7. Jealousy is my strength (39)
The archwitch’s abode was quiet.
The building, devoid of even attendants, remained silent. Considering his status as the state prefect of the ten southern kingdoms, he was treated with nothing but rude treatment.
Of course, there was no reason for the Southern Ten Kingdoms to deliberately neglect the Archwitch. Rather, it was to the extent that the Southern Ten Kingdoms, as well as the academy and the empire, showed their will to entertain the Archwitch reverently.
Still, how is this place so quiet?
There was only one reason.
Because the Archwitch wanted silence.
It was a woman who had isolated herself on an island in a sea of trees for hundreds of years. There was no way I would miss the crowds now.
Thus, the building located in the corner of the academy had become another great forest.
In the middle of the sea made of silence instead of trees.
The sound of footsteps resounded above the desolate, empty hallway.
With every step he took, an amplified noise hit his eardrum. The warm marble floor emitted a sound as pale as its color.
It was a strange sight in many ways.
Like paint splashed on a drawing paper where there should be nothing, the woman caught in my side was making a fuss. In particular, the girl in the cone hat was struggling.
The sound of the limbs struggling and spitting up thickly was quite harsh.
“Hey! Are you crazy?! I said I do it on my own, where is the subject of juniors… … !”
“It’s good to save time, what? Wasn’t there a business anyway?”
Even so, my voice was very peaceful.
In fact, ‘Elsie senior’ was a talented person who could break free from my restraints at any time. Even if I competed with me right away, it was difficult to guarantee victory.
He struggles, but he doesn’t bother to get out of my arms.
This was a tacit consent, which I had no choice but to understand.
That my judgment was correct was soon proved. Soon after, Elsie-senpai stretched her body, snorted, and turned her gaze away.
“… … Heh, you won’t know my heart.”
“Of course.”
There was no need to carry a person who did not rebel like luggage.
I calmly put Elsie-senior on the ground, and before long, the girl snorted and brushed her hair.
“Heh, thank you for the honor of touching the body of this Elsie Rainella.”
“It’s my fiancé’s body.”
Of course, ‘elsie senior’ didn’t even pretend to hear my reasonable objection.
It was just a haughty gait, endless grunting.
“You savage bastard, our Percus was kinder… … .”
“Because I am not that person.”
“Well, okay. Because I just had something I wanted to say to you.”
And then Elsie-senpai stopped abruptly.
It was just when the scorching sun was drawing an oblique line. With the sunlight pouring down obliquely between them, Elsie-senpai let out a voice mixed with a sigh.
“… … not coming back.”
“Yeah?”
At the incomprehensible sound, I had no choice but to make a dumb noise.
Then Elsie-senpai placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head.
“The original owner of this body! The ‘Elsie Percus’ you know is not coming back.”
“That’s what… … .”
“Even if I drank too much, it was the same.”
My brain froze in an unexpected situation.
What is this sound?
Why is Elsie-senpai not coming back?
He was one of the most important people to me. Of course, there was no easy way to accept that fact.
Excessive confusion leads to excitement.
Crying, the rising fireball had just touched the uvula.
The girl pulled out a fluttering note from her bosom and showed it.
“I have gathered all the information you were looking for. And well, I was thinking of just sticking my face in for a while… … .”
Tak, as soon as Elsie-senpai snapped her finger, a note flew towards me.
My eyes instinctively snatched the paper and silently skimmed through the writing.
‘A location presumed to be the base of the five marches’
Of course, such phrases had no chin to enter my eyes.
I asked, resisting the urge to tear up the note right away.
“… … So, why is Elsie-senpai not coming back?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
The question came back with a snort.
Annoyance formed in my eyes toward the girl for a moment, then it disappeared.
Instead, a long sigh filled the void. I almost got angry at the fact that Elsie-senpai didn’t come back, but looking back, ‘Elsie-senpai’ wasn’t guilty of anything.
And what ‘Elsie senior’ said was right.
