Chapter 58: An Unexpected Matter (5)
“At first, I thought he was an acquaintance of the professor.”
Walking side by side, Cecilia whispered in her usual calm, gentle voice.
Matching my pace, I silently listened to what she was saying.
“As you know, Lian, there are quite a number of elves here. Some are professors or staff, and some are students. But elves are… hmm.”
She thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Elves may seem indifferent to each other at first glance, but in reality, they tend to stick together. So I wondered if he came to see me because Professor Windy May was showing interest in me.”
“Indeed, elves do have that tendency.”
Among mercenaries, there was a saying: ‘If you do an elf a favor, you gain a life. If you incur an elf’s grudge, you throw away your life.’
If someone had done a favor for their acquaintance, they would repay that favor on their behalf.
If someone had incurred a grudge against their acquaintance, they would take vengeance on their behalf.
Even if it was a complete stranger, if that person was connected to their acquaintance, elves would step forward without hesitation.
‘To put it bluntly, their meddling is far too much.’
Having suffered greatly from that in my previous life, it was not something I welcomed.
Maybe that was why.
When Jeil Envarso first approached us, I could not help but be quite wary of him.
Although thankfully, the situation I had worried about was not the case….
Looking back now, it turned out to be troublesome in an entirely different way.
“What did he say to you?”
“Just trivial things.”
Cecilia murmured in a doubtful voice.
“Whether I had met Professor Windy May before, how far I could hear the Voice of the Spirits. Things like that.”
“Hmm….”
“Ah.”
While speaking, Cecilia slightly furrowed her brows, then let out a small gasp as if surprised.
“But we didn’t talk for long. When I just replied asking why he was asking such things, he said he was sorry if it made me uncomfortable, and then he simply left.”
“…I see? Ah, yes. Well done.”
“……”
When I nodded in understanding, Cecilia closed her mouth and said nothing more.
Her expression remained unchanged, but for some reason, I could sense she was dissatisfied about something.
In a faintly sulky tone, Cecilia said to me,
“And he asked about you, Lian.”
“About me?”
“Yes, just small things, but he asked a number of questions.”
This time, it was my turn to frown.
‘So after Allen, now he went to Cecilia asking about me as well.’
Come to think of it, from the very first meeting, he had made it obvious he was looking for me.
But if he had malicious intent, he wouldn’t have approached so clumsily.
That meant he really did have some business with me….
The problem was, I had no idea what that business could possibly be.
‘Just what could it be?’
While I was lost in thought, Cecilia continued in a quiet voice.
“…So I leaned more toward the idea that he might be an acquaintance of Professor Windy May. After all, Lian, you’re also someone the professor is interested in. I thought maybe he came to learn about the two of us.”
At her words, I gave a small nod.
‘True enough.’
Indeed, her explanation was far more convincing.
After all, the biggest connection I could think of was that I had been approached with an offer by Professor Windy May, which could easily be linked to him.
Maybe I was just being overly sensitive, I thought.
Then she tilted her head slightly.
“But something felt strange.”
“Strange?”
“Yes. He did seem somewhat interested in me and in you, Lian… but honestly, it felt more like he was looking for something else.”
Even as she spoke, Cecilia looked somewhat doubtful.
She fell silent, nodding slightly as if lost in thought.
Then she glanced at me quickly, as if gauging my reaction, before quietly shaking her head.
“…Never mind, forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything when I’m not even certain.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“Actually, I felt the same way as you, Cecilia. Something about it felt odd.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, I don’t know what it is, but… just as you said, it seems like he’s circling around me with some kind of purpose.”
“In that case, Lian Gwendil, it seems the truth is that you’re simply a man of irresistible charm.”
“Wha—!”
At the sudden voice right by my ear, I let out a startled cry before I could stop myself.
Right next to us, Professor Windy May had appeared out of nowhere, floating serenely in the air.
“Hello, good morning.”
Seeing her wave so nonchalantly, I scolded her.
“You nearly scared me half to death, Professor.”
“Gasp, really?”
Tilting her ears at my words, Professor Windy May held out her hand to me.
For a moment, her hand glimmered golden before she withdrew it and tilted her head.
“But it’s still right there where it should be. Your heart’s beating nice and strong too. So no need to worry.”
“……”
“So, what brings the two of you to the professors’ wing so early in the morning?”
She asked in a tone that sounded as if she genuinely didn’t know.
She must have thought she was being casual, but clearly she already had a pretty good idea why we had come.
Flap flap.
As proof, her ears were twitching up and down nonstop.
Feigning ignorance, I answered her.
“We came to continue the discussion from last time.”
“Mmhm!”
She let out a satisfied breath through her nose and nodded vigorously.
