"Right. It’s just a matter of grinding them ahead of time, but someone must have been negligent with their duties."
Ahwin answered casually. From his perspective, it wasn’t his problem anyway.
“So you’re saying this whole mess happened because some bureaucrat at the Magic Bureau got lazy?”
Penelope briefly gazed up at the sky in silence, mentally hoping that whoever was responsible wouldn’t face too severe a reprimand. Though, that seemed unlikely...
"But why is the Court Mage here?" she asked.
"Oh, that. The Court Mage must have been walking nearby when he noticed something odd with the magic lamps and rushed over. It’s quite a big deal when all the lamps in an area go out at once. He’d probably handle it faster than anyone else."
In short, the Magic Bureau’s chief had shown up purely by coincidence.
There was more to it, though.
Ahwin, with his sharp senses, could tell at a glance that the mana in the magic stones had run out. Regular mages wouldn’t notice as quickly. They’d have to inspect the magic circuits and every lamp component before realizing that the mana depletion was the cause. The Court Mage’s frantic reaction made perfect sense.
Glancing around outside, Penelope asked cautiously, “Do you think it’ll take long to fix?”
“Probably not.”
“Good. Let’s take this alley and slip out, then.”
Instead of answering her directly, Ahwin asked, “Are you sure you don’t need me to help? If I stepped in, it’d take less than ten minutes.”
To be precise, it would only take him a single minute. Recharging the depleted magic stones was as easy as breathing for Ahwin.
Moreover, if Penelope asked, he would step in without hesitation. He wanted to grant her every wish.
“But this isn’t your responsibility, Ahwin. There’s no need for you to get involved.”
“...Even if it’s something I could solve easily?”
“The Court Mage is more than capable of handling it. It’s his responsibility, after all. Even if it takes him a little longer, it’s only right that he resolves it.”
Ahwin stared at Penelope’s face in silence. Suddenly, his heart thudded heavily in his chest.
Thud. Thud-thud. His heart raced uncontrollably.
Since meeting Penelope, he had harbored a vague fondness for her, but now, in this moment, he fully understood the reason why.
Without warning, Ahwin spoke.
“I want to kiss you.”
“...What? What did you just say?”
“I want to kiss you, Penelope. Right now.”
Ahwin’s declaration was unwavering. Penelope opened her mouth in shock but quickly clamped it shut. Heat surged through her face, from her neck to her cheeks and even her forehead.
She whispered quickly and low, “What kind of thing is that to say all of a sudden, here of all places?”
“I want to kiss you.”
“Wait, hold on, I mean...”
“Would you at least allow me to kiss the back of your hand?”
Ahwin was utterly serious, his words bypassing all reason. He was like a runaway bulldozer, unrelenting in his pursuit.
Penelope, flustered, glanced around nervously and suddenly froze.
There was someone nearby. She could sense movement at the entrance of the alley.
Penelope stamped her feet in panic before looking back at Ahwin. He, too, had noticed the sound of footsteps and turned his gaze toward her.
“Your hand.”
“What? You want to—kiss it?”
“No, it’s time to run. That’s the Court Mage. I think we were too loud.”
“...!”
Penelope stiffened in surprise. The moment Ahwin grabbed her hand, her body was lifted into the air.
“Eek!”
As the two of them soared into the sky, the Court Mage appeared at the mouth of the alley.
Penelope clung tightly to Ahwin’s neck, her heart pounding wildly. Even though she knew it was magic, the fear of falling was hard to shake.
Ahwin held his breath as they ascended rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the buildings below became distant, shrinking beneath their feet.
The Court Mage was now just a tiny dot in the distance.
“Wow...”
Penelope’s eyes widened in awe. The sprawling city beneath them, illuminated by the orange and yellow glow of magical lamps, looked like a blanket of scattered stars.
The sight was so breathtaking that Penelope couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“Are you okay? Still scared?”
“I’m...fine,” Penelope replied, finally regaining her composure. Her gaze, however, remained fixed below.
