Chapter 110 - 9-11
To the east, beyond the Dwarf Mountains, the area surrounding the group of city-states known as the Plains Nations is, for the people of Siddim, a dark zone where the light of the Roma faith does not reach.
A party of adventurers consisting of a knight, a female knight, an archer, and a mage were about to conclude their infiltration mission into that dark zone. The knight Udoh Renne, the archer Hemrik, and the female knight Rusary Striga were returning, having completed their mission. Only the mage Alf Cedar had yet to fulfill the assassination order entrusted to him by his master, One-Eyed Zarko.
—Can't be helped.
The boy mage thought.
The target was no longer in Kandasyata and apparently was now in Siddim.
The mountain paths of the Dwarf Mountains are steep. Alf, with his frail physique, had imagined that crossing the mountains would be difficult. He was surprised to find that, upon trying, he could actually climb them. Without even realizing it, he had built up his physical strength.
During breaks while climbing, Alf had said things like:
"This isn't as bad as I thought."
In reality, it was a struggle even to catch his breath, and his words likely didn't form actual speech, sounding to others as nothing more than gasps. However, in his heart, he had said it.
The knight Udoh Renne and the archer Hemrik, as well as the female knight Rusary, were all breathing heavily, but they were not exhausted.
"Alf, don't push yourself just because you don't want to hold everyone back."
Hemrik was a mountain man. He gave Alf various pieces of advice.
For example, he told him that in high mountains, strange phenomena occur, such as being struck by headaches or collapsing from sudden sleepiness. He shared such knowledge without finding it tedious. Alf's brain absorbed it all.
—Hemrik, Hemrik.
He had been calling the mountain man by his name so casually, but because he was so kind, Alf decided to call him "Hem-ni" (T/N: a friendly, respectful term for an older brother) as a mark of respect.
"Big Brother, is there a woman waiting to welcome you home?"
Alf asked this at night, after they had finished preparing for their camp.
"There is. Heheh, a wife with a beard."
"Must be nice." That wife, far from having a beard, surely shaved every hair on her body until she was smooth and shiny to welcome Hem-ni home.
"What about you, Boss?" Alf asked Udoh Renne.
Udoh apparently held a high social status, despite his appearance.
"Now, I wonder about that."
The Boss played dumb.
Alf remained silent and shook his head.
—Poor thing.
This Boss is reliable and has a good personality. However, with a face like that, an average woman would hesitate. At the very least, it is not a face that makes women scream with excitement. It's safe to assume no woman is waiting for him.
"I understand your regret, Boss," Alf said, intending to comfort him.
However, Boss Udoh had no need for such comfort.
The next day, they finally entered the Siddim side after crossing the ridge of the mountain range.
As the sun set and they gathered around the campfire, Rusary spoke.
"I feel grime on my body. I'm going to wash up in that stream over there, so stay here."
"Big Sister, is there anything I can help with?"
Alf was captivated by the beauty of the female knight Rusary, so he asked without any ulterior motive. Even if there had been an ulterior motive, it would have been a pure and innocent one.
"You stay right where you are."
Rusary said and descended through the thicket.
To Alf, who was under the curse of the Three Elders, Big Sister's face looked like that of an old person. He couldn't tell her expression, but the female knight had likely glared at Alf with a sweet sort of intensity.
At that moment, Udoh spoke in a lowered voice.
"I have something to consult you all about," Udoh said, taking a leather pouch from the luggage he carried. Inside was a hat. It was made of cloth with elaborate patterns and fur, featuring cute earflaps.
"I'm thinking of giving this as a souvenir to Princess Faura of the Necrat family."
"A princess? Someone like that is waiting for you?" Alf let out a bewildered cry. "Boss, that's different from what you said!"
"Now, Alf. Even if I say princess, she's a child, so it's not like that."
According to Boss Udoh,
Udoh Renne, a knight of Villen, had left the mansion after promising Faura Necrat of the Necrat family in the Carossa territory that he would "return soon." He truly intended to return soon, but before he knew it, it had become a long journey, and Udoh apparently felt troubled by this.
