Chapter 18 Part 1
“Turn left, and there’s a back door that leads directly outside.”
Hyle quickly passed through the maze-like corridors following my guidance.
Having somehow escaped the basement, our only remaining task was to leave Laté as quickly as possible.
“The entire mansion is filled with unpleasant magic.”
“It’s thoroughly intentional. The fact that he’s not controlling his power means he knows you’re here.”
Mattio’s thick, heavy magic had permeated every space so densely that it was difficult to breathe normally.
If I could feel this despite still having some demonic power, Hyle must be experiencing it even more intensely.
“Rosiel, do you know how far your purification has progressed?”
“Not much is left. Just a bit more divine power, and then it will truly be purified.”
Hyle nodded lightly at my words, and just as he was about to open the back door we had finally reached—
“Wait, Hyle.”
“What is it?”
“This door… I don’t think we should open it.”
The subtle atmosphere felt from outside was somehow dangerous.
There shouldn’t be such aggressively inclined magical beasts in the breeding grounds…?
“Do you sense something?”
“It’s a trap. If we go out this way, we’ll be attacked by magical beasts. And judging by this aura, it’s at least a near-first-class beast.”
Currently, even facing a second-class beast would consume considerable energy.
Of course, a second-class magical beast would be nothing to Hyle, but my being in his arms posed a significant risk.
Yet I still didn’t have the strength to walk on my own.
This was all because Mattio had bound me with magic shackles to prevent me from using my power.
Originally, magic shackles, true to their name, had the ability to drain the magic from their captives.
He had used them on Hyle without hesitation since Hyle had no magic, but when applied to me, it was a different matter entirely.
I needed to escape this neither-here-nor-there state quickly, but the situation wasn’t going as I hoped.
“Let’s go the other way. There’s another temporary exit there. Since it hasn’t been used for a long time, he probably didn’t think that far.”
“But Rosiel, doesn’t that path go through the central corridor?”
As he said, to reach the opposite door, we would have to pass through the central corridor.
Unfortunately, the central corridor was undoubtedly a place with a high probability of encountering Mattio.
Yet facing a near-first-class magical beast trained specifically to tear enemies apart would be too disadvantageous.
“He might not even be there. He probably wouldn’t expect us to walk boldly through the central corridor. Mattio is more foolish than you might think.”
While I wouldn’t be surprised if he was circling the perimeter of the mansion waiting to see where Hyle and I would appear, it didn’t seem likely that he would patiently wait in the central corridor for us to walk in of our own accord.
“I’m not completely unprepared for an encounter. I deliberately smashed parts of the mansion earlier to eliminate predetermined paths.”
With Hyle’s calm continuation, I finally understood the loud booms from earlier.
Of course, I hadn’t thought he was just rampaging mindlessly, but now I realized Hyle was moving more strategically than I had expected.
Thanks to Hyle smashing various places in advance, the shortcuts and rooms I once knew in the mansion were now unrecognizable.
In such a chaotic state, Mattio would struggle to predict where we were or where we might exit.
“Instead of going through the central corridor, couldn’t we just jump from here?”
“That’s difficult since we’re on the fourth floor. More importantly, with Mattio’s magic so thick, it would be hard to fly using divine power.”
As we walked aimlessly along the disheveled paths, we who had been in the basement were now somehow on the top floor.
A chilly night wind was blowing strongly through the large open window at the end of the corridor.
“Rosiel, you seem too worried about me… there’s no need for that.”
With these enigmatic words, Hyle, still carrying me, stretched his foot through the open window.
“What? Wait…!”
With a sinking feeling in my heart, I couldn’t even scream, just tightly closed my eyes.
Being on the fourth floor with such strong, oppressive magic undoubtedly made it difficult to use divine power.
But… when I opened my eyes, Hyle had safely landed on the ground. I hadn’t expected us to escape the mansion so easily!
“How…?”
“I told you, there’s nothing to worry about.”
The corner of Hyle’s mouth curved smoothly like the crescent moon in the night sky.
I had vaguely thought it would be too difficult…
Perhaps I had been underestimating Hyle too much.
Despite not having awakened his divine power, Hyle was already a character perfectly fitting the overpowered trope.
I had forgotten that important fact.
“From now on, we’ll have to walk to the entrance. Mattio’s magic is pressing down on this space too strongly to fly for long. It would be best to get as far from the mansion as possible.”
“Yes, by now the Holy Maiden announcement has probably been made. It would be best to avoid encountering that man as much as possible.”
Glancing up at the dark sky immersed in gloomy magic, Hyle roughly estimated the time and was confident that the Grand Temple’s Holy Maiden announcement had taken place.
Mattio, who would have learned about the announcement time in advance from Xenoph, likely heard the news before anyone else.
“From this moment on, being of Laté blood won’t help me at all. Now that Mattio knows I’ve officially become the Holy Maiden, I’m no longer a Laté.”
The worst-case scenario I had most hoped to avoid had inevitably befallen us.
This was why I had tried to leave Laté as quickly as possible before the announcement, but thanks to Xenoph’s unnecessary loose lips…
“Rosiel. Remember what I told you before? When I said it would be fine.”
Meeting Hyle’s straightforward gaze reminded me of our first meeting long ago when we had discussed our contract.
When he had brought up the engagement, I had expressed reluctance, citing Mattio as the biggest obstacle.
It’s alright.
Back then, Hyle had firmly responded to me, trembling with distrust and anxiety.
At that time, his unwavering green eyes remained an impressive memory.
Despite there being no possible advantage against the powerful obstacle that was the head of House Laté, I had placed a vague faith in Hyle’s solid words.
“…I remember.”
“Those words still hold true. So it’s going to be fine.”
His gentle, soothing touch was warmer and more reassuring than anything else.
Of course, that didn’t mean all my worries had disappeared.
“There’s a breeding ground on the way to the entrance. I need to go there and reclaim the magic I gave to my magical beasts. That power might be of some help, even if just a little.”
It was something I absolutely had to do. If I disappeared without reclaiming the magic I had given them, the magical beasts would run wild without a master, harming people.
Given Mattio and Fergio’s personalities, they would likely encourage rather than stop such beasts.
“Do you mean that large prison-like structure over there?”
Following the direction of Hyle’s finger, at the end was a considerable-sized black breeding ground, sporadically obscured by thick fog.
I had never thought it was gloomy before, but… looking at it now, it appeared quite eerie.
“That’s right. I must go there even if Mattio is present. Otherwise, all the magical creatures without a master will escape outside.”
“That… is indeed the worst-case scenario we must absolutely avoid. When we arrive, if I put you down briefly, can you handle it alone?”
“Yes, I think I can do that much by myself.”
Thanks to Hyle carrying me around, my strength was gradually recovering, though not by much.
Unfortunately, just like before, I couldn’t use black magic… but adding a little divine power seemed possible.
As my heart, once blackened by demonic power, underwent gradual purification, the recovery speed of divine power was now becoming faster than that of magical power.
“Hyle, to your side!”
In an instant, with the sound of air being rapidly cut, Hyle’s body nimbly moved backward.
For a moment, the hand holding me tightened.
A sharp attack from an unknown source instantly brushed past us.
It was a dangerous moment; we had almost been hit in the blink of an eye.
