51 – The Encroaching Chains**
“Yeah… Ariel. Take care.”
“…Yes. Uncle.”
“hehehe. If you’re bored, come visit.”
After spending a day at the imperial palace, Ariel bid farewell to the emperor before leaving. Even Kaiser Sunlight, known as the ruler of all, responded with a genuine smile upon being called ‘uncle’ by Ariel.
“Say hi to Uncle Ryde for me too.”
“Sure, sure! Carry your artifact with you, and if you need anything, just let me know! I’ll get you whatever you need!”
“Dad, seriously. It seems like you cherish Ariel more than me.”
“As if, Freya! I cherish you more than anything in the world.”
“Hmph. Then give me the upper part we talked about last time.”
“Oh my… I understand.”
Even in jest, a smile crept onto Freya’s face at Ride’s response.
Afterwards, the pillars of the empire departed, each anticipating their next meeting, all to maintain their respective positions.
“Daughter, are you heading straight to the academy?”
“Yes, Father. Actually, we’re already quite late.”
The Frost siblings, having exchanged brief greetings yesterday, hurried off immediately to attend to their duties.
And Ariel, having missed plenty of academy sessions already, promptly boarded the carriage bound for the academy.
“Oh… that’s an artifact that can distinguish black magicians? Uncle Ride, you’re really something. Always bringing fascinating items every day.”
“Could you step back a bit? I’m tired.”
“Ahahahaha! Pretending not to like it again. But deep down, you actually enjoy it!”
“…Sigh. Suit yourself.”
“That’s what I thought! So, so. Where did your brother go?”
Ariel, feeling a headache brewing amidst the barrage of questions, found herself sandwiched between the two talkative individuals, enduring a relentless onslaught of inquiries until they reached the academy.
“Ugh… I really didn’t want to come.”
“…Agreed.”
“And now we won’t even have proper meals… and without my brother this time.”
Although they had been boisterous in the carriage, unconcerned about status or etiquette, upon arriving at the academy, they couldn’t help but let out sighs.
“But what can we do? We have to go…”
“Sigh. Yeah, let’s go. We’ll somehow endure…”
“I already feel dizzy…”
No matter how much they didn’t want to come to the academy, they couldn’t afford to miss it any longer, so they reluctantly headed to the academy with heavy hearts.
***
As Ariel, facing the last evening class, sat on the bed before heading to the classroom, she continued her thoughts for a moment.
“Hmm… Why does it feel so empty?”
The reason being an indescribable emptiness and an incomprehensible emotion enveloping her entire being.
After contemplating the reason, Ariel came to a single conclusion.
“Is it because Venice is not here?”
Whether at Frost Castle or the academy, she had always spent time with Venice at this hour.
Starting the day with light chitchat and a casual meal, the time that no longer existed, causing her to feel this emotion.
Now, what is this emotion exactly? The feeling she desperately wanted to shake off in her early years. The emotion that seemed to have disappeared only after meeting Venice.
“…Loneliness.”
The identity of the incomprehensible emotion was loneliness. The time spent alone in her early years, blaming herself.
It felt endless, and if there were a transcendental being looking down on her, she had begged multiple times to take away that emotion.
Now that Venice had left for vacation, Ariel felt a profound loneliness, even in the presence of her father, mother, and brothers.
Even when meeting Kaiser uncle and Ride uncle after a long time.
And when spending time with the few remaining friends, Kale and Freia, the loneliness never seemed to disappear.
Like an unbreakable chain tightly constricting her heart, a feeling of oppression binding her entire body.
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No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t shake off the overwhelming pressure, and Ariel felt cold sweat running down her body.
“….Ugh.”
Suddenly… Why is this happening? She had never experienced anything like this before.
The heart pounded like crazy, resonating with a thud, and the head seemed to be filled only with blinding pain.
Simultaneously, from the tips of the toes, a horrifying sensation, akin to creeping insects, gradually invaded the body.
“Hurry… we need to go.”
At this moment, it seemed essential to meet Keil and Freya. Otherwise… the feeling of not daring to anticipate what might happen was overwhelming.
Ariel, who used to always arrive at the classroom ahead of time to meet Freya and Keil, was the one who encountered them today. But today, she stepped out of the room first.
– Ariel, are you okay?
– Your complexion today… looks really bad.
“I’m fine. I’m okay…”
In truth, nothing was okay, but Ariel, with an effort, answered that she was fine and led her heavy footsteps as if wearing shackles towards Keil’s dormitory.
Knock-knock-knock.
– Who is it?
-…Who is it?
