The work of inscribing the magic circle.

Yoon Si-woo understood that it was a task requiring considerable concentration, time, and magical power.

Having followed the construction of magic circles throughout the Boundary Region for a while, he had seen the faces of the magicians installing them grow wearier by the day.

For an ordinary magician, one to two circles per day was typical.

Even for skilled magicians, three was generally the limit.

Given his experiences so far, Yoon Si-woo had come to know this well.

“…Are you really okay with this? You’ve already reached your quota for today.”

“Quota? I’ve only inscribed three magic circles. If we want to finish this construction sooner, we need to double that. I still have plenty of magical power left, so let’s move on to the next one.”

He couldn’t help but be amazed at the blonde boy magician who had joined the work after his Academy classes and, in just a few hours, was pushing through an amount of work that would take others an entire day to complete.

…This was definitely Dwight from 1st Year Class B.

Yoon Si-woo had encountered him a few times at the Academy and had sparred with him, so he somewhat remembered him as a fairly talented magician, but he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent.

In terms of this magic circle, he seemed to be far more skilled than the other magicians, and Yoon Si-woo couldn’t help but admire him sincerely.

“You… really are amazing. Others would be collapsing by now.”

“I’m considered a genius magician, after all. I should be able to handle this level of work easily.”

“…Isn’t it a bit embarrassing to say something like that about yourself?”

“It’s just having a good grasp of one’s talent. What’s embarrassing about stating facts as they are? Speaking of which, it feels strange to hear such praise from the youngest hero. People say you have a talent that appears once in a millennium. You’re the real prodigy among the prodigies.”

“Haha…”

Yoon Si-woo chuckled awkwardly at Dwight’s matter-of-fact statement regarding his own genius.

He also knew well enough that he possessed exceptional talent.

However, because he believed that his strength was largely dependent on Lucy, his outstanding mentor, and the Holy Swords, he felt a bit ashamed to call himself a genius.

As they walked and laughed awkwardly, they soon arrived at the next site, just as Dwight began etching the magic circle again and opened his mouth.

“…Honestly, comparing myself to other magicians when drawing this anti-teleportation magic circle is ridiculous. This magic circle originates from my family, and for one bearing the name Ninehart to fall behind other magicians in this type of magic would tarnish that name.”

“Wait, wasn’t this project being overseen by Dolos?”

“Dolos is indeed an ancient family, and they do engage in magical research and investments, but when it comes to magic, our Ninehart family specializes in it. We are responsible for advising on the anti-teleportation magic circle needed for this construction. We modified the magic circle applied to the barrier. There are many shortcomings because it was proceeding in a hurry, but tsk, if only we had more time, we could have created a magic circle with fewer side effects.”

“…I see. So that’s why it looks so familiar.”

“Since I’ve studied it all day since I was young, it’s only natural that I become accustomed to it.”

Even so, seeing Dwight etch the magic circle with flawless precision while conversing continuously was nothing short of impressive.

Yoon Si-woo, who had been silently watching his work, snapped back to reality when Dwight halted and exhaled softly.

“…Is it done? Shall we move to the next location?”

“…No, I think I need a short break. I need to recharge my magical power a bit.”

“Oh, in that case, let’s take a seat over there and rest a little.”

“Let’s do that.”

Taking a moment to rest, Yoon Si-woo leaned against the wall, glancing sideways at Dwight who sat near him.

Perhaps it was to concentrate on recovering his magical power.

Dwight seemed entirely devoid of intention to initiate conversation.

While it wouldn’t matter if they just sat quietly, Yoon Si-woo thought that since they were classmates at the Academy, it might be nice to keep the conversation going.

However, when he actually contemplated starting a conversation, he found himself at a loss for topics to discuss.

Earlier, he had approached Dwight without thinking much of it, but now that he was conscious of it, he felt an awkwardness creeping in, making it harder to broach the subject.

After all, he realized he had hardly ever talked with boys of his age.

Since childhood, he had been surrounded more by girls than boys, and he had lived without much experience talking to other boys.

And in his attempt to break the awkward silence by taking out his mobile phone, he casually glanced at the photo set as his wallpaper and suddenly spoke up.

“…Hey, how is Scarlet doing at the Academy?”

“Are you talking about Scarlet Evande from 1st Year Class A?”

“Ah… yeah…”

…Wait, doesn’t this make it seem like a guy asking about a girl he’s interested in?

Realizing this only after he had already asked the question, Yoon Si-woo began to worry about how Dwight might respond, but thankfully, Dwight answered without showing any suspicion.

“If it’s her, she’s doing well. Up until last week, it seemed like she was pushing herself without sleep, but today, she looked like she had a good rest over the weekend and regained her condition. Her expression also seemed a bit better, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Ah, I see…”

The fact that her face had brightened up after the weekend meant that his actions had helped her to some extent.

Feeling glad about that, Yoon Si-woo had a subtle smile on his face when he suddenly realized something peculiar about the specifics of Dwight’s explanation and asked with a meaningful tone.

“…By the way, your explanation seems quite detailed… You seem to be paying quite close attention to Scarlet, huh?”

“Paying close attention? I hadn’t really thought about it… No, maybe I have. To me, she might be a rather special presence.”

“…Special, presence?”

As Dwight nodded as if he had just realized something, Yoon Si-woo’s expression stiffened at the mention of this ‘special presence.’

Perhaps it was because he had just thought of what that ‘special presence’ meant.

Yoon Si-woo noted the slight change in Dwight’s gaze from indifference to something more profound, and he suddenly felt a wave of discomfort rising within him.

Scarlet was an attractive person.

So it wasn’t surprising if someone found her special.

However, despite that, Yoon Si-woo hoped that Scarlet would be a special presence only for him.

