Starry Night

"Did you use a Magic Scroll just now?" Lucia had noticed that when Donald took down the guard, he hadn't chanted a spell, yet there had clearly been a surge of Water Element magic.

"No. It was Ice Spear." Donald sat with his back against a tree trunk, facing Lucia.

" — first release anywhere on the web"

"You can cast Ice Spear now?! But you've been at the Academy for less than a month. When did you start learning magic?" Lucia was astonished.

"I started half a year ago." Ever since he'd told Wesley about his cultivation, Donald had decided to gradually reveal the truth to a small circle. Everyone was bound to find out eventually anyway.

"Half a year? You became a Magic Apprentice in just half a year? How is that possible?" Comparing it with how long it had taken her to advance, Lucia found the answer almost absurd.

"I guess I have a good talent for it." Donald could only attribute his extraordinary speed of advancement to his talent. He couldn't exactly tell her that he'd discovered the secret of the Runes, could he? After more than half a year of daily practice, he could now draw the symbols of all five Runes at will. He had long since destroyed the original copies he'd once kept close to him.

"No, wait! You didn't chant a spell! Hmph, you're lying to me."

"I generally don't lie without a special reason."

As he spoke, Donald casually conjured a small fireball. The tiny flame, shimmering with a blue glow, hovered between his cupped fingers. It slowly turned with his hand, then gradually brightened under Lucia's horrified gaze before fading away.

"You really can cast spells without chanting?!"

"I guess I have a good talent for it." Donald gazed up through the mottled leaves at the stars, their light falling across his face.

"Damn it! How could anyone have that kind of talent? Wait—you said you used Ice Spear before. Are you dual-element?"

Donald flicked his right hand, and a green leaf drifted into the air. With another identical flick, a solid-looking Wind Blade spun forth. It caught up with the leaf in moments, slicing it in two. The halves fluttered to the ground, and the Wind Blade vanished.

"I cultivate all Five Elements." Donald glanced at Lucia, who was staring at him in stunned silence, and felt a mischievous satisfaction. They had just escaped with their lives, and he was in such an unusually good mood that he'd acted like a child without thinking.

"So that's how you untied the ropes, too? I wanted to ask you earlier how you did it. Those men must've thought that if they gagged us, we wouldn't be able to chant spells. They never imagined you'd be such a freak. Hmph! And those bandits in the Whispering Forest—you killed them all after luring them away, didn't you? No wonder we never saw any more bandits after that." Lucia spoke through gritted teeth. Remembering how she'd worried about him for nothing that night made her furious. He must've been laughing at her the whole time.

"I wasn't that skilled back then." Donald hadn't expected to be scolded after saving her. Being a genius really wasn't easy. He gave a vague answer, then deliberately changed the subject. "Seeing our carriage just now reminded me—these people were probably after you specifically."

"Why do you say that?" Lucia stopped dwelling on the previous topic, since this might be more important.

"Remember? He said, 'I know you're from the Magic Academy.' He said 'you' several times, not 'you all.' It struck me as odd. How could he be so sure there was only one person in the carriage? Usually, if someone wasn't certain, they'd say 'you all.' Besides, that road doesn't only lead to the Magic Academy. If he knew someone from the Academy was in the carriage, he must've received information beforehand, or watched the carriage for a while. And you're the only one who usually rides in it, right?" (Author's note: The Hells Continent doesn't speak English, so the distinction between "you" and "you all" is clear.)

Lucia nodded slightly, her expression grave.

"Well, now that I know it has nothing to do with me, I feel a lot better." Donald stretched as he spoke, loosening up his muscles. He really did look relaxed.

"Hey! How can you say something like that? I take back what I said earlier. I'm starting to hate you again."

"Suit yourself. I don't even remember what you said earlier. Anyway, we should avoid being alone together from now on. We've run into danger twice, and each time was worse than the last."

"Who said I wanted to be alone with you?!" Lucia stood and stamped her foot before marching angrily toward the horses. A short while later, she returned. "We're not out of danger yet. I'm responsible for your safety. Once we get back to the Academy, we'll see who wants to be alone together. Hmph!"

"You're right. We're not out of danger yet. Let's go—we can't stay here too long."

They mounted their horses again and continued north, this time without galloping at full speed.

They finally came upon a main road at dawn. After riding northeast along it for another ten minutes or so, they reached the first town.

When they asked around, they learned that they were now in Almeri Town, in the northern part of the province.