Then, pursing her lips, she asked in a suggestive tone,
“In a positive direction?”
“Yes, in a positive direction.”
“Hmm!”
At that, Professor Windy May slowly descended from the air.
She brushed off her clothes and straightened them, then looked up at me and Cecilia as she spoke.
“Since it’s not really appropriate to talk in the hallway, shall we go inside somewhere first?”
Without even waiting for an answer, Professor Windy May began to walk ahead.
Her loosely tied hair swayed wildly behind her, almost like a reflection of her mood.
She even hummed a little tune under her breath.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
At Cecilia’s words, Professor Windy May nodded brightly.
“Because the two of you said you’d consider my proposal positively.”
“Not only because of that. You already looked happy even before meeting us.”
“Well, I just met a student with an interesting perspective. And on top of that, one with power just as interesting as his thoughts.”
“Then did you make the same offer to him as you did to us?”
“No, unfortunately not. He wasn’t a mage. Even if he had been, he was the type whose talent would only be buried if he became my disciple, so I wouldn’t have suggested it anyway. Oh, now that I think of it—”
Shrugging her shoulders, Professor Windy May turned her gaze toward me.
“He had a peculiar kind of mana, much like you, Lian Gwendil.”
“Like me?”
“Yes, he was capable of manifesting his mana. But unlike you, what bloomed for him was a beautiful flower.”
At that, I paused for a moment.
Because her words had brought someone to mind.
“A flower?”
“Yes. A very beautiful flower. It even had a fragrance.”
That was all I needed to hear.
I was certain I knew exactly who she meant.
‘The bounty hunter, Gardener Anisida.’
A man famous for wielding the rare combination of an axe and chain-scythe.
He had also openly declared that he would claim my head, branding me a traitor and a Cultist of the Evil God.
Thankfully, I had died before ever meeting him, so I never actually faced him directly.
‘…Though, is it really right to call that fortunate?’
Anyway, the reason I knew him so well despite never having met him was simple.
Even though he wasn’t one of the ‘Seven Heroes,’ he was still a man who, in the future, would be called a hero without question.
‘…Come to think of it, during this time, an unusual number of incredible people attended the academy.’
Every one of them was the kind who, in any other era, could have been the figure defining that age.
Even aside from the ‘Seven Heroes’ and the Gardener Anisida just mentioned, many more came to mind.
The wandering knight, said to have glimpsed the future, albeit in a limited way.
The heir who inherited all the knowledge and magic tools of the Pioneer King.
The Holy Knight who fought wielding no weapon but only a shield.
The heretical priest, a human raised in the hands of giants, who bore the blessing of the Frost Giants….
And many more, each of them worthy of being called a hero.
Every one of them accomplished great feats, and later, amid the chaos of the continent, they played their roles in various places, saving countless lives.
And if I had to name one more common thread among them….
It was that during this very period—while they were attending the academy—without exception, every single one of them hid their power and lived as nothing more than ordinary students.
‘Well, the reason is obvious enough.’
Anything outstanding inevitably drew attention.
Hiding one’s strength was a means of protecting oneself.
So all of them, during their academy days, concealed their abilities and brilliance.
‘…Hm?’
As I followed behind Professor Windy May, a thought suddenly flickered through my mind.
‘Wait, why….’
Why.
Why was I only now recalling such an obvious and crucial fact?
I had completely forgotten something so important.
This was strange.
….
……
“Lian?”
Someone tugged softly at my sleeve, bringing me back to myself.
When I turned my head, Cecilia was looking at me with a faint frown, as if worried.
“Are you okay? You suddenly stopped walking and startled me.”
“…Ah.”
I pressed my fingers against the spot between my eyes, which throbbed faintly.
“Maybe I’m just tired. I must have drifted off without realizing it.”
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yes. Thank you for worrying about me.”
I forced a smile at her concern, then pressed at my brow again.
I was sure I had just been on the verge of recalling something important….
But I could no longer remember what it was.
‘Well, I have been overexerting myself these past few days.’
I decided I would go straight back after class today and get some proper sleep.
Just then, Cecilia suddenly held out her hand.
On her palm was a piece of candy.
“Sweet things are good when you’re tired.”
“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”
I gratefully accepted the candy.
At that moment, Professor Windy May, who had been walking ahead, stopped in front of a door and turned to us.
“Sorry for the wait… Ah, candy.”
“Here, Professor, have one too.”
Professor Windy May beamed and took the candy.
“Thank you. And since we’ve just arrived, would you like to see this now?”
Popping the candy into her mouth, she gestured toward an old door for us to take a look.
[Authorized Personnel Only]
A shabby sign with those words hung crookedly on the worn door.
It didn’t look at all like it led to a professor’s office.
“If you open it like this, it’s just an ordinary storage room….”