"Boss. You don't get it," Alf sighed. "You must never let a girl feel lonely, you know? You have to show your face often, greet her, call out to her, and make sure she knows you have feelings for her. Especially since you're already at a disadvantage because of your face. To break a promise and go on a long journey in silence is unthinkable."
"No, I'm telling you, it's not like that. She made me clothes and took care of me, so I want to give something back."
"Well, isn't it not so bad?" Hem-ni said. "It gives a slightly plain impression, but it's an exotic and cute hat. Rather, wouldn't it be better to ask Big Sister Rusary?"
"I don't want Rusary to know. She's loyal to the Necrat family, so she'll misunderstand and think I'm making a move on the princess."
"Heheh. I wonder if it's really a misunderstanding."
"Stop it. More importantly, I stole this from the cargo of the Kosa army. It might be something a mother somewhere sent to her son on the battlefield. In that case, what do you think about giving stolen goods as a gift?"
"How about just keeping quiet about it?" Hem-ni laughed, hehe.
"Hmm." The Boss pondered, rubbing his chin where a beard had begun to stand out.
Seeing that agonized expression, Alf decided to lend a hand.
Saying "I'll just borrow this for a moment," he took the hat and chanted a spell.
He closed his eyes and rubbed the hat, then eventually opened them.
"My teacher taught me. Things have their own destiny; it seems like humans can do as they please, but they cannot. —It's okay. As I thought, this hat is destined not to reach its original destination. I don't know what path it will take, but in the end, it seems it will finish its life as something very cherished."
—This hat is here because it was meant to be.
"So don't worry about it."
When Alf returned the hat, Boss Udoh accepted it with a grin.
"Thanks, Alf."
The talk of a thing's destiny was a story Alf had just made up on the spot.
The Boss must have noticed. However, since the sorrow was swept away from Udoh's expression, it could be said that Alf's magic worked.
Carossa, which welcomed the adventurers, was in the midst of preparing for war.
In the village at the foot of the mountains, the first stop after descending the Dwarf Mountains, timber was being cut from the Necrat family's royal forests and processed into arrow shafts and spear handles. It was a chaotic work scene filled with swirling dust. Well-built men seemed to be mingling haphazardly, but looking closely, each was assigned an orderly role, creating an efficient flow. Weapon materials were being mass-produced at a ferocious pace.
The four of them, including Udoh, stayed one night at the mansion of the knight who governed the village, enjoying human-like meals, bathing, and sleep for the first time in a long while. A messenger must have run through the night, for by the next morning, escort soldiers had already been dispatched.
Udoh and Rusary were given warhorses and rode as fast as they pleased toward Samodiva City and Naimeny Castle. Hemrik and Alf, who had no experience riding horses, followed behind, led by the escort soldiers.
All of Carossa was preparing for war.
As he galloped on horseback, Udoh saw that even children and women were making armor.
—It might be Haider.
Udoh thought. This posture could not be established by the power of Ernes Anil, the Administrator of Carossa, alone. A man of considerable standing must have come. Most likely, this seamlessness is the work of Haider Skyner.
The days had grown quite short. Udoh and Rusary entered Samodiva City after dark and arrived at the Roange Mansion within Naimeny Castle. In the hall, former Countess Guendolin Necrat, Administrator Anil, and the knights of Carossa, led by the Striga family, were gathered.
Udoh did not push himself forward and left the report to Rusary Striga. Only when one insincere man teased, "Is this a couple's sightseeing trip?" did Udoh deliberately choose not to take it as a joke and put on a scary face.
"Both I and Striga have returned from enemy territory where we couldn't let our guard down for a single moment. If you want to fool around, please get out."
After Rusary agreed with him, she spread a map on the table. "It can be said that Renne proved his good eye this time. First, what we learned on the ground is that unless we move by horseback, the success of the operation is uncertain. Also, since the land is open, we estimated that even if we hide, twenty days is the absolute limit. Our target is here."