Lucia asked where the local magistrate lived and headed there. Donald could only follow behind her.

"Whose family has a dead body that they're knocking on your grandpa's door this early?" The man who opened the door was a crude, middle-aged fellow. He had just put on his trousers, and only one sleeve of his gray uniform—the distinctive uniform of a magistrate—was on.

"Shut your filthy mouth. We were attacked by bandits."

"Bandits? You dare say there are bandits on my Wild Bull's turf? Looks to me like you and your lover were eloping, and your family—"

Smack! The man who called himself Wild Bull got a hard slap across the face. He was about to strike back when he saw the Golden Token Lucia had taken out. He shuddered, then without hesitation slapped himself hard on the other cheek.

Before he could speak, Lucia immediately asked, "Is there a military regiment stationed nearby?"

The magistrate, who had just been mouthing off, still wore his uniform carelessly, but now stood ramrod straight. His tone had also turned crisp and formal. "Reporting to you, ma'am: the Crimson Knights are stationed seventy li to the southeast!"

"The Crimson Knights? Good. First, tell me where I can get some sleep in town. Then bring the Crimson Knights here. Tell them I was attacked by bandits!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Wild Bull led them to the entrance of the town's only inn. He was about to go inside and give some instructions when Lucia kicked him over. "What are you still doing here? Hurry up and go!"

Donald chuckled to himself. Wild Bull had really managed to offend Lucia with his earlier nonsense.

"Then... how should I address you when I speak to them?" From the way Lucia had shown her token, it was clearly an insignia of rank. No wonder the magistrate had called her "ma'am."

"Tell Captain Kaz everything you saw and heard! ...And don't mention me to anyone before you meet Captain Kaz!"

The magistrate snapped to attention, shouted his acknowledgment, then immediately sprinted toward his residence. He was probably going to fetch his horse.

As it happened, the town inn—which hardly looked busy enough to thrive—had only one room left. Lucia regretted sending Wild Bull away; he would surely have found a way to arrange two rooms. But she couldn't exactly throw her weight around with the innkeeper, who was greeting them with a smile. After hesitating briefly, she gritted her teeth and took the only room. Donald followed her in without a care.

"This time, you're the one who chose to be alone with me," Lucia said coldly.

"I've been exhausted all night. You expect me to sleep out in the street?"

"Hmph! You're sleeping on the floor!"

Donald shrugged, grabbed a pillow, and curled up on the floor. Lucia flopped onto the bed. Riding for hours on end was exhausting.

"Hey! Feeling the pressure?"

"Judging by all this, your family's business really is huge."

"Boring!" Lucia didn't laugh at the same old joke this time.

Kaz, commander of the Crimson Knights, held the title of Duke, but preferred to be called Captain Kaz. The Empire had more than a dozen dukes, but only eight Knight Orders, even counting the Royal Knight Order. When Captain Kaz rode into the remote town at the head of more than a hundred fully armed Formal Knights, the entire town came out to watch. It was the first time in the town's history that so many knights had arrived.

"Captain! The distinguished young lady was about to check into this inn when she sent me to find you... Oh, as you can see, it's the only inn in town..." Wild Bull, the magistrate, looked embarrassed. Judging by the grand show Captain Kaz had made of arriving, the girl was even more important than he'd imagined. This shabby inn hardly seemed worthy of her status.

Captain Kaz ordered Wild Bull to fetch the innkeeper and have him clear out everyone else without disturbing the guest who had checked in that morning. He also assigned four trusted knights to help, so they could avoid any unnecessary trouble.

Then, with Captain Kaz standing alone outside the room, all the other knights and nearly every resident of the town waited silently in the open space outside the inn. They waited until dusk, though most of them had no idea what they were waiting for.

Donald shook Lucia awake. The first thing she said was, "Huh? Why's it dark again? Did we sleep all day? Why hasn't anyone come?"

"They're probably here already. There are a lot of people downstairs."

"Shh, keep your voice down. Let me get ready. Is my dress wrinkled? Do I look pale? Is my hair messy?" There was no mirror in the room, so Lucia could only straighten herself up with Donald's help.

Every sound in the room had reached Captain Kaz, who stood outside the door. As a Level 4 Knight, his senses were far sharper than an ordinary person's. But he didn't bow or speak until Lucia opened the door and stepped out.

"Your Highness, Princess, you're awake."

###