Chapter 10: Picking Up the Puppy

(Why is Claudia here…?)

Noah tried to call her name, but immediately closed his mouth.

As if understanding that, Claudia smiled and said, “Good boy.”

The king, startled by Claudia’s sudden appearance, shouted at her.

“Who are you supposed to be!?”

“Me?”

Claudia casually brushed her wind-tousled hair with her hand and declared with composure.

“Adelheid.”

“Hah…!”

Noah looked up at Claudia, whose eyes shone with countless colors.

They were like fragments of every gemstone in existence scattered together.

There was no one in this world who didn’t know what those eyes meant.

“Adelheid, you say? What a joke.”

The king ruffled his hair and twisted his lips into a sneer.

“The legendary witch who lived five hundred years ago! The one who, after being praised by all, supposedly took her own life—are you claiming to be that witch?”

“…Took her own life?”

At that unexpected phrase, Noah held his breath.

But Claudia only smiled, offering no rebuttal.

Instead, she ignored the king and looked down at Noah.

“How pitiful. You’re in such a mess.”

Even if she cursed him or harshly scolded him, he would have deserved it.

He would even accept being killed here as rightful punishment.

Yet, as Noah looked up at her with that resolve, she spoke unexpected words.

“I came to pick you up, my servant.”

“…What are you saying?”

Claudia smiled at him.

And that alone confused Noah deeply.

It was as if she were forgiving him.

“There’s no way you don’t realize it. I betrayed you, used your magic, and—”

Claudia raised her index finger to his lips.

“So what?”

Her right hand was extended toward the king.

It seemed she had created an invisible barrier of magic, protecting them from his attacks.

“You do deserve some punishment. After all, instead of asking me, you tried to ask something from that man.”

“…There’s no way I’d tell you something like that.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“He’s the current king of this country, Remilcia.”

And Claudia, no matter what, was a princess of the kingdom of Abianoia.

If a princess of one great nation became involved in an attack on the king of another, it could spark a major conflict between countries.

“I can’t burden you any further.”

“Fufu.”

“…What’s so funny?”

He thought he had said something entirely reasonable.

Yet Claudia only giggled.

“What a very adorable reason.”

“What?”

“Even so, how foolish. As long as the servitude contract hasn’t been undone, you are still my servant. Which means…”

Claudia smiled beautifully and declared.

“It is only natural that I prioritize you over a country.”

“Wha…!?”

This wasn’t a joke or idle remark.

He could feel she meant it from the bottom of her heart, and Noah lost his breath.

“Compared to a country I have no attachment to, the puppy I picked up is far cuter.”

“…You…”

“I told you, didn’t I? In this life, I only do what I want.”

With a sharp sound, the magical barrier vanished.

The king, who had not interrupted their conversation, was now clearly wary of Claudia.

Though he mocked her, he must have sensed something.

(Ordinary people can’t perceive others’ magic. But Claudia’s magic is on an entirely different level.)

However, Claudia also had a weakness.

Her body could not fully withstand her own magic.

“You mentioned your ‘sister.’ Did you come to save her?”

Claudia had only caught part of the conversation, but Noah answered briefly.

“She’s already dead.”

“…I see.”

For a moment, the ever-shifting colors of Claudia’s eyes seemed to flicker red.

Then, her long translucent violet dress swayed as she stepped forward toward the king.

“Let me introduce myself properly, King of Remilcia. This child now belongs to Adelheid.”

“Such confidence. Do you really think someone claiming to be a legendary witch can take him from me—me, who is said to rival the first king of Remilcia?”

“The first king of Remilcia…”

Claudia’s eyes turned nostalgic for a moment before she let out a small breath.

“That is a lie. Someone like you doesn’t even come close to Reinart.”

“…What?”

“Your magic, your control, your sense—everything. It’s laughable to even compare you. And on top of that, you have no room left to grow.”

Then she glanced at Noah, as if proudly presenting something of her own.

“Noah, on the other hand, has great potential. Equal to Reinart—or perhaps even greater.”

“If you’re done spouting nonsense—!!”

The king scratched his head violently and glared at Claudia.

“Don’t you dare give him some made-up name. That child is Leonhart—my slave!!”

“There is no such slave. Noah is my servant.”

“Tch…!!”

A surge of killing intent filled the air, sending a chill across the skin.

Noah could tell the king was about to cast a spell even before the incantation began.

“Hey, that’s enough. I won’t drag you into this any further—”

“Didn’t I tell you to choose how you live?”

The beautiful woman looked straight down at Noah.

“If you chose to use me, then see it through to the end.”

“…!”

At that moment, the king finished his incantation.

“‘Burn my enemies to ashes!’”

“——…”

A massive sphere of flames, far stronger than before, roared as it surged toward them.

Noah stepped forward instinctively to shield Claudia, but he didn’t even have time to raise his sword.

“‘Disperse.’”

“!!”

With a soft, bubbling sound, the flames vanished instantly.

It had been a powerful spell.

Yet instead of being extinguished by water or ice, it simply dissipated in an instant.

As if the king’s magic had been nothing more than an illusion.

“Impossible…”

Claudia’s shoes clicked softly as she took another step toward the king.

“Was that really an attack meant to harm me?”

“Impossible… impossible… That was a top-tier spell… It carried half of my magic power…!”

“Half of your magic? And that’s all the power it had?”

Claudia spoke with utter disdain.

“—How clumsy.”

“Don’t mock me!!”

As the king opened his mouth to chant again, vines suddenly wrapped around it tightly.

(…No incantation?)

Noah’s eyes widened at the vines that had appeared out of nowhere.

(She didn’t even use a single-word chant… she cast magic without any incantation at all…!!)