***

He smiled and hugged Valletta gently, then let go.

He then strode inside, grabbed one of the children by his nape, and carried him out.

“… What are you doing?”

“Ah, this?”

The child wearing shabby clothes, who was stiff and was unable to do anything, was put down by Reinhardt on the floor.

Valletta was a little surprised.

He didn’t kill anyone, nor did he treat anyone badly, and he even put the child down nicely.

“The Magic Tower’s Master could not directly kill an unawakened magician, and if one was discovered, one must not pretend not to know. Although it’s troublesome and annoying.”

“Magician…?”

The child, who saw Reinhardt’s red eyes, shuddered and clung to Valletta’s legs.

Reinhardt glanced at the child who was desperately clinging to her legs.

As Valletta sighed and hid the boy behind her back, Reinhardt looked away and smiled.

“I seem to be the only exception to Master’s kindness.”

She lifted her head at Reinhardt’s loose words.

It had been a long time since he turned toward the doorway where the light was leaking in.

Valletta nervously looked down at the trembling child.

‘… I can’t handle children very well.’

However, it was difficult to ignore the child who was trembling and clinging desperately to her.

He was about seven or eight years old.

She fumbled around and grabbed the child by his forearm.

As she dropped a little lower, she grabbed his hand. When she took his hand, the child’s eyes opened wide and his trembling slowly stopped.

Reinhardt glanced behind him and strode forward. Valletta also took the child’s hand and followed after him.

It was true that she wanted to run away from there, however, she didn’t know how to get out of that place at the moment.

‘If I go to the Imperial Palace, I won’t be treated well just like he said.’

She pondered for a moment.

She wants to inform the people in the Imperial Palace. Even if she was all alone, they couldn’t easily put their hands on her.

The pondering was short and the conclusion was simple.

“Jin, Nereid.”

At her call, a vortex of wind and water appeared before her eyes.

A colorless and transparent bird from afar was summoned, and a mermaid with a human torso and lower body fish scales was summoned next to it.

It was only the size of Jin’s wing.

– Whoa, what? What is this unique creature? How did you summon me without even a summoning circle?

– This human can summon a spirit by calling its name anywhere without a summoning circle.

– Eh? Jin? Why are you here again? Could it be that she summoned both of us at the same time? Us, higher spirits?

The flying mermaid circled around Valletta.

Every time the mermaid turned around, the water splashed. Jin stepped back behind Valletta with a troubled expression on his face.

– So what do you want, summoner?

“I want you to protect me.”

At Valletta’s words, the mermaid’s finger pointed towards Reinhardt, who was walking in front of them.

Valletta shook her head.

Of course, it was her greatest wish to be able to protect herself from Reinhardt, however, she remembered reading that even the Spirit King had to fold its hand in front of Reinhardt.

“Master, who are you talking to?”

Reinhardt suddenly approached and asked her.

Valletta shook her head.

His cold eyes swept over Nereid and Jin.

“If we don’t get out of here soon, those annoying things will break through my shield again.”

‘What shield…’

There must have been a reason why no one came in even though the door had been open for a long time.

She left the basement with a curious expression. As she went outside, she was dazzled by the sudden light.

Valletta frowned.

“Valletta!”

She slowly opened her eyes at the familiar voice. Fortunately, her eyes quickly adapted to the bright light.

“… His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“You’re unharmed! You, do you know just… how worried I was? You should have contacted me if you were alive. No. You must have a reason. It’s enough that we met like this.”

Milrode’s expression showed a sense of relief.

Valletta felt a little guilty at his innocent expression. Because she honestly hadn’t thought of contacting him until now.

Valletta didn’t speak, as his dark blue eyes passed Valletta and reached Reinhardt, who was standing next to her.

“You… aren’t you a slave of Count Delight?”

“No, I’m not.”

Milrode’s heavy voice was cut off by Reinhardt’s light tone in a single breath.

It was very rude and disrespectful treatment of a Crown Prince of a country.

“… What did you say?”

“I’m a slave of my Master.”

Reinhardt looked at Valletta and smiled.

Valletta was a little stunned.

What the hell is he thinking admitting he’s a slave of someone so happily?

“What I’m saying is, I’m not a slave of that stupid Count Delight.”

“As expected, the rumors…”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I think it will be better to take Lady Delight in custody as a new suspect.”

Valletta’s expression darkened.

She glanced hopelessly at Reinhardt.

He looked at the soldiers in front of him with an expression that hid what he was thinking.

His red eyes sunken heavily.

‘What to do? I think he’s going to kill them.’

Valletta understood Reinhardt’s thoughts easily.

The problem was the soldiers, but especially the Crown Prince, must not be killed.

She never wanted to be involved in it.

‘Looking at the atmosphere right now, perhaps I should command Reinhardt to let them go…’

She does not know if she would call it naive or pathetic.

“Are you the one who killed Count Delight?”

“And if I did?”

“Is the rumor that you have awakened as the Magic Tower’s Master true?”

“That’s right.”

Reinhardt responded with a smirk in response to Milrode’s questions.

She doesn’t know why they replaced an obvious thing with a boring question and answer.

“Even if you are the Magic Tower’s Master, what is this attitude you are showing to His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“That is right! You’ve even done such a heinous thing like annihilating a family!”

The soldiers around Milrode were filled with outrage because of Reinhardt’s sneering attitude.

Reinhardt’s eyebrows twitched slightly. It was clear that his heart was feeling uncomfortable.

Unsurprisingly, he raised his hand to snap a finger, but then turned his head to look at Valletta.

Reinhardt looked at Valletta, who was thinking with a blank expression, and put down the finger he had raised.

“Master, I don’t want your eyes to be corrupted, so go back to the Tower first.”

With a friendly voice, he slowly closed Valletta’s eyelids and snapped his fingers.

A magic circle appeared on the ground.

“Valletta!”

Milrode ran towards Valletta, who was standing on top of the glowing magic circle with a puzzled expression, as the magic circle activated.

***