Youngest 045

Episode 45

“Well then… I’ll just check the hidden characters and be right back, so stay put and enjoy yourselves, dreaming as you watch, all right?”

After escorting Rubian and Khalid to the workshop, Maddox turned away.

It was called a workshop, but in truth, it was a clutter of odds and ends like dyes and protective gear—nothing particularly dangerous.

“Yes! Hurry and go check the blueprints!”

As Rubian got as far as ‘check the—,’ Maddox vanished like the wind.

“Phew. He said he was bored these days, but now he’s just brimming with energy.”

“Seems all Northerners are a little mad.”

At that small mutter, Rubian giggled, agreeing wholeheartedly. Khalid looked down at her for a moment before he couldn’t help but ask.

“So?”

“Hm?”

“What’s bothering you today?”

Rubian blinked, as if the words were a foreign tongue.

“Me?”

“You seem down.”

“But I’m in a good mood.”

That’s not true. Khalid narrowed his eyes and studied Rubian. Those big, clear eyes looking up at him really seemed not to understand what he meant.

But there was an unmistakable droop to the corners of her eyes and listlessness in her shoulders that caught his attention. As he stared at her, Rubian covertly turned away and scratched her cheek.

“Ah, it’s because of what Mister Leviathan said, isn’t it.”

“What?”

“He asked me if I wouldn’t become the real youngest.”

Khalid paused for a moment. He remembered Rubian surrounded by the Zevert family in the training grounds.

“And did you say you would?”

“I did, but…”

That had been the goal from the beginning after all…

“I just feel a little guilty because I have to keep so much from him…”

Khalid tilted his head, as if to say ‘So what’s the problem?’

“If you didn’t, you’d be dragged off to the kingdom. What else could you do? Besides…”

The boy’s gaze shifted to the amethyst-hued magic stone clutched tightly in Rubian’s hand.

“Is your reason for wanting to stay here really just for yourself?”

Rubian hadn’t said so directly, but he could sense it, however vaguely.

He knew she was desperately trying to protect the Duke of Zevert, to keep this place safe.

‘Though I don’t know exactly why she goes that far.’

Rubian pursed her lips and said nothing. Khalid’s voice came out in a sigh.

“Adults are all liars anyway. Do you know how many people live shamelessly after far worse lies?”

“Really?”

“Really. And if you’re formally adopted, it’s an advantage, honestly. You become a noble. Even if your identity is revealed someday, that status will be a real help.”

“Sometimes you’re so cold-hearted it makes me want to avoid you.”

“…Avoid? Why say something so scary?”

Rubian grinned, insisting it was a joke. She seemed to understand in her head, but the downturned corners of her eyes showed no sign of lifting.

Still, she’s too kind.

Khalid folded his arms and tilted his head, humming. Then, suddenly, an unpleasant thought flashed through his mind.

‘Then Rubian would become the ‘young master’ of House Zevert?’

That hardly seemed right.

Staring at the heart-shaped pin in her silver hair, Khalid struggled with his confusion.

“Ruby, you know—”

“Ah, there’s no time for this!”

Suddenly snapping back to herself, Rubian jerked her head up.

“No more gloomy thoughts! We have to finish this before Mister Maddox returns! Come on, Khalid!”

She looked quickly around the workshop. Seeing the fire burning in her eyes, Khalid kept his mouth shut.

“Let’s go.”

She rummaged somewhere in the wide workshop and dragged out a shining golden bell.

It was the same size and shape as the bells used in the watchtower.

Rubian planned to implant a barrier stone in this bell, turning it into a magical tool and then replacing the original bell with it.

Once all the bells were returned to their proper places, the magical devices would activate, and a powerful barrier would form around the area.

“Give it here. I’ll do it.”

Khalid stepped in quickly. He had clearly familiarized himself with the location of the bells during his visits to the forge.

From outside came the clanging noise of workers hammering swords. Given the hectic environment, any commotion wouldn’t draw attention.

“Khalid, the bracelet!”

Rubian squatted in the middle of the room, urging him on. There was a peculiar excitement written on her apple-shaped cheeks.

Khalid took off his bracelet and offered his hand.

“Wow, seriously. It’s like that feeling when you sip iced Americano in mid-summer…”

What could she mean by that?

Khalid forgot to ask, too busy watching Rubian’s bright, laughed-out-loud face, her eyes round with delight.

‘What would she do about the magic if I weren’t here…’

It was a relief he had come, even at the risk of everything. He refined the magical energy, making it purer and smoother as he channeled it.

“All right, let’s begin.”

Rubian gripped Khalid’s hand tightly and drew the magic circle.

“There!”

Her snowy white hair seemed to defy gravity, floating upward. Blue light sparkled around them and a strong wind of magic swept through the air.

Mysterious sigils appeared beneath the golden bell and the amethyst stone on the floor.

The surface was covered in magical writing he had never seen before.

How many layers did this magic circle have? There was no way to tell.

‘…I couldn’t even begin to imitate this.’

Of all the magic Khalid knew, it was limited to summoning beasts and oath spells. He’d learned some basics from Rubian, but he lacked particular talent.

Even so, this much was clear:

Right now, Rubian was wielding extraordinary magic.

“All done!”

And she said it as casually as if it were breakfast.

Khalid gazed at the bell, now tinged a faint violet from the magic stone. Peering inside, he could see complicated formulas engraved within—language visible only to those possessing magic.

“How many of these do you need to make?”

“The cardinal directions—north, south, east, west—and the points between, so about eight in all?”

“Why are you making so many barrier stones for activation?”

Khalid recalled all the stones decorating the window frame of Rubian’s room.

“Oh, those, I’m making into sword ornaments… to give to Mister Leviathan and the sword knights…”

Mumbling to herself, Rubian turned the golden bell this way and that.

So that was it?

The boy felt a strange emotion as he watched the back of Rubian’s head in silence.

“What is it? Suddenly?”

Blue eyes blinked at him. Khalid brought the emblem of his cloak right up to Rubian’s face.

“I’m a Zevert Knight, too.”

“…I know.”

“So don’t get confused with the numbers.”

Rubian pursed her lips and tilted her head, bemused.

She sank, exhausted, to the floor, tapping her legs lightly.

“But now we’ve only finished two, and where can we find more blueprints for the rest? Getting rid of that weapon-maniac Mister is only possible with these.”

Whenever Rubian appeared, Maddox would circle around, sticking to her side. The only way to distract his mind was with a new blueprint.

But even that would only keep Maddox occupied for a short time, so to make more magic devices, they needed additional blueprints as bait.

“I’ll get more.”

Khalid casually placed the bell back in its spot.

“Really? Where?”

“Mm, I’ll just ask a friend.”

“Your animal friends?”

When he turned, Rubian was staring with innocent, wide eyes.

‘Does she really think I don’t know anyone but her?’

If anything, he preferred it that way.

“That’s right.”

“Oh-ho!”

Rubian pushed up off the ground, straightening the wind-tousled chaos of the workshop with a sweep of magical energy. Not that it made much of a difference in such a cluttered place.

From some distance away, Maddox’s footsteps approached—he must have finished checking the blueprints.

“Hey there, Khalid’s stylish friend.”

Just as she was about to leave, Rubian spun on her heel at the door, twirling a finger around the knob, and broke into a wide smile.

What sort of attack was this, he wondered, as two small, bright hands suddenly appeared before his eyes.

“Give me more.”

“…”

“Magic.”

Khalid nearly handed over all the magic he had.