Chapter 143: Come, Spring (8)
Chapter 143: Come, Spring (8)
Evelin, who was flipping through the pages of Virja, couldn’t help but marvel. Her eyes sparkled with fascination.
“This seems possible…! Elizabeth, can you help me?”
“Help you?”
“Yes. To successfully transfer the soul, I need to make some preparations.”
Evelin mentioned that a significant amount of mana was necessary to separate the witch’s soul. It seemed like it would require not only Elizabeth but possibly other mages as well. As she explained further, hesitatingly, she said.
“Umm… I know we should avoid escalating things, but… Could we get that person over there?”
“Who?”
“There… The one standing by the cliff.”
Her gaze lingered on a young man. He stood gazing at the sea, wearing a fur coat dampened by the water. Evelin couldn’t help but express her admiration again.
“I can feel the powerful mana from all the way here… Are they a High Elf? No, it’s beyond that…”
Indeed, an immense amount of mana wafted off the young man’s shoulders. Ronan narrowed his eyes.
Evelin’s assumption aside, the question remained, why was he still here? Despite Ronan’s warning to return immediately due to the potential of his wounds worsening. Ronan took determined steps.
“Wait. I’ll bring him.”
The young man had vacant eyes as he gazed at the sea. The ship he came in jutted above the water’s surface. Ronan stood alongside the young man.
“You’re still here. Itartagand.”
“…It’s you?”
“Not ‘you,’ but Ronan. What are you doing here?”
“I was lost in thought.”
Itartagand spoke without turning his gaze. He didn’t exude his usual arrogance, but his absent-mindedness didn’t bode well. Ronan chuckled.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Perhaps… I might be… weak.”
“Huh.”
Ronan chuckled reflexively. It wasn’t amusement but rather disbelief. To hear such self-critical words through a dragon’s mouth was quite something. The impact from his time at Rodolarn seemed quite substantial.
“Why do you think that way?”
“My powers failed to melt that ice. Without your help, I might not have been able to defeat the witch either. No, I might have died in that chilling underground.”
“Quite rational of you.”
“My mother always praised me for being strong. But that was a blatant lie. The flames I spewed at my coming-of-age ceremony were just a joke…”
Itartagand sighed deeply. His self-esteem seemed to have hit rock bottom, almost as if he had dug into the cellar. After a moment of contemplation, Ronan spoke up.
“Do you want to become stronger?”
“Yes. But I don’t know how.”
“Shall I teach you?”
For the first time, Itartagand turned his head. From the initial clashes to the pursuit of strength in a while already being strong, there was a certain resemblance to Shullifen. Unfortunate but not undesirable. Itartagand asked.
“How?”
“Nothing much. You just have to work hard like a human.”
“Like a human…? How would I do that?”
“I’ll tell you if you help me first. Follow me.”
Ronan turned and walked away. Itartagand, with a perplexed expression, followed suit. Evelin, who belatedly discovered Itartagand’s dragon identity, had a pale face of disbelief.
****
The preparation didn’t take long. Itartagand’s immense mana made additional assistance unnecessary.
The ritual took place at the fortress’s rear. The sound of crashing waves echoed from the cliff’s edge. Evelin, surveying the surroundings, raised an eyebrow.
“Didn’t know such a place existed.”
“We barely found it. It’s the perfect place to practice black magic.”
Evelin chuckled. The cramped and secluded area meant only the five present would know of it. On the uneven ground, she had drawn magical circles in chalk.
Two overlapping circles formed the structure, with Aselle and Vijra positioned at the centers. Evelin knelt at the overlapping point.
Elizabeth and Itartagand stood silently, ready to transfer mana to her. Ronan’s role was to keep watch. Evelin, after a few deep breaths, began.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
The other three nodded. Evelin’s lips parted. A melodic chant flowed like water. Elizabeth and Itartagand’s bodies became immobilized. Suddenly, Aselle’s body floated above the ground.
