Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Escape Arc (3)
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The next morning dawned.
Among the servants gathered in the central hall, I spotted Nellin and Kiru.
When my eyes met Nellin's, my face flushed hot.
But to spare me any embarrassment, she showed the same bright smile to everyone, rather than singling me out.
'About 140cm tall. Yesterday it felt like I'd been cradled and comforted by a child, but she's a 150-year-old adult...'
A year ago, when we'd all revealed our ages, Kiru was 120 and Nellin 149—making them the elders of the group.
Uncle Kiru had started using formal speech back then, but Nellin had surprisingly taken offense. She'd insisted his blunt, no-nonsense image suited him better...
If their lifespans matched those of Long Ears like mine, Nellin and Kiru might share centuries of connection with me.
The Short Stature race had the second-longest lifespans after Long Ears, sometimes living up to 500 years.
'Just like always—yesterday and every day before—never forget my gratitude toward them.'
I made that vow to myself as I gazed at them.
Imperial Calendar 1486, December 15th.
Two weeks had already passed since that humiliating day of tears.
After finishing our chores, Kiru and I were deep into our sparring session in the laundry room.
"Feels like just yesterday I was the one teaching you, but now I'm the one who's about to lose."
Those were Kiru's words as he found himself on the back foot.
I'd overcome that recent heartbreak and finally reached the advanced stage of mana just a few days ago.
There were two major changes.
First, my mana operation speed had become overwhelmingly faster, letting me cast intermediate blue magic that once took ten seconds instantly.
Second, my maximum mana had increased, allowing me to comfortably handle the consumption for both sustaining spells and body reinforcement.
"Reaching advanced level at twenty-six is remarkably quick."
"It's advanced in name only—no advanced spells to show for it."
I answered Nellin's praise honestly. My mana might be advanced, but I didn't know a single advanced blue spell.
"Still, most people stall out at intermediate for life. And Aroin, you're intermediate as a warrior too, aren't you?"
As Nellin said, I'd achieved intermediate warrior-level body reinforcement a few months back.
Kiru had verified it during spars, noting how my strikes now carried intermediate power. Add reinforcement spells like Heavy Blow or Balance, and I could even win fistfights against him.
But I was still a half-baked intermediate—no real combat experience, no weapon skills.
"I can't even use weapons properly. I've got a long way to go. Without magic, I'd have lost this round too."
With that, our spar ended.
"Whew, even in this winter chill, you've got me sweating."
Kiru sat on the floor, looking thoroughly winded. Roles reversed from the old days.
I was about to cast Cooling on him when Nellin beat me to it, wiping his sweat with a towel.
I sat down too and, after a while, brought up that topic again.
"Over a year now, and we haven't seen so much as communication paper, let alone regular stationery."
"Mm."
"Are you still against the plan we discussed before—to make a communication orb?"
What Nellin had mentioned was one of our contingency plans from earlier.
It involved dismantling magic tools from the third-floor rooms to gather large quantities of manaite circuit boards, mana catalysts, and other materials to craft a communication orb.
The downsides: uncertainty about how many tools we'd need to disassemble, and the high risk of Mere catching us in the process.
Of course, Nellin wasn't suggesting we dive in all at once. The idea was to siphon tools gradually over years and craft in secret.
But the sheer volume required would be immense anyway...
Still, I had a different proposal.
"What if we get a single sheet of regular paper or notebook and cast Preserve on it?"
Preserve was a spell that maintained the state of objects—weapons, clothes, food, you name it.
It prevented damage or wear, and for food, it stopped spoilage.
I used to recast it weekly on Mere's dagger Privé, but as my skill improved, a single cast now lasted three weeks.
"So, regular paper turns to ash under mana during sending—Preserve to stop that?"
As expected of a special-grade purple mage. She grasped my intent instantly.
"It was weak before, but at advanced level, the effect's strong enough to make it worth trying."
Nellin's face lit up at my words. Without hesitation, she said, "I'll be right back," and left the laundry room.
She soon returned with a sheet of paper and a pre-made disposable text communicator.
"I fished this paper from the trash—just in case."
Always prepared. Now we just needed a pen to write the letter.
"A pen's all we need."
"I'll get it."
Kiru stood and headed out.
"He's probably borrowing from Dregs. He's the only servant allowed a pen for ledger work."
Sure enough, Kiru returned with a pen.
