When the alarm sounded due to the destruction at the lodging, Yerina, who urgently returned, saw the situation at the lodging was indeed dire.
Doors were smashed, people were sprawled out unconscious, and the interior was completely wrecked and chaotic…
For Yerina, an elf who preferred cleanliness and harmony, it was almost a nightmare.
Upon seeing such a situation, she immediately woke up the red-haired male forest keeper who was lying unconscious, pouring out her anger.
And the result…
“No, Yerina. Can you listen? Really, I couldn’t have misunderstood.”
“Tsk, can’t you keep your hands still? Who wants to hear excuses right now?”
“Fine…”
The burly red-haired man couldn’t even get a chance to explain himself and was kneeling, hands raised, facing the wall in the midst of receiving punishment.
Watching Yerina scold him, Luke grabbed the hem of her clothes and spoke.
“Um, I’m fine. So, can’t we forgive him now?”
“… “
Yerina, who had been firm, looked down at Luke.
After briefly locking eyes with him, Yerina sighed as if giving in and said,
“Ugh… Fine, since you’re not hurt, Luke. Speak.”
“So, listen!”
“I’m listening.”
“I didn’t fall by myself, that little brat used magic, magic! Without any permission!”
He gestured wildly as he spoke.
Unable to tolerate his words, Yerina asked,
“Huh. Luke, is that true?”
“Of course…”
About to answer truthfully, Luke remembered what a young man named ‘Marco Albi’ had said on the previous bus ride.
‘Doesn’t unauthorized magic use lead to fines and imprisonment…?’
As a forest keeper, Yerina had the authority to enforce the law.
Would it be okay to openly admit to illegal actions to her?
Even if she didn’t know, it was still an illegal act.
Would she not be disappointed in her?
Luke didn’t want to disappoint her.
So, wouldn’t it be better to say he didn’t use magic?
“It’s a lie. Haha, I couldn’t used magic.”
Though she felt a slight sweat trickle down, Yerina never imagined Luke would lie so she simply nodded.
“As expected?”
“What did you say! I, I…!”
The red-haired man turned even redder, gesturing wildly towards Luke and grabbing her collar.
As Luke raised her eyebrows and moved slightly away, the man made a choking sound and tried to fall back.
“So, magic is just an excuse, and ultimately, you fell unconscious by yourself, right?”
“Yerina, I really felt mana on that girl’s body! And it was on a major level, like a major monster! There’s no way a person would have that kind of mana in their body!”
Yerina responded nonchalantly to the man’s desperate outcry.
“That’s because Luke has a circle in his heart, so she might have felt mana.”
“What! A circle!?”
Seeing the man’s even more shocked expression, Luke felt uncomfortable and slipped behind Yerina for cover.
Yerna, seeing Luke’s reaction, nudged the man, thinking that Luke was scared.
“Shh, you’ll startle our Luke! You’ve already shocked her enough!”
“……”
On the other hand, Luke remained silent, having nothing to say.
The man pounded his chest, appealing for injustice, but his words ultimately didn’t reach Yerina.
In Yerina’s mind, Luke’s trustworthiness was already too high.
Yerina looked at the man with an expression of dissatisfaction and said, “Well then, Dighton Gennefer, I’m curious. Why were you lurking around my quarters?”
“W-well… haha. It just happened?”
Unable to find a plausible excuse, Dighton wavered and ultimately gave a feeble response.
Upon hearing his answer, Yerina immediately reacted.
“What do you mean ‘it just happened,’ you rascal!”
Smack!
“Oof!”
Yerina delivered a high kick straight towards Dighton’s head.
She pointed her finger at Dighton, who was rolling on the ground, and said, “Since I’m on duty today, fix everything before you leave. Got it?”
“Y-yes, understood, understood!”
Watching Dighton rolling on the ground while holding his head, Yerina realized that she also showed such behavior when angry.
***
Dighton immediately hung the newly purchased door and arranged the desk.
He cleaned up all the debris and overturned items, swept the floor, and cleaned it thoroughly.