Her long finger traced across the map. "Enemy cavalry are gathering, and combat preparations are progressing. It is thought that this unit will attack Tosha. The commander is a youth named Molchi Rajif."
"That's deep," Ernes Anil said. "Is it necessary to penetrate the enemy territory this far?"
"No, it is an appropriate distance for the enemy cavalry. The enemy has adapted to a wide area by using horses. Because of that, if we are captured by the enemy, they will be able to follow us closely. Their feet are faster, after all. However, the population density on the ground is extremely sparse. One rarely encounters people. If we proceed cautiously, it is entirely possible to fulfill the mission covertly."
—Burn the tents of Rajif's army with fire arrows.
After that, strike the enemy's supplies heading toward the dark forest.
"The enemy army, which has its base around the Plains Nations, will be in a position where their rear is threatened by an invisible enemy. To ensure the safety of their rear, they will likely become unsettled."
Who would command this attack?
Udoh Renne raised his hand. "The cavalry of Villen are being looked after in Dint. I intend to lead them and go."
"But," former Countess Guendolin spoke up. "Is this operation not for the purpose of reclaiming Villen? Is it alright for you not to be on the front lines?"
"I leave Villen to the head of the Striga family."
To everyone's surprise, Rusary, the head of the Striga family, stood up and bowed to Udoh.
Without sitting back down, she struck the table with her fist.
"The regret of our Carossa. The first is that we could not fight!" she exclaimed, looking around at the people present. "We could not fight the Thora family, and on top of that, we cannot fight the Kosa army. Such a thing must not happen! Our Carossa is peerless in strength, the strongest in the East. We shall demonstrate that here!"
Strongest in the East is an exaggeration, Udoh thought. However, it was certain that the soldiers of Carossa were not weak.
In the Necrat family before they were abolished, like other families, they imposed military service obligations on the residents. In Carossa, that period was abnormally long. In other lands, residents were bound for periods of three or two months, but in Carossa, it was an indentured apprenticeship. It was in units of at least two years, and if renewed, it could be four years.
Over that long period, they trained the soldiers thoroughly and maintained a posture where high-proficiency soldiers could always be mobilized. In the East, only the Gilmond family of Kraff and the Anavis family of Ganlord required indentured military service from their residents. Even then, it was for one year.
Two to four years is close to a conscription system; only the Royal Army trains soldiers for this long. Urgil Necrat had bared his fangs, just like the Necrat family crest "Fang of Kyurgoi," so it could not be said that Sedias Thora was necessarily unjustified in viewing the East as dangerous.
But that was that.
"We fight as people of Carossa. Ultimately, this is a question of how a human lives. If we are to lose—"
It must be a defeat after giving everything. Rusary said. If it is a loss after having intimidated the enemy army even for a moment, there is still hope ahead. A loss without being able to exert one's power is unacceptable. It would lead only to the conclusion that all efforts were in vain. All labor would be denied, and it would not lead to the next step. It would become a question of why they forced long military service.
"We shall hide in the mountains and launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp inside the Twin Forts. We must follow what the Lord continued to do in the Royal Capital, and what the Young Master has begun in the West."
Though spoken from a woman's mouth, it was a dignified assertion, and the knights of Carossa straightened their backs. As long as the correctness of this assertion did not crumble, the knights of Carossa would find the image of Moloy Striga, who had been like a house elder, in his granddaughter.
—Carossa seems to be alright.
Udoh felt a sense of relief.
After a hectic day, the next morning.
To resolve one of his concerns, Udoh searched for Princess Faura after the military council.
When he visited her room, there was only a woman who seemed to be a maid. "I believe she is in the courtyard?"
When he went to the courtyard, there was only a man who seemed to be a servant. "She isn't here."
Returning to the corridor while scratching his head, he noticed he felt slightly relieved. Thinking carefully, Princess Faura would probably be troubled if given a cheap hat. She is a daughter of nobility. For Udoh, he had only thought that it would probably suit her well.
"Oh."
A voice called out to him there.
