Facing Forward (2)
Just as always, the tower was unnaturally silent, almost suffocatingly so.
Yet within it, there were beings bathing the space in a crimson light.
“... But is it okay to go meet you like this without wiping away the sweat?”
“It's fine. You don't worry about those things, Noona. Even if I come back covered in mud, you'd just tilt your head.”
“Ah. I was imagining that.”
“Right?”
Sugar and Ian shared a light laugh as they climbed the stairs of the tower. After waiting a few minutes in Ian's room, they were now heading to meet Ione after receiving her permission.
Finally, they arrived in front of a large door. The priestess who had been leading the way bowed her head and stepped aside.
“Go on in.”
“What about Ian?”
“You go in alone. I have my reasons.”
She said it casually, but in truth, she was embarrassed.
Her sister had readily agreed to let her train, and now showing her in such a sweaty state felt strangely awkward.
She wanted to show only her flawless appearance, her perfect and neat self.
So, only Sugar entered the room.
An octagonal room with a strange structure, featuring large windows on every wall that Sugar had seen before.
In the center, like a doll, sat the Saintess.
Sugar bowed her head.
“Purpose.”
Without greeting or anything, Ione immediately opened her mouth.
“I came to ask about magic.”
“...”
“Let me get to the point. Do you hear any voices, Saintess? In places where magic is rampant or where magic power is dense... When concentrating, don't you hear any sounds?”
Ione simply tilted her head.
“Don't misunderstand. It's not that I'm crazy or anything... Before coming to this land, I had a hallucination. Under a faint sunlight... A white stone wall covered in moss blocking the path in a desolate forest. From beyond it, something... a voice of laughter, like murmuring and chuckling... I heard exactly one word: 'Imagine that you can do it.'”
“...”
“And then I returned to reality. After that, I could freely manipulate ambient magic power. I would gather it and fire it... But after opening my eyes here, it doesn't work. Maybe it was just a one-time thing? Do you know what this phenomenon is?”
Ione, who had been listening silently to Sugar's experience, gestured. Come here. Following her instruction, Sugar approached, and Ione placed her hand on Sugar's head.
What is she doing? If I just watch quietly, I feel a gentle touch on my hair.
-Stroke, stroke...
“Um... Saintess.”
-Stroke, stroke...
“This... Is this related to the phenomenon I mentioned?”
She shook her head.
“Then what is it?!”
She didn't have the personality to express with words that her hand had naturally reached out because of the rambling story.
Ione slightly withdrew her hand.
And then she poked the air in front of Sugar. Nothing there, but it felt like there was something.
“Concentrate.”
“Huh?”
“Magic power.”
Still at a loss. Is she telling me to concentrate on magic power? So, when Sugar focused for a moment,
“Ah!”
It was felt.
The flow. A small, faint whisper. The things that had been silent all along were now responding.
Feeling puzzled, Sugar looked up at Ione, but since her face was covered by a veil, she couldn't see inside.
She just said one word.
“This land is the same as mine.”
“Could you please speak more simply?”
“I reduced the influence around you.”
Ah, so. Is this Saintess one with Ione? In terms of magic power? Anyway, she reduced the influence of that magic power?
Sugar, having roughly understood, nodded.
“Thank you. Ah, do you have any insights about the hallucination I saw?”
Ione looked at Sugar silently, without moving.
Endlessly, endlessly. A gaze from inside the veil.
“Um... If you don't know, it's fine. This is enough. Thank you for the kindness.”
Sugar, bowing her head, slowly headed towards the door.
She knew this person was human, but it was still baffling and difficult every time. Cold sweat ran down her back.
“I'll be going now.”
Even in the midst of this, Ione watched Sugar to the end without saying a word of greeting or moving.
......
“How was it? Did it go well?”
“Yes. There's still something I'm curious about... but I learned why I couldn't do it before. It was resolved.”
“Really? That's good... As expected of Noona.”
Because of this Noona, I couldn't do it. And only Noona could resolve it.
