Chapter 621: The Season is Autumn (10)
Chapter 621: The Season is Autumn (10)
The autumn sky is high and clear.
The night of the season, when horses grow fat and farmers celebrate their harvests, was disconcertingly quiet. Perhaps it was because the chirping of insects that had filled the air all summer had finally fallen silent.
Or perhaps it was because the place I had come to was just that secluded.
The observatory.
It was a building deeply connected to magic, alchemy, and astrology. Since ancient times, the movement of the stars had been perceived as being intertwined with the will of the heavens.
However, several conditions were required to observe the celestial bodies properly.
For instance, visibility and the amount of light. As a sword-wielder, I didn't know the details, but I had heard before that the observatory had been built here after considering various demanding site requirements.
As a result, the observatory ended up in a very remote location.
It made sense if you thought about it. Wherever civilization exists, light is born; therefore, an observatory, which must avoid light as much as possible, is naturally driven out into the wilderness.
That was the story behind why the Academy's observatory was built in such an awkward spot.
In fact, it wasn't even within the 'Academy' proper. The observatory was located outside the Academy, halfway up a hill where a sage was said to have lived in seclusion long ago.
If not for the teleportation magic circle, I likely would never have set foot here in my entire life.
To think someone would designate such a distant place as a meeting spot.
Of course, it wasn't a bad choice for a secret conversation. Very few students visited the observatory, and even if they did, they had to obtain prior permission.
An entity with enough power to lightly ignore such procedures would certainly find this place suitable.
In other words, the person who called me here today was someone who could, at the very least, disregard the Academy's administrative protocols.
"…You've come."
A trail of pure white tobacco smoke drifted into the air.
Perhaps because the weather had turned quite chilly, the white vapor escaping the girl's lips looked like frosted breath. It might have felt that way even more because of the appearance of the woman holding the smoking pipe.
Had she only just passed puberty?
Her small frame and delicate skin made her age even more confusing. Her aura and demeanor were unmistakably those of an adult, yet her outward appearance remained exactly as it had been in her childhood.
She was a figure I was now very familiar with.
And for good reason.
How could a disciple fail to recognize the face of their master?
I immediately bowed my head slightly in respect.
"Master."
"The moon is quite bright today."
Was it praise or a lament?
The emotion contained in the woman's words, which sounded like a sigh, was deep and heavy. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, before cautiously closing the distance between myself and my master.
The Great Witch's gaze shifted slightly toward me before pointing back at the sky. Stars were reflected deeply in her eyes, which looked like tropical seas.
"Did I ever tell you? That 'Masters' are not entirely free beings."
"I believe I heard something similar from the Sword Duke before…"
It was a story from a long time ago.
Perhaps because I had experienced so many incidents since then, I had long forgotten such minor mentions. Nevertheless, I searched my memory to meet my master's expectations as best I could.
Had the Sword Duke said something like that?
I wasn't sure. It seemed the Great Witch hadn't asked the question expecting an answer anyway.
That was likely why she continued to exhale smoke without even pretending to listen.
"Isn't it ridiculous? That beings who have supposedly transcended humanity are, in fact, bound by the past and unable to move an inch."
"What do you mean, unable to move an inch?"
"The God-fighter of the Holy Kingdom is bound to the Holy City."
The Holy City of Siendel.
I flinched at the name I hadn't heard in a while. My body still hadn't forgotten the fierce struggle that took place at the Mountain Court that day.
The Saint was strong.
If a monster who could manipulate life and death at will wasn't strong, then who could claim to be? Yet, even a Saint that powerful could not act as he pleased.
He merely upheld ancient traditions and laws.
"The Empire's sword-crazed fool is bound to the Imperial Household."
The Sword Duke was the same.
He was once a man who traveled the entire continent, writing countless legends. Even now, doesn't he show a side of himself that can't contain his vigor?
And yet, he returned to the Imperial Household.
"And I am bound to the Great Forest."
"Do you not find it stifling?"
It was a question that suddenly occurred to me.
The Saint, the Sword Duke, and the Great Witch.
All of them had lived lives no different from being on a leash for at least several decades. Despite being so strong, why?
At that, the Great Witch let out a soft chuckle.
"I wondered what you were going to say… Of course it's stifling. In fact, all three of us might secretly be yearning to be liberated from this long restraint. It's just that the burden is too heavy to simply cast aside lightheartedly."
"All three of you?"
"Yes, all three of us… No, I suppose it's two now."
The Great Witch's playful smile turned toward me.
It was an expression I had never seen before. Until now, I had only seen her either exhausted or wearing a solemn face.
To think she could make such an innocent expression.
Perhaps out of surprise, my heart skipped a beat.
"I have become free now… thanks to none other than you."
"You flatter me."
"For hundreds of years, I have abused myself."
As if my humble words were of no concern, the Great Witch resumed her story.
"I thought everything was my fault. Deep down, I wondered if there might have been a better choice… even until the final moment when I killed my pathetic older sister with my own hands."
"One cannot always make the right choice, can they?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying… but the guilt wouldn't disappear, so I pushed myself into agony every single day. Even going so far as to make my own body the core of the barrier on purpose."
