Episode 865 Talent and Flame (2)
The Kingdom of Valdera on the Western Continent… …Lascabel, situated on its southern frontier, is a village far removed from the storms raging across this world.Not only is there little traffic from outsiders, but it is also difficult to find newspapers produced in nearby cities, so it is inevitable that the villagers remain ignorant of rumors.
“Cough… cough, cough…!”
Even a mage who had once distinguished himself on the battlefield was no exception. There was no way a retired person could have any informants.Having spent decades in a remote frontier where even murder was rare, the old man had long since become an ordinary resident of Lascabel.
“……Phew.”
War Mage Wallick struggled to pull out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of his mouth. Blood mixed with his saliva. Gasping for breath for a moment, he took a vial of medicine from the cupboard.
Gulp.
I felt a momentary burning sensation in my esophagus, but it soon felt refreshing.My anxious breathing also calmed down.
It is a highly expensive item because it is a special remedy that can only be manufactured through alchemy.In fact, it is practically impossible for him to obtain.No matter how much wealth he may have accumulated before retirement, what money could he possibly have at his advanced age? His connections were also severed a long time ago.
Wallick, slumped on a wooden chair, fixed his gaze on an empty medicine bottle.
“Why on earth would they help us?”
I vaguely heard that Eon, who has unified the currently ownerless land, is that transcendent force.
I still can’t understand why an executive of such a massive group, which even ignores the rules of the world, extended a helping hand to the Lascabel Orphanage.On top of that, to think they even gave me a house and medicine for free, just as I was a bonus who came along…
Kindness without reason is truly a terrifying thing.
Wallick inwardly remained wary, yet he mocked his own situation. What did it matter if he was suspicious? There was nothing he could do anyway.
Last year, like other wizards, I had a darkmoon dream and mastered the hierarchy breakthrough formula, but my body became too weak to withstand the backlash.
This, too, is the limit of talent.Given by heaven.
No matter how much you choose a major or how much magic you study, there is nothing you can change.
Speaking up against those who persecuted the orphanage and performing simple magic for the orphans was the life fitting for Wallick.The path opened for a child with a physical disability but exceptional magical talent was merely the bare minimum to survive in the magical world.
That was all.
Taking full responsibility for others to the very end, or engaging in a fierce struggle to the point of sacrificing one’s life for an unattainable dream, did not suit Wallick.
Life is like a leaf drifting away.
It was the only lesson I learned from a weary life that ultimately held little meaning. Going against the flow is a foolish and futile act.
Wallick was lost in thought for a while, then leaned on his cane and left the house. He looked down. An unfamiliar newspaper got caught under his foot.
“Myla brought this… no, not it.”
A newspaper was placed in front of the door of the house next door as well.It was the same at the other houses.It seemed that it had been distributed to every household without any extra cost. I slowly unfolded the newspaper. I could feel that the readability had improved several times compared to the newspapers I had read a long time ago.
News that would never have been heard or seen in a remote village is clearly visible here.
The advancement of technology over time is palpable.
This was especially true for the visual elements.
The theme of each page appeared as an intricate illustration, so reading it was not boring at all. The name ‘Ramisha’ was written below the picture.It seemed to be the artist who created the illustrations.
Wallick leaned against the doorframe for a moment, engrossed in Arrain’s newspaper. As he turned the pages… his hands and eyes stopped.
“uh…….”
A man’s face that looked somewhat familiar was prominently displayed in the middle of the newspaper. The area surrounding the picture was filled with familiar names that I had heard time and time again at Arrange.
“Ber, Den…… Verden. No way.”
Wallick recalled the orphan from Lascavelle who had pestered him to teach him magic. That youthful face overlapped with the protagonist in the newspaper.
It was not just a namesake.It was that Verden.It was that very Verden.
He was alive.
I heard that he had died four years ago, caught in the runaway power source incident at the Bohemian Magic Tower… However, more than the fact that Verden was alive, Wallick could not believe the fame and prestige described in writings and pictures.
“Uh, how….”
Wallick’s fingertips trembled.
“How did you become a wizard with that talent…?”
* * *
Arrain Fortress.
Lobeline leaned against the window sill with her arms crossed, gazing at the city view.
“At this pace of development, it won’t be long before it’s classified as a major city. You could say it lives up to its reputation as the capital of ownerless land. And true to its status as a fledgling force, it is indeed enterprising.”“Once the funds and manpower were ready, the rest proceeded smoothly on its own.”
Verden handed the warm cocoa to Lobeline and leaned his back against the wall. The two stood side by side with the window between them.
