The White Wind Howls (7)
The White Wind Howls (7)
#87
I'd skip over the rest.
Because I didn't want to bring back painful memories.
To get straight to the point, Lucien's Unique Magic truly was incredible. Apparently, physical enhancement was not a spell only I could use. Lucien, who had kept one use of her Unique Magic in reserve, hesitated for a moment, then strengthened her body with the power of Eternity and literally hurled me aside.
After that, under the pretext of what Lucien called 'righteous violence,' I was thrashed like a stray dog on a rainy day. Her manner of speaking was as timid as ever, but she seemed genuinely angry. Probably.
Damn.
Still, I was glad she gave me back my eyesight.
Once the lesson disguised as a duel was over, I didn't go back to the tent where I'd collapsed, but instead headed straight for the tent where Lily was. Because in this chaotic future, the only person who fully understood my situation, my sole ally and confidant, was Lily.
***
***
I looked down at Lily, lying there in the quiet, and spoke.
"Lily?"
"........."
Well, I figured as much.
It wasn't strange for her to have collapsed like this after overexerting herself that much. She'd recklessly unleashed spell after spell of that caliber to protect me.
Lily maintained her silence, her right eye still wrapped tightly with a bandage. Outwardly, the body revealing her soft skin seemed unharmed, but from years of solo overexertion, there didn't seem to be a single healthy spot left.
It was a haggard sight that let me understand at a glance just how arduous her path had been all this time.
"Lily, I'm sorry."
"........."
"I should have come sooner."
"............"
"If I'd just gotten here a little sooner, you wouldn't have been hurt this badly. I'm sorry, from your brother."
"........."
"Your brother was a bit of a coward. I won't ever do that again. Can you forgive me?"
"........."
Right.
Why was I asking for forgiveness from someone who had collapsed? This was nothing but self-satisfaction.
I let out a self-deprecating sigh and sat beside Lily. The tent was silent, and only the faint scent of the medicine that seemed to have been used on her slowly settled in the air.
I reached out and carefully touched Lily's cheek.
It was warm. I trusted she'd wake up soon.
That was the exact moment that thought crossed my mind.
"...Brother."
Huh?
My breath caught in my throat.
"If you have something to say, you should say it when a person is awake."
"..."
"Why are you being so gloomy about it."
Reflexively, I bent over and pulled Lily into a hug.
"W, whoa—"
"I'm really glad."
Lily's body stiffened for a moment. Had I been holding her for about ten seconds? Lily tapped me lightly on the side with one hand.
"Brother, I can't breathe..."
"Ah, sorry."
I hastily pulled away, and Lily averted her gaze with a strangely sheepish expression. Her cheeks seemed ever so slightly flushed, but with the tent's dim lighting, I couldn't be sure if it was real.
"So, where is this place?"
"It seems to be an army gathered around House Eurasia. Countess Cassian Eurasia said she would assist our journey and assign two successors from the Count Houses to us."
"Eurasia?"
"Yes."
Lily's single remaining eye shook intensely.
"Th, then who's coming with us? Is Eurasia's successor joining as well?"
"Yes. Estelle, the successor of Eurasia, and Lucien, the successor of Verciel, will be accompanying us."
"............ I see. It was unavoidable, I suppose."
What was with that reaction?
With those words, Lily said nothing for a while.
She just stared at me blankly, then very slowly leaned against me.
"Come on."
"What?"
"You know what."
"Are you sure your body is okay?"
The tent became quiet.
From outside, only the faint noise of the military camp could be heard, and inside, only our breathing was close. It was probably like that. Probably.
So I carefully reached out and brushed Lily's hair back.
Lily didn't dodge my hand; she slowly, very slowly, rubbed her cheek against my fingers.
And so we said no more useless words.
***
***
"Nnya."
What the. My body felt heavy.
Ah, right.
I slowly lowered my gaze to find Lily there, chewing on her own hair. The blanket had already rolled off the bed, and to fight the cold air, the kitten-girl was clinging tightly to my body.
Still, Lily seemed to be deep in sleep, mumbling strange sounds like "Mmmh... Nhhn..." as she buried herself in the crook of my arm. She showed no sign of waking up any time soon.
The faint morning sunlight filtering through the tent's fabric was spreading inside— but just a little, just a little more. Wouldn't it be okay to indulge in this luxury a little longer?
Then, I would try to go back to sle—
"Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"
??????
Something crashed backwards with a clatter near the tent entrance.
"E-eek!! Y-you're, you're undressed!! Why are you undressed!!!"
My eyes flew open, dammit. The source of the scream was Lucien.
"Excuse me, just a moment—"
"Stay awayyy!!!"
Lucien had her eyes squeezed shut and was covering her face with both hands, though it oddly looked as if she could see everything through her fingers.
"No, wait a second. We're originally—"
"Don't make excuses!!! You pervert!! I knew it!! L-Lucien knows everything! Get away from Lilyyy!!!"
The hell do you know, you bastard.
I wanted to grab her head and beat her senseless, but the most urgent issue had to be dealt with first. Lucien's voice was loud enough to announce to the entire neighborhood, 'We slept here!'
