The Quest for Clues (Part 2)
But… are you really going to keep living like this?
…No way. That’s impossible.
How can I survive in this state? Who’s going to believe me when I say I was once the royal assistant knight commander, or that I was supposed to be the knight commander?
The crazy woman who thinks she’s the assistant knight commander would be lucky if she wasn’t dragged off somewhere.
And even if they did believe it, what would people think of me wandering around in this body that can’t even swing a sword properly?
Bottom line, I have to find a way to get my body back to normal, no matter what it takes.
“No, I need to head back to the capital and find a way to break the magic clinging to me.”
There are plenty of high-level mages in the capital. One of them might be able to figure out what’s messing with my body.
Thinking about it, my senior handled magic way better than I did. He had real talent for it.
“Oh, right. Senior felt my mana better than I do, didn’t he? Is there any foreign energy or anything like that on my body?”
At my words, senior Rondo reached a hand toward me.
His senses might not be reliable after years of drinking and skipping training, but… for now, at least.
“No, I don’t feel anything. I don’t sense any of that foreign mana you mentioned.”
“Hmm….”
Well, I wasn’t expecting much anyway.
I shrugged, leaned my lazy body against the wall, and slid down to the floor.
“Look at me. I already knew from the knight dormitory. Makes sense, I guess. Even though I shouldn’t be saying this, senior… is there a place to shower?”
I was dying inside. It had been days since I last washed my body.
If it had been in a clean room, maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. But I’d been rolling in the dirt, falling down, spending the night in a dirty alley, and my clothes had been dragging on the ground until they turned yellow.
“Go around back of the house. There’s a little room in the back corner with a pipe for water.”
“…And clothes too.”
“My clothes are too big on you anyway. You might as well keep wearing those instead of ruining mine.”
“Ah, but I really do owe you! If I pay you back a few days from now, I’ll triple it. Just give me the clothes already.”
I was so disgusted I couldn’t even wear them properly, yet he was acting so casual. Back when we lived together in the dormitory, he never minded the smell at all.
I stared at him, and he let out a shaky sigh that reeked of alcohol.
“Fine. Put them on. You have no idea how hard it is to find decent clothes out here.”
“I should have done it sooner. A rich junior’s about to buy you a whole new wardrobe. Don’t worry. I’ll wash up first?”
In the back of the closet, I grabbed the smallest clothes I could find and headed for the tiny bathroom at the very back of the house.
Plop. Plop.
“Aah, it’s so cold…”
The water trickling over my bare heels felt icy, and my face naturally scrunched up in discomfort.
Seeing my own body for the first time without even a scrap of cloth on it, I realized how fragile it was.
No calluses anywhere on my hands or feet. I touched my arm—my once-solid biceps had vanished, replaced only by soft, yielding flesh.
Even my thighs and calves were just soft lumps.
Of course, I felt zero lust. Only a deep sadness that the body I had trained for decades had disappeared overnight.
“Tsk…”
Anyone who had spent decades training every single day would feel the loss if they suddenly became soft all over.
Of course it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. In this dangerous world, becoming weak wasn’t something to feel good about.
Overnight I had thrown away the dream I had always wanted, and in a single heartbeat I had lost the body I had worked my whole life to perfect.
If only my heart was still the same, I would have punched my own body.
“No, I can get it back. I’m sure of it.”
But the important thing was never to break your heart, right?
I couldn’t break mine now. No matter how hopeless things got, I couldn’t give up.
“I’ll go back to the capital, find a mage, and break the spell.”
It was simple, and clear.
Good. I nodded, scooped up the last bucket of water, poured it over my head, and washed myself properly.
“How is this possible…?”
“The power… it’s gone…”
⟨ POWER SEIZED ⟩
Squeak.
After a quick shower, I stepped back into Rondo’s tiny room. The corner was slightly tidier than before.
The dusty floor still felt gritty under my feet, but at least the worst of the filth was gone.
