Strange Signs (2)
We left the cave together and set off to find the young miss. Fortunately, it had just been a passing shower—the rain stopped soon after we trudged through it for a bit. On top of that, it seemed she was looking for me too. I quickly picked up on her familiar mana signature and headed that way, where I found the young miss standing there.
As expected, Lirua was sprawled on her shoulder, belly puffed out like a balloon.
It must've gobbled up the rain meant for its master, filling its tummy with water. Do spirits even feel full? What a curious little thing.
"Oh, Aren? Why are you with Miss Marit?"
"Sorry about that, young miss. We ran into each other on the way, and then the rain poured down so hard... We ducked into a cave to wait it out together."
"In a cave... just the two of you?"
"Yeah, that's how it turned out."
I gave a sheepish grin as I explained to the young miss, who was pressing for details. Then came a sharp crack, like something splitting apart.
Her gaze shifted to Neriel, narrowing just a touch.
"...Thanks for helping my Aren, Miss Marit. No issues on your end, right?"
Was it my imagination? Her voice sounded a bit lower than usual. Of course, Neriel wouldn't pick up on that subtle shift—she just shrugged it off casually.
"Not really? Though I have no idea what you mean by 'issues.' Care to spell it out?"
"W-Well..."
The young miss trailed off for a moment, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly before replying.
"...You'd figure it out without me saying, wouldn't you?"
"Hmm. No clue here. So, nothing happened, right?"
Neriel shrugged with a playful smirk. Honestly, I had no idea what the young miss was getting at either. Was she just checking if some accident had happened? If so, that made sense.
"Aren, for real? Nothing happened, right?"
"Yeah, nothing at all. Lucky for us, the rain let up quick. I was a little thrown when my clothes got soaked and I started shivering from the cold, but this one helped out."
"S-Soaked to the bone and freezing...? A-And she helped you?!"
I nodded toward Neriel, and the young miss's eyes went wide. No way—did she remember how I'd described Neriel before like she was some personality wreck? Was that why she was shocked this girl had lent a hand?
I'd have to clear things up. She was a decent sort, after all.
"Yeah, she even built a fire by hand. Looks rough around the edges, but she's not a bad egg."
"A fire? Oh, r-right...! It was about the fire, yeah? Phew."
I thought I'd smoothed things over nicely, but when I glanced her way, Neriel was shooting me a deadpan glare.
"More importantly, what do you mean 'looks rough around the edges'? Explain yourself, ape."
"Ape?! M-Miss Marit! Even if it's true, you can't talk to my Aren like that...!"
She tossed out that nickname without hesitation—the one that was old hat to me but would shock the young miss to her core. Naturally, the young miss flew into a rage and laid into Neriel.
Damn, that's my girl. Protecting her bodyguard, huh? A quiet swell of emotion hit me right then.
"Oh? I just figured it fit, that's all. Should I use your name instead? Aren."
"...Huh?"
"Isn't this what you wanted? For your minion to get some respect and be called by name. Perfect timing too—I was getting sick of 'ape, ape' anyway."
I'd never heard this story in my life. No way she'd ever cared about crap like nicknames.
Hell, last time she'd slipped and used my name by accident, she'd shuddered like it was the worst thing ever and switched right back to ape.
Still...
"Well, Aren is Aren, after all..."
"So call you Aren, got it?"
"Y-Yeah. But I can't exactly dictate how others address people..."
"Normally, sure. But if you're Aren's master, that changes things, doesn't it? I think I was out of line myself."
"I-It wasn't that out of line..."
...Hey, young miss? Just a second ago, you were fuming and leaking mana because some near-stranger was treating your precious bodyguard like dirt.
Why are you suddenly clamming up like you've swallowed honey? Shouldn't you be backing me up here, affirming that yeah, I'm your legit bodyguard? Why are you defending her instead? I don't get it.
"Or should I ask him directly? What do you think, Aren? Easier on the ears, right?"
"Eh... Yeah, I guess."
The endless tug-of-war finally ended when Neriel picked option three and called my name.
