That day, the mansion was turned upside down.
Fabre is a young master who rarely leaves his room. He coughed up blood in front of me, who had been in the wild for two weeks.
Although we’re both mages and don’t catch common illnesses, the people in the mansion didn’t know that. Fabre found it bothersome, but the people wouldn’t leave the count’s only heir alone.
Hours of bathing, calling for doctors, and isolating him in his room.
Count Furst knew Fabre was a mage, so he wasn’t too worried.
He just pretended to go along with Butler Clark’s fuss.
After about three days, Butler Clark politely said to me,
“I apologize for the inconvenience. Starting today, the Count would like you to join us for meals.”
“It’s alright. It was necessary for safety. Should I go to the dining room now?”
“The Count will come here.”
“Personally?”
When I asked again, Butler Clark nodded slightly and left.
He probably wanted to have a quiet conversation.
As I waited for him to arrive, I closed my eyes and recalled what I had seen three days ago.
Merlin, half-transformed into a bird.
Was it because his familiar had died?
Or was he preparing some dangerous magic?
Whatever it was, he wouldn’t let this go.
I need to prepare.
I need to prepare thoroughly.
At that moment, maids came in from outside. They prepared the dining table, and soon the count entered.
“Everyone, leave.”
The maids bowed politely and left.
I got up from the bed and sat across from him.
“How’s your recovery? Going well?”
“Yes, I’m fine. How about Fabre? Is he doing well?”
“He’s usually cooped up in his room anyway, so he doesn’t seem to mind much.”
As the count naturally started eating his soup, I began my meal as well.
The meal continued in silence.
The count seemed to be contemplating how to start the conversation.
I smiled gently and spoke first.
“You mentioned the Second Princess of Franche, right? She’s coming this morning.”
The count glanced at me, then continued eating and asked,
“Is she also a target of your revenge?”
“Not really. But I suppose I’ll be the target of her revenge. She won’t sit idle while I’m going to kill her father, will she?”
The count was silent for a moment, then said,
“Who knows.”
It’s a short answer, but it holds many meanings.
I continued eating and asked,
“How did you end up joining hands?”
“She contacted me first. Seems she heard that I had drowned the Crown Prince’s army. So she must have been confident she could draw me into her faction.”
“Well, it’s certain that you’ve crossed a point of no return with the Crown Prince of Franche.”
The count put down his utensils slightly.
“I thought you were dead. I regret things turning out this way.”
I shook my head.
“It’s okay. But there’s one thing I’d like you to promise.”
“What is it?”
“To not get involved in anything between the Princess and me.”
“……”
“Will you promise?”
Count Furst looked at me with calm eyes.
“The most important thing to me is the New Continent Trading Company. I won’t interfere beyond that.”
He had no choice.
Strictly speaking, even when Count Furst bought me and took me to Master Avana, it was to get magical help from Master Avana.
I smiled.
“Alright. Now tell me.”
“What?”
“You came to ask for my advice, didn’t you?”
Count Furst chuckled as if in disbelief.
“Right. That’s correct. By the way, do you want this broccoli?”
I picked up the plate in front of me and placed it in front of him.
He grabbed several pieces of broccoli at once and dipped them in the soup before eating.
The count chewed on the broccoli, lost in thought.
Then he spoke up.
“I’ve been thinking about the conversation we had in the carriage three days ago. About the possibility that Legless Monkey and Duke Balkan might have joined hands.”
If I remember correctly, Hansis the priest appeared and interrupted our conversation at that time.
“Right. It seemed most likely that they had joined hands midway.”
The count’s eyes flashed sharply.
“I’ve thought about that. There’s a contradiction. It’s a 40-day journey by sea. It’s impossible to make decisions and exchange messages so quickly over that distance.”
“What about the Franche warships? They arrived earlier than expected after Franche was heavily defeated in the Manya Plains, right? Doesn’t that mean there’s some way to communicate across the sea?”
