Youngest 186

Episode 186

“Hey! Come on! I’m busy digging here!”

I whirled around and shot a burst of magic at the thick hand reaching for me.

“Wh-what, aghhh!”

Thump!

The thugs, reeking of alcohol, went crashing into the pile of crates that filled the alley.

Oops. I mustn’t let it show that I’m a mage.

At last, it was time to use the fancy bow I’d been carrying on my back.

“Magical device, fire!”

I rattled off the skill’s name and shot an arrow carelessly.

The crooked arrow tumbled through the air, but when I drew on my magic, it corrected its course and dove straight at the thugs.

“Aagh!”

But I don’t like to see blood.

Screech—halt.

“Huff, huff, huff. What the hell are you? What is this?”

“That’s my question, mister. Who are you?”

You’d been creeping after me all this time.

“I’m in a really bad mood right now, you know? And this isn’t even the capital, so I feel like flexing a bit? I kind of want to take it out on someone?”

As I grew taller, my vessel for magic grew a little as well.

So now, my reserves of magic have increased a bit, and, used to conserving, recycling, and drawing out magic as I am, life’s become a lot easier for me lately.

What I mean is—

It’s nothing for me to defend myself alone!

“What’s this kid on about, so tiny—! Hey, get up! Grab—Aagh!”

“Hi-yah.”

Though all my grueling training failed to turn me into a physical powerhouse…

As I pulled the empty bowstring, blue arrows shot forth, pelting down like a rainstorm around the men.

Large suction-tipped arrows appeared as well, sticking to their foreheads with a pop, pop, pop. I had inscribed a memory-confusion spell on them, so they likely wouldn’t remember anything before or after.

“Geez… Is it because of the festival? All the bugs seem to be flocking here.”

I brushed off my hands and gave the woozy men a boot.

“Better not give Dad a headache. Let’s just go back for now.”

Still, should I tie up these thugs? What if they wake up and come after me again?

I stood there debating for a moment, but thankfully, I heard someone running from the other end of the alley.

“Must be the city guards. Whew, thank goodness. Thug misters, though it might be pointless, try turning over a new leaf, all right?”

I was about to make my escape when—

A sudden gust whipped through the narrow alley, yanking off the oversized hood that had been half-covering me.

“Ah—my hat…”

I can’t let other knights see my face!

I frantically grabbed for my hood but knew I’d failed, and as I turned my back to the guards, someone pressed down on my head from behind.

“If you want to hide your identity…”

A large, solid hand clasped my head and hood together.

“You should have hidden your magic, too.”

“…!”

“Not that it makes any difference to me.”

My whole body tensed.

A chill, like a wave, crashed over me. As I sensed the mana, it was as if every cell in my body sprang to attention.

The first thing I noticed was the warmth of a hand pressing onto the crown of my head.

Next, there was a familiar scent—cool and like a forest—mingled with the alien smells of iron and leather. Last, I felt the hard body pressed firmly against my back.

Thump. Thump.

What was this pounding?

“…Ka, Kal?”

“I almost thought I was dreaming, as usual…”

Through a haze of heightened senses, a hoarse voice slipped in. Hot breath brushed my ear, making my downy hairs stand on end.

I slowly turned around.

“Khalid… it’s you?”

“Yeah.”

Then I gasped in shock.

“Your face…”

“My face?”

He tilted his head as he carefully tied my cloak’s chords.

“Why is your face so… up there?”

What? What’s with this height? This build?

Then, who was that from before?

“What are you talking about, the second we meet?”

Khalid creased one brow and gave a slight smile. His gaze swept over my face with a persistence that bordered on obsession.

His features, now bolder and sharper, bore nothing left of a boy.

A chiseled nose, lazy-upturned eyes—and at the corners, those two teardrop moles, radiating a different air than before.

‘W-what is this…’

Stunned, I soon realized the truth. My cheeks flushed on their own.

So, I was mistaken all along.

‘Dad… why did you spread such weird rumors…’

Fine.

When I get home, I’ll give Dad a massage.

