A piercing scream echoed from behind Magnus as he walked. Glancing back, he quickly pinpointed the source—Marilyn, clutched tightly in Mary's arms. Both of their gazes were frozen on something above them: a monster. It resembled a fox but had two tails and an unsettling, mud-like texture that gave its body an unnatural appearance. Its bared teeth gleamed as it lunged toward the two girls from a nearby roof. But Magnus's mind worked faster than the beast's movements. In a fraction of a second, he envisioned a mana barrier wrapping around the sisters. Almost simultaneously, a concentrated sphere of flames formed in midair, directly in the monster's path.
To Marilyn and Mary, it all happened in an instant. Their view was tinted by the shimmering mana barrier, and they barely registered the flicker of fire before it erupted like a bomb. The monster's body was obliterated without warning, reduced not to chunks but to ash that scattered in the air. Some of the debris flew toward them, but the barrier held firm, shielding the sisters as the fragments disintegrated. When the barrier dissolved into faint particles of light, Marilyn and Mary glanced between the monster's remains and Magnus, their wide eyes full of shock.
"I told you I'd handle it," Magnus remarked with a faint smirk, turning to continue down the path toward the village.
The journey was slower than Magnus had anticipated. He had underestimated the distance to the elder's house, especially given the sisters' pace. Though they were fed and hydrated, rationing had taken its toll, leaving them too weak to move quickly. Progress was steady, though, with occasional breaks to recover. Before long, the village hall came into view. Alongside it were people. Houses still intact or needing only minor repairs were occupied again, and guards patrolled the area, marking the boundaries between safe zones and regions still under inspection. Two patrolling guards noticed Magnus and the sisters approaching along the road. At first, their expressions were puzzled.
Anyone capable of reaching the village hall on their own had already done so days ago; new arrivals now were always rescuers. As they drew closer, one of the guards froze, recognition dawning on his face—and Magnus mirrored the reaction. It was the same guard who had led him to the village hall after the fires had been extinguished.
"Grand Mage Magnus! What are you doing out here? I thought you were in the village hall," the familiar guard asked as they stopped in front of him. The other guard, initially confused by Magnus's presence, now looked startled. Hearing that the young man before them was the famed Grand Mage they'd been told about caught him off guard. Few had actually seen Magnus in person; most only knew of him through word of mouth. Aside from those stationed on the eastern wall and the people working in the village hall, Magnus had kept mostly out of sight since his arrival. Everyone knew of him, but almost no one knew what he looked like.
"I left about an hour ago to find these two," Magnus replied, gesturing toward Mary and Marilyn.
"They're the granddaughters of Elder Rodgir." At first, the guards assumed Magnus had simply rescued more survivors, which was already good news. But when they heard who the sisters were, their expressions shifted.
"The elder's granddaughters? But I thought they..." The second guard hesitated, leaving the sentence unfinished. He thought better of voicing it aloud, but Mary and Marilyn didn't need to hear it to understand. It was clear everyone had assumed they were dead.
Before the mood could sour, the cheerful guard spoke up.
"That's great to hear! Don't let us hold you up, then. We'll get back to our patrol." He nudged his companion aside, clearing the way.
Magnus nodded and called back, "Be careful out there."
He resumed leading the sisters toward the village hall, having memorized the stone paths between tents now. Marilyn's eyes wandered, taking in the activity around her. Villagers moved between tents and homes, and while the area seemed far more organized and calm than when Magnus had first arrived, there were still signs of grief—people wandering aimlessly or sitting silently with heavy expressions. By contrast, Mary stayed focused, walking behind Magnus for a moment before stepping up to his side. She clasped her hands behind her back and glanced at him.
"So..." she murmured, letting the word hang in the air.
Magnus raised a brow.
"What?"
"Grand Mage, huh?" Her smirk was teasing; her tone light.
"That's an interesting title." Magnus sighed, already knowing where this was going.
"I didn't come up with it. It's just what people started calling me. I've been trying to get them to stop, but... not much luck so far."
"Is that so?" There was a playful edge to her voice that made Magnus side-eye her.
"Don't," he warned flatly.
Mary's brow arched.
"What?"
"You're planning to call me Grand Mage, aren't you? Or, worse, you're going to get Marilyn to start calling me that." At the first accusation, Mary's smirk grew wider. But when he nailed her second idea, it faltered into a frown.
"How did you-"
"Because, firstly, I'm older than you, like I said before. Secondly, I had a friend who used to do the exact same jokes. Only, they were a hundred times worse, ten times more irritating, and involved my parents." Before Mary could reply, they arrived at the village hall's entrance. Standing there, waiting for them, was Elder Rodgir. His attempt at looking calm was betrayed by his restless fingers tapping against his cane and his eyes darting between the path and the sky. Occasionally, he glanced upward, as if half-expecting Magnus to drop out of the air like he had when he left.
Both Mary and Marilyn froze the moment they saw him, their breaths hitching in unison.
"Well, what are you two waiting for? He's probably been standing there ever since I left. Don't keep an old man waiting," Magnus said, gesturing for them to go.
Marilyn bolted first, with Mary close behind.
"Grandpa!" Marilyn called out, her voice cutting through the murmur of the crowd. Elder Rodgir's head snapped toward her, his eyes widening before softening as she ran into his arms. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, which only grew stronger when Mary joined in, hugging him as well.
