“What is this? It looks like glass...” I looked up in confusion at the massive membrane covering the garden.
“Agnes, isn’t this your doing? You actually reinforced the air with your magic...” Lord Nazel said.
“Huh? Is that even possible? I only did it for my peace of mind.”
The two of us walked to the edge of the estate grounds and took another look at the hardened air membrane. It really was there.
“It’s like a barrier surrounding the estate. It’s certainly strong. I tried throwing a rock at it and it didn’t break,” Lord Nazel said.
Silence fell between us. The suspicion that my absolute reinforcement was the same as the saint’s magic grew stronger again. Especially now that Defi had told me how saints were only called that posthumously, based on the magnitude of their achievements and the type of their magics.
“It’s all right, Agnes. No one will notice the membrane of air unless they’re close to it. Even when you’re this close, you need to look carefully to notice it, so perhaps it would be best if you only created it during the storm. I’ll cover the windows with my magic, and no one will go outside, so they won’t realize it’s there.”
“All right, let’s do that.”
The membrane was transparent, so no one would notice it unless they got close to it and touched it...probably. Lord Nazel used his magic to cover the windows with plants. In addition to helping conceal my reinforced air, they would also protect the windows from breaking if something came flying into them during the storm. Next, I reinforced Lord Nazel’s plants. Incidentally, I’d already reinforced the windows themselves too; they were currently tougher than steel. Our manor was practically a stronghold now.
I’m sure it will be fine. I applied my magic to Lord Nazel’s, so we’ll definitely overcome the storm.
Meanwhile, Kelly and the maids looked busy as they ran around in the manor.
And so, we somehow managed to finish all preparations before it got dark. With a sense of relief, we headed to Solis’s room together, where he was sleeping soundly with Mrs. Holly and maids watching over him. Mrs. Holly’s youngest was also sleeping peacefully.
“Thank you, Mrs. Holly. You can stop for today, so please go look after your children.”
Mister Henry’s family had also taken shelter in the manor along with their pet dog. Since our manor had such a pointlessly large number of rooms, we had rooms set aside for people bringing their dogs, cats, manabeasts, and so on. However, since Mister Henry was also Lord Nazel’s assistant, he had been assigned to a private room with his family so that he could act quickly in case of emergency. He was already busy giving directions inside the shelters... It didn’t look like he’d be able to rest tonight either.
“Lord Nazelbart, Lady Agnes, you still have work, right? I shall look after Lord Solis and my children,” Mrs. Holly told us with a gentle smile.
I felt a little guilty but also grateful. After all, Lord Nazel and I had been planning on continuing our work while taking turns carrying Solis.
“Thank you, Mrs. Holly.”
“No need to thank me; my kids are reliable.” Mrs. Holly picked up the sleeping Solis and giggled as she smiled gently again. A maid picked up Mrs. Holly’s son and they left the room together.
Lord Nazel and I decided to patrol the manor again. No major problems had occurred so far, and I could only pray that nothing would happen beyond this point either. However, just as we were about to finish our patrol, something did happen. The maid who had helped Mrs. Holly carry the babies earlier came running up to us in a panic.
“Lord Nazelbart, Lady Agnes, it’s terrible! Lord Solis—”
We told the out-of-breath maid to calm down and listened to the rest of her story. I had a bad feeling about this.
“Lord Solis was abducted by a suspicious man. Mrs. Holly tried to protect him and was also taken alongside him...”
“What?!” I cried in horror.
“So where did the culprit go?” Lord Nazel asked the maid for details.
“He took the two of them and ran out through the back door.”
“In the middle of this storm?”
“Yes. I apologize for being unable to stop him. I was affected by dubious magic, and before I knew it, the two of them had been taken away.”
“Dubious magic? What was that man like? I doubt it’s the case, but...”
“He was a young man with drooping eyes. He had light pink hair and gave a frivolous impression. He also referred to himself as ‘little ol’ me.’”
As far as I knew, there was only one man who fit that description.
“It’s Robin!” Lord Nazel’s expression turned stern in a heartbeat. “Can you give us more details on the situation?”
