Chapter 33: Cecilia Everglenn (3)

In my previous life, the reason I was able to survive was because I was lucky.

No, could I really call that luck?

Strictly speaking, I had still died at a young age.

…But even considering that, I was still on the lucky side.

Otherwise, there was no way I could have escaped those countless dangers time and again.

It was enough to make me wonder if some unknown being had been secretly helping me from behind.

Like how I arrived at the altar simply by following where the bird led me.

Or how I was able to get there before Rahma and hide.

Or how he hadn’t noticed me at all while I was hiding and waiting for the right chance.

Or how the bird had grabbed me and stopped me just before I charged in.

It was all because I was lucky.

At least, that’s what I believed.

“……”

I silently stared down at the compass in my hand.

The needle of the compass was spinning wildly in circles.

The more violently the needle moved, the stronger the spiritual beings or spirits nearby were.

Crack.

Unable to endure its violent movement, it suddenly snapped.

“Hoo.”

…Yeah, I had been lucky.

And now, it was time to face that luck head-on.

KWAANG!

The deafening boom pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked ahead once more.

There, a group and a single man were clashing fiercely.

No, could something like that even be called a proper fight?

Rahma.

Without a doubt, one of the top ten most powerful people I had ever seen.

And yet, he was being utterly overwhelmed.

‘…I had expected this, though.’

Honestly, I had vaguely suspected it from the beginning.

There had been far too many questions.

The bizarre phenomenon that occurred at the time of the incident.

The mana distortion that spread beyond the dungeon and even affected the surroundings.

Rahma, who had vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated.

Cecilia Everglenn, who remained unharmed despite being at the center of it all.

The damage that was far too severe, even if they had fought against a cluster mixed with mutants.

“……”

The answer was unfolding before my eyes.

Spirits.

It was all because of the spirits.

“So, that means I now have to face those things….”

My breath caught in my throat without me realizing it.

The greatest threat I had considered—Rahma—was no longer someone I even needed to fight.

The problem was that now I had to face something even worse than him.

“Hoo.”

Letting time slip away meaninglessly was never an option.

If Cecilia lost consciousness now, they would immediately go on a rampage.

Not just me, but the surroundings would be dragged into it as well.

“So, is this where I die young again?”

I tried to say it like a joke, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

Just then, the mist bird on my shoulder tapped my cheek with its beak.

As I instinctively blocked it with my hand, I realized I was trembling.

“…Are you trying to comfort me, telling me not to be afraid?”

The mist bird only stared at me silently.

Seeing that, I ended up blurting out excuses without realizing it.

It was just a way to shake off my anxiety.

“Hey, I’m not scared right now, you know?”

[…]

“This is, well… the excitement and trembling of a warrior. Something like that.”

[…]

The bird remained silent.

It was as if it could see straight through me.

As if its gaze was saying, ‘Don’t run away.’

I couldn’t avoid that gaze.

I let out a deep sigh, as if emptying my chest.

Then I spat out the feelings I had been suppressing, as if coughing them up.

“…Yeah, you saw it right.”

Even now, countless thoughts were racing through my head.

If I make a mistake, I’ll die.

Honestly, what could I even do in this situation?

If I sprinted at full speed, I could probably reach her.

If I used a miracle, I could definitely restore her exhausted body and mind.

Then she would succeed in suppressing the spirits, and unlike last time, the damage could be greatly reduced.

And unlike the past, she wouldn’t have to endure years of suffering.

But after that?

What would happen to me, exposed defenseless before the enraged spirits?

“I really am scared.”

I didn’t even need to think about it.

Rahma had already been a perfect precedent.

And I would be no different.

“…I came here determined, but now that it’s right in front of me, I’m trembling.”

At that moment, I heard a faint whisper at my ear.

Telling me to run.

To run away from this place right now.

That I hadn’t seen anything, that I didn’t need to worry about Cecilia.

That, just like in my previous life, the spirits would surely protect her.

And that unlike before, since I had ruined Rahma’s plan in advance, the outcome would definitely be better.

Yes, surely it would.

Because I was lucky.

Surely it would be fine.

But then, another voice whispered in my ear.

— Does a person need a special reason to save another person?

“……”

― You asked me to help you.

That alone was enough reason for me to help you.

It was the phrase that had been engraved in my heart and echoed in my ears my entire life.

