Ch.232EP.52 – A Lady’s Heart is Like a Reed (2)

I wondered if such an expression was appropriate in a medieval fantasy world, but this sentiment naturally came to mind.

‘…It feels like being enchanted by a yokai.’

Crack, pop.

Each time bones cracked within the body of “her” who had taken Arno’s form, her height changed and her facial structure transformed.

As she took on a female skeletal structure, curves began to form throughout her body.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was like watching a real-time gender transition from male to female, and the bizarre sight made one think that if nine-tailed foxes truly existed, they might look something like this.

And to top it off, her hair was short and white…

Swoosh.

…No, it had grown long enough to reach her waist.

“Phew.”

A beautiful woman who looked to be in her twenties, or perhaps even her teens, exhaled as she casually tied her waist-length white hair with a handkerchief, her somewhat bewitching red eyes gleaming.

…Gulp.

Someone swallowed dryly.

But no one could be blamed for this.

After all, anyone would feel tense in the presence of her otherworldly aura.

…As she exuded an overwhelming presence before everyone gathered there, she moved her lips and…

“Elza, give me a cup of tea too.”

“……”

…Made a rather deflating request.

Elza pressed her brow and sighed at the Sword Master’s call.

Really…!

“Though I respect you immensely, I feel my lifespan shortening whenever you act like this, Your Excellency. Playing such pranks.”

“I’m sorry, Elza. But my acting was still pretty good, wasn’t it?”

“……”

“Don’t be angry.”

“…Sigh!”

The woman who boldly demanded tea sat down with a thud, wearing a mischievous smile.

Right between Levi and Kunta, who had both frozen like ice.

“Don’t be nervous, I’m not going to do anything bad.”

“…Kunta wants to run away.”

“Don’t do that.”

She patted Kunta’s head, and each time she did, his massive body flinched like prey caught by a predator.

At least…

“Th-then what about Lord Arno…?”

Levi, maintaining his composure, asked where the real Arno was, and the woman smiled brightly, seemingly appreciating his composed attitude.

“My grandson is probably sound asleep in the underground training hall right now. He’ll wake up soon.”

“……”

“Don’t look at me like that. I just wanted to see how much our grandson has improved, so I sparred with him. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“I-I see…”

“…You don’t believe me, how disappointing.”

Unlike her treatment of Kunta, she was noticeably more affectionate toward Levi, suggesting that she had taken a liking to him.

Just then.

“Mother, what on earth are you doing!”

Iliad stared at her with a cold, hardened face.

“What have you done to Arno?”

“I told you, we just sparred. My grandson was happy to take me on when I offered. So I used a bit of my power… and accidentally knocked him out. Wondering what to do, I briefly ‘disguised’ myself as our grandson.”

“Am I supposed to believe that?”

“It’s true, Iliad. If you need confirmation, ask him when he wakes up.”

“……”

“…I admit the prank went too far. So please don’t glare at me like that, it makes your mother sad.”

“Sigh!!”

The usually good-natured Iliad showed his anger openly for the first time, and she seemed to humbly acknowledge her mistake.

Though she didn’t apologize or bow her head, there probably wasn’t anyone in the current kingdom who could demand an apology from the “Sword Master,” so this much was a sufficient achievement.

So…

“…Lord Turtle, I apologize on behalf of my mother. I never imagined she would do something like this.”

“I’m not bothered at all, so please don’t worry about it.”

Above all…

…I already know that Aura users are an eccentric bunch.

Ihan swallowed these words, keeping them to himself.

Saying such things in front of the person in question might lead to severe consequences.

Sure enough.

“So, my child. How did you know I was ‘disguised’?”

“Shouldn’t it be ‘transformed’?”

“Iliad, save the nagging for later.”

She maintained her own pace, and the person who received the question scratched his cheek.

Then…

“…Well, it’s nothing special.”

He decided to humor this willful Aura user for a moment.

“At first I thought it was the wolf cub, I mean Arno, but after exchanging a few words, something felt off.”

“Where?”

“The muscles.”

“…?”

“Friends or lovers might betray you, but muscles never lie. In that sense, your muscles were quite different from Arno’s. After all, I personally trained his body with interval training, and I practically built every part of his arms, legs, shoulders, and back. In other words, he’s ‘my work.’ If I couldn’t tell the difference, I’d have to give up my title as instructor.”

“……”

“Of course, even after I realized, I was going to pretend I didn’t notice. I didn’t sense any malicious intent, and there was no smell of blood, so I guessed it was just a ‘prank.’ …But at some point, you started directing pressure at me in a strange way. It was coming from all directions, enveloping me… I was sweating bullets.”

Plop.

Ihan lightly lifted his shirt to show his soaked clothes.

It was cold sweat from blocking the pressure.

“It was scary, you know?”

This wasn’t a joke; he was genuinely frightened.

It was as sharp as the killing intent emitted by a thousand-year-old spear master, like being stung by wasps hundreds of times per second.

