* * *
The only thing Helid had used was an artifact shaped like an adult toy.
And the fact that Elyrion’s magic could be felt from it—well, that alone made its implication all too clear, even without saying a word.
Eren pulled his chair back with wary eyes.
At the sight, Elyrion let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Wow, really? I go out of my way to save you, and now I’m treated like a criminal?”
“…Aren’t you?”
“No. That artifact does have my magic in it, but I didn’t make the damn thing.”
…What the hell is he talking about?
The half-hearted excuse—or lack thereof—only deepened Eren’s suspicion.
Bristling like a kitten baring its fangs, Eren’s posture turned aggressive again, making Elyrion pinch the bridge of his nose.
“Listen. Someone carved the magic circle I designed into that filthy device.”
“…Who did?”
“Who else? While I was holed up in the Magic Tower refusing to come out, my father cut off my funding. Some cash-hungry bastard mages must’ve taken my designs and turned them into garbage to sell.”
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got.
Those mages who used his designs to make cheap trash pissed him off—and having to explain it in front of this brat pissed him off even more.
“Hey. What family are you from? I’ll take you home. Just tell me.”
“…That’s not necessary.”
“I’m not the type to just leave a kid behind, you know.”
Eren flinched—not from his injured ankle, but from the word “kid.”
What the hell was he saying?
“I’m busy, so hurry up.”
Elyrion urged, eyeing him sideways.
Eren was at a complete loss for words, stunned by the unexpected treatment.
Then, right on cue, someone shouted loudly from nearby.
“Count! Are you all right?!”
Melody, who always carried herself with royal grace, came running over in a panic.
“C-Count…?”
Elyrion tilted his head in confusion, then slowly turned to look at Eren.
He wasn’t the only one staring—Melody, having spotted Eren’s injured ankle, suddenly froze, her expression hardening.
“Brother…!”
Melody glared at Elyrion, eyes blazing with fury.
She even stepped in front of Eren protectively, as if shielding him from a criminal.
“What did I even do to deserve that glare?”
“Are you seriously asking? After injuring an innocent person’s ankle, are you really going to act like nothing happened?”
“…What?”
Elyrion wasn’t the only one caught off guard by her reaction.
Even Eren couldn’t follow what she meant.
After all, it was Helid who had injured his ankle.
“How many nobles have you thrown from the sky just because you didn’t like them? Didn’t that young heir break his shoulder last time?”
“…”
“And that’s not all! You scorched all the hair off a visiting prince just because you felt like experimenting on someone. And now there are rumors you’re smashing noble estates left and right!”
Melody’s tirade of Elyrion’s past antics didn’t let up.
At first, Eren doubted it—then, as the details piled up, his face stiffened.
Coming from Melody, the credibility hit different.
Eren quickly took a step back and narrowed his eyes.
“This is insane.”
Just when it seemed like Eren was lowering his guard, he switched right back into alert mode.
Elyrion groaned and rubbed his forehead.
It’s not like Melody was wrong, so he couldn’t even argue.
“I told you it wasn’t me! Hey! Back me up here!”
“…They say you shouldn’t judge someone by first impressions.”
Eren muttered, as if he hadn’t practically volunteered to be kidnapped by Ashard based on just that.
Classic hypocrite.
And with Melody backing him up, Eren’s confidence only grew.
“That filthy, brooding guy—he was wearing a Black Knights uniform, so I’m guessing he’s under your command. He’s the one who did it. Not me.”
“…Baron Yulta? Are you saying the Baron did this?”
Melody turned to Eren, asking, though her voice already carried certainty.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have let you follow the Count. I’ve been too complacent lately, thinking the Baron’s behavior had settled.”
“N-no, Princess! Really, I’m fine!”
Melody apologized without hesitation, taking full responsibility.
Eren frantically waved his hands.
There was no reason for her to bow her head—but she still looked regretful, clearly blaming herself inside.
Seeing her like that, Elyrion wordlessly grabbed her by the scruff and straightened her posture.
“He’s the one who messed up. Why are you apologizing? Lift your head.”
“…”
“You can’t afford to be softhearted like that. Remember your position. You’re not someone who can just lower your head like that.”
His tone was firm.
Melody, who usually exuded confidence, looked visibly shaken, while Elyrion—surprisingly—acted like a proper older brother.
Eren blinked a few times.
“Did they switch personalities or something?”
The awkwardness hung heavy in the air.
“A-anyway, I’m really okay, Princess. Please don’t worry.”
“I’ll treat your injury right away. Just give me your foot for a moment—”
As Melody reached for Eren’s ankle, Elyrion quickly tugged her back by the collar.
She opened her mouth to object, but Elyrion spoke first.
“Are you crazy? You trying to kill him too?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Look closely. Do you even see what kind of state he’s in?”
Melody scanned Eren’s body.
From what she could tell, he’d only hurt his ankle—no life-threatening injury.
Was he just exaggerating?
Then her eyes widened, trembling with realization.
“…Why? What’s wrong?”
“Have you met any other mages recently?”
“No… I haven’t.”
Wait—could this be a side effect from the artifact?
Eren exhaled in relief, chuckling lightly.
“It’s probably just a side effect from the artifact. I was going to see a healer—”
“Side effect? You think this is a joke? There’s no magic left in your body.”
“…Huh?”
“You weren’t born without it, were you? Someone must’ve erased it. And in this condition, even the artifact is dangerous.”
…Someone deliberately erased his magic?
Eren’s expression darkened.
He hadn’t expected nothing to happen—but neither had he imagined it would happen like this.
He didn’t know much about mana, but even he was aware that losing it through artificial means was dangerous. In extreme cases, it could even be fatal.
It had been a while since he last saw Carlyle.
Helid wasn’t the scheming type and acted mostly on instinct, so he was unlikely.
The only one who fit the bill—who he couldn’t help running into repeatedly, and who would pull something like this—was just one person.
‘…Julius Renan.’
Come to think of it, he had been oddly quiet lately.
Even the fact that Eren had received a tracking artifact, and that someone had gone through with something so dangerous despite knowing the risks—he probably knew it all.
While Eren could more or less predict how the other two would act, Julius was a complete mystery.
“From the look on your face, I take it you have someone in mind.”
“….”
Eren said nothing, but Elyrion gave a small nod, as if he understood anyway.
Watching Eren’s grim expression, Elyrion let out a long sigh.
Whoever had done this… Even after hearing Melody call Eren ‘Count,’ he’d been utterly convinced Eren was younger than him.
“Normally I don’t do this sort of thing. But you’re still young.”
With a bit of showy reluctance, he held something out—it looked like a marble.
Eren didn’t know what it was and hesitated, neither taking nor rejecting it.
Melody stared at Elyrion as if surprised, and Eren gave her a look asking what it was.
“It’ll help you quite a bit, so I recommend accepting it.”
“What is it…?”
“It’s concentrated mana.”
Elyrion answered in his usual tone.
* * *
