I circulated energy throughout my body and checked my condition.
Fortunately, once the pain subsided, the remaining internal injuries weren’t too severe.
As I sat cross-legged and focused on enhancing my recovery, those injuries soon faded away as well.
“―Phew.”
I opened my eyes while sweating profusely.
When I pushed myself up and lowered my gaze to the floor, instead of the wooden planks that should have been there, I was met with a dark murky sea of blood.
It was an amount so large that it was hard to believe a single person had expelled it.
…Damn. I messed up the floor.
What would she as the owner of this house say if she saw this mess?
Of course, thanks to the unique nature of this hut, it would naturally blend back into the environment and disappear after a day.
Still, it felt naturally awkward to have made such a mess in someone else’s home.
Just as I hurriedly gathered my mana to cast a cleaning spell—
Snap!
A familiar darkness swallowed my vision once again.
***
“…Student Ain? What happened to you?!”
“…Uh, well.”
Had ten minutes already passed? Before I knew it, I was back in the headmistress’s office.
Sharine who had been handling paperwork shot up from her seat and accidentally dropped the documents the moment she saw me.
She immediately rushed over to me.
“What kind of deal did you make with that person?! What happened to your mana…?”
“I’m really fine. My body’s already recovered.”
“That’s not the problem! Your mana—”
Sharine frowned and examined me from head to toe while casting a healing spell.
Naturally, healing magic couldn’t restore the lifespan that had already been lost.
She knew that as well, so she stopped the spell she had been casting and looked at me with sad eyes.
“Ain, I told you, didn’t I? You need to take better care of your body.”
“…I have no excuse.”
“…….”
Under her concerned gaze, I felt a strange sense of guilt.
In the end, unable to withstand that look any longer, I was the first to step away.
“Thank you for lending me the orb. I’ll be going now.”
“…Haah, if I had known this would happen, I would’ve refused your request.”
“Haha…”
When I let out an awkward laugh, Sharine shot me a displeased look and handed me something.
It was a bottle filled with a bright yellow liquid.
“Drink it.”
“…What is this?”
“It’s a potion made with silok leaves. Witches often use it as a fatigue recovery elixir; it’ll help prevent any aftereffects.”
“Are you sure it’s okay to give me something this valuable?”
Silok leaves.
Silok trees only grew in the land of the elves.
With their exceptional ability to calm the mind and body, they were a high-grade ingredient often used in potions.
It was a potion made with such a rare ingredient that even in the Empire, its price was whatever the seller demanded.
“In a way, I also share some responsibility for your injuries, since you got hurt because of me.”
“What do you—”
“So don’t feel burdened, Student Ain. In fact, I’d feel even worse if you didn’t drink it.”
“……”
She’s way too kind.
Who in the world could possibly dislike a witch like her?
I couldn’t help but think that those who had once hated and hurt her in the past must have been completely crazy.
“…Then, I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“Good. Go ahead and drink.”
I immediately opened the bottle she had given me.
A faint, refreshing scent reminiscent of mint wafted through the air.
Without hesitation, I brought it to my lips and poured it down my throat.
Gulp!
“…Apple-flavored?”
“It’s my favorite fruit. How does it taste?”
“It’s good. I like apples too.”
“I’m glad.”
As I drank the potion, a warm energy spread through my exhausted body.
A pleasant sensation coursed through me, restoring my vitality.
For a simple fatigue recovery potion, this is ridiculously effective.
At the very least, I was sure I’d be feeling more energetic than usual for the rest of the day.
Feeling the effects firsthand, I bowed my head and expressed my gratitude once again.
“Thank you so much for giving me such a precious potion.”
“Fufu, don’t mention it. I have plenty of extras, so let me know if you ever need more.”
…No matter how much the headmistress had instructed her, wasn’t she being overly concerned?
At this point, it was starting to feel a little unsettling.
“Well then, I’ll be going now.”
“…Alright. See you next time, Student Ain.”
***
Thud.
“…….”
She stared blankly at the door the boy had just closed behind him.
In her gaze remained a lingering worry for him.
…Will he be alright?
A witch’s eyes were special in many ways.
Like reading an omen, they could faintly perceive the misfortunes a person would face in the future.
And the boy who had just been with her…. his fate was, without a doubt, the bleakest she had ever seen in her entire life.
In reality, she had sensed something unusual from the very first moment they met.
When he first stepped into the headmistress’s office, he had carried far too many burdens that no ordinary person should ever have to bear.