Ahwin’s face turned red as he spoke.
“If you’re feeling calmer, could you let go of me now? ...I can’t breathe.”
“Oh, s-sorry!”
Even as she responded, Penelope didn’t let go of Ahwin, her arms still wrapped tightly around him. Her mind screamed that she was safe, but her body refused to listen.
There was no way she could stand in mid-air without holding onto something!
"Pepe, if you’re feeling uneasy, just hold my hand."
"Did you just call me Pe—ah! Don’t let go of me!"
"I’m saying this because you’re choking me! No matter how powerful I am, if you keep squeezing my neck, I really will suffocate."
The two of them bickered in mid-air.
Eventually, Penelope managed to let go of his neck and grab both of Ahwin’s hands, balancing herself in the empty space. Her legs trembled, but she was able to stay upright.
"See? You’re not going to fall even if you stop strangling me. In fact, if you keep doing that, it might disrupt the mana field and destabilize the magic."
"I get it, okay? You don’t need to explain it so logically."
She understood perfectly well in her head. Her body, however, was another matter.
The fear of falling was ingrained in her very DNA.
Even standing on a glass floor made her legs shake, let alone floating in mid-air without any support. Her body’s instinctual cry for survival was only natural.
‘Of course, how would the Tower Master understand?’
Blessed by mana from birth, the Tower Master had no reason to understand the psychology of an ordinary person. Nor did he need to.
Penelope glanced at Ahwin and asked, "The Court Mage didn’t see us, right?"
"No."
"Then take me home now."
"..."
Ahwin didn’t answer. When Penelope looked at him questioningly, he suddenly spoke.
"You promised to dance with me."
"What? Right now?"
Penelope blinked in disbelief. Ahwin nodded confidently.
"Yes. A promise is a promise."
"Where are we supposed to dance? Surely not here?"
Dancing in mid-air, with nothing beneath them? Penelope looked at him with a mix of skepticism and dread.
"Not here. There’s no music," Ahwin replied.
"Then...?"
"Let’s move to another place."
Ahwin tugged at Penelope’s hand, pulling her along. Her body tilted downward, and she panicked.
She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. They were descending—slowly but undeniably.
‘This insufferable Tower Master! He has no sense of reality!’
Before she knew it, they landed on the roof of a building overlooking a plaza.
Penelope let out a deep sigh of relief as her feet touched the solid surface. Knowing that falling wouldn’t result in certain death gave her enough composure to take in her surroundings.
From below, she could hear the faint hum of voices and music from the plaza.
Ahwin asked again, "Can we dance here?"
"...I guess so?"
Penelope answered hesitantly, and Ahwin smiled brightly.
"Then let’s dance. As promised."
"..."
Ahwin released her hand and bowed politely. Penelope flailed briefly before grabbing his wrist.
Ahwin raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"I’m asking you to dance, not fight."
"Skip the formalities."
"Fine, as you wish."
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
Ahwin shrugged, ever oblivious to the nuances of ordinary human emotions.
He took her left hand in his and placed his other hand around her waist. As their bodies naturally came closer, Penelope froze, startled. They were so close she could feel his breath.
"Pepe, lift your head."
"Stop calling me Pe—ugh."
Ahwin began leading the dance to the rhythm of the music. Penelope had no choice but to follow his steps, her mind too flustered to argue.
With every step she took on the roof, Ahwin guided her gracefully. One step, then another.
As Ahwin twirled her, her skirt flared in a perfect arc.
The sounds of laughter and cheerful music floated up from below. The warm breeze brushed past them, carrying the night’s gentle energy.
Ahwin smiled, clearly enjoying himself.
‘If I ever date Ahwin, I’ll probably be dancing in mid-air for the rest of my life.’
The thought struck Penelope out of nowhere.
She wasn’t sure if that would be a good or bad thing.
Still, it felt like only Ahwin could offer such a peculiar and magical experience. No one else in the world would ever think to dance like this.
Penelope couldn’t help but laugh.
It really was a night like magic.