“Ugh…!”
“Damn it, that startled me.”
Ronan frowned. Aselle hovered about a meter above the ground, writhing violently.
“Aaargh! Ah, aah…!”
“Shit, is this alright?”
Ronan asked, feeling queasy. It seemed like a patient suffering from convulsions. His hair changed color intermittently, shifting from white to red and back.
“He’s fighting for control.”
“Control?”
“Yes. As the witch’s soul gets transferred into Vijra, Aselle’s personality is starting to resurface. It’s a positive sign.”
Evelin replied with closed eyes. Elizabeth and Itartagand’s mana was rapidly being absorbed by her.
“Now I need to concentrate a bit. As I’ve mentioned before, absolutely no interruptions…”
Just then, a voice was heard from behind.
“You seem to be having fun. What’s the good occasion?”
“Huh?”
Ronan turned his head towards the direction of the voice. There was nothing there. The voice came from the front again.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but stopping would be wise.”
“Hey, who are you?”
Ronan lowered his gaze and tilted his head. A little boy was sitting cross-legged, resting his chin on his knees.
At most, the boy seemed around ten years old. No trace of hostility was felt, yet his sudden appearance was baffling. Instead of answering Ronan’s question, the boy spoke sullenly.
“That’s a spell destroying souls.”
“…What?”
“The two supplying mana might suffer mental damage as well. The child who became the host is quite impressive. Despite being pressed by a dragon’s mana, it’s still resisting. It’s like seeing my childhood.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. The situation wasn’t entirely comprehensible, but his intuition spoke volumes. At least the boy wasn’t lying.
As he raised his head, Aselle continued to thrash about in mid-air. Ronan, after a brief hesitation, swiftly grabbed Aselle floating in the air.
“Damn it, stop right now!”
“Kwaaagh?!”
Evelin screamed, collapsing to the ground. The two who were supplying her with mana also opened their eyes, breathing heavily as they surveyed their surroundings.
“Wh-What just happened?”
“Did I… faint?”
The reaction was far from what would be expected from someone whose mana supply was suddenly cut off. Ronan glared at Evelin, whose usually gentle face now contorted fiercely.
“What the hell are you doing? We were almost done!”
“You fucking bitch, what were you trying to do to my friends?”
Ronan, having brought Aselle down to the ground, grasped the hilt of his sword. He aimed Lamancha at Evelin’s throat, growling menacingly. The boy watching their actions remarked with an intriguing tone.
“You’ve got quite the intuition. Usually, I’d have my head squeezed for talking nonsense.”
“You, you’re…”
Evelin, belatedly noticing the boy’s presence, froze in place. Her reaction was akin to what one might expect when a mouse turns a corner and faces a cat. The boy, alternating his gaze between her and Aselle, rose to his feet.
“Beings who have lived as spirits for a long time can divide their souls and place them into vessels. That girl there is proof of that. It’d be a waste to completely discard and replace her.”
“Yes, but why are you here? How?”
“You chose a vessel that was too good to pass up. To a point where I couldn’t ignore it.”
Clap!
Suddenly, the boy clapped his hands.
Swaa…
White mist-like substance slowly flowed from Aselle and Evelin’s noses and mouths. Aselle emitted a much larger quantity of mist.
“Ugh…”
Ronan and Elizabeth’s eyes widened in surprise. Evelin, who had expelled all the mist, collapsed to the ground like a discarded doll. Aselle, lying with his eyes rolled back, screamed and rose to his feet.
“Kyaaah! Get, get away!”
“Aselle?!”
Ronan’s eyes widened. Aselle’s previously whitened hair was rapidly changing color. While leaning against the wall, struggling for breath, he raised his head.
“Ro-Ronan…? Elizabeth?”
“Are you okay, dude?”
Looking around, Aselle raised his hand and examined it. Moisture welled up in his eyes upon confirming that his hands and feet were moving according to his will.
“Guys, I…!”