It felt a tad cringy, sure, but not in a bad way. Unless I'm some masochist, who'd prefer "ape" over their actual name?
"By the way, you okay with that? You said you don't casually call people by name."
I couldn't help asking, recalling her old habit—just curiosity, really, not full-on worry.
A girl who'd bragged she'd never used anyone's name except her master's was suddenly deciding to use mine? If it was just buckling under the young miss's pressure, I'd turn it down for her. No way I wanted to force it.
"...What, you were actually paying attention to that?"
She blinked up at me, eyes wide with surprise.
"How could I not? You said it yourself."
"Eh, not thrilled about it, but... you're my temporary slave, right? Calling your master 'ape' never made sense anyway. Consider it backpay for putting up with it."
"Hmm. Fair enough."
If she was cool with it, no skin off my back. Sweet deal, just take it.
"Your master's a riot."
"The young miss? Yeah, pretty lively."
"Yep. Fun to mess with."
"...Is my young miss a toy to you?"
"That's how she looks to me."
Man, this girl's brain was a total enigma. Why the sudden name thing? And why was she suddenly interested in the young miss when she usually eyed everyone with boredom?
What a mystery. With those thoughts lingering, we hurried toward our original destination—the shoreline.
Kwarrr rumble!
The ground began to scream.
Approximately three hours earlier.
Right after arriving on the island, Lena wandered alone, not joining the other students.
"...Yeah, it's crawling with them. This much mana just from sensing..."
True to the rumors about Kelrun Island, it teemed with high-level magic beasts. But Lena passed most by without interest, not bothering to engage.
The real test goal was hunting them for mana crystals, but that meant nothing to her.
She strolled slowly through the forest path, rolling her navy-blue ghostly eye over the air.
"...This should be enough prep."
In her hand was a small black iron device. It looked like any ordinary magic tool, but the engraved runes inside were forbidden script only her kind could read—heretical circuits that rattled beasts' instincts.
The moment she gripped it, the nearby mana began to warp.
- Kraaaah!
- Keeeek!
The beasts at the forest's edge howled madly, clawing and tearing at each other in chaos.
"...As expected. Works like a charm."
Lena watched impassively and kept walking. This level of disorder alone would disorient the students, wasting them in pointless fights.
But that was just the appetizer. Her real aim was elsewhere.
Not merely troubling the students, but breaking the seal on the magic beast said to lurk beneath Kelrun Island's seas. Stir up massive chaos, drain the academy's forces, and snatch one man.
That was one of her missions this time.
"...Here."
After a long trek to the island's eastern shore, she pressed her hand to the sand and closed her eyes.
A faint but steady mana pulse—like a heartbeat.
She took a deep breath, slamming her palm down hard.
Wooong.
Channeling mana steadily, a massive echo rippled back from beneath the waves, as if something enormous stirred.
Kurrrr rumble!
The calm sea suddenly churned. Waves surged like a tide, lunging to swallow her.
Lena brushed them off with a casual mana burst, smirking at the rising surrounding woods.
This land wasn't mere soil. Trees, rocks, valleys, cliffs—all parts of one colossal organism.
This "island" wasn't an island at all.
An ancient magic beast slumbering with the sea on its back.
"Textbook monster, right? Using this for a test."
Lena chuckled dryly. Did the academy know the truth, or dismiss it as legend?
Didn't matter. They'd pay for their ignorance today.
She slotted the black iron device into the spot. The air grew heavy, sand splitting as crimson light spiderwebbed from the runes.
Thump, thump, thump...!
A gigantic heartbeat throbbed from below. The shore's waves pulsed rhythmically, the whole island breathing subtly.
"...Awaken."
Lena murmured softly, amplifying the mana in the device.
Screams and shouts echoed from afar, but she ignored them.
Crimson runes spread from her feet, forming chain-like shapes. Invisible before, they now revealed themselves as she unraveled the seal.
The colossal traces binding the entire island.
"...And find him. The Hero's bloodline."