<strong>Chapter 99: The Battle at Hisfil Castle, and After</strong>
—
“Shall we begin…?”
“Yes, please get ready.”
We were not far from Balhart Castle, on a hill behind it.
In front of a vast lake, Reika and I were conducting a sort of experiment.
“Then…!”
With her eyes closed, Reika once again created a fireball in her hand.
I checked the rapier in my hand.
…It didn’t shine.
“What’s going on?”
No matter how long I waited, there seemed to be no sign of change.
I started a conversation with Reika to summarize the situation.
“That’s enough, Ms. Reika. It seems unnecessary to continue.”
“Ah, yes…!”
Reika easily extinguished the fireball in her hand.
What I had been trying to experiment with was whether this rapier could amplify magic under any circumstances.
And the result of the experiment had just come in.
It felt pointless to have come all the way to the lake in hopes of a different outcome.
I had somewhat anticipated this result. After all, if the weapon was supposed to react to magic, it should have shone when Reika demonstrated her magic in front of me.
“Is there a condition?”
If there is a condition, what could it possibly be?
I thought about asking Reika if she knew what the condition might be, but since it wasn’t directly related to the state, I assumed the answer would likely be “unknown.”
“Umm…”
While I was lost in thought, Reika approached me with a worried expression.
“What’s happening now…?”
“It seems it didn’t work as I had hoped it might, just like before.”
Reika seemed to recall what had happened just before, her expression filled with fear.
“Ms. Reika?”
“Lord Swen… I’m beginning to think magic might be much more powerful than I imagined. Can I really control this power…?”
She spread her pale palms, looking at them.
Her voice and slender arms trembled.
Until now, magic for her had probably meant creating fire or ice in her hands.
But going to the battlefield means using those against living people.
She must have accepted this fact in these turbulent times. Having survived her orphanhood, she would have understood how the world works and, as a survivor, wouldn’t suddenly start espousing idealistic views. If she had such reservations, she would have refused to learn magic in the first place.
But what if the firepower she just used were directed not at walls but at a group of soldiers?
Just one gesture from her could extinguish dozens of lives in an instant.
Realizing her abilities exceeded her expectations could understandably make her anxious.
I slowly placed my hand on her trembling shoulder.
“It’s okay, Ms. Reika.”
“Lord Swen…”
“Your power is meant to protect everyone. As long as you fight with the intent to protect… and keep that heart, you can surely control any power.”
“The heart to protect…”
After listening to me, Reika fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, then slowly nodded her head.
Though she didn’t respond, I could sense her trembling subside.
“Anyway, finding out the activation condition seems difficult right now.”
It seemed like it could have been quite useful if used properly, I thought, looking down at the rapier.
“Lord Swen?”
“Yes?”
“Could I see that sword for a moment?”
“This one?”
I indicated the green rapier.
She nodded silently.
Although it was not blunt… it was essentially a ceremonial weapon, so it probably wouldn’t lead to anything dangerous.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you…!”
Reika took the rapier I handed her with both hands, holding it respectfully. Then, grasping its handle, she closed her eyes.
After taking a deep breath… she slowly opened her eyes and spoke to me.
“There’s mana… inside.”
“Really?”
“It seems to absorb mana.”
How could she know?
“When I close my eyes… I can feel something flowing inside this sword. I felt a similar sensation when my fireball was drawn to this sword. So, I thought I’d check, and…”
“Why isn’t it working now, then?”
After considering for a while, Reika spoke very cautiously.
“I’m not sure, but maybe… the mana hasn’t gathered yet?”
“Mana hasn’t gathered, you say.”
As I was about to ponder further, I noticed she was hesitating to say more.
“Do you have something else you want to say?”
“Ah?! No, that is…!”
It seemed my guess was correct.
“You can speak freely.”
“Well, it’s not precise information, just a guess…”
“I make my living off guesses, you know.”
Encouraged by my words, Reika spoke in a small voice.
“But you’re an amazing person, Lord Swen…”
“I’d like to hear what Ms. Reika has to say. Would that be okay?”
“Um…”
She blushed, perhaps embarrassed by my words.
“So… maybe, the meditation helped?”
“Meditation?”
“You’ve always done it with me, haven’t you? Every time we meditated together, I felt the mana flow inside me become clearer. Since you’ve carried this weapon… maybe it’s influenced by something like your meditation?”
Oh?
That actually made a lot of sense.
From my point of view, meditation was just a way to pass the time, but I did practice it.
Moreover, every time we meditated, Reika, a mage, testified that she felt mana gathering.
We often came to the hill because it overflowed with mana.
“So… this is like a ‘battery’ that’s been charged, sort of?”
More verification was needed, but –
At least it felt like we had found a small clue in a situation where we were previously clueless.
I approached Reika slowly.
Looking up at me, her appearance was somehow endearing, prompting me to pat her head without thinking.
“Ms. Reika is indeed a great help.”
“Ah… yes, yes…”
She kept her head down, her face red, thanking me repeatedly –
For the first time, I wondered if this was what it would feel like if she were my wife.
—
Days later, from that day.
This morning’s scenery was a little different from usual.
“The lord has issued a summons?”
“Yes. I met a soldier on my way to the barracks who told me.”
Before the day had even started.
Airen, on her way to the barracks for a mission, told me as I was preparing to leave the house.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m not sure… but the soldier who came to me had a desperate look on his face. It seems like something serious. Swen, do you have any idea?”
“Guessing, huh.”
Honestly, I wasn’t completely clueless, which naturally made me slightly anxious, but –
“Let’s go and see.”
If the lord calls, we simply head there.
“Let’s find out then.”
“Hmm. Indeed. It’s been a while since we went to the royal palace together.”
“Were you looking forward to spending time with me?”
“What? I didn’t mean it like that…!”
Seeing Airen’s face turn red so easily, I smiled leisurely.
“I was looking forward to it.”
“?!?”
“Weren’t you okay without me? I felt quite lonely. Lately, we’ve been acting separately and spending less time together.”
“But, after
the mission… we’re always together at night…!”
“We’re always together at night, huh?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…!”
Airen was flustered.
Although she had a fierce demeanor on the battlefield, she showed such a tender side in front of me, which I found incredibly lovely.
“Now’s not the time, Swen…! We should be heading to the royal palace…!”
I could tease her more about actually “facing me later,” but there was no need to push it further.
I laughed off the situation and headed to the royal palace with her.
On the way, we exchanged a few light jokes… I was trying to dispel the growing unease within me.
—
Upon arrival at the royal palace.
The ominous feeling floating in the air began to press down on me more heavily.
“The atmosphere seems particularly heavy today.”
Airen, feeling a similar vibe, spoke with a grave tone.
“We might need to brace ourselves.”
With caution, we made our way to the audience chamber.
There, including Jinor, all the commanders serving at Balhart Castle were gathered.
Yuri’s figure was not yet seen…
After a few minutes of waiting,
Yuri approached the throne with an incredibly somber expression and sat down.
Soon after –
The unease that had lingered in my mind became a stark reality before me.
“Anima… has been captured by Serpina’s forces.”
With those trembling words from Yuri –
A suffocating heaviness filled the interior of the royal palace.
