Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Reunion at Sea
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The people waving at the Ferrara docks narrowed their eyes and stared out at the sea.
All their attention was focused on a small figure that had suddenly thrown itself toward the sea.
Soon after, an inscrutable mist rose and enveloped the figure—
The figure then dispersed the mist, transforming into a human form—
And began to chase the sailing ship along a translucent path drawn in the air.
"He's running on water!"
"It's a miracle! A miracle!"
At the sight of something they had never seen before, people scrambled to shout.
It wasn't uncommon to see special individuals who had mastered mana disappear in the blink of an eye or leap over tall buildings, but that was only ever at a reasonable distance.
Now, this was the vast, empty sea.
And it was after the ship had departed and put a fair distance between itself and the land.
To see someone chasing it by running across a distance unreachable by anything but a bird—it could only be called a miracle.
Loan, on the other hand, felt a dizzying sensation.
It was because his way of seeing the world was unique.
He saw reality and mana simultaneously.
Having trained since childhood, it was now a familiar, if not second-nature, experience.
Thanks to this, he never felt as out of place as others, even in entirely new spaces. In the end, the essence was the same. That was why he could adapt more easily anywhere.
But this moment was unfamiliar even to him. Perhaps it was only because he was Loan that it felt so strange.
His horizontal perspective, which had observed his surroundings from solid ground, had instantly shifted to a vertical one, looking down at his own feet, fundamentally changing his concept of space.
A treasury of mana, richer and denser than anywhere else in the world.
Within it, an innumerable number of lives unfolded in three dimensions.
From something unimaginably large to clusters of things so small they might have been mana itself.
The sight of life's shadows overlapping, their irregular movements intersecting as if floating, sparked a reckless desire to join them in their dance.
On the sea, a world he was seeing for the first time.
Loan suddenly felt dizzy.
His focus blurred, and his gaze fell to his own feet. The Narrow Path was faint, its connection to the ship unstable.
His magic was also at its limit.
‘I’m almost there…’
He thought, looking at the stern, now only a dozen steps away.
Crack—
With a sound like thin ice breaking, Loan’s body plunged downward.
In that instant, his toes touched a small sword fragment as he stepped into the void.
Without a moment to think, Loan stepped on one Sheville after another as they shot forward.
Thump—!
He barely managed to fall and tumble onto the ship's stern.
He couldn't even remember what he had done in that final moment.
How he had thrown the Shevilles, or how he had managed to step and jump on them when they weren't properly imbued with magic.
He only later realized that the uncontrolled Shevilles had embedded themselves in the mast.
But even in his exhausted state, he couldn't just lie there.
For he was already surrounded, two and three layers deep, by fully armed knights, sailors with considerable mana, and curious passengers.
It was the natural consequence of boarding a ship unannounced.
Loan recovered some mana with a few quick breaths, then slowly rose to his feet.
Among the countless gazes, his eyes met with the one who possessed the densest mana.
He was an armed knight with wing-shaped ornaments on both sides of his helmet.
Loan guessed he was the commander.
"I am Loan, a Runner from the Union's Faith Division. I was forced to board while on a mission. I ask for your understanding."
He calmly stated his affiliation and explained the situation. The response he received was cold.
"Be that as it may, the fact remains that you boarded a Rhodos vessel without permission. A Rhodos ship on the high seas is the same as its sovereign territory. Even if it is an official mission, you must follow the proper procedures."
As he spoke, not a single passenger made a sound.
Loan could feel the distinctly rigid atmosphere of Rhodos.
But he found it difficult to fully understand the man's attitude. It was overly domineering, and his words were contradictory.
Loan tilted his head.
"The Union is an independent and extralegal organization. What procedures are you referring to?"
"…"
"You sound as if you're denying the very existence of the Union. Who are you, and from where? State your affiliation, status, and name."
"Grafton's dog has quite a bark. I have no reason to tell you that."
"An interesting opinion. It's a difficult animosity to understand unless you're intentionally trying to protect a criminal."
Finishing his words, Loan slightly raised his hand. He had recovered a fair amount of mana during their conversation.
The four Shevilles lodged in the mast trembled before returning to their places.
At the flash of light that streaked past their eyes, some of the knights adjusted their stances.
Loan also prepared for a fight.
It was uncertain how he could handle the situation without harming the ordinary passengers.
He was contemplating whether to trap all the knights and sailors aiming their weapons at him when—
"Oh my, Lord Loan?"
A woman who had been peeking from between the knights with curious eyes pushed through the crowd and rushed forward.
"Ah…"
Loan, too, expressed his surprise at the unexpected encounter.
Philippa Silas.
She was the woman who had been his first partner at the ball, with whom he had shared a dance.
It was a pleasant and strange coincidence to meet again in the middle of the sea.
"Lady Philippa. What a coincidence."
Philippa’s face flushed slightly.
She looked around and waved her hand dismissively.
"I don't know what's going on, but everyone, lower your swords. This man is as good as my guest. Captain Yanis? Quickly."
"My lady…"
The knight named Yanis couldn't refuse Philippa's words and gave a nod to his men, issuing the command.
The knights sheathed their swords in unison, and the sailors returned to their posts with disappointed expressions.
