Reunited with Lua (5)
After carrying Lua to her room and laying her down, I was seized by an overwhelming curiosity.
But this was not the sort of question that could be answered by thinking alone.
“Master. Are you listening?”
“If you wish to hear me, then I can listen.”
Before I knew it, Master Merlin was sitting in the chair in my room, watching me.
“You can manipulate time, can’t you, Master?”
“Of course! It’s nothing at all.”
“Then I want to know. Why my little sister Lua came to like me so much. And how she eventually came to hate me. Please help me.”
Master stared at me for a long moment, then suddenly clapped her hands with a sharp sound and rose from her seat.
“It’s time to learn magic!”
“Right now?”
“Yes. We should begin with the fundamentals, shouldn’t we? My foolish disciple. What do you think mana is?”
“A mysterious energy that exists in the world. It makes the impossible possible.”
“And how did you use mana in your previous life?”
“I mainly used it to strengthen and toughen my body. I also infused it into equipment.”
“Exactly.”
Master, now standing, began to pace back and forth across the room.
“What do humans mean when they speak of magic?”
“Creating flames, freezing the surroundings solid… That’s when people use the word magic.”
“The humans of this world are far too trapped by preconceived notions. Anything done with mana is essentially magic.”
With a single wave of her hand, the scenery before my eyes completely changed.
The sky torn to shreds, now a gateway to the demon realm. The city below it, vanished without a trace.
Magic stones burning crimson from above. And me, standing on the battlefield as the hero alongside the mercenary knight order.
The memory of that final battle was one of the scenes I could never forget.
“Lord Erewon, do we really have to fight something like that? It’s on an unprecedented scale.”
The demon army pouring from the gate, covering both sky and earth.
Deputy Commander Lezar clicked his tongue at the sight.
I grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder.
“If you’re scared, run now while you can. I was chosen as the hero, so I can’t flee, but you lot are different, aren’t you?”
“Talk sense. Even if I had to give up every beer in the world, I could never give up Lord Erewon.”
“I’m better than all the beer in the world? To love me that much… I’m tearing up… Urk!”
“You two uncles, stop it already! It’s not even funny!”
At that moment, Pine slapped both me and Lezar hard on the back.
Thanks to her diligent training, her hand carried real weight.
Given that her targets were me and Lezar, anything less than a solid hit would have had no effect anyway.
“Why? The worse the situation, the more you need to laugh to be first-rate. And ‘uncles’? Even if we’re talking about Lezar, I’m still…”
“Lord Erewon, I told you to stop saying unfunny things. The two of you are no longer merely the leaders of our knight order. Look behind you.”
Humans, elves, dwarves, fairies…
The armies of every race from the middle world had gathered.
Though they were different species, they shared one common trait.
Every last one of them was trembling in fear.
“This is bad. If they’re this terrified before the fight even begins, they won’t be able to show even half their true strength.”
“It wasn’t by choice, but you are still the hero, Lord Erewon. Perhaps you should give them a speech?”
“Do I look like someone who’d be good at that?”
“Hmm… Better not. On second thought, it’s probably best if you don’t.”
Just then, a brilliant radiance appeared in the sky above the assembled allied forces.
“Now that’s a spectacle. With something like that possible, there’s no need for a hollow hero like me to step forward.”
“Everyone, please listen to my voice!”
The one flying at the center of that light was the Saint, Anais.
She who had prophesied the demon army’s crossing of the world line and, having received the favor of the God of Light, awakened as His daughter.
Large white wings crafted from holy power fluttered behind her.
“This is the end. If we win this battle, we can send that wicked horde back to their own world.”
Her earnest voice encouraged the allied forces.
What made Saint Anais’s voice special was that every word she spoke was filled with absolute sincerity, without the slightest trace of falsehood.
“I am afraid as well. But if we fail here, not only ourselves but our friends and families will be captured and violated by them. That fear is greater, which is why I stand on this battlefield. Everyone, take heart. For our sakes, for the sake of our world, let us advance. The God of Light, Father Lungran, is with us!”
As Anais cried out, the light descended from the heavens and enveloped the allied army.
The warm holy power seeped into our bodies, filling us with mana and surging strength.
The allied soldiers could not hide their excitement at the miracle occurring within them.
It was the same for me and my knight order comrades.
Pine, deeply moved, wiped away the tears that had begun to fall.
