Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Heading Home (3)
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Once the memorial service was fully concluded, the Marquis's family returned to the castle as well.
"Everyone, get some good rest."
The Marquis handed his formal robes to a servant and headed inside first.
Sears, cradling the sleeping Anna in her arms, spoke to Jamie.
"Go get some rest, my son. Don't forget to wash up. Got it?"
"Don't worry about me."
"Why would I worry about someone else's son? Mom's heading up first."
After confirming Sears and Sara were heading upstairs, Jamie stretched vigorously.
It's all over.
At least everything in Uptown was completely wrapped up.
He hadn't even been here for a few days, yet it felt like he'd stayed for months.
'Kinda hungry.'
He had eaten during the meal, but the atmosphere wasn't great, so he'd only picked at it politely. A slight emptiness lingered in his stomach.
As he headed to his room, Jamie asked a maid for some bread and milk. She offered to serve it properly, but he didn't want the hassle and asked her to just send it up.
'But something feels off, like I forgot something.'
Since yesterday, a nagging emptiness had been bothering him.
But he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Was it something trivial? It didn't feel trivial— it kept popping up periodically, and it seemed important.
"No idea."
Jamie loosened his tie, letting out a breath.
Relief washed over him.
He figured he'd lie on the bed and rest until the bread and milk arrived. With that thought, he turned the doorknob to his room, which he hadn't opened in days.
And that's when he realized what he'd forgotten.
"Ah. Vena."
"Master!"
A pink squirrel.
Not just any pink squirrel, but one adorably dolled up, standing with hands on hips and a furious expression.
A blue scarf was wrapped around its neck, emanating mana—it was clearly that hammer.
The squirrel Vena shouted.
"How could you just leave me behind?!"
"L-leave you? I just set you down for a bit."
"People who 'just set you down' don't ignore you for over a day?"
"Well, uh... Where were you, anyway?"
Jamie scratched his cheek, at a loss for words.
Vena sighed deeply with a weary look.
"You sure took your time asking."
Her expression made it clear he'd straight-up forgotten about her until now.
How could he?
Vena was exasperated but shook her head, figuring there was no point pressing further.
"The day you abandoned me, Master."
"Abandoned? I set you down."
"Set me down my foot! Do you know how scary the forest was?"
The forest at night was pitch black, impossible to see even a step ahead.
If Phillion hadn't been there, she would've been too terrified to move.
Jamie was dumbfounded. She was a Valkyrie—or had been a black sorcerer before—who was scared of the dark?
Well, that explained why she'd been weeded out in black sorcerer society.
"Anyway, I didn't know the way back, and in that dark forest, finding direction was impossible. I thought I was gonna die... Hic."
Vena slumped her tiny shoulders.
Seeing the dejected squirrel's face, even Jamie felt a twinge of guilt.
When they left Gremia, he hadn't given her coordinates, so she wouldn't know their location.
Left alone in that vast forest, with the person she trusted not showing up— it must've been terrifying.
On the other hand, something didn't add up.
"But you can fly, right?"
Vena had awakened Valkyrie powers and gained fairy wings.
She could've easily escaped the forest and found the Marquis's estate.
"I can't transform."
"...Can't transform?"
"Yeah."
Transform?
If she was a full Valkyrie, what was this magical girl nonsense?
Did she think she was some kind of magical girl?
Come to think of it, her squirrel form was pink because of her pink hair.
As a full Valkyrie, she had red hair. So why wasn't the squirrel red...? That was odd too.
"Turn back to human form."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Vena tilted her head, then poof—transformed into her human self.
Jamie squinted one eye.
"For real?"
When she'd awakened as a Valkyrie, she looked more mature, but now she was back to her youthful appearance.
"Why would I lie?"
"Fair point."
"It wasn't a complete awakening?"
He'd never heard of such a thing.
As Jamie stood speechless in disbelief, the scarf around her neck unraveled on its own and poof—turned into a pink hammer.
[I suppose I should explain.]
Phillion said as he circled Vena once.
[So... Vena's a case like that.]
He landed beside her and continued.
[To save you, she temporarily triggered a blood awakening.]
Normally, it would've awakened naturally, but her desperate will to save Jamie had stirred her blood.
The problem was her lack of power to sustain Valkyrie strength, so she'd reverted.
To draw it out again, she'd need rigorous training.
[Someday she'll maintain it permanently, but not now. She needs training.]
Phillion bobbed up and down as if affirming his own words.
Jamie pointed at the hammer and asked Vena.
"What's up with this thing?"
"Huh?"
"What's 'huh'? Hey, why's your hammer suddenly putting on a show by itself? Like it's possessed."
It was an ego weapon, so "possessed" wasn't entirely wrong, but it clearly irked the hammer.
Phillion spun wildly, shouting loudly.
[How dare you call the great me a mere ghost!]
Unfortunately, Jamie couldn't hear it.
"What's wrong with it?"
He just stared at it like it was some grotesque object.
Only then did Vena realize Jamie couldn't hear Phillion.
Phillion's voice was for her ears only.
Phillion seemed to have forgotten that too.
Suddenly, he froze mid-air, doing nothing.
"...Embarrassing, huh?"
[...]
Phillion didn't respond to Vena's question.
He just poof—turned back into a ring.
"Hahaha!"
Vena burst out laughing, clutching her stomach at Phillion hiding in embarrassment.
