Volume 2 Chapter 22 Jump Scroll
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Huh…?”
A towering golem materialized before their eyes.
The radiant surge of blue light, vast enough to engulf its massive form, blinked out in an instant—sucked into the golem’s core like water down a drain. Along with it, both Tiet and Adelina vanished.
”Damn it…! Spatial teleportation?!”
They’d been outmaneuvered.
It was clear the enemy had anticipated Tiet’s involvement. That much was only natural. From the hero party’s point of view, someone as absurdly strong as Tiet was nothing less than a ticking time bomb. The moment it became known—or even suspected—that she had defected, this kind of trap was all but guaranteed.
Still… using such a high-level spell just to isolate them… it hadn’t been expected.
And that guy—after all her smug speeches about everything being under control—got snatched in the very first move?! What part of that is “under control,” you damn fool?!
Even so, none of them had room to criticize.
In truth, they’d all fallen for it.
Winning over Hermine had given them a false sense of security. They’d underestimated the enemy’s preparation, convinced that their side now held the advantage. Especially Tiet—her belief in comradeship had made them complacent. Because of that, he’d handed over Adelina with barely a second thought.
No matter how they looked at it… this was their own failure.
”Hmph. With this, there’s no one left to interfere,” one voice sneered from above.
”All that’s left is to clean up and finish this,” another followed with confidence.
Two shadows descended from the sky, trailing mana like smoke.
They were the ones whose names had been called earlier.
”Alright, Klock Livorno! Your evil deeds end here!” one of them shouted.
”The two of us will be your opponents. Surrender peacefully, and we’ll go easy on you!”
Hovering in the air were two mages clad in deep black mantles. Their hoods were drawn so low only their mouths were visible beneath. Mysterious patterns—likely magical—were embroidered across their cloaks, giving off an ominous shimmer. From the slight gaps near their necks, strands of hair spilled out—one with hair as white as snow, the other as black as night.
Judging by their voices, they were both young women.
”Shut it, brats,” Klock muttered, folding his arms with a scowl. “You’re not welcome here. Beat it.”
Their reactions came swiftly.
”W-What?! That’s so mean! He said something mean!”
”I’m furious now! I’m not forgiving that! Not ever!”
Their cheeks puffed up, eyes gleaming with indignation.
With a childish snarl—”Kii!”—they bared their teeth.
So… they really were kids.
”What, seriously? You’re actually just children?” Klock said, cocking an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be home suckin’ on your mama’s breast or something?”
”Huh?! Like you wouldn’t go sucking on a kid’s chest if you had the chance, let alone a mom’s!” the black-haired one snapped.
”You disgusting pervert! We’ll rip you to shreds and turn your corpse into fertilizer!”
Wait. What?
Klock blinked, genuinely lost.
When the hell did he get labeled that kind of freak?
Tiet had said she was of age. That one was clear. Probably. As for Adelina… yeah, no idea.
Elna and Lona glared down at him, openly disgusted. Their tone was immature, but the way they’d referred to Hermine as “Master” revealed the truth.
They were disciples of the Great Mage.
If that were the case, then… even children like these could be legitimate threats.
Considering Tiet’s example, appearances couldn’t be trusted.
Oddly enough, Klock felt strangely calm.
Maybe the sudden disappearance of the golem had helped ease the tension. Or maybe it was because the new enemies were just… kids.
Still, he couldn’t relax.
Apprentices of the Great Mage or not, they were enemies. That fact didn’t change.
No matter how he tried to spin it, he had no means to fight them.
His trump card—Tiet—had been taken in the first move.
All he had left was a standard knife, a few skills, and a handful of equipment: a barrier device and an anti-magic bracelet. Nothing he could use offensively.
The magic jammer was intended for Hermine.
Could he use it here?
…No. They were flying. He had no way to attach the device.
And activating the barrier while visible was too risky. Even if he managed to obscure himself, a mage would likely detect the spell in an instant.
He was cornered.
Again.
That depressing little phrase flickered through his mind: “Here we go again.”
Why was it always like this? Always running. Always outmatched.
Tiet, for all her appearance, was at least technically an adult. These girls weren’t.
And now he was expected to run away from a pair of children.
It was humiliating.
But still… there was no other way. Escape was the only option.
”Please wait,” a voice said sharply from the side.
