moaning sounds all by herself?
Callion stood at the edge of the carpet Erna had pointed to and observed her. Erna's face, peeking out from under the blanket, was obscured by her long hair. Then, she tossed and turned violently as if uncomfortable. Her hair fell down, allowing Callion to see that Erna was sweating profusely and breathing heavily.
At that moment, he unconsciously forgot what she had said and approached the bedside to look at Erna.
'What?'
She certainly looked a bit tired before falling asleep, showing no signs of illness. But now, Erna was moaning on the bed, her face deathly pale, her lips twitching as she let out a suppressed groan. Should I go out right away and call the lieutenants and a doctor? Or should I find a mage capable of healing magic?
After contemplating for a moment, Callion soon realized that Erna's appearance was one he remembered.
Long ago, while fighting monsters, he once met a wandering wizard. He had briefly traveled with the Knights and taught them various things about wizards during their stay. Then, one night, when a monster approached, he suddenly wrapped his arms around himself and let out a pained groan.
As Callion, who had been glaring at the monster along with the knights, approached in surprise, he waved his hand as if to say he was fine.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, there is no need to be alarmed. It seems there are quite a few monsters nearby.”
"Do wizards sense the presence of monsters?"
"It is likely because we use powers of the same lineage. Magic is fundamentally a force that fills the spaces between dimensions, and monsters are creatures that have mistakenly flowed into those spaces when they became misaligned. Since we share the same roots, we often sense each other. Fortunately, my magical power isn't that strong, so it is fine for me, but usually, the stronger the power, the more acutely one feels it. Also, this only happens at night. That is because magical power increases at night."
"Then, is there no way for us to help?"
When asked about the look of struggle on his face, which was even causing him to break out in a cold sweat, the wizard answered as if he had been waiting for those words.
"In that case, may I sit beside you, Grand Duke?"
"Next to me?"
“That is correct. Wizards and knights are polar opposites. Knights are people who train their bodies to the extreme to utilize physical strength. In other words, they are people who utilize the power of this world we live in. If such people are nearby, one is less affected by monsters.”
The wizard said that and quickly sat down between Callion and Cedric. Surprisingly, he soon felt better.
Erna looks similar to how he did back then...
The difference from then is that the monster is quite far away. Even the nearest lake is located far down a hill, so that monster, which can only live in water, will not be able to approach. However, didn't that wizard say back then that the stronger one is, the more sensitively one would sense it?
Currently, the strongest mage in Hessengard is Erna. If so, it was reasonable to expect her to sense the presence of a monster from a distance. Besides, it is the dead of night, when magical power is at its strongest.
Callion, who had been pacing by the bedside, hesitated for a moment about what to do. Then, the moment he heard Erna groaning again, he quietly crept up and stood beside her.
"Ha..."
Then, surprisingly, her face immediately relaxed.
The wizard was right after all.
This time, Callion stepped back a few steps from Erna's side. At that, her relaxed expression hardened, and she curled up. Seeing this, Callion hesitated before approaching the bedside again. Then, as if by magic, Erna's complexion relaxed.
As she clearly remembers, there was a villa owned by the Grand Duke of Hessengard a little distance away.
Aside from the Haldis region, there was usually at least one villa or mansion owned by the Grand Duke in any beautiful place within Hessengard. However, Erna rarely left the Grand Duke's castle.
She heard that guy uses it often.
Erna had heard that Callion, who had been roaming outside the Grand Duke's castle for a long time, would stay in a building owned by the Grand Duke whenever one was near where he needed to stay. She learned this fact thanks to Vanessa, whom she met at the council, who suggested that Erna take a look around those places as well. At that time, Erna didn't have much reason to leave the castle, so she didn't think much of it, but it seemed likely that she would use those places often as expeditions to subdue monsters increased, just like now.
She'll have to check again when she gets back to see where everything is.
Erna stretched again and turned over. Her body was quite refreshed from the good sleep.
