Chapter 15 - Episode 14: The Magic Otaku Prepares for a Journey
"The second use of the magic has been confirmed. As I was the target of the appeal, I manifested through the channel. I have identified the caster."
Within a pitch-black space of unknown origin, the flat voice of a young woman echoed.
As if in reply, a low, masculine voice, filled with the thoughtfulness of a mature man, responded.
"So it was not mere coincidence. Splendid. And what sort of person was the caster?"
It was impossible to tell where the man's voice originated from in this space where even heaven and earth were indistinct. Was he near or far? Did the speaker even exist here? To ask such questions in this place, sealed in darkness, was meaningless.
"The location was the same as before, a room in a manor within the royal capital of the Hanoku Kingdom. The casters were two small children."
"...Wait. Did you just say small children?"
"Affirmative. One was a black-haired girl who appeared to be five or six. She resembled me slightly. The other was a blond boy of a similar age. Contrary to his cheeky appearance, he responded with remarkable intelligence. Should I raise him to be a literary youth who hides a wicked smile beneath a harmless mask, or a pure-hearted young noble with a roguish, playboy air? It is a difficult choice."
For a time, an indescribable silence filled the space. After a moment, the man's voice echoed again, as if nothing had happened.
"...You said he responded. Did you perhaps descend and speak with them?"
"Affirmative. The girl's magical power was exceptionally strong, so I used her as a vessel and spoke with the boy through her mouth. I requested their assistance in reviving the magical arts, as we desire."
"You are too reckless. To descend upon such a young child could have endangered the vessel's life."
"The descent was kept within a time frame that posed no risk to the vessel's health."
This time, an unmistakable sigh could be heard. After a pause long enough to make anyone present feel exceedingly awkward, the next words were spoken.
"Still, I do not understand. Surely it was not a case of children's play happening to take the form of a ritual. How could such young children perform a magical rite?"
"Though simple, the altar and ritual tools were all present, and the incantation was precise. I realized upon my descent that the girl was following the boy's instructions. She has almost no knowledge of magic. The boy, on the other hand, certainly possesses such knowledge. The greatest proof of this is that he addressed me as Great Honored Sister."
"...How many centuries has it been since I last heard that title? Who in the world is this boy?"
"Saki Adoni Arcalai. He is said to be the only son of the Arcalai Viscounty in the Hanoku Kingdom."
With that, their words ceased, and a long silence filled the ever-expanding darkness. Nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard. Enough time passed that a human, deprived of all external stimuli, might have gone mad. At last, the hoarse murmur of an old man, aged and weary, trickled out.
"An Outsider..."
There was no response, and this time, silence completely dominated the dark space.
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"This has turned into quite the ordeal, hasn't it?"
"He may be the heir, but we are still sending him outside the royal capital, even if it is to a village in our own domain. It is only natural," my father replied to my mutter, standing beside me.
In the courtyard of the Arcalai manor, now deep into autumn, a two-horse carriage was parked alongside four other horses. The servants bustled between them, checking harnesses and saddlebags and loading luggage onto the carriage.
"This trip also doubles as Maria's homecoming, so a certain number of attendants is necessary."
My mother's gaze fell upon Maria and Ruria, who were being clung to by a weeping Dani. The sight of him kneeling, clutching the two and pleading for them not to go, was so pathetic that even I felt a little put off. The look Ruria gave her father was colder than ice. I could see a vein throbbing on the smiling Maria's temple, and the three of us—my parents and I—quietly stepped away.
Nearly a week had passed since I had asked to see the family scrolls. My grandmother, who lived in retirement in her home village, had apparently given her cheerful consent. My parents had been quite busy for the past few days, making travel arrangements and sending messengers to the village. These were the same people who had worried so much about me going to the Dalet Trading Company, which was still within the royal capital's noble district, albeit on the outskirts. This time, we were heading to my family's ancestral village, where the old Arcalai estate stood—a journey that would take three days on foot. It was no exaggeration to call it a small trip. I should have anticipated this outcome.
It seems my thinking tends to get a bit simplistic when it comes to anything related to magic. Feeling guilty for causing them trouble beyond their usual duties, I tried apologizing to my father. "I am sorry for being so selfish," I said.
