When Your Secret Crush Wizard Took a Love Potion - Chapter 38
The handle of the wooden door turned ever so slowly as if caught under a slow-motion spell. Panicked, my mind went blank, and then the door burst open.
[Fireball!]
It was only after a large ball of fire had engulfed my vision in red that I came back to my senses, realizing too late of what I had just done.
I had made a mistake.
* * *
“Do all wizards act thoughtlessly like you?”
The innkeeper, hands on her hips, glared at me, her gaze so piercing it felt like it could drill holes through my cheeks.
“I get that you’re capable of conjuring fireballs from your hands, but why would you set fire to our perfectly good establishment?”
I had no rebuttal. I had acted out of panic, fearing a humiliating spectacle in front of Olio and his group who had just walked in, and had unwittingly used a fire-based spell.
The consequences of my hasty magic were disastrous.
While Olio managed to dodge the attack, his pompadour ended up singed, resembling the fur of a brown poodle, and the fireball I had cast struck the wall of the inn.
Wooden buildings are vulnerable to fire. Although I had narrowly prevented the flames from spreading, the scorched parts of the woodwork were now grotesquely disfigured.
It was no wonder the innkeeper was furious; an otherwise undamaged building was nearly destroyed because of a single guest.
“I will cover the costs, madam.”
Surprisingly, Edgar stepped forward, calming the innkeeper.
“While I understand that magic exists beyond the scope of human imagination, I regret that it has come to this. I believe this compensation should suffice, please accept it.”
“What compensation!”
The innkeeper, initially ready to explode in anger, paused as she alternated her gaze between the softly smiling Edgar, who resembled a nobleman, and the piece of jewelry he offered.
A necklace, meticulously crafted with a flawless ruby set in the center, was worth at least a dozen gold coins if sold to a jeweler.
“I, I understand your situation, but let this not happen again.”
The corners of the innkeeper’s mouth twitched, barely suppressing a smile as she spoke more kindly than before.
Edgar responded warmly, “Of course,” and then continued.
“I’d like to have something to eat.”
“What would you like? Our stew here is simmered long and boasts exceptional flavor. Whatever you choose from the menu, you won’t regret it.”
The innkeeper, back to her role as a businesswoman, smiled broadly as she offered the menu.
The conversation about food orders flowed easily between Edgar and her across the quiet table.
It was then that I realized most eyes in the room were fixed on Edgar. They watched him as if observing a vampire who had woken from the grave to walk under the sunlight unharmed.
I guessed that the socially reclusive figure who usually hid himself under his robe and avoided contact was now revealed to be a powerful wizard, which must have been quite astonishing to them.
Yet the looks directed at Edgar contained a mix of emotions.
I understood why. His face, although all too familiar to me, occasionally struck me anew under the sunlight, especially his amethyst eyes and finely sculpted features that wouldn’t be out of place carved into the walls of a cathedral.
“How are you feeling?”
Amidst the uneasy silence, only Marca asked directly in her usual calm manner.
“I’m completely recovered now. Has our schedule been delayed because of me?”
While I was anxious to reach Mistwood Forest as quickly as possible due to Edgar’s condition, their concerns were different. The clients, who often publicly stated that reliability was as valuable as gold, seemed to view timely arrival as an important thing.
“It’s fine to delay for a few days.”
Olio Bennet finally spoke up, his expression slightly sullen. Thanks to a maid’s expert touch with costly perfumed oils, his hair no longer resembled a poodle’s but was instead neatly arranged.
“It seems we’ll need to make considerable preparations.”
Marca commented with a furrowed brow, then shared the information she had gathered since arriving in the west.
“There have been frequent incidents of travelers going missing in Mistwood Forest recently. I thought it might be an exaggeration, but the situation seems more serious than expected.”
To me, the Mistwood Forest was merely a place where my teacher’s friend lived, and I had no detailed knowledge about it. Noticing my curious expression, Olio explained more about the situation.
Originally, the Mistwood Forest was known for their frequent mists but were otherwise quiet and ordinary. They were peaceful and safe, popular among travelers who enjoyed nature and local villagers who visited for leisure.
However, the peaceful forest began to witness a surge in monsters appearing only recently.
The local lord had sent multiple inquiries and sought help from the central government of the Barton Empire, which governed the western regions.
Unfortunately, caught up in political turmoil, the central authorities had done little more than issue bounties through the adventurers’ guild rather than sending official administrative support.
As a result, the mercenaries and adventurers drawn by these bounties had frequently gone missing, worsening the atmosphere and increasing the anxiety among the local villagers.
