Chapter 73: Twisting Two Fates (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: Twisting Two Fates (5)
“Uwoooo—!”
Enya began thumping her chest like a wild ape, letting out a series of frantic cries. Jin flinched, instinctively taking a step back, while Quicantel heaved a heavy, troubled sigh.
Grab!
Suddenly, Enya lunged forward and seized Jin’s hands, bowing her head so low it nearly touched the floor. It was less a greeting and more a full prostration.
“It is an honor to meet you, Young Master Jin! I’m Enya!”
“Uh, well… It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Enya.”
“Kyaaaaah!”
Jin could swear on his life he had never seen anything like this. Even in his past life, when Veradin Zipple was at the height of his popularity and the envy of the world, he had never witnessed a follower react with such explosive fervor.
Is this what she meant by ‘respecting’ me?
She looked less like a fan and more like a devout believer meeting her god. In fact, Enya had already collapsed to her knees and was muttering some incomprehensible prayer.
It was so overwhelming that Jin felt a tightness in his chest.
The heart of a young girl lost in fantasies about her ‘idol’ was truly uncharted territory for him. It was only natural, considering Jin had never had an idol of his own.
“...She wasn't even this dramatic when she became the Contractor of Olta.”
Quicantel felt a twinge of bitterness.
When the god himself had chosen her, Enya’s only reaction had been a simple, “Oh, wow.” Seeing her now, flailing about like an ecstatic puppy, gave the dragon a strange sense of defeat.
This is why I kept advising Lord Olta that bloodline is important!
This display was utterly devoid of dignity or grace.
This was exactly why Olta and the silver dragons placed such importance on lineage. At the very least, a Contractor of a God should possess a minimum level of decorum.
But what could be done?
There was no human in this era with a higher affinity for magic than Enya, so they had proceeded with the contract out of necessity. It couldn’t be undone, and now that the contract was active, Quicantel had no choice but to love her.
Such was the fate of a Guardian Dragon.
“Ahem. Enya, that’s enough.”
Quicantel stepped in to stop Enya, whose shoulders were still heaving with excitement. The dragon pressed a finger firmly against the girl's forehead, and Enya finally fell silent.
Of course, she didn’t stop staring at Jin, her eyes sparkling like stars.
I wonder what Murakan would have said if he were awake.
Jin let out a soft, involuntary chuckle.
“Oh, dear. I got a bit too excited. Seeing Young Master Jin in person after only reading about you in the newsletters… I lost my mind for a moment. I’m so sorry!”
Enya bowed deeply once again.
Extremely sociable and hyperactive. That was Jin’s first impression of her.
“There’s no need to apologize, Enya. I’m just a bit overwhelmed by such a passionate welcome.”
“Kyaah! Should I welcome you even more passionately?”
“This is quite enough.”
“Quicantel! Quicantel! Please explain it to me now. How did Young Master Jin end up here? Could it be that Olta finally answered my prayers?”
“What exactly have you been praying to Olta for every night?”
“I prayed that I could meet Young Master Jin, of course! Hehe. Anyway, today is a wonderful day! I was having such a hard time at the Academy all day.”
Quicantel’s expression darkened.
She knew better than anyone how Enya was treated by the other cadets at the Academy.
I can't exactly go and kill all those brats…
Her teeth ground together at the thought of the cunning noble cadets who subtly bullied Enya. If they had resorted to physical violence, she would have simply killed them, but because they merely treated Enya like she was invisible, Quicantel had no grounds to intervene.
Jin caught Quicantel’s expression and, recalling the typical behavior of noble cadets, nodded in understanding.
They must be subjecting her to all sorts of humiliation because she’s a commoner on a scholarship. This is exactly why I never associated with Academy mages in my past life.
During his time under his magic master, Jin had encountered all sorts of mages from the Academy. To this day, he had never met a more loathsome breed of human.
In any case.
It was time to pull Enya out from among those bigots. While he couldn't offer her support as a Runcandel, he had just recently formed a new, independent faction.
I just need to convince Enya to move her entire family to Tikan. As for magic, I can find a good teacher for her there.
The Free City of Tikan was, on the whole, a much more open and accepting city than Viment. Furthermore, with Casimir personally looking after her, she would enjoy a quality of life better than that of most nobles.
As long as she could give up her homeland of Viment, it was a golden opportunity.
“Miss Enya, the reason I came to find you is to take you with me once your safety is secured.”
He said it because it was the truth.
However, it didn't take long for him to realize that saying it had been a mistake. The moment she heard that sentence, Enya became the protagonist of a romance novel.
“To… take me. To. Take. Meeeee!”
Another frenzy erupted. Enya began punching the air like a madwoman, her eyes becoming bloodshot.
“I’m going! I’ll go! I’ll go anywhere! Long live Olta!”
Thwack.
Unable to watch any longer, Quicantel finally delivered a light chop to the back of Enya’s neck. Enya trembled and fainted, leaving Jin feeling as though he had just witnessed a bizarre one-act play.