Luke also helped with that.
It was a minor incident born from a misunderstanding.
Luke even felt sorry for it.
“Ah……”
Once again, it was just Luke and Dighton left.
The air was heavy.
If the atmosphere had a form, it would be like a dark swamp in a forest.
The only fortunate thing might be that there was something to focus on.
Luke tried to lighten the mood by enthusiastically sweeping with the broom.
However, Luke wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stand the atmosphere.
“Hey, kid.”
As Dighton wiped here and there with a rag, he called out to Luke.
But the term “kid” was enough to provoke Luke’s emotions.
From Luke’s perspective, She was being treated like a little child.
Though she felt apologetic, she couldn’t just let it slide.
“Call me Luke Irushi, alright.”
“Fine. Luke Irushi…”
While scratching his head with the mop, Dighton hesitated, holding a bandage against Luke’s forehead.
It was a small tear caused by Yerina’s high kick, and Dighton was applying the bandage.
“Sorry… I thought you were a monster.”
“It’s okay. As a guardian of the forest, it’s understandable. I understand.”
The forest harbors many forms of danger.
Among them, there could indeed be monsters resembling humans. No, it could even be likely.
From that perspective, Luke was incredibly lucky.
If she had just encountered Yerina in the forest, she might have mistaken her for a monster and attacked her.
“With those ears and horns, and possessing that much magical power, I couldn’t help but think you were a monster. Forgive me.”
“Of course. Then I should also apologize. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Dighton thought to himself.
Circle magic carries a risk every time it’s used.
Magic always carries the possibility of “failure.”
But unlike the low-risk class magic, failure in circle magic could even threaten one’s life.
It seemed she had no choice but to respond in such a risky manner to protect herself from sudden attacks.
But unfairness remained unfairness.
“But why did you make me out to be a liar? You did use magic.”
“Well… um… that wasn’t actually magic.”
“Then what was it?”
Luke remained silent and turned the conversation around.
“But do you also possess a mana eye?”
“Not quite a mana eye, just a sense of it. But ‘do you also’… Are you implying you have a mana eye?”
“Indeed. Only one though.”
Luke pointed to his left eye as she spoke.
However, in the past, both of his eyes were mana eyes, both pupils shimmering with a golden hue.
Now, it’s only one.
So, the information gleaned from her mana eye was considerably limited compared to the past.
“In the past, just by looking at magic, I could discern everything… It’s quite a gap in information,” she thought.
Filling in the gaps of information with speculation and understanding is Luke’s current method of operation.
It’s an act made possible by an overwhelming accumulation of knowledge.
“Hmm.”
Dighton exhaled as if taken aback.
“Wasn’t that just a pair of eyes…? Hmm, well.”
Scratching his head nervously, Dighton thought to himself.
Mana eyes, originally manifesting in only one eye, were already extremely rare.
To read magic at a glance… If such a thing existed, encryption spells to lock magic would be rendered useless.
“So, she countered my magic as well.”
Nodding to himself in understanding, Dighton spoke to Luke.
“By the way, who taught you circle magic? You seem to use it quite adeptly.”
“I taught myself.”
“What?”
Well, who teaches circle magic these days anyway?
Usually, once a circle appears on someone’s heart, it’s surgically removed.
Under such circumstances, it’s practically impossible to find a mentor, and most end up dying from mana reflux during self-study.
But to have perfected circle magic to this extent…
“This guy’s going to be a big deal. But still, be careful with circle magic.”
“If handled well, it can be quite useful, right?”
“You’ll die if you make a mistake, buddy.”
“Just don’t make mistakes then.”
“Easy to say.”
Dighton sighed heavily, feeling like he was arguing with a child, scratching the back of his head with a sense of frustration.
“No, he’s actually arguing with a child.”
Looking at Luke with a positive attitude towards circle magic, Dighton pressed his temples and said,
“What are you trying to become when you grow up?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
He said confidently, puffing out his chest.
“My dream is to become an Archmage.”
Even with a body like this.
