CHAPTER 21,………………………………..
“It’s not exactly this color, but even so, every soul has its own unique wavelength. If I put it in complicated terms, you wouldn’t understand, so I expressed it as colors. You are precisely this color.”
She tapped the blue sphere in the center with her finger. It slowly drifted closer and began to emit a soft glow beside me.
“Others might not know, but the people of the Achilar clan are a bit special. We excel at resonance.”
“Resonance?”
“Resonance with spirits, resonance with objects, resonance with mana. Everyone is born with different talents, but when it comes to resonance, we’re outstanding. I, too, was born with that ability. That’s why I can feel it—the foreign energy flowing inside your body.”
With another snap of her fingers, the spheres turned white again and decorated the ceiling. Under the faint light, she smiled.
“Isn’t my appearance curious? Even after living two or three times the lifespan of an ordinary person, doesn’t it seem strange that I look like a newborn infant?”
When I slowly nodded, Teperi put on a gentle expression.
“In fact, it’s only been eight years since this body was born. Isn’t it fascinating? That someone who’s lived for two hundred years is living in the body of an eight-year-old child.”
As I listened, something suddenly occurred to me, and I frowned. With all this talk of souls and a child’s age… could it be—
“You didn’t take a child’s body, did you…?”
“Steal it? No, of course not. That’s a unique ability of the Kailar clan: the recombination of souls. If I were to explain it, it would get tangled up with the legendary myths passed down from a thousand years ago, so forget it. There are fewer than a hundred Kailar left on the entire continent anyway, so explaining it would be pointless.”
After answering briefly, she lightly tapped the desk.
“You’re probably wondering why I suddenly started talking about myself. The truth is, this needs to be explained in order to talk about you. You’re truly fascinating. You sway gently at regular intervals, like waves on a lake. Maybe that’s why.”
Resting her cheek on her palm, she smiled softly.
“People will rely on you a lot.”
“……”
“Some might try to use you, but that’s something you can sort out on your own. I’m right, aren’t I?”
How curious. Should I pay her a consultation fee? Listening to her made me think of Elian. He really was an expert at using people.
“Depending on how you act, you might be ignored—or you might become a leader who embraces those around you.”
I see…
“Like me.”
That felt a bit unnecessary. When I let out a dry laugh, Teperi tilted her head the other way as well. She brushed back her silky, flowing hair and put on a languid expression. Seeing her do that with a child’s face was pretty awkward.
“The reason you came to see me is to ask about this, right? Since what I research and take interest in is interdimensional connections. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“There are many things I’d like to tell you, but this is the first time I’ve met someone who gives off the aura of an outsider like you, so I don’t know what to say first. So ask whatever you’re curious about. I’ll answer as much as you want.”
As much as I want? Would she really answer anything I asked? As I stared at her, the first question that came to mind slipped out.
“Can I go back?”
“No.”
The simple answer drained all my strength. To hear the answer I most wanted—and had hoped for—like this… It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed.
“At least, based on the materials I’ve researched, that’s the only answer I can give. Other disciplines might say differently.”
“For example?”
“Theology.”
“Theology?”
“The study of the gods is, by nature, a field that explores absolute beings invisible to the eye. It’s far removed from magic, which can be measured even if it can’t be seen. If it’s within the realm they research and manage, they might give you a different answer. Perhaps even a more optimistic one than mine. Those people do love giving vague answers, after all.”
I forced a smile at her grin and lowered my gaze. Theology… theology, huh. Does that mean I should visit a temple?
“Anything else?”
Anything else… I hesitated, then opened my mouth again.
“Why did I come here?”
“Shouldn’t you be asking yourself that? Something must have happened before you came here. Do you remember anything? I’d like to hear it too.”
Did I remember anything? Not much. I fell asleep while reading a book—that was about it. Nothing special.
“At least, nothing unusual happened that day.”
At least, not that I remember. Teperi let out a low hum through her nose, leaned forward to look at me, then jerked her chin.
“What kind of world did you live in?”
“My world? Nothing special. There were a lot of people, and science developed instead of magic. That’s all.”
There were many differences, but I didn’t feel like listing them one by one. Between the disappointment and the fear of being overwhelmed by nostalgia, I didn’t want to dwell on it. Teperi looked at me quietly, then turned her gaze to flip through a book.
“You want to go back.”
“Isn’t it only natural to miss the place you call home?”
“All living beings with breath feel the same. I do too. You want to go back, but you don’t know how, so you’re wandering… that’s it, isn’t it?”
