Don't do things you weren't asked to. (2)
Don't do things you weren't asked to. (2)
The magic books were filled entirely with metaphors and allegories about a whole new world.
Since magic began with imagination in the first place, it was only natural.
As Alicia had said, there were many things written about formulas, arithmetic expressions, and magic circles, but most of it was incomprehensible.
It was the Archmage's study.
There was no way there would be ordinary magic books or basic theories.
Although everything he saw while flipping through the pages was nothing but text close to an alien language, Kael read and read again.
His extraordinary talent, strangely enough, never forgot anything related to magic books.
He devoured the magic books as if forcing information into his head.
Beyond the window of Alicia's office, which had been filled with soft moonlight, a purple sky was reflecting.
The sun was rising.
Only then did his head feel a bit painful.
He wanted to get some fresh air, he wanted to apologize to Alicia, and....
Aria and Laika.
He wanted to tell them both that he was sorry for showing them such an unsightly side of himself.
Kael put the magic book back in its place and carefully stepped out of the office door.
'...Do they dislike me studying magic?'
The thought that had briefly entered his mind was soon let go with a sigh.
Even if they didn't want him to learn magic, the courage to be hated arose because he thought about his mothers chanting magic spells, sobbing, and grieving while having nightmares, just like on that night when he was five.
Even if they hate me, even if it's something they dislike.
I want to be of help to my mothers.
The admirable and mature thought soon made Kael feel a little better.
If such scenes could be prevented even a little, he would be satisfied with just that.
Kael walked outside and looked for the most beautiful flowers among the ones blooming in abundance.
'Mom Alicia would definitely like them too.'
Just as swords were stuck in the streets of the Mayhead territory.
If you walk a little past the garden of the Mayhead mansion, flowers are spread out across an endlessly long field.
The single mansion and garden placed on the field were created by the Empire for an ancient hero to take a rest.
It was said that they moved the swords from the field, which were originally stuck there to honor the fallen, to the streets and planted the field full of flowers.
They said it was because they didn't want the person resting to look at the swords and recall painful pasts.
Kael nodded at Aria's words, which he had heard in passing.
All kinds of flowers existed. Cute squirrels and insects like ladybugs flew around.
At night, fireflies twinkled, so anyone would feel better looking at the beautiful field.
He thought that surely, he might be able to wash away some of the pain he had experienced so far.
"Huu-."
Kael's heart also felt much lighter.
The harsh words Alicia spat out yesterday were also because I didn't listen.
I hadn't even finished things like math or engineering, or the things that help with calculations.
My mothers had told me several times that there was an order to things, but I didn't listen.
When he tried to understand, it wasn't something he couldn't understand.
In the place where I originally lived, there were many things worse than this.
"Ugh, no. Let's not think about the past."
Kael tapped his cheeks lightly and shook his head.
Anyway, he had adapted to the life of staying with his mothers, and he actually considered the three of them his parents.
It was better not to think about things that unnecessarily shook his heart.
He walked for a while, and when the wind blew, he closed his eyes and felt the wind.
He hadn't noticed it because he was always close to his mothers' body heat, but it felt a bit chilly.
Thinking of his mothers, who had always taken the wind for him, he felt his chest warm up.
Kael walked through the field, keeping that warmth in his heart.
He looked for beautiful things.
He saw red and blue dancing flowers that Alicia might like, straight-stretched leaves that Laika might like, and a cross-shaped twig that Aria might find interesting.
However, would they even like gifts like this?
In the end, thinking that if he was going to give a gift for his mothers, he wanted to give something a little prettier, Kael walked one step further into the field.
As a result, he ended up approaching the edge of the boundary magic that Alicia had spread out.
Kael still hadn't found anything he liked enough.
Bzzt-.
As if it were natural to be able to do so. He passed through the boundary magic that he normally wouldn't have been able to penetrate.
He wasn't worried.
It wasn't his first time going outside the Mayhead territory, and when he was with his mothers, no problems ever occurred.
If you walk past the field, a shallow river flowing calmly appears.
Because he remembered that inside the river water, which held the sunlight, there were stones shining beautifully like jewels.
Like that, he found the river he often visited with his mothers.
It was when he found and picked up a green jade that shone softly through the transparent river water.
"Grrr-."
A wolf's growl was heard.
The field beyond the Mayhead mansion, and the empty space between the Mayhead territory.
They were the owners of the empty space, living in the space that had been left empty for the hero.
...
The mothers only woke up around the time Kael left the mansion.
In terms of time, it was dawn, around the time the sun was rising, so they had woken up a bit earlier than usual.
Alicia had fallen asleep in Aria's arms, but she hadn't slept very comfortably.
The pillowcase was damply soaked.
Even though she was awake and sitting on the bed, Alicia remained with her eyes closed without a word.
Aria was sitting next to such an Alicia, looking at her with worry.
"Alicia...."
Alicia didn't show much reaction even to Aria's voice.
Because she was comforting herself, saying that since she did it for Kael, there was no need to be sad.
Because if she was sad, it would seem like she had done something she shouldn't have.
"Are you okay? Hmm? I'm worried, please talk to me."
"...I, I'm fine. I'm more worried about Kael than myself. Where is Kael?"
"He said he was sleeping with Laika."
"He'll be here soon."
"You know, Alicia. Yesterday, there was a reason you spoke to Kael like that, right...? I don't know much about mana, so..."