The expression on the Great Witch's face as she shared her past was… how should I put it?
She looked relieved, yet empty, and on the other hand, somewhat wistful.
It was likely a feeling I couldn't even begin to imagine.
The sentiment after settling a centuries-long ill-fated bond.
The Great Witch hesitated for a long time, unable to speak. Perhaps she didn't know how to define her own emotions.
However, there was one sentence she finally managed to squeeze out.
"……Thank you."
It was a word concentrated with profound emotion.
The Great Witch blushed slightly and avoided my gaze. It felt like I was witnessing many of my master's rare expressions today.
A blushing Great Witch.
Who could have imagined such a thing?
"For… for saving me. To be honest, I had been waiting fervently. For a day like this to come… it's just that I couldn't do it on my own."
I remained silent for a while.
Then, I instinctively took a step forward. The distance between the woman and me was instantly cut by more than half.
When I silently knelt and her light green eyes filled my vision.
Only then did my lips curve into an arc. I heard the Great Witch's breath hitch as she saw this.
My image was reflected in her wide-open eyes. Along with the moonlight pouring down on me like a beaded curtain.
"……It is an honor."
That was all I wanted to say.
The Great Witch's lips parted and closed for a moment before she abruptly turned her head away. Her faintly flushed cheeks held an enchanting glow.
"To have been able to save you after hundreds of years."
"Hmph, anyone listening would think I'm some princess from a fairy tale."
"Why not? I believe I heard that you were once a young lady of a noble house… Ack!"
Ultimately, unable to overcome her embarrassment, the Great Witch kicked my knee.
Even if she was a mage, a Master was still a Master.
There was no way her physical abilities were ordinary. It was at least enough to make a martial artist who had reached the Expert level scream for a moment.
As I stood up, yelping in pain, the Great Witch began to grumble while fanning herself with her hand.
"A mere brat acting so cheeky… I've got the wrong disciple, tsk tsk. Teasing your master like that."
"Was it that obvious?"
And then, another cry of pain.
It was the result of the Great Witch's small foot striking my knee once again.
"Yes, you rascal. It was obvious!"
Whether she was upset at being caught by my joke, the Great Witch huffed and puffed for a long time, refusing to let go of her mood. Only then did I feel relieved and let out a hearty laugh.
Yes, this is how it should be.
It felt as though the face I had seen in the memories of the man from the future had finally returned. The expression from those days when she had cast off the shadows and laughed and cried without a single worry.
Taking advantage of the somewhat relaxed atmosphere, I decided to ask something I had been curious about.
"By the way, Master."
"What is it?"
Pouting her lips, the tone the woman with the smoking pipe used was even sullen.
Was she still angry?
Even as I thought that, I didn't stop my questioning.
"Why do you still look like that?"
At that, the Great Witch stiffened slightly.
Once again, her eyes slunk toward the side. At this clearly suspicious sign, I could only tilt my head further in confusion.
"The vampire is dead anyway, isn't she? There should be no reason to maintain your childhood physique anymore……."
"First Child."
Her voice had suddenly become grave.
Startled, I had no choice but to shut my mouth for the moment. The look in the Great Witch's eyes as she watched me seemed exceptionally serious.
"Do you love the Second Child?"
"No, I mean… well, of course. Would I get engaged to a woman I don't love?"
I even have a wife.
Of course, I didn't make the mistake of saying that part out loud. No matter how I thought about it, it was something that would be morally condemned.
The Great Witch cleared her throat with a few coughs.
"I noticed there are many… mature women around you."
"……?"
What was she talking about?
For a moment, I didn't understand her intention, but on second thought, the Great Witch was right.
Not to mention the Saintess, but Senior Liana and Senior Delphine also had impressive figures. The same went for Emma and Seria.
Looking back, a physique like Senior Elsie's seemed rather rare.
Still, unable to find a satisfactory answer, I stroked my chin and asked back.
"So?"
"Nothing… I'm just saying that's how it is."
"What on earth does that have to do with your physique, Master……."
"If your Master says so, then it is so!"
I was completely cowed by her shouting as her face turned red.
It was truly a terrifying technique.
'How dare you talk back to your Master?!'
The moment I tried to argue, it would become 'talking back' again—an invincible logic that made rebuttal impossible.
In the end, I had no choice but to remain silent and sneak glances at the Great Witch. Only then did she seem to regain her composure, clearing her throat again to calm herself.
After a while.
The Great Witch let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
"No, no… actually, there was another reason I called you today."
"There's still a main point?"
"Yes."
To my puzzled face, the Great Witch spoke in a slightly bitter tone.
"It's about your junior……."
That Seria had to leave me.
As soon as I heard those words, I began to run like mad.
Toward the room where my junior would be staying. Praying that I wouldn't be too late.
But when I reached Seria's room, even going so far as to kick the door open.
'A letter to Senior Ian'
Only a single letter remained.
I picked up the letter with trembling hands.
On the pure white paper, elegant handwriting was set in black ink. She must have pressed down hard, pouring her heart into every stroke.
And so, the first line.
[I have committed many sins by loving you all this time.]
I had to read through the letter, feeling as though I were undergoing a punishment.