"Oh, you two are alright. Thank goodness. I was so worried..." His voice trembled, thick with emotion, teetering on the edge of tears. Magnus watched the reunion from a few steps away, a small smile tugging at his lips. He gave them a moment before approaching at a leisurely pace. When Elder Rodgir finally raised his head, his grateful eyes locked onto Magnus.
"Thank you, Magnus. Truly, I feared the worst had happened to them," the elder murmured.
Magnus shrugged.
"Surprisingly, they did pretty well for themselves, surviving on their own. Your house is still standing too, though it'll need some repairs." Elder Rodgir nodded, clearly more relieved about his granddaughters than his home. Still, the mention of their survival brought his attention back to the girls.
"In that case, you can tell Grandpa all about it inside. You must be tired and hungry, right?" Mary and Marilyn exchanged glances before nodding. They were utterly exhausted. Although their house hadn't burned down like many in the western district, they had been forced to make do with the attic, using whatever remained for mats and blankets. And as for hunger, that went without saying.
Marilyn eagerly began recounting their experiences as they turned toward the hall. But just as they were about to head inside, Mary glanced back and noticed Magnus stretching, making no move to follow them.
"Aren't you coming with us?" She asked, stopping in her tracks.
Hearing her question, Elder Rodgir and Marilyn also paused, looking back at him.
"Yeah, you should join us," Marilyn chimed in, her voice kind and inviting.
"Indeed," Elder Rodgir added.
"After everything you've done, you should eat with us. All three of you are still growing, after all." Magnus waved them off casually.
"Believe it or not, using magic doesn't make you hungry or tired. So I'll pass. If you need me, I'll be in my room." He glanced up at the sky, focusing on the fifth-floor balcony that led to his room. Then, with a single jump, he launched himself into the air, sending a gust of wind rippling around them. The force was calculated perfectly; his ascent slowed just as he reached the edge of the balcony. Extending a foot, he stepped smoothly onto the railing before hopping down and disappearing inside.
"He's such a show-off..." Mary muttered, turning to head into the village hall. Marilyn followed with a puzzled look.
"Huh? I don't think so. I think he's cool. Besides, how many people can say they got rescued by a mage?" Her voice brimmed with admiration.
Mary smirked, her tone teasing.
"I didn't realize you were so into magic. Is that all it takes for someone to be 'cool' to you?" Marilyn's face flushed as she tried to defend herself.
"What? No! He looks nice too. I've never seen anyone with blonde hair before, and he's... different. Not like most people we've met." Mary snickered.
"Wow, I never knew my sister was so shallow; everything you just mentioned was appearance-based. And 'nice'? Is that what we're calling it now?" Elder Rodgir watched the sisters banter as they walked side by side, their laughter lightening his heavy heart. Though there was still much to do, the sound of their joy made the burdens feel a little less daunting.
•
The next day, Magnus woke slowly to the distant chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves in the breeze, and the faint sound of a stream rushing somewhere nearby. For a moment, he blinked up at the ceiling in confusion.
Oh, right. I went to take a nap. Guess I completely passed out.
He lay there for a while, his body sluggish and his brain still booting up. It wasn't until five minutes later that he finally sat up and stretched, glancing toward the nearby window. The amber light streaming through told him it was already close to evening, a fact his mental clock confirmed.
I forgot how easily I fall asleep to Nature ASMR. Slept straight through the night into the next day.
Magnus sighed, letting the sounds of the wilderness fade into the background as he slid out of bed. Pulling off his pajama top, he paused mid-motion, frowning slightly as a thought crossed his mind.
Actually, when was the last time I took a bath? Yeah… that sounds amazing right now. There should be enough time before the banquet tonight, too.
The idea lingered for only a moment before a knock at his door broke his train of thought.
"Hmm? Come in," he called out.
The door clicked open, revealing Seraline. She stepped inside with a calm expression.
"You're finally awake. You slept longer than I thought you would."
Magnus blinked at her, puzzled.
"How did you know I just woke up?"
Seraline gave him an odd look, answering matter-of-factly, "I can sense what's happening even through walls if I focus. I listened to your breathing pattern from my room."
Magnus froze for a moment, processing that, then slowly began nodding and clicking his tongue.
"Uh-huh. Ok. Seraline… That is extremely weird. Like, maybe even a privacy violation? Not totally sure, but definitely weird."
Her eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.
"Really? I thought it would be fine as long as I wasn't peering into your room directly. I see. I apologize; I won't do it again." Magnus gave a small sigh of relief.
"Thanks. Anyway, what's up?"
"I came to let you know I'll be attending the banquet. Halen seemed very interested, and… I agree with what you said," Seraline explained.
"Oh, that's great. Now I won't be stuck there alone. It'll make things way less awkward not being the only guest of honor," Magnus admitted one of his less-than-noble motivations slipping out. If Seraline noticed, she didn't seem to care.
"I'll see you there, then," she said, turning and leaving as calmly as she'd arrived, closing the door behind her.
Magnus stared after her for a moment before glancing down at his pajama top still in his hands.
What was I doing again?
He blinked, then snapped his fingers.
Oh, right. Bath.