If I hadn't become friends with Ian, I would have been in trouble until entering Stille. I couldn't leave the Holy City at will, and training had to be done in the Holy City.
Now that it's resolved, it's all good!
“Ian. Let's hurry to the training ground. I'll show you something fun.”
Sugar smiled brightly as she headed out of the tower.
As soon as she arrived, she pulled out her staff and began gathering ambient magic power.
Earlier it had felt tightly sealed between them, but now it responded intimately. The magic power that was under Ione's influence had been released, perhaps.
Thus, a small magic sphere was created.
Although Ione had loosened the influence around Sugar a bit, since the land fundamentally surrounds her, the magic power responding to Sugar would be limited. At best, the knights training magic nearby could create something like this.
Sugar was quite satisfied.
But Ian's reaction wasn't very enthusiastic.
“Um... You made it well. But why is this? Is, is it fun?”
Do outsiders find this fun? Should I find it fun too? Ian was pondering.
“Why not! It's amazing!”
“But... I can do this much too...”
Ian raised her staff to create a magic sphere.
Sugar wiggled her fingers. If it were a childhood friend who wasn't here, she would have immediately understood without explanation and reacted. What a pity.
“Sigh... Ian. This sphere is not a normal magic sphere. It's not made from my internal magic power.”
“Then what is it?”
“Amazing! I gathered ambient magic power and recreated it as my own.”
“Ah!”
When Sugar puffed out her chest and boasted, Ian reacted.
“It seems great! Amazing! It means no more magic depletion! Is this possible because of magic properties? Truly amazing...! Um... but the durability...”
“Whoa, whoa.”
If concentration is released, it quickly returns to ambient. The magic sphere had become smaller than before during their conversation.
Convert ambient magic power to Sugar's pure magic power.
Recreate it into a sphere.
Because of this process, it had to be like this. Someone is needed to stabilize its properties.
'At that time, Ryly did it... Wait, but is it possible without Ryly?'
Experimenting spirit.
Sugar, curious, reached out her hand.
“Ian. Give me your hand.”
“Huh?”
While asking back, Sugar suddenly grabbed Ian's right hand with her left. Holding the staff in one hand, she focused on the magic sphere.
“W-what! S-S-Sugar! You already have a partner and you're being so shameless—”
“Please concentrate. Imagine changing this magic sphere 'to change'. Change the properties with Ian's magic power. Transmit that will to me. Imagine it.”
Ah, what? It wasn't like that... Embarrassed by her guess, Ian cleared her throat.
“Hmph... Imagine changing it with my magic power? Okay. I don't know what you're trying to do... but I'll try for now.”
They held hands for a long time.
“Um... Hng...”
No color changed. The dispersing magic power was stronger than the gathering, so the magic sphere lost its strength and became limp.
'It seems only possible with Ryly...'
That day, it felt like the boy's will and heart were transmitted. Now, only the magic flow was felt, nothing else.
Why?
At least, I need to experiment with others...
'...No.'
Let's stop here.
I don't need to find someone who can 'change'. Since I have a precious childhood friend who can do it.
One partner is enough.
“It's okay now, Ian.”
Sugar released her hand.
Then Ian, with a flushed face from concentration, looked down at Sugar.
“Phew! Done? How was it?”
She had concentrated while holding her breath. She was really grateful in her heart. Sugar said, 'It didn't seem to work. But it's okay.' and smiled slightly.
That smile was somehow mature. Ian stepped back awkwardly, saying 'R-really?'
Anyway, since she could now use ambient magic, and due to Sugar's magic properties, she could replenish the leaking magic every time she cast spells, training would become more efficient.
Sugar felt quite proud.
At the same time, she pondered about combined magic.
The one used during escape was powerful but took too long to cast.
Considering that the location was densely packed with magic power due to the long battle, to achieve that power in normal situations, much more time would be needed.
Then...
By adjusting the time appropriately, gathering the right amount of magic power, and determining the power relative to the time, could it become practical enough to use in normal situations?