The count frowned.
“That could be possible.”
I suggested another possibility.
“Count. You had a mysterious treasure that allowed you to fly, right? Wouldn’t others have such treasures too? Especially someone like Duke Balkan, who had the mage Merlin?”
The count stroked his chin.
“A contact person?”
I immediately mentioned the person that came to mind.
“Is there anyone besides Governor Crom?”
The count smiled slightly.
“No. My attack on the Franche warships with pirates was a secret known only to him and me. Moreover, Legless Monkey left without killing him. Yes, that’s right. There was absolutely no reason to keep him alive! The reason must be that he was Duke Balkan’s contact person.”
I chuckled.
“You really killed him at the right time, Count. Governor Crom. He must have had a treasure that could communicate with Duke Balkan.”
The count met my eyes and stroked his chin.
Before expressing his thoughts, the count repeatedly moves his hand or mouth.
I wonder if that helps him organize his thoughts.
The count stroked around his chin a few more times, then stopped as if he had finished thinking.
“If that’s the case, Legless Monkey and Duke Balkan can’t contact each other now.”
“That’s why she kindly looked into ship schedules for us. Retrieving the children is very important to her, even to gain the trust of her tribe members. Since she can’t contact Duke Balkan, you’re the only one she can trust, right?”
The count nodded.
“Hmm, yes. I can’t be certain, but that feeling seems right, Ran. But it’s all speculation.”
I crossed my legs.
And looked down at my fingers.
The ring Psyche gave me was there.
“I’ll check if that speculation is correct or not.”
The count looked at me with wide eyes.
***
The Franche princess had already arrived at Sangria port and was expected to reach the mansion around evening.
There was quite some time left until then.
I remained alone in the room, looking at the ring on my left hand.
“She said it could communicate over long distances depending on the level. Is it possible even across an ocean?”
The purple flower encircling my fourth finger emitted a faint, translucent light.
I infused magic into the ring.
But it didn’t accept the magic.
“What?”
I tried again, but the result was the same.
Nothing happened.
The magic came back out as much as it went in.
“No. It’s slightly, just slightly insufficient. It definitely absorbed some magic.”
I concentrated again and tried to infuse magic. Then, although it was an extremely small amount, I could feel the ring absorbing magic.
It was as if the ring was whispering to me.
Gently.
Continuously.
“This isn’t simply activated by strong magic. It needs effort and sincerity.”
I closed my eyes. I tried to control the magic within me as much as possible and slowly injected it into the ring in its gentlest form.
Then it absorbed several times more magic compared to before. It responded better to weaker magic.
Of course, it was still just a tiny amount.
I continued to infuse magic like that.
For over an hour.
“How much more do I need to put in? Will it work today?”
Somehow, I’m getting stubborn about this.
But if I hastily put in too much magic, the magic already inside would leak out.
More gently.
More continuously.
I had to focus all my nerves, heart, and thoughts on the ring.
I decided to forget about time.
I decided to forget about space.
I devoted myself completely to that task, pouring my everything into it.
[Ran?]
I opened my eyes wide.
The ring was still there.
“Psyche?”
After I asked, there was no sound for a long time.
Just as I was about to give up, Psyche’s voice echoed in my head.
[Yes.]
“Wow! This actually works!”
I waited for Psyche’s response, but again.
It was awkwardly silent.
Don’t tell me I have to keep infusing magic?
I don’t think I can do any more.
[Why did you contact me only now?]
Fortunately, it seems once activated, communication remains possible.
But there was a different problem.
She sounds angry.
Psyche’s voice was as impassive as usual, but I could tell.
Maybe because I can only hear her voice now, even the slightest change in tone was noticeable.
Clearly, Psyche was angry.
At times like this, the best thing to do is to change the subject.
Trying to appease her anger would be like fanning the flames.
“I almost died.”
[What?]
“I almost died. I met a mage of a higher level than me.”
