Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Out-of-Spec Existence (4)
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"Pamon, is that child sick or something?"
That was the conclusion Labela had reached after much deliberation.
With so little time left in reality for Pamon, a disaster was unfolding where she had to part from her disciple after just one week!
Rishir conveyed Pamon's vibrant, energetic appearance exactly as it had been—like a wilted flower blooming anew.
"She's still overflowing with energy. Excessively so."
Labela let out a sigh, as if just imagining it drained her.
"Or maybe the way they count days on the continent has changed? Like how seven days actually means seven years now."
Rishir's heart suddenly ached.
How shocked must this mystical transcendent being have been to even consider such a childish possibility?
He decided to defend his flawed but kind-hearted master to ease his grand master's worries.
"At the time, she said it was to take care of your matters in your stead."
"My matters? Ah."
The price.
Labela murmured the word softly, as if she had a guess.
Rishir thought she would accept this explanation.
How could anyone criticize a devoted disciple striving for her master's duty or rights?
"So that's how it was."
"Yes. Master had no choice in the matter."
"But if that was the case, she should have thought it through more carefully before taking on a disciple in the first place."
"...!"
Rishir felt a terrifying sense of crisis.
His grand master's words were perfectly reasonable—
and he knew that approaching it logically would paint his master as an irredeemably rotten person with no defense.
—Do you know what Rishir's biggest strength is~?
—He's cute.
To make matters worse.
Rishir recalled how his master had taken him in as a disciple back then.
That attitude, no different from picking up a stray animal!
"A-Actually...! Master knew I was being mistreated in my family and went out of her way to help me!"
Probably.
Rishir swallowed those words inwardly.
It was a desperate struggle to protect his master's honor (existence uncertain).
More than that.
Wasn't it entirely untrue?
Indeed, when his master had taken him in, she already knew he was a bastard and was poorly treated in his family.
The disciple believed that fact must have significantly influenced her choice.
Even if she hadn't shown it outwardly!
"..."
Labela watched Rishir like that.
Her bored expression softened.
"Alright. If my disciple says so, then it must be true."
She had lost the will to argue upon seeing her great-disciple's loyalty.
"By the way—"
Afterward.
Having heard the full story in more detail, Labela broached the subject.
"Child. You're from the Bendel Family?"
"Yes."
"Let me see."
Labela gently lifted Rishir's chin with her slender fingers, then carefully took him in with her signature silver eyes.
"So it wasn't my imagination."
"Did you recognize I was a Bendel from the start!?"
"No. I was going to say you don't resemble a Bendel in the slightest."
The slender fingers that had held his chin slid up to brush back his bangs.
"The Bendel I know had none of the cuteness you have, child. In every sense."
"I-is that so?"
"Oh. Does it bother you if I say something bad about your ancestors?"
"Not particularly. Thanks to my father's thorough education, I barely have any sense of Bendel identity left in me."
Labela mulled over Rishir's words for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle with a faint smile.
"Grass that blooms in harsh environments is all the tougher and more beautiful. Just like you, child."
"Could it be... my father had quite the talent for raising children?"
"Creating a harsh wilderness inside a greenhouse—that's a talent in its own right. Separately, I could never call him a good father, even as flattery. He's just like your ancestors, obsessed with formality. Oh. Does that bother you?"
"Not at all. Hearing you criticize that pathetic father of mine in your elegant voice actually polishes my soul. It makes me think a greenhouse like this is better than harsh wilderness any day."
"My goodness. You even talk just like your master."
Labela stroked Rishir's head, finding him unbearably cute.
"Sigh."
Then she let out another deep sigh as thoughts of her disciple resurfaced.
"So, child. Do you know nothing at all about your master's magic?"
"That's right."
Ah!
Then Rishir spoke up as something occurred to him.
"Come to think of it, Master did say something about her own magic."
"What did she say?"
Back then, Pamon had spoken about her unique magic like that.
She wanted to teach it to him even if it meant overexerting herself.
But due to the poor public perception of her magic, she hesitated and asked him to understand her position—
"Ah."
Labela nodded deeply in realization.
"Considering your position like that, I can see her choice had its reasons."
"My position?"
"You've met her, so you know, but Pamon—that child doesn't care much about others' opinions or stares."
"That's true."
"Neither do I."
"..."
That's very true.
Rishir gazed into the distance.
When conversing face-to-face like this, he sometimes forgot amid her elegant demeanor—
but she was the figure who had naturally earned the title Night of the Forest while pursuing her curiosity.
"So—"
Labela continued, making a small gesture with her hand.
Vines rose from the ground at her gesture, and a tiny flower bloomed at the tip.
Labela gently plucked it and tucked it into Rishir's hair.
"She learned nature magic, generally taboo, without any special restrictions. But you, child—"
"I..."
Rishir understood what Labela meant.
At the same time, he understood what his master had meant.
"If I had learned nature magic from Master, I might have ended up in a real predicament."
