It was late at night.
After spending the entire day with Delight, I finally had some time alone.
Fortunately, Delight had returned to his usual self and was recovering well.
In fact, he was recovering so well that it was beginning to tire me out.
But I’d rather have it this way than see him pale and collapsed.
“Phew. Thanks to this, I can’t just sit back and relax anymore.”
I couldn’t ignore what the Ilnord Empire had been doing all this time.
Moreover, Delight had been suffering because of that experiment and was still in pain.
I was gathering my thoughts on what to do next when I heard a knock.
It wasn’t at the door. Could it be the window?
I dragged a chair over to the window, hopped up, and checked.
“How did you manage to climb up here?”
Hiel was precariously clinging to the window ledge, smiling brightly.
Knock, knock.
Hiel urgently signaled for me to open the window.
With a gust of cold wind, Hiel climbed inside.
“Whew. I almost died. I’m not a cat or a leopard, so I don’t have the talent for climbing high places.”
He sat down with a thud, grinning as he spoke.
“So next time, Master, please help me up.”
That was his way of saying he would visit again.
“Didn’t you go with Luciel?”
“Yes, that was the plan…,”
Hiel sighed deeply and looked at me blankly.
“I told Lord Luciel that I’d stay here for a while. I couldn’t just leave without checking in on you.”
“Well, you and Delight do get along well. Don’t worry! I’m here for you…”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean, you couldn’t leave because you were worried about Delight…”
As memories of Delight and Hiel playing tag in the mountains surfaced, I felt a pang of nostalgia.
“It’s not Delight I can’t stop thinking about—it’s you, Master!”
Hiel, frustrated, snapped that he couldn’t leave because of me, not Delight.
“Why me?”
“Master, you’ve always been someone I couldn’t help but worry about!”
Hiel waved his hand dismissively, as if wondering why I was even asking such an obvious question.
“But back then, you were older and stronger, so I thought I was foolish for worrying.”
“Well, I’m still strong! I’m not that old…”
“You’re just three years old now.”
Ugh.
Hiel’s firm correction left me speechless.
“That’s only the time I’ve lived in this body.”
“And this body is so small! Besides, Master, isn’t it true that Princess Violyana doesn’t have any mana?”
Oh no. Hiel seemed to know quite a lot about me.
He spoke as if he understood the situation.
“You’ve decided not to live as a mage, right?”
“……….”
“So I’ll just have to be your strength!”
Hiel, receiving my silent confirmation, rolled up his sleeves and pounded his chest confidently.
…I was a bit moved by this.
“I didn’t even properly say goodbye.”
My chest felt a slight, tingling sensation.
“Exactly! I was really hurt! How could you leave without a word to me?”
Suddenly, Hiel glared at me, his eyes wide and menacing.
“Did you think I was just some neighborhood stray?”
“……….”
“Sigh, I know. You didn’t say goodbye because you thought if you did, I’d really start thinking of you as my Master.”
Hiel seemed to have just wanted to get that off his chest, not even waiting for my explanation before coming to his conclusion.
“No matter how incomplete I may be, once I’ve sworn loyalty, I won’t betray you.”
And he was right.
I wanted to tease him about interpreting everything in his favor, but I couldn’t.
“I had already decided to serve you as my master long ago.”
“So you knew how to be persistent.”
That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to say a final goodbye.
“Hehe! I knew it!”
Hiel burst out laughing, feeling relieved.
And he continued to look at me, as if he still hadn’t given up his stubbornness.
“Master, you’ve changed a lot from how you were in the past.”
Hiel gently placed his hand on top of my head.
“What’s with this warm gesture, like an adult treating a child?”
Is he really treating me like a child?
I understand if people who don’t know me do that, but you, Hiel?
However, instead of taking his hand off my head, Hiel lightly ruffled my hair!
“See? Even though you’re glaring at me, you don’t push my hand away. You’re actually used to this kind of affection now.”
“…What?”
“Master, you’re already a precious princess loved by everyone.”
“…..”
“Master, continue to live this way. I’ll assist you from places where a precious princess like you can’t easily move.”
Hiel had come here from the start to fulfill that role.
