IWMHWD 24

Chapter 24 – Rophael Mage Association
November 24, 2023

“What do you think is the weakest point here?”

“Weakest point?”

“Like, visually—does any part of it look different from the rest?”

“Hmm…”

It was a complex circle made of dots and lines all tangled together, but when examined closely, one area did seem slightly off. Cordelia carefully pointed to that part with her finger.

“This part?”

“Where exactly? I can’t see it. Describe it.”

“Ah, I mean the spot where three dots are clustered together. That part looks a bit distorted.”

“You…”

“Am I wrong?”

Leonard smiled. That was rare. He usually only smirked in disdain or scoffed, so Cordelia felt a chill down her spine the moment she saw his smile.

“It’s you.”

“W-what is?”

“You might be the one who can break through Diloana’s domain.”

“Are you serious? I’ve only been learning magic for just a month. There’s no way I can do something like that.”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m not asking you to dismantle the barrier yourself. Just point out the weak spot. I’ll take care of breaking it.”

“But you said even setting one foot in Diloana’s domain means instant death! Don’t you have to get close to analyze it?”

“Well, you just have to be careful not to die.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?!”

Outraged by his reckless statement, Cordelia jumped up and flatly refused.

“I’m not going. My dream is to live a long and quiet life. If someone’s going, it should be you, Master.”

Leonard grinned at her strong and firm refusal.

“Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

“Remember what you said when I agreed to take you as my apprentice?”

“W-what did I say?”

“You said, ‘Until you safely return to Atillay, I’ll help you in every way I can.’”

It had been over a month, yet he recalled her exact words without missing a beat.

Rather than impressed, Cordelia was terrified by his memory.

Her lips twisted.

“B-but I also said I wouldn’t do anything that puts my life in danger!”

“Right. And you might not die.”

“What does might not die even mean?!”

“I can’t take responsibility if you trip over a rock and die near the barrier.”

It was disturbingly realistic, making it all the scarier. Cordelia was about to protest again when Leonard cut her off with finality.

“Besides, I never asked for your opinion in the first place. Still, thanks for sharing it.”

“…Excuse me?”

“We’ll depart in ten days, so be ready.”

“….”

“Hi, Roti.”

For some reason, Roti wagged her tail and greeted her more warmly than usual today—but it didn’t last long. Soon, the gray dog buried her nose in the meat pouch tied to Cordelia’s waist.

“You must be hungry. Here, eat.”

As soon as she placed the meat on the ground, Roti devoured it in a frenzy.

“What’s going to happen to you when I’m gone, Roti? Who’ll feed you then?”

Despite Cordelia’s lament, the gray dog chomped away at her meal, seemingly uninterested.

“My life plan was just to learn a few support spells and work as a magic appraiser… How did I end up like this? I should’ve never gotten into magic in the first place. Sigh.”

Roti, now finished with the food, sniffed around the straw with her nose. Cordelia handed over more meat.

“Roti… what should I do? What if I die there?”

“….”

“Ugh. What am I even doing, talking to a dog?”

She buried her face in her knees and let out a deep sigh. Who knew how much time had passed when she felt a wet snout gently tapping her head.

Cordelia looked up. Roti was licking her chin with her damp tongue.

“Are you… comforting me?”

Cordelia reached out and gently stroked the coarse gray fur. This time, surprisingly, Roti didn’t move away and stayed still. The warmth through her palm was comforting.

“I’ll make sure someone feeds you even if I go to Diloana’s domain.”

Woof.

Roti barked. She usually didn’t, so it was oddly funny that she barked the moment food was mentioned.

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave instructions to take care of your meals.”

Woof woof!

“What? You want to say something? Are you telling me not to go?”

Woof.

“I don’t want to go either. It could be my grave, you know. Who would want to go?”

Sensing the moment, Cordelia began pouring out all her frustrations while hugging Roti tightly.

“There you are again.”

She should have been used to Baron’s sudden appearances by now, but they still startled her every time. She clutched her chest and turned around to find the water spirit standing behind her.

“You must really cherish that dog.”

“Well… There wasn’t much to attach myself to here. Roti’s been my only real friend.”

“Hm.”

Baron didn’t know how to respond to such an honest answer, so he awkwardly changed the subject.

“Are you worried about what Master said yesterday?”

“You mean about going to Diloana’s domain? Nah, not at all. It’s just a place where you get burned to death if you step wrong. Even Belluce is warned not to go near it, but sure. What could go wrong?”

“That was quite the loaded statement.”

“It wasn’t loaded—it was a blunt blade, though apparently too dull for anyone to notice.”

“Shall we take a walk?”

With a cryptic smile, Baron led her out of the stables. Cordelia followed, shoulders slumped.

“I understand what you’re worried about.”

“You do?”

“You’ve only known him a month, and you’re risking your life for him—with nothing in return.”

“….”

Cordelia snapped her head toward him. It was like he had read her mind.

There was nothing for her to gain from this dangerous journey. Only forced sacrifice.

Even when he felt her gaze, Baron didn’t turn away.

“Once Master regains his physical body, he’ll never return to the Abrams estate. Naturally, Craig’s body will face its end too.”

“Of course. What would Master want in this backwater estate?”

“But if people remain unaware of Craig’s death, the sole heir of the Abrams estate would be you.”

Cordelia stared at his lips in shock. It was a possibility she had never considered.

“Is it possible to hide Craig’s death?”

“Yes—if you know skilled puppetry magic.”

“Puppetry? What’s that?”

“It’s magic used to manipulate unconscious people or corpses as if they’re alive.”

It was a chilling concept, but to Cordelia, it sounded strangely tempting.

As they walked, they arrived at the northern tower. The guard at the entrance recognized Cordelia and greeted her respectfully. Baron had already disappeared, turning invisible.

“Of course, hiding it forever would be difficult. But with proper preservation, you could rule Abrams alone for about five years. After that, you can go wherever you wish.”

Once they had climbed high enough that the guards were no longer in sight, Baron reappeared.

“But didn’t they say a disciple can’t leave their master’s side? Doesn’t that mean I’d have to stay with him forever?”

“Normally, yes. But there are exceptions.”

“Oh, like establishing a ‘Star’? But I’ve only just begun studying magic. How could I establish a school in a few years?”

“No, I meant like Master Leonard’s ‘Star’—a single-line transmission where only one disciple carries on the legacy. In such cases, it’s common for master and disciple to live separately.”

“Ah…”

Cordelia immediately understood.

She stopped walking, and Baron circled quietly around her.

“So what you’re saying is…”

“Once Leonard regains his body, you’ll have a legitimate reason to remain here alone.”

“But would Master even let me go?”

“Don’t worry. He’s softer than he looks. If you plead with tears, he’ll allow it.”

Her once-frozen legs began to move. Her heavy head started turning again, sharp with thought.

After walking a while, they reached the top of the tower. The guard at the door recognized her and quickly bowed.

“Good day, Madam. What brings you here?”

“Ah, I…”

She hadn’t planned anything, and was about to turn back—when she noticed a tiny water droplet only visible to her, pointing at Helena’s door.