"Your grandmother is the one who said to bring you. Do not worry about it," he replied. Still, my parents were busy with their duties as nobles and their work at the court, so they would not be able to accompany us on this journey.
Instead, Maria had declared, "In that case, I will go along and visit my family for the first time in a while." She then added, "Ruria, you would rather be with your mother, wouldn't you?" to which my childhood friend had silently nodded. A tale for another time is the shriek from Dani that echoed through the manor when he realized he would be separated from them for several days.
And so, after various preparations and procedures, the day of our departure had finally arrived.
"Who else from the manor is coming with us?"
I posed the question to my father, partly to maintain an air of indifference while ignoring the distant sound of thunder.
"Hanna will attend to your needs as usual. For your protection, there will be Laz, as well as Nishim and Tal. Yoram the coachman makes up the rest of the party."
Nishim and Tal were male servants at the manor. Since Laz often accompanied Ruria and me these days, they typically served as guards and attendants for my parents. Yoram was the groom who cared for the horses in the manor's stables, and he also served as the coachman whenever we traveled by carriage. Hmm, so we were taking more than half of the men from the estate.
Though we were a viscount family, we were not considered high nobility, so we did not have a large number of staff. We usually only had the two horses needed to pull the carriage; for this trip, we had borrowed an additional four.
Hmm? Wait a minute. Ruria, Maria, and Hanna would be in the carriage with me. Yoram would be on the driver's seat. If three others were riding alongside us, why were there four horses? For a moment I thought Dani might be coming along, but he would not be weeping his heart out if that were the case. Were they planning to use one as a pack animal?
"No, we cannot take Dani with us. The manor would be too shorthanded. Actually, we have requested someone from outside to escort you this time... ah, it seems he has arrived."
My father answered my unspoken question and turned his face toward the gate. Following his gaze, I saw a man in a robe entering the manor through the open gate. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with short-cropped, chestnut-colored hair, and he exuded an air that, in my previous life, I would have associated with a police officer or an athlete. However, the robe he wore, though almost unadorned, was clearly a high-quality item. Having grown up surrounded by magic users, I had become quite adept at judging the quality of robes.
He walked straight toward us, stopping in front of my father and bowing with perfect posture. As he did, I noticed an insignia on his collar similar to the one Commander Azadh used to wear. So, this man was a soldier. A genuine military escort for a trip back to the family village... My old man was really serious about this.
"It has been some time, Lord Arcalai. I have been ordered to undertake the mission of escorting your family, and I have come as commanded."
"Thank you for coming, Nathan. I was relieved to hear you had accepted the task. Please look after my children."
"We are sorry to impose on you when you are so busy. Please think of this as a holiday and try to relax," my mother added.
"Not at all. I, Nathan Grion, will devote my entire being to ensuring no harm comes to your precious family."
My parents spoke to him warmly, but this young soldier seemed as rigid as he looked. Just then, Maria and Ruria approached us. I glanced back and saw Dani, still in the same spot, standing frozen with his hands outstretched toward us. What in the world? Was that magic? Did Maria actually use a spell?
"Isn't that a bit much? You should forgive him sooner rather than later," said Sarah, my mother, with an amused smile as she chided her.
Maria, however, seemed unconcerned. "This is just about right for him," she said with a feigned air of indifference.
"Well, if it isn't Nathan. So you were the one they asked to escort us. Have you been introduced to our children yet?"
As Maria continued on in her own world, my father replied with a weary smile, "We were just about to." He placed a hand on my shoulder and introduced me to the soldier.
"Nathan, I believe this is your first time meeting him. This is my son, Saki. He turns six this year. I am currently teaching him magic at my academy, and he has already learned a spell or two. I am quite proud of him. Please look after him during the journey. Saki, this is Nathan Grion. He is a magic user in the Royal Army and a junior disciple to myself, Sarah, and Maria. And..."
At that moment, my father glanced to the side, and Maria stepped forward to introduce Ruria.
"This is my daughter, Ruria. She is the same age as Saki and attends the academy as well... Come now, Ruria, show him your face."
As always, Ruria was wary of strangers. She clung to her mother's waist and refused to emerge from behind her. With no other choice, I alone stepped forward and greeted Nathan.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Saki, son of Viscount Levi Arcalai. I am studying every day to become a great magic user like my parents. I look forward to learning from you."
