Now I even stutter when I speak.

The man I mentioned was naturally Galio.

If there is someone with the ability to plunge Charlotte into such confusion, it would only be my father and Galio.

“Galio Turner. It seems he won’t show up himself. He’s a truly cunning fellow.”

If my assassination fails, Charlotte will be in great trouble. Wilhelm may suffer a blow, but he won’t be expelled from the royal family. As the eldest son of the Repel family and being a direct descendant of the Lord, he had a stronger influence.

“Oh, no. It’s not like that. I did this alone. No one else is involved.”

“Charlotte, you’re confused right now. Don’t you still understand? You just told me that you have to follow someone’s orders.”

Now her expression was completely vacant. Taking advantage of Charlotte being in a panic, I subtly slipped out of her embrace. Somehow, the distance between us had widened enough for us to face each other and talk.

“I’ll help you punish the person who made you do this. So please, put down that knife. Charlotte is not someone who would do something bad.”

“I… I…”

“Trust me, Charlotte. I’ll protect you from Galio’s influence.”

She still stared at me with unfocused eyes. Just when Charlotte was about to say something, she suddenly seemed to be in pain, clutching her head.

“Ah… It hurts. It feels like someone is messing with my head.”

“You’ve definitely fallen for his trick. Can’t you realize that something is wrong with yourself?”

“Ugh, agh!”

In extreme agony, Charlotte suddenly rushed towards me.

‘Please, let some magic come out!’

Trying to ignite magic as if trying to set fire to wet firewood, the magic began to form in my palm, but soon it withered away.

Without being able to use magic, I am just a young girl in her early teens. How should I respond to an adult rushing to kill me with a knife?

‘Right, I have spirit magic!’

Oh, I forgot about that.

Realizing that I don’t only have magic, I extended my hand confidently towards the empty space, where the spirit seemed to struggle to manifest, fizzling out.

‘If this space is created by magic, the spirits should be able to move freely without any hindrance.’

I didn’t avoid Charlotte rushing towards me, and I confidently reached out into the air.

Then, the space split like scissors cutting through it, and a spirit emitting light extended its head.

「Oh my, why is it so dark here? Our house’s storage is probably brighter than this…」

“For now, stop talking! Listen to the gossip later!”

Snap.

Before I could finish my words, a curtain appeared between Charlotte and me.
The watery, blue curtain, though it seemed soft, was surprisingly solid enough to push her away. Charlotte, colliding with the curtain, ended up awkwardly falling backward.

“Sniff, ugh, there’s a terrible smell here. Bella, why are you in a place like this?”

“If I explain, it will take a while. First, try to snatch the dagger from that person’s hand.”

The spirit already tamed by sweet snacks obediently followed my words. As Charlotte resisted fiercely after having the dagger taken away, the spirit, as if annoyed, waved its hand, enclosing her in a round curtain of water.

Charlotte pounded on the curtain, screaming like having a seizure, but the curtain, being imbued with water properties, only sounded muffled, as if she had entered a bathtub.

“This dagger is a wicked thing. Avoid getting close to it as much as possible, as it absorbs the opponent’s soul when stabbed in the heart. Even if it penetrates elsewhere, it causes the loss of part of the soul.”

“What? Was such a horrifying thing in the world?”

“Yeah, it’s an item that could be seen in ancient times. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one.”

I approached Charlotte, convinced that Galio had handed her the dagger. Kneeling down and gathering my knees, I directed my gaze at her who had collapsed on the floor.

“You seem to have hit the curtain quite hard. Are you okay, Charlotte?”

“…Now doesn’t seem to be the time to worry about me. I tried to kill the princess. I thrust a knife at you.”

“We’ll talk about that later. For now, you seem to need stability.”

After finishing my words, I extended my palm towards Charlotte. As small golden grains, reminiscent of sand, spread from my hand, she fell limp as if she had fallen asleep.

“Oh, using Sandman for spirit magic. I taught you that a long time ago. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“This is quite simple. I don’t easily forget what I’ve learned once.”

The Sandman, known as the spirit of sleep, was one of the trickier spirits to handle. It had a somewhat delayed effect on inducing sleep, making it ambiguous to use in combat. However, in a situation where the opponent was already subdued, it could be useful.

“But how do we get out of here? Do you happen to know a good way?”

“This is a magical space. I, as a spirit, can move freely without being bound by dimensions, but it might be difficult for you and that girl, influenced by magical power.”

“What? Where is that? Figure it out yourself!”

“How can I change the laws of the world?”