Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Whirling Fate (3)
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My condition kept deteriorating, probably because I'd burned through my insides.
I tried desperately to act like everything was fine, but Father, Luwen, and even Railin and Joel all noticed that I wasn't well.
Throughout the journey toward Prion, I was carried in the carriage, asleep the entire time.
Whenever I woke up briefly, Father would stop the carriage and feed me something easy to digest.
Luwen reassured him that it was better for me to stay asleep.
Father was always filled with worry, but whenever our eyes met, he forced a smile.
"Just one more city to pass through, and we'll be in Prion. Hang in there a little longer."
"......What city is it?"
I wasn't particularly curious, but I wanted to distract him with some kind of question.
Father lit up when I finally asked something after staying silent for so long. He even opened the carriage window and pulled back the curtain to show me the outside.
"It's called Romela. One of Prion's supply cities, just three or four hours away from Prion itself."
In the darkened scenery outside the window, I spotted clusters of small yellow lights huddled together.
That must be Romela......
The air was thick with the scent of trees—must be surrounded by forest.
Father quickly drew the curtain when the cool breeze came in.
"We'll spend the night in Romela and set out early tomorrow morning. We should arrive in Prion by lunchtime."
"I hope we get there soon."
"Me too."
Father seemed in much better spirits as he smiled and stroked my head.
I was asleep when we entered the city of Romela.
When I opened my eyes again, feeling the warm air, I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place.
On a bed in a wide, simple room.
I wriggled under the blanket and barely managed to sit up.
Nothing looked familiar at all. Except for Father, who had hung his coat and cloak on the rack.
"Lib. You're awake."
Father came over and gently combed back my tousled hair.
My hair was a little damp from cold sweat.
"Where is this?"
"The knight's quarters in Romela. Where we're staying tonight."
"Knight's quarters?"
"A dedicated lodging for Prius members. Wait here a moment. I'll bring something light to eat."
I nodded quietly.
After Father left, I tried to stay alert as best I could.
I threw off the blanket wrapped around me and got down from the bed. The moment my feet touched the floor, the room spun before my eyes.
I stood still for a moment, catching my breath.
The room was furnished neatly.
A desk and bookshelf against the wall, a red carpet on the floor, and a full-length mirror by the door.
My eyes fell on a decorative shield hanging on the wall.
A small shield emblazoned with a crest of two crossed swords.
The symbol of the Prius Knights—it was also embroidered at the end of the cape on Father's uniform.
Instinctively, I went to the bookshelf and craned my neck to look up.
As lodging for knights, most of the books were about the order's history or research on magical beasts.
If I could read something, maybe I could stay conscious until Father returned without passing out......
I stood on my tiptoes and stretched my arm as far as it would go. Unfortunately, my fingertips only just brushed the dust from the edge.
The shelf was built for adults—there was no way I could reach with my height.
"Ugh......"
I stretched my arm until my shoulders ached.
It felt like I might reach if I tried just a little harder. A bit more and...
For that moment, I even forgot about the pain in my body.
Then, my finger touched the spine of a book.
"Ah."
I looked up at the bookshelf in surprise.
'It' moved.
It nudged the book I'd been trying to pull out slightly outward, then dropped it right above my head.
Thud.
The book hit my head, and I collapsed onto the carpet. The fallen book lay open at my feet.
What just happened?
I got up, my face blank with confusion.
A transparent lump slowly orbited around me.
Mana.
I knew better than anyone what this clump of power was.
But... this form was something I'd never seen before.
The mana clump was transparent, rippling the air as it moved.
I reached out to grab the lump circling me, but it slipped smoothly between my fingers.
I can't catch it, of course. Naturally. In that case...
I tried to control the mana with my will.
As I thought about stopping its movement in my palm, the transparent clump obeyed, halting perfectly atop my hand.
"Gasp."
I exhaled sharply.
At the same moment, the mana clump vanished. I'd suddenly depleted my stamina.
I clutched my dizzying head and collapsed onto the carpet.
For a long time now, I'd been able to see mana rippling and flowing.
But that was all.
This was the first time it had manifested so concretely.
Just using the most primitive form of magic—willing mana to move—left me utterly drained.
I dragged my exhausted body up from the floor.
I gave up on reading the book and decided to return to bed to rest.
Father still hadn't come back for some reason...
Feeling uneasy, I climbed onto the bed and pulled the blanket close.
I peered at the transparent Melgram hanging around my neck. The faint ripples of mana calmed my mind.
I had no idea why I could see the flow of mana.
Even in my previous life, or as an imperial mage, I'd been sensitive to mana but never actually seen it with my eyes.
Something was wrong with me. Just like that child I'd spent years playing with, who had already died.
