episode_0075

Several skilled blacksmiths work together to create it through months of monotonous labor.

Especially high-quality pieces, if well maintained, can be passed down through generations like a family heirloom. As they are passed down through the generations, the sword gains nicknames and reputations in the world of swords.

But if you were to ask if the fluorescent sword was such a sword, I would have to say it is my sword, but not quite.

I have used it for almost ten years, from the time I was a squire to now.

The armor, too, was acquired during my days as a poor knight, so even if blessings were bestowed upon it, the worn-out plates could hardly bear the weight.

While the sword may not be as old as I am, there have been many repairs made to it.

Magic is more volatile than one might think, and blessings are not permanent.

When Lycia was with me, she would occasionally bless the sword and armor. It was a problem that did not show visibly.

If I had kept the sword in the room as a precious relic, I could have passed it down through the generations.

Occasionally, when I went to the university and met a girl, I would receive blessings again. But after using it multiple times on the battlefield, it was not surprising that the effects diminished rapidly.

Especially this time, there were barbarians and even a band of thieves to be dealt with, causing the sword to suffer greatly.

As I fiddled with the sword, I remembered the advice of an elderly mage. He had suggested taking a break to sharpen my skills.

It seemed that I would need to rest for a while and hone my skills.

“Did you return safely from the expedition?”

“I did get injured a bit, but I received treatment at the church, so don’t worry. Could you bring me some bandages?”

“Oh, I have them prepared right here.”

“Thank you. While I was away, did the lord say anything? Or was there any special news from outside?”

“The Pope’s movements are suspicious. The Earl also mentioned that he might soon summon you.”

“Understood. Go inside and rest.”

Upon returning to Alpen Village, I handed over the herbs to the village steward to feed the goats and received bandages.

I went straight to my room and checked my wounds again.

Fortunately, they had improved significantly since the last time.

Although the wounds would reopen and bleed slightly if I moved too much, I would recover well without any complications.

It had been quite some time since I last saw Lycia.

I had managed the chaos nearby, so while resting, I wondered if I should visit the Volagna and receive blessings.

After some consideration, I decided to wait until my wounds healed and assess the situation before making a decision.

If Lycia saw my wounds, she would worry unnecessarily.

There was a time when I went with minor wounds, and she had been overly concerned.

It was when I visited the university for the second time.

“Raven, you have a wound here…”

“Ah.”

Following the girl’s gaze, I saw a long scar on her arm.

Although she had received healing magic, the scar and the scab that had formed could not be completely removed.

“I won’t be able to heal it for a while, so you need to be careful, okay?”

“Alright, I understand.”

“Since you’re here, why don’t you receive a blessing as well? I’ve been learning from the saint lately, so I should be better than last time.”

I promised to be careful, but returning from the battlefield without wounds was still difficult.

I gathered the cloths used to wipe the blood and placed them on the table.

After applying the herbs and tightly wrapping them with bandages, all that was left to do was wait for them to heal.

As I finished wrapping the bandages, evening had already arrived.

I needed to sleep early and wake up early to heal quickly and regain my strength.

I extinguished the candle and lay down on the bed.

*****

The university did offer magic classes.

However, the saint did not teach the students.

There were few with skills worth learning from her. As teenagers and young adults, they had not even begun to delve into magic.

Although high-ranking clerics proficient in magic occasionally visited, their numbers did not exceed a handful, making it difficult to call it formal instruction.

And now, she was teaching only one student.

After laying the foundation through theology classes, the girl, who had learned magic in just about a year, showed no signs of past immaturity.

It also meant that Lycia had put in a lot of effort.

Recently, it seemed like she hadn’t been able to sleep much, so Amelie asked the girl if she should end today’s lesson on creating illusions here.

“Well done. Shall we stop here for today? We have class tomorrow.”

“Oh, I think I can do a little more!”

She had just confirmed that it worked well for short distances.

But for long distances, she would have to try from now on. In fact, she had been passionate about learning magic recently, so there was no reason to delay.

