Chapter 20

“There’s only one showing. <Lightning and Blood>. It’s the biggest hit in theaters right now.”

“…Is that the one on the poster?”

“Yes, <Lightning and Blood>. It’s been running for weeks now, and people still keep coming. Luckily, this is a weekday afternoon showing, so there are still a few seats left.”

The ticket clerk quickly looked Aethlyn up and down.

‘He’s checking my uniform.’

‘Good thing I took off the pentacle patch.’

After what had happened in the hotel lobby, she’d removed every insignia that identified her as part of the Magic Army, including her patch and badges. Looking back, she was glad she had. Otherwise, she would have attracted even more attention.

The people here clearly knew more about the Estarian military than she did.

Every time she and Gennadi walked past, people managed to “look without looking.” With nothing more than a brief glance, they sized up both their ranks and affiliations, then adjusted their behavior accordingly.

The ticket clerk’s gaze shifted briefly from Aethlyn to Gennadi. He visibly flinched before quickly looking back at her and smiling politely.

“Two tickets?”

The moment they stepped into the dark theater, the stale air hit them.

It was far better than the trenches, but the smell of cigarette smoke and musty dust still tickled Aethlyn’s nose.

She and Gennadi took seats at the very end of the row.

Aethlyn turned to him.

“Have you watched movies before?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“…”

Thinking about it, she realized there couldn’t have been a dumber question.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

No sooner had Sergeant Vilev answered than the lights went out completely.

The opening credits appeared on the screen.

Just as Aethlyn expected the movie to begin, an unexpected sight greeted her.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!”

A man in a cheap tuxedo jumped out in front of the screen and started speaking rapidly in Pharosian.

“What?”

“The interpreter.”

“Why is there an interpreter?”

“He’s explaining the Estarian movie in Pharosian.”

“You seem to know a lot.”

“I’ve been here several times.”

“I see.”

‘Well… he did say he’d been to Parieri more than ten times.’

Come to think of it, Aethlyn’s theater experience might actually have been much more limited than Gennadi’s.

She had only gone to the movies a handful of times, usually because her friends dragged her along.

Those theaters had all been converted opera houses, where tickets cost two or three times more than ordinary cinemas.

The films shown there were all fully dubbed.

The man in the tuxedo energetically began interpreting in Pharosian from the very first scene.

With exaggerated gestures, dramatic expressions, and constant commentary, he explained everything happening on screen.

Even without understanding the language, it was easy to guess what he was talking about.

‘This is so cheesy.’

Aethlyn groaned inwardly.

She had expected something corny after seeing the poster, but this was even worse than she’d imagined.

The story was exactly what she’d expected—

A mage, his non-mage lover, and a vampire pursuing the woman, all caught in a painfully predictable love triangle.

Still, she managed to tolerate it until about halfway through.

It was during the climax that she finally reached her limit.

The protagonist attacked the vampire.

A terrifying beam shot out from his hand, struck the vampire…

Then another.

And another.

Watching the relentless barrage, Aethlyn couldn’t help muttering under her breath.

“There’s no way someone could keep casting offensive magic nonstop like that. Even if the setting says he has extraordinary magic circuits, it’s still impossible.”

“…Is that true?”

Sergeant Vilev whispered so quietly that only she could hear.

His low, soft voice made her suddenly realize she’d been talking to herself out loud.

Feeling a little embarrassed, she answered,

“Maybe if it were simple spells. But attack magic that powerful? That’s practically impossible. Magic circuits have their limits.”

She didn’t bother explaining that everyone’s limits were different.

“I see.”

Gennadi simply nodded instead of asking more questions.

He wasn’t even watching the screen anymore.

Instead, he was watching Aethlyn.

Her explanation seemed to interest him more than the movie itself.

The light from the screen reflected faintly in his golden eyes.

Feeling her cheeks grow warm, she grumbled awkwardly,

“They say this was made in Estaria, yet it’s so absurd. Didn’t anyone involved in production think to ask an actual mage…?”

“Ahem!”

Someone in the row ahead coughed loudly.

The message was obvious:

I don’t care if you’re an Estarian mage or a soldier. Please be quiet.

