Scene 020# Wendy
*
The first time Wendy used magic was when she was 5 years old.
Born as the eldest daughter of a poor farming family, Wendy had been helping her parents with farming from a young age.
Like most farming work, it was extremely hard for the young girl.
She followed her parents to the field, working the land and picking stones from dawn till late at night.
The plot of land allocated to her family was absurdly large for them to cultivate.
Even with young Wendy’s help, it seemed endless.
Her hands were never without wounds.
Wounds upon wounds repeated.
Each time, it was her older brother who healed Wendy’s small hands.
– Are you okay?
The eldest son of the family, and her only brother.
Despite his young age, he worked as well as an adult.
Her brother was the pillar of the house.
At the same time, he was Wendy’s support.
He would secretly help with Wendy’s work while doing his own.
Thus, his clothes were always more covered in dirt and sweat than others.
To Wendy, that appearance was incredibly dependable… she thought.
Then one day, a severe drought came.
The land dried up, and the hearts of the tenant farmers turned black with despair.
As the drought continued, even the rationed food became scarce.
Her young siblings cried every day from hunger.
But Wendy did not cry.
She was the eldest daughter.
The sister of the children.
…because she had her brother.
One day during the drought, Wendy found her brother in the field.
He was kneeling, murmuring something.
– Brother, what are you doing?
– I’m praying.
– Praying…? To whom?
– I’m praying to God. To save our field.
Her brother looked desperate.
She knew her brother had been starving for days.
His noticeably thinner arms.
His sunken cheeks.
His powerless eyes.
She wanted to be a strength to her brother.
– I’ll pray too.
Under the scorching sun, the young girl knelt next to her brother.
And she prayed earnestly.
To save our field.
To bring rain to the dry land.
Please help my brother….
Drip.
It was then.
Perhaps the heavens were moved by Wendy’s prayer.
A tear dropped on the parched land.
Drip. Drip.
One drop became two, then three… and soon countless drops fell.
It was a downpour.
A miracle had occurred.
– Brother!
Soaked, Wendy embraced her brother in joy.
I, I was of help to my brother!
She wanted to receive her gentle brother’s praise.
She hoped he would pat her head.
But no matter how long she waited, her brother said nothing.
There was no warm touch.
No gentle praise.
Wendy looked up at her brother.
And… she realized she was wrong.
There was a complicated emotion in her brother’s eyes looking at her.
Brother…?
Did I pray on my own and you hate me for it…?
Did you grow to hate me…?
Wendy later learned that it was magic.
The drought ended.
The scarce food began to be rationed again.
Farming resumed.
Everything returned to how it was before.
Except for one thing.
– Brother……
No matter how much Wendy called, her brother did not respond.
She was bewildered by her brother’s cold attitude.
She thought about what she could have done wrong, but the young girl could not guess.
Tears fell.
There was no comfort.
He did not tend to the wounds on her hand.
Wendy’s support, her brother, was gone.
Not long after, her brother decided to leave the house.
He said he would follow a wandering merchant to earn money in the city.
Wendy held onto her leaving brother.
– Bro, brother! I’m sorry…!
Because she felt if she did not hold onto him now, she might never see him again.
Wendy begged.
– I… I did something wrong… Sob… I won’t pray again… I won’t use magic like that again… So… don’t go….
– Wendy, it’s not your fault. It’s just….
Her brother stopped mid-sentence.
What was he going to say?
Without another word, her brother bid Wendy farewell.
– Take care….
– Brother! Don’t go!
Wendy could not hold onto her departing brother.
She could only watch helplessly as he moved away.
She wanted to pray.
To hold onto her brother.
To return to the gentle brother he was.
But Wendy did not do so.
She could not.
For fear of losing her brother forever.
She decided not to pray.
Not to use magic again.
Rustle.
Something broke inside her.
Thinking about it made her voice tremble and her heart stir.
How much time had passed since her brother left the family?
A man in expensive clothes visited her village.
– The Earl of Luelberta is recruiting servants. Is there anyone in this village who wishes to apply?
The Earl of Luelberta… Probably a place near the Imperial Capital of Ludlow.
Becoming a servant in a noble family would be considered a significant rise from poverty in this village.
– Is there no one?
Yet, no one raised their hand to volunteer.
Luelberta was known for its infamous Earl.
Surely, becoming a toy for the nobility might be worse than being satisfied with the current life.
– Oh, are you the first volunteer?