"From Dregs?"
"..."
"Kiru?"
"Stop calling me 'uncle.' Just Kiru from now on."
"What's that out of nowhere?"
"You call Nellin just Nellin, but me 'uncle'? Feels off."
I couldn't tell if he hated the "uncle" tag or just saw the inconsistency with Nellin, but I agreed to his request.
"Got it, Kiru. You didn't answer earlier, though."
"Write it quick and return it. Here, Nellin."
Nellin, who'd been watching amusedly, took the pen and sat on the floor. She began scribbling the letter.
Scratch, scratch—the nib glided across the paper, etching words.
She'd clearly organized the content in her head; a lengthy letter finished in ten minutes.
"Here, Aroin. Your turn with the spell."
I cast toward the letter on the floor. What once took ten seconds now triggered instantly at advanced level.
"Prompt to Magic Cast— Preserve."
⟨ Preserve ⟩
Advanced-stage mana flowed through twin magic circuits in deep blue light, enveloping the letter.
Shaaa—
Preserve took hold as deep blue mana seeped deep into the paper.
I picked it up and handed it to Nellin.
"All set now?"
"Yes! More tense than crafting a special-grade magic tool!"
Her smiling face showed no real nerves—expressions don't always match feelings.
We were all on edge.
Nellin placed the letter on the text communicator, nodded to us, and infused mana into the catalyst.
—Ziiiiiing
The device hummed as her pale blue mana wrapped the letter and slowly seeped in.
Letters began glowing pale blue from the top, wave-like, racing to the next.
Halfway through, the paper's edges started crumbling to ash.
'Please hold...'
Sweat-inducing tension dragged on.
We huddled close, barely breathing, eyes fixed on the letter.
As the ashen spread grew, the final letter finally glowed.
All pale blue light faded; steam rose like smoke from the communicator.
"...Did it work?"
"Did it?"
"Probably?"
We exchanged glances, then awkward silence fell.
And the laundry room lights went out.
"Always like clockwork."
"Ten o'clock already."
—Thud
I sat; they followed. Silence stretched.
"What'd you send?"
"The full story, plus a desperate plea for backup. All the Shadow Merchant Guild forces we've scouted, plus a warning they could be double that."
"Second floor: unconfirmed special-grade mage, the trading post chief. Third: special-grade holy mage and advanced warrior, Magic Trading Post leader Mere. Fourth: presumed special-grade warrior guild head and multiple advanced warrior guards. Rest: a handful of intermediate-to-advanced per floor, estimated."
This intel came from Kiru long-term observing stair traffic and internal visitors.
I recited it flawlessly; Nellin let out an impressed "Wow."
"Memorized it after one read?"
I scratched my head sheepishly.
"Intermediate blue magic Focus boosts concentration, plus Long Ears memory."
Over the past year, as our bond with Nellin deepened, I'd revealed my origins.
She now knew Mere's goals, the regular exams' horrors, and had comforted me like recently.
Having known me personally, she understood I was just a tragic Long Ears half-blood—not some object of fear or hate.
"Guess we wait."
Laundry lights were out, but I kept entry-level blue magic Night Vision active, so Kiru's face was clear.
"You look calm."
"My contract with Mere ended months ago, but she left me be. With this miracle path opening, I'm optimistic—gonna relax and wait it out."
Nellin nodded beside him.
"Yes, we'll get out. Trust us here, trust your Arcrom comrades."
I believed too.
That my time here would end.
That I'd escape this hell and return to Grandmother.
Even if no path showed, I'd carve one. Not just wait—I'd make that day come with my own hands.
—Shraaaaa
—Boom
—Kwaang, kwarrung
Exactly two months after sending the letter via communicator, deafening magic blasts and combat roars from outside paralyzed the Magic Trading Post in an instant.
Considering the distance to Arcrom, things had escalated faster than expected.
"Better gather in the central hall for now."
Amid the chaos, we servants followed Dregs' orders, huddling in a corner of the central hall.
The others—minus me, Nellin, and Kiru—were gripped by extreme anxiety, shrinking back.
No one remained on the third floor except the two guards at the central hall stairs and us in the corner.
Guests had fled in panic long ago; Mere and the core staff had descended the stairs earlier.
The two stair guards had drawn swords they'd only worn at their hips before.
To avoid provoking them, we stayed as quiet as possible around the central hall clock, under Dregs' lead.