Leonard instinctively grabbed the arm of a nearby girl and shoved her toward Jared.
“Kya!”
He ignored the short scream and rushed out of the room.
“Damn you…!”
He continued to run, irritated by the fact that he had to turn his back.
Fighting in that situation had been impossible. He didn’t know why Jared could use magic in a room enchanted with magic suppression, but when Leonard tried to fight back, he couldn’t use magic because the incantations weren’t functioning properly.
“If I had fought like that, I would now be…”
He would have turned into an inanimate stone statue. He couldn’t accept that fact.
“L-Lord Leonard? What happened?”
“Jared Murphy is coming! Prepare to meet him!”
The voices from Leonard, who burst into the waiting room of the soldiers, sent a wave of shock through the magicians.
Starting with the question “Why?”, they sensed from Leonard’s panic that he had fled from the young Court Mage.
“Um, Lord Leonard, isn’t that room supposed to prevent magic from being used?”
“It is. In fact, I couldn’t use it. But he did. His magic power is probably too strong to be suppressed by the enchantment on the room.”
It was a great mistake to have inadvertently unleashed all of Jared’s magic power without knowing.
The magicians were once again agitated. They too knew the effect of the magic-suppressing room.
“Quiet down. Calm yourselves. First, evacuate Duke Ewing outside. Assign a few guards to him, understand? The rest will follow me to take down Jared Murphy. Where is Avril?”
“Your daughter has not returned yet.”
“Where is she playing, that selfish girl… No, I don’t need the help of such an uncooperative girl. Those who are ready to fight, follow me.”
“By the way, what about the girls who were with Murphy?”
“Unfortunately, they are probably not safe. He was out of his mind. Therefore, by now…”
To Leonard’s somber face, some of the magicians directed their anger.
Their anger was not directed at Jared, but at Leonard, who had abandoned the girls and fled. Many of the magicians involved in the treason belonged to the Royal Mage Corps. However, others were nobles.
That was precisely why they were able to defy the Royal Family, and their fighting strength and the cost of maintaining troops were manageable. But that had backfired this time.
Not a few nobles knew about the girls chosen as Jared’s wife. Some of them knew them since childhood through noble connections. There were even magicians who served their families.
Therefore, even though it was an unforeseen circumstance, not a few people were understandably angry with Leonard for leaving the girls with Jared.
“In the worst-case scenario, it’s fine to kill them. Don’t let that boy escape from here!”
Even though the magicians responded, not a single word of complaint was uttered. No one present had the authority to object to Leonard, and they knew that it was more important to rescue the girls as quickly as possible than to do so.
“Follow me!”
Unaware that the soldiers harbored any dissatisfaction, Leonard loudly set off to defeat Jared.
***
“Kya!”
Jared, who reflexively caught Milina after she was shoved by Leonard, felt a surge of emotion.
Was it the exhilaration from his magic being unleashed, or was it finally being able to fight?
“Jared-sama?”
“It’s best if you don’t leave this room. If it’s enchanted with magic suppression, it should also protect you from attacks.”
“What will you do, Jared-sama?”
“I will defeat Leonard Gallagher.”
“–!”
“You mustn’t!”
Among the speechless girls, there was one who raised her voice.
It was the red-haired girl, Diana Ewing. She was a young lady of the Duke Ewing family, and in terms of status, she might be higher than Leonard.
“Don’t get in my way.”
“No, you don’t understand how terrifying Lord Leonard is. He isn’t just the Commander of the Royal Mage Corps. His sheer power rivals, no, surpasses that of a Court Mage.”
While Duke Ewing appeared to be on friendly terms with Leonard, his daughter seemed different to Jared’s eyes.
“I agree with Lady Diana’s opinion. We’ve learned magic from Lord Leonard and seen him fight, but he was incredibly strong. If Jared-sama fights, I don’t think he’ll come out unharmed.”
Following Diana, Lullua Anglart, who had also been taught by Leonard, expressed her concern for Jared.
She felt that they genuinely cared for Jared.
“I appreciate your concern, but if I don’t defeat him, I can’t escape from here, nor can I save Olivier. I know he’s strong. He’s the Commander of the Royal Mage Corps, after all. I won’t underestimate him.”
“But!”
Jared was surprised by his own heightened emotions. He never expected the girls he had just met to worry about him so much.
“Jared-sama, if you can escape without fighting, please do so. There’s no need to fight.”
“Milina…”
“If you fight, you might have to face not only Lord Leonard but also the retainers of our families, and perhaps even our fathers. I don’t want Jared-sama to harm our families, nor do I want our families to harm you.”
“I understand. I will do my best not to harm anyone other than Leonard. I can’t make a promise, though.”
If they were to become enemies, he would not be able to show mercy. However, for the sake of these kind-hearted girls, he lied.
“I know this is presumptuous, but I beg of you. Please do not kill my father. He is merely being used by Lord Leonard. I am not saying he is blameless; I am prepared to be judged when all this is over. However, please do not take his life.”
Diana bowed deeply. Following her, one girl after another bowed their heads.
Most of the girls present had been forced into unwanted marriages for the sake of their families. Yet, they accepted it solely because they were kind enough not to abandon their families.
“I understand.”
Unable to dismiss their pleas, Jared replied briefly, then stepped over the remains of the dilapidated door and pursued Leonard.
