Chapter 429: Proof of Existence (17)
Chapter 429: Proof of Existence (17)
Celine’s statement continued as follows.
As usual, Celine had headed out for midnight training. It was to get accustomed to the mana that had been rapidly increasing lately, and to familiarize herself with the battle axe—a weapon she wasn't yet used to.
The only problem was that Celine’s training was accompanied by a great deal of noise.
Swinging a sword didn't typically produce a volume of sound that would be grating to the ear. However, a battle axe nearly as long as her height was a different story. The noise it generated was bound to be as powerful as its destructive force.
In particular, Celine enjoyed projecting her mana at full power. In other words, she couldn't stop her weapon in mid-air. Anyone could guess what kind of sound a battle axe would make when slammed into the ground.
That was why she had to venture outside the orphanage.
It was then that an unexpected encounter took place.
It was a moment that felt almost magical. Just as the moonlight poured through a gap in the veil of clouds, the light reflected off a pure white mask struck Celine’s retinas.
With a wall between them, silence hung over the man and the woman.
“The way you put it makes the atmosphere feel a bit strange, doesn't it?”
“Shut up, this is important… And do I look like the kind of woman who would get distracted by another man?”
I had no idea what she meant by getting distracted.
Since I was a man who got distracted far too often, I decided to remain silent for now.
“There was no conversation. I just knew instinctively. That person was… strange.”
“Strange how?”
“The feeling was different from a human.”
One moment she called him ‘that person,’ and the next she said he didn't feel like a ‘human.’
I wasn't sure which tune I was supposed to dance to.
Nevertheless, Celine’s gaze remained dead serious.
“A more unpleasant feeling? The way he looked at me was somehow… unsettling.”
“It’s a Fiend.”
Drawing from my long experience, I reached a simple conclusion.
Celine tilted her head. Come to think of it, Celine had never encountered a Fiend before.
I had to deal with Guildford on my own. And Celine hadn't followed me to the North.
“Usually, Fiends hide their malevolence. But when they draw out their power, they give off that unpleasant feeling. They’re beings that exist somewhere between humans and demonic beasts.”
“I see… Then is my fainting related to that too?”
A low hum escaped my throat.
I couldn't rule out the possibility. Among Fiends, there were often individuals with special abilities.
After a moment of contemplation, a faint question escaped my lips.
“Is there anything else you remember?”
“Um, I was about to swing my axe right away. But then…”
Flash. Her vision went white, and she passed out.
There must have been no sign or omen. Or rather, there probably was, but Celine’s skill level wasn't high enough to even notice it.
That was the part I found most puzzling.
“You were looking him right in the eye and you still got hit? There must have been a fair amount of distance between you.”
“Ahaha… I know, right?”
Celine turned gloomy again and forced an awkward smile. A deep melancholy that she couldn't hide was bleeding through her expression.
She seemed depressed by the fact that she had been defeated without even being able to lift a finger. Having been caught off guard by enemies myself many times, I could empathize with her feelings.
However, I couldn't comfort Celine immediately. The testimony that her vision went ‘white’ bothered me.
I had heard something similar before.
Hadn't Sir Irene also testified that her vision went ‘white’? At the time, I thought she was just talking nonsense because she was so incompetent.
But a coincidence wouldn't repeat itself twice. In other words, there was a clue to identifying the culprit somewhere in this testimony.
Though I didn't have the slightest inkling of what it was yet.
Swallowing a dry laugh, I turned my eyes back to Celine. Her face was still clouded with gloom.
“I’m sorry, Ian…”
“What are you sorry for this time?”
A bitter smile rose to my lips. Having known her for a long time, I could tell.
I knew just how much Celine was struggling.
A sense of helplessness is often accompanied by a sense of inferiority. Because I had been so busy and indifferent lately, I hadn't realized that a deep wound was being carved into Celine’s heart. That fact made me feel incredibly regretful and sad.
I should have realized it from the moment she said she would stay at the Academy to train alone.
“I wasn't any help again. If only I were a little stronger…”
“Don't be so impatient.”
I said, placing a hand on Celine’s head with a soft thud. Normally, she would have gotten angry, saying I was ruining her hair, but today she was just quiet.
Perhaps she didn't even have the energy left to get angry.
“You’re already helping enough. We’ve been in battle together many times… And besides, your skills have been improving lately.”
It was an honest sentiment.
When I ran into Celine at the Academy not long ago, I had unintentionally let out a gasp of admiration. Her skills had improved far beyond my imagination.
Trying to keep my voice as warm as possible, I stroked Celine’s hair.
“You just need to keep going like this.”
“……Like this?”
Only then did Celine’s gaze turn toward me. The light had vanished from those amber eyes. Her pupils, cast in a somber shadow, gave off an almost eerie feeling.
I put more strength into my voice.
“Yes, like this. You just need to move forward at your own pace. Honestly, I only got strong because I happened to get lucky. Even now, my skills are nowhere near enough compared to the enemies I have to face.”
“But, I want to be of help to you, Ian.”
Her words were filled with a suppressed will.
I fell silent for a moment and stared at Celine.
“I don't want to be a burden. I hate being treated like someone whose presence doesn't matter. I want to be someone you absolutely need.”
“Celine…”
With a sigh, I quietly placed both hands on Celine’s shoulders.
As I knelt slightly, I was at eye level with her. It was the height at which two people’s hearts could best connect.