Turning around, a girl with deep brown hair was walking toward him with a woman who seemed to be a lady-in-waiting.
"I have been waiting, thinking you would return soon."
After kneeling on one knee to show submission, Udoh raised his face and looked at Princess Faura.
There was color in the princess's black eyes. It was an eye where surprise and fear, expectation and repulsion were mixed together, wrapped in a thin skin of indifference and darkened. It was undoubtedly the eye of a girl who had experienced too many things—losing her father and brothers all at once. It could also be said that the transparency of a child had been damaged, and a kind of turbidity covered those eyes.
Udoh did not see it as turbidity, but as color.
"I was worried about the princess. I intended to return soon, but I ended up going to a foreign land."
"Where is this foreign land?"
"I went beyond those mountains. It's a thing from a foreign land, so you might not be used to it, but I've brought a souvenir for the princess."
Feeling somewhat hesitant, Udoh took the leather pouch from his breast and offered the hat inside. Princess Faura let out a small "Ah" and accepted it.
Holding her breath, she put on the hat, first looking up at the lady-in-waiting and then turning her face to Udoh.
As he thought, the cute hat suited her well.
"It suits you very well."
When Udoh praised her, the princess, without a word, grabbed Udoh's upper arm and pulled. She grabbed him with the strength of a child who knows no moderation, clutching the flesh, making it incredibly painful. He had no choice but to follow as he was pulled.
"Mother! Big Sister! 'The Lord who says desuda' gave me a hat!"
Because she walked and spoke in a loud voice, Udoh felt embarrassed. He was also happy.
Only after arriving at the mother, former Countess Guendolin, in the hall was Udoh's upper arm finally released.
"Look, look, Mother!" Faura Necrat hopped and circled around her mother.
"My, what warm-looking earflaps."
Countess Guendolin's mouth relaxed in a fond smile. Eventually, her eyes changed to a suspicious look and turned toward Udoh. She began to repeatedly compare the princess's happy appearance with Udoh.
"Udoh," the Countess eventually said. "If you recover Villen and the restoration of our Necrat family is achieved, something wonderful might happen."
"My Lady, that—"
"You wouldn't steal the dream of a mother who wishes for her daughter's happiness, would you?"
Udoh did not know how to respond.
He felt that in Countess Guendolin's expression, there was the shrewdness of a mother well-versed in the ways of the world.
In the afternoon, Udoh headed to the stables to see the state of the highway, where he met Ernes Anil.
"I missed giving this to you last night." What Ernes brought was a letter. "It's a note left by Haider Skyner of Ganlord."
"He came?"
"Yes. Though he returned quickly. Thanks to him coming, Carossa obtained formal approval to participate in the Eastern Army."
"What about the operation?"
"You should read it; it should be written there."
Udoh read the letter on the spot. Perhaps out of consideration for Udoh, who was unfamiliar with letters, there were no difficult expressions, and it was easy to read. Simple but maximum praise was written regarding Udoh's desertion from the enemy army and his drafting of the operation. Udoh grinned without realizing it.
"It seems Cloden is coming," Udoh said, folding the letter.
"Who?"
"The seventh son of the Danforth family in Dint... that guy is a busy man too."
That night, Cloden Danforth truly arrived.
Perhaps having joined up along the way, Hemrik and Alf Cedar also arrived.
"You, you idiot..."
Cloden's eyes widened as he stared at Udoh's face.
Udoh also gazed at Cloden's nostalgic, mouse-like face. "Idiot or not... you're the one, you idiot..."
The two young men, who could hardly be called handsome, embraced in a surge of emotion.
Hemrik, who was there, snorted, and Alf crossed his arms and leaked his impression, "How touching."
Hemrik and Alf were called by a servant and left for a meal. Cloden remained in Udoh's room.
Udoh moved on his own to prepare some alcohol.
"Prepare to be surprised," Cloden said. "The Eastern Army has now been promoted to the Eastern Regional Army of the Siddim Army. The commander-in-chief of the Siddim Army is Princess Lucy Alish."