Thinking of Selena made my heart ache.
She was the only friend I'd been able to share my true story with... but now that image was overlaid with something horrifying.
The demon disguised as Selena had tried to steal my soul, my life force, my mana to gain power...
I curled up and drifted off to sleep before I knew it.
"...Lib, Lib."
A familiar, longed-for voice tickled my ear. Warm fingertips touched my cheek.
"Lib, wake up."
I barely lifted my heavy eyelids and gasped at the person before me.
Mother, her golden hair cascading softly, smiled at me.
I gaped in shock, unable to speak.
The sparkling green eyes and gentle smile that embraced everything—it was unmistakably Mother.
"M-Mother? How...?"
"I hurried here because I was worried about you. I finally caught up once we reached this place."
Really? This isn't a dream?
Unable to believe it, I sat up and stared at Mother's face.
Mother brushed back my sweat-dampened hair.
"The butler and Madam Amara are downstairs too. Want to go down?"
"Shuren too?"
"Of course."
Shuren was here too. My body felt lighter with joy.
I quickly got out of bed.
Mother reached to hug me, but I shook my head. I wanted to show her I was fine so she wouldn't worry.
"Everyone was so worried about you. I'm so relieved you seem okay. You should've seen how concerned Shuren was."
I took Mother's hand firmly and left the room.
"Are we all going to Prion together?"
"Yes. We'll leave tomorrow morning."
Shuren had always wanted to go to Prion. He'd be thrilled...
Thinking of Shuren's joy made me smile too.
Then, I happened to look up and saw the large mirror next to the door.
My mind went blank for a moment.
In the mirror, I stood with the Melgram around my neck turned pitch black, clutching a hand covered in grotesque scales.
I froze in place. My legs wouldn't move.
The 'Mother' with her serene smile looked down at me curiously.
"Lib?"
I clutched the Melgram without a sound. The one in my hand was also stained a dark, ominous color.
Terror consumed my entire body...
"What a strange thing you have. Isn't it heavy?"
The 'Mother' bent down toward me, trembling and frozen. She reached behind my neck and unfastened the Melgram necklace.
It was the necklace chain Mother had replaced for me.
I felt an icy cold breath on my nape.
I have to run.
The moment that thought hit me, I shoved 'it' away and lunged for the door a step ahead.
"Father! Fat...!"
Before I could even turn the doorknob, which was higher than my reach, I was flung back into the room by an immense force.
Thud!
My back slammed into the foot of the bed.
Pain exploded through my back, shoulders, and into my heart, choking my breath.
"Shh. You need to be quiet."
'It' was no longer Mother.
The fingertips at her lips turned black, soon covered in dark blue scales.
Her green eyes turned blood red, and hideous fangs protruded from her mouth.
My body trembled, tears welling up. I tried to scramble behind the bed somehow.
But a rough hand gripped my ankle and yanked me back.
Looking up at the demon, who still bore about half of Mother's face, I was too terrified to even scream.
The moment the demon opened its massive maw to devour me.
Krunch!
A sword burst through the center of its mouth, black blood spraying out.
"Gurk!"
The demon twisted its face and looked back.
Father had driven his sword into the back of the demon's head. Erner entered the room behind him.
"Erner, take him and go downstairs!"
"Yes!"
Erner rushed to me and scooped up my trembling, pathetic form into his arms.
"N-No...!"
A black arm covered in scales reached for me.
Father, his face hardened fiercely, stabbed the demon's head again and hurled it outward. The demon let out a grotesque screech as it tumbled across the floor.
I couldn't see any more than that.
Erner buried me in his embrace and covered my head, blocking out all sound.
He whispered in my ear over and over that it was okay.
I clung tightly to his clothes.
I felt him pick me up and run swiftly.
The smells of blood and terror faded, replaced by the pounding of footsteps in the corridor, the murmur of voices, and the blaring alarm signaling danger.
After running for a while, Erner tried to set me down, but I refused to let go, gripping his clothes with both hands.
"Lib, it's okay now."
Tears streamed from my eyes, my whole body shaking.
The image of Mother turning into a demon wouldn't leave my mind.
As the terror of death finally subsided, worry about Mother—now a demon—turned my thoughts white.
Erner tried to soothe me, but the tears wouldn't stop.
Selena had been a dead child long ago, and she'd transformed into a demon before my eyes.
...Then what about Mother?
"Mother, Mother... *cough*."
Once the coughing started, I couldn't stop.
Strength drained rapidly from my body. Pain from inside spread throughout, and the smell of blood rose.
My vision and consciousness blurred in an instant.
"Lib? Lib!"
Blood I'd spat stained Erner's clothes.
"Railin, get the instructor...!"
With those words, I lost consciousness.