Chapter 72: Return (6)

“Wow…”

Camelia gasped, staring at the training grounds in the clearing. Hans’s skills had improved dramatically since their visit to the Rowena Dungeon. His attacks were sharper, his movements more precise, his control over his strength and his use of feints and techniques… he was almost unrecognizable.

Even Avalli was impressed.

‘…Is he stronger than the Demon King, in terms of pure swordsmanship?’

The Demon King had been strong. A seasoned warrior, accustomed to battles against other Transcendent Beings, unlike Avalli, who had never faced a true challenge.

But the Demon King’s strength had been innate, raw power and magic, overwhelming opponents with brute force.

Evan was different. He, a simple farmer’s son—

“—That was a good attack.”

—had had to learn, to hone his skills, using every tool at his disposal—swordsmanship, magic, divine magic, trickery, even underhanded tactics—to survive, to become stronger.

“But…sloppy. You’re not utilizing your Gift. It’s a waste.”

Evan said, twisting her arm in an unnatural way.

“Ugh…!”

Hans stumbled, almost losing his balance, but managed to recover—just as Evan’s blade stopped just short of his throat.

“…I lost.”

Hans admitted defeat through gritted teeth. Evan looked at him for a moment, then turned to Avalli.

“Should I be blunt, or should I sugarcoat it?”
“Whatever.”
“You have some talent. But not much. However, your Gift is quite good. If you learn the basics, you’ll improve quickly.”
“Could you… teach me?”
“Of course. As long as I’m staying here. It’s the least I can do, considering I’m eating your food.”

Evan said, then left the clearing.

“Who is she?” Camelia asked Avalli, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Evan. I introduced you two days ago.”
“But we only heard her name. How did she beat Hans oppa so easily? Even the Chief loses to him now!”

‘Well, he’s a former guardsman. And, believe it or not, she’s a former Hero.’
—Avalli couldn’t say that, so she shrugged and teased Hans.

“Looks like you’re weaker than I thought.”
“She’s… not normal.”

Hans grumbled, and Avalli giggled.

“How does it feel to lose to a skinny girl? Humiliating?”

“…Fortunately, someone gave me a demonstration earlier.”
“You should be thanking her.”
“What are you two talking about?”

Camelia, confused, tilted her head. Avalli ruffled her hair playfully and then stood up, about to return to the village, when Hans called out to her.

“Avalli.”
“What?”

“I don’t know where you found her, but… thank you.”

Hans’s expression was still sullen, but he seemed to have overcome his embarrassment enough to express his gratitude.

‘I guess he wanted to impress me.’

It was understandable that he was disappointed, having been completely outmatched.

“This is a rare opportunity, Hans. Learn all you can.”
“…Right.”

Hans nodded, picked up his sword, and then resumed practicing the moves Evan had shown him.

“Let’s go, Camelia.”

“Okay, unnie!”

As they walked back through the forest, Avalli noticed a newly cleared field.

“Wasn’t this a forest?”

“We cleared it while you were away. Hans oppa did half the work.”

“He must be really strong.”

It seemed Asha Village had been busy during her absence.

‘There are new faces too.’

Drawn by the rumors of prosperity, though most dismissed them, some, desperate for a better life, had joined the village.

They were lucky. Asha Village, under the protection of the world’s strongest girl, was probably the safest place on the continent.

****

“I’ve figured out why the Astrolabe isn’t working.”

A week after returning from the Holy Kingdom, Lucy, who had been holed up in her workshop, finally emerged.

“That prophecy device?”

“It’s a device that reads mana flows from the stars to predict the future. Closer to a complex calculation than a prophecy.”

To Avalli, still clinging to a modern mindset, astrology was firmly in the realm of prophecy.

“So, why wasn’t it working? A construction error?”
“No. My design is simplified, but… it’s based on a device that’s been proven to work.”
“Then…?”

“I thought it was a power source issue. That with a high-quality magic stone, I could activate it.”

That had been the conclusion of most mages who attempted to recreate the Astrolabe. The device had functioned perfectly during the Demon War. If the design was the same, the problem had to be the power source.

But no one had succeeded in 500 years. Even with a perfect replica, it wouldn’t activate. Those who attempted it were mocked as delusional dreamers.

“But then I realized there’s a more fundamental problem. After our conversation.”
“Which conversation?”

“The one about this world being a dream, created by Selenoxia.”

Lucy’s theory was based on that new information. While the stars in the dream world looked the same, they were mere imitations, empty shells devoid of the mana that real stars possessed.

“Of course it wouldn’t work. The Astrolabe draws power from the stars, and the stars here are… illusions.”

Lucy’s voice was filled with frustration. The dream she had been chasing since becoming a mage was… unattainable.

“…Hmm.”

Avalli, seeing her dejection, suddenly had an idea.

“So, it would work if it could access real stars?”
“…Theoretically, yes.”
“Then let’s try it. Tonight.”
“Did you even hear what I said, Avalli?”

Lucy’s tone was incredulous, but Avalli’s expression was serious. Seeing this, Lucy realized she was serious.

“…Really?”
“Really.”
“But… how?”

Could even Avalli, with all her power, influence the stars themselves? If that were possible, wouldn’t Selenoxia have created a perfect replica of the night sky in her dream world?

“I can’t create stars.”

Avalli said, waving her hand dismissively.

“But I can create a pathway. A connection to the real night sky.”

“…Are you serious?”
“I’ve done it before. I’m getting pretty good at it.”

It was easier than teleporting. All she had to do was create a stable pathway, a conduit for starlight from the real world, and focus it on the device.

“Well, we won’t know if it works until we try.”

Lucy stared at her, speechless, and then suddenly hugged her tightly.

“Thank you, Avalli.”

Lucy’s voice was thick with emotion, and Avalli, about to brush it off with her usual playful banter, decided against it.

“Thank you… so much…”

Lucy buried her face in Avalli’s shoulder, and Avalli gently stroked her back, a warmth spreading through her chest. She found it strangely rewarding to be appreciated, especially by someone she cared about.

Night fell quickly.

“…The Astrolabe… it’s been a while.”

Evan, who had witnessed a working Astrolabe in the past, observed the device with a critical eye. If anything unexpected happened, she would be the first to notice.

“Ready, Teacher?”, “…Yes. Whenever you are, Avalli.”

Lucy placed her hand on the Astrolabe’s power source, her heart pounding with anticipation. Lucy Ignis, the street mage, was about to see her dream realized.

“Here we go!”

Her small wish, to find her missing teacher.