IWMHWD 26

Chapter 26 – Lofell Magic Association
November 26, 2023

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. There were all sorts of rumors about the sudden extended absence of the Count and Countess, but no one dared to directly ask about their travels.

“Milady, have a wonderful trip.”

Emily was one of those who believed the couple was off on a romantic getaway. She smiled with satisfaction as she enthusiastically packed Cordelia’s luggage.

“Since you’re going alone without even a maid, I made sure to pack only the essentials. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Emily.”

Cordelia rubbed her bloodshot eyes as she bid farewell to the household staff. Over the past few days, the amount of homework had drastically increased, and as a result, her sleep had sharply decreased.

For the Count’s party, the entourage was exceptionally modest. The coachman was someone she didn’t recognize, and the only escort knight was Belluche Ingrion, who had only recently been knighted.

“Please, step inside, Milady.”

“Thank you, Baron.”

Baron, disguised as the coachman, opened the carriage door.

She had always seen him as a solid mass of water magic, so seeing him now as a wrinkled old man felt strange.

As they were sent off by Baron Lancaster and a few others, Cordelia boarded the carriage. Leonard was already inside, waiting.

As soon as she sat down, he handed her a thick stack of papers.

“What’s all this?”

“What do you think? It’s your study material for the road.”

“…Can’t I get some sleep instead?”

“Sleep? Sure. How many minutes do you need?”

“Minutes? Why are you measuring in minutes?”

“I’m not so heartless as to only allow you seconds.”

“How generous. I’m touched. I could cry.”

“No need to cry.”

Gritting her teeth, Cordelia accepted the papers. As expected, they were filled with various types of magic circles. With a jolt, the carriage started moving.

“It’s not too late to reconsider, you know?”

“Reconsider what?”

“I mean, even if I cram like crazy, isn’t it highly unlikely I’ll actually be able to see the Diloana barrier? Wouldn’t it be better if you three just went without me?”

“Don’t worry, dear pupil. If you can’t see it, we’ll stay there until you can.”

Leonard consoled his nervous student in a voice dripping with fake warmth and mercy. Cordelia was fuming inside but swallowed it down.

Just then, there was a knock on the carriage from outside. Leonard opened the window.

“A dog seems to be following us.”

“A dog?”

Baron glanced toward the back of the carriage. Leonard partially opened the door to check.

“A stray pack?”

“No, it looks like the dog Lady Cordelia has been keeping.”

“Huh? A dog I’ve been keeping?”

She wondered when she ever had a dog—then a name suddenly popped into her mind.

“Wait, is it Lottie?”

“Not entirely sure, but it looks similar to the one we saw before. It’s been following us since we left.”

“Hold on, can we stop the carriage for a moment?”

It didn’t take long before the carriage came to a halt. Cordelia hopped out.

“Lottie!”

At her loud call, a dog came trotting toward her from afar. It really was Lottie. Overjoyed, Cordelia ran forward to hug him…

“You didn’t come to see me?”

As she reached out, Lottie swiftly dodged. Embarrassed, Cordelia lowered her hands and squatted down a bit away, meeting his gaze.

“Lottie, I told Emily to feed you meat every day, okay? So go home and wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”

She took out the jerky she had prepared for the journey and offered it to him.

“Here, eat this. Go back to the castle after you finish, alright?”

Normally, he would’ve buried his nose in it and devoured it. But strangely, Lottie just stared at her without even glancing at the jerky. It was the first time she’d ever held his blue gaze for so long.

He probably didn’t think of her as his owner. Still, the fact that he followed her all the way here touched her deeply.

“Is that your dog?”

“Huh? Oh, you’re here. Just a moment—I’ll say goodbye and send him off.”

“When did you start keeping him?”

“I’m not really keeping him. I just fed him sometimes. The servants said he was a stray that wandered around the castle.”

Leonard looked down at Lottie for a long moment, then reached out his hand. Lottie immediately bared his teeth and growled.

“W-What are you doing?”

“This isn’t a dog.”

“What are you talking about? Then what, is Lottie a cat?”

Thinking he was joking, Cordelia chuckled—but the next thing he said wiped the smile off her face.

