“Zeronin…? How did you come here?”

“Why do you think?”

Noah tilted his head in confusion, then slowly closed his mouth as guilt washed over him.

Zeronin walked towards Nigel without even putting down his bag.

Tears welled up in Nigel’s eyes as she lay on the hay. Zeronin let out a soft sigh and wiped away her tears.

“…If your communication stone wasn’t working, you should have at least stayed healthy. Why did you stubbornly endure it?”

Zeronin muttered quietly, then placed his hand on Nigel’s forehead.

It was hotter than the blazing summer sun, a state that could potentially lead to magic overload beyond just magic addiction.

Zeronin turned his cold eyes to look at the group.

“Hey, since when has she been struggling so much?”

“Since this week. She’s not usually like this, but she’s been forgetting class supplies and assignment due dates.”

Allen quickly spoke up under the sharp gaze.

“You’re in the magic department.”

“…Ah, yes.”

“Did you take the potion class this semester?”

“Yes, I’m interested in potions…”

“Good, then can you classify these potions in order based on this paper?”

Allen, who had been answering the sudden questions in a daze, quickly gathered his wits and took out the potions from Zeronin’s large bag.

“I’ll help too.”

“The fiance should just stay quietly by her side.”

“But…!”

“If you want to test the limits of my patience, stop making excuses now. I’m already showing you mercy by not kicking you out of here.”

Zeronin’s gaze briefly turned to the Reparo potion lying near Noah.

Giving a Reparo potion to someone with magic addiction was no different from feeding them poison.

And the target was none other than Nigel.

If Zeronin had gotten lost and arrived late, if the carriage wheel had gotten stuck on the way, Nigel might have slowly passed away in her sleep.

At age 10 in the summer, he met a girl and wondered why his affection for her grew day by day. He gave up his knighthood position despite his family’s opposition. He enrolled at Sienna to meet Nigel, not even knowing if she would be there. And then he met Nigel.

Just having her by his side, when she wouldn’t even show her face in his dreams, overwhelmed him with happiness each day, and the more time they spent together, the more he craved.

He wished her shy and pretty violet-like smile would always be directed at him, he wanted to always be by her side to protect her when she had many burdens, he wanted to protect her future.

Such a precious Nigel. He had almost killed her with his own hands.

As soon as he realized this fact, Noah’s whole body trembled with fear.

“It’s fine to cry, but don’t cry out loud. It’s breaking my concentration.”

Noah belatedly came to his senses at Zeronin’s sharp voice.

His face was wet with tears, and dark circles had irregularly formed here and there on his clothes.

Zeronin examined the pile of papers filled with complex writing, while Allen swiftly handed over potions following Zeronin’s instructions.

Rus closed his eyes and muttered softly. Judging by the powerful force felt around the warehouse, it seemed he was setting up a protective barrier.

Only I, the one who had almost killed Nigel, was of no help here.

Even so, Nigel was still wearing the engagement ring. I felt so ashamed of the ring I had forcibly put on with a promise I couldn’t keep, saying I would protect her, when all I could do was hold Nigel’s hand.

“What are you doing now? Your body is shaking.”

Zeronin’s cold voice pierced through as soon as I grabbed her hand. But I couldn’t let go of Nigel’s hand. I felt that if I let go of this hand, Nigel would disappear when I opened my eyes, just like that summer when I was 10 years old.

“Noah, I understand how you feel, but I just explained… We’re in the process of engraving magic formulas on Nigel’s body with these potions, so not even a single mistake can happen, so absolutely don’t touch her…”

Zeronin, who had been speaking in a slightly softened but still chilly voice, suddenly trailed off.

“Noah, let go of that hand.”

“No…”

Noah barely swallowed his tears and let out a voice mixed with a groan.

“I won’t scold you, and I’ll let you hold that hand again in a moment, so just for a bit.”

At the gentle voice, as if coaxing a child who had dropped their ice cream with a promise of a new one, Noah looked at Zeronin with tear-filled eyes.

“Really, I promise.”

Only after hearing the word “promise” did Noah nod and slowly release Nigel’s hand.

“Alright, you can hold it again.”

Zeronin stared intently at Nigel’s face with furrowed brows, as if trying to confirm something.

After repeating this action a couple of times, Zeronin let out a sigh mixed with laughter.

“Well, this isn’t just giving medicine after causing illness… Keep holding her hand. It seems that you holding her hand is helping Nigel.”

