[“As long as you do your job properly, she’ll be returned safely.”]
“…Could I at least hear my sister’s voice once? Just to make sure she’s safe…”
[“You know very well that saying unnecessary things could put your sister’s safety at risk.”]
“….”
[“In any case, move up the schedule as much as possible.”]
“Please give me more time.”
[“One week.”]
The voice on the other end said firmly.
[“Get it done within a week.”]
Originally, he had been given a month. But now, that deadline had been pushed forward.
Still, he had no choice but to comply. Joseph Oser was at the mercy of their orders.
“…Understood.”
Before he could even finish speaking, the communication spell was cut off. Joseph stared at the communication orb for a moment, then covered his face with both hands.
“Damn it…”
He was eighteen this year. He had entered the House of Adrian five years ago as a trainee knight. Step by step, he had worked his way up from the bottom and was now on the verge of taking his knight’s oath. That’s how loyal he was to House Adrian.
But about a month ago, he received word from his aunt, who had been taking care of his younger sister Melody, that the girl had gone missing.
The moment he heard it, Joseph took leave and searched every corner of his aunt’s neighborhood. But he couldn’t find Melody anywhere.
Just when he was about to go to Duke Adrian for help—grasping at straws, really—a suspicious man appeared before him.
The man had one demand: carry out the mission he was given, or his sister would die.
Joseph had agreed without even knowing what the mission was—he was desperate to save his sister. He was even prepared to give his life if it came to that.
But the “mission” they gave him was far more horrifying than he had imagined.
—“Spray this potion on Duke Adrian’s carriage.”
—“What happens if I do that?”
—“You don’t need to know.”
The man didn’t explain the potion’s effect, but Joseph could guess well enough. It was meant to cause an accident.
If something went wrong with a moving carriage, the worst-case scenario would be death on the spot. Even if the victim survived, there was no guarantee they’d escape unscathed.
And to think their target was none other than Duke Adrian, a man Joseph deeply respected.
He had considered going straight to the duke and confessing everything. But as if the man had anticipated that, every time Joseph tried, a warning letter would arrive—every time.
It always said that if he told anyone, his sister would die.
WOsser still, even if the plan failed and they were exposed, his sister would still be killed—so he wasn’t allowed to mess up.
“Now there’s no way out…”
Joseph gripped the potion bottle tightly, the one he had hidden deep inside his drawer.
There was no escape now.
“You’re so slow, kid. Even a turtle would beat you.”
Lucas ran alongside Rosette, teasing her. He didn’t even seem to be trying, yet he was still faster than her, even though she was rsisterng with all her might.
Rosette gritted her teeth and picked up her pace. Annoyingly, Lucas didn’t even look out of breath despite speeding up.
Since the previous day, Rosette had started training with Lucas every morning.
All they did was run laps around the training ground, so calling it “training” felt like a stretch, but she was reassured when she heard that everyone started with this.
Of course, other family members were skeptical of Rosette’s decision. They agreed to support her, but added that she could quit anytime if it got too hard.
But Rosette had no intention of giving up. She had a big plan.
“I’ll build up my stamina quickly and form a mana core.”
With a mana core, she’d be able to protect herself in emergencies. She also planned to eat more to gain some weight and get stronger.
And…
“I have to keep a close eye on Joseph Oser.”
Even as she panted and ran, she glanced at the supposed spy of House Dallas—Joseph—who was practicing with a wooden sword in the distance.
From Daniel, she had learned his name was Joseph Oser, and that he had been in the order for about five years. He had lost his parents young and only had a younger sister left.
During the conversation, Daniel had casually asked, “Why is our little one curious about that guy?”
And Lucas had screamed, “I knew it! You are into that guy!”
But she somehow managed to convince them otherwise.
Still, something didn’t add up. According to Daniel, Joseph was mature for his age, diligent, and extremely loyal to House Adrian.
So why would someone like that become a spy for House Dallas and target Daniel?
“Is his sister being held hostage?”
She was seriously considering that possibility when her vision was suddenly blocked. Lucas had stepped in front of her, pouting.
“You’re staring at him again. Listen, kiddo. You’re eight, and he’s eighteen! Think about the age gap!”
Ugh. That again. Instead of wasting energy explaining, Rosette ignored him and walked past. Lucas continued to chatter behind her, but she tuned him out.
After finishing three laps, Rosette didn’t wait for Lucas to return with water—she headed straight for Joseph.
“Joseph… that’s your name, right?”
Joseph, who had been chatting with another knight, looked startled when he saw her.
“Oh, young lady!”
He straightened up and looked down at her.
“Is something the matter?”
Rosette looked up at him with innocent eyes and whispered:
“Water…”
“Pardon?”
“I want to drink some water.”
“Ah, water! Just a moment.”
“Miss, please take mine!”
“Hey, you already drank from that! Miss, take this one—it’s untouched.”
