TYHL 145

~Chapter 145~

Since all the high-ranking wizards were at the Delkan ruins, the lazy “Number 2” who usually stayed at the palace must have finally made a move.

‘They probably used a magic suppressor to cross the border.’

If so, it didn’t look like they’d move as openly or noisily as “Number 4.”

‘What should I do…’

Tomorrow was the day of the exhibition and open house. That meant today was the last day I could awkwardly hide who I was.

So I had to decide.

Would I face it? Or hide again?

As I hesitated, my eyes wandered far to the central library.

The capital was the worst possible place for a wizard.

‘But I know a place that isn’t like that.’

So…

There was a way out.

Besides, there was something I needed to try soon if I wanted to solve this brand problem.

‘Alright. Tonight, I’ll sneak into the old library again.’

I went back to picking up acorns, wondering where Khalid might be right now.

I missed being able to use our comms link so easily—even if he sometimes ignored me.

For some reason, it made me feel a bit lonely.

“Ugh, there are so many ginkgo trees here.”

I pinched my nose at the strong, foul smell.

‘Khalid, where is my friend!’

Don’t tell me he’s skipping class at the infirmary again?

Khalid

Khalid was looking up at the sky.

He couldn’t use the infirmary as an excuse anymore. He’d just escaped from the art class he’d been forced to attend.

The aesthetics professor was the most annoying—always running up and insisting on painting his portrait.

‘Why make me a student ID if I’m not even enrolling?’

Apparently, they wanted to “preserve” him or something. Whatever that meant.

All the attention was truly a bother. Khalid was still not used to it.

‘Anyway… why hasn’t Allen contacted me?’

He clicked his tongue and shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand.

He’d sent Allen because the high-ranking wizards were all swarming the Delkan ruins.

‘Is it because there’s nothing to report?’

But Allen usually sent a letter even when there was nothing new.

Normally, Khalid used a trained hawk as a messenger, but since there was almost no mana in the capital, he’d chosen to use a normal bird to avoid using magic.

‘So is that why it’s late?’

Khalid fiddled with his bracelet.

Even with lots of mana inside him, if the environment didn’t cooperate, it was a hassle.

He wasn’t sure how much to release, or when to stop.

“It’s probably because you don’t know how to control your mana perfectly yet. Since you’re in a little kid’s body.”

Rubian, who was even smaller than Khalid, stood on tiptoe and tapped him on the crown of his head.

It was a moment that was both pleasant and weirdly humiliating.

“Maybe the mana in the environment buffered you more than you realized. If there was a lot, you absorbed it, and if there was little, it boosted you!”

“It’s so frustrating not being able to use magic freely.”

“So now you finally understand how I feel! Let this be your chance to become a humble child.”

The emotional look on Rubian’s face was the only thing gained from that conversation.

Anyway, Rubian told him only to use magic within the bare minimum—enough so he didn’t have to take off his bracelet.

With the control device, there wouldn’t be any rampaging magic.

‘I’m just glad I can at least keep the squirrel running and give mana to Rubian.’

Khalid kicked the ground, still grumpy. His shadow stretched out long.

‘If I get bigger…’

Would he be able to use magic without any limitations?

If he became bigger and stronger than now—

‘Then I could really protect Rubian…’

Khalid clenched his fist.

Suddenly, he wished time would move faster.

As he left the backyard and walked away, he spotted a familiar head in the distance.

“…Ruby?”

What’s she doing here?

Khalid sped up. Big hazel and ginkgo trees lined the path.

Rubian was crouched behind a big tree, watching something.

“What are you looking at?”

“Ah! You scared me. Shhh!”

As he touched her shoulder, Rubian jumped and pulled Khalid down beside her. He crouched awkwardly behind the tree with her.

“What are you doing?”

“Wait. It should be time soon.”

“…?”

Looking over, her round cheeks puffed out.

Rubian was watching a winding path, a common walkway for students.

In the middle, there seemed to be a big pile of fallen leaves.

“What are you—?”

Suddenly, laughter burst out.

“Ah, tomorrow’s finally the last day!”

“Wasn’t it just boring and lame?”

A group of boys appeared. Judging by their ribbon ties, they were probably camp participants.

‘What the…’

Khalid’s heart suddenly dropped.

‘Was she… waiting for those boys?’

His mind went totally blank for a second.

“Hey, Haven! Give me the ball!”

The boy called Haven snatched the ball and ran away.

“Haha! Try and catch me!”

Rubian’s eyes shone as she watched.

Like a wild colt, Haven ran straight onto the pile of leaves in the middle of the path.

Squish.

“Uwaaah! What the—?!”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know! I stepped on something weird!”

“Weird? Wait a sec, Haven, you—”

His friends suddenly pinched their noses.

“It smells like poop!”

Rubian covered her mouth and laughed.

How do you like the smashed ginkgo fruit?

“It’s not poop! Ugh! What is this?!”

Haven flailed around, trying to get the sticky gunk off his shoe. Soon, he slipped and ended up with ginkgo all over him.

“Haha! Haven’s a poop boy! He smells like poop!”

“It’s not poop, I swear!”

His friends teased and chased each other off, and Haven scrambled away, flustered.

“Serves him right!”

Only then did Rubian stand up and dust off her hands.

“You… set a trap with ginkgo fruit?”

“Yep! Pretty great, right?”

Seeing her puff her chest out in pride, Khalid felt his heart—which had dropped—finally settle back in place.

“He teased Zerdin again during craft class.”

“Zer…din?”

Thud. His heart dropped again.

Who’s that now…?

“Bad Haven. Let’s see how he likes being teased for once!”

Rubian punched the air.

“But what about you? Why are you here? Isn’t it class time?”

“It ended early.”

Khalid tried to hide his gloomy mood. He’d never liked not being in Rubian’s class, but today it felt especially unfair.

He didn’t know why he was getting so petty lately.

‘Maybe I’m not cut out to be a knight.’

He felt a little down.

“Really? Then it’s perfect timing!”

“Why?”

Rubian smiled brightly.

“Let’s sneak out together after dinner—just the two of us. To the old library.”

“…Just the two of us, sneaking out…”

Those words hit him so hard that all his gloom vanished in an instant.

Could feelings really be so light and flimsy?

Khalid thought about it seriously, but quickly decided it was fine.

‘Well, it’s Rubian, after all.’

For him, it just felt right.

That evening,

I went to the old library with Khalid again.

Thanks to Professor Yuliophe, I could get the key anytime, but since it was after hours, I still needed Khalid’s help.

“Thanks, squirrel!”

I handed over two acorns I’d collected earlier. The squirrel’s black eyes sparkled with joy.

“But why the old library again? More investigating?”

Khalid asked as we walked between the shelves.

He was moving a bit more leisurely than before.

No need to hurry—Professor Yuliophe had already gone home.

“There’s something I want to test using the magic circle on that stone.”

“Something you want to test?”

“Just come and see.”

I whispered and led the way.

The big tree nearby looked just as fresh and green as ever, even in autumn—maybe it was an evergreen.

Behind the tree, hidden, was the stone tablet.

I traced the magic circle carved into it with my hand again.

‘Hmm…’

For some reason, I felt like I could do it.

I plucked out a couple strands of my hair.