"Exactly. This power stimulates the imaginations of cowards."
"...B-but aren't you, Bella, the one who actually brought their imaginations to life?"
Rishir thought of the forest that moved solely by one person's will.
Labela smiled instead of answering.
Rishir unwittingly felt pity for those unknown cowards she mentioned.
"Still. Hearing you say that reassures me somewhat. She didn't teach magic without any thought. And... on the other hand, it leaves me a bit regretful."
"Regretful because—"
"Because I've realized anew that you're a proper, upstanding person, unlike our master-disciple pair."
"...Are you worried about the problems I might face if I learned nature magic?"
"As you can see from the many friends you brought here, child. You're someone who receives a lot of expectations and respect from those around you, right? If you learned something like nature magic..."
Rishir was considerably surprised by Labela's sincerely troubled expression.
Night of the Forest.
Just from the name, you'd expect a 'Who cares about that crap!' attitude—
yet her concerns were so delicate and kind.
In Labela, Rishir glimpsed a fragment of his master.
Ruthless to others but endlessly kind to her own!
Truly, like master, like disciple.
Soon, Labela gathered her thoughts and spoke.
"So. Let's put off learning nature magic for now."
"Bella."
Rishir replied urgently, his heart racing.
That day, after Pamon had single-handedly schooled the Bendel Family head.
His master's magic had been an object of admiration within him ever since.
Besides, nature magic was more than enough to pique the interest of Rishir, a mage himself.
If word got out that he could learn nature magic from the Night of the Forest, the yellow and gray mages rummaging through warehouses in excitement would come running with eyes bulging.
To let such nature magic slip through his fingers without even touching it.
'Me. I might not be cool enough for that!?'
Rishir panicked and began persuading Labela.
"It's fine. You don't need to worry about me. No. If you consider my low standing, you must teach me nature magic!"
"Oh my."
At Rishir's strong show of will, her bored silver eyes curved pleasantly.
"I thought you might dislike it."
Usually, yes—but
in front of her cute, socially respected great-disciple, the stigma of nature magic weighed on her.
"No way! From the first time I saw Master's power, I've always thought it was amazing! Meeting you, Bella, has only solidified that!"
"My goodness."
Labela clasped her hands over her chest as if moved.
"You speak more lovelily than a tiny wallflower."
"Isn't that the perfect talent for nature magic!?"
"My heart is screaming the same. However... as I keep saying, we adults can't help considering your social position, child."
Sigh.
Labela let out a sincere sigh.
"How nice it would be if you were a rotten person like that child."
"Urk—"
Rishir despaired at the overwhelming talent gap, recalling his master's innate rottenness.
"Actually, you don't need to worry about that either!"
Rishir thumped his chest confidently.
"I can say this now, but my reputation won't change much even if I learn nature magic!"
"It'll affect your entire life. You can't conclude it's that simple."
"No—that's not it. I meant I've already made an even bolder choice!"
"A bolder choice?"
Rishir spread his arms wide.
"Me. Actually, I learned black magic."
Like someone confessing to failing a major exam.
"Black magic..."
The transcendent being's aloof expression clouded with bewilderment once more.
Black magic.
It was a taboo on a whole different level from nature magic.
"How—"
The Night of the Forest couldn't easily continue.
There were too many points to address.
Where did he learn black magic?
If he learned it, how did he handle the corruption's erosion?
And if it came out that he learned black magic, how would he deal with the fallout?
Rishir didn't know.
That at this moment.
Labela was looking at him with the same face she used for Pamon.
Of course.
Rishir was already prepared to convince her.
He wouldn't have brought it up otherwise.
Pok.
Suddenly, a grayish-white fireball appeared between them.
Originally the incarnation of impure black magic power, now reduced to a mere spirit.
—Ah, no...! For you, my lord, to summon me first...!!! What utmost honor!!!
A being that hinted at many events.
Rishir silently pointed at Dangleon.
"...Ah."
The mountain of questions vanished instantly.
Overshadowed by an out-of-spec question.
Labela was convinced.
"Come to think of it, child—what did you learn from Pamon in that one week?"
"The basics of magic: resonance, manipulation, and formalization."
"Ah, I see—"
Hm?
Labela's words cut off.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sense of incongruity midway.
"In one week, you learned the basic theory?"
"No time for theory, so we went straight to practical mastery."
Tick.
The sound of Labela's thoughts derailing.
No time, so skip theory and jump to skills?
Isn't it usually the opposite?
She was confused but pushed the doubt aside.
Listening further revealed another issue.
"Child. You must have met that child at a pretty young age. When was the last time you saw her?"
"About half a year ago, I think."
"Half a ye— Hm? Half a year?"
Labela reorganized the conversation.
Met Pamon from a blank slate, solidified magic basics in one week.
According to Rishir, that was half a year ago.
"..."
Labela eyed Rishir intently.
His aura was perfectly controlled, hard to gauge, but it couldn't fool her senses.