Psyche paused a little before speaking.
[Are, are you okay? What happened?]
The effect is just right.
Now I can’t sense any anger in Psyche’s voice.
I threw myself onto the bed and started talking.
“So, what happened was, there’s this Duke Balkan, you know? He’s really famous in Bariton…”
On and on.
I told her everything that had happened since I arrived on the continent of Yura, without missing a single detail.
Psyche responded occasionally, listening to everything I said until the end.
“…Anyway, that’s why I’m resting now.”
[It’s too dangerous. Come back immediately.]
The sudden voice of Master Avana.
She must have been listening alongside Psyche while I was talking.
I wonder how she did it when my voice would only be heard as a mental image on their side?
Anyway.
“Is that you, Master? It’s been a while.”
[Ran. Listen carefully. A mage who has lost their familiar is very dangerous. The will, no, the intelligence that was constantly bestowed upon the familiar returns, causing an overload of magic.]
“Then isn’t it okay for now since he needs to recover? It’s been about 20 days and nothing has happened.”
[Of course, at first, he would struggle to recover. But what if he fails to recover? What do you think he would do if he realizes he can never go back? What do you think someone facing death will do?]
I could understand what Master was saying.
“He would come to kill me.”
Master spoke in a calm voice.
[Ran. The most threatening mage is one who has nothing to lose. If he comes after you with everything he has, you can’t hope for luck.]
Magic becomes stronger the more you’re willing to pay.
So, the magic used by a mage with nothing to lose, betting everything, is far superior to their usual level.
“Hearing that, I almost wish he would recover. But… somehow, I don’t think that will happen.”
The scene of him half-transformed into a bird flashes before my eyes.
Master Avana let out a deep sigh.
[Futures involving life and death are particularly easy to sense. He will come for you soon. So come back before it’s too late.]
Hearing those words, anxiety suddenly gripped me again.
But I swallowed hard and steeled myself.
“I can’t run away. That action and decision will affect my magic in the future.”
[Ran. My beloved disciple. You can’t win every fight. Even the greatest mages have never gone undefeated, and there are even fewer who have never fled.]
I shook my head.
“Master Avana. Thank you for your words. But I didn’t run away from Keren either, and that’s why I was able to defeat him, gaining a high level of dignity. A dignity strong enough not to be overshadowed even by Merlin, a true mage.”
[That was an extremely low probability. It was barely achieved with numerous conditions being met. It’s something that almost never happens.]
“Master.”
[I’m listening. Speak.]
I closed my eyes and spoke softly.
“Isn’t that the essence of magic?”
Silence fell.
I opened my mouth again.
“What are the chances of rain falling from a clear sky? But you, Master, fulfilled the necessary conditions and made it rain, breaking through that small probability. Isn’t that magic?”
[It is.]
“Exactly.”
Silence fell again.
That silence held many meanings.
Soon, Master Avana spoke.
[If that’s truly your will, I won’t stop you anymore. But never be arrogant. Use whatever you can use. Fulfill every condition you can think of. Diligently! And thoroughly! That is humility.]
“I understand, Master. I won’t be arrogant.”
[Good. I’ll look into whether that communication medium you mentioned actually exists. Since it would contain magic, it should be quite easy to find.]
“Please do, Master. You should focus on searching around Governor Crom’s residence.”
[Alright.]
There were no other words after that.
Because of this, as I was about to withdraw my magic from the ring, Psyche’s words suddenly came through.
[Come to think of it, why did you contact us only now when so many things happened?]
Fortunately, there was no ‘anger’ in her tone.
However, I didn’t miss it. The ‘readiness to get angry’ hidden deep within her calm tone.
That ‘anger’ would be fired at the slightest trigger.
It’s still not easy.
It’s time to be a bit more assertive.
“What about you? Why didn’t you?”
Another silence followed.
At the end of that silence, she left her final words.
[You do it.]
Leave a Reply