"Lady Shion, do you know them?"
A woman who looked like a lady's maid questioned the silver-haired girl.
"Hmm, I guess you could say we’re acquaintances. Wait, hold on. If these kids are here, then that means—"
"Waaaaaaah!"
With my mind already reeling from the barrage of sudden developments, I could only watch as Carol suddenly screamed and lunged at the silver-haired woman.
The woman effortlessly caught the blade with her staff.
"Well, that was sudden. ...Hm? Are you an Inglot by any chance?" she muttered, peering at Carol’s face from inches away.
"Lady Shion!"
The people surrounding the silver-haired woman directed their sudden bloodlust toward Carol.
(Carol...!)
I was terrified, but there was no time for hesitation. I had to save her!
I forced my trembling legs to move and gripped my spear, but then—
"Everyone, stay back. I’ll handle this child myself."
The silver-haired woman spoke to her companions even as she deftly parried Carol’s relentless daggers.
I tried to circle behind the woman to flank her, but countless thorns of ice suddenly erupted from the earth. I was startled, but since they manifested slowly, I managed to react in time to dodge. Sophie was targeted by a similar attack; we were effectively cut off.
"Sorry for the sudden strike. I’d prefer if you stayed out of this, too. Don't worry, I won't hurt her."
The silver-haired woman spoke to us with a smile, even as she continued to deflect Carol’s strikes. Something about that smile felt familiar—it was like the one Master gave us when he wanted us to feel safe.
(Why...? This woman led the group that tried to kill us six months ago!)
Despite the situation, that smile made me feel a momentary sense of relief. Sophie looked just as bewildered as I felt.
"How dare you! I won't forgive you! If I don't listen to those two, Log and Sophie are going to die!"
Carol’s piercing cry snapped me back to reality. She continued to scream other things, but her words were becoming incoherent and frantic.
"...Calm down. I've neutralized them both. Your friends won't die, even if you don't do as they say."
"Shut up! Just let them out of the ice! If I do this, they're going to hit me again! I don't want it to hurt anymore!"
"Carol..."
It was agonizing to watch her. Master had hinted that Carol had been abused in the past. Looking at her now, it was obvious those twins had been a part of it. The mere sight of them had triggered her trauma.
I hadn't realized the scars ran so deep. She was always the mood maker, acting like a bit of an idiot, but she was never once unpleasant to be around. I had enjoyed her company.
But now, I was beginning to understand. In a way, that desperate cheerfulness had been her way of protecting herself. I had only ever seen the surface.
The silver-haired woman found a momentary opening and backed away. My heart hammered—was she going to use magic?
"Don't run! If I save them, maybe they'll praise me! Maybe they'll smile at me! That's why I have to save them!"
Without any Support Magic from me, Carol lunged at the silver-haired woman with a speed that exceeded anything I’d ever seen from her.
In response, the woman let go of her staff with a look of quiet resolve. The staff vanished into thin air. Why would she put it in a Storage Magic Tool now?
Carol drove her dagger straight toward the woman’s chest.
The silver-haired woman accepted the blow—without offering any resistance.
The blade sank in, and the woman wrapped her arms around Carol. It wasn't a move to restrain her; it was a genuine embrace.
"...It’s all right. No one here is going to hurt you. I know it’s impossible for you to trust me after what I did six months ago. If it makes you feel better, you can stab me as much as you want. So please... just calm down for a moment."
The woman’s face was hidden from Carol’s view, but I could see the cold sweat on her brow and the way her features contorted in agony. Yet her voice remained gentle as she reached out to stroke Carol’s head.
The merciless woman from six months ago was nowhere to be found. I didn't know which version of her was real.
"Lady Shion—!?"
When the man who had arrived with her cried out, the tips of several ice thorns lunged toward his throat in the blink of an eye.
"I believe I told you not to interfere."
Her voice was cold. The thorns she had used against us were nothing compared to these. If she had attacked us in earnest, we would have been skewered before we even realized what was happening. I shuddered at the thought.
"A-ah... I... I'm sorry..."
Regaining her senses through the woman’s kindness, Carol’s voice and body began to tremble. She pulled away, staring in horror at the woman's chest. The front of her white outfit was dyed a vivid crimson. By any logic, it was a fatal wound.
"It’s okay. I’m not angry. Compared to what I did to you all before, this isn't nearly enough to atone for it. I'm just glad you're yourself again."
The silver-haired woman actually smiled, even though the pain should have been unbearable.
"Um... A-ah, Recovery Magic...!"
Carol reached out to cast a spell, but the woman stopped her.
"Thank you. But I'll be fine. I have an ability similar to yours."
As she stood up, the wound vanished. In the next breath, even her clothing was restored. The sight of her being stabbed seemed like an illusion.
"Now then, I think we can finally talk."
