Chapter 4: The Suspicious and Enormous Shell
My wheezing breaths annoyed even my own ears.
“Hoo…”
Still, I took a deep breath and exhaled. I should at least follow the doctor’s advice. It was true that sitting down to rest whenever I felt out of breath helped me recover. I glanced around quickly. Fortunately, while Azelta was away, the maid Mare—who was keeping watch over me—didn’t seem to be the observant type. While I pretended to be asleep, she was busy organizing things outside the room, and because the room was so large, she didn’t notice me sneaking between furniture and slipping out. If they realized I was gone, the servants would flip the whole mansion upside down looking for me, but I couldn’t bring the maid along. What if she was assigned to watch me? Before I understood the Duke of Iter’s intentions, I couldn’t trust anything. And once the servants of the ducal household got used to me, more eyes would naturally be on me. If I wanted to scout the area, the earlier the better.
“Sigh.”
I let out a long breath. I may look like a child, but I wasn’t one. Having someone trailing behind me everywhere was the thing I hated most in the world! In my previous life, to escape the maids who insisted on following me around, I even jumped out a window and used flight magic. I loved being alone that much. And right now, I desperately needed that alone time.
“They won’t chase after me, right?”
The Duke of Iter was a man familiar with war and the sword. Maybe he decided to adopt me after seeing the mana in my heart. In my past life, the pushover version of me would’ve stayed put, thinking “Whatever. If someone needs my help, I just help them.” Even if they approached me because of my mana. But this life is different. I need to figure out his intentions first!
I pumped my fist into the air like I was cheering myself on and strode forward—well, it was closer to waddling than striding, but I ignored that. Tap! Tap! Each step made my fluffy pink slippers—decorated with little teddy bears—make noise. I had to step very carefully. If it kept making noise like this, I wouldn’t be able to explore.
“Hoo…”
Not long after, I was out of breath again. Catching my breath, I realized something. Just sleeping in a comfortable room and receiving half a day of medical care had already improved my health far more than when I was locked up at the baron’s estate. Not to mention, Azelta promised I’d get proper meals from now on. …Though today was just porridge. Still, it couldn’t compare to what I had back at the baron’s estate. The bread I ate there—half stale, half mold—was so bad I couldn’t tell what was bread and what was fungus. Because of the family’s noble reputation, they couldn’t openly kill me, so they tried to let illness finish the job.
“Rather than wasting the family’s money, dying would be filial of you, young lady.”
One maid even said that. Yeah right, why on earth would I show filial piety to that damned family? After desperately struggling to survive, I was sold as a five-year-old bride, but instead of being thrown into the groom’s bedroom, I became an adopted daughter. So far, things were going… decently.
“…But.”
That didn’t mean I should relax. What I needed most right now was a place of my own. Not because I simply liked being alone—though I did—but because I needed to confirm their intentions. If it turned out that they adopted me for a bad reason, I’d run away at the right opportunity. I needed to scout the surroundings. If I got caught? I could just act like a bored kid wandering around. A child who’d been locked up indoors for years—wanting to explore wouldn’t seem strange.
“……”
But then I frowned. Those five years of confinement were harsh even for someone with the mind of an adult. And the violence inflicted on that young body… with weak mana and poor health, I had no way to defend myself. No wonder I still flinched whenever I heard footsteps nearby. Pain felt so much bigger in such a small body.
“…It’s okay. They won’t do that here.”
I tried to comfort myself. I had lived as an adult far longer, yet those five years still made me tremble when a shadow loomed over me. Instinctive fear—the kind you feel when someone stronger could hurt you.
“Eeeei!”
I shook off the dark thoughts and marched forward. Mist blanketed the area. Breathing it in cleared my head.
“This fog…”
I’d thought about it earlier. I reached toward the fog—dense enough to block even lamplight.
“Is this mana mist?”
Then there must be a source. Drawn as if bewitched, I followed the mist. The thicker the fog, the richer the scent of mana. I couldn’t use my own mana yet—my heart’s mana hadn’t settled—but there was free-floating, unclaimed mana everywhere.
“Oh my god, what is this?”
The thicker the mist got, the wider my eyes grew. All thoughts vanished.
“Wow!”
There were weeds—just ordinary-looking weeds. But when I plucked a handful—
They were elixir herbs.
Rare herbs that grow only in places dense with mana mist—core ingredients for elixirs. Here they grew like weeds.
“This place is a treasure trove!”
I hummed contentedly as I wandered deeper, completely forgetting my promise not to go too far.
“Who leaves treasure like this lying on the ground!?”
After exploring for a while, I made a decision.
“YOLO!”
In my last life, I exhausted myself trying to save others, only to be betrayed. I died like that. And now I should waste this second life tiptoeing around again? No way. I didn’t know why I reincarnated, but this was a chance. On top of that, this land? A magical treasure vault—and no wizards.
No competition.
Sure, my body was weak—for now. Once I improved and controlled my mana, becoming an independent wizard would be easy. With these resources, becoming the youngest archmage with financial power to match wasn’t just a dream.