Though he was told to be surprised, Udoh was shocked as if struck by lightning. "Isn't that great? Does that mean we become soldiers and officers of the Royal Army?"
"Exactly. That bastard Yugis actually did it."
Udoh heard from his friend's mouth that Yugis Necrat was apparently alive.
"I knew it," Udoh laughed. He couldn't help but find it funny. "I thought I understood, but still, what a terrifying man he is."
"I feel sorry for the princess. Being fallen for by a guy like that must be a nuisance. That bastard Yugis should show some restraint."
"But, if the princess stands up and we serve under her, we'll be on equal footing with the West."
"That's it. We'll sit in the seats that the West has monopolized for so long. Udoh, this is the critical moment. We can't afford to not win."
"We'll win. We'll win, since we're finally doing this."
The two young men discussed the details.
It was about the handover of the Villen cavalry being kept in Dint, and communication between Ganlord and Carossa. Regarding communication, Cloden was already in the process of establishing a system. By combining signal fires and relay stations, information would travel at high speed through the steep mountain paths.
"By placing messengers and using signal fires, we can shorten the time considerably. I'll decide the signal fire codes on this end."
"You've got it hard too. Since your head turns faster than others, you must have a lot of mental stress."
"What, I do it because I like it. Yugis is like that, and Haider is the same. That bastard Haider finally kicked out Aram Danforth, who was the former Administrator of Belgau and became the Governor of the East. But now that Aram has returned, he's feeling exhausted."
"Haider is a man who suits being an idiot, struggling with military administration."
"True."
Zeal Androsh is leading the reconnaissance. He apparently wants an achievement to reclaim his territory, Rhythmdale. Kashu Coil and Zett Mengel have become guests of Saranti. Raslaf Dravar is said to be itching for a fight with the Kosa army.
Udoh was happy to hear nostalgic names.
At the same time, he trembled with excitement, feeling that it was finally beginning.
"Don't die," Cloden said with a scary face.
Udoh nodded. "You too."
Siddim is also apparently wide. Alf had not known that a place called Carossa existed. He was surprised that there were towns and castles in the middle of such mountain forests. Many people lived there, and everyone seemed to be working busily.
Though he hadn't asked for it, Alf ended up having an audience with the Countess of Carossa. Guided by Big Sister Rusary, he went to the great hall with Hem-ni. Waiting for them were three old people—three noblewomen who looked like old people. All three were dressed in dark clothing and sitting in chairs. Alf's eyes were captured by one of them.
She was wearing a familiar hat.
It was the hat Boss Udoh had shown him in the mountains. The princess the Boss spoke of was undoubtedly the girl on the right.
Since Hem-ni knelt, Alf imitated him. While Big Brother politely stated the greeting formulas, Alf frequently raised his face to steal glances at the hat.
Alf was struck by a sense of wonder.
Originally, it was a hat that should have been in those vast, vague plains. It had been loaded in a Kosa caravan, hidden inside a box. When it appeared before Alf, it was already at the peak of a sky-scraping high mountain. Finally, in a forest territory like a hidden village that Alf didn't even know about, it sat atop a noble princess's head, looking serene.
—Why did it turn out like this?
There was no need to think. Boss Udoh carried the hat. That was all; there was nothing mysterious about it.
And yet, to Alf, it was mysterious.
The boundless plains, the peak of the Dwarf Mountains, and the top of a girl's head. Those three points, which should have been unrelated, were connected in one line. As a result, the hat that should have rotted on a single soldier's head achieved an extraordinary rise in status, worn by a princess like a silver crown.
Alf could not find a conclusion to the strangeness he felt.
"Hey, don't space out."
Suddenly, Rusary's voice was heard.
"Give your greetings."
Alf corrected his posture and acted like a good boy.
"I'm called Alf Cedar." Due to a habit from when he was an orphan, he was obedient to important people. "I'm a mage. My master is One-Eyed Zarko, and I studied under Master Dancour at the university."
The noblewoman who was undoubtedly the most important person there leaned forward with interest. "My, a mage. You are quite young."