Click. When she opened the door, it was exactly as she said—a shabby storage room.
Like a magician performing tricks for children, each of her gestures carried a curious touch of showmanship.
“But if I spread the hidden formula like this and inject mana in the proper order….”
Closing the door again, Professor Windy May lifted her hand toward the air instead of reopening it.
From her slightly moving fingers, an impossibly delicate control of mana flowed without rest.
Before long, the shabby, worn-out door transformed into one engraved with elegant markings and spells.
When Professor Windy May placed her hand upon the door, it began to open slowly and silently, as though it had a will of its own.
“It connects right here.”
The Room of Memories.
Professor Windy May whispered softly.
“Before hearing your answer to my proposal, I’m sure I told you something. Do you remember?”
Turning her head slowly toward us, she gave a sly smile.
“That I’d let you meet the Wolpen Knights.”
The place called the Room of Memories was a space with a peculiar structure.
In one corner, there was a desk for personal use and a small bookshelf, half filled.
At the center, there was a small table with a modest sofa, and atop the table sat a teapot and some light snacks.
And on the opposite side, away from the furniture.
There stood three doors and five fish tanks lined up in a row.
‘What is that.’
The three doors weren’t attached to any wall but were instead standing upright in a row like pieces of furniture.
It was like looking at an obscure work of art with no discernible purpose.
The fish tanks were no less unusual.
Completely sealed, the five tanks contained neither fish nor plants.
Most curious of all was that three of them were filled with a deep blue liquid, while the remaining two were completely empty.
“A strange place indeed.”
“Isn’t it?”
Windy May shrugged, closed the door behind us, and confirmed we had entered.
“There’s a lot you might be curious about, but rather than explaining at length, experiencing it directly is many times better. Besides, the time we can spend here is limited.”
“What do you mean by—”
“Shh, questions later. Right now, it’s practice time.”
Holding a finger to her lips, Windy May furrowed her brows as if pretending to be angry.
Then she grabbed Cecilia and me by the hands and placed us in front of the right and left doors.
I was on the left, Cecilia on the right.
“The center already has a guest. Look.”
At her words, I glanced toward the middle door. A wind chime hanging there swayed faintly and gave off a soft sound.
“Good. Now you just need to open the door and step inside.”
Windy May clapped her hands together and added,
“Just so there’s no misunderstanding, let me make this clear. This is purely my goodwill. Which means that even if you later refuse my offer, I’ll accept it without complaint. So don’t feel burdened. Just step through comfortably.”
“……”
If anything, that only made it more burdensome.
I barely managed to swallow the complaint rising to my lips.
“Hmm.”
Beyond the doors was nothing but a blank wall.
And unlike the one we had entered through earlier, the doors before us now looked completely ordinary.
There were no engravings, no spells, no sense of mana—just ordinary doors.
“Just open them normally.”
Windy May looked as though she already knew what doubts we harbored.
“I’ll take care of what’s needed to make them open.”
At her words, I grabbed the doorknob in silence.
Seeing me, Cecilia carefully took hold of her doorknob as well, and without needing to decide who would go first, we both opened our doors and stepped through.
White?
No, was it black?
A whirl of indescribable color.
As it appeared before me, a brilliant flash of light burst outward.
“…Ugh!”
Startled by the searing brightness, I raised an arm to shield my eyes—when from not far away came the sound of a thick book snapping shut.
“There’s no need to be so surprised.”
A sharp yet confident voice.
It was the voice of a young woman.
Cautiously opening my eyes, I saw a woman sitting on a chair, gazing at me.
Her eyes held the look one might give a cute wild animal. With her legs crossed, chin propped on her hand, she let out a low chuckle as she stared my way.
“Oh my, jackpot. Such a cute little thing.”
“…I’m Lian Gwendil. It’s an honor to meet you.”
I bowed politely and offered a greeting.
She gave a giggle, waving her hand slowly.
“Yes, nice to meet you, child.”
She tossed the book she had been holding carelessly to the floor, all the while keeping her smile.
“My name is Talia Poas.”
“…Pardon?”
“Hmm? Didn’t you hear me?”
Pointing at herself again, the woman repeated,
“My name. Talia Poas.”
…My startled reaction wasn’t because I hadn’t heard her properly.
It was because I couldn’t comprehend her words.
‘Talia Poas…?’
The founder of the Poas Ducal family, one of the three great ducal houses, and a member of the Wolpen Knights.
Also, the one who redefined fading magic into a proper academic discipline—recorded in history as the very first Archmage.
Undoubtedly, a name known by nearly everyone living on the continent.
That was Talia Poas.
“Nice to meet you, Lian Gwendil.”
And the woman before me was claiming to be that very person.