Realizing his own feelings, Yoon Si-woo let out a silent chuckle.

Really, it was almost childish, such a petulant jealousy.

Understanding his own pettiness made him feel all the more irritable, so he bluntly asked Dwight.

“What do you think of Scarlet?”

Dwight answered promptly.

“I see her as a rival who can inspire me.”

“…Huh? A rival?”

“That’s right. A rival. Watching someone like her work harder than I do motivates me. I’m also trying to emulate her strong willpower, as she continues to persevere even after losing an arm and being kidnapped by a witch.”

Nodding along with Dwight’s words, Yoon Si-woo felt the negative emotions he had just been feeling dissipate and smiled as he nodded in agreement.

This guy knows a thing or two, doesn’t he?

Scarlet’s efforts and willpower were truly things worth emulating.

With that thought clearing his mind, Yoon Si-woo playfully asked Dwight.

“Haha, right, a rival. So, you don’t consider Scarlet to be anything more than that?”

“A romantic interest? As for that…”

Then, in response to Yoon Si-woo’s question, Dwight replied in a nonchalant tone.

“I think to myself, if I were to one day marry, I would like a woman like her.”

“Oh, I see. Marriage… marriage?”

The word marriage hit Yoon Si-woo like a heavy blow, causing his expression to harden.

…Wait, does that mean this guy also likes Scarlet?

Not just as a girlfriend, but to the extent that he wants to marry her?

That could be possible.

Scarlet was an attractive person and a charming woman, so it wasn’t out of the question.

But accepting it felt a bit, no, far too overwhelming.

Yoon Si-woo glared at Dwight with a stiff face and asked.

“What exactly did you find so appealing about Scarlet?”

“Hm… If I had to narrow it down, I’d say it’s her character. She displays a self-sacrificial, devoted side that prioritizes others over herself, which aligns with my ideal image of a wife. Plus, I heard she makes cookies for her classmates. If she’s good at cooking too, then that’s just perfect.”

“Ha… haha…”

Yoon Si-woo inadvertently let out a nervous laugh.

As Dwight said, Scarlet was indeed devoted.

She valued the lives of others even more than her own.

As Dwight claimed, she was also a good cook.

He could attest to that after having tasted her cooking.

And he was the person who knew her best.

Did you see? The lengths Scarlet was willing to go to in order to change a future where she would die?

Have you tasted? The warmth of the dishes she prepared?

But what do you know about Scarlet? How can you claim that she could be your wife?

The one who knows her most intimately, who knows her unspoken secrets, is none other than me.

Those outcries violently swirled within Yoon Si-woo’s heart.

And behind the raging storm of anger was not something else but anxiety.

Scarlet was living under the same roof as him.

While they shared the same house, it was a flimsy connection, only a circumstance where she could leave anytime she wanted.

Moreover, the time they could be together was just once a week.

Attending the Academy together, he knew that Dwight would spend more time with her than he could.

That meant the possibility always existed for Scarlet to lean toward him rather than Yoon Si-woo.

In Yoon Si-woo’s imagination, Scarlet smiled and spoke.

“Yoon Si-woo. Just like I promised you, I found happiness.”

By the side of a man standing before her, not him.

“With this person, I think I could be happy.”

And could he truly bless her as she said that?

Yoon Si-woo gazed blankly at Dwight, who stood next to Scarlet in his imagination.

Despite the dark circles under his eyes, excluding that, he had a face that could easily be considered handsome.

His abilities, though not surpassing Yoon Si-woo’s, were impressive enough not to be outclassed.

Could he truly say that there was no chance for Scarlet to choose him over someone like Dwight?

As he stared at Dwight, who was rattling off Scarlet’s virtues without a care, an impulse surged within his chest.

Ah, he wanted to rush home right now.

To rush home and tell Scarlet.

You are mine, and no one else’s.

He wanted to let her know.

As Yoon Si-woo’s eyes lit up with intensity, he suddenly heard Dwight’s voice.

“Well, even so, I won’t be doing anything as foolish as getting married.”

Yoon Si-woo, caught off guard by Dwight’s abrupt declaration of his anti-marriage stance, felt his mind go blank and he stupidly uttered.

“What…?”

“I just said I absolutely won’t do anything as foolish as marriage. If I get married, won’t that take away my time? I’m already lacking time to dedicate to magic, and dating would be a waste. In the path of magic, women are a luxury.”

As he belittled Scarlet in an instant with his statement, Yoon Si-woo found himself torn between whether to be furious or relieved.

And amidst the chaos that filled his mind, Dwight spoke up.

“By the way, you’re dating her, right? Even if I think it’s wasting time you could spend developing yourself, I understand that some people need that motivation. Personally, I think you two are a good match. Just make sure to support her so she doesn’t crumble.”

“Uh…? Uh uh…”

“I’ll be cheering for you, so if things go well and you end up getting married, I hope you’ll at least send me an invitation. I’ll take the time to show up on that day.”

The mention of marriage made Yoon Si-woo’s face instantly flush red, and he found himself unable to think straight.

Because Dwight’s words of support, that they would make a good couple, were entirely genuine.

Oh no, what on earth was I thinking about while having such a wonderful person…

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it felt as if a halo was shining down from Dwight.

Most of the boys Yoon Si-woo had encountered until now were too busy being jealous of a girl they liked being close to someone else, so this pure support was a first for him…

In an instant, Yoon Si-woo felt a sense of wanting to get closer to the boy standing before him, and shyly offered his mobile phone.

“…Hey, let’s be friends from now on. Can I have your number?”

Thus, for the first time in his life, Yoon Si-woo made a same-sex friend.

And watching Yoon Si-woo from a distance was Lucy, shaking her head with a deep sigh.