She was more like a ghost summoned to the past out of nowhere. Of course, I had no choice but to be ignorant of the related phenomenon, and I was not bright enough to guess the circumstances of Elsie.
So, who the heck should I ask?
There was one person that caught my eye at first glance.
Before that, the girl just gave a hint.
“… … See if you don’t want to come back.”
“What do you mean?”
“what is it… In fact, you might be scared. Have you ever wanted to run away?”
Yep, there were too many.
But if you say you don’t want to come back, you can’t really come back.
Then, where is Elsie-senpai now?
A problem that could not be answered right away broke the bank of accidents and overflowed. My hand, holding the note, felt strong.
It was then that Elsie-senpai moved on and started again.
“To be honest, I had a lot.”
It was impossible to stand alone like this.
I hurriedly caught up behind senior Elsie and asked.
“How can Elsie-senpai come back?”
“Well, well… I’m still a little scared.”
What is that?, before asking.
Senior Elsie let out a long sigh.
“Anyway, this old lady does the same thing… … .”
It was right after that.
A small fire was conceived in the air. Eventually, an electric charge was derived from the ashes, and the electric charge reached a certain point and began to turn into water.
And the water sprouts, and the sprouts into fire again.
As the exchange between the five poles in a circle accelerated gradually, the gap in the circle disappeared.
Eventually, it was around the time that the trajectory alone drew a complete circle.
Cracks, cracks appear out of nowhere in the air.
The hatching that began to spread around the five poles soon grew out of control. It didn’t take long for the world to break apart with a rupture.
Whoa, do it.
Cigarette smoke floated through the collapsing debris. Before I knew it, senior Elsie and I were standing in an unfamiliar room.
With pretty shaky eyes.
“… … It’s quite good.”
“Thanks to who I spent years rolling under.”
Elsie-senpai gave a somewhat defiant expression while bursting out laughing.
It was an unexpected development. So I decided to be silent first.
It was important to get back the old Elsie I knew, but the encounter between the two came first.
After this case is over, you will be able to ask for advice.
Also, there was another part that I had my doubts about.
That was the archwitch’s reaction.
Elsie-senpai broke something with an unfamiliar technique. I thought it might be the barrier of the Archwitch, but the Archwitch had her magic destroyed by a girl she had never seen before.
Even so, the archwitch’s complexion still looked calm.
Although it was impossible to hide the light of the boundary that emanated from that gaze.
“Looks like you took good care of your master… Who did you study?”
“There is an old woman with a bad temper. He had such a twisted personality that he lived in a house built in the middle of a forest where people were rare. What’s even more terrifying is that the disciple is forced to live within it.”
At Elsie-senpai’s sly words, the Archwitch vomited out a long cigarette smoke.
“Then the disciple stays with the master, where does he stay?”
“Isn’t that a little funny? And then the loneliness burns so much… Come on.”
The archwitch’s gaze, twisting the pipe, turned slightly to the side.
It was a face that didn’t seem interested, but I knew it.
In the first place, the Archwitch was not the kind of person to exchange questions and answers like this if she wasn’t interested.
“That’s strange… In my memory, few people know how to deal with the five elements. None of them match the characteristics you described.”
The eyes of the Archwitch who said that were deeply sunken.
The gaze of a wise man who has lived for hundreds of years sometimes uncovers emotions hidden deep in the human heart. The reason Elsie-senpai could calmly look into the eyes of the Archwitch was probably because she had already gotten used to it.
Elsie hesitated, then bit her lip.
and silence.
The Archwitch sighed and turned her gaze to me.
“Yeah, what… Everyone has a past they want to hide. So kid, why did you bring this shorty to me… … .”
“… … There is one.”
I had to put on a bewildered expression at Elsie-senpai’s sneaky words.
No, all of a sudden?
However, there was even a hint of anger in the curt girl’s voice. I couldn’t understand the true nature of that feeling, and for a moment I was completely stunned, and then I stood firm.
Even the Archwitch was only puzzled by Elsie-senpai’s unusual expression.
