After chatting to their hearts’ content, the knights tightened their armor again and fastened their loosened swords. Then they extended a hand to Grisha as well.

“Now, let’s mount our horses again.”

The short break was over, and they were about to start hunting magical beasts again.

Grisha, who had been staring at the horse he was supposed to mount for a moment, asked with his characteristically friendly smile:

“What about the captain?”

“The captain usually hunts alone and returns on his own…”

“Does that mean you often carry out operations without the captain?”

“Well…”

The knight trailed off, somewhat taken aback by the seemingly probing tone.

It would be good to have prior information about him, but Cedar had kept quiet about Grisha, just as he had about Nelly.

So the knights didn’t know that Grisha was Cedar’s half-brother.

‘Is it okay to honestly tell him everything about the knight order’s situation?’

From the knight’s perspective, it was confusing whether Grisha could be trusted or not, given how close he seemed with Nelly, and also seeing him in a battle of nerves with Cedar.

Right at that moment, a small bird that had been flying in the sky came down to the resting knight order.

“A messenger bird has arrived.”

As a well-disciplined knight order, even without the captain and vice-captain, the contents of the messenger bird were relayed step by step according to rank.

“This is…”

The contents of the note tied to the messenger bird’s leg were unexpected.

“Duke Granite is critically ill?”

Grisha’s eyes widened as he inadvertently overheard the contents.

As it was confidential, the knights’ gazes immediately turned to Grisha.

It was evident that they were uncomfortable with his presence. Grisha stepped back with a picture-perfect smile.

“I’m not feeling well, so I’ll head back first.”

“Then I’ll escort you to the camp…”

“I remember the location, so there’s no need to worry.”

Originally, he had been riding a horse just to keep pace with the subjugation party.

Grisha lightly snapped his fingers. In an instant, his body descended to another place.

It was the hotel room in the capital where he was staying.

It was a long-distance teleport that only a select few could use even at the Academy.

‘It’s the magic Nelly created.’

Space-time transfer magic.

Many magicians had attempted transfer magic before, but there were many accidents, such as leaving limbs behind or souls separating.

The person who stabilized it was none other than Nelly. And she was recognized for that achievement and became an archmage.

‘Unlike other magicians who don’t explain much about their research, Nelly always explained everything to me.’

The reason Grisha could effortlessly perform magic that even professors couldn’t use properly was not only due to Grisha’s outstanding talent but also thanks to Nelly’s detailed teachings.

‘Since it’s magic she taught me, I should use it for her sake.’

Upon arriving in the room, Grisha stripped off all the clothes he had been wearing.

Although he was skilled at concealing his expressions and didn’t show it, everything related to the Dragon Knight Order was unpleasant to him.

As he changed his clothes, Grisha recalled the confidential information he had overheard.

‘Father is critically ill, they say.’

When he visited the Granite duchy not long ago, there hadn’t been a word about this.

‘They must have deliberately sent the news only to my elder brother. To defile Father’s last wishes.’

Grisha’s blue eyes darkened.

He was convinced that Lady Briar must have done something to cause Duke Granite’s collapse.

Just as she had poisoned his mother, she must have drugged Duke Granite as well.

‘My appearance made my brother’s succession to the title uncertain. So she decided to kill Father and inherit the title, even if it aroused suspicion.’

Even if suspicion arose, there would be no one to uncover the truth.

The Duke had been bedridden for years, and during that time, Lady Briar had gradually made the duchy her own.

Grisha read Lady Briar’s mind with surprising accuracy.

Having analyzed and pondered the psychology of his enemy for so long, he could now see right through her as if looking into his own mind.

And as he came to understand her psychology well, he could also see how to turn her inside out. Grisha smirked.

‘But what if I show up at Father’s deathbed instead of the son she’s been waiting for?’

Wouldn’t she stop trying to kill the Duke and frantically try to save him somehow?

‘But reviving someone who’s almost dead would be very difficult. She’ll blame herself for rashly deciding to kill him.’

Grisha’s smile faded as he chuckled, imagining the sight. A new way to turn this situation around occurred to him.

‘Yes. If I inherit the title of Duke, I can intervene in my brother’s marriage with the authority of the family head.’

It was a flawed marriage from the start, with Diana Periway signing instead of Nelly Periway.

