Chapter 173 - Incomprehensible

A frontier village not far from the capital of the Empire.

The village was under the protection of House Rosnova, where its people lived by farming.

Since it lay well within Imperial territory rather than on the true frontier, it had always been exceptionally peaceful.

BOOM!

Which was exactly why it was so unusual for the manor of that ancient knight family to be half-destroyed.

The source of the explosion was the reception room.

Inside the blasted chamber, a man was kneeling with his forehead pressed against the floor.

Every part of him faced downward.

The only things raised toward the sky were his hands.

Those trembling hands reached toward a young girl, begging for mercy.

"Please... I beg you. Spare my life."

The pitiful voice of the middle-aged man pleaded desperately.

"You know..."

The girl responsible for blowing apart the building showed not the slightest intention of calming her anger.

"What was the last thing I told you?"

The man's throat seemed to seize up, producing only ragged breaths.

"If you don't answer, I'll cut your head off."

"You... you told me to stay out of sight and live as though I were dead."

"I did. Live as though you were dead. So what do you think that meant? It meant to keep your head down and not even make the sound of breathing. Didn't it sound like that to you?"

"That's exactly how I understood it."

"And yet, the moment Alexander came knocking, you eagerly ran to him and reported that Ferda was a black mage?"

Blue light flickered in Erdes Roton's eyes.

From Erembalt's perspective, he had no choice.

It was true that Alexander's faction had pressured him, but he wasn't afraid of Alexander himself.

Behind Alexander stood Valdemar Golt.

If Valdemar became involved, not only would his two sons' futures be ruined, but the very survival of his family would be at stake.

Erembalt had been given an offer he simply could not refuse.

"I never intended any disrespect toward the President of the Magic Association."

"Oh, shut the hell up. I could see you sticking your head out just to screw me over. Did you think I was blind? Do you think you're the first rat to try that?"

Her fingers shifted as if she were about to cast a spell.

Murdering a noble was a grave crime.

But Erdes had already personally executed countless nobles.

Cold sweat poured down Erembalt's face.

"I understand completely that this has angered you. This is entirely my fault. But please, give me one chance. I've prepared something to appease your anger."

Erdes withdrew the hand gathering mana and rested her chin on it.

"Let's see it."

There wasn't the slightest hint of anticipation in her voice.

She simply thought that watching him present something worthless before killing him wouldn't hurt.

Seizing the opportunity, Erembalt hurriedly ordered an attendant to bring the item.

"This is it."

What he presented was a cloth bundle.

"What is this?"

"It's an item connected to Anna Rosnova, Ferda's mother—the woman you've been searching for."

"...What? Some random cloth she used for something?"

Even an item connected to someone was worthless unless it carried meaningful significance.

If mere association were enough, then even the fork she once used would have sufficed.

"This... is the cloth that Ferda was wrapped in when he was brought here."

"...Ferda..."

An object connected to both Ferda and his mother.

It was the most ideal item Erdes could have hoped for.

"I searched every corner of the house to find it. I've kept it exactly as it was so I could present it to you when you arrived..."

"Hmm..."

The mana glowing within her eyes faded.

After all this time, she finally had something that could advance her investigation.

Her anger naturally subsided.

Erdes decided to show mercy.

"Fine. I'll forgive you."

"Th-thank—"

"Choose."

"...Excuse me?"

"You or your two sons."

She raised one finger on her left hand and two on her right.

"Would you rather have one of your arms completely shattered... or should I break both of your sons' arms halfway?"

Your own suffering...

Or your family's.

Erembalt didn't hesitate for even a moment.

"...Please... my arm."

He chose his children's future.

Erdes nodded as though that answer was only natural.

"Of course. That's exactly the choice a father should make."

CRACK! CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!!

"GRAAAAH...!"

His arm bent into grotesque zigzags as though several extra joints had suddenly appeared within it.

The agony was beyond words.

Without another glance, Erdes turned and walked away.

"Sob... sob..."

Watching her disappear into the distance, Erembalt burst into tears.

Not merely because of the pain.

Hidden within them was the relief that he had somehow managed to save his family.

***

After leaving the Rosnova estate, Erdes immediately began preparing a magic circle.

Since the cloth had been kept in the manor, it would undoubtedly still carry a strong residual aura from the surrounding area.

"Marun's Eye."

The spell known as the Eye of the God of Knowledge was among the greatest search spells ever created.

Erdes tossed the cloth into the magic circle.

Mana immediately enveloped it.

Following every individual thread woven into the fabric, it searched through the information engraved upon it.

Guided by the will and obsession of the Grand Mage Erdes, it sought the knowledge she desired.

What she wanted...was the location connected to this object.

As her wish intertwined with the gathered information, mana formed a guiding path.

Following that invisible trail, Erdes walked onward.

Eventually, she arrived before the rear gate of the Rosnova estate.

This was undoubtedly where Erembalt had first met Anna.