Lately, she's been on edge every night because of that guy... huh?
As Erna pondered, she realized there was a contradiction in her thinking. How could she have slept soundly in the same room as the person who annoyed her the most?
Come to think of it, it was ridiculous. Sleeping in the same room as that bastard, Callion, without even being on guard? Besides, something like that happened not long ago?
The surroundings are even swarming with monsters. Ordinary people might not be able to sense it, but Erna was a mage, and among them, a powerful one with the widest range of magical energy she could perceive. Therefore, if there were many monsters nearby, Erna should have been acutely aware of their presence. Yet, to think she slept soundly without ever opening her eyes in this place teeming with monsters?
Was I so tired that I couldn't even feel it?
It is possible that this could happen if you are truly exhausted to the point of collapsing. However, if that were the case, one shouldn't be able to wake up feeling this refreshed after sleeping; what on earth is going on? Erna looked around the room, puzzled by this unresolved question. Perhaps someone had cast a spell related to her in this mansion long ago.
However, no matter where she looked in the room, she could not sense any trace of magic. Instead, Erna discovered a different trace.
“...”
The traces remained on the bed where she had slept. She was certain she had slept peacefully in the middle. So why were the edges of the bed so deeply sunken? It looked as if someone had been sitting there for a long time. Erna looked at the rug beneath where the mattress had sunk. There were traces on it that looked like someone's feet had been resting there for a long time. Just in case, she placed her own foot on the mark, but seeing that it was about half a handspan larger, it certainly wasn't hers. Without a doubt, there was only one person in this room who could have left such a mark on the bed.
She told him not to cross over.
Yesterday, before falling asleep, Erna glanced at Callion. He was glaring at the bed with a look that seemed ready to devour it. Normally, he would have climbed onto the bed, telling Erna that he had the right to sleep comfortably too, and that if she didn't like it, she should go sleep somewhere else, regardless of what she said. But because of the guilt he had committed, he couldn't say a word yesterday and just watched her reaction. So, thinking "serves him right," she fell asleep, only to find out he had been enjoying the bed while she was fast asleep.
Don't even dream today.
There was no way she could do it a second time. Erna resolved that she would prevent Callion from approaching the bed, even if she had to use magic.
***
“Grand Duke? Are you alright?”
Cedric looked at Callion with a slightly worried expression.
A knight must make their own body a weapon. Just as one polishes a sword every day, maintaining the body in peak condition through training was a prerequisite for a knight, and among the knights Cedric knew, Callion was the one who managed himself most rigorously.
He used to check his condition even more thoroughly, especially when he was out on an expedition to subdue monsters like now. However, no matter how he looked at it, Callion's face now looked like someone who had stayed up all night doing extremely hard work.
Darker-than-usual eyelids, slightly bloodshot eyes, and even hair that remained disheveled.
“Why are you suddenly asking such a question?”
"I am telling you this because it seems you didn't sleep well last night.
At Cedric's words, Callion remembered last night.
"If you cross over, you will die."
Erna said that and immediately lay down on the bed. Not long after, deep breathing could be heard. Callion had to sit on the sofa, holding his breath in silence.
He thought he was apologizing, but somehow it seemed like he had only provoked Erna further. Her eyes were filled with contempt, especially as she asked how he usually behaved to do such a thing in a dream.
Callion felt wronged. He had truly never once in his life thought such a thing. But why, of all times, did he have to have such a dream?
No matter how much he felt wronged, the damage was done, and everything was his fault. That is why Callion looked at the carpet Erna had pointed to. As long as he didn't cross over there, everything would be fine.
Thinking this, he lay back down on the sofa and tried to sleep. Although it was far too small for his body, it seemed better than sleeping on the floor. However, not long after he closed his eyes, he heard a strange sound.
“Uh... uh-huh....”