Alicia recalled yesterday's events and trembled without realizing it.
She clasped her hands together to reduce the trembling a little, and continued speaking as if afraid.
"...Kael engraved three Circles at once. Surely, he wouldn't be able to adapt to the mana... I thought he might die..."
"Ye, yeah...!?"
"...Instead, he was fine. Perhaps because he was once poisoned by mana, he instinctively controlled the 'Circle'."
"Is, is that, possible...?"
"I don't know either. Because I've never done it."
Aria only then understood Alicia's reaction from yesterday a little bit.
Because controlling a Circle was the same as controlling 'Divine Power'.
Because it meant the same thing as Kael being able to bestow blessings and prayers less than a year after awakening his Divine Power.
"Kael is, he's too outstanding. Why, why can't we smile happily for him...?"
The moment Aria spoke despondently, Laika entered the office with a creak- sound.
The elf, who hadn't slept comfortably like the two mothers, had a face full of worry.
Laika saw Alicia and saw the damply soaked pillowcase.
"...Since we promised, I'll do it from now on."
"That won't work. We have to do it together."
However, Alicia just shook her head at Laika's words.
"...We have to make Kael give up magic, prayer, and archery somehow. Alone won't work."
"Someone has to let Kael lean on them."
"It'll be enough to let him lean on us when we're not teaching him."
"Kael will have such a hard time, Alicia. So, you and Aria..."
"I said no!"
Alicia, who knew Kael's talent better than anyone, shouted as if trembling with fear.
Silence flowed, and the tick-, tock-. sound of the clock hand moving and catching filled the bedroom.
Laika silently pulled out a chair and sat near the table, and Aria held Alicia's hand, looking at her two colleagues with anxious eyes.
Laika carefully parted her lips again.
"...Alicia, think about it carefully. Kael is still a child. He loves us more than himself. If we all suddenly change and act like we did yesterday... How can Kael grow up well?"
"If he is to go to the battlefield according to the Prophecy, it's better for him to be in pain now."
"That's what I'm saying. I said I would make him hurt, make him give it up, right? That's why I'm asking for at least one person to embrace Kael."
"...No."
On the battlefield, they used to argue slowly and emotions would escalate.
Strangely, when the fact that 'Kael' was hurting and sad was involved, the mothers immediately sharpened their blades.
It was because Alicia had seen Kael's future.
And because Laika had seen the tears welling up in the corners of Kael's eyes as he pushed her away last night.
"...Are you saying that because you don't know how hard Kael had it yesterday?"
Laika recalled Kael pushing her away last night.
She asked back nervously, overcome with emotion without realizing it.
"How sad that little child was...."
'I'll take on the role of the "villain," so asking to at least let him lean on another mom isn't such a wrong thing to say, is it?'
Just as she was about to talk about what she saw yesterday to persuade Alicia.
"...Stop it, everyone."
Aria pointed outside the window and stopped the two.
"First, let's feed Kael breakfast and talk again. Okay?"
Although Laika sighed, she left the bedroom to follow Aria's words first.
Alicia also left the bedroom to apologize to Kael for yesterday's events.
And, not long after, they realized.
"...Huh?"
That Kael wasn't in the bedroom.
What they saw was an empty bed.
And only the warmth of the sheets, which had gone cold as if he had left the mansion a long time ago.
"...Where is Kael, Laika?"
"...He, he definitely said he was sleeping alone, but..."
"What on earth do you mean he said he was sleeping alone!"
The three mothers roamed the mansion without even having changed out of their pajamas yet.
Calling Kael until their throats burst, they opened and closed the dozens of rooms one by one, looking for their son.
However, he couldn't be seen anywhere.
Did he leave because I said such harsh words yesterday?
Did he run away from home?
Alicia, wondering if Kael might have headed outside the barrier, closed her eyes and examined the magic circles she had spread out one by one.
Since she knew Kael's talent, it was out of a "just in case" feeling.
However, ominous feelings always tend to be correct.
"...Ah."
Alicia's eyes widened.
"...Ka, Kael must have go, gone outside the barrier."
"W, what does that mean, Alicia. Y, you're joking, right?"
"Something grazed the barrier. It went from the inside to the outside...!"
Alicia noticed the traces of something that had naturally passed through the barrier and immediately told the two.
If it was a trace of something going from the inside to the outside, it could only be 'Kael'.
Laika and Aria's expressions turned pale, and fear soon permeated them.
"...Beasts live outside the barrier."
The thought that Kael might get hurt.
A bad habit of always assuming the worst, because they had lived on the battlefield, swept through their minds.
Pajijijik-!
They opened a dimensional gate near the point that had grazed the barrier.
The mothers were still in their pajamas, but none of them hesitated to cross through the dimensional gate.
And, while desperately calling out for Kael beyond the barrier, they found him-.
"Ugh, hwaaaa-!"
They heard Kael's voice.
Pajijijik-!
The dimensional gate opened again.
The moment the mothers crossed the dimensional gate at once.
Kwajik-!
They saw the body of a house-sized wolf being pierced and bursting by 'mana'.
They saw Kael gasping for breath and sobbing-.
And they saw the transparent green jade, which he had picked up for his mothers, held in Kael's left hand.
"...Kael-."
On Kael's delicate body, which was looking at his mothers while trembling with fear.
There was a lot of blood from several beasts smeared all over.
Blood so thick and dark that it brought the 'Prophecy' to mind.