Allen, who had been blankly observing the situation, couldn’t contain his curiosity and closed his eyes before quickly opening them wide.

“…It’s true. Nigel’s magic flow has noticeably stabilized even though the treatment isn’t finished yet.”

Noah paid no attention to their conversation, just clasping Nigel’s hand and praying.

For her to wake up soon without any issues, for her to scold and curse and hit this fool who mistook magic addiction for magic deficiency, but please just wake up as if nothing had happened.

“…You’ve worked hard. We’ve passed the critical point now.”

Zeronin, who had poured in the last of dozens of potions without missing a single drop, finally smiled softly.

“Allen, was it? Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to treat her quickly.”

“Ah, it was nothing.”

Allen’s stiff lips also curled up into a smile.

“Ah, Noah, you stay right there by Nigel’s side and don’t move.”

Noah gladly followed his command.

In a short time, Nigel’s complexion had improved noticeably. Vitality slowly returned, and the intense heat was subsiding.

-…Just this once, big human.

“Yes.”

Even Rus’s prickly words sounded sweet, involuntarily bringing a smile to his face.

“Ah, that’s right! By the way, Zeronin, how did you come to this deep place? Even we couldn’t find it. Did Nigel contact you in advance?”

As soon as the tension eased, Allen’s mouth came alive again. Zeronin also willingly opened his mouth to that question.

“No, Nigel’s communication stone wasn’t answering, so I was just searching aimlessly when Sid told me.”

“Sid did?”

“Yes, he said he saw you guys hurriedly going to the lakeside.”

Zeronin shrugged and put the empty bottles into his bag to tidy up.

-Zero? Yes, you must be that Zero!

Rus glanced at Noah and fluttered over to land near Zeronin.

“Yes, you must be Rus. The one who contracted with Nigel.”

-Zero, how did you know my name?

“Nigel wrote it in her letter. She said she made a cute and reliable friend named Rus.”

-That’s right! Rus is Nigel’s reliable friend.

As Nigel recovered, Rus, who had fully regained his confidence, flapped his wings and rapidly circled around Zeronin.

“Rus, could you please stay still? The bottles might break.”

Zeronin said, lifting only the corners of his mouth.

Although his tone was gentle, it clearly meant to stay still as it was disturbing. Meeting the blue-gray eyes that lacked any hint of a smile despite the friendly mouth, Rus quietly stopped flying and slunk over to Noah’s side.

-This human… is Nigel’s family, right?

Rus whispered softly, hiding behind Noah’s back.

“Yes.”

-I thought so!

Rus, whose standard for goodness was all based on Nigel, smiled brightly.

-When scolding, only the mouth smiles, just like Nigel! If it’s Nigel’s family, unlike the rich human and the big human, I can trust and leave Nigel to them!

Zeronin paused while organizing the medicine bottles and stared at Rus.

-Why, why are you looking at me like that?

“…It’s nothing.”

-Why do you make me curious by stopping mid-sentence!

“Ask Nigel when she wakes up later.”

-Alright! I’ll only trust Zero!

Allen burst into laughter at Rus’s reaction of infinite trust in Zeronin.

“Wow… Look at Rus, who never followed us for months, immediately following Zeronin.”

He felt indignant that the chubby belly under that cute face was made up of all sorts of desserts and delicious food he had brought, yet Rus didn’t remember that.

Moreover, he was still called ‘rich human’, while Zeronin was ‘Zero’.

It was a moment when he felt ashamed of consoling himself that at least it was better than Noah’s title.

-Ahem, rich human.

“Huh, what?”

Allen answered stiffly, showing his hurt feelings.

-…Thank you. And, you weren’t stupid.

Rus said with his face bowed low. His small face, barely visible, was flushed red.

“…”

-Why, why are you silent? I’m sorry for saying bad things… Eek!

“Rus!”

Allen grabbed Rus with one hand and rubbed him against his cheek. Rus could have easily avoided it, but he didn’t resist Allen’s action and stayed nestled quietly.

“That’s right. Rus, I have something to ask you.”

Rus, who was sitting quietly on Allen’s lap receiving his petting, raised his head.

-What is it? I’ll specially allow it just this once, so speak.

“Rus, you definitely said that the Reparo was Nigel’s own magic. What does that mean exactly?”

-Uh… huh?

Rus, caught in the merchant’s secret trap, tried to escape. But the terrifying green eyes looking at him with desire were so intense that his body wouldn’t move.

“The great divine beast Rus will tell us what he once promised, right?”