Chapter 17 : Another Beginning (9)

Chapter 17: Another Beginning (9)

The moment our eyes met, Cecilia’s pupils shook violently.

“…Ah.”

The tips of her fingers trembled faintly.

She stumbled backward, only to bump into the wall.

“Gasp.”

With frightened eyes, she glanced around, only to gasp sharply when she saw that the serpent of flame had somehow perched itself on her shoulder.

As if desperate to hide it from me, she hurriedly tried to grab the snake with both hands.

But the serpent of flame seemed to have mistaken her actions for an invitation to play.

“Ugh, please, just…!”

Gritting her teeth, Cecilia flailed her hands.

Yet cruelly enough, the serpent merely brushed against her fingertips as if to mock her.

Her intense reaction was, in a way, perfectly understandable.

The reason she had come to be called a cursed child.

The reason why her siblings and everyone around her had either been gravely injured or swept into countless accidents.

It was all because of spirits.

Cecilia Everglenn.

Her name was etched in one corner of my mind more vividly than anything else.

Not because of family ties, nor because she would one day save the world.

It was because I had once been among those who laughed at her, mocked her.

Because I was also among those who had been saved by her.

And in the end, among those who had admired and respected her.

…Which was why I couldn’t help but know her well.

‘For now, I should get the situation under control first.’

We could talk in detail later.

Even I, who wasn’t a mage, could feel the ominous energy swelling around her.

That needed to be handled first.

Right now, we were in the library.

And the Arpentia Academy library was a place wrapped in layers upon layers of magic for theft prevention, loss prevention, and protection.

If things went on like this, it was certain there would be a huge commotion.

Neither she nor I wanted that.

“Hoo.”

I quickly gathered divine power to use the Miracle of Protection and Sealing.

The goal was to create a barrier that could cut off and stabilize the flow of mana.

As I focused every bit of attention into refining my divine power, an old memory suddenly resurfaced.

‘Come to think of it…’

The library fire incident.

In my previous life, around this exact time, there had been a great fire in the library.

Cecilia Everglenn had been one of the people inside back then.

In the end, it had been labeled an accident of unknown cause, but several students had sneered, saying it was so like the cursed child of House Everglenn to cause such a big mess right after arriving.

‘First, that thing.’

I was momentarily distracted by the serpent of flame writhing in midair.

― Piiiiiik!

Almost as if it had been waiting for my distraction, the mist bird darted forward.

I reflexively reached out to catch it—then froze.

A sense beyond mere unease, something downright foreboding, was aimed directly at me.

“Urgh…!”

On instinct, I unleashed the miracle I had been preparing.

The barrier flared into being, and I felt a heavy, chilling impact against it.

I knew that feeling well—

It was the sensation of something striking the barrier.

Had I not activated the Miracle of Protection just now, I would have been killed instantly.

I scanned the surroundings, but that strange, unsettling presence had already vanished.

I spread my mana widely toward the direction the unseen attack had come from.

It was a very basic method of probing the surroundings, but in a situation like this, it was also the most reliable.

There was nothing nearby.

Still, I couldn’t lower my guard just yet. I kept divine power gathered in one hand and gripped the hilt of the dagger I carried for self-defense in the other.

‘No doubt…’

That attack hadn’t been aimed at me or Cecilia—it had been aimed at the mist bird.

I was wondering why when I suddenly lifted my gaze.

― …Kiiik.

There, watching me in utter stillness, was a pitch-black spider that looked as if it had been sculpted from ashes.

Another spirit.

The moment I saw it, I reflexively imbued my dagger with divine power and hurled it with all my strength.

“Gasp!”

The spider spewed something wavering toward the dagger, as if trying to block it.

But the divine power–infused blade sliced straight through and embedded itself in the spider’s body without resistance.

― Kiik, gik! Giiigik!!!

As if caught completely off guard, the spider convulsed violently, its entire body trembling madly.

Moments later, the dagger clattered to the ground with a loud metallic ring.

The spider had vanished.

Only a black, soot-like mark remained where it had been.

“Ah!”

That was when a short cry came from Cecilia.

Turning toward her in alarm, I quickly understood why.

Flap flap flap!

The bird from earlier was clutching the snake and beating its wings fiercely.

The snake, refusing to back down, bared its fangs in open threat.

