Chieftain Kakula
Chieftain Kakula
Eldmia looked perfectly fine.
Not a single scratch on him, to the point it was hard to believe he'd held off over a hundred orc cavalry by himself. Even his expression was utterly serene, as if he were unmistakably just sleeping. Yet when I called his name, there was no answer. When I shook him, he wouldn't wake. And his entire body was boiling hot.
Could he die like this? The thought flashed through Ragnis's mind before she knew it, and fear seized her, but his breathing was so quiet that she was able to shake off the ominous notion.
"I'd only ever heard about it from Eldi, but you've been training hard, I see."
Asilie, who had been watching him alongside her, lightly changed the subject. Her voice was a bit brighter than what Ragnis remembered as usual, but her ears, drooping low enough to almost touch her shoulders, couldn't be helped.
Suddenly, Ragnis recalled the past in Ogwen—Asilie had fainted when she'd heard the story of Eldmia jumping off a wyvern. Seeing her maintain such composure now, even though this battle must have been far more reckless than that, it seemed Asilie had steeled her heart the moment she'd decided to stay by Eldmia's side.
"I'm working hard at it. Fortunately, my teacher says I have talent."
Too much had happened to grow arrogant from such praise, but it had helped her grit her teeth and continue her training. Because Radnelbandes was one of the most brutally objective mages when it came to assessing talent.
Even by her own reckoning, his words seemed close to the truth. Though her physical stamina had limits to its growth, in the domains related to magic, Ragnis had been able to achieve progress that even she herself found hard to believe. That was precisely why Radnelbandes, who had begun moving at Princess Mesina's request, had brought her here under the pretext of practical combat... but...
"He'll be okay, right?"
"Aside from the fever, he's not in the slightest bit of pain, so I want to believe so."
Though I really thought nothing major would happen this time. Muttering softly, Asilie replaced the towel on Eldmia's forehead with the cold towel she had left in the snow.
The sight was so utterly heartbreaking that I hastily got up from my seat, using the excuse of meeting the commander.
"They say he faced an army alone."
Standing not far from the tent and silently watching the scene, Radnelbandes spoke to Ragnis as she approached. It was a story Ragnis hadn't had the chance to hear in detail from Gies.
"Heiri herself said it, of all people. That he was truly a paragon of heroes."
“Stingy” Heiri. That skilled operative of the Wyvern Knight Order, who had sworn her life to the royal family, was famous for being as sparing with praise as she was formidable in skill. If word spread that she had given such a generous assessment to a boy barely fifteen years old, it would clearly cause an uproar even within the kingdom’s knight orders.
"Have you heard anything about the plan?"
"Those who held off the cavalry are to be stationed here, and we advance to attack with additional forces. Heiri is the commander. She said she won't form a separate command staff and will simply issue orders directly."
Since Princess Mesina had made all these preparations in the first place, it was only natural that Heiri, who had practically received full authority from her, would take command. Other nobles might be disappointed at the reduced chance to snatch some battlefield glory, but Ragnis didn't care.
She just wished the attack would begin soon. Before Eldmia woke up.
"You've got the look of someone itching to rampage. No matter how merciless my training is, it's not enough to change your personality."
"Because the longer the attack is delayed, the higher the chance Eldmia will wake up and join in."
With Radnelbandes already fully aware of why she was undergoing such grueling training, there was no reason to hide it, so when she spoke candidly, he let out a dry laugh and stroked his beard.
But that was all. Instead of continuing the conversation, Radnelbandes quietly watched Ragnis, who was asking Renisa for tactical advice on the battle.
Up until the moment they'd returned to the capital, she had still been a child like a granddaughter to him. After the death of her father Engrim—his comrade-in-arms and close friend—he had even cooperated with the royal family's plan to completely remove that wounded child from the nobles' schemes and intrigues. To that end, they had even prepared exile to the Empire or a transfer of allegiance, under agreement with the royal family.
Because Engrim Rien da Levien had not wanted his daughter to bear the weight of the Margrave's position.
He had been a good servant and a good father, but he had not been able to become a good noble, and he had not wished for his child to inherit the crushing pressure his position brought. Thinking of his friendship with him, Radnelbandes had tried to fulfill the wish Engrim could not achieve.
In the end, it had been nothing more than meddling that didn't even consider Ragnis's own opinion. He realized his own narrow-mindedness the moment Ragnis came to him personally and demanded training.
The child who had been nothing more than a girl had become a woman and a noble, and was even fully prepared to become a warrior.
His decision after that realization was swift. At first, he pushed her unreasonably hard to test her resolve, but soon, he trained her with genuine cruelty. It was a judgment made because even that wasn't enough for her to reach the level she desired.
Even now, he didn't consider that judgment wrong, but occasionally, there were times when Ragnis's talent startled him, time and time again.
'It seems she's grown into a stronger child than either you or I imagined.'
And so mature for her age, too. He couldn't help but feel a fond satisfaction watching her grit her teeth and charge forward, having already set her sights on a husband.
It was a path of thorns willingly walked for love—a far more proactive romance than those of the young ladies dreaming of romance through novels in their rooms. Come to think of it, Engrim had also married after his wife had actively courted him. Ragnis's personality likely ran in the family.