When I nodded, she let out a low sigh.
“Settling down here isn’t such a bad thing. As you can see, it’s not a terrible place, is it?”
I agreed with her. I thought it would be awkward, but I adapted surprisingly easily. I recognized and accepted things naturally, and, surprisingly, I didn’t even miss the electronic devices I used to carry everywhere. I thought I’d be uncomfortable without them, but I wasn’t.
This absurd adaptability… I feel like I’d survive even if I were stranded on a deserted island.
“My family is still there.”
“Oh my.”
I quietly looked at the child, who clicked her tongue in pity and gave me a sympathetic look. Despite her young appearance, her seasoned tone and presence made it impossible to see her as just a child. The master of the mage tower shook her head slightly, thought for a moment, then spoke.
“There’s no way for me to help you. Even if you searched the entire continent, there’s no one more knowledgeable than me in this field. But there is someone you could ask.”
“Who?”
“The western forest.”
“The western forest?”
She spread a map on the desk and pointed to the western forest.
“Do you know what’s there?”
The western forest was a forbidden zone, a labyrinth no different from a maze. A demonic labyrinth that had claimed the lives of thousands of adventurers who valued adventure over their own lives. When I shook my head, she grinned.
“A tremendous being lives there.”
“What kind of…?”
“My dad.”
“……”
Is she joking? When I raised an eyebrow, she let out a snort of laughter.
“I’m not joking. I told you earlier—explaining the history of the Achilar clan requires talking about the legends passed down for a thousand years. And that man is a living witness to that history. A monster who’s lived for over two thousand years.”
“Two thousand?”
It’s only been a bit over two thousand years since the common era began, and he’s lived that long… That’s one incredible grandfather.
“That’s where he resides. If I ask him, we might get some answers. I can’t guarantee it, but there’s nothing to lose, right?”
Well… that’s true.
“What’s the price?”
“The price? Just make a generous donation. As you know, mages tend to have no concept of money and spend it recklessly. On top of that, the metals we use are exceedingly rare, so we’re always strapped for funds. You’ve got money, right? Pay up.”
She was so shameless I could only laugh softly. Then I nodded.
“How much should I pay?”
“Hmm, I don’t need everything—just one sheet.”
“One sheet?”
What does that mean? Do they call large sums ‘one sheet’ here too? When I tilted my head, she realized and corrected herself.
“I mean a guarantee. A guarantee that you’ll cover any amount, once, whenever we ask.”
“…A guarantee.”
They say you shouldn’t even stand guarantee for family—wasn’t this a bad idea? When I looked at her warily, Teperi looked flustered.
“We’re not highway robbers. We won’t demand an outrageous sum, so don’t worry. And even if we did, so what? You should know what a great honor it is to form ties with the master of the mage tower.”
“……”
I stared silently at the master, nodding her plump cheeks with a shameless expression. She hadn’t really counseled me, and yet she wanted a guarantee—did I seriously get myself tangled up in something bad? I was about to refuse, but remembering what she’d mentioned—and something else that bothered me—I reluctantly nodded.
“Then, since we’re at it, could you grant one more request?”
“What is it?”
“…Can I pinch your cheek just once?”
“……”
I’d been looking at them for a while—they looked incredibly tempting. Tempting enough to want to pinch them at least once.
In the end, in exchange for one guarantee, I earned the right to pinch her cheek and left after squeezing her soft, squishy cheeks. The master of the mage tower had tried to resist, but when I looked at her with pitiful eyes, she sighed and offered her cheek. She was absurdly cute.
‘Only because I feel sorry for you,’ she said.
I don’t really think I’m pitiful, but sympathy is hers to give. Thinking that I might be able to use this to my advantage later, I stepped outside, where Ban approached me with a bright expression.
“That was quick.”
Was it quick? It felt like it took a while.
“Sorry for making you wait so long.”
“I don’t mind waiting longer.”
He must be pretty free. I looked at him quietly, then laughed softly.
Yeah… somehow, seeing his face washed away the turmoil in my heart. Is this what it feels like to be healed by a face? When I walked closer, Ban hesitated and stepped back slightly, then slowly spoke.
“What should we eat?”
Lunch with the crown prince… Definitely not an everyday experience.
I thought for a moment as I looked at him, then poked my cheek once with my palm. I already missed the feel of Teperi’s cheeks. This man’s cheeks looked pretty soft too. Smacking my lips, I smiled.
“Do you like cake?”
Pancakes sounded good for lunch.
