EP.195 The Curtain Falls (1)
The altar is shattered, and the barrier begins to crumble.
The raging black storm subsides, and the black barrier that enveloped Apuria starts to fall apart. Watching the collapsing barrier, it feels almost as if black snow is falling.
At the center of the barrier, where the altar once stood.
Two students, watching the collapsing barrier, slump down into their seats.
Huff, huff…
Having squeezed every last bit of mana out of herself, Chloe exhales roughly. Cold sweat drips down her back. The girl, who pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion, takes a deep breath of the cool autumn air that comes rushing in as the darkness lifts.
I helped.
I accomplished something.
Chloe feels a strange sense of fulfillment from that realization.
…Go back. Yeah, you did well.
Resti, also sitting on the ground, gently pats the heads of the approaching homunculi. A wolf, imbued with starlight, growls in satisfaction under Resti’s touch.
They succeeded, balancing on a tightrope.
They managed to handle what they thought was impossible.
Resti’s heart races as she witnesses the impossible plan leap into the realm of possibility. She feels like she’s taken a step forward as a mage.
You did it. Really.
And the commander who directed everyone.
Truly, you did it.
Her legs tremble, but Aila stands firmly on her own two feet with a smile on her lips. The smile reflects countless emotions.
Joy of success.
Pride in having moved forward on her own.
Relief that everything has ended well.
That smile, mixed with countless emotions, cannot be expressed in just a few lines. Holding onto her smile, Aila turns to look behind her. There are those who supported her. To them, Aila speaks.
Everyone really worked hard.
Thank you for being here.
Thanks to you, we were able to succeed.
It’s because of all of you.
I will never forget this help.
Because she won’t forget, their efforts will be rewarded. Aila nods slightly and utters her final words.
Thank you, everyone.
The barrier breaks.
Sunlight seeps into the darkness-shrouded Apuria. The students who were trapped in nightmares will soon awaken. Aila senses the end of a long act.
Princess.
And Resti speaks.
You can go ahead without us. It seems the knights will be coming soon… so now is probably the only time to meet someone.
That consideration brings joy.
Aila nods slightly and begins to walk toward somewhere. After taking a few steps with her trembling legs, she suddenly breaks into a run.
Her skirt flutters.
It’s a run that lacks any grace.
It would have drawn scorn from the people of the royal palace if they had seen it.
However, such things do not matter to Aila now. Even if someone were watching, she would be running just as she is now. Aila runs, gasping for breath.
She dashes through the plaza, marred with soot.
She steps on the stone wall stained with sword marks.
After running and running, she finally arrives.
There stands the person Aila had been waiting for. She whispers the name in her mouth.
Professor Rania!
Though her longing for that name rushes forth, she chooses to hold it back for just a moment. For when they would meet alone. Calling out her name, Aila comes to a stop.
And she looks at Aila.
The ashen-haired woman glitters in the sunlight. Her tired, half-closed blue eyes gaze upon Aila.
Ah, Princess.
Carrying the fainted Kelharlem over her shoulder, she stumbles as she walks while looking around. The barrier is lifted, and light is pouring in. Understanding its meaning, she smiles.
It seems you succeeded.
That smile is familiar to Aila.
Though her face, voice, and everything is different, the smile feels strangely familiar. It’s a smile she remembers seeing somewhere.
I’m relieved to see you safe.
However, the meaning of that smile now differs from when she last saw it.
You did great.
It is not a smile meant to ease her worries.
It is the smile of an educator marveling at her student’s growth. That gentle smile means more to Aila than anything else.
…Because you asked me to.
Aila’s voice quivers slightly.
She has so much she wants to say.
I really did my best.
Because you asked me to.
Your request that saved me, that colored my life, is why I wanted to help so much.
Did I help?
Aila poses the question.
The ashen mage responds.
Of course.
A response without a hint of hesitation.
Therefore, it feels sincere.
With that one sentence, Aila beams with a bright smile. Brighter than any time before. She smiles so clearly, it is reminiscent of a child’s joyful laughter.
The child, once beloved by the stars, has now grown up.
However, in front of someone, she’d still want to remain a child.
