Volume 1, Chapter 45 – The Whistle

As the words fell, an unusually chaotic noise erupted nearby. The main force of paladins who had been chasing the bull-headed monsters finally returned, but it was clear they hadn’t captured the three Darkborn. After exchanging a few words with the tall paladin from earlier, the leader followed his gesture and turned his gaze toward Fia, striding quickly in her direction.

They were probably coming to thank her for intercepting the Darkborn.

What terrible timing.

Of course, the paladin couldn’t hear Fia’s internal grumbling. He soon stood before her, his towering frame and powerful movements exuding an aura as solid as a steel fortress.

The paladin removed his helmet, revealing a square-jawed face beneath, and bowed slightly in gratitude.

“Thank you for your assistance. If not for you, the losses today would have been far greater than just a few collapsed houses.”

“It was the least I could do.”

Fia raised her head and responded humbly.

—Until the moment their eyes met.

Suddenly, Fia felt her heart skip a beat.

The paladin frowned slightly at the sight of her, tilting his head as if trying to recall something. Then, the gratitude on his face vanished, replaced by narrowed eyes as his right hand moved to his waist.

“Red eyes, black hair, and striking beauty… Miss, would you mind removing the clothing covering your head?”

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“Wait, this child is shy. Could you not trouble her?”

Claire pressed down on the snow-white shawl draped over Fia’s head, offering the paladin an awkward smile.

However, the paladin showed no leniency. He took a step back, drew the greatsword at his waist, and pointed it at Fia and Claire.

“Do as I say, madam. Don’t force my hand.”

Tch.

Exposed.

—The early bird catches the worm.

『Fairy Fire』

Fia instantly fired three consecutive fireballs at the paladin while leaping back to create distance. But contrary to her expectations, the paladin—a man in his forties—emerged from the smoke unscathed, save for some disheveled hair and a slightly singed face. His movements were unimpeded.

Upon closer inspection, a faint golden glow shimmered over the paladin’s armor—a defensive spell that had saved him.

“Hah!”

The next moment, the paladin swung his sword at Fia.

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Unfortunately, the blade met only air. By the time the paladin refocused, Fia and Claire had vanished from the ruins.

.

“Where did they go?!”

“R-report, Captain! They headed west!”

“Sound the whistle at once! We can’t let the Elf Princess reach the city!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

Seconds later, an ear-piercing whistle echoed through the slums.

◇

The scene shifted to an alleyway.

While the paladins were still scouring the streets, Fia and Claire had already fled to a district near the clinic. They hadn’t used teleportation magic or any spell to weave through crowds—instead, they had been leaping across rooftops from the start, effortlessly evading the paladins’ sight.

The experience felt exhilarating to Fia.

She had only ever seen roof-hopping in works of art. In her era, even ordinary people could jump between buildings using nanomachine exoskeletons, but it was strictly prohibited by law. This was her first time experiencing it firsthand.

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The strong wind rushing past her ears, the sight of Claire running beside her—everything filled Fia with a thrilling sense of novelty, as if nothing in the world could stop her. The sheer exhilaration even overshadowed the frustration of being chased by paladins.

Eventually, however, they descended into a cluttered alley.

By now, the paladins had realized they were moving across rooftops, so dropping into the alley made them harder to spot. Besides, this particular alley was rarely frequented, filled with obstructing debris like wooden planks, rubble, and garbage.

“Whew, at this distance, they probably won’t catch up. Are you alright, Fia?”

Claire glanced at Fia, who had stopped hiding under the shawl now that her identity was exposed.

“I’m fine.”

“Really? The rumors say the Elf Princess is brilliant but frail, often falling ill. You don’t seem weak at all—if anything, you’re unnaturally strong. You lifted a grown minotaur like it was nothing.”

“Ahaha…” Fia scratched her head awkwardly under Claire’s astonished gaze. “Maybe the previous Elf Princess was delicate, but that’s not me anymore. Here, this is yours.”

She handed the white shawl back to Claire. Perhaps because Claire had been wearing it, the fabric carried a faint, pleasant fragrance as it brushed past Fia’s nose, making her blush slightly.

Luckily, Claire didn’t notice Fia’s embarrassment. She merely dusted off her skirt and led the way forward.

“I’m sorry for making you worry about me.”

Abruptly, Claire spoke without turning, her gaze fixed ahead. Fia could only see her profile—not exactly expressionless, but hard to read. Her deep emerald eyes swirled with unspoken emotions.

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She must be referring to almost using violence against that woman earlier.

Realizing this, Fia waved it off casually.

“It’s nothing. I just didn’t think Claire deserved that.”

Fia paused, suddenly remembering Claire’s words—that the family would forget her soon, as their connection barely counted as a passing acquaintance.

Because she had already foreseen this outcome, Claire wouldn’t feel hurt when it happened.

“It’s not about deserving,” Claire shrugged with a wry smile. “If I hadn’t expected them to forget me, I wouldn’t have resorted to such underhanded tricks.”

Seeing Fia about to interject, Claire quickly added,

“That was before our promise, so it doesn’t count as breaking it. And just now, I didn’t use curses to scare those paladins either. Otherwise, I could’ve just stepped forward and silenced them—no need to hide like this.”

“So you’re saying your curses can be useful too?”

“Don’t you think so?”

“Not really.”