The first meeting between Gariel and Ludger was the worst.
Gariel, who wanted to show something as the older one, and Ludger, who was negative and hostile toward everything in the world—
it was inevitable that they would clash the moment they met.
—That arrogant brat!
Gariel had tried to teach Ludger a lesson.
As an elder, and as a user of time magic, he wanted to make that kid pay for looking down on him.
Ludger, who sensed Gariel’s intention, immediately entered battle mode without a word. His stance resembled that of a finely sharpened sword.
Just as the two were about to collide in earnest—
—Are you two fighting?
A naive, innocent girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked with a bright voice.
—Don’t fight. Get along.
The moment Gariel saw Rine’s innocent eyes, his attitude changed completely.
—Haha. Rine, fight? Of course not.
—You’re not fighting, right?
—Of course not! Hey, boy! We’re not fighting, are we? We’re fine, right?
—...Hmph.
Ludger snorted as if losing interest and walked away.
—That... that cocky little brat.
Gariel’s forehead veins popped, but he decided to let it go. He figured fighting with a kid like that would only make him look pathetic.
—Rine, how about we ignore that brat and go fishing by the stream? Let’s catch your favorite fish... Rine? Where are you going!
Rine ran off, following Ludger into the forest.
Before Ludger could react, she grabbed his wrist and clung to him.
—Let’s play together!
—...What?
—Let’s play!
Rine clung to Ludger like a child throwing a tantrum and refused to let go.
Ludger hesitated, unsure if he should shake her off or not.
After all, she was just a clueless little girl.
And seeing her like this reminded him of a friend he had left behind in the Theocracy of Bretus.
Catherine.
She had been around the same age as Rine when he first met her.
And now, it had been nearly ten years since he last saw her.
—...Fine, I guess.
—Really?!
—What do you want to play?
—Let’s go to the stream! Catch fish for me!
Rine laughed brightly and pulled Ludger by the hand.
Ludger followed, his face showing pure annoyance.
Someone watching the scene with admiration approached Gariel.
—My daughter’s cute, isn’t she?
—...So, is the talk over?
—Yeah.
Gariel recalled the blonde-haired woman he’d been speaking with.
He didn’t know what conversation they’d had, but it didn’t seem like a casual one.
—It seems we’ll be staying here for about a month. That’s fine, right?
—Why are you asking me? I’m not even the owner of this place. If the owner’s fine with it, then so am I.
—Ahaha. I suppose so.
She laughed and stood beside him, her eyes following Rine’s cheerful figure running ahead.
—Please take care of my daughter.
—Why do you sound like someone who’s leaving?
—It’s nothing. I just mean I can’t protect her forever.
Gariel wanted to ask what she meant by that—what was going to happen—but when he saw her expression, he decided not to.
—...Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll look after Rine.
—Mm. That’s reassuring.
Gariel thought of saying something cooler—like he would dedicate all his time to protect her—but it felt too embarrassing, so he kept it to himself.
Determined to keep his promise, Gariel went looking for Rine.
When he arrived at the stream in the forest, he was met with a surprising sight.
—Got it?
—Wow! You’re amazing, oppa!
That brat who looked like he’d never done a day of hard work had rolled up his pants and was catching fish in the stream with bare legs.
Seeing how skillfully he did it, Gariel was momentarily speechless.
Rine’s delighted laughter and Ludger’s faint smile gave Gariel a strange feeling.
—Hey, you brats! Having fun without me?
—Ah! Uncle Gariel!
—I told you to call me oppa.
—You’re an uncle!
—Enough! Hey, brat! Let’s see who can catch more fish!
—Are you an idiot? Why would I—
Ludger frowned in irritation, but when he met Rine’s shining eyes, he clicked his tongue.
—...Fine. It’s not like it’s hard anyway.
With Rine cheering behind them, the two men began their fishing competition.
As expected, Ludger won.
Even without using magic, he caught fish with remarkable skill.
—You’re really hopelessly clumsy.
—Shut up.
Meanwhile, Gariel, who had only flailed uselessly, sat on a nearby rock, panting heavily.
—I won’t lose next time!
—If there even is a next time, suit yourself.
That day, everyone had a satisfying meal with the fish they’d caught.
The most memorable part was Rine puffing out her cheeks like a squirrel while chewing her fish, making everyone laugh.
Ludger quickly adapted to life here.
He played with Rine, trained magic lightly with Grander, and enjoyed peaceful rest amidst the beautiful scenery.
Gariel often challenged Ludger to contests, but always ended up losing.
It was frustrating not being able to put that cocky brat in his place, but whenever Rine burst into laughter, all irritation vanished.
Over time, Ludger’s first impression improved considerably.
Though his arrogance was annoying, Gariel realized the boy wasn’t completely rude.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep playing with a clingy child like Rine.
Ludger also became close with Rine’s mother.
—Hey, boy. Are you getting along with my daughter?
—Yes, I suppose.
—Why so stiff? Relax, just call me noona.
—Did you finish your talk with my master?
—Ah, you mean Ms. Grander? Hmm, not yet. There’s still more to discuss.
Rine’s mother scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.
Ludger didn’t know why she looked that way.
He hadn’t overheard any of her conversations with Grander.
—What’s wrong? Curious? Should I tell you kindly, since I’m such a nice noona?
—No need. I’m not really curious. It’s between my master and her—they’ll handle it.
—Ahaha. So you trust Ms. Grander?
Her words struck true, and Ludger lightly shrugged.
—It’s not like me knowing will change anything. I’m busy enough just playing with Rine.
—I appreciate that. You’re right, sometimes it’s better not to know anything and just enjoy the moment.
