"You're Lavinia from [Place Name]."
"Are you one of those who attacked the people from [Place Name], including some famous figures?"
"Yes, how delightful to meet you. I never thought I'd encounter the Ice Princess, Lord Feres' prized treasure, in a place like this."
The person before me spread their arms theatrically, speaking in an overly dramatic tone. I was frozen, unable to move or speak, with no choice but to listen intently while straining my mind to gather as much information as possible. Then Lavinia stepped forward to shield me from him.
"I'm your target, aren't I? Then please wait until I've sent him away. He's not a mage—just a traveler who happened to come to this country. After that, I'll gladly accompany you."
"Hmm, he does appear to be merely human."
The man with the deep voice finally turned his gaze to me, but his eyes held a trace of contempt.
Humans—those who couldn't wield supernatural abilities or magic—clearly didn't interest him. He quickly looked away from me, and when his eyes briefly peeked out from under his hood, they gleamed with childlike brilliance.
It seemed I'd truly stumbled into a mage battle. Bad luck, or perhaps terrible timing, to visit this country during an attack. I was glad to have met Lavinia, but now I found myself in mortal danger. This wasn't some light novel where a beautiful girl appears and then a fight begins.
But what should I really do? The other side seemed to have no interest in me, so maybe they'd actually let me go. If that was the case, should I simply obey and run away? Leave her behind?
...Still, I should probably run. Lavinia's face had changed from the dreamy expression she'd worn earlier to a steely gaze that could meet the other's killing intent head-on. This girl could fight. She had the strength and courage to battle a mage, to fight against people. The fact that she didn't seem frightened meant there had to be a way to overcome this situation.
If that was the case, I was only an obstacle to her. Lavinia would surely try to protect me because she thought of me as a child. Even though the enemy she'd been searching for had finally appeared, she'd prioritized my safety despite us having just met.
"Shou-kun, I'm sorry. I've dragged you into our affairs. I'll make sure you get back safely."
"No, I'm the one who should apologize. If I hadn't been here, Lavinia could have handled her business immediately."
"I really enjoyed talking with you, Shou-kun. Don't say that. From here, go back to where we met, then straight down the alley to the right. It's a small detour, but that should get you back to where you were. Please be careful."
"...Are you really going to be okay alone, Lavinia? Is there anything I can do to help? I know I'd only be in the way if I stayed, so I'll do as you say. But if you need help, I can call someone."
"Hehe, you're such a good boy, Shou-kun. But please leave this to me. I am a magical girl, after all."
Just like before, she smiled beautifully and puffed out her chest slightly as if to encourage me. Even in a situation like this, Lavinia put my safety first. She simply wanted me to be safe. She truly was a very kind girl.
Feelings of regret swirled in my heart. Why hadn't I found the resolve to fight? I had the power to fight—so why was I leaving her alone in a dangerous place and simply running away?
I knew nothing about mage battles. I'd simply gotten caught in the middle. Still, I felt so ashamed and found myself pathetic because I couldn't do anything. Even after coming to another world, I was still weak. I wanted to be stronger, but I always put it off, hiding behind my master and Lavinia. I thought that would be fine. I kept telling myself I'd work harder later, but I'd never found the resolve to fight. So this was the inevitable result.
What I should feel toward her isn't regret that I couldn't protect her, but gratitude that she protected me.
I never thought such a weak heart could be so painful.
"...I understand, Lavinia."
"Yes."
"Next time, I'll definitely come back to this country. When I do, please tell me about the local specialties. I'll bring lots of souvenirs from Japan. I'll definitely repay you for today. Please take care of yourself."
"...Yes. Thank you. Promise?"
"Yes, I promise."
I can only try not to get in her way. No matter how turbulent my emotions, I have to hold them back. If I were just a child, I might have thoughtlessly said something like, "I can't leave you behind." If I were truly an adult, I might have been able to think more rationally. If I were the protagonist of a story, I would have faced any challenge for a pretty girl, no matter how weak I was. I can see how half-hearted I am. I can't be as innocent as a child, as rational as an adult, or as brave as a protagonist. Everything about me is half-hearted.
Still, I keep going. I do what I must, what I should do. She said she would "definitely get me home safely." Then I'll do as she said. That's the best I can do for her, even if I'm weak.