As Joseph fumbled to find a water bottle, a swarm of knights gathered around. In an instant, Rosette was surrounded by large, burly knights.
She casually picked one of the bottles handed to her, unscrewed the cap, and drank. The knight who had offered that bottle beamed with pride.
“By the way, young lady, are you not feeling tired?”
“Still, you managed to complete all three laps, that’s impressive! It’s not easy.”
“How’s your injured knee? Is it okay?”
Rosette nodded absentmindedly and observed Joseph, who was awkwardly smiling while holding a water bottle. To be precise, she was sensing the mana around him.
Although she hadn’t created her mana core yet, she was able to sense the energy of mana easily.
‘I can’t sense any mana from him.’
Rosette felt relieved. She had been worried that, like her past self, he might be cursed and listening to the Marquis of Dallas.
Last night, Rosette had thought more about Joseph Oser, whom she had met before. From the dark expression on his face back then, she had guessed that he was being forced to follow the Marquis of Dallas.
This triggered her trauma. Rosette saw her past self in Joseph Oser, being used like a marionette to harm Duke Adrian and Daniel.
If Joseph Oser was also a victim, and if he didn’t want this, she wanted to help him.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a curse, so it seemed like there might be a way she could help.
‘If it’s not a curse, then maybe his younger sister is the hostage.’
If that was the case, she needed to stop the accident, save Joseph Oser’s sister, and catch the mastermind behind it.
‘But how? Can I do it by myself? Without a mana core?’
Just as Rosette was deep in thought, Lucas, who had approached her with a water bottle in hand, shouted.
“What are you two doing? If you keep standing around like that, the little one will get scared!”
“Ha!”
“We’ll fix it right away!”
The knights quickly stepped back. Only then could Rosette, who had been surrounded by the knights, be seen.
Lucas grabbed the water bottle Rosette was drinking from and handed her the one he had brought.
“Drink this.”
“I’ve already had enough… no, I’ll drink it.”
Though Rosette had already finished a whole bottle, she drank the one Lucas had brought as well. Thanks to that, her stomach was full of water before breakfast even started.
****
“Goodnight, young lady.”
“Mm, good night, Joan.”
Rosette, lying in bed, immediately sat up when she heard the door close. She closed her eyes and focused on the mana flowing through her body. This had been going on for more than a month now.
Without wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, Rosette gathered her mana. The mana that had gathered vaguely in her stomach began to compress and shrink.
Now, the real challenge began. If her concentration wavered or her stamina didn’t hold out, the compressed mana would disperse, and she wouldn’t be able to form the core.
She had failed here for the past month because of her stamina.
‘Just a little more…’
Rosette fought to keep her focus and pushed herself even further.
And finally…
With a sense of release, Rosette’s eyes snapped open. She pressed her hands to her still-flat stomach. Although faint, she could sense the presence of a mana core.
The energy was too faint for others to notice, but it was indeed a mana core. She had succeeded in forming it a year earlier than expected.
Her stamina hadn’t increased much yet, but because Rosette knew how to manipulate mana, she had been able to achieve this.
***
‘I still can’t use proper magic yet…’
Rosette hadn’t created her mana core just to use magic right away. She had another reason.
She spread her hands and began to channel mana into them. Pink mana began to gather in soft, fluffy clumps on her palms before eventually forming into something.
[Peep!]
A small, white bird suddenly appeared. It was a familiar made from Rosette’s mana.
Rosette called out warmly, “Peepy!”
The little bird, a sparrow-like creature named Peepy, flapped its tiny wings and responded.
[Peep!]
The mana-made familiar wasn’t a living creature, but it had a sense of self. However, since it couldn’t remember the past, the current Peepy was different from the previous one.
Still, Rosette was glad to see Peepy. The past Peepy had been her only friend during her lonely times.
Rosette gently pressed her cheek against Peepy and murmured, “I’m glad to see you.”
[Peep!]
“Oh, wait. This isn’t the time for that. You have a job to do.”
[Peep Peep!]
“Go and keep an eye on a knight named Joseph Oser. Find out what he’s going to do with the carriage. Then let me know. No, wait—let me know the moment he leaves his room in the middle of the night. Got it?”
[Peep!]
Peepy nodded its head and fluttered out the window. Rosette, feeling exhausted, flopped down onto her bed.
Now all that was left was to wait for Peepy’s report.
Three days later, just before dawn, Rosette received a message from Peepy. The little bird squeezed through the slightly open window and grabbed Rosette’s head with its beak, tugging her awake.
“Ouch. Who… Peepy?”
Peep!
Peepy flapped its wings excitedly in the air. Rosette quickly came to her senses, grabbed her cloak, and followed Peepy toward the carriage storage. There, in the place where no one should be, a large figure stood.
Seeing the man, who could only be Joseph Oser, approaching the carriage, Rosette sprinted toward him at full speed.
“Stop!”