Aethlyn immediately fell silent.

“…”

She’d been rude in a movie theater.

Her face grew even redder.

‘It’s awfully hot in here…’

The moment they stepped out of the theater, Aethlyn burst out in frustration.

“I know it was my fault for talking during the movie. But that film was absolutely ridiculous.”

“…”

“Did they think mages are some kind of omnipotent superheroes? And then he abandons his entire family just to save one woman? Even for a romance, that’s absurd. What kind of mage would throw away their family for such a selfish reason?”

“Well… it is just a movie.”

“But…”

“As long as it was entertaining, isn’t that enough?”

“Did you really enjoy it?”

Aethlyn turned to him with an expression of utter disbelief.

But it was hard to make out what kind of expression he was wearing.

The sun had already set, leaving the streets in darkness, and Sergeant Gennadi Vilev was standing with a streetlamp behind him.

He spoke in a low voice, almost like a whisper.

“I did.”

The moment she heard those words, all the irritation surrounding Aethlyn vanished.

What remained was embarrassment.

Just as the sergeant had said, a movie was only a movie.

Getting worked up over whether it matched reality or not was something only children did.

Feeling sheepish, Aethlyn cleared her throat.

“…Well, I suppose it’s good that at least one person enjoyed it.”

And from then until they returned to the hotel for dinner, silence settled between them.

The restaurant was on the hotel’s top floor.

Though “top floor” only meant the seventh.

Aethlyn found herself remembering the Wintercrown Magic Tower she had visited as a child.

No matter how many flights of stairs she climbed, there always seemed to be more waiting above. It had left her dizzy and exhausted.

‘But at the same time… I was proud.’

The higher she climbed, the more it had felt like proof of House Wintercrown’s power.

The Wintercrown Magic Tower—the tallest Magic Tower in northern Estaria.

It had been built single-handedly through magic by Eugene, the third head of House Wintercrown and a legendary practitioner of abstract magic.

By the standards of modern mages, it was an achievement beyond imagination.

Aethlyn turned her gaze toward the city lights beyond the window.

“I picked the restaurant, but the view’s actually quite nice.”

Unlike Estaria, where the entire city glittered deep into the night, Parieri’s nighttime scenery had a quieter charm.

Scattered gas lamps and the warm light spilling from house windows gave the city a peaceful, inviting atmosphere.

“Maybe because it’s my first leave… I feel strangely restless.”

The sergeant nodded.

He didn’t seem to be agreeing.

Because instead of looking out the window, he had been looking only at Aethlyn.

“Your meals have arrived.”

Their orders were brought to the table.

Aethlyn’s dish consisted of roasted potatoes, parsley, and several vegetables she couldn’t identify.

At least it smelled good.

Gennadi’s meal, on the other hand, was steak.

‘Is that even a steak? It looks more like a slab of grilled meat.’

There wasn’t a single garnish on the plate.

It was simply two massive chunks of meat.

Still, judging by the lack of any gamey smell, it seemed to be seasoned well.

The server then filled both of their empty glasses with wine.

Aethlyn picked up hers with the effortless elegance she’d learned since childhood.

The sweet aroma of the wine tickled her nose, making her feel as though she’d returned to Estaria.

She raised her glass toward him.

“A toast.”

“…”

The sergeant simply stared at her for a moment, as though he couldn’t decide what to do.

Aethlyn shrugged.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“N-No.”

The sergeant hurriedly lifted his glass, spilling a little wine over the rim.

Pretending not to notice, Aethlyn gently clinked her glass against his.

“To victory.”

“…To victory.”

After drinking wine and finally eating a proper meal, she felt like she had come back to life.

Taking another sip, Aethlyn smiled wryly.

‘I really am better suited to cities.’

No…

In truth, anyone probably would be.

Compared to a trench that resembled the pits of hell, anywhere else felt like paradise.

A city like Parieri made it feel as though she could finally breathe again.

Perhaps it was the cheerful atmosphere.

Or perhaps it was simply because it had been so long since she’d last had wine.

Either way, she suddenly spoke without thinking.

“Sergeant… may I ask you something?”