Lycia responded enthusiastically. Amelie knew from experience that she couldn’t stop a girl with such an attitude.

Still, having a studious attitude was a good thing. As long as she didn’t doze off during the morning class, it was fine.

In the end, Amelie nodded reluctantly and continued with the additional lesson.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

Since humans could not trespass into the realm of the gods and transcend space, they resorted to alternative methods.

As long as she followed what she had learned, there shouldn’t be any problems. The girl used magic, trying to calm her pounding heart.

A bright light appeared around her.

Although thick curtains covered the windows to prevent others from seeing, she was worried that they might still be visible beyond them.

At the same time, her vision spun. She absentmindedly reached out as if something was falling from a height, but there was nothing to grab onto.

She felt a strange nausea and briefly lost consciousness. Startled awake as if from a nap, the girl had no choice but to sit up and hold her head.

Dizzy, she hesitated for a moment before sitting back down. After calming down a bit in her mind, Lycia raised her head.

In front of her was a familiar yet slightly altered house, making it both familiar and strange when compared to her memories. If she had a home to return to, it would be here.

Fortunately, there was no one around. She had chosen this time for a reason, but she was also worried about running into a night patrol guard.

She couldn’t explain why she was here instead of at the university passing through the village gate.

But if she stayed still, she might be discovered by someone out for a nighttime walk, so she got up immediately.

Creak. She tried pulling the door out of curiosity, but of course, it was locked.

If she could use magic, she wouldn’t worry about that and could just go in, but the one here was just an illusion.

She had to find another way. As the girl looked around, the first thing that caught her eye was the window.

Come to think of it, Laven hadn’t locked the window.

Knowing this because she had watched closely, she reached out to the window, and this time, it opened without resistance.

Luckily, with her physique, she seemed able to pass through the first-floor window.

After a brief hesitation, she leaped and hung onto the window frame. After struggling a few times, she rolled to the floor with the items on the nearby table.

It was almost like a thief’s act, but since it was practically her own home, it wasn’t exactly trespassing.

*****

-Creak

Suddenly awakened from sleep, I immediately looked out the window. The faint moonlight pouring in through the gap made it feel like I had been disturbed from my sleep.

That was the moment I lay back down on the bed, trying to fall asleep again.

From the lower floor, the sound of objects falling to the ground was heard.

Despite their efforts to be quiet, even the small footsteps they couldn’t hide were a bonus.

A guest who seemed to have sneaked in on this ambitious night.

I know of one who would do such a thing.

“Is it Santa?”

Although I did many good deeds last year without shedding a tear, was it enough to warrant someone breaking in to give me a gift after winter had passed?

After refining these random thoughts that my half-asleep mind spat out, serious contemplation began. Who could be beyond that door?

There were only the building manager and guests who had made appointments with me in advance who could come to my room. Even if it wasn’t such a situation, it was highly unlikely that those who came to the house in the middle of the night had good intentions.

The first thing that came to mind was the barbarians who were joyfully thrown into prison, but they were not above doing such things to come this far inland.

Could it be someone from Count Rudolph’s side?

If they held a grudge for not easily handing over the princess, it would make sense, but there was no need to increase enemies when fully concentrating on fighting the emperor.

If not, it could be the remnants of thieves I had diligently beaten and chased. Or it could simply be a thief. There were more than a few possible scenarios, but there was only one way to deal with it.

It was not polite to greet a guest empty-handed. I cautiously reached for the sword placed by my head.

And as I gripped the sword, a new sound came from the door.

-Knock, knock, knock.

“Raven.”

“…!”

A familiar voice came from the other side.

Something I never expected to hear here and now.

In stories told to children, there was a tale about a monster that lured innocent children into the forest with its voice to devour them.

Cruel fairy tales of this era were created to instill such fear.

It was a story to prevent children from entering the forest out of curiosity and getting hurt by wild animals or bandits, but it was unexpectedly eerie to even think of such a story for a moment.

“…Are you awake?”