Why was my junior cleaning? I should have done it myself earlier. It would have saved him so much trouble.
But when he saw me, his face twisted in disgust.
“You’re back? Why are you wearing that? My clothes!”
“Why? Because your clothes are too big on me. Cut me some slack. You saw how ridiculous I looked, right?”
Well, even I thought it was weird to raise my voice like that.
The smallest clothes still hung off me like rags because Rondo’s build was obviously bigger than my old one.
So I had cut the sleeves and hem to make them fit. Simple in theory—tear the shirt and pants down to my arm and leg length, then tie the wrists and ankles loosely.
Of course it looked ridiculous, but that wasn’t the point. The real question was whether I could walk and live like this.
“…No, it’s fine. You’re a heartless guy.”
“I’ll pay you back ten times. Just bear with me for a bit.”
Rondo senior didn’t say anything.
His face looked a little more gaunt and hollow than on our first meeting. I ignored the twinge of guilt and kept going.
“Rigel, if you go to the capital and find a mage, do any of them even know magic?”
“Of course not. That’s why there are so many mages there.”
“What an idiot. You were the one who quit the knight order… What about heading to Lönget?”
“Are you crazy?! Senior? You know how much I hate that guy. You listened to what I said?”
When I raised my voice, Rondo waved his hand down to calm me.
“Phew.” He sighed, calming himself, then I continued.
“I hate Lönget. I’d rather die than deal with him.”
Even if I underestimate his magic skill, he’s probably at least at the level of the kingdom’s mages.
Standing in front of the man who mocked knights as meat shields… I couldn’t stand it.
“Well, Sir Rigel, the great knight, doesn’t seem in a hurry?”
“Besides, I cursed him out right in front of that bastard. How am I supposed to go back to the royal palace?”
“That’s just a joke. So… honestly, even common mages aren’t reliable, right?”
Well, I agreed with Rondo on that.
There were plenty of mages, but I couldn’t be sure which ones were trustworthy in their field.
“Better idea. I’ll make connections with someone I know. Back in the knight order, now a professor at the academy—so more credibility there, right?”
“For once, you’re saying something useful.”
A professor would be famous and trustworthy.
I hoped he could keep secrets, but I could talk to him later about that.
“So who is this person? Do I know him?”
“He retired before you officially joined the knight order. His name is Helahem. You’ve heard of him, right?”
Ah, I had. The pillar of the knight order known as the ‘Iron Knight’.
I’d never met him personally, but his reputation was well known. He was a professor at the academy now.
“But he’s a knight, right? Not a mage?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. Does the academy only have knights? Knights and mages work together. Being a professor, he probably knows the magic department teachers too.”
Maybe. It made sense, so I nodded.
Rondo sat on the chair and pulled out paper and a pen from the drawer.
“I’ll write you a letter explaining your situation. Take this and go see him.”
“What’s your relationship with this person?”
“I went to the battlefield first, before you. He was my superior there.”
Then we were on good terms. I nodded.
A few days later.
The sky was clear and the weather perfect for departure.
I was still wearing Rondo’s ridiculous clothes, but I had torn the hem and tied the sleeves so they almost fit.
Every time I did, Rondo’s face turned pale, but after losing his original form he had given up.
“Well done. Well done.”
“Miss, you ride so well. You don’t look like you would.”
I borrowed a horse from a villager. Luckily he had business in the capital, so we decided to go together on the horse.
My weak, delicate body had been riding horses since before I learned to fight, so I knew how to handle them.
I settled into the saddle, gripped the reins lightly, felt the horse’s temperament, and the animal was surprisingly obedient, letting me sit on its back.
“Alright, senior. I’ll head out. Live more like a proper person next time.”
Don’t worry about my clothes or the money—I’ll find you in the capital soon.
“Got it. Got it.”
I had to hurry the horse toward the capital.
I pulled the reins, guiding the horse toward our destination.