ESMLT 16

Chapter 16

A violet bullet accompanied by flames pierced straight through the zombie’s skull in an instant.

Gray smoke wafted from the muzzle.

My heart was pounding, and my eyelids trembled.

“What… is this…”

A gun? I had a gun?

Though worn, the weapon in Sien’s hand was a revolver.

In the original story, Sien had discovered several weapons at the northern shelter and distributed them to the Crown Prince and Jaeger—but a revolver wasn’t among them.

Moreover, that bullet just now wasn’t regular mana—it was violet.

While I could only gape, Sien coldly glanced at the shattered skull with chilling eyes.

“This is unpleasant. Are all zombies like this?”

“…They lack both awareness and intelligence.”

Sien clicked his tongue, muttering that they smelled bad.

By the way…

“What is that gun?”

“Oh, that? I found it in the armory.”

The armory?

Sien held my hand, making me open my palm, and placed a silver key in it.

“I found it when I woke up before you all arrived.”

“You mean the locked place…?”

“Yes. It’s the armory. There are no bullets, though.”

Now it made sense.

So that was the source of the weapons he discovered in the original story.

“Then the bullet just now…”

“It’s a bullet created using Mana Preservation.”

Mana Preservation?

Come to think of it, I’d heard that unlike before, there was now a new method to manifest aura, holy energy, and mana.

Seeing my questioning look, Sien smiled lazily and explained.

“Ordinary magic disperses mana into the air to act, but Preservation materializes mana into objects. Think of it like water freezing and becoming solid. Bullets made this way aren’t affected by the temple’s zone.”

I see.

Since this part didn’t appear in the original, it felt unfamiliar, but I was relieved to see Sien’s power had been enhanced.

Before I knew it, the terrifying Sien had reverted back to the “princess” demeanor.

For a moment, I felt his gaze sweeping over my face.

Unlike before, it wasn’t a dazed look—it was a clear, exploratory gaze, which made me tense.

“What’s the matter?”

“We’re heading west.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Sien pressed his lips lightly against the muzzle of his gun and tilted his head slightly. His subtly glowing violet eyes curved into a faint smile.

“I’m looking forward to it, Redria—seeing how you’ll protect me.”

I felt an inexplicable chill at those swirling violet eyes.

“An armory?”

The next day, I informed the Crown Prince and Jaeger that Sien would accompany us.

When I mentioned he had a gun and that the western shelter contained an armory, they looked thoroughly surprised.

“Here’s the key.”

I held up the key, and the Crown Prince and Jaeger’s expressions turned icy.

Their sharp eyes fixed on Sien.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I just did.”

The Crown Prince stepped forward, exasperated.

“I mean, why didn’t you tell us from the beginning?”

Sien blinked innocently, as if he didn’t understand.

“Why would it matter? Saying it now or then is the same.”

Jaeger scowled.

“Are you trying to play word games?”

They were questioning whether Sien had hidden it intentionally, but Sien’s casual response only irritated them further.

“Alright, alright. Let’s stop this.”

I intervened, mediating between them.

I especially shot a cautionary glance at Jaeger and the Crown Prince.

“Let’s stay at the shelter today and inspect the armory.”

Sigh. The Crown Prince ran his hand through his hair and walked away, while Jaeger spun around, his cold eyes flashing.

I had to watch my step in the suddenly tense atmosphere.

Exhausted from the previous day, we agreed on sleeping arrangements for comfort.

I took the lower bed of this floor, Sien the upper. Jaeger took the sofa.

The Crown Prince decided to lean against our bed.

Sigh.

Then a memory made me laugh.

The Crown Prince had once suggested splitting the bed into two because he couldn’t allow Sien and me to sleep together.

‘Where did that serious demeanor go? He’s turning ridiculous.’

Fortunately, I glared, and his suggestion was rejected.

Soon after, Jaeger chopped firewood, and the Crown Prince went scouting.

It was the first peaceful moment without those two.

I leisurely arranged the bedding and laid out my sleeping bag. I took the blankets from the upper cabinet and dusted them off. Thankfully, the temple’s regular maintenance kept them clean.

And our princess…

“Um, Master of the Magic Tower?”

“Yes, Ms. Ria.”

“Why do you follow me around so much?”

“I like following you.”

Sien, who had previously called me Redria or “Young Lady,” had changed how he addressed me.

Clearly, he had grown fond of me.

‘He said we’re heading west, so it’s fine… but why does he keep following me like a puppy?’

I tried to ignore him and carried the blankets to the bed. As expected, Sien came trotting over with his hands behind his back.

“What are you doing, Ria?”

“Preparing to sleep. But if everyone else is busy, what should our Master of the Magic Tower do?”

Sien’s eyes widened as if hearing something for the first time. He blinked slowly with a naive expression.

“Ria, I can’t do that.”

“Yes, I thought so.”

Of course, Your Highness.

Sien then replaced his bedding with fresh, fluffy items. When he stepped onto the ladder of the upper bed…

“Ugh.”

His foot slipped inside the ladder.

Yet instead of falling backward, something supported his back.

Looking up, I saw Sien smiling faintly, holding me for support.

“…Thank you.”

“Be careful. If you get hurt, I can’t protect you.”

He helped me down gently, his seemingly delicate frame surprisingly stable.

Through the gaps in his blouse, I caught a glimpse of his chest.

‘Come to think of it, his blouse is loose, but he’s about the same height as the Crown Prince and quite well-built…’

While I was distracted, Sien snatched the blankets from me.

“What are you doing?”

I nervously asked, embarrassed.

He tilted his head and said,

“I’m scared of your gaze. If you don’t work, I don’t think I’ll get fed.”

“When did you say I was scary?”

“Your Highness?”

Sien’s eyes went wide and glassy as he stared at me. His normally half-lidded, sleepy gaze shone with an unusual light.

“…I mean—”

“Ria, I didn’t think you were this bold.”

“I mean—”

“If you like, you can call me ‘Your Highness.’”

“……”

He blinked innocently, as if with no hidden intent… but for some reason, I found it aggravating.

I narrowed my eyes and shot him a glare.

‘…This person seems completely different from yesterday.’

Like a playful cat, he radiated a strange charm. No matter how I looked at him, his attitude was entirely different from the day before.

Could it be he’s acting cute to get on my good side because I agreed to find the previous Magic Tower Master’s ashes? Or does he want something else?

Or maybe, like in a cliché, the Master of the Magic Tower, who once relied on a saint, now relies on me and eventually grows fond… no, that’s unlikely.

Thinking this way, the childlike Sien seemed slightly different.

I realized pondering it wouldn’t bring answers immediately and decided to observe.

I gestured at the bed.

“We need to change the sheets.”

“Understood, Ria.”

Sien smiled and clumsily replaced the sheets and inserted the pillow. When he struggled with one pillow, I helped, and then he handled the rest skillfully.

“Did I do well?”

He held the pillow up and looked at me silently.

‘Oh, unlike other male leads, he might actually be… cute.’

At that moment, Sien’s smile vanished as he looked at something.

Before I could turn to see, he jumped up, searching, and opened every upper cabinet.