“Let’s save the joy of reunion for a bit later.”
Aselle was about to say something, but the boy who had cut in gestured to the mist at the tip of his chin.
The mist emanating from both of them was slowly congealing into a specific form. Ronan narrowed his eyes.
“That’s…”
Finally, the mist stopped transforming. It was a beautiful woman. Clad in a fluttering dress, her body was translucent like a spirit.
Instinctively, Ronan sensed she was the Winter Witch. The woman opened her eyes and gasped in horror.
[Where… where am I?]
“It’s been a while. Had a good vacation?”
[Wait. I can’t go back yet. I haven’t achieved anything yet…]
“I was a bit delayed due to some business. Let’s go back.”
Clap!
The boy clapped again. The witch’s form turned back into mist and dispersed. With another clap, the mist was sucked into the pendant he held and vanished.
[Aaahhh…!]
A faint scream flew off with the sea breeze. The witch’s presence disappeared from the world. The four of them gazed at the boy, bewildered. Intargand was the first to speak.
“You… you’re strong.”
“Me? Well… kind of.”
“Perhaps even more than Mother…”
Intargand’s voice sounded rough. The boy grinned as if contemplating something and chuckled.
“Oh, that’s an overstatement. I’m still lacking compared to Lady Navardose.”
For a moment, a shiver ran down Ronan’s spine. It wasn’t a mere guess but a calculated conclusion. Comparing himself and the Mother of Flames on the same scale? Ronan wiped away the cold sweat forming in his hands and spoke up.
“You. What’s your true identity…?”
“Just a moment. Let me finish what I have to do first.”
Saying so, the boy touched the ground.
Pahh!
A sound resembling an exhalation emanated from him, accompanied by a wave of mana spreading across the entirety of Rodolan.
Kugugugung!
A thunderous noise echoed above them. Elizabeth, lifting her head, exclaimed in shock.
“Oh, goodness!”
The Fortress of Screams was being restored. The collapsed ceiling was self-assembling, and new growths were sprouting all over the reef that had collapsed due to the ice.
“This is unbelievable.”
Even Ronan couldn’t hide his astonishment. A grand Earth Mage would require at least three people to accomplish what this boy was doing alone. And that wasn’t the end of it.
Kugugugu!
The entire Lodolan began to vibrate with a deafening sound that was incomparable to anything before, as if the world itself was being lifted. Aselle, who had been in a state of panic, pointed towards the cliffs.
“I-it’s rising!”
“What?”
Ronan frowned. Rushing to the edge, his eyes widened. Indeed, Rodolan was levitating.
With the melting sea and scattered ships, the ice spikes left by the witch were swiftly moving away. The boy spoke.
“I heard that the lower parts are completely submerged. In that case, isn’t this better? The prisoners can’t escape either.”
No one responded. Rodolan stopped ascending after about ten minutes. The air became clearer, aiding their breathing.
“This is… truly…”
A herd-like mass of clouds flowed before them. With the increased altitude, they could see farther. In the far horizon, something resembling a small chimney was emerging.
It was the Dawn Tower that wasn’t visible before. The boy, who had been admiring the surroundings, lightly touched his chin.
“Oh, the timing for transporting prisoners by boat seems problematic. I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry too much.”
All four now gazed at the boy with reverent eyes. Ronan couldn’t help but smirk. It was about time they started noticing.
“What’s going on here, Great Mage?”
“Ohh? You have a good sense, as expected”
There weren’t many beings in the world who could casually do such things. The boy widened his eyes in amusement.
“Didn’t you hear it? I heard that the Winter Witch picked a vessel that was too good to pass up. So, I went to admire the vessel, among other things.”
“If… if you’re a Great Mage…”
Aselle’s voice sounded as if he would faint any moment. Elizabeth was frozen in place, as if cursed. The boy, stretching after getting up, turned to the group and spoke.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Lorehon, the Tower Master of the Dawn Magic Tower.”