2.
I heard that the incident that struck Apuria is coming to a close. Not “coming to a close,” but “I heard” it because… I have no way of knowing how the situation is progressing.
Well, it’s not like I’ve been doing anything but lying in bed for days.
Lying in bed at the mansion.
With my master half-lid and glaring at me, I’ve for days stuck in bed, unable to step outside.
Please rest, Raniel.
Do I need to chain you up?
Of course, I understood her thoughts to some extent.
I knew just how serious my condition was. To borrow Cardi’s words…
Even a walking zombie would be healthier.
Something along those lines.
Not that I was critically ill, but I was not in a condition to engage in daily life. I would need to stay in bed for a while longer.
Honestly, considering it all, I got off pretty easy.
If I lined up the events of this incident, it was surprising it had only come to this.
The provocation of a curse, and the resulting tainting of mana.
The rampaging mana completely wrecked my internal system, and to suppress it, I overloaded my circuits. Just that would keep me bedridden for a while…
And then I had a battle.
That battle was intense enough to harm my body.
I pulled mana from the very bottom of my reserves to the extent that I might need at least a month to fully recover. In fact, the only reason this was possible was because Cardi had thrown in all manner of medicinal herbs.
Huff…
Thinking about spending a month in recovery made me sigh, but still, it wasn’t a bad feeling. It was something worth pushing my body for.
Apuria is safe.
Not a single student died, and the three students selected as offerings are all fine.
Moreover…
We managed to save Kelharlem.
Though he is currently unconscious from depleted mana, he should awaken soon.
It was truly rare.
Things had ended so neatly.
If all I’d have to do in exchange was to be bedridden for a month, I’d gladly accept that trade. At least, that’s how I saw it.
I think it would be nice to take a little break in this time.
There are many people I should meet, like Kalt, Kelharlem, and Cardi… but it can wait until my health improves.
For now, it should be fine to rest a little.
As I think this, I reach for the books on the bedside. In my hand are a few novels. The novels that Dean Aaron brought yesterday as a get-well gift.
Wandering Swordsman’s Adventure Tales
I hold that book in one hand, and just as I’m about to turn the page, I lift my head slightly.
…So, about that.
Opposite my bed.
Sitting on a chair, there’s a girl who seems to be chuckling at her leisure.
Aren’t you returning to Apuria, Princess?
Huh? But there’s nothing for me there.
The fourth princess, Aila.
She suddenly appeared at my mansion, brought a chair over, and has been watching me closely ever since. As if she’s been keeping tabs on me.
…There was such an incident in Apuria, so shouldn’t you be returning to the palace or at least enhancing your guard? Isn’t it okay for you to be here?
That would seem to be the case; why are you here then?
As I look at Aila with that question, she shrugs and opens her mouth.
Well, the factions have split into two at present.
And then she calmly starts explaining the internal affairs of the royal family.
Some knights are advocating for me to be taken back to the palace for protection, while other knights argue that it’s better for me to stay here in Apuria given the current chaotic state in the palace…
…Huh?
Rlruiel older sister and the commander of the guard have been leaning more towards the latter side, so it seems a conclusion will be reached soon, but right now it’s a bit tumultuous.
Tumultuous?
That’s a term with many implications.
So you came to avoid the commotion?
Sort of, but also…
Rattle. Aila drags the chair closer. As the distance closes, she looks at me with a wink.
I was eager to see my esteemed mentor.
…Anyone would think you haven’t seen them in years.
Well, since I didn’t know your identity, it’s technically been years, hasn’t it? Seven years, actually. Raniel, dear.
Not Rania, but Raniel.
As Aila emphasizes that name, I can’t help but sneak my gaze away.
You can’t be backing out after agreeing to it back then. Right, Raniel?
…
Oh, why are you looking away?
Aila’s voice sounds oddly playful.
Are you perhaps embarrassed?
No, it’s not that…
I think I would be a bit embarrassed.
I tilt my head in confusion.
There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, right? I don’t think I’ve said anything I shouldn’t have in this form. As I ponder this, Aila clears her throat.