“Ah, my head. How did someone like this become Olta’s Contractor?”
“Children should be bright and energetic.”
“You’re a child too. Sigh. Well, it seems there’s no need for persuasion. If you told her to go, she’d probably follow you all the way into the Runcandel dungeons.”
“My family doesn't have underground dungeons, Quicantel.”
“They’re gone? No way. They should still be there. There are even a few dragons imprisoned in them.”
“...What?”
“It’s not important, so forget it. Now, listen carefully. Enya is going to wake up in exactly ten seconds. When she does, I’d appreciate it if you’d choose your words carefully and explain the current situation to her.”
“Didn't you hit her quite hard just now? Even a trained martial artist wouldn't wake up that fast.”
Rustle.
Before ten seconds had even passed, Enya began to stagger to her feet. For a moment, Jin felt a chill run down his spine; it was a phenomenon that defied both medical science and the principles of martial arts.
It was the sheer tenacity of a superfan.
However, the impact wasn't entirely absent, as Enya seemed a bit more subdued.
Her speech was also slightly slurred.
“Yoooung Maaaster Jiiin.”
“Miss Enya, I’ll slowly explain the situation to you now.”
Enya nodded, and Jin explained everything from Yuria’s story to the various suspicions surrounding Buretta and the Zipple.
He couldn't share information that only a regressor would know, but fortunately, Enya accepted his story with ease.
“Mmm, I’ll believe anything Young Master Jin says. It sounds so romantic! Dragons, conspiracies, adventures, a little girl, and a young lady! And even Young Master Jin.”
“I suppose you could look at it that way.”
“It’s better to think positively about everything. Anyway, the gist is that I just need to leave Viment with my family and go live in Tikan, right?”
“Exactly.”
“When should we leave?”
“The sooner, the better. Quicantel and I have work to do here in Viment, so it would be best if you left first, Miss Enya.”
It wasn't a good idea to take the time to formally withdraw from the Academy and settle her affairs.
Viment would not easily let go of Olta’s Contractor. The moment she showed any sign of leaving, they would use any means necessary to put a leash on her—whether by taking her family hostage or using drugs to brainwash her. On top of that, she would be placed under the special surveillance of the notorious Viment Special Task Force.
It was much easier to slip away secretly before any of that happened. A pursuit would follow for a while, but the investigation would likely focus on the Lutero Magic Federation rather than the Tikan Free State.
Of course, it wasn't without risk.
The key is how much Viment actually values Olta’s Contractor.
From what Jin could see, they didn't value her much at all. If they did, Enya wouldn't be wearing such old and worn-out clothes.
Either they’re walking on eggshells around the Zipple, or they can't give her special treatment because her status hasn't been made public yet… but the Special Task Force isn't even assigned to her.
If the latter were the reason, the Special Task Force should have been near Enya at all times.
The reason Enya wasn't being treated properly despite being a Contractor was her social status. To the other nobles at the Academy, Enya—who always got better grades than their children and had even contracted with a god—was an eyesore.
The nobles were likely pressuring the officials at the Viment Imperial Palace, telling them under no circumstances to take care of that commoner girl.
“The sooner the better, I understand, Young Master. I’ll have my family ready by tomorrow.”
Enya’s family consisted only of a seven-year-old younger brother and an old dog named Pupi.
“But Jin, how are you going to smuggle Enya out? Passing through the gates is impossible, and I can't just fly her out myself. It would all be recorded, and the risk of being tracked is too high.”
Riding Murakan was out of the question as well.
Jin already had a method in mind.
“Tikan trade ships regularly enter the capital port of Viment. They can just secretly board one of them.”
The Seven-Colored Bird’s informants in Viment operated in the same way. The Viment authorities turned a blind eye to it because of the leverage the Seven-Colored Bird held over the Viment leadership.
Low-level informants, who had nothing to do with critical information, were particularly free to enter and exit the country illegally.
“Once Enya leaves, I’ll stay in the Empire as usual and find an opportunity to meet Buretta,” Quicantel said. “I’ll have to tell the Academy that Enya is sick.”
The nobles wouldn't care if the eyesore named Enya didn't show up at the Academy. If anything, they would hope she never showed up again.
“Yes,” Jin replied. “And we can return after finishing things with Buretta. I’d prefer if we could resolve this without fighting, but… a battle will likely be unavoidable.”
“As I said before, the fighting is my responsibility. That guy sleeping over there is out of the question.”
The moment the conversation reached that point, Jin and Quicantel both looked toward the entrance at the same time.
A faint presence was approaching from the front yard. Soon, the owner of that presence knocked on the front door.
Knock, knock.
“Is anyone inside? I’ve come to ask for some firewood.”
There was no way someone would come to this remote mansion just to ask for firewood.
It was undoubtedly a visit from the Special Task Force or the Imperial Guard.
“What a dim-witted human, coming all the way out here looking for firewood. Wait a moment.”
And surprisingly, Quicantel didn't seem to suspect the uninvited guest at all.