Daphne Epiphone (Part 4)
The Royal Capital was situated in a basin nestled between two massive rivers. To describe its panoramic view, it felt like eighteenth-century Western Europe, albeit one with perfectly developed water and sewage systems. The capital looked like a collage made by cutting and pasting only the finest aspects of the world. To think they brushed off all this miraculous technological progress under the simple label of "advancements in magic engineering."
"Yes, you are cleared. Entry is barred after 22:00, so please keep the time in mind during your activities. May fortune favor the Hero."
However, once you stepped outside the city center, the world changed its face in an instant. Passing through the guards' checkpoint and entering the densely forested outskirts, all human sounds vanished entirely. Establishing the capital in a basin was all well and good, but the mountains of this world were far more dangerous than one would think. Even the insects and mountain birds held their breath as they cried.
Well, what had silenced the insects and birds in this forest right now wasn't some monster.
Crash! A bolt of lightning struck from the clear blue sky. I rubbed my eyes, which were stinging from the intense flash, and grimaced.
"...Your magic is perfectly fine when you're casting it alone."
The tree had been struck by lightning and shattered into dozens of splinters. It looked like a wooden octopus turned upside down. Lightning Bolt. A 3rd-Circle offensive spell. The bolt of mana discharged from Daphne's fingertips was flawlessly powerful. Smoke was still gently rising from the blackened tree trunk.
"Alright, there's no need to test your other destructive spells."
Daphne slumped her shoulders and turned her back to me. If she had animal ears on her head, they would probably be drooping in dejection right now.
"I'll never be able to cast like this in a real fight."
"I know. That's why we came here today."
I hopped down from the rock I was sitting on. I couldn't erase what Daphne had gone through, nor could I make her forget it. Above all, it was something that must not be forgotten. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a net-like shadow across her face.
"Right on cue, they're coming."
Perhaps drawn by the sound of the shattering tree, several presences were beginning to approach Daphne and me. Most monsters lacked intelligence. Unable to judge whether the opponent before them was stronger or weaker, they simply rushed forward like moths to a flame to satisfy their endless hunger.
I looked at Daphne. She, too, seemed to have noticed the approaching presences, as anxiety gradually spread across her face. Beyond the rustling bushes, the glinting eyes of a monster appeared. It was likely a carnivorous boar known as a Hornhog. In the original novel, it was just a minor mob that passed by as "Trash Mob 1," but facing it in reality, its presence was incredibly intimidating.
"A Hornhog..."
"I'm not going to move. Can you take it down on your own?"
I gestured with my chin toward the Hornhog as I spoke. The boar stared at us with rolled-back, whitish eyes, snorting heavily. Telling her to defeat a monster alone might sound harsh, but Daphne needed to get used to combat first.
Daphne took a deep breath and gathered her mana. "...I'll try."
From Daphne's toes, blue electricity crackled and surged up her body. It was the same Lightning Bolt from before. Her breathing grew ragged. The magical power that should have been concentrated into a single point discharged from her fingertips, scattering into the air. While she struggled to gather the dispersing mana, the Hornhog did not miss the opening and charged.
Crackle! The completed spell was absurdly weak. It was barely enough to kill a crawling slime, let alone a giant boar. The Hornhog's charge didn't slow down. Without hesitation, I pulled Daphne out of its path, drew the Holy Sword, and severed the charging boar's neck.
"..." Daphne let her arms hang limp. The remnants of the incomplete spell lingered around her right arm. I sheathed the Holy Sword.
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head. Since I had already prepared myself for the possibility of failing to reform her entirely, why would I be disappointed over her failing to catch a single boar? What I was truly worried about was Daphne suffering in silence and suddenly vanishing.
"It's fine to fail. Just don't give up."
Man, I'm really not cut out to be a mentor.
Daphne still kept her head lowered. I let out a short chuckle and bent my knees to match her height. I felt a slight pang of guilt, as if I were teasing her with a "Hey, are you crying?" look. Daphne, who had been staring blankly at the ground, suddenly gasped and jerked her head up when my face entered her field of vision.
"Let's keep going."
Daphne nodded. It was a relief that she seemed to have resolved herself to some extent. It would have been truly troublesome if she had said she couldn't do it.
While Daphne struggled behind me, I began to gradually accustom my body to combat. Perhaps because of the lingering feeling that this body wasn't entirely mine, my movements grew increasingly bold. Come to think of it, the original novel only emphasized the Hero's misdeeds; it never properly described how strong Elroy actually was or how he fought.
...Is he actually quite strong? Or was I just getting cocky from fighting weak monsters? I scratched the back of my head and looked down. Three boars, each as large as a house, lay side by side, staring blankly at the sky.
It felt strange when I fought. Just like when I grabbed that male adventurer at the guild this morning, the knowledge of how to move and where to swing my sword came to me with vivid clarity.
Well, it'd be a problem if the Hero couldn't even do this much.