"He is young, but this kid's magic is the real thing," Rusary said, turning her face to Alf. "Hey, show them."
"Huh?"
"Magic. The thing you showed me."
"I don't mind, but it might not work," Alf said. "My school is the kind that releases the magic and then leaves the rest to the magic's own function."
"Stop complaining and just try it."
"Can't be helped. Since it's Big Sister's request, it's a special occasion."
Alf laughed, stood up, and walked toward the Countess. Hem-ni came along with a worried face.
"My Lady, excuse me, but I'm going to place my hand on your head."
"I wonder what will begin."
"There's nothing to be afraid of. If there's something I know that My Lady wants to know, some magic might work."
Smiling with the face of an old person, the Countess leaned down slightly.
When Alf placed his palm on her head, the wrinkled face of the strange old woman vanished, and Countess Guendolin returned to the face of a dignified woman. The curse placed on Alf temporarily lifted when he touched a woman's head.
In Alf's mind, which had been empty for a while, memories suddenly returned as if being dragged out. It was near the peak of the Pale Mountains. A scene from when he had traveled with His Eminence the Bishop of Siddim floated into his head. He had half-forgotten it. Alf and the Bishop's party had rescued a young traveler who had fallen from a cliff at that time.
—Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to that guy back then.
It felt like a very long time ago, and Alf felt nostalgic.
Suddenly, Alf's wrist was grabbed. Countess Guendolin was clinging to Alf's hand, crying in a suppressed voice. Alf panicked. Rusary approached with a look of alarm.
"You—!"
The princesses also stood up to see what was happening.
"No, it's not..."
Alf became incoherent.
In the midst of this, only Hem-ni remained calm,
"Everyone, be quiet," he said, silencing the area.
Listening closely, Countess Guendolin was saying something in a tearful voice. "Yugis... the one you saved was Yugis. My son."
"Son?"
For some reason, Alf felt a chill. He thought such a coincidence was too scary.
"I wonder. No, uh..."
—He was a guy in kind of dirty clothes, though.
"No, there is no mistake," the Countess said, raising her face. Though wet with tears, it was a smile shining with happiness.
"Yugis, that child, he really was alive..."
"No wonder, that, the unmistakable dignity, come to think of it—"
"Alf, this house will treat you with great generosity. You are the savior of my son's life. Please stay in this mansion as long as you wish."
The noblewoman said this and finally released Alf's wrist.
Alf was struck by a strange sensation again. It was the same sense of wonder as when he saw the hat Udoh had given.
The next day, since Hem-ni was going to Ganlord with the young lord of Dint, Alf decided to accompany him.
To say his farewells, Alf visited Udoh Renne's room.
"I can't let the Boss off the hook. The princess was wearing that hat like a crown, you know? I want a girlfriend soon too."
"I told you it's not like that. More importantly, are you going to defeat that evil mage you mentioned before?"
The Boss looked at Alf with a dull expression.
"Well, yeah."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"I thought about it yesterday when I saw the princess's hat. It's a long story, is that okay?"
"I don't mind."
The mystery of a hat from a foreign tribe of the plains adorning a princess's head overnight.
The wonder of meeting the mother of a traveler he had saved on mere intuition.
—Everything in this world is connected by something.
Alf spoke as if revealing a grave secret.
He couldn't help but think so.
"I mean, we might be inheriting someone's work or actions without even realizing it. Conversely, we might be making someone else carry the results of our actions. We're influencing and being influenced by each other. This is scary."
"Is that so?"
"Well, I'm serious and I can do most things well, so I think I'll be okay. But, just in case, if I do a sloppy job and because of that influence, something bad happens or someone suffers, I think that's scary."
"I see."
"That's why I think it's better to tackle whatever I can do as seriously as possible."
"You went all the way south chasing a mage, didn't you? You're tackling it quite seriously."
Being praised, Alf felt bashful. "Well, yeah. But I'm going. I'm kind of scared."
Boss Udoh nodded with a long face. "I understand. Then I won't stop you. Just be sufficiently careful, alright?"
