LP 2.10 Mages of the Neutral Zone

Eydrick looked up at Kosha, who was standing blankly, and asked. Kosha nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m completely healed now.”

“…That’s a relief. I was a bit worried.”

He gave a faint smile and averted his gaze.

And then there were no more words. Neither of them were particularly talkative to begin with, and there wasn’t much common ground between a knight and a Mage, so the silence was, in a way, inevitable. Eydrick seemed unfazed, but Kosha felt strangely compelled to say something, anything.

“…Did you have any trouble, Sir?”

“It’s more difficult for anything to happen to me.”

The reply came immediately. But Kosha knew well that this was less a statement of truth and more a typical knightly response. In reality, his face looked a bit rough, and there was a faint scratch on his cheek, as if he’d been grazed somewhere.

What had he been doing? Not that I particularly want to know, and I probably shouldn’t know anyway. That wasn’t the important thing. Kosha remembered that he hadn’t properly expressed his gratitude to him.

“Sir.”

Kosha quietly opened his mouth. It was the moment Eydrick lifted his head and looked up at him. A slender finger darted forward.

Magic preceding words was a typically Mage-like action, but by human standards, for those unable to read the flow of mana, it could be disconcerting. Usually, the Mage should have given a warning first, but Kosha wasn’t even aware he was acting that way, and Eydrick…

He could have easily avoided it, or even broken that hand before the finger touched his face… But he didn’t.

Kosha’s fingertip brushed past his cheek. The rough, scratched skin smoothed over in an instant.

“As a token of thanks.”

Kosha, who had acted first and thought later, added hesitantly. And he pondered a bit. Wasn’t a healing spell for wounds merely a slight acceleration of recovery?

Eydrick was, so to speak, his savior… Repaying him for saving him from having his skull cracked felt far too meager. Kosha rolled his eyes restlessly.

Suddenly, the neatly placed tips of his fingers on the table caught his eye.

Clinging to those slightly rugged fingertips was a fresh aura of death. A lizard that had crawled out from under a stack of books shook its head excitedly and began to lick up the last traces of life lingering between the fingers.

He must have been doing something not so easy. The mage’s instinct sensed it.

Kosha moved in a Mage-like manner once again. This time, a bit more boldly. He plucked a single grape from the fruit basket and thrust it right up to Eydrick’s lips. Eydrick, who had barely regained his composure, hurriedly grabbed and raised that wrist.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“A protection spell.”

The Mage was not flustered by the feeble resistance of a mere human. Like the Mages of mythic times who made offers humans couldn’t refuse and took their price, Kosha offered it once more.

“Eat it, it’s fine.”

Green eyes shone like jewels. Soon, the strength drained from Eydrick’s hand, and his mouth opened helplessly. A single grape rolled into his mouth.

It was the moment the flesh was crushed between his molars.

A large hand suddenly shot out from behind and covered Kosha’s eyes. The flow of air was cut off. Crunch—a sound like thin glass shattering echoed in his mind, jolting him back to his senses.

The moment he felt the back of his head touch something solid like a wall, a heavy scent of musk and leather wafted over him. It was the moment Kosha, startled by the unfamiliar smell, tried to jump and pry the hand covering his eyes away.

“Get a hold of yourself, Eydrick.”

A familiar voice growled lowly. The voice, sharp as if snarling, was enough to stop Kosha’s resistance.

Lucian? Kosha twitched his nose, trying to distinguish the scent.

“…Your Highness.”

Eydrick’s embarrassed voice followed. Though his eyes were still covered, he could clearly feel the atmosphere was not good.

“Good thing I came right away.”

His voice was thick with irritation. Kosha’s heart shrank as he reverted to a timid, cowering state.

…That’s strange. Why did I suddenly do that? Of course, I wanted to repay Eydrick, but why did I act so impulsively… Doing something that would look suspicious to anyone without thinking…

“A letter from Seodin’s tail. And it seems our location has been exposed.”

“…We’ll discuss that later.”

I felt Lucian shake his head. Rustling sounds of paper notes being exchanged followed, then a brief silence. Then came a click of tongue-clicking.

“You…”

The large hand covering my eyes unexpectedly fell away. In the suddenly brightened vision, Kosha was blinking, and the hand pressed down on Kosha’s forehead. His head naturally tilted backward.

“Stop blinking your eyes.”

The face of the man standing behind appeared upside down. Kosha’s lips parted dumbly.

Of course, it’s usually like this, but today he was shining incredibly brightly. This level of beautifully adorned appearance might happen once or twice a year, like during New Year greetings…

A few years ago, the New Year greeting where he appeared drew an overwhelming crowd. The square before the castle gate was packed with no room to step, so Kosha could barely see his appearance from a distant rooftop of someone else’s house. He wished he could see it a bit closer next time, but being this close…

“Close your mouth too.”

