130. Elixir
130. Elixir
Pat-pat— Sparkle's soft little hands tapped against my chest.
[Ronan.]
"What."
I reached into my clothes and pulled Sparkle out.
Dragged out by the scruff of the neck, dangling limp, Sparkle had pulled the corners of its mouth way down and was wearing an extremely stern expression.
[This isn't the world of four hundred years ago.]
"So?"
[You don't have to force yourself to think like that.]
"Force...? What the hell are you talking about?"
A small sigh escaped Sparkle's tiny, dainty mouth.
[I know how much you all suffered four hundred years ago because of the affection you carried. But there's no need for that now. Especially you, Ronan. You had the most affection out of all your comrades... So you don't need to force yourself to be a bad person.]
"Don't talk nonsense."
I flicked Sparkle on the head and set it down on the floor.
[Ack! I said something nice, why'd you hit me!]
"Now get lost."
[No. I'm going to chatter more before I go.]
"Today's not the only day. Go while I'm asking nicely."
[And what if you don't ask nicely?]
Sparkle, who had been looking up at me from the floor, fluttered up and perched on my shoulder.
[Are you going to hit me again?]
"I'll rip your head off."
[Eep.]
Maybe the memory from my grave came back to it, because it clutched its head tightly and glared at me. But its arms are so short it can't even cover its whole head.
Looking at that pathetic sight, I couldn't even manage a hollow laugh.
"I only said that. I don't actually have any intention of killing Ophelia."
[...Really?]
"Yeah. You've seen it yourself up to now, haven't you? As much as the world has changed, I've changed a lot too."
I thought of the three who chattered away without pausing for a single breath, as if they had so much to say.
In my Past Life, I never would have gotten close to those three. Setting aside getting close, Stella might have already been dead by my hand.
The reason? Plenty.
But I didn't kill her.
First I listened to Stella's story, thought about it, judged, and in the end decided to keep her by my side and trust her.
Eurasia and Pina.
I wouldn't have killed them, but I never would have gotten close to them.
I would have been too busy worrying about my own growth to spare any time for brats whose futures were uncertain.
I was a bastard. Beyond cold-blooded, I was trash. I won't say I had no choice.
It's simply the result of the choice I made to change myself.
Anyone I accepted as an enemy—whether a former comrade, a master, anyone—I killed without hesitation.
I lived calculatingly, cutting out useless affection.
I didn't trust people, and I didn't accept goodwill as goodwill.
And yet now I'm trying to help everyone grow.
Why? Maybe, as Sparkle said, the things I'm doing now are my true nature.
Or maybe... I'm just tired.
Whatever it is, I've changed.
Whether that change will be a gain or a loss... well.
I suppose I'll only know once time passes.
[Hmm... That's true. Ronan now is, hmm, no.]
"If you're going to talk, finish it. If you're not, don't even start. Why stop in the middle? Wanna die?"
[But your mouth is still filthy! Ronan! How many times do I have to tell you not to talk like that with that face?! What a waste of a face!]
"I know I'm pretty. And I know my mouth is filthy. And you know what else I know?"
Sparkle's hands, which had been pressing firmly against my cheek while perched on my shoulder, stopped.
I grabbed Sparkle's little head.
"I also know exactly how to torment you."
[Aaaaaaack! My head! You grabbed my head again! I'm going back?! Huh?! I'm going back to the spirit realm?!]
"When I told you to go, you wouldn't. So why are you going now? And if you run off like this, are you not going to see me next time? If that's how it is, go ahead and try."
[Eek... Eeek! You're so mean! Your personality is awful too!]
"I know. On top of that, I'm even violent."
I slowly kneaded Sparkle's head between my thumb and forefinger. The more I did, the louder the screams got and the more its soft body trembled.
[I-I'll talk! I said I'll talk! It's really getting pulled off!! I'm dying!!]
"Talk."
[I can only talk if you let gooo! Aaaaaaaah!]
Giggling, I released Sparkle's head.
Sparkle heaved a big sigh, glared at me as hard as it could, smoothed down its sticking-up fur, and scurried up onto the top of my head.