“This is heaven!”
I hopped in place. Mana-rich sand scattered from my teddy bear slippers.
＊
There really were no wizards on this continent—confirmed. After wandering around for quite a while, I concluded: How could paradise like this exist? My skirt hem was already full of herbs and sparkling white sand. The sand shimmered with so much mana that it could be used to craft mana stones. And the herbs? They practically glowed.
“Wow…”
I scanned the area and ran toward a lush green patch.
“Elixir herbs!”
Herbs everywhere. If the mages from my old tower saw this place, they would’ve lost their minds. Monster-ridden fog-sea? Who cares? They’d move the entire tower here and beg to harvest sand and herbs.
Even breathing the mana mist filled my heart with mana. The mana near my heart buzzed in response.
“Huff…”
Using little bits of mana actually soothed the strain in my chest. Mana wanted to pour out of my heart like it was finally free.
“Not yet. Not now.”
Someone might detect it. I had to store it away. Soon… we’ll play soon, my mana friends.
“Ah?”
I wandered further. After passing a dozen knights and maids, I reached a place where no one was around—where the mana mist was especially dense.
“Wow…”
They must fear the fog, or not know it’s mana. But to me, it felt like home.
“Hoo…”
Breathing deeply, I spotted something at the edge of my vision.
“…A shell?”
A shell—but enormous. Everything here was oversized, like even their candy was the size of shields. But this shell was far too big. An adult—like the Duke—could fit inside.
“Why is it so big?”
I approached, heart thumping. Slowly, the shell came into full view.
“Wow…”
The inside of the shell was smooth, pearlescent—pastel shimmering in the mist. The lower half of the shell formed a railing as tall as half my height. It looked just like a giant seashell—because it was. But being small made it feel overwhelming.
“It’s not alive… right?”
Empty shells shouldn’t be alive… but who knew in a place like this? Where mana mist was so thick anything could happen.
Tap tap.
I knocked.
“… ”
Nothing. Right. As if knocking would do something. I climbed in anyway, letting some sand and herbs spill.
“Heave!”
For a child’s body—especially one with a big head—this was not easy. After several minutes of struggle, I managed to get inside.
“Wow!”
I dropped my gathered herbs and sand without realizing.
“Cough! Cough!”
Sand flew everywhere, but even coughing, I couldn’t take my eyes off what I saw—
Inside the shell was a gigantic adductor muscle—like a dried-out, massive chunk of what was once clam meat. It resembled a great white tree stump—flat like a desk.
“What is that?”
I approached, breathing hard. The dried clam flesh really looked like a desk—a perfect height for me.
“Wow!”
Was it used as a desk? Who used this? That couldn’t be it—the flesh connected directly to the shell. Even dried out, it clearly had once been part of a living clam. And the whole shell smelled strongly of the sea.
“Okay, I choose this place!”
No one was nearby. I slammed my small hand onto the desk-like surface.
—KURRRR!
I blinked. The shell suddenly snapped shut.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
＊
“Your Grace, Sir Rotia reporting.”
Late at night, a visitor appeared in Ain’s office. Without responding, Ain pulled a signal cord. He tilted his head slightly. He had called for Azelta, yet Rotia came.
“What is it?”
Rotia never appeared without reason. Still writing with his quill, Ain looked at him.
“Your Grace, Lady Nasha has left her room.”
His expression was stiff. Ain narrowed his eyes.
“Her location?”
“As you instructed—”
Rotia glanced toward the distant landscape outside the window.
“We are guarding her from out of sight so she doesn’t become anxious, but… she seems to be going farther and farther.”
“Which direction?”
“Toward the Fog Sea.”
Ain faltered. Rotia quickly continued.
“It is not yet the season when the monsters of the Fog Sea appear.”
“Even so—do not slack on surveillance.”
Ain’s tone chilled the air. Even if the timing was off, however unlikely, he always prepared for danger. That vigilance was why he remained the guardian of the sea.
Rotia bowed his head.
“Yes. Shall I assign escorts closer to her?”
“No. I will—…”
Ain stopped himself mid-motion. He remembered the girl—bristling like a hedgehog against the world, just as he once had. If he sent people now, she would flee farther. He knew—because he would have.
Also, following her now would only reveal that he was watching.
He needed to approach her slowly.
“Just strengthen the perimeter. No monsters rise from the ground or fall from the sky. Just secure the surroundings… unless something unexpected occurs.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Rotia bowed. Together they looked out the window. By now, that girl—thinking she was sneaking around doing something terribly evil—was wandering along the fog-covered shoreline. No one would catch her, or so she believed.
Rotia remembered the sight of her sneaking out of the mansion—acting like the world’s greatest delinquent. As if the entire territory weren’t hers to roam. Guarded and wary of everyone, yet unable to hide her curiosity.
Her body weak—like his younger sister’s.
And because of that, Rotia couldn’t look away.