While we all stood there in shock, she turned her gaze toward us.
"...Talk?" I asked, keeping my guard up.
"Yes. First, I want to apologize for the terrible things I did to you six months ago. I know an apology doesn't fix anything, but please, let me say it."
She bowed her head deeply. The contrast between this woman and the one I remembered was staggering.
"...Is that all?"
"No. The real issue is this. I need you to answer one question. If you’re here, then Orun must be—!"
She suddenly spun around, cutting herself off.
"What is... that?"
From the base of the distant mountains, a pillar of blackness was stretching toward the sky. It was so massive that it was clearly visible even from this distance.
"That mana... there’s no mistake. Orun really is here!" The woman’s voice was laced with panic. "Change of plans! I’m going to the battlefield. You three, take the captured Inglots and go!"
"Lady Shion, I'll help you. A long-distance jump like that will put too much strain on you alone," the maid said.
"Thank you, Teruche. I'll take you up on that. You two, take the twins as I ordered. And if you lay a finger on these kids, you'll answer to me. Am I clear?"
"Understood."
The silver-haired woman nodded, then closed her eyes in deep concentration. It was clearly a high-level Spell Construction. What kind of magic required someone like her to focus this much?
"You kids should get away from this territory. I won't be able to hold back against that guy, and there's no telling how this will end."
She opened her eyes and looked at us. Once the maid was at her side, she spoke one last time.
"Here we go."
"Ready when you are, my Lady."
"[Space Leap Chain]!"
In an instant, the two of them vanished.
I felt like I was drowning in the chaos, but I forced myself to move. I went over to Carol, who was slumped on the ground. Sophie was already there.
"...Carol, are you okay?" Sophie asked softly.
"Hii! A-ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't listen! I'll apologize! I'll apologize, so please... don't hit me...!"
Carol curled into a ball, trembling as we approached.
"We aren't going to hit you! You were just trying to protect us. We would never hurt you for that. Neither Log nor I are angry. Carol, thank you for trying to keep us safe."
Sophie gently embraced the sobbing girl. Carol began to cry in earnest, whispering "I'm sorry" over and over.
I stood there, struggling to find the right words. I had never seen her like this. I didn't know how to comfort her.
"Carol..."
Just as I opened my mouth—
"White Demoooon! How dare you lock me in that ice!"
A sound like a shattering glacier echoed as the boy in the ice block roared. His playful, drawling tone was gone, replaced by pure, unadulterated rage.
Suddenly, a lukewarm breeze drifted past. In the next moment, the strength drained from my limbs, and I collapsed to my hands and knees.
"What... happened...?"
I forced my head up. The girl had escaped her prison at the same time as her brother. She was already using her long sword to cut down the two remaining companions the silver-haired woman had left behind.
"The White Demon is gone. I'd heard she was fast, but I couldn't even track her. If that monster is gone, now’s our chance. Let’s finish this job and get out of here."
She spoke casually, despite having just murdered two people.
"You got to blow off steam by killing those two, Sister, but what am I supposed to do with all this frustration?" the boy asked, his voice cold and sharp.
"I don't care. —Wait, there’s a perfect target right there."
She looked at Carol.
"Ah... you're right. She’s in the perfect spot. What a good little sister, always thinking of her big brother."
A dark smile spread across the boy's face as he began to walk toward us. Carol began to shake violently.
"Stop! What do you think you're doing!" I shouted, glaring at him.
"Shut up. This is just a little sibling bonding. Just stay there and watch. Not that you have a choice—my debuff will make sure you don't move a muscle."
He didn't even look at me. He just kept coming.
This weight, this exhaustion... it was a debuff? Debuffs were notoriously difficult to cast. To hit everyone in the area the second he stepped out of the ice was insane. This boy was a master Enchanter.
But I wasn't going to let them hurt Carol. Not after everything.
(If this is a debuff...! Master, give me strength!)
I fought through the fog in my mind and the weakness in my body.
"...[Status Up]!"
I managed to complete the formula and cast a buff on myself to counter the drain.
"A buff? Hahaha! Don't waste your breath. My debuffs aren't some cheap tricks you can just cancel out!"
He was right. Even with [Status Up] active, the best I could do was stand up on trembling legs.
"Ahahaha! Look at you, shaking like a newborn fawn! It’s pathetic. I don't see why Caroline is even worth the effort."
He laughed, his voice dripping with contempt as he dismissed Carol’s life as worthless.
"That's not true...! Carol is my friend! She’s an irreplaceable comrade!"
The words came out before I could think. I focused every ounce of my will on a Spell Construction that made my head feel like it was going to split open. I had never once succeeded with this spell before.
But if I didn't do it now, I never would.
Enduring the agonizing headache, I poured my mana into the completed formula. I activated the magic Master had entrusted to us.
"—[Double]!"