Chapter 12: A Chance Encounter (2)
Jack and Misha, still full of questions, requested an audience with Minerva. Jack was a little worried, truth be told. The Great Sage Minerva was not someone just anyone could meet. Even if the request got rejected, it would not have been strange at all. They were neither nobles nor high-ranking officials, after all.
Yet somehow, the interview of a mere student like Jack went through without a hitch. Minerva sent word through her secretary that she would see them at once, and so one man and one elf climbed the endless stairs to the top floor of the Academy’s Magic Tower, talking as they went. Jack kept muttering under his breath.
“Weird… this is just weird.”
“Ugh! Why do you keep mumbling? It’s driving me crazy!”
“I’m not exactly a standout student at the Academy, and I’m showing up with a highly suspicious elf saying we want a meeting. Is she really free enough to grant that? We’re talking about the Great Sage here. She may not rank quite with the Emperor or the Pope, but among mages she’s the most famous authority in the world. Ordinary students only ever catch a glimpse of her face at entrance or graduation ceremonies. That’s normal.”
“Does it even matter? It worked out, so stop overthinking it!”
“…Must be nice being so simple-minded.”
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing at all~”
“You’re a man and you’re still sulking!”
“Sigh.”
While they bickered, they reached the top before they knew it. They knocked and stepped inside. Waiting for them was the Archmage Minerva, who looked for all the world like a young girl.
“Welcome, Jack. And Misha.”
“Huh…?”
Misha’s eyes went wide with surprise.
“You know me?”
“Of course I do. Misha Greenwood. Age two hundred seventy-three. You’ve served a total of seventeen masters and had a rough time of it, haven’t you? For the record, I keep friendly relations with the elf liberationists, so there’s no need to be afraid.”
“H-how do you know all that…?”
“And the fellow beside you is Jack Slave, I see. Quite the celebrity.”
“I’m famous?”
“Indeed. The steadfast romantic who keeps confessing no matter how many times he gets rejected.”
“Ah… yeah, I guess I am famous for that. But I didn’t come here today looking for tips on winning a woman’s heart.”
“Then what brings you?”
“Do you know about the runes?”
The runes. The greatest taboo in the world of magic. Secrets so powerful they had to be buried completely. The only reason Jack knew about them at all was because he was from another world. While he fretted over how to gloss over the fact that he knew, Minerva answered as if it were nothing.
“Naturally. You came about the Rune of Swordsmanship, I take it?”
“H-how did you know even that?”
“Around here, the only rune a student could stumble upon by chance is the Rune of Swordsmanship. Ah, I see. That elf Misha has it, doesn’t she?”
“This is unbelievable… Chancellor, can you read minds?”
“I could if I wanted to, but I don’t much care for telepathy. Makes me feel like a peeping tom. What I just did was more like the intuition of someone who’s lived a very long time.”
Lived a long time? She looked barely twenty. Still, asking a lady her age would be rude, and she probably wouldn’t answer anyway. Jack swallowed his curiosity and asked something else.
“This elf here accidentally acquired the Rune of Swordsmanship. She wants to transfer it to someone else. Is there a way?”
“There is. She dies. When the owner dies, a rune returns to its original place.”
Misha gulped dryly, then jabbed Jack hard in the ribs with her elbow—clearly telling him to ask if there was another way. With no choice, Jack stepped forward.
“Anything else? Killing her seems a bit extreme.”
“There is another method, though in a sense it’s even harder than dying.”
“Really? What is it?”
Jack and Misha both asked with bright, hopeful faces. Minerva chuckled as if she found the whole thing delightful.
“A kiss.”
““What??””
“And it has to be a kiss filled with true sincerity. Only then can the rune be transferred. According to the will of the First Hero, a power as strong as the Rune of Swordsmanship must never be passed on lightly. It can only go to someone with whom one can share a kiss of genuine feeling. A heart that truly cherishes the other—that is the key.”
““………….””
Jack and Misha stared blankly at each other.
Minerva found the sight so amusing she kept snickering.
“Heh… has that satisfied your curiosity? Then be on your way. Conversing with two people hiding secrets is quite entertaining… hoho.”
The two people hiding secrets—Jack and Misha—left the Chancellor’s office wearing identical dumbfounded expressions. On the way down the stairs they didn’t exchange a single word, unlike the chatter on the way up. Jack finally spoke only when they were nearly at his cabin.
“So… how long are you planning to follow me?”
