Youngest 005
by CristaeEpisode 5
I was scared.
Really scared.
‘They can’t measure my mana!’
After dinner, Yuris-sensei suddenly appeared and said that all the new children had to undergo a mana test.
‘I can’t let them find out I’m a mage in a place like this.’
For now, I locked myself in the bathroom, using a stomachache as an excuse.
Sitting on the toilet lid, I recalled what Yuris-sensei had muttered to herself.
“They say they’re looking for a girl mage… Do we really have to go this far just because she crossed the border?”
Fortunately, it seemed the exact description hadn’t been passed along. Besides, I was currently—albeit unintentionally—being mistaken for a boy.
‘Thanks, Leviathan, for abandoning me.’
Tsk. I hated to admit it, but thanks to that cold-hearted Mister, I now had plenty of excuses at hand.
‘But how did news of me being alive reach the kingdom so soon?’
I’d known it would come out someday, but I didn’t expect it this fast.
‘No… Judging by the fact they aren’t pursuing me in earnest, they must not be certain.’
The “mana test” Yuris-sensei mentioned must be the use of a “mana-sensing magic tool.”
‘If they really meant to catch me, they’d have sent a tracker mage, not just a simple tool.’
In other words, it was likely just a probing attempt.
Since they weren’t sure of my existence, my whereabouts, or anything, they were casting a wide net just in case.
Which meant, if I could just get through this crisis, I’d be safe for a while.
“I’ll run away.”
That was my clear-cut conclusion. Without hesitation, I left the bathroom and headed to the backyard. And then…
“Huh?”
I caught sight of some cattle thief-looking man clambering out through a large window.
“What the—Mister?”
“Move!”
Whump! I toppled over from his merciless push, but bounced right back up like a roly-poly.
The thief had a heavy pouch in his arms.
“So he really was a thief?”
Judging by the look of it, that had to be the donation money…
No matter how hard life is, this isn’t right.
“Stealing from a children’s shelter? Don’t you think that’s too much?”
Of course, the weak are always the first target.
I glanced around carefully.
What to do?
“Hm.”
Should I change my plans a bit?
‘If everyone focuses on the thief, it’ll be even easier for me to escape, right?’
I recalled the shortcut I’d scoped out earlier.
Yes. Let’s go find Mister.
If I just cling to his pant leg, surely he wouldn’t kick me away—however angry he is!
“Alright.”
I placed my palm to the ground and breathed mana into it, just a little.
The earth rippled and shifted.
“Whoa!”
The staggering thief tumbled noisily over a rock that suddenly jutted from the ground.
Clatter—gold coins poured from his pocket like a waterfall.
Crash! Even the boxes stacked nearby came tumbling down on him for good measure.
“What’s going on? What’s that noise?”
“A thief! There’s a thief!”
I hurriedly shouted and made a dash for it.
“A thief? Somebody get the knights!”
“Call the constables!”
The uproar at the shelter faded behind me as I forced my way through the underbrush and crawled through the hole in the fence I’d found earlier.
Outside, a light rain had begun to fall.
Afraid of getting caught, I moved as quickly as I could.
Would Leviathan Mister have gone to the Imperial Palace? Or was he at the knights’ headquarters?
“Huff… puff…”
I didn’t make it far before coming to a stop in a dark alleyway, gasping for breath.
‘This wretched, mana-starved country… Why is it so hard?’
Honestly, I was baffled.
I’d used just a tiny bit of mana, not even enough to wet an ant’s eye…
‘This really is the worst place for a mage.’
Not only had my power dropped to a fraction of what it should be, but there was also no mana in the air here to tap into.
Or maybe I’d just exhausted myself trying to get to Leviathan Mister.
“Urgh…”
My head swam, and I suddenly felt weak.
Thunder rumbled, lightning crashed!
Getting caught in the cold downpour made my eyes burn painfully.
‘First, the knights…’
Using the wall for support, I started moving again.
But what if they turn me away again?
“…”
It felt like black storm clouds were following me wherever I went.
“Tch.”
I shook my head quickly. When your body grows weak, so does your mind!
“To the knights’ headquarters!”
I clenched my fist with forced bravado.
Closing my eyes, I gathered my focus and tried to straighten out the chaotic flow of mana inside me.