[Ronan, I'm going to get hair loss because of you.]
"You're a spirit body, what hair loss. I know it grows back even if I rip your head off, so stop being dramatic."
[You never lose a single argument, do you.]
Sparkle sighed again—hah—and cleared its throat. Ahem.
[I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully.]
"What's so important that you'd—"
[If Ronan in your Past Life was so male it was horrifying, then Ronan now is a complete female!]
"...Wh... what? What did you say? A... complete, female?"
[Ronan, right now you are a perfect female!]
Flash! Cherry-blossom-colored Mana burst with light. Deceptive Body. I extended my arm at a speed even Demons couldn't properly react to. But.
[You can't catch me! Idiot! Female Ronan!]
I couldn't grab Sparkle's form.
In the form of the sunlight streaming through the window, Sparkle left the top of my head.
[Look at you right now! Sitting in a chair, but your legs are demurely together! You're even wearing a cute apron! And your hair is completely like something a bride at a wedding would have! And what did you say earlier? That you're glad I'm female? That statement in itself is no different from Ronan accepting that she's a woman!]
Legs. They were together. Why? Because I'm wearing a skirt, so I was worried my underwear might show. If it were someone close, maybe, but showing a stranger feels unpleasant.
But why are they together when I'm alone right now?
Apron. I put it on to wipe up the things Stella spilled.
Pink rabbit pattern. Eurasia picked it out. Actually, there was nothing to pick. This was the only one in my size. I'd forgotten to take it off.
Hair? It was sweaty and annoying, so I asked Eurasia to tie it up. I haven't looked in a mirror, so I don't know what it looks like. But what's this about a wedding bride's hair?
And, that I'm glad Sparkle is female?
That's... that's.
"Fuck..."
I don't know. I don't know, but.
Even just looking down at my own body.
Even looking back at my own actions.
...It really is... something only a girl would do... the way I look.
"You, this... bastard. You little flying-squirrel shit. Don't ever, ever think about coming out into the world again."
[Whoa! Ronan, isn't your face going to explode? It's not just red, it's about to cook!]
Blood dripped from my fist, clenched tight with terrible rage. Seeing that, Sparkle let out a faint light to heal the wound and let out a giggling laugh.
[Still, I like Ronan better now. Before, you always wore such a wretched expression. No, all of you did. You wished to be human more than anyone, clutched desperately at your humanity more than anyone, and in the end chose to become monsters.]
"...Shut up."
[So... I like seeing Ronan now. Hehe.]
The voice of Sparkle, which had been chattering away in a tomboyish voice, in a voice that pissed me the hell off, sank low.
[More wretched than anyone, more desperate than anyone, forced to walk a terrible path—you Heroes. I hope that your end, more than anyone's, can be happy.]
Four hundred years of time melted into that voice.
Sparkle, speaking in a voice that carried profound depth, vanished with those words.
"Why the sudden mood shift, making a damn scene. Tch."
I pressed firmly against my burning cheeks and flopped down into the chair. And, looking at the faint traces of Sparkle's light that now remained, I made a vow.
Next time I see it, I'll annihilate it for sure.
"Female? A female?"
Then I downed the Essence of the Heavenly Sea, which I'd already opened, in one gulp.
"Next time I see it, I'm cutting off its arms."
Four hours later, the absorption of the Elixirs was complete.
I'd fed the kids two kinds of Elixirs, but I took three in total.
Essence of the Heavenly Sea.
The Dragon-Blood Elixir I'd also given my mother.
And Azure Sky Pill.
The kids couldn't handle them, but I could, so I took them. I could have taken more, but I was satisfied with this much for now.
"Hoo..."
It's definitely different.
I'd tried all sorts of Elixirs in the Eustetia Duchy, but the Azure Sky Pill I just took is several times better than the Elixirs counted among the best in the Empire.
And the Dragon-Blood Elixir is twice as good as the Azure Sky Pill.
Essence of the Heavenly Sea raises the total amount and quality of Mana.
Dragon-Blood Elixir boosts the body's physical abilities.