"You too, Boss. You might not be popular with women, but you have a pretty good face. It's a face that can achieve a great ambition."
"Thanks, Alf."
Boss Udoh said the same words as before, with a smile.
"Are you going to treat the Countess's feelings with indifference?"
Big Sister Rusary said displeasedly.
To say goodbye, Alf had caught Big Sister in the corridor of the Roange Mansion.
"She is welcoming someone like you, you know?"
"About that, please handle it well for me, Big Sister. I'm glad I could meet the Boss, Hem-ni, and you. Everyone is doing something seriously, so I thought I should do things seriously too."
"And? Are you going to hunt the mage?"
"Yeah."
Big Sister Rusary sighed. "Alf, lend me your hand."
Rusary snatched the hand Alf had raised suspiciously, leaned down, and placed it on her head.
"Is my face still that of an old person?"
Alf shook his head.
"Am I beautiful?"
"Of course, there's no one as beautiful as Big Sister—"
Beautiful black hair that looked like scattered stars swayed, and Rusary's white face drew close.
Alf was kissed on the cheek.
Big Sister released his hand, crossed her arms, and leaned against a nearby pillar.
"Alf, you know nothing. You don't understand. First of all, you know too little about life. You don't know the value of being alive."
—I see.
Alf understood the value of being alive.
That such wonderful things, such lovely things happen—that is what life is.
"Don't be reckless. Don't forget that you can't do anything if you're dead."
"Ah..."
"In other words, there's no need to rush toward death. I don't know how great this evil mage of yours is. However, keep the room for consideration as to whether it is something worth risking your own life for."
"A, Big Sis—"
"If you understand, now go."
"Big Sister is my princess. You're my goddess."
"Enough of that. Go."
"I'll come back. I'll come to see you, Big Sister."
"Don't get attached, go."
Almost as if being chased out, Alf left the Roange Mansion.
The core of his brain was numb. The beauty of the female knight he had seen up close was burned into Alf's mind.
While the disciple had a loose mouth, the master was in the middle of a death struggle.
It was in the depths of the Great Forest that separates the North and the West.
Zarko was on his knees among the withered leaves, covering his face. Blood flowed through the gaps of his fingers, wetting the fallen leaves red.
Beside him lay the massive body of a beast. It was a monster-like giant bear with a thickness that commanded one to look up even after it had fallen. The bear was dead. The one who killed it was one of the Three Elder Sages, Manam.
"I must praise you, One-Eyed Zarko," Manam's breathing was also rough. "No, perhaps it is now All-Blind Zarko."
Manam lowered himself.
"A place like the forest has the lives of plants, the lives of animals, and the lives of insects acting in complex interaction. Those lives become a wall, so magic rarely works. You deciphered that complexity and cast various barriers; I must say it was impressive."
Manam remained there, listening to the flute-like sound coming from Zarko's throat.
"But, that there was a spellcaster who could break those barriers—"
"...t's true."
Zarko said, still covering his face.
"Old man, you've captured the meaning of the Red Star incorrectly."
"What?"
Zarko lowered both blood-stained hands. One eye had a black eyepatch, and the other eye was closed, overflowing with tears of blood. Zarko had wagered his last bit of vision to summon the giant bear.
"That star isn't some throne of a Great King. Since the time you old men first came to this country, I've researched that star in my own way. And I found out—that is..."
Manam, who had been leaning in to listen to Zarko's words, suddenly noticed a silver reflection and instinctively turned his palm and released magical power.
Zarko let out a cry like a goose and collapsed, sending withered leaves flying.
A small knife slipped from his hand. He must have intended to throw it at Manam.
Manam could not stand for a while. He couldn't stop coughing. Blood was mixed in the spray of saliva.
Whenever he wounded someone with magical power, it always turned out like this.
More than that, his lifespan was likely near. No, Manam might have already passed his natural lifespan.
—Even so, I shall live.
An ego that transcended human knowledge kept Manam alive. He was not yet finished with what he had to do.