Chapter 4
"I'm leaving at dawn tomorrow. I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit again after that. I might be able to in a few years, but you won't be here by then..."
"Okay."
"Can you come say goodbye at dawn?"
"...No."
We could no longer connect like we used to, but we were still childhood friends who had spent a long time together. However, I couldn't give a prepared farewell. I didn't want to cry pathetically in front of her as she left for the last time.
Lisa bowed her head. The moonlight was briefly obscured by clouds. I couldn't see what expression she was making.
"...I see. I'll go in first, then. This is goodbye then."
"Yeah... Take care, Lisa."
"You too. You must stay healthy. I hope we can see each other again someday."
"Yeah. You stay healthy, too."
Lisa returned to the temple first. She understood it as well. I needed time alone to sort out my emotions.
I stayed behind and finished walking the path I used to stroll with Lisa when we were young.
Then, I stopped at a pond illuminated by moonlight. I sat on the rock where Lisa and I used to stay when we were young.
I looked around. There wasn't a place that didn't have memories with Lisa.
I sat there and cried for about two hours.
The time allowed for me with Lisa was up to here. Beyond that, there was an enormous wall blocking me that I could do nothing about.
The reason Lisa and I could become so close was because we grew up together in the special space of an orphanage where differences in ability and status could be ignored. It wasn't because I was special or because Lisa and I were bound by fate. It was just good luck, and that luck had run its course.
I took out the necklace I had made to give to Lisa from my pocket. I remembered that Lisa already had a necklace with precious jewels around her neck. This no longer had any meaning.
I closed my eyes tightly and dropped the necklace into the pond.
That was how my love ended.
After parting with Lisa, I focused on honing my craft. That was the only thing I could do in my frustration.
One day, a jeweler running a large-scale store showed interest in the accessories I made.
"Your craftsmanship is not far behind other masters. Could you make items and bring them to our store every week?"
As my skills were recognized and I made contracts to sell a few items at a time, the number of people looking for my items gradually increased. Before I knew it, I was earning enough income to live on my own, and I left Loreil Hall and became independent in the summer when I was 16.
After becoming independent, there was an unexpected encounter.
It was when I stopped by the jeweler's to deliver items. In the store, there was a couple—a nobleman with a protruding belly and a noblewoman arm in arm with him—looking at items.
I froze like a statue when I saw the couple. The woman arm in arm with the noble with the protruding belly was my mother. Although it had been eight years since I last saw her, I could immediately recognize her. She looked exactly as I remembered her. But my mother didn't seem to know who I was.
My mother called out someone's name outside the store. Then, two children who looked about five or six years old ran into the store. The couple each hugged a child and looked at jewelry.
My mother had formed a new family and was living her life.
I stared blankly at that scene before leaving the place.
For a while, I stayed in a place with no people and collected my emotions. It was something I had accepted long ago, and it was all in the past. They were people I had no relationship with anymore.
What could I do? This was the life given to me.
If I were to encounter Lisa after eight years, would I be able to accept it calmly? This question remained like an afterimage, disturbing my heart.
On days when I had free time, I sometimes went to the Akates Temple. Other orphans my age had also found their own paths and left the temple. I sat in the empty chapel and thought about the life and fate given to me.
Everyone in the world dreamt of a wonderful and brilliant life, but not everyone could have that. Not everyone could become a king, not everyone could become a knight commander, an archmage, or a hero.
Someone had to become a nun. Someone had to become a prostitute. Someone had to pull carriages and trim gardens. Someone had to process metals. For the world to run smoothly, people had to become tiny cogs, even if it meant being crushed under pressure, meshing with the world.
The Goddess Akates saved me twice. Once when she took me in before I starved to death after losing my mother, and once when she saved me after my stomach was pierced by the Wraith. Why would the goddess go through such trouble for me?
I couldn't easily affirm my future.
Perhaps Lisa was the one chosen by the god, and I was just a consumable to decorate Lisa's childhood.
After becoming independent, I rented a place not far off the workshop. It was an old house where the floor creaked so loudly it hurt your ears, the windows didn't open well, and one could hear the crawling of mice on the ceiling every night.
When I lay in bed, I had many thoughts and couldn't easily fall asleep.
When I couldn't sleep, thoughts of Lisa would suddenly pop into my head. What kind of classes was Lisa taking, and what kind of people was she meeting? How was she adapting to Eternia Academy, said to be a gathering place for geniuses from all over the country?
Then, I tried to erase Lisa from my mind, pulling myself together.
My metal crafting skills developed day by day. The craftsman who taught me looked at my work and laughed helplessly, urging me to “take it easy”.
Nevertheless, I didn't stop and stayed alone in the workshop at night to learn crafting techniques.
It was still quite hot even after sunset in midsummer. I was still alone in the workshop, working. I checked the calendar. It had been a year since Lisa and I went to find the star fragment. I briefly reminisced about that time, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a bright light poured through the dark window. It was strange. I stuck my head out the window and looked around. The world had brightened as if the sun had risen again.