Klock turned.
Suzette had stepped forward, standing tall as she faced the girls in the sky.
”Judging by your attire, I assume you’re mages of the Empire,” she said with a firm, steady tone. “I am Suzette, local governor of Basselow and member of the Fennec family. That man is our guest. By attacking him, are you declaring war between the Empire and the Federation?”
Her voice was clear and rapid, with no hesitation.
Klock’s eyes widened slightly. Was she protecting him?
”Huh?! That’s not what this is about!” the white-haired girl protested.
”Yeah! We just want something from that guy! The rest of you can leave!”
”That is unacceptable,” Suzette replied without flinching. “He is under the protection of the Fennec household. We are scheduled to meet in Basselow, and I cannot stand by while an attack is made on our guest. As such, I must interpret your actions as a declaration of hostility from the Empire.”
The girls froze.
Their mouths twitched as they scrambled for a response.
”Grrr…!”
”Ugh! That’s not fair, Klock Livorno!” the black-haired one shouted.
”Yeah! Hiding behind a woman and using the Federation as a shield?! That’s low!”
They began shouting insults without much coherence.
Clearly, the tactic had worked.
Suzette’s declaration had been extreme. In truth, a skirmish of this scale would never escalate into war. At most, it might result in formal complaints or compensation.
But the real question was whether these girls understood that.
She had guessed correctly—their age meant they lacked that kind of diplomatic nuance.
”Sir Klock,” Suzette said, turning back to him. “Please come this way.”
”Right,” Klock muttered, stepping forward at her signal.
Even if they’d been caught off guard, there was no guarantee they could just walk away. If the enemy had used teleportation once, there was always a chance Hermine would reappear at any moment.
They had to decide their next move quickly.
…Did Suzette have a plan?
”Dorothea, take Michelle and head to Basselow,” Suzette said, her voice firm yet calm. “Also, inform them that I am taking a leave of absence.”
”Head maid?! That is…!” Dorothea gasped, her face paling with shock.
Suddenly, Suzette began speaking as though they were about to part ways for good. Was she intending to sacrifice herself here? Or did she have another plan in mind?
”Dorothea,” Suzette said gently, yet resolutely. “Taking a leave of absence means just that. It may be some time before I return, but there’s no need to worry.”
”…Yes. I… I understand,” Dorothea replied hesitantly, bowing her head with visible reluctance.
Having obtained Dorothea’s consent without room for further objection, Suzette turned back toward him. With a swift motion, she slipped her hand under the folds of her maid uniform and pulled something out.
──A scroll.
”You’re not getting away that easily!” one of the girls shouted, her eyes narrowed in defiance.
”That’s right! Our master ordered us to handle this! At the very least, we’ll restrain you—!”
”Oh my,” Suzette said with a sly smile. “Restraint is a form of attack, you know. Are you sure you want to declare war against our nation?”
Her sharp retort cut through the moment. The two girls froze, clearly shaken. They likely hadn’t received proper education to navigate such implications. Given their age, their hesitation was understandable.
”Mr. Klock,” Suzette said softly, keeping the scroll concealed from their view. “I will teleport you. Please, give me your hand.”
Without delay, she opened the scroll and grasped his hand tightly.
He can teleport…? Seriously? That’s beyond rare…
Teleportation was an incredibly advanced form of magic. Even among Unique Skills, spatial abilities were primarily used for emergency escape. To move at will to a specific location? That was unheard of.
Scrolls capable of such feats weren’t supposed to exist. If she had access to one, it meant she was someone trusted—someone important. Possibly treated with the same respect afforded to nobility.
”You sneaky woman! Hand over that worthless man!”
”Yeah! You’re a bad adult! Why are you even protecting someone like him?!”
Jeers rained from above like stones thrown by unruly children. In fact, they probably were children—completely unaware that this place had turned into a battlefield.
”…Jumping,” Suzette whispered.
The scroll unfurled, its surface aglow with a mysterious blue formation. Strange characters shimmered into existence and began orbiting the two of them, spinning faster and faster. Then, just as suddenly, the light was drawn inward like a vortex.
The world trembled.
The lines of the formation distorted as though it were swelling—then compressed violently. In the instant the characters vanished, everything was swallowed by darkness.
And then—the scenery melted away into chaos.