“What, sound… … .”
pretend, do
The girl’s thin index finger turned to the front. At the end, of course, there was no choice but to be the Archwitch.
For a moment, the archwitch’s body, not understanding Elsie’s intentions, stiffened.
Even so, Elsie-senpai did not stop spitting out a trembling voice. On the contrary, he clenched his fists with both hands, closed his eyes tightly, and even lowered his head.
“Uh, how… how… … !”
and the next moment.
Elsie-senpai ran out and grabbed the Archwitch’s collar. At the unimaginable rudeness, not only my eyes but also my mouth went wide open.
“How can you not recognize me!”
The frozen gaze of the Archwitch, who had been grabbed by the collar out of nowhere, turned to me.
It was an expected catastrophe.
**
The swordsman was walking around with Seria wrapped around him.
Even though his body was smaller, the master’s body remained strong. Even though he was carrying a girl who was taller than me, the swordsman’s face showed no sign of distress.
There was only one thought running through her mind right now.
“Ah, I want to sparr… … .”
I should hurry up and throw the luggage in the hospital room and go see the kid.
I decided to do sparring tonight, so I can’t put it off any longer.
It was around the time I entered the temple.
Today, few passers-by were seen going to and from the secluded temple. Only faint voices leaked through the open hospital room.
Even so, it was only a subtle sound that normal people couldn’t hear.
The swordsman was different. The Master’s developed hearing was picking up all the sounds around him without being particularly conscious of it.
It was then.
“Only you, the imperial family’s earnest wish… … .”
“Please don’t think in vain… … .”
The swordsman’s footsteps stopped abruptly after overhearing the harsh sound. It was a familiar voice somewhere, so I thought about it in silence, but it seemed to be one of my nieces and granddaughters.
The second princess, Iris.
And was the other one of Alpenhauser’s twins?
Unable to overcome his curiosity, the swordsman unconsciously headed towards the hospital room. Perhaps they had intended to leave after a brief conversation, all whisperings could be heard through the clumsily open door.
“Shien, do you understand? I’ll try to negotiate well with that man named ‘Ian’, so you just have to follow my words.”
“Ha, but older brother Vilteon is still… oh!”
It was then.
Shien and Swordsman, who were blatantly reluctant to talk, met their eyes. The swordsman froze as he recalled the nightmares of the past, but Shien, who had regained his health, kicked off the bed and stood up happily.
And even stepping up and holding hands.
“Oh, come on! I heard you brought me here with Sir Lee An? Did you come because you were worried? I’m sorry though, for some reason I don’t have any memories of that day… … .”
At the same time, Shien said, Ehehehe, and let out an awkward laugh. It seemed that the brain had erased the memory from the shock beyond the limit.
Realizing this, the swordsman sighed in relief.
yes, you don’t have to know Siena.
All sins will be carried by this widow.
It was then.
“… … Who is that child?”
Iris’ cold gaze turned to the swordsman. No, not only Iris, but the eyes of everyone accompanying Iris were pierced.
When it was a body, it was unimaginable.
Far from looking down like this, I couldn’t even make eye contact and looked down.
Feeling laughed at, the swordsman swallowed a laugh and opened his mouth.
“Hey, who are you? I say… … .”
“Hee, hee hee hee!”
However, as soon as the swordsman opened his mouth in his usual tone, Shien trembled and sat down on the spot.
While the audience remained silent in bewilderment, Shien let out a wet voice.
“Um, something… Something, something keeps coming to mind… mmm!”
Even the swordsman was flustered.
Perhaps, is it because he uses his usual way of speaking when he reveals his identity to Shien?
Then there was only one answer.
“I, I… no! A cow, a girl.”
fortunately or unhappily.
As soon as he corrected his tone, Shien’s trembling began to subside. When the light gray eyes filled with tears turned to him, the swordsman had no choice but to swallow his tears and smile in relief.
“Uh, it’s your sister’s brother… … .”
Feeling that life is not easy these days.