It was definitely a groan. And it was Erna's groan. Wondering what on earth was going on, he quickly sat up and grabbed the sword he had placed on the table next to the sofa. However, contrary to his expectation that something had attacked, Erna was alone in the bed. After confirming that there was nothing else around, he put the sword down again and stood up.
“Ugh.. Ugh!”
He saw Erna twitch under the blanket. Is she sick? Why is she acting like that?
"Hey."
“...”
"Hey."
“...”
"Pumpkin."
“...”
Erna always got annoyed at the word "pumpkin." It seemed to remind her of what happened at the wedding. Of course, just as she was on edge at the word "pumpkin," Callion also got annoyed at the word "earthworm." He didn't care at all whether anyone swore at him or not, but he wondered why that word alone was so irritating.
In any case, seeing that there was no answer at all even after she had said the last word, she could tell that she was asleep.
But why is it like this?
Why is she suddenly making strange moaning sounds all by herself?
Callion stood at the edge of the carpet Erna had pointed to and observed her. Erna's face, peeking out from under the blanket, was obscured by her long hair. Then, she tossed and turned violently as if uncomfortable. Her hair fell down, allowing Callion to see that Erna was sweating profusely and breathing heavily.
At that moment, he unconsciously forgot what she had said and approached the bedside to look at Erna.
'What?'
She certainly looked a bit tired before falling asleep, showing no signs of illness. But now, Erna was moaning on the bed, her face deathly pale, her lips twitching as she let out a suppressed groan. Should I go out right away and call the lieutenants and a doctor? Or should I find a mage capable of healing magic?
After contemplating for a moment, Callion soon realized that Erna's appearance was one he remembered.
Long ago, while fighting monsters, he once met a wandering wizard. He had briefly traveled with the Knights and taught them various things about wizards during their stay. Then, one night, when a monster approached, he suddenly wrapped his arms around himself and let out a pained groan.
As Callion, who had been glaring at the monster along with the knights, approached in surprise, he waved his hand as if to say he was fine.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, there is no need to be alarmed. It seems there are quite a few monsters nearby.”
"Do wizards sense the presence of monsters?"
"It is likely because we use powers of the same lineage. Magic is fundamentally a force that fills the spaces between dimensions, and monsters are creatures that have mistakenly flowed into those spaces when they became misaligned. Since we share the same roots, we often sense each other. Fortunately, my magical power isn't that strong, so it is fine for me, but usually, the stronger the power, the more acutely one feels it. Also, this only happens at night. That is because magical power increases at night."
"Then, is there no way for us to help?"
When asked about the look of struggle on his face, which was even causing him to break out in a cold sweat, the wizard answered as if he had been waiting for those words.
"In that case, may I sit beside you, Grand Duke?"
"Next to me?"
“That is correct. Wizards and knights are polar opposites. Knights are people who train their bodies to the extreme to utilize physical strength. In other words, they are people who utilize the power of this world we live in. If such people are nearby, one is less affected by monsters.”
The wizard said that and quickly sat down between Callion and Cedric. Surprisingly, he soon felt better.
Erna looks similar to how he did back then...
The difference from then is that the monster is quite far away. Even the nearest lake is located far down a hill, so that monster, which can only live in water, will not be able to approach. However, didn't that wizard say back then that the stronger one is, the more sensitively one would sense it?
Currently, the strongest mage in Hessengard is Erna. If so, it was reasonable to expect her to sense the presence of a monster from a distance. Besides, it is the dead of night, when magical power is at its strongest.
Callion, who had been pacing by the bedside, hesitated for a moment about what to do. Then, the moment he heard Erna groaning again, he quietly crept up and stood beside her.
"Ha..."
Then, surprisingly, her face immediately relaxed.
The wizard was right after all.
This time, Callion stepped back a few steps from Erna's side. At that, her relaxed expression hardened, and she curled up. Seeing this, Callion hesitated before approaching the bedside again. Then, as if by magic, Erna's complexion relaxed.
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