Chapter 32
The clouds drifted away, and the moon revealed itself.
Under the moonlight, gray-blue eyes shimmered with a mysterious glow.
“Khalid….”
At the sound of his name, he grinned.
“Yeah.”
“You….”
As if spellbound, I resumed the steps I had stopped.
“I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
Khalid rose smoothly and opened his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I told you—”
Thud thud thud. My walk had already turned into a run.
And then—
“I told you not to block me!”
Thump!
My headbutt landed squarely, making the boy stagger.
The animals scattered in fright.
“Wow. A headbutt? That’s new.”
“It’s only weak because I’ve got noodle fists, okay?!”
I shook my fists furiously. Khalid simply rubbed his stomach and smiled faintly.
“Ugh.”
Ridiculously, tears welled up in my eyes instead.
My head hurt more! Why is his body so solid for a kid?!
“Headbutting is fine, but can you at least warn me first? I instinctively braced myself. You didn’t grow horns or anything, right?”
That was extremely humiliating to hear—from the one who attacked.
“And when did I block you? That was ages ago.”
“So you did block me!”
“It malfunctioned. I just said it malfunctioned.”
“You think I’m stupid?”
I growled again. Khalid, at least a head taller than me now, looked down at me calmly.
“So, Master. What are you doing here?”
His eyes curved gently. The corners of his lips tilted upward coolly.
“Faking your death and abandoning me.”
Ah. That was definitely an angry expression.
I instinctively took a step back. Khalid stared at the distance I created, then suddenly closed it and grabbed my shoulders.
“No. You’re not running again.”
“Wait a second—”
“I finally caught you.”
“Huh?”
“I finally found you.”
Caught what? Did I mishear?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Khalid smiled vaguely.
“So what are you doing here? You’re obviously hiding the fact that you’re a mage. And that outfit… don’t tell me.”
His gray-blue eyes slowly swept over my head and clothes.
“No way.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. Forget the short haircut—what I was wearing now was an outfit bought at a boutique a few days ago.
Perfectly fitted. Luxurious. Neat.
A boy’s outfit.
“The Duke of Zebert isn’t that hopeless, right?”
“Well… you could say it’s the result of several misunderstandings overlapping.”
“…….”
Khalid shut his mouth. He looked so dumbfounded he couldn’t even form words.
I seized the chance to change the subject.
“More importantly, what are you doing here without any notice? Starting explosions out of nowhere… What if you’d been discovered?!”
“So I’m supposed to just watch magical beasts charge at you?”
“The knights would’ve handled—”
“They didn’t catch me, so it’s fine.”
His tone left no room for argument. As I glared at him, Khalid glanced away and muttered softly,
“…My body moved before I could think. What was I supposed to do?”
I sighed.
He’d always been like that. Ever since I rescued him from that cave prison, he’d followed me around like a puppy.
‘Though no puppy looks that dangerous.’
Offering me a “Vow Formation” had been an extension of that.
Our magic was intertwined like roots from the same tree, but I held full control. Until I severed it first, he was bound to serve me.
‘If I told him to die, he would. Why twist your own fate like that?’
There was no helping it.
If he ever showed even the slightest regret, I’d have to release him immediately…
“…….”
As I stared at him, my gaze naturally met the squirrel perched atop his head.
Crunch crunch.
Seeing its innocent eyes as it nibbled an acorn made me sigh again.
“Seriously, you’ve got no fear. Luring me from the wall with a squirrel.”
“Luring? Why would you use such an embarrassing word?”
What on earth was he talking about?
“I told you.”
Khalid moved his magic briefly. Instantly, the yellow gleam in the squirrel’s black eyes faded.
“I’m the one who protects you.”
The squirrel, its soul returned, sniffed the air and scampered away.
“Don’t tell me you forgot my vow.”
The slight curve of his lips deepened.
‘I thought this from the first time we met….’
No matter how filthy he’d been back then, his good looks couldn’t be hidden—age had nothing to do with it.