“Even though I’m only half-human, I have a good sense of smell and sharp eyesight. I’m more agile than others, too. So, I’ll be helpful to you, Master.”
Hiel gave a meaningful smirk.
Then, even though we were alone, he covered his mouth with his hand and spoke quietly.
“Your inheritance is still intact. I’ve been guarding it well.”
“What?”
“Hehe, you’re surprised, aren’t you?”
He smiled confidently, raising his chin.
“I knew you needed me, right? You can’t do without me, can you?”
Hiel’s eyes sparkled with certainty.
If I were to say firmly, ‘It’s okay, just get along well with Luciel…’ here…
“Yes, Hiel, you’re the best!”
…it would really hurt him.
And given the current situation, I also needed Hiel’s help.
I was a Great Archmage. And I’ve lived a long time.
Even though I had secluded myself in the mountains, that didn’t mean I had nothing.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
The enormous wealth I had accumulated as a great wizard was still lying dormant.
I had little use for it in the mountains, so it remained untouched.
There were rare jewels, large amounts of gold and silver, and various priceless magical items.
With those as my foundation, there’s nothing I couldn’t do in this world.
“Then, I’m counting on you. Take good care of my inheritance.”
Hiel was someone I could trust and entrust with everything.
Additionally, what Hiel excelled at the most was…
“Create a dark guild and dig up information on Ilnord or anything suspicious.”
A dark guild was an optimal information network for a beastkin like him.
“Leave it to me! I’ve done it before, so I can do it well.”
Hiel responded joyfully, his face lighting up with a bright smile.
Even though it meant returning to the very work he once risked his life to escape.
When I first met Hiel, he had escaped from a dark guild and was wandering the streets injured.
To be precise, it was Delight who found him and brought him to live in the mountains where I resided.
So, I thought he wouldn’t want to do that kind of work again.
“Hehe. I’ll make sure those who once exploited me will have no place to stand. This time, I’m the leader. I’ll create a guild that dominates the entire continent!”
…Maybe I was worried for nothing.
He seems full of ambition.
I should support him in that resolve.
I smiled at his confident demeanor.
“Go ahead and spend as much as you want. You can do whatever you like.”
The inheritance I left behind was so vast that no matter how much he spent, it wouldn’t make a dent.
But Hiel frowned slightly at my words and became serious.
“…Master.”
“What? Is there another problem?”
“With such a sweet appearance, how could you say something like ‘spend recklessly’? It feels like I’m corrupting you with bad influences.”
“…Get out.”
It could have been a touching moment.
When I glared at him, Hiel folded his eyes into a crescent shape and smiled cheerfully.
“I’ll be off now. Once I establish a foothold, I’ll contact you again.”
He was about to return the way he came, through the window.
“Hiel.”
I called out to him.
“Yes? Is there something else I need to do?”
He asked confidently, as if ready to take on whatever task I had in mind.
But that wasn’t why I called him back.
I spoke softly to Hiel.
“Thank you.”
Hiel stared at me without saying a word.
Ugh. This is embarrassing. Just go already!
Feeling awkward in the strange silence, I scratched my head, and Hiel, lifting the corners of his mouth, finally spoke.
“Have I ever told you this before?”
“…?”
“It’s my joy to be able to do anything for you, Master.”
Hiel tapped his chest twice and clenched his fist tightly.
To think of anything else at this point would be an insult to Hiel.
“I’ll be your pride!”
“That would be even better! Oh, by the way, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”
“What is it?”
For the first time, Hiel hesitated a bit before asking cautiously.
“I’m your family too, right?”
His eyes rolled nervously, showing his tension.
I wondered what he was trying to say. Why are all the people around me like this?
Or is it because I’m the same?
“Of course! We’ve been a family since the time we were together.”
The only problem is that I only realized it now, even though we lived together in the mountains back then.
But still, I’m glad.
It’s a relief that everyone is still here.
“Hehe. Protecting my family… that’s so cool! I’ll work even harder!”
With that, Hiel disappeared beyond the window.
He’ll probably come back after he has established the guild and set things in place.
Until then…
I should do what I can here!