It’s a miracle he even survived with a body like that.
And now, on top of that, his remaining lifespan had been cut in half once again.
Even after centuries had passed, witnessing the flame of a life flicker and fade was still a heartbreaking sight for her.
“You’re too kind for your own good, you know that?”
When she tore her gaze away from the door and turned her head, she saw her master lying on the sofa in a familiar position.
“…You’re back.”
“Yeah, just got here. Ain was here too, huh?”
“Did you see him as well, Lady Lily?”
“…Well, more or less.”
Creak—
Her master continued speaking in a detached voice while idly sucking on a piece of candy.
“At this rate, that kid won’t even last a year.”
“…….”
“Hey, don’t make that face. Someone might think you’re the one who did this to him.”
“But—”
“You don’t have to worry so much. That child will figure things out on his own.”
Crunch!
“As always, we just need to watch over him. If he ever needs help, he’ll come to us on his own.”
“…Understood.”
She was right.
But even as she gave that response, the lingering bitterness in her heart refused to fade away.
***
After leaving the headmistress’s office, I quickly set out to track down Aria.
If I had no information to go on, it would have been difficult to find her.
Fortunately, thanks to what I knew from the game, it wasn’t too difficult to guess her location.
…Found it. The temple.
In this world, medical facilities were divided into two categories.
There were private clinics that handled minor injuries and ailments.
Anything beyond that was typically treated at a temple.
Naturally, these temples were run by priests of the Holy See.
A significant portion of the Holy See’s income came from these establishments.
If they’re treating the saintess, then… she’s probably on the top floor.
I turned my gaze to a window on the third floor.
“…Invisibility.”
The magic was activated with that incantation.
The circle embedded in my heart began to spin as a large surge of mana drained from my body.
…As expected, even a fifth-circle spell was a considerable strain on this body.
Gradually, my form started to fade under the effects of the spell.
Before long, I had become completely invisible.
“Undetected.”
I cast an additional spell over myself to evade detection magic.
With this, my preparations for infiltration were complete.
“…Hoo!”
Flash—
.
.
.
Thud!
With a single leap, I reached the third-floor window which was the target of my entry.
I carefully pushed it open and slipped inside.
I scanned the room and noticed several beds lined up along the walls.
And on the innermost one, someone lay alone.
…Just as I thought. Aria.
“Haa… Haa…”
“…….”
Her long, white hair cascaded over the pillow.
She lay there with her breathing uneven and labored.
Sweat beaded on her skin as she wheezed softly. Her condition looked to be anything but good.
The bright, carefree expression she had worn during the entrance ceremony was nowhere to be seen.
Where is the priest in charge?
I spread my mana to scan the surroundings, but no other presence existed on this floor.
…Leaving a patient in this critical state all alone? Are they out of their minds?
“Silence.”
Though irritation flared within me, the situation itself wasn’t entirely unfavorable.
Without hesitation, I activated a spell to erase all traces of my presence.
That should do for now. Next…
I reached out my right hand and placed it on her forehead.
As my hand covered her small face, the soft sensation of her skin was transmitted to me.
At my signal, a black floral pattern appeared on the back of my hand which was touching her.
Flaash…!
It was the mark symbolizing a contract with a witch, and within it contained half of my mana.
I controlled it with an unfamiliar sensation and guided it into Aria’s body.
Fortunately, the transfer process didn’t cause her any additional pain.
“…Hngh… Ugh…!”
She briefly groaned and frowned.
But soon, her rough breathing gradually steadied.
It seemed my mana had settled properly into her vessel.
…I used about ten percent, I’d say.
After assessing the remaining mana in my hand, I pulled away from her.
Or at least, I tried to.
“…Ain…”
“…….!”
Startled by Aria’s voice calling my name, I froze.
“Ain… don’t go… please…”
“..……”
“Don’t abandon us…”
Was she having a nightmare, just like I did?
She murmured in a pitiful voice and kept calling my name over and over again.
Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
Brush—
I wiped away her tears.
Then, almost instinctively, I stroked her hair.
It was something I used to do often for her and Seria in the past.
…I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.
It was the one thing I had never been able to say to them.
Even if it had been beyond my control, I had still left wounds too deep in Aria and Seria’s hearts.
Seeing her searching for me even in her dreams, a bitter sense of guilt gnawed at me.
And then—
Clatter!
Someone pushed the door open and stepped into the room.
Leave a Reply