Chapter 39: The Beautiful Girl Falls from the Sky
“Hyahhhhhhh!”
“Wha…!”
Rest slid into the landing spot of the woman falling from the Clock Tower, but her momentum was overwhelming. Even if he used Body Enhancement to catch her, the impact would be too great, and both of them would suffer injuries far worse than mere fractures.
(Then… the Quartet!)
He activated the magic of the Quartet. By simultaneously casting multiple spells, he aimed to reduce the force of her fall.
(First, Wind Manipulation… and then, Floating!)
He unleashed a gust of wind from below to cushion the woman’s descent. At the same time, he cast a spell to make objects float. He didn’t apply too much force; if he overdid it, the shock could end up injuring her body instead.
(Just enough to slow her down… and now, Water Sphere, Amplification!)
He cast the basic water attribute spell, Water Sphere, along with the Amplification spell to enhance its power. A large sphere of water expanded around him, large enough to envelop a human body.
“Wap…!?”
(Good… this should work!)
The woman’s body, now slowed by the two spells, plunged into the water. The water acted as a cushion, absorbing the impact. Rest, waiting in the water, caught her as her momentum nearly dissipated.
“Bubububuk…!?”
(I did it! She doesn’t seem to be hurt.)
He successfully caught her without feeling much of an impact. He immediately released the Water Sphere, letting the water flow away.
“Puhah!”
“Haah, haah… W-what just happened…!?”
The woman emerged from the water, bewildered, in Rest’s arms. Upon a closer look, she appeared to be around his age. With short red hair and dressed in pants and a shirt, her soaked clothes clung to her body, accentuating her curves. The white shirt was nearly transparent, revealing hints of her underwear, but Rest quickly activated the Dry spell.
“Hyah!”
“Now that’s better… Are you alright, miss?”
“Wait… huh? You are…?”
“I apologize for my rudeness, but I had to touch your body. Please forgive me for the emergency.”
He gently lowered her to the ground and bowed slightly. Regardless of the circumstances, he had drenched her and pressed their bodies together. As a gentleman, he felt it necessary to apologize.
“Ah… right, I fell from the Clock Tower…”
“In that case, I’ll take my leave now.”
While he was curious about why this red-haired woman had fallen from the Clock Tower, he honestly didn’t want to get involved. With the entrance exam approaching, he decided to leave without introducing himself.
“Wait! You helped me, didn’t you!?”
“Wha…!”
“Thank you! You saved me!”
The woman matched her pace with Rest, expressing her gratitude. Although Rest was using Body Enhancement, she was running alongside him at the same speed.
(Though I’m not going all out, how is she keeping up with me…? No, more importantly…!)
What was truly alarming was that she wasn’t using any magic. He sensed no magical presence from her. This meant she was matching his speed purely with her natural physical abilities.
(She caught up to me just with her legs… is she some kind of monster!?)
“My name is Yuri Cattleya. Could you tell me your name?”
“…Rest. I don’t have a surname. Just Rest.”
“I see, Rest-kun. Nice to meet you!”
The red-haired girl, Yuri, smiled brightly as she jogged alongside him. Despite being in the middle of the city, she was maintaining a speed comparable to a moped. Rest felt a slight chill run down his spine as he observed her effortlessly keeping pace without breaking a sweat.
“Actually, I just arrived in the Royal Capital a little while ago. I got lost. I climbed the Clock Tower to get a better view, but… I must have slipped. You’re my savior. I’ll definitely repay this debt.”
“Is that so…?”
While he appreciated her gratitude, he wished she would stop following him. As he grimaced at Yuri’s persistence, he suddenly recalled the name she had mentioned—Cattleya. It rang a bell.
“Cattleya… are you perhaps related to the Cattleya Marquis family?”
The Cattleya Marquis. That referred to the Knight Commander who served under the King. While Marquis Rosemary was the head court magician and the top magician in the kingdom, Marquis Cattleya was the leader of the knights. He was one half of the individuals referred to as the “Wings of the King” in the court.
“Ah, no… my father, well, um…”
“Why are you so flustered?”
“I-I’m not flustered! I’m not running away from home or anything!”
“…………”
It seemed she was indeed running away from home. Her excuses were accompanied by her eyes darting around nervously.
(…If you want to hide your identity, don’t mention your family name. But would pointing that out mean I’ve lost the argument?)
“I see… so you’re a runaway girl who’s lost…”
“Um… I mean, I’m lost, but I’m not a runaway!”
“Right, right… by the way, I have somewhere to go, so can I excuse myself now?”
Regardless of her reasons, he wanted to avoid the hassle of being seen with the daughter of the Knight Commander and a marquis. He had an important exam coming up and didn’t want to get dragged into any more unnecessary trouble.
“Oh… I’m sorry about that. By the way, where are you planning to go?”
“…To the Royal Academy. I have an entrance exam coming up.”
“The Royal Academy?”
Yuri blinked in surprise. As they continued their conversation, they arrived at the gates of the Royal Academy. The academy, established by the Royal Family, was surrounded by brick walls, and armored knights stood at the entrance. Beyond the gates, a magnificent white building loomed, with other young candidates entering the school.
“Oh, I’ve been saved again!”
Yuri exclaimed beside him.
“Actually, I was planning to take the entrance exam for this academy too! Thanks to you, I’ve been saved once more. Thank you so much!”
“……………………I see.”
After a long silence, Rest nodded with a complex expression that was hard to define.
(A daughter of the Knight Commander and a marquis, taking the exam as a commoner…?)
It was clear that trouble was brewing. Rest felt a chill as he looked at Yuri, who wore a friendly smile reminiscent of a gentle giant dog.