In an instant, the two beasts became a single, writhing knot, slashing at each other’s vital points and constricting one another’s throats.

Then, they suddenly blurred and became a single vortex.

It quickly turned into a fierce whirlwind that seemed ready to blow everything away.

I didn’t have time to be surprised by the sight of spirits fighting to the death.

I had to plant my stance firmly to avoid being swept away by the sudden gale.

‘This is bad.’

I could feel the temperature around me rising against my skin.

It wasn’t my imagination—despite the fierce winds, sweat began to bead on my skin, and I could sense ominous energy gathering at the heart of the whirlwind.

If this kept up, it wouldn’t be strange for not just a fire, but an explosion to occur.

I poured divine power into unleashing the Miracle of Protection once again.

It was the only way to weaken the storm’s momentum, even if just a little.

‘At the very least, I need to buy us some time…’

Thankfully, it seemed Cecilia had snapped out of her shock, because she moved in sync with me almost immediately.

Clang!

The first thing she did was grab a thick book from the shelf and hurl it with all her strength out the window.

That would have triggered the alarm magic.

Now all we had to do was hold out until people arrived.

“Huff…!”

The problem was, I didn’t have the strength to hold out much longer.

The pressure was far stronger than I’d imagined, and I had to strain constantly just to keep the barrier from shattering.

‘Weren’t these supposed to be just low-grade spirits?’

Or perhaps, because they’d been lingering by her side, they weren’t ordinary ones at all.

I let out a humorless chuckle without meaning to, and began gathering divine power once more.

That was when it happened.

A small flame suddenly flared to life at the edge of my vision.

In that instant, I panicked and forced out even more divine power.

But as the flame grew clearer in proportion to my effort, I realized something was strange.

White.

The flame was burning pure white.

‘That’s…?’

Fwoosh!

It bloomed like a flower.

And the fertilizer that flower needed to bloom was none other than the whirlwind.

The raging wind began to subside as the flower blossomed.

By the time the wind had settled, everything was gone.

The bird, the snake, the spider, and even the flame.

At the same time, I realized that the ominous energy that had been roiling around Cecilia had completely vanished as well.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

In the wrecked library, the two of us simply stared at each other in silence for a long while.

Without any signal, we both moved quickly to get out of there.

“Huff, huff…”

“Haa…”

We didn’t stop running until we reached a deserted park.

An awkward air hung between us, with not a single word exchanged.

Instead of forcing conversation, I replayed what had just happened in my mind.

‘Those things from earlier…’

The misty, blurred bird, the burning serpent, and the soot-like spider.

They had all been spirits.

‘And they were definitely natural-form spirits.’

Natural-form spirits were, as the name implied, those that appeared suddenly in nature without warning.

They could appear anywhere, anytime, and vanish just as abruptly.

Although they were called spirits, it was almost embarrassing to give them that title.

They could barely do anything, had no influence on their surroundings—no, it would be more accurate to say they had no such power at all.

Because of that, natural-forms were treated as little more than natural phenomena, and even beginner spirit summoners with no contracted spirits didn’t bother with them.

So, the appearance of natural-form spirits in itself wasn’t strange.

But several appearing in quick succession, each with powerful abilities, and even fighting among themselves—that was anything but normal.

And the whirlwind that formed as they clashed as well.

As for the cause, both of us here knew it perfectly well.

Cecilia Everglenn.

Everything had happened because of her.

No—rather than “because of her,” it would be more accurate to say “because of her presence.”

‘Either she’s failing to suppress her power, or dormant spirits went wild because of her… whatever the case, there could be many reasons.’

At least it hadn’t escalated into a true disaster.

Since it was late at night and we’d just been through that chaos, I decided I’d simply see her off.

“Why.”

Cecilia Everglenn spoke quietly.

“Why didn’t you run away?”

Her question left me momentarily speechless.

When I didn’t answer, she gave a faint smile.

“Not only that, but you haven’t asked me a single thing, nor blamed me in any way.”

In other words…

Muttering something under her breath, she then lowered her head and said in a self-deprecating tone,

“…I’m sorry. I dragged you into this.”

Her weak apology left me unsure how to respond.

The truth was, I had already died once and come back.

In a few days, there would be a catastrophe, and I needed her power to stop it.

