〈 Chapter 313 〉 Interlude (1)
*
The night was deep.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Raniel was brushing her hair when she suddenly looked out the window. The endless expanse of snow, the pouring starlight. As she glanced at the shimmering snow illuminated by the starlight, she lifted her gaze.
The vast night sky.
Now that she thought about it, was the Shadow Dragon Lord’s hair the same color as that? With such aimless thoughts, Raniel stared into the night sky.
Stars were shining.
The platinum stars were dazzling. Just like always.
The gleam in Raniel’s eyes as she looked at the stars sparkled a deep blue. Even when she was very young, when she became the Ashen Master, and when she set off on her journey with Kyle… Raniel often looked up at the sky.
The shining stars were always the same.
However, the gaze with which Raniel perceived them had changed considerably from the beginning. It was no longer a dry, indifferent gaze. It was not a gaze of disinterest.
“…”
Doubt, suspicion, or perhaps anger.
Unbeknownst to herself, Raniel frowned and rubbed the corners of her eyes with her fingertips. As a mage, one must always think rationally and not become consumed by a single perspective.
Reflecting on that fact, Raniel shook her head.
It was too early to draw a conclusion.
She needed to think a little more.
Only after observing with her own two eyes could she decide. It would probably be a matter to contemplate for a long time.
Really, for a long time.
2.
The Death’s Blade, Ganikalt, appeared in the Kenel Snowfield.
The Cursed Dragon that struck the refugees.
Two disasters had struck the North, yet the dead were not many. Most of the damage was caused by the latter, but thanks to Kelharlem and the hero that appeared on the scene, the damage was minimized.
‘The terrain has shifted, and now it should be called Kenel Canyon, but well…’
It was astonishing that the damage remained this contained considering the Death’s Blade had appeared. Even Raniel, who had resisted the disaster, thought so. In the past, when she had to fend off the Death’s Blade, the sacrifices made were incomparably greater than now.
It truly was a feat worthy of being called such.
To celebrate that feat, a banquet was held in the North for several days. They mourned the dead and blessed the survivors.
“Eat and drink as much as you want. You are the pride of the North.”
As the banquet for the heroes was in full swing, Raniel, resting her chin on her hand, gazed at the table she was seated at. It was the most lavishly decorated table for four, yet she was the only one sitting there.
Clink.
Turning her head at the sound of a plate clattering nearby, Raniel spotted an elf chewing on some meat.
“…Oh, you are here too.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you not eating this? Then I’ll take it.”
Remia reached for the plate in front of Raniel.
Raniel’s eyes froze as she glanced at her.
“Are you not an elf?”
“Of course. Can’t you tell?”
“I heard elves are vegetarians and only eat fruits. Is that not right?”
“That’s a discriminatory statement towards elves. These days, elves eat meat too. Who says otherwise?”
“You, you brat! It was you!”
It was the very remark Remia had made when she had thrown a tray at Raniel for cooking meat that she had painstakingly acquired in the Phantom Territory. She had complained about being fed meat despite elves renouncing flesh.
“Me? When?”
Raniel’s jaw clenched at Remia’s shameless attitude. Holding back the urge to throw her plate, she sighed.
‘Engaging with her only makes me angry.’
Conversations are meant for humans.
Not with that wretched ear girl. Calming her anger, Raniel turned her head to look ahead. There were two empty seats.
Saint Sara.
Hero Kyle Toven.
The places for the two were empty.
They had followed the Mage of Ancient Dragons and had yet to return for over ten days. Only a single letter had arrived.
“I think it will take a while.”
“Don’t wait for us.”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
It was a letter penned in Kyle’s own hand.
Thus, the banquet proceeded without its main characters, and Kyle did not return until the end of the festivities.
*
“Ah, Professor Rania.”
As I was halfway through raising my cup, a voice called out, and I turned my head. There stood Lac, limping as if he hadn’t fully healed.
“Are you enjoying the banquet?”
I shook my cup and smiled.
“The wine is good. It’s a bit regrettable not having someone to drink with, though.”
I gestured toward the empty seat.
Remia had moved to the more central table, claiming that the food didn’t suit her here. That meant I was alone at the table for four.
“Sit down with me.”
“Um, if you insist…”
Lac sat down at the vacant spot.
I took a sip of the remaining wine and opened my mouth.
“Are you feeling better?”
“I’m good. In fact, everyone is surprised. They didn’t expect my injuries to heal so quickly.”
“Well, of course.”
I chuckled lightly.
“You’re half a hero now.”
“…Huh? What do you mean?”
“You pulled the sword from the Holy Site, right?”
The sword that Lac had drawn from the center of the Holy Site.
It was the sword used by the First Hero, Ganikalt, also known as the First Holy Sword. Lac held onto it, and the Holy Sword recognized Lac as its master.
“Using the Holy Sword makes you a hero, doesn’t it?”
“Is that how it works?”
“It is.”
Suddenly, a phrase from the North’s Tower came to mind.
“If someone becomes a symbol of victory, if someone finds solace in them, if the path they walk is just… then that person is a hero.”
I patted Lac’s shoulder and grinned.
“That’s what the original owner of that sword said. According to that saying, you’ve also become a hero.”
