Chapter 55 - Information Gathering

Is she suggesting we've met already? 

Among the Eternia students I’ve encountered, I could count the people I knew on my fingers.

"Are they... in my year?"

Ella made a meaningful expression that was difficult to read.

"Just know that they asked about you. I can't tell you more due to circumstances. No need to get ahead of ourselves before the entrance ceremony."

"I understand."

At minimum, it meant they knew about me. I'd only made myself more curious by asking.

"I'll be going now. Rest well."

Ella took my mask and finally left.

Only then did my tension ease, and I slumped in the chair.

I absently examined the pendant Ella had given me.

A diamond-shaped silver metal with an unknown white crystal embedded inside.

To think this would save my life. It felt like a warning that I would someday encounter a dark mage.

Dark mage. The claim that they were the most dangerous beings in the world didn't really sink in. It was like how a thousand gold pieces feel enormous, but a hundred million didn't feel real.

I also wondered why Silveryn hadn't told me about dark mages.

I put the pendant around my neck.

It felt strange how my accessories were increasing one by one.

Silveryn's ring, Erzsebet's enchanted bracelet. And now Ella's pendant. If I got any more, I'd look like a frivolous young master who loved luxury.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Yes, come in."

A young male servant opened the door and entered.

"Master Damian, I'll show you to your room."

I quickly gathered my belongings from the table.

Then, I got up and followed the servant's guidance into the corridor.

On the way, the servant carefully asked.

"Would you like to use the hot springs?"

"I just want to lie down now. I'll do it next time."

"We'll provide you with a private bath, so you won't need to worry about prying eyes. Please let us know if you change your mind."

After walking for a while, we stood before the guest room door.

As I pulled the door open, someone suddenly appeared from inside, as if trying to surprise me.

And shouted in an excited voice, "Ta-da! Look at this. Isn't it pretty?"

Liria was posing in her new dress, slightly lifting the skirt as if showing it off.

The servant and I stood there dumbfounded for a moment.

Liria had apparently been waiting in the room for my arrival.

But she hadn't expected anyone besides me, and froze when she saw the servant too.

Her eyes wavered greatly upon seeing the awkward expressions of the two men. Her face even began to flush as if it had been dipped in the hot spring water.

The servant cleared his throat and said calmly, "I'll return later. Please enjoy your stay."

"..."

***

Rigbed's geography, with mountains blocking three sides, meant clouds often lingered in the sky. This resulted in little sunlight, and rain fell for three months of the year.

After sunset, a light rain fell on Rigbed. Sion, wearing a robe, crossed the intersection, avoiding carriages.

She stopped in front of Fillin's forge. It was where she had visited before the entrance exam to find her magic sword. And where she had first encountered the masked man.

She had replayed the fight at Eternia's summit countless times in her mind. Even after thinking about it so many times, the strange sense of incongruity surrounding that man wouldn't fade. She couldn't tell if it was because of the sword or his fighting style.

Even Sion, with her vast experience, had never seen such a strange sword and fighting method.

Sion opened Fillin's forge door. As she entered and removed her hood, a group of men examining swords fixed their gaze on her. They all seemed to recognize her.

Sion had become even more famous after the Eternia entrance exam.

Having nothing to gain from fame, Sion found it all annoying.

When she approached the owner, he recognized her. He remembered her.

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon, what brings you here?"

"I need a place to talk privately."

The owner quietly stroked his beard while looking at Sion. He was acquainted with her master as well.

"Hmm, follow me."

The owner beckoned with his finger and led Sion to the back of the shop. After entering a small reception room and closing the door to be alone, the owner asked.

"What's so important for this to require this much privacy?"

"I'm looking for someone."

The owner silently furrowed his brow.

"About a man who came here around the same time as me before."

Even without describing his appearance, the owner seemed to immediately understand who she meant.

"I know who you mean, but is there some problem?"

"He helped me during the entrance exam. I need information about him."

Then she took out a money pouch and held it out.

"I'll pay."

The owner frowned as if insulted by the money pouch. He crossed his arms and said defensively, "This is a place that deals in swords, not information. Whatever your circumstances, that man is just as important as you. If it's not about swords, you should leave."

After considering briefly, Sion unstrapped her magic sword, Sibelin. Though she had wrapped the handle in bandages and used special enchantments on the scabbard to prevent mana from leaking to keep others from recognizing it, the owner immediately identified the magic sword.