I turned around and headed back to the alley where I'd met her. The mage facing Lavinia didn't seem interested in me at all—he didn't even glance my way. Though he said nothing, it seemed he would let me escape. I'd hoped they would just drag me into the fight without questions, but I shook off that thought, turned my back to her, and ran.
I left her behind and ran away. I accepted this fact without hesitation. My vision was blurred by tears, but this was the best I could do right now, and ultimately, this decision would protect her.
"Damn it..."
I gritted my teeth and spat out the words, overwhelmed by regret.
"This alley was straight ahead, right?"
After distancing myself from Lavinia and the others, I followed the path she'd described to me. I considered whether I should use my artifact to sneak back and help her, but I knew nothing about mage battles. In the storm of magic flying around at high speed, it would be catastrophic if I got hit by a stray spell. And if it were her magic, it would be even worse. I didn't want to break my promise to her.
Most importantly, unlike the stray demon from last time, she had the power to fight. And she was probably much stronger than me. So I realized that if I recklessly rushed in, I'd only put us both in danger. ...I understood that much.
"Rogue mages appeared in the original story too... They don't harm ordinary people indiscriminately like stray demons or vampires. But when they have a specific target, they'll invade even forbidden territories without hesitation."
Rogue mages are humans who were expelled from the Mage Association for heresy. Their ideology was indeed dangerous, so Chairman Mephisto Pheles's decision was probably correct. It's harsh, but when a transgressor emerges from the organization you belong to, leadership must take responsibility. Moreover, those who became outcasts were probably obsessed with the idea of taking revenge on the association that expelled them.
This reminds me of when mages attacked Komou Academy out of curiosity. The association had published a ranking of young demons, and those ranked high wanted to test their strength against the top-ranked demon. They believed they could surpass the association's published ranking if they defeated that demon. To achieve their goal, they even took hostages from the civilian population during the day.
What drove them was insatiable curiosity. While stray demons act from hunger and desire, their actions spring from this drive. Though they didn't kill civilians, they left deep emotional scars on their victims. I clenched my fists and continued walking without stopping.
"First, I'll meet with my master. I'll explain the situation and see if I can help somehow. With my master's connections, we might be able to secure the association's cooperation and request their protection. Then..."
While muttering to myself and trying to organize my thoughts, my feet suddenly stopped. I stood there with my mouth open, frozen in surprise. A figure stood before me. They had appeared in front of the path I intended to take, as if to prevent me from leaving, and were staring at me.
For a moment, the thought flashed through my mind that this might be association reinforcements. But no—they looked similar. The atmosphere was the same as the rogue mage I'd encountered earlier. The lifeless gaze that seemed to be observing me, and the childlike curiosity that seemed to dominate the depths of their eyes.
"Are you with those who attacked 'that person,' someone of rank and renown?"
I remembered Lavinia's words. ...Am I an idiot? Someone attacking the association wouldn't act alone. Even if they had allies, that wouldn't be unusual. I hadn't even realized I was still in danger. I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. The rogue mage's actions were probably unexpected even for Lavinia. After all, their target was the "Gray Mage."
It was only natural that they didn't care about a child who understood nothing of magic and had only accidentally gotten caught up in the situation. Indeed, the man from earlier had seemed to have no interest in me whatsoever.
Calm down, me. Their thoughts are twisted, but they still act with a certain rationality. That means this man has a reason for attacking a child who just happened to get caught up in the situation. It's probably nothing good, but perhaps a chance to break the stalemate. I forced myself to calm my trembling body and addressed the other person.
"Are you with those who said earlier they had something to discuss with Lavinia?"
"Well, you could say that. But I really feel nothing. The Ice Queen must have a lot of time on her hands if she's wasting it with a worthless child like you."
"I think everyone has their own values. Then why did you waste your time coming here to talk with me?"
My words were somewhat sharp, but when someone spoke badly of that nice girl, I felt I had to say something back. I tried not to provoke him too much, but my words didn't seem to interest him. I truly didn't matter to him at all.
"What? I just thought of something interesting, and I figured it would be good to play it safe. I want to test my strength against her, but she's the 'Ice Princess,' so I can't afford to be caught by the association. It's only natural to secure insurance, isn't it?"
