The Mage from the Royal Capital
The continent of Peresedia. The primary stage where the player operates in Arcana Saga. After my reincarnation, the first thing that brought me relief was realizing my starting point was this Allied Kingdom. Had I landed in any other nation, I wouldn't have even dreamed of such a peaceful life.
To the north lay the Empire, and to the west, the Kingdom. Those two had been locked in war for decades over control of the Ruins along their border. The moment I gained any strength in my limbs, I would've been dragged straight to the battlefield. Second, there was the fairy realm ruled by elves—the Kingdom of the Holy Forest. How would that have turned out? They rejected contact with other nations to an extreme degree and harbored intense hostility toward humans. Most likely, I would've been exiled and left to die on the streets. Third, the island nation at the southern edge... wasn't even worth considering. It was the fallen Paradise. That's what it was called in the original story, and when I actually visited, all that remained was a desolate city. I probably would've starved to death as an infant. Something about realizing the falsity of the world and perishing because of it. Either way, it was a place I didn't know much about.
In conclusion, the only truly livable place was this Allied Kingdom, enjoying the continent's greatest prosperity under a queen who pursued harmony. For reference, Olpia Village was tucked away at the southeastern edge of even this Allied Kingdom. While being surrounded by the Great Forest meant no external threats, it came with a rather fatal drawback.
Rattle, rattle—
“Ughhh...”
Inside the violently shaking carriage, I was crammed into a corner of the cargo hold, letting the jolts toss my body around. It had already been three hours since I'd been loaded aboard like a piece of luggage. Because Olpia Village sat at the very edge of the edge, any trip elsewhere meant being trapped in a carriage for hours on end.
“Urgh...!”
The kind of travel that even induced motion sickness I didn't normally have. If I could ever learn magic, the first thing I'd master would be teleportation.
“Hey, Noriel. If you puke in the cargo hold, you're paying for all the damages, got it?”
“Nngh... If you don't want me to throw out all your goods, could you maybe slow down a little...?”
“Haha, you little rascal. So you wanted to camp out alone with this uncle on the roadside, huh?”
“Haha. How about we try to get there before sunset instead?”
I quickly brushed off the merchant's spine-chilling joke. The mere thought of sharing a bed with that massive frame sent a chill down my back. Shaking my head to clear it, my eyes fell on the pile of goods bouncing along with the carriage. The ash-gray moss we were going to sell. According to the original story, a small sign of plague should be emerging right about now in the northern regions of the Allied Kingdom. The festival in the village I was heading to was the exact spark that would let that minor illness spread uncontrollably. My plan hinged on selling this stuff at a decent price by timing it right. The plague gets contained quickly, and I walk away with a fat purse. Couldn't ask for a better two birds with one stone. Since it wasn't some grand-scale incident, I didn't have to worry about getting dragged into unnecessary trouble like before.
“...Hmm.”
Still, what concerned me was the original story's flow, which had already gone off the rails. The recent gluttony incident was a perfect example. It had made me realize just how thoroughly the original plot and my current timeline had diverged. There might not be any direct connection between that creature and the plague, but it wouldn't hurt to stay cautious.
“Haah, my head hurts.”
What if things had diverged so badly that I lost all my money? That would be a disaster. It felt like staring at a stock chart that had just turned blue all night long. At times like this, the best thing was to just cover my head and sleep. Wallowing in worry wouldn't solve anything right now anyway. Forgetting the nausea churning in my stomach, I forced my eyes shut and tried to sleep.
And then, as silence settled in, that voice once again echoed through my mind.
‘—Observer.’
‘That is the trajectory of inevitability.’
No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the moment my vision darkened, it always resurfaced. Observer. Why did that word keep circling in my head so persistently?
* * *
“—Hey! Noriel! We're here, you little punk!!”
“Nngh... Already...?”
The loud shout ringing in my ears jolted me out of an uncomfortable doze. Still half-asleep, I looked around and immediately made a dumbfounded face. An empty plain. There wasn't a single village in sight—nothing at all. All that stood before the carriage were a forked road and a lone wooden chair sitting at its edge. It was a waiting area for travelers catching passing carriages. A carriage stop.
“...Uncle, you're not planning to ditch me here, are you?”
“What do you take me for? This gentleman here says the road to the village you were heading to got completely wrecked during the last monster incident.”
Standing beside the merchant was a man dressed like a trader whom I'd never seen before.
“I have to take a different route. You'll have to wait here for the next carriage.”
“Huuu... Understood.”
Was this also Webleim's doing? That damn thing really was useless. I grabbed my luggage, climbed down from the carriage, and quietly watched the merchant's wagon disappear into the distance.
“...”
Huh. Someone was already sitting on the stop's chair, which I'd thought was empty. Judging by the staff in both hands and the flowing robe, they looked like a mage. A wide-brimmed hat was pulled low, so only long hair spilling out was visible—the face itself remained hidden.
Well. It didn't matter. I plopped down at the far end of the chair and set my heavy luggage down. A sigh escaped me at the thought of having to kill time here until the next carriage arrived. Would I even make it before nightfall? I'd been planning to get there early and have a nice drink.