“If they kick me out again, I’ll curse the lot of them.”
A mage scorned is more terrifying than any dark beast.
Once I’d made it through the dark alley, I found…
“Mister?”
He was there! Impossible!
“You…!”
Mister, pale as a ghost, spotted me and opened his eyes wide.
How had he turned so spectral in just one day?
I took a step closer in puzzlement.
“What are you… Huh?!”
In an instant, I was swept up in his strong arms. And enveloped in his warm embrace.
Wait—wasn’t I the one who was supposed to cling to him?
Shocked by the suddenness of it, I could only blink.
Waves of heat rose from Mister’s firm body like a mirage. Now that I noticed, his breathing was heavy, his heart thundered madly.
‘Surely he didn’t find me on purpose?’
No way.
“Rubian.”
I stiffened. Hearing him speak a name I’d never told him gave me an odd feeling.
“Ruby.”
Mister stroked my back, as if troubled by my cold skin.
His rough hand was so gentle.
Before I even realized it, I’d forgotten my plan to cling to him and simply relaxed into his arms. My body, held together by sheer willpower, collapsed in an instant.
“…Mmm.”
My gem. My treasure.
A voice echoed through my head like an auditory hallucination.
“…Wait. What’s wrong with you?”
Through my fading vision, I suddenly understood.
“Ruby, Ruby? Stay with me!”
The only thing I could ever truly share with Mister… was this name.
And then, darkness.
When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling hovered into view.
Ah, where am I?
‘Pretty nice place for a barracks…’
Then, I snapped to full wakefulness.
“Mister!”
My head spun, and I slumped back down. But more importantly, more urgently!
“Clothes, my clothes!”
Regardless of my physical gender, I couldn’t let anyone see me undressed.
‘I have the Mage’s Sigil!’
It was branded on the lower right side of my waist. It marked my status as a mage of Arcadia, in loyalty to the Mage King.
‘If they see that, it’s all over!’
I hastily looked down. My body was wrapped tightly in a huge, fluffy towel.
Did he see? Did he notice? The Mage’s Sigil? Or that I’m a girl?
“All right, you do need to get dressed.”
Just then, a gruff voice sounded from somewhere.
It was Leviathan Mister.
I swallowed hard.
Feeling how snugly I was cocooned, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy!
Thank goodness. It must not have been long since I lost consciousness.
“You were shivering so much that I wrapped you up for now… Tsk, why don’t the knights have any children’s clothes?”
Wouldn’t that be even stranger?
“This won’t do. Wash up in warm water, dry off with the towel again.”
“I-I’ll do it myself.”
I hurriedly grabbed a dry towel. A small tub of steaming water stood nearby.
“And what will you do?”
Mister, who had been rolling up his sleeves, stopped in his tracks. His voice softened a bit.
“Come here. This is really serious.”
I crept backward from where I lay on the big sofa.
“I know you’re angry, but—please, just now.”
Angry? Why would I be?
He hardly looked any better himself. He still looked like a drowned rat.
“Rubian.”
“I… I have a big scar on my body…”
I mumbled awkwardly. My throat felt so swollen that it hurt to speak.
“I don’t want anybody to touch me…”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself. If Mister came any closer, I was ready to use magic.
Should I cast a memory spell? A mirage illusion? But… I didn’t want to use such magic on Mister.
As he gazed down at me, Mister ruffled his own hair in frustration.
“This is crazy.”
“…”
“…Can you handle it by yourself?”
I answered immediately.
“I always do it alone! I’ll be fine!”
For a moment, a strange emotion flickered in his violet eyes, but I didn’t have the luxury to care.
“All right, I’ll turn around.”
I rushed to change clothes. My hands were shaking, but it didn’t matter.
I just wanted to finish fast and rest. I was already seeing three of him…
“All done!”
Getting into some clean, soft clothes made me feel much better.
“You’re stubborn as sin.”
He lifted me gently. Perhaps conscious of his own damp clothing, Mister carefully laid me down on the bed.
It was soft and warm. As if on cue, drowsiness overtook me.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I looked up at Mister. Suddenly, I recalled how he’d grabbed me so desperately in the rain.
“But why were you in front of that alley?”
My head throbbed, but if I didn’t ask now, I never would.
“Could it be—you were looking for me?”