Lobeline tasted the smooth cocoa, then sipped it again.
“Does it suit your taste?”“Well, a little?”
Verden chuckled.
“You’ve liked sweets since you were little. When candy was served as a special treat at the orphanage, you saved it to eat later, only to lose it once.”“I didn’t lose it; it was stolen.”“That might be true.”
Lobeline was about to retort once again when she suddenly felt the warmth of the cocoa.It was warm.Yes.This kind of everyday atmosphere was what she had always wanted. Long before she entered the Tower of Bohemirn, ever since she was at the Lascabel Orphanage, all the time.
Lobelin wrapped the teacup in both hands and slightly closed the distance with Verden.
“So, are you getting along well with other people?”“For example.”“I mean…”
Lobeline continued speaking nonchalantly, as if nothing were wrong.
“Like Isabella, or Callia. I met Callia the other day and became friends with her, but I haven’t run into her separately yet.”“They’re all women.”“It’s just… fascinating. Not to mention the Bohemirn Magic Tower, you never hung out with women even when you were in the orphanage.”“Why are you being excluded?”“Ah.”
Lobeline was speechless. As she chattered on, she realized she had overlooked herself. It wasn’t as if she had left herself out while shouting that one person was missing.
“As for me… honestly, I’m closer to family than just a woman. You know? It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say we’ve been together since we were born.”“You’re not wrong.”
Verden cast his gaze beyond the window.
Isabella and Calliana are just as they are known. Of course, that isn’t the whole story, but at least there is no discrepancy between their outward appearance and their inner selves.
Since things had turned out this way, Lobeline decided to become bolder.
“Are you getting married?”“That’s a sudden hit.”“Who else would ask something like this besides me? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
At this, Verden shrugged his shoulders.
“Of course, it is a topic that inevitably comes up when discussing relationships between men and women… but honestly, I haven’t really thought about it that deeply. Not yet. Because there are more than a few hurdles to climb right now.”“So you mean it’s premature.”“And the phrase ‘parent and child’ doesn’t really resonate with me either. Maybe it’s because I’ve never experienced a normal family. I don’t know about you, though.”“As for me…”
Lobeline unconsciously rubbed her lower abdomen with the outer edge of her thumb. Child. A child. She, too, had only vaguely imagined it and had never seriously considered it. For shelacked both the leisure and the imagination to dream of a happy distant future.
I don’t know either.
Above all, is it really okay for someone like her to wish for such a selfish future? After all, the fact remains that she is no different from a bystander.
Lobeline carefully placed the half-drank cocoa on the windowsill.Verden waited silently for her to speak.
“I suppose so. There are more than a few immediate problems to deal with; when would we have time to think about such things? Although we are on vastly different levels, neither you, the pinnacle of Eon, nor I, the temporary Master of the Bohemirn Tower, have time to rest comfortably. Well then, anyway, let’s get to the point.”
Lobelyn changed the subject.
The Lefragium Magic Tower requested that the Academy lectures be held within the Magic Festival period. They said that if we accept that, they will leave the detailed schedule to Eon.
A teaching intended to reduce the damage to the magical world, which is plagued by unreasonable hierarchical breaches.Considering its importance and topicality, which were directly discussed at the World Conference, the Magic Festival would be the most appropriate stage.
However, there is a coincidence.
I am not talking about Theodore’s summoning magic to be revealed at the Magic Festival.It was a much more global issue than that.
It overlaps with the exploration of the Hiaremar Inland Sea.
If the host’s information is true, five more days after the annular eclipse occurs—and after the whereabouts of the Dragon Sword, Magras are revealed—the season changes to spring and the Magic Festival begins for the first time in four years.
Unless I happen to find the Dragon Sword quickly.
Given the scale of the Hiaremar Inland Sea, exploration was bound to take some time, even if nations from around the world stepped forward.Inevitably, the two periods were bound to overlap.
I might be overthinking it, but…
Since the Dragon Sword was connected to the ancient king and the Provider was directly linked to the first Demon King, nothing could be taken lightly.
“I need some time to think.”“Do as you please. I’ve cleared my entire schedule for today using you as an excuse anyway. If necessary, we can just communicate via communication device.”“I’ll make a decision by this evening at the latest.”
Verden’s gaze turned somewhere. He lifted his back from the wall.
“You just returned to the temporary orphanage with the children. Shall we leave now?”“Sure.”
Lobeline took a small, deep breath.
“We’ve only been in touch by letter; it’s been a long time since we’ve met in person like this, so I am a bit nervous. Anyway, I wonder what his reaction will be when he sees you. If the Director’s personality is the same as it used to be, I think he’d burst into tears.”“I don’t think he would go that far.”“He might.”