The fingertip poked Kosha’s cheek. Compared to the frown, it didn’t seem he was that angry, as the touch felt playful.

Kosha hurriedly regained his senses and tried to close his mouth while moistening his lips with his tongue, but Lucian frowned a bit more. Then he raised his head and nodded toward Eydrick.

“You go to Renata first. We’ll talk about the rest afterward.”

A large hand pressed down on Kosha’s eyes as he tried to lift his tilted head. Kosha’s head wobbled backward, and Lucian’s chest firmly supported the back of his head.

“Not going?”

Lucian commanded again. Footsteps, the rustling wind from the swaying cloak hem, and the click of the door opening and closing followed in sequence. Kosha’s eyes were still covered. So all senses except vision felt more vividly.

In the finally quiet room, the soft touch covering his lips and the warm body temperature were the same.

Their lips met upside down. Kosha couldn’t even breathe from the sensation of his nose brushing Lucian’s chin. He had never even thought about this kind of act.

How could something like this feel so natural?

While Kosha was confused, Lucian simply swallowed once, lightly biting Kosha’s plump lower lip and releasing it. Then, without any change in expression, he opened his mouth.

“Have you already forgotten why you’re here now?”

“…?”

“Feeding strange things to anyone without fear… Why, planning to ‘treat’ me if side effects appear again?”

While matching lips, there was a slightly annoyed expression.

“It’s definitely not strange.”

Kosha waved his hands in panic.

“It was just a protection magic. Just… to prevent catching a cold or something.”

“Just protection magic.”

Lucian softly repeated Kosha’s words.

“What you fed me was ‘just’ a Love Potion, right?”

“No, no…”

Well, that’s true, but that’s completely different! Though it sounds grand as protection magic, it’s nothing special. It might just prevent catching a cold or make skin less chapped in cold wind.

But translating Mage’s thoughts into human language was insufficient. With fundamental limitations compounded by poor articulation, the explanation didn’t flow smoothly. Kosha, pondering, eventually chose a not-so-good method.

“It’s the magic I also cast on my geese.”

“…”

It seemed the explanation not only failed but also worsened his mood. Kosha, cautiously observing, stretched his hand toward the fruit basket.

An orange floated through the air and gently landed on Kosha’s neatly gathered hands. Soon, a straight golden line like drawn with a ruler appeared on the vivid scarlet peel, and the orange split precisely into six pieces.

“Would you like some? It was sweet…”

Kosha, who had timidly performed his little talent show, had hatched a plan to placate the other by offering him something sweet. Of course, Lucian was not so simple as to fall for such an awkward scheme.

Lucian, who had been quietly gazing at the six orange segments dangling on his palm, opened his mouth as if suddenly remembering something.

“Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to ask.”

Returning directly to his office without even changing clothes wasn’t solely to dazzle the Mage’s eyes. Truly.

“Gaikrux Tower Lord visited today.”

We have regular meetings with them, you see. Lucian added lightly, observing the other’s expression.

The Mage merely stared blankly, waiting for the words to follow. He didn’t seem to be hiding anything particular. For instance, that the two knew each other…

However, recalling the conversation from just a little while ago, the fact that they didn’t know each other was also quite suspicious.

The audience, where formal greetings were exchanged, ended briefly. This was especially so because the ailing King had no reason to involve himself directly in the discussions. Specific matters would be handled through the King’s children acting as regents and the officials.

A slight problem arose when the Tower Lord refused to bow her head to the King. Someone pointed out her discourtesy, but the Tower Lord didn’t even blink.

‘Kings do not bow to kings.’

As if she had anticipated or even intended such a clash.

After the first Tower Lord of Gaikrux, said to have lived nearly a thousand years, died of old age, the second Tower Lord who succeeded him was quite moderate. But the third Tower Lord was entirely different.

Could the master of the Gaiker Swamplands, merely a part of Izelant, be called a king? Yet she went even further.

‘And Mages do not bow to humans.’

That woman was notorious for hating humans even before becoming Tower Lord. It wasn’t just dislike; she leaned closer to the belief that Mages should rule over humans.

In many ways, she was difficult to tolerate in a human kingdom.

‘I will respect your King, at least. But if you seek courtesy, shouldn’t you first reflect on your own attitude?’

And when she raised her hand, the backs of everyone present bent. Except for the King and Lucian.

She did not lower her hand until everyone had bowed so deeply it was almost at a right angle. The King, terrified or perhaps driven mad, muttered some nonsense.

Lucian felt a heavy pressure pushing down on the back of his neck and spine, and he tensed his back and shoulders. Pretending calm, he looked down at the Tower Lord, and her pitch-black gaze was also fixed on him.

Of course, her loathing for Lucian was nothing new.

So, when she spoke to him separately on the way out of the audience chamber, Lucian found it somewhat unexpected.