When the alarm sounded due to the destruction at the lodging, Yerina, who urgently returned, saw the situation at the lodging was indeed dire.
Doors were smashed, people were sprawled out unconscious, and the interior was completely wrecked and chaotic…
For Yerina, an elf who preferred cleanliness and harmony, it was almost a nightmare.
Upon seeing such a situation, she immediately woke up the red-haired male forest keeper who was lying unconscious, pouring out her anger.
And the result…
“No, Yerina. Can you listen? Really, I couldn’t have misunderstood.”
“Tsk, can’t you keep your hands still? Who wants to hear excuses right now?”
“Fine…”
The burly red-haired man couldn’t even get a chance to explain himself and was kneeling, hands raised, facing the wall in the midst of receiving punishment.
Watching Yerina scold him, Luke grabbed the hem of her clothes and spoke.
“Um, I’m fine. So, can’t we forgive him now?”
“… “
Yerina, who had been firm, looked down at Luke.
After briefly locking eyes with him, Yerina sighed as if giving in and said,
“Ugh… Fine, since you’re not hurt, Luke. Speak.”
“So, listen!”
“I’m listening.”
“I didn’t fall by myself, that little brat used magic, magic! Without any permission!”
He gestured wildly as he spoke.
Unable to tolerate his words, Yerina asked,
“Huh. Luke, is that true?”
“Of course…”
About to answer truthfully, Luke remembered what a young man named ‘Marco Albi’ had said on the previous bus ride.
‘Doesn’t unauthorized magic use lead to fines and imprisonment…?’
As a forest keeper, Yerina had the authority to enforce the law.
Would it be okay to openly admit to illegal actions to her?
Even if she didn’t know, it was still an illegal act.
Would she not be disappointed in her?
Luke didn’t want to disappoint her.
So, wouldn’t it be better to say he didn’t use magic?
“It’s a lie. Haha, I couldn’t used magic.”
Though she felt a slight sweat trickle down, Yerina never imagined Luke would lie so she simply nodded.
“As expected?”
“What did you say! I, I…!”
The red-haired man turned even redder, gesturing wildly towards Luke and grabbing her collar.
As Luke raised her eyebrows and moved slightly away, the man made a choking sound and tried to fall back.
“So, magic is just an excuse, and ultimately, you fell unconscious by yourself, right?”
“Yerina, I really felt mana on that girl’s body! And it was on a major level, like a major monster! There’s no way a person would have that kind of mana in their body!”
Yerina responded nonchalantly to the man’s desperate outcry.
“That’s because Luke has a circle in his heart, so she might have felt mana.”
“What! A circle!?”
Seeing the man’s even more shocked expression, Luke felt uncomfortable and slipped behind Yerina for cover.
Yerna, seeing Luke’s reaction, nudged the man, thinking that Luke was scared.
“Shh, you’ll startle our Luke! You’ve already shocked her enough!”
“……”
On the other hand, Luke remained silent, having nothing to say.
The man pounded his chest, appealing for injustice, but his words ultimately didn’t reach Yerina.
In Yerina’s mind, Luke’s trustworthiness was already too high.
Yerina looked at the man with an expression of dissatisfaction and said, “Well then, Dighton Gennefer, I’m curious. Why were you lurking around my quarters?”
“W-well… haha. It just happened?”
Unable to find a plausible excuse, Dighton wavered and ultimately gave a feeble response.
Upon hearing his answer, Yerina immediately reacted.
“What do you mean ‘it just happened,’ you rascal!”
Smack!
“Oof!”
Yerina delivered a high kick straight towards Dighton’s head.
She pointed her finger at Dighton, who was rolling on the ground, and said, “Since I’m on duty today, fix everything before you leave. Got it?”
“Y-yes, understood, understood!”
Watching Dighton rolling on the ground while holding his head, Yerina realized that she also showed such behavior when angry.
***
Dighton immediately hung the newly purchased door and arranged the desk.
He cleaned up all the debris and overturned items, swept the floor, and cleaned it thoroughly.
