Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Girl Runs Toward the Starting Point
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‘It’s hot…’
She could tell because she had wrapped herself in the flames along with the wind. The intent embedded in that man’s magic, the laws contained within those flames.
It had to hurt with scorching agony. But only toward human beings. Had he infused it with the trauma he himself had suffered in the past?
Roar—!
“Th-this…!”
His gaze fixed on her in disbelief, a tangle of emotions swirling within. Beyond the eyes twisted in pain, she sensed faint traces of fear and envy.
‘Not much effect…’
It was the flames the mage himself had summoned. She had merely reflected that power back at him without adding anything extra, so this was the natural result.
“How in the world did you…! My magic…! Impossible!”
Once more, the searing flames came flying. She didn’t dodge this time either. With the wind cloaking her body, she lightly spun in place. Her hand, which had been pointing upward, swept downward in a full circle, guiding the hot flames and firing them right back.
Whoosh—!
Thankfully, the flames had no physical force. If the opponent’s magic had involved hurling stones or shooting ice—anything with a solid form—or even if this fire magic had carried such laws, reflecting it like this would have been impossible.
Wind and fire paired well together.
‘Shall I try containing the fire…’
It was the moment hot warmth began to infuse the swirling wind. A sudden gale whipped up, and the flame mage’s body was sliced apart in an instant.
Slash—!
A death without even a scream. The mage’s severed form collapsed on the spot. In this place right now, only one person could launch such an attack.
Raymond.
Quietly, sharply. He had been preparing his wind. Without a doubt, he had been biding his time perfectly ever since the flame mage’s attention locked onto her.
“Lumia.”
Raymond’s low murmur spread the bandits’ screams like the wind.
-Th-the boss is dead!
-Run! We’ll die if they catch us!
-Hiiiik! It’ll slice us apart!
-Spare us!
“Shall I catch them?”
She asked Raymond, eyeing the fleeing bandits. He hesitated briefly before nodding and stepping forward.
“Did you modify the Golden Wind Barrier? Not a wise choice. That’s magic taught only in the advanced sections of the school’s grimoire… You got lucky the opponent was weak. If you hadn’t formed a powerful wind barrier, you’d have been done for.”
She nodded with an awkward smile at Raymond’s question. Apparently, the school’s grimoire recorded a defensive spell similar to the one she had created.
‘From the talk of modifications, it seems like a different principle altogether…’
Raymond didn’t want any new changes. If he learned she was heading in a direction completely different from the magic he knew, it wouldn’t end with mere nagging.
She decided to keep her mouth shut.
“The rest we didn’t catch—the ones behind us will handle.”
Raymond said this as he turned back. The moment his wind-cloaked gaze reached the caravan leader, the man shot to his feet and bellowed at the hired mercenaries.
“Wh-what are you all doing? Chase them down and grab them!”
“Uwaaaah!”
“Kill them!”
Mopping up the bandit remnants didn’t take long. Raymond and she would carve paths through the forest with Reaping Wind, and the mercenaries racing along those paths would tie up the bandits knocked flat by the gusts and drag them back.
They captured over twenty bandits that way.
“I’m tired. I’m heading in.”
After the bandits were rounded up, Raymond turned and spoke. The caravan leader quickly piped up at his indifferent attitude toward their disposal.
“Ah! Yes! Rest well!”
Right after Raymond entered the carriage, the leader’s gaze naturally fixed on her. The way he looked at her wasn’t much different from how he’d eyed Raymond. And it wasn’t just him. Everyone present was staring at her openly, if not blatantly.
“Um…”
“What will happen to these guys?”
She asked out of simple curiosity. But the caravan leader seemed to interpret her question differently, his face tense.
“D-do you have a preferred punishment in mind…?”
“No, nothing like that. Just curious.”
“Ah, yes…”
Sweep—
Glancing around, she felt she couldn’t stay here any longer. With everyone looking at her like some monster, how could she have a proper conversation?
She sighed and turned away.
“I’m heading in too. Oh, if there’s anything to drink, could you bring some? For Master too, please.”
“Yes! Yes! Got it! Hey! You there, go fetch that quick!”
“Pardon? Fetch what…?”
“You know, that thing…! The one I said I’d have later…!”
“Ah, yes!”
What was he fetching? Before boarding the carriage, she watched the man dash off at the caravan leader’s command. He approached a large baggage wagon, climbed aboard deftly, and rummaged through the cargo hold.
What he pulled out was a large barrel wrapped in cloth. The brown-tinged thing was quickly handed to the caravan leader, who then approached her with it.
“H-here…”
“This is…?”
Intimidated by its massive size, she stepped back. The leader, now at the carriage door, glanced at her.
It seemed like a request to open the door. She hurried over and swung it open. The leader shoved the barrel inside and retreated swiftly.
“Rest well…!”
What on earth was that? She’d asked for something to drink, and he brought a huge barrel. Maybe a water cask? Tilting her head, she climbed into the carriage. Raymond, who had been reading, was peering down at the large barrel.
“What is this?”
“Liquor.”
“Liquor? This?”
“Did you ask for liquor?”
“No, I just said something to drink…”
“Easy enough to misunderstand. But it’s not bad.”
Raymond popped the lid off the barrel with ease. Pop—! As the seal broke, the carriage filled instantly with the sharp aroma of alcohol.
“Wow…”
“Grape wine.”
How long had it been since she’d laid eyes on liquor, a luxury good? In that nameless mountain village, even the scent was a rarity. Now it was right in front of her. With memories of her past life, she naturally felt an urge she couldn’t resist.
Gulp—
She swallowed hard, smacking her lips. While sneaking glances at Raymond. Could she have just one sip? No, one glass? As she kept gulping saliva with that thought.
Raymond, rummaging through his belongings, pulled out a cup and handed it to her.
“Drink.”
“Pardon?”
“I said drink.”
“No… Is it okay for me to drink?”
“What’s the problem?”
Raymond blinked at her question, as if wondering what the issue was. Only then did she recall that this world had a culture utterly different from the modern one she knew.
I see.
Kids can drink here too.
Raymond ladled some wine and drank naturally. Staring blankly at him, she did the same with her cup.
One glass.
Two glasses.
Three glasses.
How many had she counted? When she came to, she realized she’d drained half the barrel—nearly as big as her torso—all by herself. With her vision a bit hazy, she looked up at Raymond.
He was frowning down at her.
“Don’t drink so fast. You’ll get drunk quick.”
“Not… yet.”
Not even started, and he says that? Raymond glanced at her once more and shrugged.
“Having that experience once won’t hurt.”
Raymond one glass, her one, her another since he wasn’t drinking, then one more.
She just kept scooping and chugging as her hands moved on autopilot.
When she snapped out of it, pitch-black darkness blanketed the world outside the carriage.
“Ugh…”
Her head felt heavy, her body languid. What had she been doing? She only remembered downing the liquor nonstop.
Because of the booze? It felt especially hot today. Sweating, she quickly rose and stepped out of the carriage.
Stumbling along with the wind’s guidance. She ended up in a field dyed black.
So dark. Some light to brighten the surroundings would be nice. This blackness like the night sky called for something pretty to match.
Twinkle—
It started with faint light. Mana drifting slowly with the wind was imbued with the law of sparkling radiance. Simple illumination for the dark night, yet so beautiful it captivated her completely.
Starlight began rising one by one, swirling around her body. In that moment, she vaguely understood what Raymond meant about getting used to mana.
This is the feeling.
She closed her eyes, her hand weaving through the starlight fluttering on the breeze. The gathered starlight spun rapidly in her palm, tracing a circle.
Maybe soon.
She could form her second Mana Circle.