‘…Callot half-breed.’

For someone who usually went on about ‘mongrels,’ it was a moderate choice of words.

‘You’ve taken in a new person.’

The Tower Lord walked unnecessarily close and hinted obliquely. Her gaze was fixed ahead, her lips barely moving. Her attendants, standing a little distance away, would have had difficulty even hearing the conversation properly.

So, he played along.

‘People always come and go in a place like this.’

‘Playing ignorant, are we?’

‘You’re quite familiar with the castle’s affairs.’

‘Newly emerged magical auras can generally be sensed.’

Mage. Once that word had finally been uttered, it could no longer be ignored. Lucian asked again.

‘Did they belong to a Tower?’

‘No.’

She shook her head. And then turned her head to look directly up at Lucian.

‘That’s precisely why I’m curious. Where on earth did you find such a thing?’

In that moment, Lucian read a strange thrill in her eyes.

Naturally, it was obvious that the answer she wanted right then was not something like… a rural corner of Osterwick. But even if the situation wasn’t one of outright hostility towards her, Lucian also had nothing to say.

‘Such a thing’?

Persistently examining the Mage’s green eyes, Lucian calmly opened his mouth, pretending composure.

“Do you know what Gaikrux is?”

Kosha, who had hesitated for a moment, nodded. A Mage couldn’t not know. Lucian asked again.

“Why didn’t you go to a Tower?”

Occasionally, a Mage child is born to parents thought to be human. If there is a Mage among the parents’ ancestors, it is rare but not impossible.

The birth of a Mage cannot be concealed, so those children eventually go to the Tower. If the Mage is excessively powerful, the lord of the region contacts the Tower, and Mages come to retrieve them, but more often, they go on their own when they are somewhat grown.

There was no disagreement that this was the path for both the Mage child and the human parents.

“You said he was born in Allohen. The lord there surely—”

“I tried to go.”

Unlike a typically hesitant Mage, the words flowed out quite urgently.

“That, I couldn’t cross the swamp.”

“……”

“I went right up to it, but I couldn’t cross.”

The swamp surrounding the Tower served a role akin to a moat. The difference was that only those qualified could cross the swamp.

Of course, qualification to enter the Tower meant magical ability.

Lucian looked down at an orange neatly divided into six pieces without a single knife stroke.

Isn’t he using magic quite decently? It was a bit rough at first. He doesn’t seem like someone who would lie with such peripheral skills, but strangely…

“Why couldn’t you cross the swamp?”

It seemed like a question, yet also like mere musing. Either way, Kosha, feeling burdened, avoided his gaze and mumbled.

“…Because I’m not a sufficiently proper Mage?”

“You?”

Lucian chuckled softly. He picked up a piece of orange and pushed it into the Mage’s mouth. The Mage, using both hands as a plate, reflexively accepted the orange and bit into it. The peel cleanly separated from the flesh as if cut.

“You peel fruit so well too.”

Kosha’s face flushed from the sudden praise.

He often used such light speech. Among the ruling class, this tone was used only in extremely intimate relationships dating back to childhood, unless it was outright demeaning to subordinates.

Kosha was far beneath him, so it wasn’t strange for him to speak that way… But, to call it merely demeaning, his voice was excessively affectionate. It felt as if it carried intimacy. As if they were… very close.

So when his words shortened, Kosha somehow felt a bit pleased. Strange, isn’t it? Originally, it was his character—being kind and courteous even to low-status commoners—that made Kosha like him.

His heart rustled. As if when he first started liking him. So Kosha kept wanting… to do something. What? He didn’t know. Something splendid.

Having finished chewing and swallowing the orange, Kosha excitedly suggested.

“I can peel that apple too.”

“Don’t do things I didn’t ask.”

Lucian rejected the proposal without hesitation.

He keeps trying to do unnecessary things, which is a problem… But this is closer to mere antics, not something to worry much about. Lucian judged lightly.

Then suddenly, the Tower Lord’s last words, left as he brushed past while leaving his seat, came to mind.

‘Don’t dare think of playing the role of a Mage’s master, foolish human.’

It was a warning voice. Ridiculous… Lucian’s mouth twisted sideways.

“When calling me a hybrid…”

“Yes?”

“Um, nothing.”

Look at this. With these eyes. Lucian gazed at the green irises that gave a feeling too transparent for a human’s. Those obedient eyes pleased him greatly.

No matter what anyone says, this Mage is his. Now, and so shall it be in the future. He found him first, and he raised him this much, didn’t he?

And above all, this Mage likes him very much… He can be sufficiently controlled.

“You did well not going to that Tower. The Tower Lord is a very… unpleasant person.”

He deliberately crafted an affectionate voice. Someone Lucian would call unpleasant! Kosha was imagining in his mind a somehow vile-looking middle-aged man.