When she came to her senses, Wendy had already raised her hand.
As if enchanted.
Or, in fact, she had been somewhat hopeful.
Maybe, just maybe, if she went to the Capital, she could meet her brother again.
With that vague hope, she became a servant in the Earl’s household.
She did not meet her brother there.
Instead… she met him.
“Little lady.”
“Yes.”
Lifting her head, an old cat stood in front of her.
“This test is specially arranged for you. Many people wish to take this test but can’t. I hope you remember that.”
“Myohail… no, Myohail sir…”
“Just call me Myohail. Haha.”
“Is Myohail, perhaps, a much more remarkable person than I thought…?”
Myohail scratched his ear.
“Though I’m trapped in this pitiful body now, I was once hailed as a sage.”
“Sa-Sage……”
The cute cat in front of her had reached the pinnacle of magic.
Wendy involuntarily shrank back.
Seeing this, Myohail laughed heartily.
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t fully exert my strength against a cute applicant like you. But…”
Myohail’s whiskers twitched.
“Before we start the test, there’s something I want to ask.”
“Yes…?”
“What do you think of the Earl?”
“…!”
Wendy flinched.
“As someone who serves the Earl, you must know well. All the bad rumors about him.”
“…….”
“He squanders money, looks down on and ignores everyone. Doesn’t he torment nobles and commoners alike for fun, and is known to have a huge influence in the underworld? Therefore…”
Myohail’s eyes narrowed.
“Some say he deserves to die.”
“That’s not true.”
Gasp! The words burst out before Wendy could stop them, and she covered her mouth in surprise.
Especially since her words came out much clearer and more forceful than usual, she couldn’t
help but be shocked.
“That, that’s not true…”
“Ho ho…? Is that what you think? Then, shall I tell you something you don’t know?”
“Yes?”
Myohail hopped up and perched on Wendy’s shoulder.
Then, he whispered in her ear.
“He killed his own father.”
“……!”
At that moment, Wendy’s eyes wavered.
Myohail’s whiskers trembled slightly.
“He shot his father with a gun to ascend to the position of Earl. And he was about your age when he did it.”
“Don’t, don’t lie…”
“Do you not believe the words of a former sage? Well, alright. But why would I lie to you?”
“The Earl… he wouldn’t do that…”
Wendy looked at the man sitting at a distance.
A tall, stout man who seemed to have a nasty personality.
But the man she believed in without a doubt.
And that Earl was accused of killing his father?
Wendy shook her head.
That can’t be.
The Earl is not a man who would kill anyone.
At least, not from what Wendy had seen.
But Myohail also wasn’t someone who would lie.
Therefore, Wendy was confused.
Her heart was greatly disturbed.
In that moment, the words that had once anchored her heart were brief.
– Can’t you trust yourself? Then trust me.
The words that had allowed her to take one more step forward.
Those words were holding her steady.
So, Wendy decided to accept it.
“Myohail…”
Even if some truth awaited her.
Even if she couldn’t trust herself.
“Please start the test…”
She decided to trust the Earl.
“Haha, right… I’ve talked too long.”
Myohail sighed as if lamenting and explained.
“The soil of this arena is a material that conducts magical power well. Similar to the magic stones used in chess.”
“Yes. I remember…”
“The test is almost the same as chess. You’ll infuse magic to summon a golem. I will do the same. However…”
As Myohail infused magic, the ground rumbled.
Soon, the earth shone gold and formed the shape of a giant.
“Pour your magic to the fullest. This is a pure test of strength… no, a test of magical power.”
The golden giant roared.
“I want to see the potential of the little lady. Do come at me with all your might.”
“…….”
Wendy took a deep breath.
A desperate heart emerged within her.
Just like when she prayed in front of the parched land in her childhood.
Because she wanted to repay ‘him’.
Because she purely wanted his praise.
Wendy released her magic.
The ground greedily absorbed her magic.
Rumble.
The ground was splitting.
The tremors were incomparable to when Myohail summoned his golem.
Boom!
A black hand burst forth.
A giant body was emerging from the ground.
The body of the giant grew as it absorbed all the soil in the arena.
When Wendy’s summoned giant revealed itself in the arena, Myohail gasped.
“I see… I hadn’t thought of that… You had not just black, but also ‘the’ black…”
The giant she summoned shone with variegated lights.
Looking at it, Myohail murmured almost like a sigh.
“Could you possibly be of a hero’s lineage…”
Thanks for the chapter 😁