Deep navy hair with a bluish tint. Eyes swirling gray and blue. And the two vertical moles beneath his left eye.
‘Please grow up just like this.’
A prime example of—
“Fine, I get it. Put your magic away.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re the only one here who can sense it anyway.”
He answered a little crookedly.
Khalid had the ability to temporarily seize and command another’s soul.
Limited to animals.
Magical beasts were possible too, but he disliked doing so because their magic was contaminated. As for human souls…
‘A taboo,’ he’d said.
Break it, and the price would be enormous.
“Anyway, judging by how you keep dodging the question, you really don’t want to say why you’re here.”
His low voice made my shoulders twitch. He’d hit the mark.
‘How am I supposed to explain this?!’
That this world is inside a book, that total annihilation is just around the corner, and I came here to recruit the hero to stop it!
I stood there biting my lip. Khalid sighed, picked up the bag and sword he’d set down.
“I’ll listen while we walk. Let’s go.”
I blinked slowly.
“Go where?”
“We run. The Magic King has realized you’re in Bamilon.”
“Uh, no thanks.”
The refusal slipped out automatically. I stepped back sharply, and Khalid’s straight brows shot up.
“No thanks…? What exactly are you planning to do here?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t explain in detail yet. But I’m not leaving here for now.”
I met his eyes and spoke clearly. His grip tightened around his sword.
“Even if I force you to run with me?”
“You’ve never beaten me once….”
“That was on land rich with magic, Master.”
“Ugh. Look at that smug face.”
“You forgot the only thing I have is magic?”
Khalid lifted his wrist slightly. A small golden bracelet glinted—an artifact to control his overflowing magic.
He didn’t have much knowledge as a mage, but his raw magic power was innate. Even that artifact couldn’t fully suppress it.
In that sense, he was my complete opposite.
“Boo! Stop bragging about magic!”
Jealousy slipped out before I could stop it.
“There you go dodging again.”
Khalid shook his head. I smiled faintly and took another small step back.
“Later. I’ll tell you later. So don’t ask more questions, and don’t brag about magic. Just… say okay.”
“Ha.”
Silence fell between us. After staring down at me for a long moment, Khalid bit his lip slightly and lowered his head.
“You’re going to brush it off and abandon me again….”
Huh?
I blinked in surprise. His fist was clenched so tightly it had turned pale—and it was trembling. Even his solid shoulders were shaking faintly.
Wait…?
“K-Khal? You’re not… crying, are you?”
“I couldn’t sense your magic. The mages heading to Canalran Gorge were all reported dead… At that time, what was I supposed to—”
“I didn’t die!”
The words burst out of me in panic.
“What?”
Khalid’s head snapped up. His cheeks were dry, but I was already rambling.
“I let them go.”
His eyes widened slightly.
“What… do you mean?”
“I destroyed their magic cores, so they can’t use magic anymore. They’ll probably live weak, sickly lives, and their lifespans are shortened. But they all said they didn’t mind. Anyway—they’re alive!”
I waved my arms frantically while explaining.
It had been the final operation.
The mage unit passing through Canalran Gorge was ambushed by dark creatures. It was a crisis—but also an opportunity.
I had planned to abandon them and flee to meet Leviathan.
But… the faces of the young mage boys kept lingering in my mind.
So I staged their deaths, making it look like they were annihilated by dark creatures.
“…Then what were those corpses?” Khalid demanded.
“Decoys. Made of dirt.”
“You made all that by yourself?”
“I didn’t need to make that many….”
Just a few limbs left behind would do.
Khalid bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
“Then why didn’t you at least make your corpse properly? Why were you the only one exposed—?!”
I gave an awkward smile and stayed silent. If I said it, he’d definitely get mad.
But Khalid quickly realized the truth behind my silence. The corner of his mouth lifted coldly.
“…You did it on purpose. So the others wouldn’t be suspected. You wanted the suspicion focused on you.”
