“Ah, that.”

“Why?”

I hesitated a moment too long, unsure of how to react to his nonchalant confession.

He seemed unfazed after boldly demanding my attention.

I reached out and discreetly took his hand.

“Nathaniel.”

“Yeah?”

“Among the people dear to me, you are the one I love the most.”

“Huh?”

Nathaniel appeared greatly bewildered by the unexpected confession, much like I had moments ago.

Even in the darkness, I could see his cheeks flush.

I extended my hand, cupping his cheeks, and gently pulled him towards me.

Although I wanted to laugh at Nathaniel’s willingly drawn-in expression, I held it in.

I lightly pressed my lips against his, then pulled away.

“Ha.”

Nathaniel, who had been holding his breath, exhaled forcefully and pressed my head against his chest.

“Umm.”

His sweet breath engulfed me deeply. Sweat formed in the hand gripping his clothes, worried I might lose Nathaniel.

His strong arms embraced me tightly, digging deeper as the boat swayed slightly. Once the flame ignited, it was not easily extinguished.

I was gradually pushed backward until I fell onto the boat.

“Ah!”

This time, the shake was more intense.

Fortunately, Nathaniel used magic to secure the boat, preventing it from capsizing.

Regaining my senses, I surveyed the surroundings.

Fortunately, it seemed that no one paid us any attention.

“So many came.”

Nathaniel murmured, watching people on boats releasing lanterns.

The scene of lanterns shining in the sky and on the river was surreal, like a scene from a movie.

Murmuring while observing the spectacle, I commented, “It looks peaceful.”

Nathaniel stared at the people for a long time.

The next day.

Preparing to go for a walk with Theresa after a late breakfast, Nathaniel called me.

“I’d like to talk to Menisil Youngae for a moment.”

“With Theresa? Why?”

In response to my question, Nathaniel scratched his forehead with a tired look.

“I compared and analyzed the potion and Bill’s blood that you got from Diana.”

Surprisingly, he came here to work, even on a trip.

Without giving me a chance to be surprised by his unexpected diligence, Nathaniel explained about the magic they were under.

Although it was challenging to understand what he was saying, one thing was clear.

“It seems like they indirectly cast spells by making potions, rather than directly casting spells.”

“If that’s the case…”

Menisil Youngae’s potion could break Diana’s spell with Theresa’s magical power.

So, Bill and Mari’s family might be able to return to their original forms with Theresa’s help.

“Let’s go talk to her right away. Theresa will surely help us.”

The Theresa I knew was someone who would help others. Moreover, she was discreet and would never reveal secrets.

As expected, Theresa, upon hearing our story, handed us magical stones without any questions, just like before.
Nathaniel and I quickly made our way to the village, using the excuse of going for a visit.

“Ah, Mari has been searching for more people, so the population has increased a bit. Don’t be surprised.”

“Is it really that many?”

“We can’t know how much magic that knightly order has been using to interfere with national affairs in secret.”

Contrary to Nathaniel’s concerns, I didn’t think there were too many. If they were trying to regulate the world as in the original work, magic usage might have increased since my intervention in this world.

“So, their existence might have only been discovered now.”

Nathaniel and I entered through the opening in the barrier.

The village was much busier than when we last visited.

Or more precisely, it was bustling with monsters.

Having encountered Nathaniel several times, they looked at me without hiding, not particularly evasive.

“This way.”

The village had grown quite a bit in the past few days.

Led by Nathaniel, I headed to Mari and Bill’s house. They were waiting inside with much brighter expressions.

“Mari, are you doing well?”

Mari nodded silently. Considering the risky task she undertook, it was fortunate that she seemed unharmed.

With little time to spare, we quickly informed them that we wanted to test their magical power.

Bill stepped forward without hesitation.

Although there shouldn’t be any major issues, it still seemed unsettling to try it on family members first.

Well.

I also doubted such power existed in the beginning.

A red magical stone fell onto Bill’s large, rugged hand.

As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a faint white light enveloped Bill’s body.

And slowly, he began returning to his original form.

“What, how is this possible!”

Bill surveyed his hands and feet, tears welling up. Then, he immediately hugged the magical stone.

“I only brought one dose today. And we need to check how long it lasts, so we should take another blood sample.”

Nathaniel skillfully performed the blood sampling.

Seeing him take care of someone was quite remarkable. It felt like a well-raised cat had grown big and left to find its own path.

“What’s with that look?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”