With deepest filial piety, I’ll knead his back and shoulders, thoroughly and devotedly.

I was plotting this grand act of devotion when Khalid, absently tidying my disheveled hair, asked as if remembering something.

“Ruby, what are you even doing here? With whom…”

“Move aside, move aside! Where are the criminals?!”

Just then, the real city guards burst into the alley.

“How noisy,” I muttered.

The thugs, jarred awake by the tumult, began to stir.

“What the hell! Why am I tied up?!”

“A-a gigantic magical beast! I swear I saw a magical beast cub!”

Aaaah! The newly roused men began to thrash about.

They raised such a commotion that the crates stacked nearby trembled and fell.

“Ugh, let’s just step aside for—”

In that instant, one of the highest-stacked wooden boxes came crashing down, right toward me.

Luckily, having spotted it, I was about to call forth my magic in a hurry.

“Ruby!”

Someone yanked me into their arms.

“…!”

A dull thud followed the good-for-nothing sound of something being struck.

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

Panicked, I pushed at Khalid’s shoulder, who had wrapped me tight and taken the hit from the box instead. What’s with his shoulder? He’s not wearing armor, is he?

“Why would you stand and take that—!”

“Are you all right?”

“You’re really asking me that?”

However stunned I was, Khalid only gave a soft sigh, as if it were nothing. Then he bent down and dusted off my clothes.

On the ground, the shattered crate lay in pieces where it had smashed across his shoulder blades.

“Hey, look! Let me see! Honestly! Why would you cover me like that?”

I could have used my magic just fine!

Khalid only smiled, looking slightly troubled.

“My body just moved on its own.”

Suddenly, all the strength drained from me. I guess some things never really change.

“God, honestly… How am I supposed to stay mad at you?”

“Why would you… be mad?”

“You left me nothing but a note when you left, and stayed away for two years. I was going to make a huge fuss over that.”

And maybe ask why you’re so much closer with the princess than me!

“So you were going to be mad at me.”

“What do you think! I was going to kick your shins and ignore you for at least three days.”

“…”

Khalid stared at me in silence, then abruptly knit his brows.

“Ruby, I’m in pain.”

“Gasp, where?”

“Here. Where the box hit me hurts a bit.”

I immediately started to lift his heavy cloak to get a look but stopped, head tilted.

“Hm? If you got hit, why does it sting?”

“Uh… actually, it just sort of tingles.”

“…?”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Khalid looked away, evading my gaze.

“Sir Khalid!”

At that moment, the city guards who’d scoured the alley rushed up. The thugs who’d attacked me were now all bound.

“I thought I recognized that cloak—Sir Khalid! It was an honor to train with you this morning! But… did you apprehend these men yourself, sir?”

The most senior-looking of the guards ran up and bowed.

Instinctively, I drew my hood tighter and turned away, and Khalid prowled protectively to shield me.

“Pursuit, threats, violence, attempted robbery, attempted kidnapping, attempted murder. These are the charges.”

His low voice flowed out.

At this, the bandits protested in spasms.

“Wh-what?! Us? We were attacked by a magical beast cub!”

“Silence! You scoundrels!”

Thwack. They were struck by another guard and fell quiet.

“There was no magical beast! There are several witnesses who saw you tailing this person!”

Khalid glanced around, then nudged together the broken crate fragments with his foot.

“Here: evidence of violence and attempted murder. See, they tried to strike this small, adorable girl with a crate. What else would you call attempted murder?”

“No! It’s not like that! It was a magical beast cub, I swear!”

“Quiet, you ruffians!”

In the end, gags were fitted to their mouths.

Thanks to the memory-confusion spell, they seemed genuinely aggrieved—but I couldn’t care less.

“We’ll deal with them according to the severity of their crimes. But, is the victim all right…?”

The guard craned his neck like a turtle to peek at me behind Khalid. As everyone’s gaze fell on me, I worried my identity was about to be discovered.

“Yeep!”

Suddenly, my small body was swept up into the air. Khalid had hoisted me, shielding me from view.