* * *

A month had passed since I had earned permission to stay in Heylon as a mage.

Adjusting to this new life hadn’t been the easiest. Fortunately, the servants of Heylon Castle were always kind to me. I guess my ability to strike down demonic beasts with lightning must have left a good impression.

They had started referring to me as “Young Lady the Genius Mage.” But when speaking to me, they usually just called me “Lady Fiona.”

Because there was no other child in the castle, the maids doted on me.

“Fatten her up,” Abel had ordered. “She’s too tiny for a thirteen-year-old.”

Whenever I ran into a servant, they would give me some sort of snack to eat. Like a little squirrel storing away food, my pockets were always full of sweets. What happiness...

As I walked down the hallway, I ran into Jeron. Judging from his haggard looks, Abel must have been giving him a hard time again. Oh, that poor advisor... “Let me give you some candy, Jeron.”

“Oh... Thank you,” he replied with a tired smile.

I smiled back. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the fourth rampart. I received a report of an attack there this morning.”

“Oh.”

The demonic beasts attacked relentlessly. Since I had helped defend the second rampart, it had been faring better than the other walls. The others really were not doing so well. It was exasperating to think that this routine would continue on for six more years. Nothing significant could happen until the main storyline began.

“I’ll go with you just in case.”

“Will you be okay?” Jeron asked with furrowed brows.

“I’ll be fine!” I said, tapping my chest reassuringly.

No matter how confident I appeared, Jeron still seemed to see me as a shell-shocked child. I had been quite startled during my first encounter with the carcasses of the beasts just three weeks prior. In my defense, close-up views of these dead monsters were very different from the view at the top of the wall.

So taken aback, I had clutched tightly onto the hem of Abel’s cloak as he walked through the battlefield. Of course, unlike kind and concerned Jeron, Abel had merely laughed at me. That guy annoys me whenever I think about him. I guess he had picked me up and carried me afterward though.

“Then could you keep this a secret from His Grace?” asked Jeron.

“Of course.”

For some reason, Abel didn’t like it when other people asked me for help, though he himself never shied away from a chance to bully me around. I didn’t know what the guy was thinking.

“All right, let’s go together,” Jeron said.

“Let’s!”

I had no idea how much I would come to regret this decision later.

* * *

Attacks by demonic beasts were pretty consistent. They attacked at least once a month, and at most, once a week. The fourth rampart, which had been targeted earlier this morning, looked as desolate as ever.

Strewn with the bodies of both soldiers and demons, everyone had been hard at work cleaning up the area. They needed to clear the field to prepare for future attacks. Because the dying beasts would occasionally thrash around and wreak havoc, the soldiers moved in groups of three.

They would move their injured and dead comrades, returning fallen soldiers to their families and burning any monsters on sight. Flecks of ember and the scent of burning flesh filled the air.

By now, I was used to such carnage.

Jeron walked with me, making rounds to see if the soldiers needed anything. Because the area was so short of hands, many soldiers stationed at other walls had come to help. Everyone was so busy. Following Jeron around and observing the chaos around me, I decided this was no time to stand around idly. Though I couldn’t move the dead beasts myself, I could at least help the soldiers burn the bodies.

As I approached the nearest beast, a few of the soldiers nodded at me. I recognized their faces.

“Lady Mage,” they greeted.

“I’ll burn the corpses,” I offered, concentrating on the mana around me and lightly flicking my hand. Several carcasses scattered on the ground caught fire.

The soldiers watched in awe as I moved around the field. I moved mechanically—scanning for corpses then burning, scanning, and burning. Then I came across a sight that caused my eyes to suddenly shoot open.

“Is that a child...?” I asked, finding the body of a human much smaller than the other soldiers. “They must have been around my age.”

I walked up close to find a young boy crumpled on the ground. Judging from his attire, he was likely a mercenary, not a regular soldier.

“Rest in peace...” I whispered, offering simple condolences. Though I may have been an adult in a little girl’s body, this boy was an actual child.

The boy’s corpse suddenly groaned.

I screamed, tumbling backward. So dead bodies could talk in a fantasy world… “Wait, no! He’s still alive!”

Finally snapping back to my senses, I looked around for someone who could help. “We have a survivor here!”

Then it dawned on me that I should stop the bleeding. The boy seemed to have hurt his stomach, so I had to turn him onto his back in order to treat him. I cautiously placed my hands on his groaning body. Fortunately, the boy’s trembling eyelids slowly opened. He was conscious.

“Can you hear me?” I asked, patting his cheek.

“You’re going to be okay. So stay with me!”

He looked dazed. “Who...?” the boy murmured, dull eyes slowly looking up at me. Now that he had regained his consciousness, perhaps he was going to survive after all.

Though the boy was covered with blood and filth, he had a stunningly beautiful face—with jet-black hair and gray-blue eyes. When not dulled by injuries, he must have been quite handsome. I wondered what such a boy might be doing here.

He did feel a bit familiar somehow, even though I was sure I had never seen him before... That was when the boy looked over my shoulders with wide eyes.

“L-look out...” he groaned.

“Huh?” I said.

“Look out, Lady Mage!” shouted the soldiers, when I was suddenly flipped upside down. Just a moment before, this boy had been lying limply by my side. But then with great force, he had pulled at my arms as he rolled over on the ground.

Thud!

Something crashed behind me. Something had struck the ground I had been on just moments before. Had the boy not pulled me away, I would have been crushed.

“There’s a demonic beast here! Get ready to attack! Come on!” the soldiers shouted.

In the midst of the confusion, I whipped my head around to identify the enemy—one I had mistakenly assumed to be dead. Saving me must have worsened the boy’s injuries because he began panting loudly. I would not be able to help him alone.

The soldiers quickly gathered around me, but there were not enough of them to stop the giant’s second attack.

“Lady Mage!” yelled a voice as the giant raised its huge fist. I stretched out my hand and concentrated my mana.

Boom!

Lightning struck the giant’s head. Its blackened body fell slowly and landed with a resounding crash that shook the ground.

“Woah...”

The soldiers watched with wide eyes. Oh, come on, guys. Don’t just watch. Help me!

“Ugh,” I groaned, feeling my head spin. I had never used magic this quickly before, so it must have taken a toll on my body. However, my suffering was nothing compared to the boy’s injuries.

“Wake up!” I cried, examining the boy as the soldiers rushed toward me.

Then it hit me.

“Oh...”

I looked at him more carefully. Ragged mercenary attire, hair as black as the night sky, eyes like the stormy sea, and beauty that shone through the thick grime...

I hadn’t realized who he was at first. He looked so much younger than I expected, but this was none other than Siegren, the male lead of the novel.

Why was he here...? I felt confused. What was the male protagonist doing all the way in Heylon? It was far too early for him to be here. Or was I wrong? Was this when Siegren meets Abel?

To be honest, I had no idea. I had never actually written out this part of the story. All I could do was guess. But now was not the time to question these things.

Siegren was a hero of the story who would save this world. If he was dying before my eyes, it meant that the world itself was in danger. I felt the blood drain from my face.

“P-please! Someone call a doctor!”