It was enough pressure to make even elite mercenaries or knights collapse.

And approximately…

“After enduring for about 30 minutes, I was at my limit. So I asked you to stop.”

Ihan shrugged his shoulders lightly.

But despite his casual tone, his eyes were bleak.

In other words…

“…Your eyes aren’t friendly at all.”

“I have no reason to be in a good mood when a guest is treated like this.”

“……”

Ihan was on the verge of losing his temper.

“No, let me correct myself. What should I expect from an Aura user? It’s my fault for expecting hospitality.”

Clack.

“Hmm…”

Ihan placed the dagger he received from Baltar on the table.

Then…

“Let’s go. The home visit is over.”

“Master?”

“Want to stay and play more?”

“…No. I’ll go with you.”

Like thread following a needle, Levi prepared to follow Ihan.

As if she didn’t want to stay in a place where he didn’t want to be.

“Lord Turtle…”

“Lord Head, let’s meet somewhere else next time.”

“…Let’s do that.”

Iliad seemed unaware of what was happening, and since Ihan didn’t hold any grudge against him and personally liked him, he nodded in understanding when Ihan suggested meeting again.

“……”

As the situation was resolved and the atmosphere turned toward departure, she remained silent.

She seemed to be observing her counterpart, and when Ihan truly prepared to leave…

“…I’m sorry.”

“?”

“I know I played a mischievous prank. Won’t you give me a chance to apologize?”

“……”

“Of course, I won’t just apologize with words. How… would you accept my apology?”

“…Hmm.”

Ihan looked at her, at Felinshia, with curious eyes.

He never expected to receive an apology from an Aura user.

This was like receiving a sincere apology from a person in power saying “I’m sorry for being politically stupid”—something equally unlikely to happen.

“…First, let’s check if the wolf cub is safe.”

For the record, Ihan was someone who believed in giving a chance to those who apologize.

* * *

Click.

“To explain myself, I wasn’t actually directing pressure at you. Others might have felt something slightly off but wouldn’t have reacted as sensitively as you did. Perhaps your senses are dozens of times more acute than an ordinary knight’s, which is why you perceived my ‘observation’ as a threat.”

“You call that observation?”

“I became interested when Baltar sent you. I think I understand why he sent you too.”

Felinshia put down the dagger she had been fiddling with.

“Yes, it’s definitely one of the daggers I distributed in the past. With this, you can ask me for any one favor.”

“…A favor?”

“In the past, when I was weak, I received help from countless people. I gave these daggers to those to whom I owed my life. There were about ten in total, and I’ve already received nine of them back. Now the last one has returned.”

“……”

“Don’t, don’t glare at me like that. I already apologized…”

“I didn’t say anything though?”

“You were looking at me like ‘How could you threaten and prank someone who brought you something so valuable’…”

“And you knew that…”

“…I said I’m sorry.”

Felinshia apologized again with a dejected expression, fidgeting with her hands.

“Good grief…”

Is this an Aura user?

‘…Why does someone who must be over 90 years old have such mood swings?’

As far as Ihan knew, Felinshia was older than Baltar.

Yet her speech and behavior showed emotional fluctuations like a teenager.

Is she not just youthful in appearance?

“…Lord Turtle, I apologize again. She wasn’t like this in the past, but unfortunately she changed…”

“Changed?”

Iliad, apologizing once more, gave Felinshia a complicated look.

It wasn’t the look one gives to a mother, but rather like looking at a childish daughter.

Ihan wondered why he had such an expression, but the next moment, he couldn’t help but understand as the story continued.

“…Nine years ago, mother conducted an experiment.”

“An experiment?”

“An experiment to spread her Aura, her life force, throughout every cell in her body. She kept it secret even from her family, and as a result of this experiment, mother… became younger.”

“…?”

“Haah…”

When Ihan showed a confused expression, Iliad grabbed his forehead.

Even after his explanation, he lacked the words to define this ‘mysterious phenomenon.’

So he had no choice but to explain in detail what he had witnessed.

To help Ihan understand.

“…Literally, she became younger. Mother always looked younger than her age, but the experiment transformed her into a ten-year-old child. And that’s not all. As if to prove it wasn’t just mimicking youth, she’s been aging gradually. In other words, she truly ‘rejuvenated.'”

“……”

“…It’s been very difficult. She’s over ninety, but her behavior and mental age seem to have reverted to that of a teenager. Her mood swings are severe, her pranks are excessive, it’s just unbelievable…”

“…Ah.”

“Lord Turtle?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing…”

“??”

“……”

Ihan was somewhat dumbfounded.

That’s because he knew how to define this phenomenon.

First appearing in the book “Biographies of Immortals” from the Western or Eastern Jin dynasty, derived from the story of eight elderly men who didn’t simply become younger but rejuvenated to a childlike appearance, the name of this phenomenon is…!

‘Returning to youth from old age.’

…Ihan seriously began to wonder if this world might actually be Journey to the West or Investiture of the Gods disguised as a romance fantasy novel.