It was the phrase that had led me to this place and made me act this way.

I slowly lifted my head.

Cecilia wasn’t even looking at me, nor did she say a word to me.

She was simply curled up.

In that moment, her figure overlapped with the image of me, crying that I didn’t want to die.

It felt as if she were silently asking me for help.

…That alone was enough.

Now it was my turn.

“Yeah.”

I muttered with a faint smile.

The trembling had stopped at some point.

“I wasn’t destined to live long anyway.”

And at worst, it was just dying one more time.

With those words, I immediately hurled myself forward.

Was it just my imagination?

For some reason, the place where the brand was engraved seemed to throb.

The earliest memory Cecilia Everglenn could recall was the voice of a spirit whispering to her.

Names.

Each one of them whispered its name.

As a child, without knowing anything, she repeated one of the names they had whispered, and because of that, her brother received a deep scar that would remain on his face for life.

It was only after that same thing repeated several times that Cecilia realized it had happened because she had spoken their names.

Cecilia decided to ignore their voices.

But she soon realized how careless a choice that was.

When she refused to listen to their voices, they became persistent.

Their obsession gradually twisted into more violent forms, directed at her, her family, and even the people around her.

The number of wounded people around her grew, and she slowly became isolated.

It was then.

Someone suddenly appeared before her.

Calling herself just an ordinary mage, she had ears sharper than a human’s but smaller than an elf’s.

‘Shall I give you a prophecy?’

With a languid voice, the mage spoke to her as soon as she saw her.

‘Until the day I grow old and die, after all the years allotted to me have passed, I will never see a single person who loves you even as much as a strand of your hair.’

The mage reduced the voices and interference of the spirits.

And yet, she only added in regret.

‘So this is the day I realize my reputation was nothing but vanity. All I can do is suppress them….’

She asked the young Cecilia if she would like to become her apprentice.

After a brief hesitation, Cecilia shook her head.

She knew very well that her grandfather harbored a terrible hatred for mages.

The mage only nodded as if she had expected it.

‘As you wish, if that is your decision.’

The advice she left behind still remained vividly etched in Cecilia’s mind.

Never forget that they are only suppressed.

Never forget that they have not disappeared.

Until you grow your own strength and gain conviction, never listen to their voices….

‘Lastly, let me tell you the most important thing.’

The mage, Windy May Maddown, spoke.

‘Until then, never speak their names.’

If you break this, my magic will lose its power instantly.

She repeated those words again and again, as if to make Cecilia swear to remember.

And at the end, she said Cecilia could always come find her, then vanished as suddenly as she had appeared.

Cecilia never forgot the promise she had made with her.

Since that day, not once had she ever spoken a spirit’s name.

But in the very end, she had finally broken her vow.

A voice rang out, clearer than ever.

She faintly felt the magic that had protected her for over ten years vanish in an instant.

“Ugh, uh…!”

Each time a spirit revealed itself, Cecilia felt her strength drain rapidly.

As if demanding repayment for all the years they had been suppressed, the spirits surged forth without pause.

Cecilia could only grit her teeth and endure.

‘You must endure.’

The pain was so great she wanted to let go of her consciousness right then, but she couldn’t.

If she lost consciousness now, if she let go of the last reins holding them back, what would happen was painfully obvious.

“Ah, ugh.”

The pain was like sharp wires tightening around her entire body, leaving her unable even to move properly.

At the cost of her suffering, the spirits appeared one after another.

“Help me….”

Her voice, half-sobbing, rasped out.

Even knowing it was a plea that would never reach anyone, she kept murmuring.

“Someone… please….”

If she had to endure this pain, then perhaps, perhaps it would be better to just die.

At that moment, she noticed a dagger on the ground.

“……”

Her fingertips trembled.

It felt as if someone were whispering that if she grabbed the dagger, all the pain would end.

Unconsciously, she slowly began to reach out her hand….

“It’s okay.”

Suddenly, someone grasped her hand.

It was a warm and large hand.

“It’s okay, Cecilia.”

Then he whispered her name.

A strangely familiar voice that eased her heart.

“Ah….”

Cecilia slowly opened her eyes.

The source of that warmth was carefully holding her in his arms.

“…Gwendil?”

She murmured in disbelief.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Lian Gwendil gave her a faint smile.

“I came to help you.”

Just as he had promised before.

With a voice of utter serenity, he said those words.

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