“He’s not a dog. He’s a magical beast.”

“…What?”

“A magical beast. Judging by how faint his aura is, he’s probably a low-grade one.”

“What do you mean? That’s impossible! Lottie can’t be a magical beast. He’s so sweet and gentle.”

Magical beasts were creatures she’d only read about in books. Said to live in the southernmost jungles of despair and tears—Glendenier—half-demons, half-animals, impossible for humans to approach.

Yet Leonard was saying Lottie was one of them?

Cordelia found that hard to believe.

“How strange. He’s not a familiar, but he’s wandering around like this.”

“What’s a familiar?”

“A magical beast tamed by a human. In Alino, those who tame magical beasts are called Nasteng. Hmm… maybe it’s a familiar whose Nasteng died or lost him.”

“But isn’t it dangerous if he’s a magical beast? Lottie’s never once growled or threatened me. He just sneaks food and gets scolded for it.”

“Nastengs usually tame magical beasts from a young age. If this one was raised by humans since it was a cub, it wouldn’t be odd for it to have a docile temperament.”

“Then maybe he followed me because he sees me as his owner? Ow!”

Leonard suddenly smacked her shoulder. It didn’t hurt much, but the sudden contact startled her.

“What was that for?! I was just saying!”

“He’s quite calm.”

“Huh?”

“If he really saw you as his master, he would’ve reacted the moment I laid a hand on you. But he didn’t. Seems like he just thinks of you as the person who gives him food.”

“Lottie… is that true?”

Cordelia looked at Lottie with teary eyes, hoping for a response.

After everything they’d shared, was she really just the “meat lady”?

Leonard seemed to lose interest and headed back to the carriage.

“Magical beast or not, send him back. We can’t bring him with us.”

“…Okay.”

As much as it hurt, she couldn’t take Lottie into the Diloana territory. This had to be goodbye.

“Lottie… I’m leaving now. See you later.”

Steeling herself, she turned away and walked back to the carriage. As soon as she got in, she told Baron:

“Pick up the pace, Baron. If we go fast, Lottie will give up and go back.”

“Yes, Milady.”

Baron pulled the reins, urging the horses onward. The carriage moved smoothly across the plains. Cordelia peeked out the window. Lottie had already become a dot in the distance.

She quickly tried to forget about him—mainly because Leonard handed her another thick stack of papers from who-knows-where.

Until they arrived at a village that evening, she was buried in magic circles.

* * *

“Yaaawn.”

Cordelia let out a big yawn in the carriage. The sun had long since set, and the sky was dark. Just then, Baron returned from scouting the inn.

“There’s only one room available. What should we do?”

“Just one room?”

“Yes. It’s peak season for fur traders, so everything else is booked.”

“For tonight, I think Master should take the room.”

“We’ll camp out nearby. It’s late. Go ahead, Master.”

Of course, the one room was naturally offered to Leonard. Cordelia, watching this unfold, was dumbfounded.

“Excuse me. And what about me? Am I invisible? I’m the only woman here, you know.”

“You can sleep on the ground. But our master is a noble! He can’t possibly sleep outside.”

“I can’t either! I really can’t!”

“Lady Cordelia, please take the carriage. Belluche and I will sleep outside.”

Even Baron, whom she trusted, treated Leonard’s use of the room as obvious. He spoke as if offering her the carriage was a great privilege. Cordelia pouted and grumbled.

“I’m a Countess too… Sleeping outside? Not even a bath…”

“Enough. Cordelia and I will share the room. The rest of you, wait in the inn lobby tomorrow morning.”

“Uh, but…”

“Won’t that be uncomfortable for you?”

Surprisingly, that question was directed at Leonard. Cordelia was speechless.

“Wait, shouldn’t that question be for me? Huh? He’s just walking away? Wait! Master! Wait for me!”

Worried she’d lose him, Cordelia grabbed a small bag and rushed after him. By the time she caught up, a staff member was already greeting him.

“How many will be staying?”

“Two.”

“We’re together! I said I’m coming too!”

Panting, Cordelia stood beside Leonard. The innkeeper glanced at her and smiled warmly.

“Are you two married?”