Her voice sounded suddenly sad when she said that, and before he realized it, Ludger turned to look at her.
Contrary to what he expected—that she would look depressed—she looked at Ludger with a teasing grin.
The moment Ludger thought, ‘I’ve been fooled,’ she hooked her arm around his neck.
—What’s this? Were you worried about this noona? You act tough, but you’re soft inside, huh.
—That’s not it. And could you please take your arm off me?
—Tsk tsk, you’ve got a cute side, don’t you? Just know that you’re far too young to be worrying about me.
—Including that man named Gariel?
At the mention of Gariel’s name, the smile at her lips faintly dimmed.
But it was so brief that Ludger didn’t notice.
—Well, he’s still too young, too.
—Isn’t that a bit harsh to say about a time mage?
—You even heard that? Sounds like you two got quite close while I wasn’t looking.
—He’s been dying to beat me, that’s all. Anyway, I won’t pry into whatever’s going on between you and my master. But...
—But?
—Just don’t do anything that’ll make Rine worry. She’s your only family.
Family.
At that word, she blinked before smiling warmly and nodding.
—Of course!
* * *
The happy days passed quickly.
Not a single day went by without Ludger going out with Rine.
To be precise, it was more that Rine clung to him and dragged him off somewhere almost every day.
—Oppa! Let’s go deeper into the forest today!
—We went there last time.
—That was last time! Today’s today!
Perhaps because she was an only child and had no father, Rine followed Ludger around like a real older brother.
Maybe playing with him was her way of making up for the loneliness of growing up without siblings.
Though Ludger complained, he still played with her in the end.
Since his master was often away, Ludger had plenty of free time anyway.
But today was a bit different.
Rine, who had gone ahead into the forest, came running back to report what she had seen.
—Oppa! There’s a kidnapper over there!
—What?
Thinking there was no way kidnappers could be in such a forest, Ludger followed her—only to actually find them.
They had captured a boy about Rine’s age.
Judging by his refined clothes, he was a young noble—clearly a target for ransom.
—Wh-what do we do?
—Wait here.
Ludger waited until the kidnappers were distracted, then ambushed them with a prepared spell.
They couldn’t react in time to his swift and silent attack.
There weren’t many of them, so he handled it easily.
He removed the hood covering the kidnapped boy’s head.
The boy squinted against the sudden light, then looked up at Ludger with eyes full of arrogance.
—Hey, you commoner. Hurry up and untie this rope.
—......
Ludger and Freuden Ulburk’s first meeting was quite intense.
Even though Freuden was the one being rescued, he looked at Ludger with an expression that said, what’s taking you so long?
He didn’t even have the decency to say thank you.
Just like his fancy clothes suggested—nobles always had their necks stuck up high.
—Hey, didn’t you hear me? If you don’t untie me right now, I’ll tell my family when I get back!
That last sentence was what truly got on Ludger’s nerves.
He decided to loosen the brat’s stiff neck—with his fist.
Thud!
—Ack! Y-you hit me?! You actually hit me?!
—Hmm. Maybe that wasn’t enough.
—What?
Thwack!
After a second flick to the head, Freuden finally went silent.
Ludger looked down at the fainted boy, sighed, and slung him over his shoulder.
The brat was arrogant, yes—but leaving a kidnapped child at the crime scene wasn’t an option.
He was just about to leave when Rine’s voice rang out from behind him.
—Oppa! Behind you!
—......!
Ludger ducked low, still carrying Freuden on his shoulder.
A sharp blade sliced through the air, cutting several strands of his black hair.
—What now. There’s still one left? I was hoping to finish this cleanly. How annoying.
The man who appeared was different from the other kidnappers Ludger had taken down.
Even putting his relaxed demeanor aside, his armor wasn’t simple leather—it was more formal, fitted, and regulated.
—A knight? What’s one doing here?
—Hooh? Sharp eyes for a kid. Beating those grunts before they could report back too—looks like you’ve been trained well.
The knight grinned, resting his sword on his shoulder.
He didn’t look like the solid, disciplined type of knight one imagined. His belly bulged, and he looked soft all around.
The kind of physique you’d see in a knight who hadn’t trained properly for years.
—A retired knight, then?
The fact that a knight was kidnapping a noble child already reeked of corruption.
—That’s none of your business, brat. You’ve seen too much, so now I’ve got to kill the witness.
The fat knight raised his sword toward Ludger.
A faint aura shimmered at the blade’s edge—the aura said to be wielded by knights.
Ludger immediately invoked a defensive spell.
Crash!
Even though he cast it hastily, his spellwork was flawless.
Yet, the knight’s single slash shattered it completely.
Seeing that, Ludger frowned.
So the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ man’s strength was real, despite his appearance.
—What’s this, kid? You’re a mage? Did the family send you already? No, that can’t be right.
The knight’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
He hadn’t expected such precision or speed from a boy this young.
Even after his defense broke, Ludger’s face remained calm.
He was clearly no ordinary kid.
—Well, whatever. You’ll die anyway. Same goes for that girl back there.
At the mention of killing Rine, Ludger’s eyes narrowed.
But instead of flaring up with killing intent, he exhaled softly and relaxed his stance.
The knight blinked in confusion.
—What’s this? Don’t tell me you’ve lost your will to fight?
—Not lost it—simply found no need for it.
The voice came from behind him.
The knight flinched and turned around.
When he saw who had spoken, his expression turned to shock and disbelief.
—...What the hell.
A blonde girl in a red dress stood there.
The knight frowned and spat out,
—A damn kid still wet behind the ears—
At those words, Ludger felt a chill crawl down his spine.