Jared Murphy noticed something was wrong shortly after the mansion came into view.
“Something’s off… Did something happen inside the mansion?”
As he muttered, he naturally sped up.
The barrier cast by his master, Almeida, was solely for defending against external attacks. Even with the combat power from having an exceptional magician and a dragon princess living there, it couldn’t prevent attacks from afar beforehand. A barrier specialized in defensive magic was in place for Olivier and the others, who were not magicians.
He had felt secure. He wasn’t completely at ease, with the barrier’s protection and the presence of humans and a dragon stronger than himself in the mansion, but he had felt a certain sense of security.
“This is bad. Almeida isn’t at the mansion. Something must have happened to Rio as well.”
His master’s absence was not a problem. However, the dragon princess’s magic power felt distinctly wrong. It was as if she was trapped by something, her magic power suppressed and in great pain—that’s how he felt.
He had to get inside the mansion as quickly as possible—Jared advanced, but the moment he saw the gate, he realized everything was already too late.
“I believe you are Jared Murphy, correct?”
“Who the hell are you guys?”
There were about twenty magicians from the Royal Mage Corps, clad in their white uniforms, gathered around the mansion, which was by no means large. This was just the visible number; there might be many more inside the mansion.
Suppressing his urgency, Jared told himself to stay calm.
“Where do you think you are? This is a separate residence of the Alway Ducal Family.”
“Of course, we know. We have business with you. I apologize for the cliché, but we have taken Olivier Alway and the residents of this mansion into custody. If you don’t want them harmed, comply with us.”
“If you even dare to lay a finger on Olivier, I’ll make you regret being born into this world.”
***
Olivier Alway was enjoying tea and conversation with Lily Rüdiger, whom she considered a friend. Most of their conversation revolved around her fiancé, Jared.
The two women, who loved the same man, chattered endlessly about the boy, unaware of their surroundings. If he were present, he might have fainted from embarrassment.
However, their pleasant time came to an abrupt end.
“…Oh, did you hear something just now?”
Lily was the first to notice.
She had received swordsmanship training from her father, a warrior, and had even participated in monster subjugation missions. Therefore, she could detect sounds and presences that Olivier would miss.
“Someone is coming.”
She moved her hand to her hip, reaching for her sword—then remembered she wasn’t carrying one today and frowned.
“Olivier, do you have any weapons?”
“Of course not! Wait, why do we need weapons in the first place? Explain yourself!”
“Someone who shouldn’t be in this mansion has arrived.”
“…”
Before she could comprehend Lily’s words, not fully understanding the situation, the door to the room was kicked open unceremoniously.
Three women burst into the room, all wearing the same white uniform.
“Olivier Alway, Lily Rüdiger, we are here to apprehend you. Please do not resist.”
“What’s with the suddenness? Do you even know where you are?”
“Of course, Rüdiger. We are members of the Royal Mage Corps. We are taking you hostage on behalf of Jared Murphy.”
“Do you honestly think we’d comply with such a demand?”
Despite the suddenness of the situation, Olivier remained calm, trying to grasp what was happening.
She couldn’t understand why the Royal Mage Corps would take Jared, who intended to become a Court Mage, hostage. However, she resolved not to be a burden to her fiancé and glared at them with determination.
“We don’t expect you to comply, but we have already incapacitated Hannelore Alway, one maid, and the Dragon Girl.”
“So, if we resist, you’ll harm Mother and the others?”
“Precisely. If you understand, please cooperate quietly.”
Not only Olivier but also Lily bit their lips in frustration.
They had never anticipated the mansion being seized so smoothly.
With their family held hostage, resistance was impossible. However, if they were captured, they too would become hostages for Jared. This was unacceptable.
“Fine, we’ll comply. Just don’t touch Mother and them.”
“Understood. We appreciate your decision.”
Their arms were grasped by the female members, and Olivier and Lily were escorted from the room to the dining hall. Their mother and Trane were already seated, but Rio was nowhere to be seen.
“What happened to Rio?”
“The Dragon Princess resisted and caused a disturbance, so we confined her in a dragon-specific barrier. She has not been harmed. She is simply resting elsewhere.”
“I see… Make sure she isn’t harmed either, understand?”
“Yes. As long as there is no resistance, we will take no further action.”
Olivier and Lily exchanged a glance before quietly taking their seats.
They had no reason to trust the words of these members. After all, why should they trust people who suddenly appeared and took over their mansion without question?
However, there was hope. Not from Jared. With hostages involved, his kindness would likely prevent him from fighting. But Almeida’s absence from the mansion, in a way, was fortunate.
She didn’t know where Almeida had gone, but perhaps she would come to their aid if she learned of the situation. It wasn’t just Almeida; Yeny Daum, who had returned to her family home, along with Pfeil and Rosa Roen, who were out on errands, were also potential allies.
It was painful to have to rely on others, but at this moment, they had no other choice.
