Chapter 14 – Let’s Go to Radellia (5)

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Linda paused for a moment and looked at each of us one by one. Her gaze was filled with a deep seriousness, devoid of her usual playfulness or mischief. The black shadow behind her slowly took shape, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

“You’re asking what that is?” Linda said calmly. “To be honest, it’s the reason I’ve been able to survive in this world so far.”

“The reason you’ve survived?” Sion asked. “What do you mean?”

Linda sighed softly and ran her hand through her hair. “This… appeared when I first came to this world. I think it started when I was chosen as a mage… or rather, when I was forced to be chosen.”

“Forced?” Claire frowned and asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Everyone has a reason for coming to this world, right?” Linda continued, staring into the air. “I… think I was chosen by some kind of entity. It wasn’t my choice, but that thing grabbed me and said, ‘You are my contractor.’”

“A contractor…?” I narrowed my eyes and listened intently to Linda’s story. “So that shadow is because of the contract you made with that entity?”

Linda nodded. “That’s right. It’s called ‘Ignia’. A being with the attributes of darkness and fire… kind of like a demon, I guess. The power I use for my magic all comes from that thing.”

“Wait a second.” Claire interrupted, raising her hand. “So that insane magic you used earlier was possible because of that thing?”

“Exactly.” Linda replied calmly. “But the problem is, that thing doesn’t just give me power.”

Linda’s voice grew quieter, making all of us tense.

“That thing… demands a price.” she continued with a small smile. “Every time I use magic, it takes a little piece of my emotions or memories. So… sometimes I feel like I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

“What?” Sion said, shocked. “So you’re losing your memories?”

“It’s not just memories.” Linda said, pointing to her chest. “It’s like my emotions, my very existence, are being slowly consumed by it. On the flip side, I get stronger… but honestly, I don’t know if this is what I want or what Ignia wants.”

I looked at Linda and asked slowly, “Then why do you keep maintaining the contract? Isn’t there a way to break it?”

Linda sighed and shook her head. “If there was a way, I would’ve broken it already. And there’s another problem—without that thing, I wouldn’t be as strong as I am now, and surviving in this world would be much harder. A weak mage doesn’t last long here.”

Everyone fell silent after her words. Claire spoke quietly.

“So… you have to keep giving yourself to that thing?”

“For now, yes.” Linda nodded. “But hey, doesn’t everyone carry their own burdens? I’m just holding on in my own way.”

She added one last thing. “But… honestly, it’s scary sometimes. I wonder if I’ll even be myself in the end…”

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Linda’s confession left a heavy impact on all of us.

“Linda.” I said quietly. “We’ll stand by you. You don’t have to carry this alone.”

“Really?” Linda chuckled softly at my words. “Then when I completely lose it, you’ll stop me, right?”

“Don’t joke about that.” I said firmly. “We’ll protect you so that never happens.”

Linda looked at me and gave a slightly sad smile. “Thanks for saying that.”

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We slowly made our way back to the caravan, walking through the forest with Linda. Sion walked ahead, holding Linda’s hand tightly. Linda still held his hand, but her face looked more troubled than ever.

Claire and I followed behind them, whispering to each other.

“Eli.” Claire said quietly, nudging my shoulder. “Why does Sion seem so unusually affectionate toward Linda?”

I looked at Claire for a moment, then nodded. “Well, I think it’s okay to tell you now. The reason Sion started this game… it’s actually because of Linda.”

Claire’s eyes widened. “What? Because of Linda? Why?”

I smiled slightly and continued. “Sion wasn’t someone who took this game seriously at first. But while playing, he got really into Linda’s character backstory. Linda’s a mage, but her description had this line.”

I paused for a moment, looking at Claire. She waited with interest, her eyes shining.

“‘A mage struggling not to fall into darkness. Someone who sacrifices everything but refuses to lose herself.’” I whispered quietly.

Claire sighed and tilted her head. “Wow, I didn’t know Sion was into such tragic backstories.”

“It’s not that he likes it, but I think he felt a connection. Sion always said, ‘It’s just a game, but I want to respect her will.’ That’s why he always insisted on having Linda in the party.”

Claire nodded with a smile. “But looking at him now, it doesn’t seem like it’s just about the backstory. Look at him, holding her hand like that.”

I looked at Linda and Sion and smiled softly. “Yeah, maybe now it’s not about the backstory. Maybe he’s genuinely worried about Linda.”

“Sion’s full of surprises.” Claire muttered, shaking her head.

At that moment, Sion turned around and said, “What are you two whispering and laughing about? It’s suspicious.”

Claire and I spoke in unison. “Nothing~”

Sion looked puzzled but turned back to continue his conversation with Linda. Claire chuckled softly beside me.

“Anyway, it’s an interesting combination. Sion and Linda… I wonder how far this will go.”

I nodded, lost in thought. I wondered what Sion and Linda would mean to each other by the end of this journey.

After the long journey through the forest, we rejoined the caravan. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as we gathered around the wagons. The caravan members welcomed us warmly, but a few of them looked surprised when they saw Linda.

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“Huh? Isn’t that Miss Linda?” One of the older merchants from the caravan approached and spoke. “What are you doing all the way out here? How did you end up here?”

Linda paused for a moment, then smiled softly as if she recognized him. “Oh, it’s Mr. Bae! I thought you’d forgotten my face by now.”

“What are you talking about, girl? How could I forget your face? But I wish I hadn’t seen you in such a dangerous place.” Mr. Bae said, shaking his head with a pitiful expression as he looked at Linda.

Another merchant chimed in, “But didn’t you say something dangerous happened in the forest earlier? Weren’t you supposed to be heading to the village, Miss Linda?”

Linda looked slightly flustered but managed to laugh awkwardly. “Well, thanks to everyone, we’re all safe now. That’s what matters.”

Hearing this, a young man from the caravan smirked and added, “But Miss Linda, you and Sion seem really close. Just asking out of curiosity… are you two… you know, that kind of relationship?”

Linda’s face turned bright red in an instant. “W-What are you talking about? No, it’s not like that!”

At her reaction, the caravan members burst into laughter, lightening the mood.

“No, no, it’s just that you two looked so close together.” one of the merchants teased. “Sion’s not like any ordinary guy, after all!”

“Exactly! Seeing how he protected you so fiercely in the forest, what a man!” another merchant chimed in.

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Sion finally realized the conversation had turned toward him and looked flustered. “What are you all talking about? Linda and I are just comrades.”

“Really? But aren’t you two a little too close for just comrades?” Mr. Bae added slyly. “If it were me, I’d have already made a move.”

“Mr. Bae!” Linda protested, but her face grew even redder. She glanced at Sion and muttered, “Why are they like this… It’s nothing…”

Claire, clearly enjoying the scene, burst out laughing. “If it’s nothing, then what was that earlier with you holding Sion’s hand?”

“T-That was…!” Linda stammered, flustered, and lowered her head.

Sion also frowned slightly and said, “Cut it out. Don’t say things that could cause misunderstandings.”

But Linda’s soft muttering reached his ears. “But… I was still grateful. Thanks to Sion, I felt a lot safer.”

“What?” Sion turned his head to look at Linda. “What did you say?”

“Nothing!” Linda quickly deflected and walked ahead.

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Watching the scene, I smiled softly and said to Claire, “Aren’t they both just adorable?”

“Right? But I can’t tell if Sion’s pretending not to notice or if he’s really clueless.” Claire replied, giggling.

“Maybe it’s both?” I chuckled.

Author Note

A/N Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.

Translator Note

T/N Translator’s note):
Not thinking is fun…

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