Chapter 442
Chapter 442
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Lighthouse
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“What is that?”
A small tower rose in the middle of the lake. It definitely hadn’t been there just a few days ago. It tapered upward like a lighthouse, and an extraordinary aura emanated from near the top.
Erzsebet let out a sinister chuckle.
“Ehehe... It’s the masterpiece of my lifetime that I made with Mom. You’ll be surprised when you go inside, won’t you?”
I swallowed the words I’d been about to say. The fact that she didn’t even think to correct the “Mom” title showed just how exhausted she was. I’d been about to ask how we were supposed to get there without a boat.
“Invisible Hand.”
“Ah.”
Erzsebet chanted the spell. As I always thought, being a mage was awfully convenient.
An invisible hand lifted her body into the air.
We slowly crossed the sky above the lake, which had turned into a blue mirror. The breeze brushing my nape felt refreshing. Every time a fish leaped out, wide ripples spread across the surface.
“......I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, Erzsebet spoke up.
“Huh?”
“When you were talking with the family head in the drawing room. I realized I hadn’t apologized to you, Ronan. That was wrong of me...”
She mumbled with her eyes downcast. Her fidgety demeanor, so unlike her usual self, was actually pretty cute. After a long apology, Erzsebet bowed her head.
“I’m truly sorry and grateful in so many ways. I’ll never forget this favor.”
“Damn, and here I thought it was something serious.”
A hollow laugh escaped me. It was an apology and thanks for everything that had happened over the past few days.
To make a point of this instead of just letting it slide—how many high-society nobles had hearts as pure as hers?
“Don’t worry about it. We’re the type who liked the same person, after all.”
“The same person...... Yeah, you’re right.”
Erzsebet smiled faintly. Her gaze, which had been nervously licking her lips, turned to the sky. The real blue sky where Adeshan now was.
“That’s not all. I genuinely think of you as a friend. Our tastes seem pretty similar, too.”
“Huh?”
“I accidentally saw your collection. The family head must’ve bundled them up to throw away as trash... Whoa, just kill me already.”
I gave her two thumbs up. The bundle of waste paper I’d found in the trash was definitely the suspicious books Adrian had dug out from under Erzsebet’s bed.
Before Didikan invented the camera, they were all drawings or comics, but it was proof that human imagination could sink to endlessly depraved depths.
“Oh my god, that kind of...!”
Erzsebet clapped her hand over her mouth. She was so flustered she didn’t even deny it. Her pale face flushed red like a peach.
“Some of them were pretty impressive. It was striking that all the models had black hair. As expected from the legitimate heir of a great family—something’s different. Especially the one with the military uniform and garter belt; it was nothing short of noble...”
“F-Forgot it! Forget it right now!”
“How am I supposed to forget when you’ve collected only the unforgettable ones?”
“Kyaaah!”
Erzsebet lunged at me like a witch, arms outstretched. I lightly twisted my shoulder to dodge. By the time the limp Erzsebet was panting for breath...
“Hehe, what a nice sight. Have you two gotten closer in the meantime?”
A familiar voice came from below my feet.
Family head Adrian stood demurely at the tower’s entrance, hands clasped. Erzsebet and I called a temporary truce and landed. Adrian, facing me, smiled with her mouth covered by a fan.
“It’s been just two days, hasn’t it, Ronan? I’ve been waiting.”
“Good to see you too. What’s all this?”
“Hehe, it’s the culmination of Acalusia’s magical engineering. Shall we go inside?”
Adrian opened the tower door. It was a simple outer door barely wide enough for one person. She was dressed like Erzsebet, in a shirt and long pants.
Is it really a lighthouse?
Puzzled, I followed her anyway. Climbing the spiral stairs to the top led to an empty room with just a single chair. The dome-shaped ceiling was entirely glass, engraved with geometric patterns that looked like magic circles.
What the hell is this?
I was baffled. Honestly, up until now, it had only looked like a facility for treating mental patients.
My lowly brain could only imagine Eri suddenly smashing the back of my head with a wooden plank, tying me to that chair, and pulling out my nails one by one. While interrogating me about whether I’d done anything shady with her sister Adeshan and her fiancé.
I was lost in those stray thoughts when...
“Ronan. We’ve prepared two gifts for you.”
Adrian approached me. In her hand was a wooden box that looked extremely expensive.
“Two gifts?”
“Yes. After you dispelled Acalusia’s darkness, this is the least we could do. The first gift is this mana tracker.”
The lid of the box opened. On a silk lining sat a glass orb the size of a cherry. At its core floated a pointed needle, swaying freely in all directions.
“Mana tracker?”
“Yes. It works on the same principle as bloodline needles, but without drawing blood, so it’s much simpler and faster to designate a target. Its spherical shape makes it easy to find enemies in the air or underground. Press the button where the target’s mana lingers, and it automatically collects and activates.”