In response to Keil and Freya’s voices coming from inside the room, the slight sense of oppression seemed to dissipate.
“…It’s me. Ariel. Open the door, please.”
“Ariel… hey! Why is your complexion like that?!”
“Me… let me in.”
Although Keil and Freya were surprised that Ariel, who had never directly come to them before, suddenly appeared, they quickly ushered Ariel into the room as her condition didn’t look good at all.
“Ariel! What on earth is going on…! Where does it hurt?!”
“I… I don’t know either… my heart… hurts too much.”
“You… weren’t getting better? Let me see your head… Ugh! What’s this warmth…!”
Keil, who already had fair skin, recoiled as if touching a corpse as he placed his hand on Ariel’s forehead, which had turned deathly pale today as if nearing the temperature of boiling lava.
“To the infirmary… Let’s go, quickly!”
“Ariel, lean on my back!”
“I… My heart hurts too much…”
Keil and Freya, maintaining their usual poker faces regardless of the situation, were taken aback seeing Ariel in such pain, a rarity for her to show emotions so vividly. They hurriedly supported Ariel and headed towards the infirmary.
Ariel, overwhelmed as if her heart was about to burst, leaned on their support without hesitation, succumbing to the oppressive sensation crushing her.
“Gasping…! Medic! Where’s the medic!”
“Why can’t I see… Ah! It’s the day of the resident medic’s field trip! This is…”
“Me… Help me, please…”
“Just lie down for now, Ariel! I’ll try to find some medicine!”
“I’m here beside you, Ariel. Don’t panic too much, just breathe slowly. Inhale… exhale.”
Unfortunately, today was the day when the academy’s resident medic was away on a field trip.
Keil laid Ariel on an available bed while searching for medicine on the stacked shelves, and Freya sat by Ariel’s head, holding her hand warmer than flames.
“Darn it… We’re out of medicine too. Why aren’t we better prepared for this!”
“…What’s going on here?”
“…Who are you?”
“I’m the dormitory supervisor, Caron. I heard a commotion from the infirmary since the medic is away on a field trip today.”
Whether it was the sound of Keil’s outburst or not, Caron, the dormitory supervisor, entered after opening the infirmary’s closed door.
“My… My friend is in a lot of pain…”
“Hmm. Where does it hurt?”
“Can you… cure it?”
“To some extent. Let me assess the condition first.”
Caught off guard by a sudden thread of hope in a situation where nothing seemed possible, Kael and Freya could do nothing but pray. Hoping that this supervisor named Caron could help Ariel.
“Why is my… body like this… it hurts so much… my chest…”
“Just wait a moment. I’ll check.”
As if possessing some related ability, Ariel simply watched Caron, who focused his magical gaze, taking slow breaths.
Experiencing pain for the first time in her life and struggling to control inexplicable emotions.
“…There doesn’t seem to be any issue with the body.”
“Then why is Ariel in pain!”
“If it’s not a physical issue, then it must be a psychological one.”
Hmm, the dorm supervisor, looking as if in contemplation, continued the conversation.
“Perhaps. Are you thinking of someone? Missing them, wanting to see them, perhaps?”
“…Benny…s.”
“Hmm. The person you saw in front of the dorms at that time. Does just thinking about them make your heart feel heavy, and your head dizzy?”
“…Yes.”
Surprised by Caron accurately pinpointing her situation and body condition with just a brief observation, Ariel quietly replied.
“Well, if you meet that person, it could be the solution. Where is this person now?”
“Snowfield… village, he said.”
“Then that’s where you should go. Friends? Accompany her.”
“…Is that really a solution? Such an absurd way to solve things…”
“There’s no other way at this point. We might as well try something.”
“Cale, let’s hurry to Snowfield Village! It’s not far from here!”
“…Sigh. Alright. Ariel, get on my back!”
And so, Cale once again carried Ariel on his back, while Pria quickly assisted them and headed toward the carriage station.
“…………….”
Silently, Caron watched them rush off. Especially Ariel, barely managing to hang on while being carried.
***
“I feel… better than before. Thank you.”
“That’s good to hear. Since we’re here, we might as well see your brother.”
“Man… do you know how shocked I was?! To suddenly get sick and then recover like this!”
Whether Caron’s words were true or it was indeed a sudden pain that came and went, Ariel felt the pain that had quickly assailed her body now fading away.
“…Hey. Isn’t that… a fire?”
“It seems… like it.”
“……..What?”
Following Cale’s trembling voice, they looked far off at Snowfield Village. The tranquil and small village was slowly engulfed in bright, red flames, visible even from several miles away.