After Astaroth flew away, the knights retreated too. I waited until the airship weighed anchor and set off before sneaking out of the house. Then I shouldered my bags and ran up the mountain through the snow. When I passed Luka’s house, I greeted her and asked if she’d be willing to help. To my surprise, she agreed right away. That’s Luka for you—my best friend!
The wind and snow were fierce today, and the knights had landed almost right on the edge of town, so most people had no idea what had happened. I quickly avoided Rosen and the others as they patrolled the forest, activated the Sprint skill, and raced across the snow. Before long, I reached the mountains. I followed a frozen path up the slope through the blizzard and soon found the little cabin tucked behind a huge boulder halfway up the mountain. Hunters had built it as a shelter for themselves. It stood in a spot shielded from the wind, with the rock behind it blocking the cold gusts. The woodshed behind the cabin was stocked with plenty of firewood, too, so we’d have no trouble spending the winter here.
Besides, winter was almost over. The blizzards would stop within a few weeks, and spring would be here before long.
Amid the blizzard, a pair of glowing red electronic eyes watched me. I stopped in spite of myself. Astaroth stood on the windswept slope, its silver armor covered in a transparent protective film that shimmered blue. The snow evaporated as soon as it touched the film, keeping the finely crafted silver armor from freezing over.
But that mechanical gaze reminded me of something… Pandora. No, not that Pandora—the one on Earth. When I fought her, the main camera on that iron mech had glowed in much the same way.
In the few seconds I hesitated, I heard ice and snow cracking overhead. A huge mass of snow slid down the slope, pouring toward the mountain path where I stood. If I ditched my things, I could’ve gotten out of the way—but I couldn’t do that. At the last moment, Astaroth thrust out a mechanical hand and shielded me from the small avalanche.
“My lord,” it said, “the snowpack is unstable. Please be careful.”
“Sorry I’m late.” I smiled and thanked it honestly. “Thank you, Pandora.”
“You’re welcome…”
After hurrying through the mountain pass, I sent Astaroth back and let it vanish into a blue magic circle. Then I pushed open the cabin door. Someone immediately rushed over and hugged me. It was Maeve. Her hands were ice-cold, and she was trembling all over.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she said, apologizing over and over. “They tampered with my staff. They carved a tracking beacon into it, but… it was the first and only gift I ever received from my father. I thought it was a present to celebrate me becoming a mage. I never imagined it was just a trap to keep me under surveillance.”
“It’s all right, Maeve.” I stroked her hair. “Those knights took off in their airship. Let’s hide out here for a few days and see how things go.”
“Okay.” Maeve nodded, still looking anxious.
After comforting her, I started getting ready for the winter. First, I warmed up the cabin. I used a slightly rusty axe to chop enough firewood for a week, then quickly lit the stove. Orange-red flames flickered in the stone fireplace, and warmth returned to the room. Next, I opened the bags and took out Maeve’s belongings one by one. I laid animal hides over the straw-covered bed boards, spread a sheet on top, and got the bed ready. Maeve sat in the room, staring anxiously at the snow swirling outside the window. But I believed the snow would pass in time, and clear skies would come.
Over the next two weeks, the weather gradually improved. The sky was still covered in clouds, but the snow had mostly stopped. Luka and I took turns bringing supplies to Maeve, making sure she had everything she needed. The rumors around town about the knights and the airship that day gradually died down, too. Most people guessed it had just been thunder. As long as I kept my mouth shut, no one would learn the truth.
The peaceful days passed one by one, and spring drew closer.
Just as I thought the knights from the capital had given up, a small army suddenly marched into town. Count Galaton’s banner waved in the wind, and the count’s warhorse led the way. The knight I’d kicked flying—armor and all—was among the troops, too. Ward sat on his horse, wearing his usual carefree expression, and gave me a “kind and friendly” smile. I pretended not to see him and hurried home. Then I packed my things as fast as I could and slipped away up the mountain.
“Maeve, we’ve got trouble.” I set down the supplies. “Count Galaton has arrived in Nagu Town with his men.”
“That’s wonderful.” Maeve let out a sigh of relief. “The count… he’ll surely help me.”
“Not necessarily.” I shook my head. “Reynard—the knight who knocked on my door back then—is with them, and he’s brought several men with him. They don’t look friendly.”
“How can this be…” The light of hope in Maeve’s eyes went out.
“No, no. I can’t lose heart.” She shook her head. “If I can set up a teleportation spell, I’ll find a way back to the Mage Tower. Once I’m there, the king won’t be able to catch me.”
“I’m afraid not. His Majesty used his authority to shut down the entire east’s magic communication network. You don’t even have coordinates—how are you supposed to teleport?”
A flippant voice came from behind me. I turned around, alert. Ward was leaning against the doorframe. He pulled down his frost-covered hood, revealing a ponytail at the back of his head, then smiled at Maeve and me. Great. Of all people, it had to be Ward. I couldn’t beat him!
“Elsa.” He walked over and ruffled my hair. “You’re so easy to read. You run off like a little cat the moment you see me. I knew you were hiding something.”
“Ward, my hair! Keep doing that and I’ll go bald!”
“Heh heh heh.”
“All right.” I brushed his hand away. “I let you ruffle my hair, so now you have to help Maeve.”
“Maeve? Oh, so you’re Her Highness Princess Melchiss.” Ward looked her up and down. “When you escaped the capital using a teleportation spell, you caused quite a stir. I guess the royal family’s bunch of useless drunks never imagined you’d reach the sixth mage level. Marrying off a precious level-six mage as a concubine to some old geezer just to get a few thousand gold coins’ worth of debt forgiven? That’s an absolute waste! Mages belong on the battlefield, raining down firepower—not serving as some old geezer’s plaything.” He turned to me with a knowing smile. “So, Elsa, you understand the situation by now. There are three ways to stop Princess Melchiss from marrying that old geezer. First, make the duke drop dead—but that’d be pretty difficult, and we can’t do it. Second, get the king to change his mind. That greedy idiot won’t do that; he’d lose face. Third, get the Mage Tower involved. We have to find a way to contact Princess Melchiss’s teacher, the Sage of Water, Jane Antoinette. If the Mage Tower steps in, I think even His Majesty will have to think twice.”
Ward was actually helping us. What was the world coming to?