During the Battle Magic class, you said this, right? “The great Ashen Mage.”
My eyes widen.
The class you all are learning is fundamentally created by the “great Ashen Mage.”…
Wait a moment…
Well, the Ashen Mage is indeed great. After all, she achieved remarkable feats that everyone acknowledges, right? So, henceforth, shouldn’t we add the prefix “great” when referring to her?
A mischievous smile plays on Aila’s lips as she looks at me.
What do you think, Raniel?
The breath catches in my throat.
…I did say that, didn’t I?
I can’t believe I said something I shouldn’t have.
Half in a daze during the lesson, I must have let slip what I shouldn’t have.
Well, you might want to show off a bit.
As I hang my head in embarrassment, Aila continues in a teasing tone.
I could never have imagined the Ashen Mage would have this side to them.
…Didn’t I just reveal myself to the one person I shouldn’t have?
That thought suddenly flits through my mind.
As I contemplate whether I should firmly seal those lips, a voice that feels different from moments ago resonates softly in my ear.
Really.
A voice tinged with a soft sigh.
I never imagined you were so close by.
Looking up, I see Aila smiling still. However, her smile is less bright now, replaced instead by a subtle bitterness.
I’ve been waiting since the day you said you retired.
…Is that so?
Yes, I waited. All the time. You wouldn’t know how much I looked forward to this meeting over the past seven years, Raniel.
Seven years.
It’s been seven years.
An age sufficient for a child to become an adult.
Compared to back then, I’ve grown a lot, and my magic knowledge has expanded significantly.
Indeed, your grades are impressive. You’ve been consistently in the top four…
But no one recognizes it.
Aila smiles wryly.
Back then, you praised me with every page I turned. Patting my head like this.
She touches her fringe while speaking.
I miss those days. Among all the people, the ones who use me, or see me as a tool… living amidst them, I miss those moments more.
Is that so?
It was. But now, I’m okay.
Aila straightens her shoulders.
I’m going to quit caring about those things now.
Her genuine voice and unrefined gestures.
Regardless of what others say, no matter how they perceive me…
That is…
Now, I’m ready to choose for myself.
I welcomed a change I had long wished for.
You said it yourself, Raniel.
Stars don’t live life for you.
I wonder if what I said reached her.
And seeing her, who chose to change because of that, filled me with a subtle pride. I’m grateful this girl could change. Truly.
For me, the stars mean everything.
Kyle never could change.
Without the stars, I am nothing.
Knowing what that boy, who entrusted his life to the stars, is like now… I cannot help but feel happy about Aila’s transformation.
…It won’t be easy.
So, doesn’t that mean I must put in the effort?
The princess who chose to move forward.
Looking at her, who has gained genuine confidence, I smile.
That’s a good mindset.
Hearing you say that brings back memories from the past.
Aila chuckles lightly.
Then she slowly rises from her seat.
Then, I hope you recover soon so we can meet again in Apuria as quickly as possible.
Then she calls my name.
This time, it is a slightly different name.
The great Professor Rania.
With that last playful tone, I can’t help but chuckle softly.
She still remains an unpredictable princess. Truly.
3.
It’s been a week since I’ve been bedridden.
Finally able to move, I’m headed to Apuria. I need to see the state of things and… there’s someone I need to meet.
Students are not roaming around Apuria.
For the next two weeks, a temporary suspension of classes has been declared, and most students likely either retreated to their homes or confined themselves in the Central Academic Hall.
Dean Aaron will be screaming again.
Imagining Dean Aaron tearing his hair out, I can’t help but chuckle bitterly. From his perspective, it’s a bleeding-heart issue.
The plaza near the Central Academic Hall is in ruins.
Tiles are all flipped over, and buildings are smudged with soot and marks, resembling a battlefield of sorts.
Given that a superhuman and a calamity went rampaging, this is nothing…
While I kept those thoughts to myself, I continued walking through Apuria. Before long, I entered a forest.
The wind blows, and leaves crackle.
At the end of that, a figure sits waiting for me on a stump. I wave my hand toward him.
Kelharlem.
You’ve come.
He looks at me and speaks.
Ashen Mage.