Entry into 7th circle, at the very edge.
Labela reorganized the conversation based on that.
"So in other words— child. You've only been learning magic for half a year?"
"Yes."
"..."
Labela fell into deep thought.
And shortly after.
"Ha."
Emerging from her reverie with a small laugh, she said to Rishir,
"Are you ready to learn nature magic?"
Labela, who had opened the conversation wanting to give a little guidance.
Her silver eyes now shone brightly.
"So that's how it is. I'll be staying a bit longer in Bella's forest."
Rishir wrapped up his unexpectedly long talk with Labela and returned to the cabin to meet his companions.
"Learning nature magic from the Night of the Forest..."
An ancient magic whose lineage had completely died out in modern times.
Nature magic was especially noteworthy among them.
All because of the countless tales tied to the Night of the Forest.
And yet.
To learn that nature magic from no one else but the Night of the Forest herself—
the essence of nature magic.
Some snorted in disbelief at the unrealistic story and shook their heads—
while others looked at Rishir with envy.
Watching from the side, Labela was quite surprised.
Not a single person pointed fingers at learning nature magic from a Dark Elf.
It was possible because he carried a devil—the essence of black magic—as a pure spirit.
"Normally, I'd return with you all first to sort things out, but—"
As Rishir hinted, Karojen bobbed its beak up and down in agreement.
"At this point where we don't know what happened to Shallado's silver bracelet, there's no guarantee we can come back here."
"Right."
They already knew of the special relationship between Rishir and the Night of the Forest over one Dark Elf, so no questions or complaints arose.
White Iron Adventurers' Guild.
Yellow Tower.
And Gray Tower too.
Each held trophies permitted by the Night of the Forest.
With the trophies secured, the joint dungeon expedition's goal was achieved.
All that remained was parting ways.
"Lord Rishir."
Locard approached Rishir.
"Through meeting you, I've realized anew how deficient I am. I'll never forget this encounter, the insights gained, and our connection."
He extended his hand politely to Rishir.
"..."
The yellow mages, including Karojen, still couldn't adapt to the deity's demeanor, looking like they'd seen a ghost.
"Lord Rishir."
Next, Ratcheta, representative of the White Iron Guild, stepped forward.
Her face, holding the trophy, was flushed with happiness.
"If you're alright with it, may I visit later to pay my respects?"
"It'd be an honor."
Ratcheta, having finished various calculations in her head, flashed a frank, materialistic smile.
"Rishir."
Finally, Master Didowa gripped both his hands tightly.
"I'll explain everything properly to the others with Master Meltas, so don't worry."
"Of course. With you two around, why would I?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to say, Rishir."
Tap tap.
The braided-beard elder patted Rishir's arm.
"I believed that because it's you, you'd handle this incredible place and that incredible figure just fine. We can meet again soon with even better faces, right?"
"You bet."
Finally, the Golden Star.
"Rishir. I have a feeling... we'll meet again."
With that, Rishir's group bid them farewell and left the forest through the path Labela opened—
leaving only Labela and Rishir in the forest.
"Well then—"
Rishir looked at Labela with eager eyes.
"Shall we start right away?"
"No. There's something we need to do first."
Labela gazed at the forest dyed in sunset hues.
Rishir tensed at the meaningful atmosphere.
Perhaps the guidance on nature magic had already begun.
Night of the Forest.
What would she have a nature magic aspirant do in this fading forest?
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Pardon?"
"You haven't eaten since breakfast. It's late today, so let's eat and rest."
Afterward.
Rishir was fed so much he couldn't think of anything but resting.
"Child. Wake up. We have somewhere to go."
The next day.
Woken early at dawn by Labela, Rishir headed deep into the forest with her.
"Are we going to that place from yesterday?"
"No. That spot is too advanced for you now, with no knowledge of nature magic."
"Then—"
"Building the basic foundation. That's what you need now. And so my worries begin."
"Is there a problem?"
"I'm too far ahead to teach basics—too worn out, perhaps. I worry if I can teach you well. So—"
Deeper into the forest, the surroundings darkened.
Labela illuminated the area with white fireflies that flew in from somewhere and continued.
"For this part, I'll seek help from the perfect candidate."
"The perfect candidate?"
"Child. Do you know about World Trees?"
"..."
Rishir felt a mild headache.
Maybe because of who she was.
The sudden mention of a name carried immense weight.
"You're not saying we're going to meet a World Tree now, are you?"
"You could say yes, or no."
Good lord.
Rishir suddenly felt the genre of his story shift.
Moments later.
Labela stopped.
Ahead of them. A massive tree exuded unparalleled presence even amid the lush forest.
Labela placed her hand on it and said,
"Karoer. You don't want long talks with me, so straight to the point. Plant the seed of nature magic in the child I brought."
"You owe me a debt, don't you?"
"Practical reasons?"
Labela mulled her words briefly before replying.
"Humans? There's only one human here?"
Woooong.
The tree silently emitted its energy.