Maybe my presence made them uncomfortable. The mage on the other side pulled their hat down even lower. Whether it was my imagination or not, I could feel their gaze occasionally flicking toward me. What kind of person was this? There hadn't been anyone this conspicuous around here before.
“Ahem. Um, excuse me...”
“? Me?”
When I turned at the voice that seemed to be addressing me, I finally got a proper look at the woman's face. Lush navy-blue hair, clear sky-blue eyes. Even just meeting her gaze carried a strangely mystical air. Clutching the massive staff in her arms, she hesitantly parted her lips.
“If you're not... then I'm sorry, but... did you come from Olpia Village by any chance...?”
“...Yes, I'm a resident of that village, at least.”
Was she an outsider heading to our village? Olpia Village was so remote that outsiders rarely visited.
“...! Then... were you also present at the scene during the recent unknown monster appearance incident...?”
“Well, yeah? I live there, after all...?”
Suddenly— In an instant, the woman who had been sitting at the edge of the chair rushed right up to me. A warm scent brushed against my nose.
“D-Did you...! Did you see how that monster behaved right in front of you, how it devoured things... Ah! Did you hear what kind of cry it made too!?”
“Huh?! No, wait a second. You're a bit too close—”
“The most important part is what that child's body was actually made of! How could something with such a massive frame move at that speed... Ah!! Did you see if it displayed any intelligent behavior!? If my hypothesis is correct, then after its body grew larger, its intelligence before fusion and... um, in other words......?”
Her rapid-fire questions trailed off weakly. It seemed she'd finally noticed that I was blushing and turning my head away. She wasn't just close—she was pressed so near that her breath touched my skin directly.
“...Sorry, but I get shy around women I don't know, so could you back up a little...?”
“!?!!! Hyaah!? S-Sorry...!? Eek?!”
Crash— She sprang up in shock, lost her balance on the chair, and tumbled to the ground with a loud racket. Then she stayed completely still with her face planted on the dirt.
“Um... excuse me.”
“...”
“You're not dead, are you?”
“C-Can I just stay like this for a moment...? I'm too embarrassed...”
What kind of person was this, really? No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't place her. Her personality felt vaguely familiar, but... Her mortified back was exposed, yet I decided to ignore it since getting involved sounded like a hassle.
“Well, I didn't see everything you asked about, but I can tell you what I roughly know.”
“—!”
“First off, its body was made of some kind of oily mass. There was this disgusting stench of oil everywhere.”
Whoosh! The moment my answer left my mouth, she shot up from the ground.
“W-What about the rest!!?”
Her sky-blue eyes sparkled as they fixed on me. Despite her gentle appearance, they overflowed with an excitement bordering on madness.
“Uh, um... It was extremely vulnerable to fire and burned really well, and...”
“Aah, as I thought...!”
“The tentacles that grew from its body grabbed and threw nearby objects...?”
“That's it!! I have to write this down!!!”
She pulled out a notebook from somewhere and began frantically scribbling my words like a woman possessed. Was this person investigating the gluttony incident? Webleim's information still hadn't properly spread through this world. If someone was seeing the creature for the first time, this kind of reaction made sense. Then this woman was probably a mage dispatched from the capital. The report about the creature had supposedly just reached the upper echelons of the Allied Kingdom. Assuming she was on her way to our village for further investigation... the situation more or less lined up.
Clatter, clatter. Just as I was about to continue answering her questions, I spotted a carriage approaching from afar. It was the one the merchant had mentioned. This was probably good enough. I slung the luggage I'd set down over my shoulder and stood up.
“Excuse me, but I'll be going now. The carriage I was waiting for just arrived.”
“Ah...! Thank you so much for the valuable information! How can I ever repay this kindness...!”
“I didn't really say much. Ah, if you're heading to our village, try stopping by a place called ‘The Dreaming Ode.’ It's run by an acquaintance, and the food's decent.”
“Y-Yes...! I hope you have a safe journey...!”
When I turned to leave, she bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle in an overly formal farewell. The momentum sent her hat and various belongings clattering to the ground.
“Eek! Aah...!”
“Ahaha... I'll be off then. If we meet again, tell me about your investigation into Webleim. See you!”
“Uuu, yes...! G-Goodbye...?...?? Ah...?”
Since I was in a hurry, I headed straight for the carriage. I really wanted to get there quickly and have a drink. Hmm. She was a stranger, but she didn't seem like a bad person, so there probably wouldn't be any issues. If I returned to the village early, I probably wouldn't run into her again—
—Tap. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind. Reflexively, I turned my head at the unexpected contact. It was the mage from earlier.
“Just a moment.”
The flustered, dazed expression on her face had completely vanished. Instead, her eyes had widened sharply as she stared straight at me.
“W-What is it...?”
The atmosphere had shifted in an instant. My voice came out flustered without me realizing it. She paid no mind and spoke in a firm tone.
“How do you know that name?”
“The name Webleim?”