If he pressed on that point, it might be possible to nullify the marriage itself.

If he went to the Granite duchy now, attended his father’s deathbed, and inherited the title of Duke.

Grisha tightened the cravat adorning his neck. The face reflected in the mirror wore a fierce look of anticipation.

Grisha, who had been staring at his own face as if looking at a stranger, lightly shook his head.

“…The one who provoked me first was none other than my elder brother.”

The moment to reclaim what was taken had arrived.

One kiss with Cedar. That was enough.

Cedar, who had come down from the tree, walked through the forest that had completely turned to ashes and exclaimed softly.

“I’ve never seen firepower strong enough to burn this many army ants. It’s incredible.”

Yes. That’s the class of magic an archmage can wield.

It was a situation where I could boast shamelessly, but my mind was too hazy, as if floating on clouds, to utter such words.

I tugged on Cedar’s clothes.

“Cedar.”

“What?”

In Cedar’s face as he turned to look at me, I could only see his lips.

My heart pounded as I recalled the magic that had surged through me like burning veins, and the overwhelming spell.

I wanted to feel that sensation again.

That was the only thought in my mind. I tugged on Cedar’s clothes more forcefully and said:

“Let me touch your lips.”

At my words, Cedar jumped back as if struck by lightning, shaking off my hand and retreating a couple of steps.

Then he asked in horror:

“Wh-what are you trying to do with my lips?”

“What do you mean, what am I trying to do? Just a kiss…”

“This woman, really!”

I was dumbfounded by his gaze, as if he were looking at some pervert.

It’s not like I’m forcing this on my own!

“Oh, why! You said you like me too! Then there’s no problem, right?”

At my retort, Cedar blushed even more furiously and shouted:

“How is there no problem! I mean, since when do people jump straight to skinship right after confirming their feelings? You, don’t tell me your goal is my body?”

“What nonsense… No, maybe it’s not so different.”

I stopped mid-sentence, having intended to deny it strongly.

In the end, my desire to kiss Cedar was because I wanted to absorb his magic, so it wasn’t entirely wrong to say his body was the goal.

Once again, that refreshing feeling of wielding magic came to mind.

I muttered with an enraptured expression:

“If just a kiss feels this good, wouldn’t more intimate contact feel even better?”

“…”

“Where are you going? Oh? Now that I look closely, you’re good at walking backwards too.”

Cedar recoiled in disgust and backpedaled, even though I hadn’t said much.

I took a few steps to follow him, but he waved his arms to strictly block my approach.

“You’re forbidden from approaching within 1 meter of me.”

“Since when was that a thing! You’re unexpectedly timid. I’m saying it’s fine, so why are you making such a fuss?”

“The more you open your mouth, the more I regret confessing, so please be quiet!”

I mean, is it really that repulsive for two grown adults to share a kiss?

I pouted my lips. Cedar sighed, rubbing his face, then folded his arms and asked:

“More importantly, explain what this situation is. You clearly said you couldn’t use such wide-area magic. Or was the magic stone I gave you capable of producing that much magic?”

I shook the necklace where only the string remained after the magic stone had crumbled, and answered:

“No. I used up all the magic stone I brought with the first fire magic.”

“Then? Did you have some hidden magic power?”

I found something even better than that!

“I accidentally discovered a walking magic piggy bank.”

“A walking magic piggy bank?”

I stared at Cedar with sparkling eyes.

Cedar, who had been making an expression as if to say ‘Is there such a thing?’, pointed at himself.

“…Me?”

“Yes. You.”

It might sound like nonsense, but fortunately, Cedar understood right away.

“You’re saying this magic was cast using my magic power?”

I nodded quickly.

“Didn’t you feel magic power leaving your body? It was such a large amount, I thought you would have felt something.”

It was enough firepower to turn all those army ants to ashes at once.

Of course, it wasn’t as much as the magic to turn back time, but it was still a significant amount of magic power consumed. Even a fairly well-known magician would have staggered.

But Cedar was annoyingly fine. He patted his body with his palm and answered:

“It doesn’t feel any different from usual?”

At that answer, I couldn’t help but gape.

‘Good heavens! Just how much magic power does that body contain!’

The fact that he felt nothing after using that much magic power meant he had several times, no, tens of times more magic power.

‘Then the amount I absorb probably doesn’t even register to him?’