At this rate, it was obvious that Estelle, Cassian, and the other mages beyond them would all swarm toward this tent.
"So, just listen carefully. We're originally a thing—"
At that moment, I felt a small movement from the kitten beside me.
Lily slowly opened her eyes.
"...Mmm..."
And surveyed the situation.
Me, Lily herself, and lastly Lucien.
.........
Lily closed her eyes tightly and said,
"...Get out."
"H, hiiiieee...???"
"I said get out."
"Y, yes ma'aaaam!!!!"
Flutter——
The fabric serving as the tent's door shook violently.
And silence returned.
I couldn't say anything for a long moment.
Of course, Lily had her face still buried in my arm.
"... Brother."
"Yeah?"
"When I'm sleeping, keep quiet."
"Yes."
That was how a new morning began in the Eurasia military camp.
#88
"Is everyone gathered?"
Cassian Eurasia looked at us and spoke in a gallant voice.
This was inside the largest tent erected in the very center of the camp. As expected, this place smelled like a battlefield.
Not exactly the smell of blood, but the maps laid out here and there, the communication device running on mana stones, the various magic equipment lined up along the walls, and the couriers constantly coming and going— it all showed that this place was the heart of the military camp.
On the large table in the center, a giant map depicting the terrain of central Arcanum had been spread open.
I stood beside Lily and let out a long breath. Lily's eye still didn't seem fully healed, as she kept a hand lightly pressed over the bandage covering her right eye. Estelle was looking down at the map with a blank expression.
Only Lucien kept a strange distance from me, fidgeting and sneaking glances this way. But it was so obvious that honestly, I almost let out a laugh. I had a feeling my ties with this woman were going to stretch on in a very strange direction.
Cassian slowly swept her gaze over the four of us, then pointed at the map with her finger.
"I will now explain the plan for the expedition."
Cassian's fingertip slowly traced the massive siege line surrounding the Academy in the center of the map.
"The opposition is already monitoring our movements. Right now, only House Etchellan likely knows the whereabouts of Lily and the First Deviant, but as a little more time passes, soon all of our enemies will know as well."
"When you say enemies..."
"I mean the various factions. The fallen Count Houses, the Hunters, mad mages and other Deviators. All manner of forces will be targeting you and coming after you."
"As you say, it would be impossible to break through that siege net and reach the House of the Great Ones."
Lily calmly questioned him.
"If we had no help at all, that would be true."
Then what was he suggesting?
"The Eurasia military camp will launch a full-scale offensive against the enemy lines surrounding central Arcanum."
Excuse me?
"Caught off guard by an unexpected preemptive strike, the enemies' attention will be entirely focused on this front. You will take that opportunity to slip past the siege lines."
Estelle picked up where he left off.
"However, this operation has one weakness."
"What is it?"
"House Etchellan already knows that Do-yun is here, doesn't it? They will probably realize this is a diversion."
"Then doesn't that mean the operation is bound to fail?"
"No. Etchellan wants to monopolize Do-yun. They are unlikely to share that information with the other factions immediately."
Ah. In that case—
"If we shake off only Etchellan's pursuers, we can escape safely."
"Exactly."
Easy enough to say...
I looked over the enormous encirclement on the map again. If every red mark represented enemy forces... wasn't this plan far too flimsy?
"Wait a moment."
When I raised my hand, Cassian turned her gaze toward me.
"I understand all of that, but the four of us still have to walk quite a distance through the middle of enemy territory. Won't we simply get caught? Anyone would find us suspicious."
Estelle spoke as though she had been waiting for my question.
"I will handle that."
"Pardon?"
"The concealment."
She placed a fingertip at the center of the encirclement on the map and continued.
"My Unique Magic is 『Contract』. In versatility alone, I can confidently say it ranks among the finest Unique Magic in all of Arcanum."
"..."
"A Stealth spell for the four of us would be trivial. Of course, that would change if the enemy possessed someone whose Unique Magic specialized in search and detection."
"E-even so, once the full-scale battle starts and the entire front falls into chaos, things will be different... E-Estelle is strong."
It still seemed dangerous...
Perhaps reading my expression, Cassian addressed me.
"First Deviant, no operation is without danger."
I couldn't argue with that...
She pointed at the map again and summarized.
"Your expedition has one clear objective. Bring Lily Rosenheim and the First Deviant to the House of the Great Oneness."
The air inside the tent grew heavier.
Cassian paused for a beat before continuing.
"Lily will open the door, and the First Deviant will enter. In the place where the Book of Fate was written, find a way to repair this damned world. As things stand, we have no choice but to stake everything on that single possibility."
...Stake everything on one possibility. The idea of wagering every life here on a single uncertain chance bothered me deeply. Cassian read my expression again and said,
"The world is ruined anyway. Don't burden yourself. Go without worry. I will handle matters here. Do you truly think we would lose to that rabble?"
That was admittedly rather impressive.
"That does not mean I am telling you to charge in without thought. To raise that uncertain possibility even slightly, every role in the expedition must be clear. Estelle!"
"Yes, Mother."