“Y-Yes,” the maid replied nervously before telling Lord Nazel everything she knew about her encounter with Master Robin. Apparently, Mrs. Holly had frantically stood up to Master Robin to try and protect Solis, but she had also been affected by magic like the maid. But even caught in a daze, she’d asked Master Robin to at least go with him, so she’d been taken along to take care of Solis.
“Thank you for telling us. You must have been scared. I’m glad that at least you are safe,” I said to comfort the maid as she quivered in guilt; Lord Nazel also nodded.
“This kidnapping wasn’t your fault, so don’t feel so worried. We will search for the culprit, so take care of the Billket children. They must be feeling afraid without their mother,” he said.
“Understood!” Her eyes burning with a sense of duty, the maid quickly headed to the room Mrs. Holly’s children were in. In times like this, it helped to have a specific job to do.
“I hope Solis and Mrs. Holly are safe,” I said.
Master Robin didn’t look like he could take care of a baby. In the worst case, he might unintentionally endanger Solis’s life. In that regard, I felt relieved that Mrs. Holly was with him, but she was also quite the beauty, not to mention quiet and kind. Even though she was married, it was unlikely that Master Robin would ignore such a lovely woman.
I’m worried.
It seemed that Lord Nazel was thinking the same thing, as he had a grim expression.
“I need to inform Henry. We’ll form a search party immediately and then go after Robin,” Lord Nazel said.
“I-I’ll go too.” I couldn’t just sit still in the manor in this kind of situation. Besides, my magic could help everyone make it safely to the destination. I can of course reinforce their bodies, but if I reinforce the air as well, I can defend against rain and lightning too...I think. I was afraid of lightning, but Solis and Mrs. Holly were irreplaceable. Yes, I can’t afford to be frightened now. My precious son’s life is on the line. I mustered my courage and looked ahead.
“It will be dangerous, so you can’t come, Agnes. Robin might come after you again. His magic is troublesome, so you won’t be able to put up a fight if you fall under its effects. I don’t want any harm to come to you, however little.”
I had firsthand experience with how frightening Master Robin’s magic was. However, I wasn’t the only one in danger; every member of the rescue party would be at the same risk, and the kidnapped victims were in even greater danger.
“I want to rescue Solis and Mrs. Holly. Please! I will be useful to you.” I gripped the hem of Lord Nazel’s clothes and showed my intention to resist. If he didn’t take me with him, I was prepared to follow him on my own.
“Agnes...?”
“Lord Nazel.”
“Haaah...” Lord Nazel looked sullen. “Even if I say no, you’re just going to act on your own, aren’t you? Your magic can let you get through the storm safely.”
“Urk...”
It seemed like he’d seen right through me as he stared at me and sighed.
“Your strong willpower is one of your merits, but it’s an inconvenience at times like this. I suppose it would be better to take you along rather than have you acting alone.”
It looked like I was close to getting permission to accompany them, so I felt delighted. I just needed one more push.
“Thank you very much! I love you, Lord Nazel!” I hugged him tightly. It seemed to have worked, because he now had a very troubled expression.
“Haaah... You’re the only one in the world who can make me do what you want, Agnes.”
“So that means...”
“You can come with us as long as you don’t leave my side.”
“Yay!” It looked like my plan had worked.
Lord Nazel hugged me tight as he started quickly giving instructions to his subordinates, telling those we passed by about going after Master Robin. He mobilized every armed soldier in the manor to conduct a large-scale search for Solis and Mrs. Holly. We first gathered information about Master Robin, both inside and outside the estate. When we started asking questions outside, people who’d taken shelter in the fortress reported that they’d witnessed a suspicious man who matched Master Robin’s description.
“A short time ago, I saw a man moving through the public square on horseback in the middle of the storm.”
“I also saw him. There was also a woman on the horse. They went that way.”
“I heard a baby’s cries mixed in with the sound of the rain.”
According to the witnesses, the man who was likely Master Robin had last been spotted near the town center. The storm was severe, so it seemed that he hadn’t been able to go far after leaving the estate, especially since he also had a woman and baby with him.
The storm might actually be in our favor.
We followed the eyewitness reports and started searching through the town center.