If Ragnis had known, she would have scolded him for having such thoughts with someone teetering between life and death right in front of him, but Radnelbandes had lived far too long to let personal reflection put an emotional brake on him over such matters.
To his eyes, which had witnessed countless deaths and hair's-breadth survivals, Eldmia was still a long way off from dying.
◈
My body was light. My mind was clear.
As if I'd woken from the most blissful sleep I'd dreamed of my whole life and entered a state of perfect refreshment, the first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was a woman of flame.
No, should I say a woman ablaze? A woman forged of fire? Whatever it was, even though it was a sight I'd never seen before in my life, guessing who this being was wasn't the slightest bit difficult.
"Fire Spirit Lord?"
[This is the first time we've met face to face.]
The fire, which had barely managed to take human form, smiled. Looking around, I was greeted by a forest with an atmosphere completely removed from winter. Flowers that could never bloom in winter danced with the flames, and animals made of fire watched me from among them, so it was indeed detached not just from winter but from reality itself.
Only then did I realize that what was supporting my head was the Spirit Lord's lap, and I slowly tried to rise to my feet, but the Spirit Lord's hand lightly held my shoulder, stopping my movement.
[You must not get up yet. Your Magic Power needs more time to stabilize.]
It wasn't particularly coercive, but there was no reason to refuse someone who had only ever helped me, so I obediently lay back down and the Spirit Lord smiled in satisfaction. It was our first real meeting, yet I felt neither awkward nor afraid. She was one of the beings I had prayed to, thanked, and received so much help from. If anything, she felt comfortingly familiar.
Even so, I couldn't just lie there blankly staring, so I looked around as I was and asked.
"Where is this? Is it the spirit realm?"
[Hmm, to borrow you humans' expression, you could call it a mental world that imitates the spirit realm.]
"Oh... Then why am I here?"
[Because this is the most efficient way to absorb your Magic Power.]
If you misheard it, it could sound like she was saying "I'm in the middle of devouring you!" but I quickly understood what she meant by that answer. I had used it pretty damn freely.
"Was it dangerous?"
[Well. I don't know. It was simply an action taken because our long memory judged that it wouldn't be very good. Perhaps I may have blocked a path that could have had a beneficial influence. Are you disappointed?]
"Not in the slightest. I'm just grateful that this is a healing process."
Up until my last moment of memory, it had hurt like a real bitch, but now I didn't feel any pain. How could I ever think of getting angry at someone who did this much for me without even being asked? Not even the shittiest thief would be that shameless.
So I just decided to enjoy this current situation, closing my eyes and settling into a comfortable position. Since it didn't seem like worrying would make me wake up any faster, I figured if I got drowsy like this, I might as well sleep some more.
[You really are amusing. Aren't you curious why I haven't revealed myself until now, or why I haven't helped directly?]
This time, the Spirit Lord asked first. But I thought I'd already received plenty of help... Though thanks to her, one curious thing did come to mind.
"I am curious about one thing. How is this smooth conversation possible right now?"
Communication with the spirits had been extremely fragmentary. This, that, possible, impossible, herbs, enemy—it was all composed of extremely short words. Even that was closer to receiving telepathic transmissions in my head, making it very far removed from everyday conversation.
But it wasn't like that now?
[Fufu, I didn't think you'd be curious about that first, but the reason is simple. I'm gaining power from your Magic Power.]
"You're gaining power from me, Spirit Lord?"
[To be precise, I'm gaining the power to manifest. You've faced demons, so don't you have an inkling of what I'm talking about?]
"Ah."
So since the Spirit Lords ultimately exist in another space as well, the conditions for crossing over into our world and exerting power were similar. The Spirit Lord lightly nodded at my reaction and then looked around.
[This means the Magic Power you scattered this time was great enough to make something like this possible. Truly a prodigious level.]
"It felt like my eyes were opening to something, yet I couldn't quite grasp it, so personally I was a bit disappointed. Even if I come to my senses in reality, I clearly won't be able to even imitate this."
The Magic Power I'd passed to Laika had been larger than expected, and the resulting abnormalities I suffered were probably closer to an accidental byproduct of that. As I clicked my tongue inwardly with regret, the Spirit Lord smiled thinly and spoke.
[Do not be impatient, child. You cannot draw out potential you do not possess, so you will surely come to wield that power naturally before long.]
Was that how it worked...? Well, if a being who'd lived that long said so, it must be true. It gave me a bit of confidence.
"That's welcome information. More than that, when I open my eyes again, will I be able to move properly? I still have work left to do."
[Why do you ask such a question?]
"Uh... because before I passed out, it was a struggle just to lift a single finger, you know?"
[Aha.]
As if she only just understood, the Spirit Lord nodded lightly, and her answer was a little shocking.
[Your body has no problems whatsoever.]
"...Excuse me?"
[You weren't injured, nor is any part inside your body damaged. Rather, you are extremely healthy.]
"Uh, because you healed me, Spirit Lord?"
[No, it was that way from the very start. All those sensations you felt were nothing more than your flesh being thrown into confusion by the excessively overflowing Magic Power.]
And so, as a bonus, we are absorbing that Magic Power, which is the cause, like this.
Unlike the Spirit Lord, who smiled while answering nonchalantly, inside my previously relaxed head, things started to get a little complicated.
Why was I perfectly fine?