"You are the expedition's brain. Use your highly versatile Unique Magic to lead them along the safest route. Final judgment in the field for all matters will rest with you."
"Understood."
"Next, Lily."
"..."
"You will handle detection. Use your soul-manipulating Unique Magic to read the enemies' positions and movements. Keep track of the surroundings so the expedition does not lose its way amid the confusion of battle."
"...Yes."
"Finally, Lucien."
"H-hyit. Yees..."
Lucien straightened her back in surprise.
"You will provide decisive force at the critical moment."
"Yees, Lady Eurasia."
?
That was unexpected.
"Lucien, your Unique Magic consumes too much power, so conserve as much as possible under normal circumstances. Do not exhaust yourself by stepping forward unnecessarily."
"U-understood..."
"The two in front of you will handle ordinary combat. You will act only when a powerful enemy appears."
Was I last?
I unnecessarily cleared my throat before asking Cassian,
"Then what about me?"
Cassian's gaze turned toward me as naturally as could be.
"You will do nothing."
Hm?
"If you, the First Deviant, die, the expedition ends there. Consider the moment you attempt to display your strength your final moment. It is not that I distrust you, but the world contains more powerful beings beyond anything you have seen than there are stars in the sky."
"But at least—"
"There is no 'at least.' Survive somehow while the three of them protect you. In the worst case, you may use my daughter and Lucien as sacrificial pieces."
If she was going that far...
"Understood."
When I answered reluctantly, Cassian gave the slightest nod.
"Good. The offensive begins soon—twenty minutes from now, when the sun reaches its height. We will strike the center of the enemy with the siege Magic Circle concealed in the sun, and your expedition will escape through the confusion caused by the attack."
.........
"Any questions?"
"None."
As though she had been waiting for that answer, Cassian turned away.
"Good. Our meeting ends here. I wish you fortune in battle. And Estelle—you need not return. Fulfill your duty without bringing shame upon our ancestors."
"Yes, Mother."
With those words, we left Cassian's command tent.
***
***
Once we emerged from Cassian's tent, the Eurasia encampment was chaos itself. Messengers raced madly through it while mages honed the catalysts and other mages they would use as the Netherworld for their Unique Magic.
So this was what preparing for war looked like.
It was the kind of atmosphere that set a man's blood boiling. Whenever I watched movies, I had often wanted to fight in a place like this myself. Of course, fighting was not our objective.
This was only a diversion meant to open the road to the House of the Great Oneness.
Bwooooooooooooooooooooo————————
A low, prolonged horn blast rang across the entire encampment as though tearing it open.
While the horn continued without end, the whole camp began moving in perfect order.
White banners bearing the golden lion of Eurasia rose, followed slowly into the air by the standards of every subordinate force. This was what they called the Commencement of War.
Golden formations unfolded beyond the sky, and each unit dispersed toward its assigned position with the smoothness of flowing water.
"From this point on, follow only my instructions."
"Y-yes."
"Keep your answers short."
"Yes, ma'am."
"U-um... About what they said during the meeting..."
"What about it?"
Lucien hesitated for a moment, then whispered very quietly to me.
"L-Lucien would be troubled too if Do-yun died..."
"Right. We're sharing the same fate now, so let's get along."
"D-don't do anything strange..."
Of course. I doubted I would ever become close to her.
Lily said nothing. She simply walked quietly beside me, gently pressing the bandage over the eye that had not fully healed.
When I looked at her, Lily glanced back with her remaining left eye.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Focus. Look ahead."
Commence the offensive! Fire——!!!!!!!!
The brief command was followed by a roar that tore through the sky.
High above, beyond the white clouds...
Only when the sun had risen high enough did I understand what Cassian had meant by a siege Magic Circle concealed in the sun.
Something was faintly mingled with the rays of sunlight.
Tens of thousands of golden lines—so thin and intricate that human eyes could barely distinguish them—filled the heavens as a vast Magic Circle.
It was probably enormous collective magic formed by every mage here. Their individual Unique Magic had become a great wave, fully prepared to strike the enemy.
Rrrrrrumble———
The sky split apart.
A thin golden line shone at the center of the red sun. In the next moment, it flowed into tens of thousands of formations and unleashed blinding golden light.
"Whoa..."
Admiration escaped me without thought.
The rest of the expedition reacted little differently.
The siege magic Cassian had prepared truly was divine judgment.
A condensed judgment of a god, with heat, mass, and magical power themselves extended into a single pillar.
The instant it plunged vertically into the center of the distant enemy lines—
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!
The entire world overturned with a roar that split the heavens.
The delayed blast of hot wind followed, whipping our hair and clothing violently backward.
KRRRRRRAAAAAAANG————!!!!!!!!
As the pressure wave from the distant impact reached us, Estelle's command came through, almost completely buried beneath the roar.
"Noooow!!!!!! Everyone, run!!!!!!!!"
More precisely, I could not hear her words clearly, but I understood from the shape of Estelle's mouth.
We kicked off the ground and ran at the same time.
I did not know what awaited us beyond those lines,
but I prayed our expedition would succeed.
With that wish, I headed toward enemy territory.