The ordinary passengers still lingered, their eyes gleaming with curiosity, but they dispersed with disgruntled looks when Philippa's companions cleared the area.
She, who had seemed like just a shy girl when they danced, now appeared to be the daughter of a rather powerful family.
It was a relief that he had avoided an unnecessary conflict thanks to her.
Loan gave Philippa a respectful bow and said.
"Thank you for your kindness."
"Don't mention it. The only good memory I have from this social season… No, anyway. Um, but when did you get on the ship? And those clothes…"
She seemed unaware that Loan had run across the sea to board the ship.
She must have come out on deck after the commotion started.
The fact that she hadn't seen it made it more awkward to explain.
"Well. I joined the Union."
"In such a short time?"
Philippa's eyes widened.
Loan shook his head.
"No, that's not it. I was with the Union before, I just came to the social season for fun."
"Oh, so it was something like a vacation?"
"Yes, of a sort."
"Then, you're going to Rhodos…"
Her expression as her words trailed off showed she was expecting something.
He hesitated.
He couldn't easily confess that he was chasing a demon or on a mission.
The Faith Division's training manual had instructions on how to handle such situations.
[When seeking information, first consider what the other person needs, rather than what you need.]
He didn't like it, but he had to say what he'd been taught.
"Yes. Since I'd come all the way to Ferrara, I wanted to travel to Rhodos as well. It also weighed on my mind that I hadn't had a proper chance to say goodbye to you after the ball, Lady Philippa."
Even though his answer didn't contain any grand purpose, Philippa's face flushed red once more.
Perhaps it was because she was more tanned under the open sea sky.
"Really? I would have stayed if I'd known. I was already disappointed about being eliminated in the second round, and then not being able to attend the princess's birthday party put me in a bad mood… Oh, we shouldn't be talking out here. Let's go inside. It's still a long way to Rhodos."
She abruptly turned and walked toward the cabins, gesturing for Loan to follow.
The girl who had left because she was in a bad mood now seemed much more cheerful than when they first met.
The sailing ship, equipped with three large masts, a multi-level deck, and complex cabins, was an essential strategic asset for the island nation of Rhodos.
It was being used as a special passenger ship between Ferrara and Rhodos for the social season, and Loan, who was on a ship for the first time, made no attempt to hide his curiosity, looking around and taking in everything.
The concept of traveling by wind was magnificent, but the structure itself was also incredibly beautiful.
After reaching the cabins, he focused more on sensing mana.
Bella's dark mana was becoming increasingly distinct.
And then.
"This way."
The cabin Philippa entered with a shrug of her shoulders.
When he finally met Bella again inside.
When his eyes met Bella's, who was staring at him with a face full of fatigue.
Loan had to confront a wide variety of emotions all at once.
Relief, reassurance, anger, and more.
He regretted missing the timing to bring out Aul, but he thought he wouldn't be taken down as easily as before.
The mixing of mana seemed highly incomplete, as if the fusion, or complete possession, had not yet been achieved.
"This is the largest of the guest rooms. Think of it as my room… Oh, where is my mind. I should have introduced you."
Philippa finally noticed Loan and Bella staring at each other and hurriedly made the introductions.
"This is my friend Bella, whom I met in Ferrara. She happened to have business in Rhodos, so we're traveling together."
Bella gave Loan a slight nod, pretending it was their first meeting.
"And this is Lord Loan Albre from Versa. Thanks to him, I had the best dance of my life."
Philippa seemed to be in a very good mood.
As she kept glancing at Loan, Bella said to her.
"But Philippa, shouldn't we offer some hospitality to Lord Loan? I think he'd appreciate it more if you prepared something yourself rather than ordering a servant."
Loan felt a sense of déjà vu from Bella's words.
It was the exact same attitude and tone Amy had used with the Duke of Ferrara, controlling someone as if making a request or suggestion.
"Oh my, you're right. My apologies, my lord. I'll go prepare some refreshments right away."
Loan didn't refuse, simply nodding his head with a "thank you."
He, too, preferred to speak with Bella alone.
Soon, left alone in the cabin, Loan asked.
"Are you Bella or Amy right now?"
"Amy? I threw that away a long time ago. You should have asked properly. Am I Bella or… haha, were you trying to find out my true name by saying that?"
"…"
"Anyway, this is the answer I can give you. I am Bella. Of course, there's a little bit of Amy too."
She mixed informal and formal speech.
It wasn't just her way of talking. Loan felt something was off.
His head tilted slightly.
"Inside you… there are three of you?"
"Yes. My memories and will still remain. Ms. Amy is here too. We're just influencing each other and being reborn as a new self."
"A new self? Says who."
"It started suddenly, but would you believe we both agreed to it? Of course, I could have gone to another body. Our interests just happened to align. I'm satisfied. Me too."
Bella's expression shifted rapidly with her tone.
It was not a comfortable sight. The jumbled voice was also grating to hear. The chaotic mana felt like a disorder of the soul, making him feel uneasy.
Loan let out a deep sigh and subtly looked away.
He glanced absentmindedly at the mirror on the wall.
"…"
His mind quickly calmed.