'Oh!'
If Ryly were there, they could discuss and time it perfectly. What a pity.
'But... I can meet him again.'
Then they could be together. They could talk as much as they wanted... and do what they wanted...
Sugar looked up with a mix of longing and excitement.
“Kahaha!”
“Ouch! It's Grandma!”
“I'm not Grandma! Call me Nova!”
Where did she come from!
Sugar, lost in emotion, was surprised when a Guardian suddenly appeared and grabbed her chest. Ian also retreated stealthily and opened her mouth.
“N-No, Nova. What brings you here?”
“Tianzi! And the little one! I welcome you into the order!
“Eh?”
The two kids' eyes widened. Immediately, Sugar asked.
“Into the order? What do you mean?”
“I am a Guardian! A Holy Knight! So I said 'welcome into the order'! It's not actually joining the Holy Knight order! There's no place for a kid like you!”
“What?”
“This is an order from the Saintess! I have prepared a special training menu for the little one and Tianzi! Follow me!”
And she dragged the kids along.
I'm not sure, but it seems she's going to train them.
Good. Learning under a Guardian is incomparably better than self-studying.
But somehow the feeling wasn't good. When Sugar's expression was unclear whether she was laughing or crying, Ian covered her face with 'Aaaah...' and sighed.
Ah, I don't know.
Good is good.
......
— Such things happened.
Nova is a madwoman. She laughs at all times. There was a time when she lost her mind from magic depletion (even using ambient magic wasn't enough), and the moment she opened her eyes, that old lady's smiling face was right in front of her. It was like a dream.
How's Cedric? I hope he's not too rough.
Of course, he's steadily getting stronger. It's not the time to complain. After all, he's the one who became a Guardian, so his abilities are beyond doubt.
How are you? I'm curious. You haven't been hurt, have you? Are you eating well? I'll always cheer for you from here. Reply to me.
I hope to see you in good health again.
With love. Sugar.
P.S.: What should we name our ultimate skill?
“... Ultimate skill?”
What is an ultimate skill.
Ryly, looking at the letter, frowned. It wasn't really anger. It was a habitual expression.
Instead, touching the paper scented with the girl's scent made him feel at ease.
The only comfort in the forest full of blood stench.
'That damn uncle...'
'Tell me to open it when you're really in trouble' — that was Sugar's letter. What does 'Ryly's Sugar' think she is.
Of course, the feeling of heart palpitations and relief was correct. But since this situation hadn't been resolved at all, the blood on his hand had stained the letter, only increasing his irritation towards Cedric.
Left abandoned in the forest teeming with monsters.
After escaping from the Holy City, for over a month, she had only made him walk while sleeping in the woods. She replenished his insufficient stamina with magic power and walked. She knew her limits so well. When she thought she was about to collapse from magic depletion, she would stop like a ghost, rest all day, and then walk again.
Repeating this, here, this forest. It wasn't an ordinary forest. The wind blowing from the forest was thick with magic power, obvious at a glance, and in a place where such creatures lived, only Ryly remained.
'Get out on your own. You can do it.'
After giving a little food and water, she disappeared with a 'whoosh'.
Conditions: only two.
Do not take out the grimoire. Prohibit cheating with flight magic.
Recalling that incident still gives a pain in the back.
Now in the fourth day of wandering, her mental strength is at its limit. There's no proper path, monsters keep appearing. In the meantime, she needs to find food. A terrible place.
-It's not the time to complain.
-I'll always cheer for you from here.
“...”
Suddenly, a sentence from Sugar's letter came to mind. A letter as if the girl was speaking directly.
“Haa...”
Ryly sighed.
That's right. That small one is working hard on what she can do, it's not the time to complain.
Immediately, he put the letter in his bosom. First, get some food. There, far away, red eyes are visible. Monster meat isn't tasty, but he can't eat dirt, so he has to survive first.
Ryly, gripping his staff tightly, took a stance.