Luke also helped with that.
It was a minor incident born from a misunderstanding.
Luke even felt sorry for it.
“Ah……”
Once again, it was just Luke and Dighton left.
The air was heavy.
If the atmosphere had a form, it would be like a dark swamp in a forest.
The only fortunate thing might be that there was something to focus on.
Luke tried to lighten the mood by enthusiastically sweeping with the broom.
However, Luke wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stand the atmosphere.
“Hey, kid.”
As Dighton wiped here and there with a rag, he called out to Luke.
But the term “kid” was enough to provoke Luke’s emotions.
From Luke’s perspective, She was being treated like a little child.
Though she felt apologetic, she couldn’t just let it slide.
“Call me Luke Irushi, alright.”
“Fine. Luke Irushi…”
While scratching his head with the mop, Dighton hesitated, holding a bandage against Luke’s forehead.
It was a small tear caused by Yerina’s high kick, and Dighton was applying the bandage.
“Sorry… I thought you were a monster.”
“It’s okay. As a guardian of the forest, it’s understandable. I understand.”
The forest harbors many forms of danger.
Among them, there could indeed be monsters resembling humans. No, it could even be likely.
From that perspective, Luke was incredibly lucky.
If she had just encountered Yerina in the forest, she might have mistaken her for a monster and attacked her.
“With those ears and horns, and possessing that much magical power, I couldn’t help but think you were a monster. Forgive me.”
“Of course. Then I should also apologize. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Dighton thought to himself.
Circle magic carries a risk every time it’s used.
Magic always carries the possibility of “failure.”
But unlike the low-risk class magic, failure in circle magic could even threaten one’s life.
It seemed she had no choice but to respond in such a risky manner to protect herself from sudden attacks.
But unfairness remained unfairness.
“But why did you make me out to be a liar? You did use magic.”
“Well… um… that wasn’t actually magic.”
“Then what was it?”
Luke remained silent and turned the conversation around.
“But do you also possess a mana eye?”
“Not quite a mana eye, just a sense of it. But ‘do you also’… Are you implying you have a mana eye?”
“Indeed. Only one though.”
Luke pointed to his left eye as she spoke.
However, in the past, both of his eyes were mana eyes, both pupils shimmering with a golden hue.
Now, it’s only one.
So, the information gleaned from her mana eye was considerably limited compared to the past.
“In the past, just by looking at magic, I could discern everything… It’s quite a gap in information,” she thought.
Filling in the gaps of information with speculation and understanding is Luke’s current method of operation.
It’s an act made possible by an overwhelming accumulation of knowledge.
“Hmm.”
Dighton exhaled as if taken aback.
“Wasn’t that just a pair of eyes…? Hmm, well.”
Scratching his head nervously, Dighton thought to himself.
Mana eyes, originally manifesting in only one eye, were already extremely rare.
To read magic at a glance… If such a thing existed, encryption spells to lock magic would be rendered useless.
“So, she countered my magic as well.”
Nodding to himself in understanding, Dighton spoke to Luke.
“By the way, who taught you circle magic? You seem to use it quite adeptly.”
“I taught myself.”
“What?”
Well, who teaches circle magic these days anyway?
Usually, once a circle appears on someone’s heart, it’s surgically removed.
Under such circumstances, it’s practically impossible to find a mentor, and most end up dying from mana reflux during self-study.
But to have perfected circle magic to this extent…
“This guy’s going to be a big deal. But still, be careful with circle magic.”
“If handled well, it can be quite useful, right?”
“You’ll die if you make a mistake, buddy.”
“Just don’t make mistakes then.”
“Easy to say.”
Dighton sighed heavily, feeling like he was arguing with a child, scratching the back of his head with a sense of frustration.
“No, he’s actually arguing with a child.”
Looking at Luke with a positive attitude towards circle magic, Dighton pressed his temples and said,
“What are you trying to become when you grow up?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
He said confidently, puffing out his chest.
“My dream is to become an Archmage.”
Even with a body like this.