Daphne's magic remained the same. She constantly tried to squeeze out her spells, but not a single one manifested properly. If an ordinary 4-Circle Mage had spammed spells like this, their mana would have run dry long ago, but Daphne's mana pool showed no signs of hitting bottom. Consequently, it was Daphne's mind, not her body, that was growing exhausted.
"Shall we take a short break? There's a rock over there that looks perfect for sitting."
Daphne was far more dejected compared to when we first entered the forest. Even so, it was a relief that she didn't give up on casting magic as I instructed.
"I'm glad the weather is nice."
"...Yes, it is."
The sun was slowly setting. The shifting wind blew coolly through our hair like the teeth of a comb. Daphne, who had been sitting and staring blankly at the setting sun, suddenly spoke.
"I... was banished from my village when I was young."
My eyes widened. I never expected her to bring up her past first, before I even asked.
"...Banished?"
"Yes. Well... to be precise, it was banishment disguised as sending me to the capital. When I lived in the village, I once repelled a magical beast with magic. Even before I had learned how to use it."
I knew that. That was why her talent was so extraordinary. Daphne, the child beloved by mana.
"If you had that kind of talent, shouldn't the village have been happy instead?"
Daphne shook her head. "They were afraid. Those people. They feared that they could die from a single gesture of mine. Perhaps they thought of me as a wolf hiding among a flock of sheep."
Daphne blinked. No trace of emotion could be found on her face. Not even the bitter smile that people usually wore when revealing such a past.
"I just wanted to live a normal life."
Daphne spoke as if sighing, as though she had already accepted the fact that she could never live normally.
They could not mingle. I could vaguely understand that truth. The talent of a great archmage suddenly appearing in a village where no one was special. A vessel far too ordinary to contain such talent.
"Does that sound ungrateful?"
Well, having suddenly ended up in the Hero's body, I wasn't exactly in a position to lecture Daphne.
"No. It's a dilemma anyone would have. You can't have everything you want, but telling someone to abandon even the desire to want it is a bit irresponsible."
I poked the ground with the tip of the Holy Sword. "Even I don't know what on earth I'm doing sometimes."
"...Is that so?"
Sensing her gaze, I looked up to find Daphne staring at me. The sun hanging over the mountain ridge cast a deep, rich light, and in Daphne's purple eyes, the light shimmered in layered gradients.
Daphne stared at me like that for a long while. Before I could say something to break the awkward silence, her lips parted to form words.
", ."
"I... won't give up."
I raised an eyebrow, chewing over her words several times. Once I realized her true intent, a smirk crept onto my face.
"That's all that matters."
The sun had completely set. With only a faint red glow lingering on the ridge, a curtain of deep navy draped over the sky. Since entry was restricted after 10 PM, we had to leave now to make it back comfortably.
"Let's head back for today."
I dusted off my pants and stood up. Though we hadn't made any visible progress, I didn't feel like it was a waste of time at all. Daphne opening up about her past was a highly positive sign for her growth. I also got a decent grasp of how well I could fight.
"Can you make it out here at the same time tomorrow?"
"...Yes."
Above all, Daphne's promise not to give up was our greatest harvest. It felt like I had secured a very reliable insurance policy. I could finally put my mind at ease, if only a little.
The mountains at night were a completely different world from the daytime. Things that had quietly held their breath during the day came alive at night, asserting their presence, while the shifting shadows of the mountain played tricks on our eyes. If not for the light magic Daphne cast, finding our way back would have been incredibly difficult.
"...Elroy."
...And, right on cue, some uninvited guests showed up. The monsters that had been hiding in the bushes during the day swarmed out in packs without hesitation now that night had fallen. Dozens of pairs of blood-red eyes gleamed in the dark. I stopped counting after reaching ten.
Can I do this?
I swallowed hard, resting my hand on the hilt of the Holy Sword. Even now, the number of monsters continued to grow. Were they calling their friends? I let out a breath as I stared at the teeming horde.
Just then, Daphne's faint voice drifted from behind my back. "Activate."
My eyes widened as I saw a barrier of mana envelop me. "A protection spell?"
I clenched and unclenched my hands, feeling the surprisingly sturdy armor of mana. Looking back, I saw Daphne stretching her hand toward me, cold sweat pouring down her face. I could see threads of blue mana slowly welling up from her core. The mana, without taking a solid shape, hovered around her right arm before slowly transferring over to me.
"I thought... I could do it... right now..." Even speaking seemed to take a toll on her. Indeed, her mana was flickering unsteadily.
But it was enough. I drew the Holy Sword. The cool moonlight bathed the blade, making it gleam.
"Thank you."
How to help Daphne overcome her trauma, how to prepare for the future of the original novel—I wiped all of those thoughts from my mind. I was just touched that she was pushing herself to support me, even as her face turned deathly pale.
I lowered my stance. The growls of the monsters echoed. Gathering all the strength in my legs, I exploded forward, launching myself at them before they could make the first move.