Chapter 144
Chapter 144
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Spring, Come Forth (9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Rorhon, the tower lord of the Twilight Mage Tower."
Rorhon grinned cheekily. For a self-introduction from a grand mage with no precedent in history, it was remarkably modest.
Erzsebet started hiccupping, while Asel and Itargand froze in place. Ronan showed no reaction, simply gazing down at him calmly.
...To think I'd run into this guy here.
Though his expression remained impassive, his heart was pounding like it might rip through his skin and burst out. Of all people, to see that Rorhon this close up.
Rorhon.
Like other celebrities, Rorhon had countless titles. Bards and fellow mages called him flowery names like the beacon illuminating ignorance, the creator of light, master of the five great elements—titles so grandiose they could make your tongue cramp. But most people preferred the simple, straightforward moniker of "grand mage." After all, he was the only living mage in this era to have reached the 9th circle—no chance of confusion with anyone else.
Ronan knew him well enough. He'd caught glimpses of him twice from afar. Once, during his wandering days on the continent, he'd witnessed him summoning rain over a drought-stricken village by chance. The other time was seeing him attend the imperial army's final strategy meeting before the decisive battle.
That was the last time.
Recalling the past, Ronan twisted his lips. Rorhon had perished alongside one of the two giants that descended with Ahayute.
More precisely, he'd heard that Rorhon had used his own soul as a medium to seal it away eternally. Scattered cries of alarm and awe rose from beyond the fortress walls.
"W-what in the world...! Is Rodolan floating in the air right now?!"
"What the hell is going on...!"
It was power so overwhelming that calling it omnipotent felt like an understatement. It was hard to believe such a mighty mage hadn't slain the giant outright but had mutually destroyed it instead. Even if that specimen was stronger than Ahayute. The gravity of the apocalypse sank in anew.
That aside... why this appearance?
Ronan tilted his head. The kid before him clearly seemed to be Rorhon, but he looked vastly different from the image Ronan remembered.
The silence stretched for about a minute. Finally, Erzsebet stopped hiccupping and spoke up.
"L-Lord Rorhon...? The... the Lord Rorhon I know?"
"Mm. Probably, yeah. What's wrong?"
"N-no, it's just... the version I know is a bit more... you know..."
Erzsebet stammered, gesturing vaguely around her chin. Ronan had been wondering the same thing. Rorhon nodded as if he understood.
"Ah, I see. So you're saying..."
Snap! Rorhon flicked his fingers in the air. Suddenly, his height shot up. Wrinkles etched into his smooth skin, and frost settled in his jet-black hair.
In an instant, Rorhon surpassed Erzsebet's height, stopping just shy of Ronan's. It was a blessing his clothes grew with him. He stroked his beard, which now flowed down to his chest, and spoke.
"You're wondering why I'm not in this form, right?"
"Y-yes...! Exactly."
Erzsebet nodded vigorously after a moment of stunned silence. It was the appearance Ronan remembered well. A sudden memory flashed of joking with his penal legion buddies about how the old man could wipe his ass with that beard.
"Haha, this is the look I use for public appearances. It suits the lofty title of grand mage quite well. Take a good look at this beard."
Rorhon playfully shook the middle of his beard. Even his speech had shifted to an old man's drawl—he'd fully committed to the role. Feeling a faint sense of dissonance, Ronan tilted his head.
"Hm? It feels different from standard polymorph magic."
"Oh? You noticed that too?"
"Yeah. Can't explain it in detail, but... more natural, maybe?"
"Sharp eyes. Indeed, at some point, I gained the ability to manipulate the time flowing through my body. This form makes my knees ache, so back I go."
He snapped his fingers again and reverted to the child's form. Rorhon explained that he could freely control his body's aging process. Ronan let out a hollow laugh at the absurd claim.
"Hah."
It was an overwhelming upgrade over Secret's curse-driven age fluctuations. Asel's eyes widened in awe, his initial fear forgotten.
"...Y-you can manipulate time?"
"Yes. Limited to myself, of course."
"H-how is that even possible? Surely..."
"Haha, that curiosity marks a born mage. What's your name?"
"Ah...! Um... Asel!"
Asel finally bowed deeply at the waist. Curiosity had overcome his fear. Rorhon eyed him up and down.
"Right, Asel. Why do you think Ijinnu—the Winter Witch—coveted you?"
"P-pardon?"
"I can't quite believe what I'm seeing. I never imagined a talent surpassing that kid Kratir would emerge in the next few centuries..."
His gaze and tone were deadly serious. Asel twisted his hands in confusion, unsure what was happening. The awkward standoff dragged on since Rorhon didn't continue. Unable to bear it, Ronan spoke up.
"Sorry to interrupt, but what about this kid?"