“You’re already someone I absolutely need.”
“Really?”
“Yes, of course…”
“You lived just fine without me for the past few months.”
I was momentarily speechless at her unexpectedly sharp tone. I hadn't realized Celine was this angry.
To be precise, I had assumed she would understand. Weren't we closer than anyone else?
My duty, my responsibility. I thought she would naturally accept the sacrifices that came with them.
Was I being too selfish?
“Right? You have plenty of people even without me. There’s that loser, and Senior Lainella, and Senior Yurdina. Oh, and I can't forget the Saintess or Her Highness the Princess, can I?”
“Celine, I think there’s a misunderstanding…”
“I know.”
Before I could even finish, Celine cut me off with a cold voice. It was a firm tone, yet laced with a faint hint of moisture.
“It’s all… my fault. So, I’ll take care of it myself.”
I didn't even have time to ask what she meant.
Celine turned away as if trying to hide her rising sobs. All I could see were her fists, clenched so tightly they looked like they might crumble.
“I just… I just have to get stronger. Somehow…!”
With that final resolution leaked through her gritted teeth, Celine hurried away. She clearly had no intention of looking at me any longer.
“Celine!”
Even when I called her name, Celine showed no sign of turning back. At least she was heading toward the orphanage. I had been worried she might go missing again.
I let out a groan and pressed a hand to my forehead.
“What am I supposed to do…”
This was why I hated human relationships. There was never a clear, correct answer.
If only someone would just give me the answer.
Looking up at the sky resentfully, I began to walk, one step at a time. The steady rhythm of my footsteps poked at my troubled mind.
The masked assailant, and Celine.
I couldn't see a proper answer for either.
I returned to the orphanage with a weary face.
Celine was nowhere to be seen. She might have shut herself in her room. Not that I had the confidence to persuade her even if I did see her.
Come to think of it, the Saintess told me to come to her bedroom.
Feeling depressed, I felt a strong urge to be comforted. A pouch containing the Saintess’s overflowing divine power would surely be enough to console me.
Then, the person who caught my eye was Yuren.
He was watching the children play with an indifferent expression. They were having a mock sword fight with tree branches as if playing soldiers, and their form was surprisingly seasoned.
Though to my eyes, it was just cute.
No, more than that, there was no way the sight of little kids bickering wasn't cute. Before I knew it, a faint chuckle escaped my lips.
I naturally stood beside Yuren. Yuren was leaning crookedly against a pillar with his arms crossed.
“What do you think? Do you see the potential for a second Yuren?”
At my joke, Yuren let out a snort. I could glimpse his indifferent attitude in that dry sound.
“No? I had already mastered the Swift Sword Technique by that age. Even the older boys several years my senior couldn't touch me.”
“Yeah, yeah… You’re the best, kid. But you never know, right?”
It was likely true, but seeing a genius brag about his exceptional talent was a bit of an eyesore. I suppose that’s why he held the rank of runner-up in the Academy Swordsmanship Department.
That was why I reflexively offered a counterargument.
“They might discover their talent later. Life is long, and it’ll be even longer for those kids.”
“I wonder…”
Even at my reasonable opinion, Yuren still seemed skeptical.
“Will they even be able to survive until then? And the path of the sword is just as long as life itself. I also thought I was a genius when I was a kid.”
“But you are a genius, aren't you?”
To me, his words felt absurd.
The runner-up of the Academy Swordsmanship Department, the master of the Swift Sword Technique that the Holy Kingdom boasted of—if he wasn't a ‘genius,’ then who was?
However, not a single grain of humility could be felt in Yuren’s voice as he calmly stated his opinion.
“I thought so at first. But the sword isn't an easy tool. The more you handle it, the more weaknesses you see, and when you struggle to fix them, things sometimes end up in a complete mess.”
“……The ‘wall.’”
Only then did I murmur softly in agreement.
The ‘wall’—it was also the greatest obstacle I was currently facing. My aura was getting stronger and my swordsmanship more precise, but the characteristics of my aura simply wouldn't bloom.
Why? I had pondered it countless times, but no answer came.
Should I ask for advice the next time I meet my ‘future self’?
Meanwhile, Yuren’s story continued.
“I thought I was going crazy. I was standing still, while the person next to me was already far ahead. I was supposed to stand by their side, I was supposed to protect them…”
A laugh escaped Yuren’s lips as he muttered those words.
As if he couldn't understand why he was suddenly pouring his heart out.
“And then you fall into a ‘Heart Demon.’ Well, it doesn't matter now… More importantly, did you find out anything?”
The intent behind Yuren’s question was quite clear. There was only one piece of information our group was currently focused on.
I had no choice but to shake my head with a sigh.
“She said her vision went ‘white.’”
“I could have told you that much.”
I had no rebuttal for that remark. I simply shrugged my shoulders.
Silence settled between us, and the two troubled men blankly watched the children play. Then, at some point, Yuren’s eyes flashed.
“Then that means she was taken down in an instant? Or else…”
My bewildered gaze followed Yuren’s eyes. There, across from the boys playing soldiers, were children crushing weeds in broken porcelain bowls as if they were witches.
“It was magic.”
And then, silence again.
The silence didn't last long. I immediately began to walk again.
“I need to find Senior Elsie. And could you prepare a crystal ball? I need to contact the Academy.”
Fortunately, there were plenty of magic experts in our group.