Lac played a significant role in this fight.
If it weren’t for him, I would have had to place my lifespan on the scales once more.
‘And…’
Had that happened.
The probability of it becoming my final stage would have been high. I was truly prepared to face death.
“Thank you, Lac.”
“Uh?”
“Your role in this battle was crucial. In my eyes, you were also a hero. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”
I extended my cup toward Lac.
“Shall we have a drink?”
“No, I’m still…”
“Oh come on. You take it when an adult offers you one.”
As I filled Lac’s cup to the brim, someone approached our table. Thinking it might be a warrior here to stop the drinking, I looked up, but it wasn’t a muscular warrior.
It was Belnoa and Chloe.
The two who had caught the most attention at the banquet sat down, smiling at me.
“We saw you sitting alone, so we came over.”
“We can’t drink that strong stuff, Professor. Mrs. Failia prepared something special for us here.”
Belnoa and Chloe took their seats.
Belnoa poured champagne into the cups in front of Chloe, Lac, and me.
“We’ll toast with this.”
I chuckled and raised my glass, clink, as the four glasses collided. I noticed Lac, who seemed unsure and took a sip first, Chloe, who was sipping a little, and Belnoa, who pretended to be sophisticated while gulping her drink, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Aha.”
They’re still kids.
‘And.’
They’re growing well.
Watching the children who had grown in an instant made me feel like an old person. I smiled bitterly as I raised my glass.
It wasn’t a bad feeling.
3.
After the banquet ended, I prepared to return to the Royal Capital. My schedule in the North was finished. As it had occurred during the semester, there were quite a few people to whom I needed to report the events in the North.
Before leaving, I stopped by the White Tower for a moment. The Tower had supported me with many things.
“Oh, you’ve come? I was waiting.”
Upon arriving at the Tower, I was greeted by the White Master’s beaming smile. That grin had become burdensome, and without thinking, I took a step back.
“…What’s this?”
“What does it look like?”
“No, why did you come out to greet me? Aren’t you supposed to be a Tower Master?”
“Of course I should come out to greet a noble guest!”
As I took another step back, the White Master stepped forward towards me. This game of back and forth continued for a while until I reached out to stop her.
“I came to pay for the fees, you know?”
“Fees? Oh, you don’t need that. It’s unnecessary.”
“…Excuse me?”
The White Master beamed brightly.
“If you hadn’t prevented the Death’s Blade, the White Tower would have been swept away. I’m content just having witnessed it once!”
What does she mean?
As I blinked in confusion, the White Master spread her arms wide, looking at me with sparkling eyes.
“A tree as massive as the World Tree!”
She exclaimed loudly.
“A pillar of light soaring high into the sky. The immense circuit that is hard to grasp in one glance…! The flashes of thousands and tens of thousands of spells all erupting at once…!”
The White Master approached quickly, grasping my hands with both of hers tightly.
“I’m satisfied just having seen that.”
“Uh, uhhh…”
“Now, let’s draw you to the White Tower, shall we? I was being conceited. What am I saying? You should be my master, after all!”
She pointed inside the Tower.
“No fees are needed; shall we talk for a bit?”
“No, let’s not…”
“Come on, just a bit…”
“Let go of this first…!”
“Cookies! Coffee! I’ve prepared so many delicious things, so just a little time…!”
Feeling a strong sense of impending annoyance, I tried to shake her off and escape, but the White Master stubbornly clung to my collar. This was all happening right in front of the Tower’s mages.
“Please! Just a little!”
Finally, she even fell into the snow, begging.
It was hard to turn away from that quivering voice.
*
After an hour had passed, a relieved Raniel climbed onto the carriage with a dazed look in her eyes. Feeling mentally exhausted, she leaned back against the carriage’s backrest.
“Ugh…”
So tired.
Extremely tired.
Sighing deeply, Raniel closed her eyes.
On the way to the North, she had been with Sara, but now she would be returning alone. There was still no word from Sara or Kyle.
When she returned to the Royal Capital, there would be much to do.
First, she would need to prepare for Lac and Belnoa to face their trials, and she also had to research Chloe’s inherited ability from Galahal, “Convergence.”
‘And then…’
At that moment, with her eyes closed, while Raniel was recalling the things she had to do, the carriage door creaked open. It was the coachman who had opened it.
“Ah? Young lady, when did you arrive?”
“…Excuse me?”
The coachman inquired of Raniel.
“Didn’t you just run over there?”
“…That was me?”
Raniel blinked.
The direction the coachman was pointing was opposite to where Raniel had come from. She looked over her shoulder, gesturing toward the direction she had arrived from.
“I came from over there, though?”
“Huh? That’s strange…”
The coachman tilted his head.
After blinking a few times, the coachman exclaimed in realization.
“Oh, now that I see, you’re dressed a bit differently than before. You look a bit younger too.”
The coachman muttered something incomprehensible.
Raniel blinked again and shifted her gaze. She looked in the direction the coachman had pointed at.
There were no footprints.
“Miss, do you have a sister who resembles you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Really? How strange…”
“It seems you must have seen wrong.”
Leaving the mumbling coachman behind, Raniel glanced toward the direction he had pointed. That was the Kurakt Mountain Range. She sensed no presence there.
*