Ronan jerked his thumb at Evelyn. Leaning against the wall, breathing shallowly, she looked like a marionette with its strings cut.
Her half-lidded eyes lacked focus. Rorhon strode over and touched her forehead. After concentrating briefly, he nodded.
"She'll be fine. Merging with a high-ranking spirit for a year must've been quite the shock. She's a talented mage to begin with, so if she focuses on recovery, she'll bounce back quickly."
"...High-ranking spirit?"
"Ah, you didn't know. Ijinnu—the Winter Witch—was originally a spirit. And a very high-ranking one at that. Hardly any records remain after so long, but..."
Rorhon revealed that the Winter Witch had been a top-tier spirit comparable to Hiran or Edelbach. The group's eyes widened.
No wonder she was such a bitch. Damn it all.
Her excessive power made sense now. To think she'd rival Prince of Wind Hiran. Having seen Hiran firsthand in the mental world, Ronan knew his majesty better than anyone. Rorhon continued.
"If her bond with you, Asel, had progressed further, it wouldn't have ended so easily. Lucky break."
"What's their deal, anyway?"
"Hmm... It's tricky to say outright since we see things differently. I view myself as the bulwark protecting Ijinnu's honor, but she sees me as some wicked inquisitor."
Rorhon fiddled with the pendant that had absorbed the Winter Witch. Inside the transparent icosahedron swirled a blizzard the size of a fingernail. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
"Bulwark?"
"Yes. A bulwark to prevent ugly incidents like today. She lost her dignity completely after falling in love."
Rorhon explained his role was to help her regain her stature as a great spirit. Her fall from grace began with her obsession over someone.
Without a body, the witch had possessed women with exceptional magical talent to seduce him, but failed repeatedly. She must have been quite the catch to tempt a transcendent spirit like that. Ronan asked.
"Right, do you know who she was in love with?"
"No. Even Ijinnu never told me that much. She occasionally mentioned liking white hair and crimson eyes... Come to think of it, yours are crimson too."
Rorhon raised an eyebrow. Ronan didn't respond. He knew exactly two people matching that description: one was Iril, the other the damned traitor who'd stabbed the Savior in the back.
That bastard after all?
For a moment, he wondered if the witch's love was that guy. But that raised another question.
The witch had called the ones who sealed Evelyn in ice "strange thugs." If her beloved was that robed figure, she'd surely know about Nebula Klajee.
Tricky.
Ronan frowned. Moreover, she'd clearly seen the robed figure carve sword marks into the ice but said nothing about it. Just then, Rorhon turned his head as if sensing something.
"Hm, looks like I should head out. I've been away too long."
He seemed to have urgent business. At his level, even 72 hours in a day wouldn't be enough. Glancing between Ronan, Asel, and Erzsebet, he spoke.
"By the way, you're all Phileon Academy students. How's that kid Kratir doing?"
"Busy as hell, no time to breathe. Things should ease up now, though."
"He needs to learn to touch time before his lifespan runs out. I'm worried."
Rorhon smiled wryly. He said Kratir was the only one of his disciples still alive. He shook hands with each, offering blessings. As he grasped Asel's small hand...
"Asel. Care to pursue the truth with me sometime?"
"...Pardon?"
"The world still hides many secrets. On a grand scale, we're all blind and deaf. If you're interested, come to the Twilight Mage Tower after graduation."
Finishing, Rorhon smiled. Something monumental had just breezed by. Asel gaped like a goldfish but found no words.
"W-what do you... Lord Rorhon?"
"Don't neglect your studies at Phileon either. It's the best place for learning. Well, I'll be off."
Clap! Rorhon clapped his hands. Whoooosh! A sudden gale swept through. His body dissolved into the wind like mist and vanished.
"Even his exit is flashy."
Ronan chuckled in disbelief. It all felt like a dream. He half-wondered if Rorhon himself was an illusion.
But Rodolan still floating proved they weren't dreaming. Ronan gazed at the horizon, then hoisted Evelyn onto his back. With the witch captured and Asel rescued, nothing left to do.
"Alright, let's head back."
The group returned to Phileon without fanfare. Itargand carried them. Seeing Itargand's true form in his right mind for the first time, Asel gaped in shock.
"H-huge...!"
"If you're shocked by this, you'd faint seeing Navardoje up close."
Ronan said that, but he could hardly believe it himself. Live and learn. To think he'd ride that red dragon's back. His past self wouldn't have bought it. Itargand spoke.
"Keep your promise when we arrive, Ronan. Teach me how to grow stronger."
"Got it. Just take off already."
The flight lasted about two hours. The sunlight pouring down was warm. The clouds that had blanketed the sky were long gone. Ronan murmured softly.
"It's spring."
The capital appeared in the distance. Fresh green spread like paint across the land reclaimed by spring. The color of earth revealed as snow melted.