Yes. The owner of that magic is none other than the first head of the family.
That means, only Giles Smore, who has the permission of the first head of the family, can enter.
And that permission is...
...The 'qualification to protect the archive' given to the Smore family.
Something is starting to fall into place.
Like chasing roots that branch out in many directions eventually leads to the origin, I seem to have been overlooking the most fundamental thing.
The Smore family, qualifications, permission—these are all just side branches in the end.
Once you tear them all away, what remains in the end is...
'The first head of the family, Lucrezia.'
Everything is just a byproduct derived from her.
If that's the case...
That's when it happened.
"Lady."
Startled by the sudden voice, I quickly looked up.
Eyes as warm as the sunset were looking at me.
"Aen...?"
With a gentle smile, he whispered.
"It's okay."
Taken aback by his words, I could only stare blankly at him.
Aen continued to speak to me.
"I know what you're worried about."
I couldn't give any answer to that.
Unknowingly, I was biting my lip.
"Of course, it would be a lie to say I'm not bothered."
At the same time, I realized.
"I don't want it to become a burden for you."
Aen had given up on <Ayla's Medical Book>.
And he chose to comfort me.
Why? I'm the one who should be comforting you, not the other way around.
You worked so hard to get that book, as if you were going to die, so why are you smiling at me?
My chest felt tight.
At this moment, I hated Aen's kindness, which I had loved so much.
"So, you don't have to push yourself. Okay? Do you understand what I mean?"
Right now, Aen was sincerely worried about me.
Even in this situation where he might lose the only way to save his daughter forever.
Just for me. Who am I?
'How can you do this?'
You're a human too, you can put your selfishness first a little.
You could prioritize your own feelings more.
Why are you worrying about me even in moments like this?
'...It's Aen's fault.'
This is Aen's mistake.
If he really wanted to relieve my burden, he should have been selfish instead.
Tell me that I kept my promise, so you should keep yours too. Tell me to get <Ayla's Medical Book> no matter what.
He should have shouted and urged me on like that.
Aen probably doesn't know.
That his warm kindness sometimes ruthlessly pushes my hesitant back.
'Thanks to you, I realized.'
What I need to do now. What I need to do for him.
"Hoo..."
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in and out.
I emptied my mind. My head is clearer than ever.
Slowly.
I slowly opened my closed eyes.
Everything around me is clearly visible.
"Lady...?"
Aen's eyes flickered anxiously.
I smiled brightly at him.
"Aen, I'm sorry."
"Lady, what are you doing - it's dangerous there."
One step. Two steps.
I stepped back.
Aen reached out his hand.
But it was too late.
My back was already about to touch the storm.
Pajijijijit-
Before it even touched, electricity sparked as if as a warning. But it doesn't hurt.
"Lady, come here. Okay? It's dangerous there."
Aen called out to me in a trembling voice.
I could feel other people, who had belatedly grasped the situation, looking at this place.
I slowly scanned them.
Elbert, Rigrin, and...
'Why are you making that face?'
With the Duke's frozen expression as the last thing I saw, I turned my gaze back to Aen.
"Lady, please..."
Aen looked like he was about to cry at any moment.
I don't want Aen to be sad.
It couldn't be helped. This was all I could do for him right now.
I gave Aen what might be my last farewell.
"Thank you."
And I threw myself backward.
"Lady-!!"
With a scream from who knows who as the last thing I heard.
Pajijijit-
Thud...
I lost consciousness.
"..."
I couldn't catch her.
Aen stared blankly at his hand that had stirred the air.
Lucia was clearly at the end of this, but she disappeared before his eyes.
No, she disappeared into the storm.
'Why?'
Doubt pierced his brain.
Why? Why? Why?
Why did Lucia?
In fact, Aen knew the reason.
<Ayla's Medical Book>. Lucia threw herself in to find it.
In front of him. Leaving only a farewell that seemed like it would be the last.
Kwaaaak...
Unable to withstand the grip, his hand trembled as if it would burst.
He wanted to explode it as it was.
A hand that can't even hold on to that small body...
'No.'
Aen raised his head.
As if to mock him, the magic storm raged even more violently.
Lucia's figure, which had disappeared beyond it, was nowhere to be seen.
But...
'The Lady is safe.'
Wasn't Lucia someone who had overcome hardships many times?
She will surely be safe this time too. So.
'I can go.'
To where Lucia is.
It's not difficult. All he has to do is cut through this damned storm.
Seureung...
Aen immediately drew his sword.
The commander of the Rodbel Magic Knight Order can never draw his sword without the head of the family's permission.
And now, the head of the family is watching all of this.
But Aen did not hesitate or waver.
He held out his sword towards the monstrously raging purple storm.
Goooo...
Soon, the red magic that began to flow from his body instantly engulfed his entire body.
Normal magic, not Rodbel's magic, is reddish.
Even if it's not magic made with Rodbel's magic, it doesn't matter.
He had the strength and flexibility to overcome it.
A red light settled in Aen's eyes.
The long sword, soaring high as if to tear the sky, was instantly struck down in a straight line.
Pajijijijit!
When the sword touched, the electricity fluctuated violently.
Aen's entire body trembled along with the sword due to the enormous friction.
It was the force that had repelled the knights.
That transcendent force rejected Aen.
"Keuk!"
But with the single-minded determination to save Lucia, he put strength in his legs and struck down the sword.
Kagagat!
The sword screamed in pain.
Exclamations burst from the mouths of those watching the scene.
Such power and force!
Once again, he realized the power of Aen Rixus, the legendary magic knight commander.
But at that moment, Aen's mind was dominated by self-hatred.
You idiot. You damn fool. You pathetic bastard.
If I had moved just a little faster, I could have caught her.
I shouldn't have let Lucia in such a dangerous place in the first place.
No.
'I shouldn't have made that contract.'
That contract put Lucia in danger.
In fact, it was no different from him pushing Lucia's back.
'Damn it!'
He wanted to turn this sword around and kill himself.
But he couldn't. He couldn't die.
Because there was something to protect.
'Lady... Please be safe.'
Perhaps his earnest heart reached her.
A gap in the storm slightly widened.
Hope flashed in Aen's eyes, but.
Kaang!
Aen's sword was deflected.
The spinning sword was plunged into the ground as it was.
Staring blankly at the flying sword, Aen bit his teeth.
"Damn it-!!"
He lost his weapon, but he didn't back down.
If he didn't have a sword, he would use his two hands.
Kwaang!
His two hands slammed down as if to break the boundary.
But the fist he desperately swung didn't even budge, let alone break it.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
He struck it down again and again, but the result was the same.
The skin that couldn't withstand the impact burst, and his two hands were already soaked in blood, but he didn't back down.
Elbert approached him.
"Commander Rixus, step back. The building may collapse soon due to the aftermath of the magic storm. You may get caught up in it-"
But Elbert couldn't continue.
Kwaak.
Aen instantly grabbed his collar.
He gnashed his teeth as if growling.
"Are you saying that now? The Lady is inside...!"
Elbert was embarrassed by Aen's fierce reaction and struggled.
"I, I was worried about the commander, that's why I said that, cough!"
His face, which had been suffocated, turned red and then pale.
"...Stop. Please stop. You can't save the Lady by taking out your anger like this."
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