”Urgh… what is this…”
The sensation was sickening. The world spun while accelerating beyond comprehension. Their stomachs churned violently, as though they’d been hurled into a pit filled with toxic gas. They clenched their eyes shut, resisting the urge to cry out.
Overwhelmed by nausea, they instinctively curled in on themselves—but with companions nearby, pride kept them from falling apart completely. They endured in silence.
”…It’s done,” a voice said beside them.
They had arrived.
”Ugh… I feel awful,” he muttered, forcing his eyes open.
Blinding light pierced his vision, like sunlight pouring through curtains. Wincing, he slowly blinked through the brightness.
Cold air kissed his skin. Beneath his feet, the fine sensation of powdery sand—or so he thought. But that wasn’t sand at all.
”…Ah… huh?”
He furrowed his brows and looked again.
White. Everything was white.
”…Eh, snow?!”
The ground beneath them was blanketed in snow, not sand. A thin layer covered the withered grass below, and beyond, the same snowy veil stretched out in every direction. Even the distant mountains shimmered in pure white.
”Huh?! Where are we…? Some kind of snow-covered mountain range?”
”…Haa… haa… This is near the border of the Sacred Fritz Theocracy,” Suzette answered through labored breaths. “A mountain close to the imperial capital of the Dusselhelm Empire…”
She was drenched in sweat, kneeling on the snow-covered ground like someone who had just sprinted for miles. Was this the aftermath of teleportation?
”I see,” he murmured. “The scroll’s magic alone wasn’t enough to bring us here?”
”No… I used most of my own magic power to complete it…” she admitted weakly.
Apparently, the scroll’s contents alone hadn’t been sufficient. She had supplemented it with her own mana to fuel the teleportation. That meant she wasn’t just holding a rare item—she had the skill to use it. Not something a normal maid should be capable of.
She wasn’t ordinary. That much was certain. Despite serving a Viscount’s household, there was something… different about her.
”We should move immediately,” Suzette urged. “We must choose a destination before they catch up.”
”Huh? In your condition, you can’t even stand. We should rest first—”
”No,” she interrupted firmly. “Teleportation magic leaves behind a large mana signature. It becomes easier to track. If we don’t move, they’ll locate us soon.”
Seriously…?
But her current state was dire. She couldn’t even lift herself from the snow. Her uniform, pristine just moments ago, was now dirtied at the hem from kneeling on the frozen ground.
It didn’t seem like she could walk at all.
In that case—there was only one solution.
”…Fine. I’ll carry you. Just tell me where to go.”
He approached her and pulled her gently to her feet, looping one arm beneath her knees and lifting her into a bridal carry.
She wasn’t too heavy. But still, trekking through snowy mountains like this… wasn’t without risk.
”H-Hey, wait—guest?!”
”Quiet. We’re moving. Just point the way.”
Even if they didn’t get far, putting distance between them and their pursuers was better than nothing. Carrying her on his back would preserve his stamina, but be slower. In his arms, the pace would be quicker—though he wouldn’t last long.
”…From the north side… please head in that direction,” she whispered, averting her eyes.
He started walking downhill, the snow crunching softly beneath his boots.
She gave no further comment. But her ears, tinged red, betrayed her feelings. It wasn’t the cold that made them flush—clearly, she was embarrassed to be held like this. For someone as composed as Suzette, showing such emotion was rare. It felt like… a quiet victory.
…Huh?
As he walked, he caught something strange in his peripheral vision.
When had that… appeared?
From the side of her head, something extended forward. A shape no human should have.
──Horns.
They hadn’t been there moments ago. That much was certain. Which meant they must’ve been hidden until now.
The sudden loss of her mana—yes, that would explain it. The concealment magic must have worn off due to exhaustion.
Stay calm… Think.
Horns. What kind of beings have horns?
On the human continent, no such trait existed naturally. Beastkin might have horns, sure—but they usually had tails too. And Suzette… had none.
Which left only one possibility.
Only one race had such defining features.
She was—
A demon.
Notes:
• Adelina – The slave girl.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Hermine – A companion and friend of Anna. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Lona – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with black hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Michelle – The younger maid from Viscount Fennec. She tries hard to prove herself but often makes mistakes, leading to awkward situations. Her relationship with Klock is strained due to her clumsiness, though he initially tries to be patient with her.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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