“As expected of the Saint. She’s completely different from us fighting uncles.”
“How am I supposed to compete with that? Still, this light is special. It doesn’t merely strengthen the body—it even drives away fear.”
“Indeed. Right now I feel like I could take on a corps commander!”
“Lezar, don’t. We have to survive and go drink beer.”
“It was just a figure of speech.”
Having finished her speech, Anais flew over and landed beside me.
“You’ve worked hard, Saint.”
“I simply did what needed to be done. Now, Hero, please give the order to advance.”
“Understood.”
I took a deep breath and reinforced my vocal cords and throat with mana.
“Allied forces, advance! Today we drive those vicious demon bastards from this world!”
At my shout, the advance began.
The allied army charged as one while mages and priests prepared massive spells from the rear to support them.
I may not have a way with words, but on the battlefield I can prove myself more clearly than anyone.
Standing at the very front of the entire allied force, I poured magic power into my lower body and kicked off the ground, soaring high into the sky.
I compressed more and more power into my beloved sword, Regret.
“I’ll carve the path!”
I hurled Regret with all my strength into the heart of the demon army.
The sword embedded itself in the ground, and a massive explosion erupted, obliterating every demon in the surrounding area.
“What an excellent scene.”
Watching myself in action, tears welled in my eyes.
If the deceased could witness their own funeral and hear their achievements recited, would they feel this way?
“That’s enough.”
“Ugh. It was such a good scene.”
Master paid no attention to my complaint and waved her hand, erasing the memory completely.
“Name every instance of magic you saw in that memory.”
“The Saint’s holy magic and the mages’ rear support spells. Those two.”
“Really? That’s all?”
“Those were the ones that stood out the most… Do I need to count even the tiny ones that were barely visible?”
Master let out a sigh.
“This is exactly why human magic develops so slowly. Strengthening your throat to amplify your voice, compressing power into your sword—those are all magic. Anything done with mana is magic.”
“But if that’s all magic, then…”
“Then?”
“Why can’t mages do things with their bodies, and why can’t those who fight with their bodies use magic?”
“Simple. Their bodies and minds have become rigid in that direction. That’s why I regressed you to your childhood. To reshape your thoughts and body from a young age.”
After speaking, Master lightly snapped her fingers, and my body collapsed limply onto the bed.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Stay still.”
She snapped her fingers once more, and my clothes removed themselves, folding themselves neatly at the side of the bed.
Master climbed over my fallen body and sat atop my stomach.
Then she placed her index finger on my chin and slowly traced downward all the way to my navel.
The touch was soft, yet dangerously sensual.
“U-ugh…”
“Ah, truly splendid. A spotless young body really is the perfect vessel. Uhehe…”
Even though she was a transcendent being, Master currently wore the appearance of a beautiful woman.
And with that mischievous expression on her face, my mind went completely blank.
“What exactly are you trying to do!”
“Uhehe, don’t worry.”
“When you laugh like that and tell me not to worry, how am I supposed to believe you?”
“I won’t eat you. It does look delicious, but today is not the day.”
“Wait. ‘Today’?”
“Aren’t you tired from all that thinking? Sleep deeply. I’ll let you dream the dream you wanted. When you wake, everything will be over.”
With those final words, my vision blurred.
Beyond the fading sight, a voice reached me.
“Brother, you may return now. To my side.”
Lua’s voice.
Unlike when she was young, it had grown far more mature.
“If I could, I would. But you are the emperor of the empire, and I am the heir to a ruined kingdom. If someone like me stayed by your side, what would people say?”
“That doesn’t matter. I am the emperor. My word is law. If I desire you, brother, who could possibly object? Let them grumble behind our backs if they wish. They would never dare open their mouths in my presence.”
“If I return to your side, what of the people following me now?”
“I will accept them all. Absorbing a single mercenary knight order is nothing to the empire I rule.”
“Those people rose up against the tyranny of the king they once served. You want me to drag them by force under an emperor?”
“I don’t need them. Discard them all. Are such things important right now? You and I are the last remaining blood of Soleil in this world. Our family consists of only the two of us now!”
“We are no longer children. We must not think only of ourselves, but of the people who believe in us and follow us.”
“You’re not… serious, are you? Tell me you’re not.”
“Lua, we’ve come too far. Solea was destroyed long ago. I must now take care of the new people who follow me. I will bless both you and your empire.”