I really don't want to get dragged into their whims. And please don't try to convert me to your theories. As I suspected, this seems like a pretty lame reason.
I don't understand what's so interesting about it, but I understand the point of insurance. If they're being so cautious, Lavinia must be a skilled mage. She said she was being pursued by fairly well-known mages. Maybe she was using herself as bait when she was walking alone in that alley. And that's where I came into play.
And though he wants to test his strength against her, he knows it's a double-edged sword. In other words, the insurance is leverage in case he or his allies are defeated. When I realized this, my head felt like it would explode. These bastards attacked us for selfish motives, and now they're trying to drag me into their affairs out of convenience. And in the worst possible way for her.
"Shou-kun, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for dragging you into our situation. I'll make sure you get out of here safely."
She had apologized sadly, looking desperate because she'd gotten me involved in this situation. She stood in front of me to protect me from him, trying to shield me. To reassure me, she smiled and gave me a promise. We'd only met minutes ago. We were nothing more than acquaintances. Yet I'd been delighted to meet Lavinia. I honestly found her cute, strong, and kind.
This bastard casually said something that would hurt her feelings. If she knew I was being held hostage, she would surely regret letting me go alone. It's true that she'd made a poor decision. But what stirred me up the most was how these guys imposed their own interests on others.
"Don't mess with me, you bastard..."
What was boiling in me more than fear was pure rage. The fear hasn't changed until now. If they use me as a hostage, I might not be killed. But what I fear most right now is that something will happen to her because of me. If she wins, they'll use me as a bargaining chip. If they're in a position of strength, they'll probably use me as a tool to hurt her.
For my sake, and especially for hers, I would regret it for the rest of my life if I ran away now. Besides, it seemed they had no intention of letting me escape. I knew there was a way to get away, but I was so angry that I couldn't find peace until I'd hit him at least once.
The boiling rage within me disappeared for a moment. I was startled and my body stiffened, but quickly everything returned to normal. What was that? While confusion reigned in my head, a red light flashed before my eyes. I was surprised, but then I understood what had happened and laughed.
"...I'm sorry, partner. Thank you."
The sacred weapon protects its bearer and responds to their thoughts. My partner had noticed that my thoughts were clouded by rage and had worried about my safety, so he'd temporarily suppressed my anger. The rage is still there, but thanks to this moment of calm, my thoughts are clearer. If I'd continued like that, I would have acted recklessly. I can only be grateful to my partner.
I stared directly at my opponent and stated my conditions for victory. It's not about defeating him. I'd like to punch him, but I'll keep that thought to myself. The most important thing is that I don't get captured or killed by the rogue mage. If I manage that, I've won. Maybe I'm thinking from the assumption that Lavinia will win, but...
There are many uncertainties. There could be other allies out there. But they're in the same situation as me. If Lavinia wins, she'll immediately notice something's wrong with me. Association reinforcements might also show up. In that case, I can focus entirely on buying time without having to defeat him. Hiding and evasion are my specialties.
Most importantly, he's completely overconfident and complacent toward me. He doesn't doubt his victory and sees only a successful future that satisfies his curiosity. I should exploit that without hesitation. Curiosity has ruined many people. He's a mage, a being superior to me. But there are many ways to turn the tables.
"Well, I hate wasting time. If you come quietly, I promise I won't do anything to you."
"...I can't believe you'd make such a promise while taking a little girl hostage."
"You have a foul mouth, boy. Ignorance can sometimes be frightening. You compare the 'Ice Princess' to a little girl, but she's not that weak. ...Well, whatever."
Shut up. No matter how talented Lavinia might be as a mage, to me she's just an innocent girl who had her hat stolen by a puppy and was left half-naked and crying. She was young, but she was also responsible and had the strength to stand against a rogue mage—but she was still a sweet girl her age. That's enough for me. Knowing more about her wouldn't change that.
What I'm about to do isn't a fight. It's a battle. The conditions for victory aren't just defeating the opponent—this is a battle where I'll give everything I have. When I faced the stray demon, I didn't even step onto the same stage; I simply destroyed it one-sidedly. That wasn't a battle. So this is my first real battle.
And so the curtain rose on my first fight.
***
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