Robelin glanced up at Verden with vivid red eyes.
“In a way, she is our ‘mother’.”
* * *
“Homeyy!”“I’m hungry!”“Can I wash up first?”“I’m going to wash up last, so I want to play a little longer!”
The children who went shopping with Lascavel Orphanage Director Myla chirp like baby birds.
Taking the children out was never easy, but Myla took them with her every time she went grocery shopping.At least one of them, of course.This was because teaching them how to shop and getting them used to crowded streets, even in this way, would help them become independent later on.
“Alright, okay, brush off your clothes before you go inside. Don’t forget to wash in groups of three. Since we’re having stew for dinner tonight, you must speak loudly when entering the kitchen so you don’t get burned by the boiling water, okay?”“Yes, Director!”“Yes!!”“Please put plenty of meat in the stew!!”“Alright, alright.”
Myla, a native of the Lascabell Orphanage who had helped the previous director care for children since childhood, was skilled at handling them.Of course, this was also thanks to the fact that the current children were innocent and obedient.
Grandpa Wallick likes stew, so let’s make as much as possible. If there is a lot left over, we can eat it over the next few days.
Myla walked along, calculating her living expenses as if it were a habit.
Huh? A newspaper?
There was an unidentified newspaper in the spot where the children had stepped. Was it delivered to the wrong place? Just as I was thinking that and about to go inside the house…
Director Myla.
Myla turned around in surprise, still holding her shopping basket. Red hair and red eyes caught her eye at a glance.
“as…….”
There was no need to even ask.
Myla is an ordinary woman, but she remembers all the children at the Lascabell Orphanage. It was her natural duty as the director.
It’s Lobelin!!
Myla, smiling broadly, ran toward Lobelyn without even thinking to put down her shopping bag.
“You might fall if you keep going, so please come slowly.”“That Lobeline has grown up so much—”
Sure enough, Myla, with her feet tangled, instantly lost her balance. The shopping basket sliced through the air, and her face plummeted to the floor.
“…….”
Myla squeezed her eyes shut, but fortunately, she didn’t fall.It seemed Lobelin had caught her.
“Ahaha, sorry. I was just so glad to see you… But what brings you here? Did you happen to pass by by chance… Ah, or did you come looking for the Lascabel Orphanage? I was so flustered that I couldn’t contact you separately. That’s great news. I even had a gift for you. Anyway, you’ve really gotten bigger. Enough to look incredibly manly… Huh?”
Myla fumbled with her hands, thinking she was being held in Lobeline’s arms. She felt the sensation of muscles that did not match the physique she had just seen Lobeline with at all.
Myla slowly raised her head.
A girl who had just come out of the house saw the person with Myla, her eyes sparkling, and pointed at the two of them.
“The director is with a cool guy!”“What did you say!”
Rumble
Children swarmed out of the house. The surroundings were boisterous with young onlookers, but Myla could not hear clearly.For her eyes and memories reflected only a familiar man.
“You, you are…….”
Verden chose his words for a moment, then quietly offered a greeting.
To the woman who still sincerely cares for children with nowhere to go even after decades have passed, and to the woman who gave him the name Verden.
“It’s been a long time, Director.”“Verden.”
Myla’s eyes slowly welled up with tears.
“There was definitely, a… an accident at the Magic Tower….”“I survived.”“Really….”
Maila carefully stretched out her arm and stroked Verden’s hair, just as she had done when Verden was five years old.
Suddenly, Verden and Lobelin came into view at a glance.
I recalled the moment when the children, who were merely eight years old, left the orphanage without permission and headed to the magic tower, leaving behind the 4 million elk given by the Bohemian Magic Tower on their beds.
“It, it’s a relief… that both of them are healthy… I’m really glad… that I…!”
Myla, clutching Verden’s robe with her fingertips, bowed her head low.As if relieved, and as if apologetic.She wept for a long time, confirming over and over again that Verden was alive.
* * *
“Gasp, gasp, gasp……!”
Wallick quickly tapped the ground with his cane and headed toward the temporary Lascabel Orphanage. It was to deliver the news that Verden was alive.
As the sun set, the waves of twilight dyed the streets red.
“……!”
The sound of someone crying brushes past my ears.
Wallick gasped for breath as he finally arrived at Myla and the children’s house. Standing there were the two children he had seen before, now adults.
Lobelin of the Bohemian Magic Tower.
and.
“……Verden.”
The talentless one, who had absolutely no magical abilities in his body, returned as a transcendent being.
