THDK Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Acknowledging One’s Weakness (Part 1)

When I woke up, I realized I was being hugged by something big and slightly hard. As I lifted my face, I saw Nox’s handsome face with his eyes closed, and my heart began to beat faster. I was worried that my heartbeat might wake him up, but he didn’t stir.

I brought my index finger close to Nox’s lips. Just as I was about to touch him gently, our eyes met, and I saw his deep crimson eyes, which were still blurry from sleep. I quickly withdrew my hand.

“…Did you sleep well?”

Nox’s sleepy, husky voice made my face heat up. I must have fallen asleep while Nox was reading me a bedtime story. I felt a little regretful that I didn’t get to hear the rest of it.

As Nox sat up, he placed me on his knee, facing him. His messy, unstyled hair made him look refreshingly masculine.

“Today, you should train with Alan.”

“Yeah. Good luck with your work, Nox.”

Nox gently stroked my head, and I saw a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. I found it adorable, and my mouth curved into a smile.

After getting out of bed, we had breakfast together. I loved spending time with Nox, especially during meals. Once we finished eating, Nox stroked my head again before heading off to work.

“Beatrice, let’s go see Alan.”

“I’ll get ready right away.”

“Thanks.”

I changed into comfortable clothes for training and carried a still-sleeping Oreole in my arms. Beatrice and I headed outside.

When we arrived at the knight training grounds, I saw Zain sitting on a bench. Alan was nowhere to be seen. I approached Zain and greeted him.

“Good morning, Zain.”

“Hey, little guy. You’re early.”

“I was really looking forward to it.”

I smiled, remembering what Nox had said: he would help me create a peaceful world. I wanted to live up to his expectations.

“Hey, is Alan really the captain of the knights?”

“Haha. Alan’s also a small guy like you. But despite his appearance, he’s actually older than me – twenty-nine years old. People with strong magical powers tend to look younger than they actually are. Alan’s a special case, though. Even the Demon King looks younger than he actually is.”

I was surprised by Zain’s words. Nox is really cool, but could he actually be an old man? I decided to ask him about it later.

Since we had some time before Alan arrived, I asked Zain to train me in magic. My control has improved significantly, so we decided to practice combat magic.

“Okay, cast your magic at me.”

“Eh…?”

“What’s wrong?”

“You want me to cast magic at you?”

“That’s what combat practice is all about.”

My body trembled slightly. It’s different from casting magic at rabbits or birds. I’m casting magic at a person. The memory of when I accidentally hurt my brother flashed back, and I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“I-I don’t think I can do it…”

“What? That’s not how you practice!”

“B-but…”

I’m scared.

What if I hurt Zain like I hurt my brother? Just thinking about it makes me shake even more.

“Don’t worry, I’m the second-best magician in the demon kingdom, right after the Demon King. Your weak magic won’t even leave a scratch on me.”

“T-that’s…but…”

What should I do?

I forced a smile, trying to look brave. I have to smile. That’s what I do in situations like this.

“Maybe I’m still worried about my control. Can’t I just practice control a bit more?”

I tried to sound as childlike as possible, hoping Zain would agree.

Zain let out a sigh, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes. But I managed to keep smiling, and Zain eventually relented.

Just as I felt relieved, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned my gaze towards the sound.

“Zain, you don’t need to go easy on him.”

“You’re late, Alan.”

“Hmph. You should be grateful I bothered to show up.”

Alan’s stern gaze made me look away. I couldn’t cast magic at Zain. Alan must have seen my failure.

“Get ready.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, Alan drew his sword and pointed it at me.