Chapter 25

Chapter 25

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“P-please buy me, master!” a voice called out, panting.

“N-no! Buy me! Buy me instead! I’ll do anything you want me to! I promise!”

“No! Take me instead of them! I-I... I can do better!”

“Please save me!” another one wheezed.

After an uncomfortable breakfast, Valeta and Reinhart had arrived at the Nursery, the latter having transported them there.

Valeta stiffened as soon as she stepped into the room crowded with cells, hearing sounds coming from all directions. She knew it would be bad, but it was far worse than she expected. Pleading wails echoed from every corner as she walked forward. Valeta grimaced at the horrible cries and the pungent smell of medicine that was strong enough to induce dizziness.

It smelled simultaneously like a fragrant flower and the foul odor of garbage. Valeta was beginning to see double. As she stood, dazed, trying not to fall over, Reinhart wrapped a strong arm around her waist, steadying her with his body.

“Open your eyes, master. Didn’t you want to see this?”

She blinked dully as the voice whispered in her ear. She tried to lift her head but found it impossible to do so. There was a persistent buzzing in her head. Reinhart stepped in front of her, bent down so he was eye-level with her, and looked into her eyes.

A cheap hallucinogen, he thought.

It was a common drug used to break the minds of ordinary humans and turn them into slaves. He was used to this kind of drug because of all the things Count Delight had done to him behind his daughter’s back. Valeta, however, wasn’t. This was why he hadn’t wanted to bring her here… But at the same time, he wanted her to face the reality of what this place was. And this was the result of his perverse desires.

Reinhart laughed at himself. He hated how Valeta took pity on other people, yet he, having never been on the receiving end of that pity, longed for at least her sympathy. If only he could get Valeta, the girl who was desperate to get rid of him, to look at him.

She was gasping for air. Reinhart stroked her forehead with his thumb and, in an instant, her breathing evened out.

It was easy to knock out the guards on watch. Even without the magician there, Valeta would have had the upper hand had she summoned the elementals. Since they were no longer in the Magicians’ Tower, she could summon high-level elementals without the hassle of drawing summoning circles.

“I wish that you could be useless without me,” Reinhart whispered, just as he had the other night.

She would have been far easier to handle if she had just been a powerless, foolish human with a strong sense of justice. If she asked him to save someone, he would do so without hesitation.

“You’re the only one who can use me like this...” His voice trailed off. He dropped the hand that was resting on Valeta’s neck. I can’t kill you. If I was going to, I should have done it back then.

The day he killed Count Delight, he’d hesitated to kill her. Now, he couldn’t do it, no matter what. He wanted to be her dog—a loyal one, constantly by its master’s side. However, she never gave him orders. She didn’t want anything from him. Except for that time she’d passed out, she had never said his name.

Still, she was the only person who didn’t avoid his gaze. Reinhart rubbed Valeta’s forehead once before kissing it. A light flashed as it passed through her forehead.

Valeta’s dazed eyes began to refocus. She blinked. Long eyelashes fluttered as she closed then opened her eyes a few more times, her awareness slowly coming back to her.

“I blocked the poison that’s coming into this place. You won’t feel dizzy anymore, master,” Reinhart said as he smiled a smile warm enough to melt anyone’s heart.

Valeta, still slightly dazed, brought a hand to her forehead and nodded absentmindedly. What just happened? What the hell was that? Her head was spinning. Yet, Reinhart looked utterly unfazed. She looked back at him and asked, “Are you all right?”

It was a simple question, but the man lit up like a candle.

“Are you worried about me, master?”

She said nothing when she saw the magician beside himself with joy. What was with that pretty smile? Valeta snapped her mouth shut and turned away. She wanted to pat her past self on the back for not letting herself be seduced by that face.

“I want to do something about this air first.”

Valeta looked around, noticing the thick smoke. The Nursery was essentially a prison with people locked behind iron bars. There were many, many cells.

Should I summon Gene? She thought his wind would be powerful enough to air out the place. However, she was hesitant to summon him. After all, she hadn’t properly looked after him the last few times she’d called him, nor had she given him any orders.

“Just say the word, master,” Reinhart said as he raised his finger into the air.

“It’s fine,” she replied.

Reinhart’s face hardened, and he slowly lowered his hand. “Well, then there’s nothing I can do.”

He looked disappointed despite the smile on his face. Valeta glanced at him before shaking her head. There wasn’t much she could do with her limited powers, and she couldn’t think of a better idea. She’d probably get chewed out by Gene again. Valeta sighed and started to open her mouth.

Wait... I don’t have to call a high-level elemental, do I? Her lips snapped together again. Think about it. All she wanted to do was air out the place, but calling a high-level elemental for that seemed like a waste of energy. It absolutely wasn’t because she didn’t want to hear one of Gene’s lectures.

“Silph.”

As soon as Valeta said the name, a small tornado appeared before her. It was practically a light gust of wind compared to the windstorm that Gene came out of. Judging by the glow, Valeta expected Silph to appear.

Instead, the tornado fizzled out.

Valeta looked at Reinhart, who shook his head in response. He shook his head again when Valeta narrowed her eyes at him.

“It wasn’t you?”

“Oh, master. You wound me. It’s obvious that someone else is interfering with your summoning. How could you suspect me of such a thing?”

Valeta had nothing to say. He swore it wasn’t him, so what more was there that she could say? She rolled her eyes and tried again, “Silph.”

Another tornado appeared, but it went out again, just like the first. It didn’t even glow this time. Valeta crossed her arms, bewildered.

“Silph!” she shouted. Not even a tornado appeared this time. By now, the elementalist was feeling rather miserable. She looked at Reinhart, but he was looking elsewhere, his arms crossed. He looked like he was upset over the fact that she’d suspected him of interfering.

“Gene...” Valeta said dejectedly, recalling the hawk’s sharp eyes. A large, glowing tornado appeared, and a huge, transparent hawk emerged from its center.

Gene’s eyes flashed and his beak opened, ready to unleash everything he wanted to say to the girl who had summoned him.

Ugh, I shouldn’t have called him. Valeta was starting to regret everything. She wondered if she should have just taken Reinhart up on his offer, but she felt slightly conflicted at that thought.

“You heartless shrew! You ingrate! You thankless wretch!”

Valeta grimaced as the summoned elemental began yelling immediately upon his arrival.