#30
I felt nervous that something terrible might happen, but I also wanted to keep watching her standing at the front because it looked so impressive. While I was staring blankly at her standing ahead of everyone else, I was pushed and almost fell due to a noble rushing from the front. Fortunately, Yutis, who was right behind me, supported me so I didn’t fall completely.
When I looked up, I saw Yutis’s face full of discontent. I felt I needed to move quickly. If I stayed still like this, not only I but also Yutis would be in danger.
After I fell seriously ill as a child, the Duke dismissed the swordsmanship teacher he had assigned to me. Since then, I hadn’t received any sword training except for basic physical conditioning. Instead, Kara taught me several spells, but even those spells weren’t necessary at this moment.
“I’m sorry. Let’s quickly move—”
Just then, one of my arms was suddenly pulled. Someone grabbed me and quickly embraced my body as a monster fell in front of Yutis, shrieking terribly from the sky.
“Yutis!!”
I called out to Yutis in shock.
“I’m fine. Go!”
Yutis shouted while dodging the arm of the monster that was trying to swing its long claws at him. It seemed the monster had already rushed in here while I was distracted. I couldn’t leave Yutis, who was in danger because of me.
As I turned my body toward Yutis, the hand holding me pulled me strongly toward them. Only then could I properly see who had grabbed me. They had pulled me so quickly that I hadn’t had time to recognize who it was.
My eyes widened as I looked at the face that had captured my attention. I never expected to meet him like this.
He entered the building, pulling me forcefully without saying a word to me. Even amidst the chaos, people scattered to the sides to avoid blocking his path. Even school staff members, while guiding students, continuously checked to ensure he was safely evacuating into the building.
I couldn’t possibly break free from his firm grip on my hand. It had been a very long time since we’d met like this. Though the image of Yutis struggling behind us flickered in my mind, I was afraid that if I insisted on staying, this person holding me might also end up in a dangerous situation like Yutis.
In the end, I followed him into the building without saying anything. Students were waiting according to the teachers’ instructions. Most were nobles who had been sitting in the front chairs, while those who had been standing in the back were nowhere to be seen.
He released my hand as if his job was done after bringing me in. I couldn’t take my eyes off his hand as it moved away.
“Your Highness! Are you alright?!”
One of the teachers ran urgently to us and spoke.
“I’m fine. Has the guard been contacted?”
“Yes! The school’s private soldiers have also responded. Please don’t worry and stay here.”
“No. I need to go and assess the situation…”
I reached out and grabbed the collar of his clothes as he was about to go outside. His eyes, which had been looking outside, turned to me. His face, which I was seeing up close after a long time, looked different from when I had seen him from afar. I silently repeated his name, which I had rarely spoken aloud.
Persis—I hadn’t thought I would see him properly like this. I had only expected to run into him occasionally during school life. I never imagined him rushing to save me.
“It’s dangerous.”
I spoke firmly to him. He might be exposed to some danger if he went outside. We didn’t even know why those monsters had appeared in the first place. I gripped his collar a little tighter. He absolutely must not go outside.
“That’s right, Your Highness. You should stay here…”
“Teacher, I am a student who came to this school to receive education. There’s no need to use honorifics with me.”
“But, even so…”
“I understand. I’ll stay inside and wait.”
The teacher nodded several times before running off to take care of other students.
I was relieved that Persis seemed to have decided to stay here. Once this matter was settled, my attention turned to Yutis, who was left alone outside.
I knew Yutis wasn’t someone who would easily fall prey to monsters. He was meant to become the Duke’s right-hand man who would fly outside. Although he possessed strength greater than ordinary people, he was currently concealing his power.
He was probably not even exerting a tenth of his strength. If he let his guard down for a moment and fell victim to the monsters, it would be terrible. Other people nearby might be able to save Yutis, but that wasn’t certain. It would be right for me to somehow go outside and check on Yutis.
Just as I was about to step back from Persis, he took hold of my hand that had been gripping his collar. Unlike before, our tightly interlocked hands felt a little awkward. In the past, it was normal to walk while holding this hand tightly, but now it felt like a distant memory.
“If I don’t go, Ana doesn’t go either.”
“Pardon?”
“Wait here.”
How did he read my thoughts? I just stared at him, unable to do anything.
“But outside…”
“There’s nothing Ana can do. Stay here.”
Persis’s resolute words pierced me. His words were right. I can’t do anything. Unable to properly refute, I lowered my head.
The people I was worried about all possessed strength greater than mine. They could instantly defeat monsters like those and save the people around them. Unlike me, who couldn’t do anything.
Persis had made me acutely aware of my position. Though Persis’s hand was surely soft and warm, why did it feel as rough and cold as sandpaper to me? I wanted to let go of this hand. But even after a long time, Persis didn’t release my hand.
“Ana.”
How did the young Persis call that name? I think it was filled with affection, but it was so long ago that I wasn’t sure.
“Don’t tremble.”
Not understanding what he meant, I looked up at Persis. His face was no different from before. Only then did I realize that my body was trembling.
I had been careless. A world where magic exists. Though it was overflowing with things I didn’t know, people lived in this world, and I had gradually become accustomed to it as much time passed.
But those monsters were a first. I had never seen creatures that attacked indiscriminately and aggressively without any reason. It was an event that shattered the common sense I knew. The trembling, once started, showed no sign of stopping, perhaps because it was a bigger shock than I thought.
I was scared. This situation unfolding differently from what I knew, the monsters that suddenly appeared—all of it made me tremble with fear.
Emotions I hadn’t been aware of washed over me like a tidal wave. Fearing my legs might give out, I struggled to come to my senses.
“It’ll be okay.”
Persis whispered that while gripping my hand a little tighter. The cold warmth and rough texture I had felt from his hand had long disappeared. I took deep breaths and stood still with him.
I felt truly foolish for only being able to do this much. As Persis said, there was really nothing I could do.
“Young Master!!”
I heard Yutis calling me as he entered the building. Then Persis released my hand and moved away from me. I couldn’t stop him as he turned away, and I just blankly stared at his somewhat unfamiliar back.
The trembling that had seized my body while holding hands with Persis had disappeared. I must have looked very unreliable. Persis had stayed by my side until I was okay. Even in a moment like this, I thought how typical of Persis this was.
I suddenly wanted to hold onto Persis as he moved away from me as if his business was done, but I couldn’t act on it. What would I say after stopping him? I had no special reason to hold him back.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
“Is Yutis okay? Any injuries?”
“No.”
I couldn’t fully believe Yutis’s words. Only after checking his physical condition multiple times and wiping the bloodstain on his cheek could I confirm that he wasn’t injured. Perhaps unhappy with me suddenly touching his cheek, Yutis’s face turned ice-cold.
Feeling sorry, I stepped away from him and asked about the current situation.
“How is it outside?”
“The private soldiers are moving, and things have been somewhat sorted out. For now, it seems we should wait here.”
There was nothing I could do if I went outside. As Persis said, I was a powerless human without any proper abilities. But I couldn’t just stay still like this. Since the fear that had suddenly come over me had largely subsided, I needed to focus on gathering information.
“Do you know what those were?”
“They’re a type of magical beast. I understand they usually operate in high mountainous regions.”
Magical beasts? I couldn’t believe that such a large number of magical beasts had appeared in the middle of the capital. I recalled the various spells Kara had taught me, including summoning magic. It was a type of magic she had only taught me in theory, saying it would be difficult for me to use.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