As for why I hadn’t run away from her—whether it was because I needed her help, or because in my previous life she had once saved me—I wasn’t even sure myself.

‘…Not exactly something I can just say.’

How was I supposed to answer?

While I was wondering—

“…Do you really need a reason?”

“…What?”

Before I knew it, the words slipped from my mouth as if I were in a trance.

“When a person helps another person, there’s no need for some grand reason, is there?”

Words that even after years had passed, I still couldn’t forget.

They were the very words Cecilia Everglenn had said to me when she saved me in my previous life.

Cecilia’s eyes widened slightly at my answer.

Her expression was almost as if she doubted what she’d just heard, and without thinking, I closed my eyes.

‘…I must be out of my mind.’

Once the words were out, a wave of embarrassment crashed over me, and I bit my lip hard.

“You must naturally be that kind of person.”

She murmured it in a tone that sounded oddly convinced.

“Yes?”

“It wasn’t intentional, but I happened to see it then. You know, the Amiel family’s—”

“Ah.”

Allen Amiel and his half-brother.

She must have been referring to the two of them.

“The Amiel family is a count’s household, but they possess considerable power. The rightful heir, Kyren Amiel, is not only highly skilled but also well-liked, with a strong reputation as a future leader. Though, his cruelty and persistence are considered flaws.”

I already knew that well enough.

“Judging by your reaction, you must have already known.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Cecilia fell silent.

After thinking for a while, she turned to face me directly.

“Come to think of it, I forgot to say this first.”

She bowed her head slowly and respectfully toward me.

“Thank you.”

She spoke again.

“Thank you for helping me. I will definitely repay this favor.”

“Uh…”

I hadn’t expected her to express her gratitude so directly, and for a moment I was caught off guard.

Cecilia Everglenn was thanking me.

That fact alone made me instinctively run my hand across my mouth to hide an indescribable feeling.

“…I didn’t do it expecting any reward.”

“No, if you hadn’t helped me then—”

She paused, letting out a small sigh.

“Something I truly, truly don’t even want to imagine would have happened. I feel rather sorry that I can only offer thanks in words like this.”

I silently nodded.

After a short pause, she spoke again.

“This might be presumptuous, but could I ask you a favor?”

“You don’t need to worry.”

Before she could continue, I cut in.

“I’m not the type to go around blabbing someone’s secrets, and I don’t have that sort of hobby either.”

“Ah.”

“Besides, if I started spreading it around, it’d be the same as admitting I was the one who caused a scene in the library, wouldn’t it? I’m not that much of an idiot.”

A faint chuckle escaped somewhere.

Was she… laughing just now? Cecilia Everglenn?

When I turned my head to look, she was already wearing her usual calm expression.

“Thank you for saying so. As I said earlier, I will never forget what happened today.”

“…It’s getting late. You should head inside.”

At my offer to walk her home, she shook her head.

“No, I’m fine. I’d like to get some fresh air a little longer.”

I nodded in understanding.

As I was about to take my leave, I hesitated, then turned back to her.

“If you ever need my help, please tell me anytime.”

“…What?”

“It may be little, but I’ll do what I can for you.”

The moment I said it, embarrassment made the corner of my mouth twitch involuntarily.

I hadn’t thought I’d end up saying something like that.

“As someone once said, I guess I’ve always been the kind of person… with a bit of a meddlesome streak.”

Cecilia fell silent.

A short moment passed.

“…Alright.”

She gave a faint smile.

“I will.”

Even after Lian Gwendil left, Cecilia Everglenn remained seated for a while.

An unusual person.

That had been her only impression when they first met.

And before she knew it, he had become in her mind “someone peculiar, but bound to suffer losses in life.”

It’s time to head in.

Just as she placed her hands on the bench to stand up—

“Ugh…?!”

A sudden pain made her reflexively grab her wrist.

She’d been feeling faint twinges for the past few days, but this was the first time the pain had come so sharply and intensely.

It was like having her flesh gouged with a blade.

Gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain, she endured.

For a long while, she simply swallowed her groans and bore it.

When the pain finally subsided, she noticed something strange about her wrist.

“…What is this?”

Beneath the wrist she was clutching, an unrecognizable pattern was faintly glowing.

Yes.

It was like a brand.