“Well, it’s not like I have anywhere else to go… and… what am I supposed to do now?”
“About what?”
“About this! How am I supposed to hand over the rune?! I can’t just kiss someone! And elves love only one person for their entire lives, you know? If I kiss someone carelessly and they get marked as my fated partner, I’m stuck suffering for life!”
“Hmm… not my problem. Figure it out yourself, will you?”
“You devil!”
“Do I really have to be called a devil for this?”
“How can a person be so heartless? If you think about it, the fact that I ended up with the Rune of Swordsmanship is partly your fault too!”
“Why pin it on me? You’re the one who did something stupid and got yourself into this.”
“Aaaaaaah!!!”
“Don’t yell.”
“I have to pass this to a proper hero… what do I do? Having to feel romantic love just to transfer a rune is way too harsh a condition.”
“Still better than dying.”
“In some ways dying would be easier… I’ve never liked a human before.”
“Oh really? Well, I’ve never liked an elf either.”
“It’d be easy for you, though. A playboy who falls for every woman he sees and chases after them… how simple this must be for you.”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Haa… if only I were as shameless and pride-less as you…”
“…I’d like to be alone now.”
“Isn’t there some other way, Mr. Playboy?”
“………..”
Who would want to help after hearing that kind of talk?
But Misha showed no sign of leaving him alone.
Left with no choice, Jack—who knew the original story—offered a small hint.
“It won’t be easy. In more ways than one.”
“What? Why?”
“That true hero you keep talking about. The one who’s supposed to receive the rune. Falling for that person… won’t be simple.”
“Huh? Do you know them? Is it that famous Teo you used to party with?”
“No. Teo’s impressive, sure, but he’s not hero material. Teo is more like the sun. But what can light up the darkness isn’t the sun… it’s a darkness deeper than darkness itself.”
“Ha? What are you even saying?”
“There’s someone named Rose.”
“Rose?”
“Rose…”
There was a reason Jack spoke that name with such weight. Rose was the original protagonist of the novel. The problem was that Rose was a woman.
“Misha… you do like men, right?”
“What? Just so you know, you’re not my type. Don’t go testing the waters.”
“Ugh, that’s not what I—ah, forget it. Anyway, I’ve got nothing more to say, so let’s go our separate ways, okay?”
“Wait! You clearly know a lot of things—help me out a little! What am I supposed to do? How do I set the causal law back on track?”
“This is so damn annoying!”
The two of them stood in front of the cabin and argued for a long while. After more than two hours of back-and-forth, they reached a conclusion: they would practice kissing. The idea was that Misha would practice in advance so she could properly transfer the rune to a suitable person someday. Misha said primly,
“Just so we’re clear, you’re nothing but a practice dummy, so don’t you dare get any hopes that this will turn into a real relationship! I absolutely hate that kind of development!”
“…Can I just punch you once? I’m begging you, seriously.”
“Nope, absolutely not~ Just be a good practice partner.”
“Haa… so we’re kissing?”
“Hold on. I need a moment to prepare myself… the thought of kissing someone like you really does require mental preparation.”
“Can’t you just leave instead?”
“I’m ready now. Come on. I’ll sacrifice this body for the sake of the causal law.”
“Why do I have to put up with this treatment while I’m the one helping… haa, whatever. Too much trouble to argue. Here I go?”
“Come on!”
Just as Jack and Misha were drawing closer, the cabin door opened and Sylvia appeared. She completely misunderstood the situation—or rather, didn’t misunderstand at all—and left with her heart wounded, thinking the two of them were about to kiss. Setting that incident aside, the real problem came right after. Once Sylvia was gone, the two of them lightly pressed their lips together… and Misha suddenly burst into tears.
“Waaaaaah!!! I gave my first kiss to someone like this!!! Aaaaaah!!! Give me back my purity!!!!”
It was a kiss that accomplished zero practice and left only scars. That was the old memory Jack was recalling now.
“Honestly… there’s no need to cry for days over it. All I want is a little peace and quiet… when is this girl going to disappear? Sigh… if only Misha would just vanish, things would finally calm down.”
Jack muttered to the sky. But he had no idea of the turbulent fate that lay ahead of him. The causal law had already marked him as a major player. Across the sea on the Demon Continent, a battle that would greatly affect Jack’s destiny was about to begin—the great war between Teo’s Hero Party and the Four Heavenly Kings’ Sharon.