Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Aria Learns - 1
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Now, all that's left is to wait for the trash to self-destruct on their own.
[So, what are you going to do now?]
<글쎄요, 마법도 공부해야돼고, 아리아스필의...>
"Joke assassin."
At the seizure-inducing remark, Leonardo turned around with an irritated expression.
Gulp
"...Miss?"
Behind him was Aria, wearing a mischievous smile. Pressing her finger gently against her cheek only made her roguishness all the more alluring.
"How cute. My joke assassin."
"Th...that's going too far with the teasing."
At her playful antics, Leo had to turn his head away to hide his flustered, reddening face.
[What the hell happened in that dream of yours?]
[I want to ask you the same thing. Seriously.]
Ever since the nightmare incident, Ariasfil had changed somehow. It wasn't trauma or PTSD or anything like that... She had become more precocious, or perhaps more mature...
[...Why is the kid suddenly so seductive?]
It was a crude expression, but honestly, it was the most fitting one.
"Why? Embarrassed?"
Aria slowly brought her face closer to catch a glimpse of his embarrassed expression. Each time she did, Leo turned his head further, trying to hide his increasingly flushed face.
"Is it really that hot? Your face is so red."
"Y-Yes...! It is!"
She seemed quite satisfied with Leo's response and reaction, chuckling softly with a smile.
"...Um... So, what brings you here?"
"The person Village Chief Anus introduced me to—I was wondering if you knew them."
Ariasfil held out the note she had received from Anus. Come to think of it, before leaving the village, the chief had given Aria a note.
"Pisys Natra... First time hearing that name..."
Still, it felt strangely familiar. He seemed to recall hearing a similar name before his regression...
[No need to overthink it. You'll know when you go.]
The Sage was right. It was someone the village chief had recommended, and they weren't going there to make any troublesome demands, so there was no reason to hesitate.
"Let's go first. I might remember when I see them."
"Yeah. Let's do that."
At that moment, Aria grabbed Leo's hand and started leading him forward.
"Ah...! Miss?!"
"Yeah? Why?"
Aria's expression was nonchalant yet infuriatingly innocent. Seeing that face, Leonardo couldn't bring himself to say anything.
[...]
[Shut up.]
[I haven't said anything yet.]
It was in his mind, so it didn't count. He was probably going to say something unhelpful anyway, so better to shut it down preemptively.
"This seems to be the place."
The destination was a place like a forest thick with grass and trees, surrounded by glass walls—it could easily be called a greenhouse.
"I asked Amery before, and she said this person comes here often."
"Really? Studying plants or something...?"
To resolve her curiosity, Aria opened the greenhouse door and stepped inside. Even then, she didn't let go of Leo's firmly gripped hand.
"...But... there doesn't seem to be anyone here."
The greenhouse contained only plants and trees—no people, not even birds or other animals.
"...That's weird..."
Suddenly, Leonardo pulled on the hand Aria was holding. Then, with one arm, he pulled her body close and embraced her.
"Le...! Leo?!"
"Come out. If you don't, I'll treat you as an enemy."
As he said that, Leo tilted his sword toward...
The direction where laughter echoed.
"You've gotten a lot sharper since I last saw you, haven't you? Leonardo?"
The voice came from the woods, but it wasn't from between the trees. To be precise, it seemed like the trees themselves were speaking.
"Or should I say bolder?"
A crisp, clear voice—one that could only belong to a woman.
The branches of the acacia tree trembled, then transformed into the shape of human arms. Not just the branches—the trunk and leaves gradually shifted into a human form as well.
"...Ugh, so stiff."
The woman, now fully in human form, looked at Leonardo and waved happily.
"Long time no see, Leonardo."
"...Do I know you?"
Aria's smile faded slightly as she looked at Leo and asked. An instinctive wariness toward the voluptuous woman hardened her expression.
"Hmm. Not... really sure."
It wasn't evasion or dismissal—it was genuine confusion. He truly had no idea who she was. Neither before nor after his regression did he know anyone like this in the Magic Tower.
"That's hurtful. It's been a few years, but you forgot your big sis? Want me to jog your memory?"
The "sis" gave a relaxed smile and pulled a photo from her pocket.
"Remember this? I took it with the one I brought back then."
The photo she held out showed Leonardo himself and the woman holding it out. The notable feature was that the Leo in the photo was even smaller and cuter than a teenager—like a young child.
"...This is definitely me, but..."
"...Haa... Yeah... haa... I see...!"
Sudden ragged breathing. Panting heavily, she peered closely at the photo. Her flushed face and sweating appearance felt utterly bizarre.
'...To think such a cute creature existed in this world...! Even purer and cuter than at 13. Those cheeks must be so soft to squeeze. Like soft dough, stretching perfectly... Scars on the body are attractive, but back then he was even more lovable. I wish I could hug him now and rub against him... Why didn't I meet Leo from the start back then...!!'
Just from the monologue and imagination, Aria could taste supreme bliss. Drool even formed slightly at the corner of her mouth.
"Um...? Miss?"
"Heh... heh... Whaaat...?"
"I don't know why you're excited, but... calm your breathing first. We still need to talk."
At those words, Aria swallowed and tore her gaze from the photo to look at Pisys.
[Just to be sure... Aria... you don't have those kinds of tastes, right?]
[What tastes?]
[...Never mind. Must be cobwebs in my brain. Ignore it.]
Something felt off about her words, but the woman in front of her didn't give time to dwell on it.
"Still, I'm surprised. I didn't expect that little kid to grow up like this."
"Um... sorry, but... I get that it's me in the photo. But I still don't remember..."
At that, "sis" radiated even more vibrant energy, helping to revive his memories.