"Then..."

Erdes summoned her staff.

Now it was time for the real search.

The spell she was about to cast was on an entirely different level from Marun's Eye.

Its mana alone was powerful enough to shake the earth and overturn the heavens.

To wield such a spell normally required five Six-Circle Openers working together for an entire week.

Yet the magic circle crafted by Erdes was completed in only thirty minutes.

Finally, she spoke the spell's true name.

"Nostalgia of Scholar."

A tremendous wave rippled outward.

Everything around her trembled.

The surroundings lost all color, becoming a gray world.

This was no mere spell for observing the past.

Using a catalyst as a doorway, it recreated the past exactly as it had existed.

Even if someone's face had been wrapped in thick cloth, this magic could simply lift the veil by recreating the past itself.

In other words...

It transcended time.

Within the gray world, the cloth floated gently through the air.

It slowly folded around itself, taking the shape of something wrapped.

Moments later...

A woman appeared holding the bundled cloth.

Blonde hair.

Blue eyes.

There was no doubt.

It was Anna Rosnova, Ferda's biological mother.

Creak...

A door opened.

A much younger and thinner Erembalt Rosnova stepped outside.

"Excuse me, sir."

Anna greeted him first.

"What is it? If the servants came rushing to fetch me, it must be something urgent."

"It's nothing like that. My name is Anna. I've come here under orders."

"Orders? Whose orders?"

"The orders of the Sierra Order."

She displayed the emblem hanging around her neck.

Erembalt frowned.

"Sierra...? I'm sorry, but I'm a citizen of the Empire. Any Imperial citizen belongs to the Alte Religion."

"Then... are you going to harm me?"

"If you refuse to leave, then the law must take its course. But I'm not cruel enough to hurt a woman I've only just met. Especially one carrying a child. I'll give you food and clothing, so leave quietly."

"You're a very kind man. But unfortunately... I can't do that."

"...What?"

"Starting today..."

"...I'm supposed to become your wife."

"What nonsense is that? Why would I take you in?"

"Unfortunately... you don't have a choice, dear."

" 'Dear?' How dare some Sierra fanatic who barges in during the middle of the night— Urgh..."

Erembalt suddenly grabbed his head in pain.

Remaining perfectly calm, the woman placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"...Hm?"

"Ah..."

"It's nothing."

He stared at her.

The wariness vanished from his eyes, replaced by the familiarity of someone looking at an old companion.

"But why are you standing outside, my dear?"

She smiled gently.

"I simply enjoyed taking a walk in the night breeze."

"Our child might catch a cold... Come inside."

"Alright."

She confidently stepped toward the house—

Then stopped.

No.

It was Erdes who had frozen.

"...What... is this?"

Watching the scene unfold, Erdes doubted her own eyes.

She carefully twisted her wrist, rewinding time.

Again.

And again.

She replayed the exact instant when Anna transformed from a stranger into Erembalt's wife.

Normally, if she replayed an incomprehensible scene three times, she'd at least catch a glimpse of what had happened.

After all...

Erdes was the greatest Grand Mage on the Cerdes Continent.

Yet she saw nothing.

No trace of witchcraft.

No spell.

No gesture.

Nothing.

I was certain Anna was a demon...

Erdes had always believed Ferda was the child of a demon.

If that were true...

Anna had to be either a demon herself or one of their followers.

Yet there wasn't the slightest trace of demonic worship.

Nor was there any demonic presence.

All she had done...was calmly declare that things would happen that way.

I have no choice but to investigate this woman more deeply...

The moment Erdes reached toward Anna—

A chill ran through her.

Instinctively, she twisted her wrist to rewind time.

It didn't move.

Time remained frozen.

So did her wrist.

This space was supposed to be ruled by Erdes.

Instead...

She herself began to fall under its control.

"Ghk!"

She hurriedly cast emergency defensive magic around herself.

It was useless.

Even with the barrier active, she couldn't stop the sensation of being swallowed whole.

Just like what had happened to Erembalt.

Now the same thing was happening to her.

"...Oh?"

Within the frozen world, the woman's voice rang out clearly.

Impossible...!

Erdes slowly turned her eyes toward Anna.

Anna, who should have been looking only at Erembalt while holding her child...was looking directly at Erdes.

That should have been impossible.

She smiled knowingly.

"We have an unexpected guest."

At that moment, Erdes understood.

Control of this world had shifted to the very woman who should have been bound by it.

Anna moved freely as she approached her.

"So..."

"You're the one who hates our Ferda so much."

Erdes bitterly regretted underestimating Anna.

The being before her...

Was neither an ordinary woman.

Nor a demon.

She was something transcendent—

Something that could not possibly exist upon the Cerdes Continent.

"There was something I had always wanted to tell you."

"Since you're here, this is perfect."

"So listen carefully... and remember every word."

Anna leaned close to Erdes' ear and whispered something.