"Then, let me ask something else. I've heard there are various types of magic swords in the world. When it comes to swords, there's probably no one in Rigbed who knows more than you. Are there swords with greater power than this one?"

"I don't know why you're asking this, but your sword is one of the finest I know of. It accompanied your master in her prime. What more needs to be said?"

The owner couldn't understand Sion's intention. That beautifully glowing sword had planted both bone-chilling jealousy and awe in different corners of Sion's heart.

"Like all swords, there may be some that are stronger or weaker against each other. But a higher-grade sword? Are you asking me to tell you about legendary or mythical swords? If you feel that sword is lacking, it's because you're not utilizing it properly."

"...That's enough."

Sion finished the conversation and left the reception room. She hadn't gotten the information she wanted, and the man's identity remained a mystery.

As she tried to leave the shop, the group of men who had been staring at her blocked the exit.

A handsome man who appeared to be their leader extended his hand for a handshake.

"Never expected to meet you here. I'm Philip, and I am entering Eternia this year. Someone of your caliber must know my family. I'm the eldest son of the great House Chase—"

Sion cut him off with obvious annoyance, "Get lost."

"...What?"

The man, his noble pride thoroughly trampled, forced a half-smile, trying to hide his bewilderment.

"No matter how talented you are, to speak like this..."

Sion spoke in a cold voice, "Can't you hear? I said get lost."

She didn't need a sparring match to know. All those blocking her way were incompetent humans who couldn't block even a single strike from her sword.

To Sion, no amount of money or noble bloodline mattered if they had such poor skills.

Before magic creatures, the only thing to trust was the sword.

There was only one man Sion wanted to face at Eternia. He had to have reddish-brown hair, wear a mask, and carry a wooden sword at his waist. Any man who didn't meet these criteria had no value.

"I never knew you had such a nasty personality."

Philip, intimidated by her presence, complained as he quietly stepped aside.

***

"Congratulations, young lady."

Lilith's private magic tutor had come up to Rigbed immediately upon receiving the letter and joined her for dinner.

"Thank you, Teacher Colvier."

"With such results in the entrance exam, you can certainly expect high marks."

It was definitely something to be happy about. She could now confirm her long-dreamed-of admission to Eternia. With good luck, she might even expect second place in the Magic Department.

However, something bothered her. While it was true she had cleverly reached the middle of Mount Grace quickly on her own, Lilith hadn't accomplished anything herself to achieve top-tier results.

She had just followed one person around, climbing up the route he had opened before the Planteras could recover it.

She felt both happy and uneasy.

Is it right to receive such undeservedly good results?

Lilith habitually took out her handkerchief to wipe her mouth but hesitated.

It was the handkerchief she had used to wipe that man's blood during the entrance exam. The reddish stains were still deeply set.

Nothing had changed since washing it with rainwater in the cave. She could have removed it with chemicals but hadn't.

She couldn't exactly explain why herself. Though usually fastidious about cleanliness, this was an exception. Seeing those bloodstains gave her an indescribable strange feeling, and she didn't particularly dislike it.

A servant approached Lilith, alarmed at seeing the handkerchief.

"Young lady, if you'll let us take care of it..."

"No, that's fine."

As she put the handkerchief back in her chest, her private tutor expressed doubt.

"Isn't that a cherished handkerchief? How did it..."

"Yes, it's a handkerchief full of attachments. Don't worry. It's not my blood. It's the blood of someone who helped me."

Colvier watched Lilith's expression carefully and said, "Seeing how you've kept the trace, you must have good feelings toward that person."

Lilith gave a bitter smile and said, "Hmm, I wonder. It's a bit more complicated than that."

She quickly changed the subject.

"Ah, by the way, Teacher, have you ever seen a glowing sword?"

Colvier stroked his beard and answered. "There are plenty of glowing swords in the world."

"I mean one that glows pure white all over... something that looks really mysterious and powerful..."

"It was probably an enchanted sword."

The sword in her memory was very different from an enchanted one.

"It felt different. Like... light flew from it... mysterious like that..."

The sword of light Lilith had seen possessed a noble energy that seemed difficult for human hands to create. But she had no way to properly express that feeling.

"Ah, never mind, forget it."