The Last Remaining Elf
Even though she had never mentioned it, after finishing his meal Yohan had no choice but to return to the bedroom. It wasn’t only because Aria had led him there; she had also told him she would change her clothes elsewhere and instructed him to do the same while he waited.
Did she leave entirely?
[She is not present in the bedroom. It appears she occupies another chamber.]
At least he hadn’t heard the sound of her changing. That was something.
Yohan let out a quiet sigh.
[The garments are on your right.]
“Thank you.”
Yohan groped around until his fingers finally found the clothes.
Still, it was a relief she hadn’t offered to dress him herself…
Hm?
“In Sir Zeno’s cabin, I mean. At that time…”
[The Tower Master had stepped out at an appropriate moment.]
Aha.
That was reassuring.
So she did draw the line there?
But then why the chocolate…
Never mind. Best to move on.
After changing, Yohan exhaled in relief.
“What kind of clothes are these, anyway?”
They were made of soft fabric. He could sense a faint trace of mana woven into them.
I can’t see, so how am I supposed to know?
When Yohan tilted his head while running his fingers over the material, Zeno promptly answered his unspoken question.
[The color differs, yet they resemble the robes worn by mages of the Magic Tower. They fit well.]
“I suppose there wouldn’t be any other options.”
Yohan nodded in understanding. There was no reason for men’s clothing to be kept here. The assistant wasn’t a man, after all.
…Sigh.
“More importantly.”
Would she finally explain that power to him now?
Yohan sat on the bed once more, idly tapping his toes as he waited for Aria. This was an excellent opportunity to learn about that force. He couldn’t afford to waste it.
[Yohan, before the Tower Master intervened earlier, did you manage to discern anything?]
“Not precisely.”
Yohan shook his head. He had learned something. In that brief window, he had brushed against the power, if only faintly.
[What did you discover?]
“Professor Aria’s mana and the power residing within the Magic Tower are remarkably alike.”
He knew because he had received her mana directly. The mana she had transferred and the force inside the tower felt nearly identical.
…An extraordinarily similar power.
“If I had been able to maintain contact a little longer, I might have confirmed it, but the interruption came at exactly that moment.”
It was a shame. Still, she had promised to explain it herself.
This was more than enough. Thinking so, Yohan gave a small nod.
And then—
The door swung open.
While Yohan and Zeno conversed, Aria entered the bedroom.
[…]
“Hm? Sir Zeno, what is it?”
Zeno, who could perceive it before Yohan, remained silent. Yohan could only tilt his head at the reaction.
“Has something gone wrong?”
That shouldn’t be possible. They were inside the Magic Tower, after all.
[It would be best if you confirmed this yourself.]
…Pardon?
Confirm what?
As Yohan faltered in confusion, Aria approached him. He recognized her footsteps. She looked at him and spoke.
Yohan tilted his head.
Touch? Touch what?
It felt as though something unimaginable awaited him. His body instinctively shrank back.
Could there be anything more shocking than the mana transfer?
…That would be absurd.
“Give me your hand.”
“Y-yes!”
At the repeated command, Yohan quickly extended both hands. Aria took them and guided his fingers until they made contact with something.
“Touch slowly. Be gentle.”
Fumbling along the path she directed, Yohan moved his hands.
Something pointed…
What was it?
He continued exploring, head still tilted in bewilderment. Aria sighed.
“Well, people of this era wouldn’t know. This might be too vague to guess from.”
She took his hand again and returned it to its original position.
“I originally planned to tell you once your sight returned. But you touched the power, so I’m explaining sooner than expected.”
Aria lightly tapped his forehead with a finger.
“Do you understand what it is?”
Yohan shook his head. It was impossible to predict.
…What on earth could it be, to warrant this much buildup?
While he pondered, Aria sighed once more and sat beside him.
…An Elf?
“Yes, I do. I thought they had gone extinct…”
…Pardon?
Then what had the history books recorded…?
No, more importantly—where was that one Elf? If they existed somewhere in the world, what had they been doing when the Giants appeared…?
Yohan’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Now that’s an entertaining expression.”
Aria tapped his parted lips with her fingertip. After a moment, Yohan regained his composure, shook his head, and organized his thoughts.
…So to summarize, a living Elf existed, and that Elf was the professor?