The instant she heard it—

Erdes felt her consciousness being dragged somewhere far away.

The gray world shattered like thin glass.

Anna disappeared.

Color returned.

She had been thrown back into reality.

"Haa... haa..."

Cold sweat soaked Erdes as she struggled to steady her breathing.

How did I get back?

She hadn't been able to move.

She hadn't even been able to use mana.

There was no conceivable way she could have escaped by her own power.

Did Anna let me go?

No.

That didn't feel right.

Then... who saved me?

"To think someone could trouble the greatest Grand Mage on the continent to such an extent. How remarkable."

The voice sounded childish.

Yet its tone was that of a mature adult.

Erdes knew that strange contradiction all too well.

Only then did she notice the hand resting on her back.

"Take your hands off me!"

She violently slapped the hand away and spun around.

Her staff immediately pointed toward a girl of similar height.

She was the Mother of all Witches—

The Big Sister herself.

Lucy Phyliaz.

"What ingratitude."

"I pull you out of the water, and instead of thanking me, you try to slap me?"

Lucy said leisurely as she puffed on her pipe.

"What kind of bullshit are you talking about!? You think you saved me!?"

"You had exhausted your mana. You were trapped inside that manifested space and were on the verge of becoming a broken shell. I was the one who rescued you."

Only after hearing Lucy's words did Erdes realize it.

The mana within her body was hanging by a thread.

The reason it was slowly recovering now...was because Lucy had been supplying her own mana.

"Your vessel is unnecessarily large. This amount won't be enough."

"Receive a little more."

"Get lost! Don't touch me!"

She backed away from Lucy's outstretched hand.

Placing a finger upon one of the spellcrafts engraved into her staff, Erdes shattered it.

The enormous reserve of mana sealed inside immediately flooded into her body.

"So you had prepared such a contingency."

Lucy murmured in relief.

Erdes glared at her as though she wanted to kill her.

Lucy merely smiled faintly.

"Will you truly refuse even a word of thanks?"

"You should've just left me there to die."

"Unfortunately, I couldn't."

"I have vows that I must keep."

"Then keep them with your filthy witches."

"I'm nothing like you Red Circle vermin."

Despite the insult, Lucy showed no sign of offense.

Erdes traced a pattern through the air.

A teleportation magic circle formed.

She stepped into it.

And vanished.

Lucy quietly gazed at the place where Erdes had disappeared.

She was already accustomed to such hostility.

It no longer surprised her.

"You foolish child..."

She could only feel pity.

"No matter how much you hate me..."

"No matter how fiercely you curse me..."

"...I could never turn my back on you."

Lucy's words reached no one.

They scattered into the air like wisps of gray smoke.

***

The President's Office of the Magic Association.

Blue, the President's secretary, was handling the mountain of work Erdes had left behind, just as always.

Why am I the one who has to listen to all the complaints...?

Blue lamented his miserable fate.

The people making these complaints would've never dared utter a word if Erdes herself were present.

But Blue wasn't Erdes.

He had become the unfortunate punching bag forced to endure every grievance and protest that should have been directed at the President.

The truly miraculous thing...was that he still hadn't gone bald.

This time I'm absolutely not letting her get away with it!

Stamping document after document with growing determination, Blue sharpened his resolve.

The moment that delinquent mage returned—

He was going to yell until his lungs gave out.

At last...

The teleportation gate opened.

The runaway troublemaker had finally come home.

"President!"

Blue unleashed all the resentment he'd been storing up.

"Where on earth have you been!? After that hearing, didn't you promise me you'd actually do your work!?"

"..."

"The backlog is enormous! At this rate we really can't keep up—"

Even after shouting for quite some time, there was no response.

Only then did Blue finally look closely at Erdes' face.

She hadn't heard a single word.

Instead of her usual arrogant expression, she looked like someone completely consumed by something.

"President?"

"..."

Blue carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.

Only then did she seem to come back to herself and slowly turn toward him.

"Are... are you alright? Your complexion..."

Blue asked with genuine concern.

Erdes stared silently at his face for a long moment before finally answering.

"...I'm fine."

Only three syllables.

Yet Blue immediately understood.

The Erdes he knew looked as though she'd been utterly defeated by someone.

"I'm going to spend some time in the meditation room."

"Y-Yes... Please get some rest..."

Too intimidated to ask any further questions, Blue simply let her go.

Inside the meditation room, Erdes forced herself into the lotus position.

She had to empty her heart.

Empty her mind.

Rotate her Blue Circle.

But Anna still remained in her thoughts.

At first she'd wondered whether she had fallen victim to some spell or mysterious power.

That wasn't it.

The reason Anna lingered in her mind...was because she simply couldn't understand her.

If that woman truly was a mother...

If she truly intended to take responsibility for her child...

Then there was one thing she should never have said.

"Please do everything in your power to prevent my son from ever becoming happy."