Jamie frowned at her.
Then, with telekinesis, he grabbed a pillow and—
"Stop laughing!"
"Gwahk!"
The pillow slammed full force into Vena's face.
"So, you're saying it has an ego?"
"...Yeah."
Vena rubbed her reddened nose, answering in a nasally voice.
"This was an ego ring, huh."
Jamie examined the ring form of Phillion with fascination.
Even when he'd found it in Gremia's warehouse, it seemed extraordinary, but an ego ring? He hadn't suspected that.
"An ego ring yelling into thin air where I can't even hear it. Right?"
"Why ask again?"
"Why? To make it more embarrassing."
The ring trembled.
Probably fuming.
Jamie glanced at Vena for confirmation, and she nodded.
"It says you're insulting its noble self with your filthy mouth."
"Noble my foot."
Jamie flicked the ring like a coin, tossing it to the floor.
"Eek! Why'd you throw it?!"
"Shut up. Annoying ring."
"You asked it to speak up yourself."
"Shut up, shut up! I'm tired, move."
Jamie shoved Vena aside with his foot and lay on the bed.
Vena whined as she slipped Phillion back onto her finger.
[That rotten brat! Insolent little punk!]
"Bear with it."
[To think I'd endure such treatment... Infuriating!]
Infuriating or not, there was nothing for it.
Vena's master was Jamie.
Lying down, Jamie asked her.
"Anyway, according to that ring guy."
"Phillion."
"Don't care about the name. You need training to awaken Valkyrie powers again, right?"
"Yes."
"Sigh— I thought you were finally useful."
He'd figured she could hold her own even against a demon baron, making her solid firepower.
But back to square one in a day or two.
"Not exactly square one."
"True. If it was the same as before, you'd hardly be human."
"Bossy..."
"Where'd you pick up that slang?"
"The maids here use it."
Learning all the weird stuff...
Jamie clicked his tongue disapprovingly at Vena.
"W-what?"
His gaze made her swallow nervously.
"Training, huh."
The word reminded him of his earlier talk with Bayril.
Now that he'd decided to learn the sword, he needed training as much as Vena did.
'It's not like I've never used one.'
But it was just crude swinging. Or swords conjured by magic.
None of it qualified as swordsmanship.
He'd devoted his life to magic.
He'd never learned the sword, never even considered it.
He hadn't needed to.
He'd seen many reach sword mastery, but he was always stronger.
Learning weak arts was a waste of time. That's what he'd thought.
'But magic had its limits too.'
Even the black magic crafted solely for god-slaying couldn't surpass the Twelve Gods.
He knew now it wasn't just magic.
There were complex reasons, but in battle, it had all come down to magic.
And magic alone had failed.
'Not sure if learning the sword is the right choice.'
He couldn't guarantee outcomes.
What lay ahead, whether this life could topple the Twelve Gods.
Or if he'd die pathetically, never reaching his past heights.
Still, Uptown had taught him one thing.
'The old ways won't cut it.'
Going lone wolf, clinging to past magical convictions, sticking solely to magic.
He had no intention of repeating failure.
If the new path was wrong, he'd find another.
'This body's still young. Plenty of time. It's different now.'
The Twelve Gods were fractured, not at their peak.
This was the best time to act.
Once back, he'd ask his father, Count Welton, to teach him the sword.
The Welton bloodline had produced great swordsmen for generations, and the Orb of Life granted an even sturdier body.
As Bayril said, it might be optimized for sword training. No point hoarding crap.
"Heart's racing."
New learning excited him.
For the first time in tens of thousands of years, anticipation stirred.
Jamie grinned at the ceiling.
"Master...?"
Vena eyed her master warily, wondering if he'd lost it.
The next day.
Early morning, preparations began to collect Sephira's Archbishop and the bodies of the priests lost in the incident, readying to depart for the Grand Cathedral.
Watching the bustling workers pack, Jamie spoke up.
"Busy from the crack of dawn."
"We're heading to the Grand Cathedral."
Riki stood beside him.
"When do you leave?"
"Soon."
"Apostle! Get ready!"
As if on cue, Ras called out to Riki from afar.
"Whoa. Perfect timing."
"Guess it's really time to go."
Riki turned to Jamie with clear reluctance.
Jamie glanced at him casually.
"What?"
"This jerk. No words for your friend heading off on a long trip?"
"It's not like we'll never see each other."
Jamie wasn't one for sappy goodbyes, and even if he could, his body rebelled against it.
Knowing Jamie's personality, Riki just chuckled.
Jamie tossed out casually to the silent Riki.
"See you next time."
Riki's eyes widened briefly, then he smiled and nodded.
"Yeah. No idea when, but see you."
"Don't be this weak next time."
"You too—don't let me catch up."
"Try a million years. See if you reach my toe."
"Little punk."
"Took you this long?"
"Heh. Knew it ages ago."
Riki walked forward as he spoke.
Jamie watched his back silently.
When they'd first arrived in Uptown, Riki had cried, refusing to part.
Now, he strode steadily toward his path.
'Steady my foot.'
Jamie smirked.
The 'steady' walk was surely Riki biting back tears.
That soft heart of his.
A goddess's apostle too tender—that was the issue. He hoped next time he'd be tougher.
"Take care."
At Jamie's final words, Riki waved without turning.
The journey from Hys ended here.