*****

Leon and I ran with everything we had. As soon as we burst through the mist, we found Master Clein and the knights gathered together.

Oh no. This has turned into a much bigger ordeal than I expected. Clearly, reinforcements had been summoned, as the number of knights had increased significantly. I could even see my father among them; I’ll probably get a lecture later, but for now, I’ll just be glad we made it back in one piece.

Master Clein noticed us and came rushing over, while Leon and I—completely spent from the sprint—collapsed onto the grass.

「Mia! Leon! Are you two alright?」

「Huff... puff... We managed... thanks to Leon-kun...」

「Wheeze... I’m just glad... I brought those Warding Stones...」

Sensing the emergency, the knights scattered into a perimeter, their eyes sharp as they secured the area. Even through the prickling tension in the air, seeing the sturdy backs of the knights and the familiar faces of Master Clein and my father allowed a wave of relief to wash over me.

「What on earth happened? An hour has passed since I last saw you.」

(...A-an hour!?) I thought it had been ten minutes at most. I glanced at Leon, and seeing the same shock on his face, I realized that time must flow differently inside that mist.

「I’m not sure where to start, but... to put it simply, there was a magic circle inside the mist, and it was spewing out miasma.」

「A magic circle that generates miasma?」

While Master Clein looked astonished, Father simply narrowed his eyes in a grim, silent scowl. I noticed their starkly different reactions but pushed forward with my report.

「The mist and miasma both seemed to get denser the closer we got to the circle. In the end, the miasma even started taking the shape of a monster...」

「And that’s when Leon used the Warding Stone?」

「It was a close call. It happened just as we were deciding to run for it rather than investigate.」

To be honest, there was so much more I wanted to say. However, I felt that continuing the report in this open area might be dangerous. As if to prove my point, the surrounding knights began to whisper anxiously.

「I thought monsters were the ones that emitted miasma?」

「Who knows? We barely understand how those things function in the first place.」

「Still, there's nothing normal about that mist.」

Leon had sensed an abnormality in the mana during the geological survey, and the Necklace of Warding had reacted to the mist as well. Anything that interferes with the human psyche and the flow of time is clearly no ordinary matter. It was hard to believe such a magic circle had appeared naturally.

As unease rippled through the knights, Father let out a thunderous throat-clearing, commanding everyone's attention.

「The Order will immediately form squads and investigate the mist. If you feel your lives are in danger, you are permitted to retreat to the safety zone without hesitation!」

「Sir!」

My father really is a "Demon Instructor." The moment he gave the order, the knights' expressions hardened, and they fanned out into the terrain.

Meanwhile, unlike the departing knights, Master Clein stood with a hand to his chin, lost in thought.

「A magic circle producing miasma... If we assume this mist exists specifically to hide it, I doubt the knights will find anything.」

I hadn't even finished the whole story yet, and he was already deducing that much. I felt a twinge of regret; I should have come back the moment I spotted that circle.

「Actually, there’s something else I need to tell you—」

「It is necessary for the record to show that the Order found nothing.」

Just as I tried to continue, Father cut me off with those ominous words. It was obvious he was hiding something—or rather, that he already had a good idea of what was going on.

「This matter will likely be officially handled as a misunderstanding on my daughter's part.」

Confused by what Father was impliesing, I looked over at Leon. He was darting his eyes back and forth, as if to say, “But I saw the magic circle too!”

Master Clein, however, seemed to understand perfectly. He gave a sharp nod.

「I see. There’s a 'behind-the-scenes' reason we shouldn't dig into. I assume that's why you were called back to the field, Viscount Hopewell?」

「I appreciate your quick wit. However, I have no definitive proof. Everything remains at the discretion of His Majesty the King.」

Is this what they call an "adult conversation"? Once the King's name is invoked, it becomes impossible to pry any further. Master Clein didn't look intimidated, though; he stared back at my father with a solemn intensity.

「Since I have also received a royal decree from His Majesty, results are expected of me. I cannot simply back down.」

Hearing his own logic thrown back at him as a counter-argument, even my father made a sour face. Finally, he let out a weary sigh of resignation.

「I cannot speak of this loudly, but... it may be a 'Relic of the Past.'」

At Father's words, we all looked at each other. None of us seemed to recognize the term; we just stood there, blinking in confusion.

「A 'Relic of the Past'? I’ve never heard of such a thing.」

「They were rarely seen even during the great wars. It is only natural that someone as young as you, Master Clein—Court Alchemist or not—would be unfamiliar with them. Though... that may not remain the case for long.」

「Are you saying this incident is merely the tip of the iceberg? Just what are you hiding?」

「I am forbidden from speaking another word on the matter.」

It seemed Father couldn't say more without the King’s permission. He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to divulge the crucial details.

The mystery of the abnormal monster breeding remained unsolved, but it was clear no further discussion would happen here. We had certainly achieved enough results for a survey request, and our role was over... or so I hoped.

「It seems we have no choice but to ask His Majesty directly. We need to return to the Royal Capital immediately. Organize an escort unit from the Order.」

「...As you command.」

I couldn't help but feel that we were about to be swallowed up by something truly massive.

*****

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