60 – Memories
In an instant, the world broke apart, and Ariel found herself standing in the lair of the Black Mage, not a cave.
As she descended the stairs, she saw only two small storage rooms and a dead end. However, she faintly sensed an unfamiliar flow from that dead end.
She saw herself passing through that dead end, along with Venice, who was looking at it with interest.
Venice claimed to have stumbled upon it by chance, but it was because he could sense dark magic that he was able to find it.
Unveiling the dark mage’s illusion revealed the true hideout of the real dark mages.
As she entered a door directly in the corridor, she saw Venice, dressed in a black robe and mask, dealing with the black mage from a distance, and herself silently watching from behind.
Whoosh-
“Ku… Cough…”
Approaching in an instant, making no sound, Venice pierced through the black mage’s weakness. Ariel, with the mask on, watched this scene with interest.
Back then, she simply thought of him as a curious and unusual person. A mage who wielded a dagger instead of casting magic blades.
“………”
But now, she could finally see. Whether it was due to the influence of the artifact or her own growth, the black dark magic was emanating like a sharp edge from the dagger that stabbed from an angle unseen by Venice’s surroundings and her own gaze.
And strangely, she could clearly see Venice’s face behind the mask. The mask was also visible, but it was a strange sight to see his face behind it.
Behind the mask, Venice did not smile or cry. He simply looked down upon the black mages with an infinitely cold and disdainful expression.
Venice had been a dark mage from this moment on. No, perhaps even before this. To be able to use dark magic so naturally.
And so, another question arises.
Venice. Why do you willingly deal with the same black sorcerers?
Though they feel repulsed by each other to the point of nausea and live closely bonded, they are a race that doesn’t even consider betrayal. This is a well-known fact throughout the empire. Nothing has changed until now.
Why…do you look at the same black sorcerers with such anger and disgust, and without hesitation, get rid of them?
While showing such a cold expression towards the same black sorcerers, you show an infinitely warm smile to the children behind the bars.
There would be no occasion for the expression behind the mask to be revealed. Even Ariel’s heart was shaken by that warm smile.
After eliminating more black sorcerers and rescuing the victims, we find ourselves opening a massive door at the end of the corridor and stepping inside.
As soon as the door opens, a malevolent and alien magic is felt.
…Wait. This feeling…I feel like I’ve felt it somewhere before.
“Surely…when I suddenly felt sick…”
Ariel’s murmuring didn’t continue. As she searched for the path in the dark cave, a black magic trap activated under Ariel’s feet, and Venice was pushed aside and caught instead.
Ariel, who had always thought of herself as the top priority in life, couldn’t understand this behavior at all.
“Oh dear…another bug has been caught.”
I still remember. That disgusting black sorcerer mocking Venice and herself as he approached slowly.
At that time, it was definitely Venice who assured her that everything was fine, but the face revealed behind the mask was contorted as if enduring pain.
I still remember. The emotions I felt at that time.
The boiling anger and hatred that seemed to come from deep within the chest. It felt as if Ariel, who was exploding with anger, and I had become one.
“Urrrgh-!”
In the end, the black sorcerer, caught in the magic she had unleashed, couldn’t even resist and was disintegrated into small fragments.
At that time, I didn’t know. I thought the anger and hatred I felt at that time were just annoyance towards the black sorcerer who had caught my interest. But now, I feel like I understand.
“That… can’t be…”
The situation was the same as before. If Venice was truly a wicked sorcerer like them, there would be no reason for him to come out to deal with the sorcerer or to be affected by dark magic in his place.
And even the disgust towards the sorcerer, the warm smile and apologetic expression behind the mask sent to the young children and victims.
After leaving the hideout, he looks at Venice, who is making a small promise to the children.
It felt as if he was looking at his younger self, with the sparkling eyes of the children and the tearful expressions of gratitude from the residents.
Because Venice evoked an unknown emotion, it must have been around this time.
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He wanted to know everything about Venice, to understand him.
Yes… that’s how I was back then.
Looking at the endlessly pure laughter of the children and the even purer smile of Venice. Ariel found herself smiling without realizing it.
But what about you now?
Do you remember what you did to Venice?
“……..Huh?”
It felt like someone was telling a story, but the words didn’t quite get through.
However, from the depths of Ariel’s heart, the sense of guilt that she didn’t hear the words grows stronger from that moment.
Thump… throb-!
As she clutched her heart in unbearable pain, looking at Venice. The world shattered once again, and a different scene appeared before her eyes.
hahahaha- hoho-
Even though the northern region was always cold, for some reason, it felt warm on that day. The residents of Frost Territory, where gentle snow was falling, shared stories while blooming with happy laughter.
“Shall we go to a dessert shop? There’s a trendy pancake shop lately.”
“…Pancakes?”
Ah, now I remember. It was the day when I came down to the territory with Venice and ate the strange stew together for the first time.
It was interesting to see Venice struggling with so many hostile glances directed at her.
Of course, I later went to them separately and told them not to do that. But even those small memories were not bad memories for Ariel. No, they were good memories.
“…hehehe.”
At that time, Venice, even with just a word saying that she was going to eat pancakes, smiled happily like a pure child.
And when the store owner said that all the pancakes were gone, she instantly collapsed and tears welled up.
I remember it all. Just like the emotions Ariel felt now, I felt an unknown sense of responsibility.
I will definitely do whatever it takes to bring back that collapsed Venice and give her pancakes.
Have I ever wanted something so desperately? It’s just buying a single pancake.
In Ariel’s memories, from childhood to the present, which remember everything, there was at least none.
Anyway, when I paid five times the value, the store owner quickly procured the ingredients and made pancakes.
I accepted it and rushed to Venice, who looked as if she had lost everything in a hurry.
“Thank… you…!”
Venice, as if she had discovered a miracle, released her collapsed expression and showed a bright smile.
And then, with her cheeks bulging, she inhaled the pancake and even shed tears while savoring it.
Looking at that, an unknown sense of fulfillment rose within me. Even a sense of mission that I had completed the task.
If I could just see that expression, I felt like I could achieve anything.
And that emotion comes back again. Just like when I was back then, like now.
Venice couldn’t see it, but I was smiling as I watched her. It was even a new fact to myself.
Could I… really smile like that?
No, it couldn’t be helped. Even though her body was bigger than mine, anyone would react that way when they see Venice, who laughs like a young child.
Yes. If only I could see that smile….
….But do you remember the expression that Venice had tried to hide because of your actions?
How was Venice’s expression the last time you saw it?
“….Who are you..!”
At the sound of someone’s voice again, Ariel looks around warily.
The voice she heard earlier wasn’t a hallucination. In this case, she heard it clearly.
At the same time, it feels like the world has stopped. The pedestrians who were talking loudly, the snow falling heavily.
Venice, who was brightly smiling and recommending pancakes, and Ariel herself, who was smirking and eating them.
Everyone froze in their place as if time had stopped.
Thump… Thump.
From somewhere in the frozen time and space, the sound of footsteps can be heard.
Ariel turned her head to find the source of the footsteps, but she couldn’t say a word at the sight that was revealed.
“Hello.”
“You… who are you…”
“You already know, don’t you? Better than anyone.”
Long hair as white as snow. Eyes as purple as jewels.
“Hello, ‘me.’ No, ‘devil.'”
Ariel Frost. Her appearance is exactly the same as hers, but with torn wings and a fading radiance that she can’t recognize.
With wounds and empty eyes, she sees the image of ‘me’ looking at her.
Ariel felt her heart racing like crazy and a strong sense of guilt that something was terribly wrong.