Azure Sky Pill sharpens the senses further.
"Feels like I cheated, this..."
In my Past Life, I busted my ass to get stronger and only obtained Elixirs after overturning a major Demon city... Getting them just by taking out one shabby Black Wizard feels weird.
"Kids these days call this a freebie, don't they... Not bad. No, actually, I like it."
I can kind of understand why Luna dreamed of striking it rich overnight.
Giggling to myself, I stripped off my sweat-soaked clothes and stood in the middle of the training hall.
Time to review the battle with Samaella.
Normally, I only review in my head.
That much alone is more than effective for me.
But this time, I'm going to move my body.
I've taken the Elixirs, my period is over, and the recoil from Purgatory has completely vanished.
My condition is excellent.
The time is 2 p.m. Good. Today, I won't take a single step out of the training hall until I go to sleep.
I've also stocked the fridge with packed meals for times like this.
Review the battle.
Compensate for what was lacking.
The One-Inch Force I used for the first time back then. With it, I'll smash that black-iron training dummy standing there like an idiot.
That's today's goal.
Crack— pop— I cracked my neck left and right and burst out my Mana.
*****
Crrrrack—
"Hoo boy..."
Rumble—!
The dummy finally collapsed.
Fragments of black iron, shattered to pieces, scattered across the training hall. I could have thought about when I was going to clean all that up, but the thought didn't come.
The satisfaction filling my heart pushed all such thoughts away.
How many hours did it take? Seven hours.
Excluding the battle review, if I think about the time spent using only One-Inch Force, three hours.
That's twice as fast as I expected.
Good lord.
"...Aren't I too much of a genius?"
I slathered Potion over my bleeding fist and torn muscles and slumped to the floor.
Then I savored the sensation of that last One-Inch Force still lingering in my hand.
Compared to the first time I tried it against Samaella—no, it was so clean that comparing the two felt like an insult to that strike.
But it's hard. Incredibly hard.
If I lose focus even a little, the power doesn't transfer.
It's not that no power transfers at all, but at that point, just driving an elbow down would be stronger.
"Hmm..."
Arisa had used this like it was nothing.
Back then I'd thought, hmm, is that all? But... now that I've actually tried it, it went beyond that.
They say raising a Martial Artist's Realm isn't just difficult—surviving in the first place is hard. Now I understand why... no, I can feel it.
I mean, what's the point if my fist hurts more than the opponent I'm beating up?
Of course, wrapping myself in Aura would lessen it, but what am I supposed to do in situations where I can't use Aura?
I've thought this since long ago, but Martial Artists really do have a lot of structural problems.
Just look at Samaella's Eight-Headed Serpent.
I really beat the hell out of that Eight-Headed Serpent. But its body didn't have a single wound, let alone a fallen scale.
On the contrary, only my fist was shattered pitifully.
"...Anyway, it's weird. Really weird. Why insist on fists when there are perfectly good weapons? Why else. Because they're low-intelligence, that's why."
I got up from my spot, swinging my still-tingling right hand and sore arm loosely.
I smashed the dummy, but it's not perfect.
I need to get used to using it in various stances and situations.
Before that.
Food. Let's eat first.
Since I have to eat with my left hand today, something I can eat with just a spoon or fork... hmm.
Rosé pasta.
Sara nagged me to use a spoon and carefully twirl the fork so the sauce doesn't splatter, but I don't do that. I don't want to.
It's more comfortable to just shove my face in and eat.
Humming a song I'd once heard in the Imperial Capital, I took out the pasta. I put it straight into the microwave and set the timer for five minutes.
Meanwhile, I wiped the sweat from every corner of my body.
Just as I tossed the soaked towel carelessly onto a chair, ding! the microwave went off.
Knock knock—
Someone knocked on the training hall door.
Who is it at this hour?
If anyone would come... Eurasia, maybe?
"Eurasia?"
"It is the Flame Emperor."
"...Excuse me?"
"I have come to hear the story I could not hear before. Would you kindly open the door?"
The Flame Emperor had come to the academy.