I gave a polite greeting and bowed my head. I was not an official magic user yet, but I was like my parents' apprentice. Nathan was their junior disciple—in the words of my past life, he was like a martial grand-uncle to me. Regardless of our social standing, there was no reason for me not to bow.
Next was Ruria... but she and her mother were locked in a small struggle, with Maria trying to push her forward and Ruria clinging for dear life. Ah, Ruria was pushed out, and with that momentum she dashed behind me and clung to my back like a ghost. I gave up and introduced her to Nathan myself.
"This is Ruria Sharon. She is also studying to become a magic user. We both look forward to being in your care."
My parents and Maria were holding their heads in their hands, but Nathan accepted the greeting without changing his expression. Thank goodness, he seemed like a good person.
"You are too kind. I am Second Lieutenant Nathan Grion of the Royal Army Magic Corps' flying unit, the 'Dragon's Wings.' Though I am of humble ability, I will do my utmost to ensure no harm comes to Lord Saki and Lady Ruria."
Following Nathan's stiff reply, my father added a clarification.
"The 'Dragon's Wings' is an elite unit composed of the most skilled members of the Magic Corps. As a young man who has already joined their ranks, Nathan is considered a promising candidate for a future leadership position. You can rest assured you are in safe hands."
"That is amazing. A flying unit? Does that mean you fly through the sky with magic?"
Even as I said it, I could not help but picture Nathan flying through the air on a broom, and I nearly burst out laughing. A grim group of soldiers flying in formation, all on brooms... That was just awful. It would be quite the Walpurgisnacht. No, they probably fly with spells, so they wouldn't need brooms.
"That is correct. Every member of the unit has mastered the Third Tier spell [Magic Wing]. They are the core of the Magic Corps, capable of handling everything from armed reconnaissance to encirclement and annihilation."
"It was the previous Lord Arcalai—our master and Levi's, Lady Ester—who organized the flying unit of magic users. It is said that our kingdom's magical combat strength increased dramatically as a result. Of course, the very idea of organizing magic users into a military unit like common soldiers overturned all conventional wisdom at the time."
Hmm. I had heard from all sorts of people that my grandmother was an incredible person, but it seemed she was more than just an absurdly powerful magic user. I knew she had been active in the war, but her talents apparently extended beyond personal valor to things like unit deployment. I suppose a commoner would not be suddenly granted the title of viscount otherwise.
And Nathan's unit, the "Dragon's Wings." Dragons, huh? So they exist in this world too. Dragons were typically depicted as powerful, long-lived beings who hoarded vast treasures and knowledge. I honestly had no desire to meet one, but perhaps they might know something about the era when magic was once used. Of course, there was also the possibility they were just flying lizards.
"We are ready to depart at any time!"
Laz, who had mounted his horse at some point, called out to us. It seemed the preparations were complete while we were talking. Nishim and Tal were also already on their horses. "Well then, I shall go as well," Nathan said with a bow, and walked off toward the last remaining horse. Well, it was about time we got going, too.
"Be careful," and "Have a wonderful time," my parents said as we exchanged hugs. Then, I boarded the carriage. Ruria and Maria climbed in next... ah, of course Ruria sat next to me. Maria and Hanna sat opposite us, and all that was left was to wait for our departure.
Soon, I heard Yoram's short "Hah!" from the driver's seat, and the horses, spurred by the reins, began to pull the carriage. Here we go, the first journey of my second life. I opened the carriage window, leaning out to wave at my parents and...?!
"Maria! Dani is still frozen in place!"
I shouted, turning back to look at Maria inside the carriage. She placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head as if to say, "Oh dear." Ruria showed no reaction at all, her nose buried in a book she had brought into the carriage. Only Hanna gave an awkward, bitter smile. "Ahaha..."
"Honestly," Maria muttered, and snapped her fingers once beside her ear.
I leaned out the window again and looked back. The carriage was just passing through the manor's main gate and was about to turn onto the street. Beyond the gate, in the manor's courtyard, I could see my parents waving at us. For a brief moment, I saw Dani collapsing to his knees beside them before the carriage's movement took them out of sight.
Quietly, I closed the carriage window.
I am truly sorry for the late posts every time. I will do my best to write the next chapter, so I appreciate your continued support.