Did I understand correctly, Sir Zeno?
[It would appear so.]
With long, pointed ears and everything.
[Correct.]
…Haah.
Just what kind of regression was this?
Yohan couldn’t conceal his astonishment. A Giant scout. The hidden passage. The professor coming to find him. And now the professor herself was an Elf? A relentless barrage of dizzying revelations.
He furrowed his brow.
[Yohan, did she not say that power came into existence when the Magic Tower was founded?]
“Yes, she did.”
Which meant—
“The professor created the Magic Tower.”
The founder of the Magic Tower was Professor Aria Celestia. Yohan’s gaze instinctively turned toward her.
At some point Aria had taken his hand again, channeling her mana into him.
“Still, you noticed the similarity between my mana and that power, didn’t you?”
Yohan nodded. Her perception was terrifying.
“I still don’t understand how you sensed it. There shouldn’t have been any rebound.”
Aria poked his shoulder, as though brimming with questions.
[You have been caught on many things. This reaction is inevitable.]
Indeed. Even listing them lightly, the Giant’s corpse and the passage were clearly discovered.
[There are likely other matters she has vaguely noticed but chosen not to mention yet.]
She probably will.
There were definitely things she had said she would ask about later. Whatever he heard, it wouldn’t be surprising.
“We’ll save the questions for after your treatment. For now, what I can tell you is that the power residing within the Magic Tower is a small fragment of my own that I left behind.”
“Since when?”
“Since the tower’s creation. This place was built at the request of my friend and my sister.”
A friend and a sister… Then exactly how old was the professor…?
Tap.
“Refrain from impure thoughts.”
“I’m sorry.”
“In any case, since it is my power, it is only natural that you—who have received my mana—feel nothing unusual.”
Yohan nodded in understanding.
“People with low mana capacity cannot enter normally. Without this method, you would never have been able to step inside.”
Aria gave his shoulder another light push.
“Thank you.”
“You do understand. Is there anything else you wish to know?”
Anything else…
Sir Zeno, do you have questions?
[Nothing comes to mind at this stage. It would be best for you to research that mana first.]
Yohan nodded. He needed to determine whether this mana transfer was exclusive to Elves.
“For reference, this is my first time attempting it on a human. Even among Elves, we avoid it unless it is truly a matter of life and death, as the risk of fatality is high.”
…Then why had she done it with him?
Yohan turned his head toward her. Aria spoke as if she had anticipated the question.
“Ah, at least I am different, so do not worry. Most fail because they cannot properly control the flow. If mishandled, the mana is not transferred but rather drained from one party into the other.”
In that case, it was fortunate.
If so—
[We must exercise extreme caution in its use.]
Attempting it in front of others would likely result in either becoming a murderer or facing death. And murder committed by a commoner in this world was an offense that demanded eradication.
Aria calmed the stunned Yohan and guided him onto the bed. She patted the mattress and instructed him to lie down as well. After a brief hesitation, Yohan sighed and complied.
There’s no other way.
He decided to accept the situation.
“You seem to need time to process everything. We can talk more later. Lie down for now—your eyes look incredibly tired.”
Yohan hadn’t noticed, but his eyes were half-lidded, heavy with exhaustion. Only after Zeno pointed it out did he realize. He lay down carefully.
Fortunately the bed was wide.
“Sleep. Don’t fight it. I’ll handle the rest.”
Yohan gave a small chuckle.
She probably doesn’t realize it, but…
For some reason, this loop felt strangely reassuring.
Sir Zeno, let’s continue our conversation after we’ve rested.
[Indeed. Sleep deeply.]
Yohan nodded and quickly drifted off.
Even when Aria gently tapped his shoulder, he did not wake.
“He’s asleep now.”
Confirming he had fallen into deep slumber, Aria rose. She took up her staff, cast several spells, then placed her hand over the area near his heart. There was something she needed to verify.
“…It should be around here.”
She carefully moved her mana, searching the depths of his body until she found it.
“There it is.”
Having located her target, Aria frowned.
“I never taught him the complete formulas.”
The equations that covered an entire wall of her office—the ones she had written down only partially, just in case. The research known as “reaching the divine.” Those very formulas now resided deep within Yohan’s body.
And they were completely solved.