Had I been so absorbed in my work that I didn't notice morning coming?
No, that couldn't be. It was too short for that. The workshop clock had just passed midnight.
Maybe there was a fire. I hurriedly packed my things and left the workshop.
Standing on the city street, I looked around. There was no red flame or black smoke to be seen anywhere. Only then did I realize that an intense light from the sky was illuminating the ground, and I looked up.
A huge meteor was flying across the sky. The meteor emitted a dazzling and brilliant light along with a long tail.
My mouth fell open in admiration at the intense and beautiful sight.
The meteor rushed towards the northwest sky and soon disappeared.
The memory of setting out to find the star fragment with Lisa flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope. At the same time, as if the gravity of the earth had pulled that star fragment, an indescribably intense attraction pulled me towards where the star had flown.
As if possessed by something, I went around asking the prostitutes guarding the night streets, the drunks from the taverns, and the city guards, "Did you see the meteor that just passed by?"
They all treated me like a strange guy. I was the only one in this city who had seen the meteor.
I couldn't be sure if this was a revelation from the heavens or if I had gone mad and seen an illusion. But having seen this, I couldn't return to my ordinary daily life.
I ran home as if being chased and packed my clothes. I packed the money I had saved up and a dagger I had prepared in the case of thieves.
Before dawn broke, I left the city and set out on another journey to find the star fragment. Although a futile death might be waiting at the end of this reckless journey, I didn't hesitate at all.
***
Silveryn frowned as she soaked in the bathtub, flicking bubbles with her fingers. She turned her head to look at the window. She had heard the sound of hooves approaching her mansion beyond the wide-open window.
Silveryn, who had been enjoying a rare pleasant time, shook her head.
Soon, she got out of the bathtub, roughly dried her hair with a towel, and put on a robe.
When she came out of the bathroom, a maid was waiting for her.
"A messenger from the academy came and delivered some letters."
"Why did they send a messenger instead of using a Stitch?"
A Stitch was a small, round metal sphere with wings, a magic tool. It was widely used by mages as a substitute for carrier pigeons.
"The messenger said that the Dean considered it an important matter and, as such, didn't use magic tools."
"Unnecessarily cautious... these old folks."
She glanced at the letters placed on a silver tray and gestured for the maid to leave. After the maid lightly bowed and left, Silveryn picked up the letters and went out to the terrace. Then, she sat cross-legged in an armchair and examined the letters.
There were five letters in total for her. Three contained unremarkable greetings and requests. She didn't even finish reading them and threw all three on the table.
The remaining two were letters from the Dean of the Magic Department at the academy and from a disciple who had graduated from the academy.
Silveyin first opened the seal on the letter from the Dean.
It said to prepare to return to the academy next semester for entrance exams and academic schedules.
There was also a subtly pressuring phrase about never having used the “recommendation letter” system, a tradition of Eternia Academy professors.
The professors at Eternia had another duty besides lectures and research, which was to discover hidden talents in the world.
This was an obligation based on the founding philosophy of Eternia's founder, Bern Arnst.
Bern Arnst had encountered countless cases of unparalleled geniuses growing up in terrible environments, becoming villains and perishing, and established Eternia to prevent this.
Although its meaning has somewhat faded after hundreds of years, Eternia's Article 1, Section 1 of the founding philosophy still firmly stated, "Lead the world's talents into the light."
The “recommendation letter” system granted special admission to outstanding talents, befitting Article 1, Section 1 of the founding philosophy.
Silveryn hadn’t discovered a hidden talent and led them to the academy even once since becoming a full professor.
Silveryn herself had entered Eternia through this “recommendation letter” system. However, she had an aversion to this system due to cases where some professors abused recommendation letters as a tool for “solicitation” by nobles for their own safety and benefit.
"There's no one satisfactory, what am I supposed to do?"
Silveryn threw the Dean's letter on the table and picked up her disciple's letter. The disciple who sent the letter was working as a researcher under Silveryn's guidance at the Magic Academy after graduation.
It was somewhat strange that it had a magical seal that could only be opened by the addressee. Magical seals were only used for confidential information.
She opened the seal and checked the contents.
It contained information that a large-scale magical explosion had been detected in the Roin Basin, known as an uncharted area near the Palanka Mountains in the northwestern part of the continent.
The Roin Basin was a danger zone closely watched by the academy. It was a place called the “Land of Death,” where so-called undead and magical creatures swarmed.
As she read through, Silveryn closed her eyes and supported her tilting head with her fingertips when she confirmed the last sentence.
Judging from the location of occurrence, there is a possibility that it's a sign of large-scale black magic.
She felt like she was about to get a headache.
The two words “black magic” meant that all of her remaining vacation had suddenly vanished.