Chapter 6: Kind and Cruel

About a month had passed since I had successfully qualified to stay in the Heilon castle as a mage.

Ever since the events of that day, my title had changed from the simple ‘Lady Fiona’ into ‘Prodigy Magician Lady”.  It seemed as if the scene of the abrupt release of the thunderbolt with its resounding explosion and the sizzling scorch mark left on the slate grey stone walls had impressed them enough to actually carry out the proposal to change my title.

Also, because there were no other kids in this castle, all of the employees doted on me quite a bit. They gave me snacks whenever they met me. My pocket was always full of snacks and it made me look like one of the squirrels that perpetually hoarded food for the winter.. Well, it wasn’t just because I was the only kid. Abel had given a special order to all of the employees because of my waifish figure. He had commanded them imperiously. “She’s too small for a child of thirteen. Feed her. “

It didn’t bother me a bit. Even the thought of delicious food brought me happiness.

“Jeron, come here, I’ll give you candy.” I placed a brightly colored candy in the middle of his palm while he was walking down the hall. Like a zombie, he appeared haggard and scrawny. He was so thin that I was absolutely sure—hidden underneath the black fabric of his outfit, his ribs stuck out prominently, similar to a xylophone. It was clear that he must have been robbed by Abel just now. This poor aide.

“Oh. Thank you.” Jeron smiled at me exhaustedly, the already deep wrinkles around his eyes growing extensively. I gave him a toothy grin.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m headed to the fourth wall. I heard there was an attack this morning.”

“Oh…I see.”

 The monsters were relentless, not allowing for a moment’s respite. They charged during the day and the night. Reports flew in concerning the state of the second wall situated in the northern area. Although the plight of that particular section had seemed to improve, the rest were in dire straits. Gazing at the madness surrounding me on all sides, I felt exhausted. Would this really last until the beginning of the original story, for six long years?

“Just in case, I’ll come with you.”

“Is that okay?” Jeron responded anxiously.

I patted my chest as if to remind him who exactly I was and what capabilities I possessed. “Of course, no problem!”

I had suspected that Jeron was worried that I was traumatized regarding the events that had occured—thinking a visit to the battlefield would be a trigger and cause me to recall the horrible sights that I had beheld there three weeks ago. Alas, it was inevitable. Rather than seeing dead monsters, the lifeless bodies of soldiers were more distressing. In fact, for a short period of time  after I defeated the monsters three weeks ago, I ran around the battlefield following Abel while grabbing at his cloak tightly. Of course, unlike Jeron, who worried like a mother hen while seeing me behave this way, Abel laughed at me. However, after his raucous laughter had ceased to only a light chuckle, he picked me up and carried me around within his embrace.

Going over it once again within my mind, I felt a sharp pinch of annoyance.

“Then will you keep it secret from the Duke?”

“Of course.”

For some reason that I absolutely could not fathom, Abel was very fond of bothering me. However, he would not stand for it if anyone else did the same. Honestly, he was so peculiar.. No matter how much I tried, I could not decipher his thoughts.

“Alright, let us go.”

“Indeed.” I answered confidently.

Soon after that, I slightly regretted what happened.

***

The fourth wall was the picture of devastation. Attacked since the early hours of the morning, a mixture of the corpses of both soldiers and demons littered the battlefield like flies. The air shimmered with heat as flames flew everywhere. The rancid stench of burning flesh rose all the way to the top of the rampart.

It did not faze me much. Upon seeing this scene once again, I felt somewhat used to it.

Due to a particularly vicious attack at dawn, the soldiers had been assigned to work in groups of three for efficiency. There was much to do before the next wave of forces washed over us. They cleaned up the area the most they possibly could_some of burning the demon’s corpses and others transported wounded soldiers and the bodies of their fallen comrades to safety. They would return them home to their families, void of the vivacity which they had left their loved ones with. Additionally, soldiers streamed in from other walls to help fortify the area as it now lacked in manpower. The conditions were controlled chaos.

Jeron calmly weaved his way through the crowded battlefield, pausing at different groups of soldiers, asking them if there was anything they needed..

Although I tried to follow him around, my childish legs couldn’t keep up with his speed strides. I lost track of the path he was taking, especially within the chaos on the battlefield. As I bumped into one of the warriors clumsily, his figure disappeared into the sea of soldiers.

 I looked around, then heaved a deep sigh as I got up, brushing the covering of dirt clinging to me from my fall. I chose not to chase after Jeron, knowing we were not in a situation in which he could carry me while performing all of his duties properly. Additionally, he wasn’t like Abel, carrying me around would be too much of a burden for him.

Well, if I couldn’t be next to him, I could do the same thing on my own. I could use my power to help the soldiers burn the remains of the dead monsters.

As I drew closer, I recognized some familiar faces. The soldiers from my last visit greeted with a nod.

“Magician.”

“There’s no need, I’ll burn the body.”

 After declaring my intention, I concentrated for a brief moment. With an elegant flick of my wrist, a hungry fire bloomed on a couple of the demon corpses dispersed nearby on the ground like dolls thrown carelessly in the midst of a temper tantrum. The soldiers standing witness to the sight drifted away to different directions after staring at me with eyes full of awe and respect.

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