“Nice. I’ll put it to good use.”
I quickly pocketed the mana tracker (whoever named it?). It was definitely a useful tool. Getting blood from an unprecedentedly powerful foe like Akasha was a hassle in itself. The best part was that it activated with just a button—no tedious procedures.
“Thanks. This is more than enough already, but what’s the second one?”
“This lighthouse. It’s something my daughter and I created after much deliberation and research. We barely completed it by disassembling and reassembling dozens of magic tools related to detection and tracking.”
Adrian placed her hand on the wall as she spoke.
I could sense confidence in her proud expression. Now that I looked, she seemed as exhausted as Erzsebet. No way it was actually a lighthouse—did it serve a similar function?
Scanning the surroundings, I shrugged.
“Well, thanks anyway. But I have no clue how to use it.”
“Hehe... The best explanation is a demonstration, so let’s activate it right away. Would you sit in this chair?”
“Sure.”
I did as she said. Fortunately, no wooden plank hit the back of my head. The moment I rested my arms on the armrests and leaned back, electricity coursed through my body, and everything went dark. Then, a translucent glass window appeared before my eyes.
“Shit, what?!”
I yelped in surprise. The glass window floated ethereally. Curious, I reached out, but my hand passed right through it, swinging in empty air. To use an expression I hadn’t in a while, it felt like a ghost tweaking my nipple.
Adrian’s voice echoed in the darkness.
“Calm down, Ronan. It’s just automatically darkened to help you focus. We’re all still in our original positions.”
“There’s a ghost window in front of me.”
“That’s the screen for the phantasm. From now on, you must concentrate extremely hard. Even with the lighthouse assisting your thoughts, you still have to visualize it yourself.”
“Phantasm? Visualization?”
“Yes. We pondered how to track an enemy whose location and material clues we don’t have. After three days of agonizing, Eri found the answer. Concentrate on the target you want to track, and the scenery around them will appear in the window before you.”
“M-Mom...! I told you not to call me that in front of others!”
That explained why the mother-daughter duo looked so tired. Amid Erzsebet’s embarrassment came the sound of light smacks. She definitely needed some sleep.
In any case, the new invention’s function was intriguing.
“That’s awesome. What’s the principle?”
“It converts the concept of thought into mana and emits it. The magic circle on the roof spreads mana infused with memory across the world, and it only returns when it matches the target’s wavelength. If you’d like a more detailed explanation...”
“No, no need.”
I quickly shook my head. Her excited tone suggested she’d go on forever if given the chance.
“Sorry. Why’d I even ask a question I wouldn’t understand anyway? Should I just do it?”
“Yes. I’ll assist from the side to prevent mishaps. Close your eyes and focus on the target... Recall memories tied to that mage Akasha’s features. Until only he remains in your mind...”
Adrian’s voice grew solemn. I closed my eyes and did as instructed.
Akasha’s horrific appearance began taking shape in the darkness. The glossy mask like a mirror, his height rivaling a werewolf’s, his gaunt limbs, and the six inverse eyes gleaming with malice.
What are you, Akasha?
Concentrating wasn’t hard. The ill-fated connection spanning three parallel worlds wouldn’t fade even if I tried to forget it. Like the busty models in Erzsebet’s secret magazines.
Having solidified Akasha’s appearance, I next recalled our battles. At first, I’d only been beaten one-sidedly, but now I could somewhat hold my own. It was amazing how the clashes from the previous life flashed by like a panorama.
Seniel exploding over a red sea. A mountain turning into a crater from a single point. The pale castle reduced to ruins.
In the abyss he’d created, I fell endlessly, endlessly.
The moment my sword qi, slicing through the darkness, cut Akasha’s leg and the rift...
“......!”
Suddenly, brightness seeped through my eyelids. I snapped my eyes open and gasped. A clear scene appeared over the foggy window, like breath on glass.
“This is...”
An alien structure stood on pristine white snowfields. The building, like an inverted right triangle driven into the ground, was built with ancient technology. At the entrance, which opened only with a password, a white-haired elf looked anxiously at the sky.
I knew her.
“......Elsia.”
She was a high executive of Nebula Klage who held to her convictions until the end. The phantasm meant Akasha was nearby, but she hadn’t noticed yet—no signs of alarm.
Suddenly, I realized. At this point in time, she should still be alive.
The person I hadn’t been able to save in the previous life.
“Goddamn it.”
I shot up like I’d been burned. The surroundings brightened instantly, revealing Erzsebet and Adrian. The magic circle on the glass dome flashed with brilliant colors.
“R-Ronan?”
“Are you alright? Your expression...”
The two women approached cautiously. Even after standing from the chair, the window with the scenery was visible, as if the phantasm lingered. I stared at it blankly before muttering as I exhaled the breath I’d held.
“......Father.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s where my father is.”