"A long time ago... about 10 years back? I knelt before Teacher Anus and begged to be taught. For two or three months after, while learning from the teacher, I played with you too."
"...Ah.... Aah...!!"
Now he remembered. So it was that person.
"It was you, sis? The one who taught me spirit arts back then?"
"Yeah! Finally remembered, you brat?"
It was inevitable. After all...
"No... I mean, your first and last name both changed!"
"Circumstances. 'Pisoon' just isn't elegant enough."
That was true. The name stuck in his mind so strongly that the change to 'Pisys' actually made it harder to remember.
[Her old name was way better.]
[...Uh... yeah... sure...]
It made him reconsider what era the Sage was from. In the Sage's time, that name must have been stylish.
"We played hide-and-seek together, I read you books. Ah, now I remember."
"You remember? I gave you piggyback rides, and you followed me around calling me sis. You were so cute back then."
Old memories resurfaced. Thinking about it, after Anus, the person Leonardo had followed most readily was Pisys (Pisoon).
"Ah, yeah?"
"Yes. Now it comes back to me."
By now, Aria had cooled her excited expression, crossing her arms. The dagger-like gaze beyond pierced Leo's body sharply.
"Hide-and-seek together, reading books, piggyback rides, following her around calling her sis, huh?"
How dare she
"Right?"
"...Yeah, that's true..."
Before he knew it, Leo was acting like a criminal. He didn't know the crime or the charge, but that cold gaze made him bow his head solemnly.
"Ah, I see. Got it. I understand perfectly. So this person spent joyful childhood days with the little Leo from that photo, right?"
It was true, but... the conversation felt terribly off-kilter somehow.
And that guess was spot on.
'...How dare she... monopolize little Leo like that...?'
(For the record, the villagers were all there together, so it wasn't monopolizing.)
'And playing together, rubbing bodies...'
It was just reading fairy tales or playing hide-and-seek, and body contact was inevitable during piggybacks.
Leo had been five years old at the time, after all.
'And moreover...'
That wasn't even the part that made Aria angriest.
'Sis... SIS?! How DARE she...?! A word I haven't even heard...!!'
(For reference, Aria and Leo were the same age. It was a fact both Ariasfil and Leonardo already knew.)
"Um... sorry, but could I see the letter? Teacher Anus said to check the details there."
"Sure."
Aria smiled sweetly and handed over the letter. The vein bulging on her forehead indirectly revealed her emotions.
"Um... uh..."
"Why?"
Aria slightly relaxed the tension in her protruding tendons and smiled.
"Your grip strength isn't a joke, huh?"
Pisys barely managed to take the letter and opened it.
"Hmm... hmm... I see. Got it."
"What's it say? Sis..."
"Haha, Leo. Time for the ladies now, so you should head out."
Was it imagination, or did it feel just like with Anus? Probably not imagination.
"What do you mean...? It's been so long, can't we talk more..."
"Out, out. You'll get disqualified."
Without understanding why, Leo was chased out of the greenhouse. And in no time, steam filled the interior, obscuring the view.
"Now, shall we talk?"
"Talk about what?"
With Leo gone, Aria openly bared her hostility. Perhaps finding that hostility cute, Pisys grinned widely.
"Such cute jealousy~ But keep it to peers. Not when an auntie butts in, right?"
"If you know that, why tell Leo separately?"
Still thorny words, yet Pisys didn't lose her composure.
"I figured this kind of talk is better one-on-one."
Then Pisys snapped her fingers, deploying mana.
[What's going on? Pisys?]
A spirit popped out from the tree and approached her. Startled by its appearance, Aria flinched.
"As expected~ You can see it, huh?"
"See it...? Isn't it normal to see it?"
[She really can see it. Her gaze is steady.]
Even the spirit looked surprised as it stared at Aria. Her jealousy-filled gaze had shifted to one of puzzlement.
"Not at all normal. Seeing spirits is rare even among mages."
Spiritists—the outcome was similar to mages, but the process and principles differed fundamentally.
"Spiritists are those blessed by mana. They can converse with spirits, the essence of mana, and even contract with them."
"But Leo saw spirits too."
Otherwise, how would he know the appearances of Anus's spirits?
[That was because the village chief materialized them directly. The boy has no talent for spirit arts.]
In fact, even in his previous life, Leonardo had tried learning spirit arts from Anus but failed repeatedly.
"Spirit arts depend 80% on talent, unlike magic. Mages could do it, but without talent, it's useless, so they don't bother."
"But I..."
Aria looked at the tree spirit before her. It was as clear as a real person, its voice vivid.
[That's proof you have talent.]
"Spirit arts can be used without magical knowledge. In fact, lacking it might make them more efficient."
Aria wielded close-range swift swordsmanship, so unlike the magic swordsman Leonardo, she was inherently disadvantaged at mid or long range.
"The teacher must have seen that and sent you to me. I've given a few lectures myself."
[You seem like a swordswoman. Learning spirit arts would definitely help. I recommend it too, as a spirit.]
From her perspective, it was clearly a great opportunity and proposal. But one thing still puzzled her.
"I'm grateful, but... what did Teacher Anus write in the note to make a Magic Tower spiritist teach me personally...?"
What could he have written to arrange direct training from a Magic Tower spiritist? She couldn't help but wonder.
"Oh, nothing much."
Pisys held out the letter she was reading.
Her face turned completely red.
"...Uh... ah..."
To her reddened ears, Pisys whispered softly. The ring on her finger symbolically hinted at her marital status.
"I'll teach you adult ways to seduce Leo too~. My husband couldn't hold back and pounced first because of my skills. How about it?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Aria stamped her approval at the promise of the photo of young Leo.
It was an offer too grand to refuse.