Chapter 73: Return (7)

“Is it working?”, “Yes… it’s really working.”

Lucy muttered, her jaw slightly agape.

The Astrolabe, a device of advanced calculations, said to predict the future, an object of ridicule among mages, having remained inactive for 500 years.

‘It’s a simplified version, but…’

It was undeniably working. The mana flow was constant, the starlight channeled through the central magic stone resonating with the device.

“How does it…tell you the future? Does it talk?”

“You dream.”

“Dream?”

“Yes.”

Avalli looked at Evan curiously. Both Lucy and Evan had described it as a calculating device, but it sounded more like…prophecy.

“With a simplified device like this… it will probably take about a week.”
“A week?”

“That’s how long it takes for the starlight to amplify sufficiently. It’s reading the future, after all. That takes time. Right, Lucy?”

Lucy nodded at Evan’s explanation.

“My calculations agree. We just have to monitor it now, make sure nothing goes wrong.”
“Do I have to keep this…pathway open the entire time?”

Avalli asked, pointing at the shimmering portal hovering above the central magic stone.

“No, not necessarily. Probably not.”

“‘Probably not’?”

“…I’m not sure. This is the first time it’s actually worked.”

Lucy said, flustered, and Evan, after examining the device, added,

“You don’t have to keep the pathway open constantly, but…the Astrolabe might need more starlight. You’ll have to replenish it when that happens.”
“I see…”

Avalli considered this. Spending a week in the workshop with Lucy wasn’t a bad idea, but… she had other things to do.

“One moment.”

Avalli closed her eyes and entered her inner world. She had been working on a specific Gift for just this occasion. She had started working on it around the same time as ‘Spinal Reflex,’ but it was more complex and had only recently been completed.

Time for a test run.

Within her mindscape, a vast universe of swirling planets and stars, Avalli focused on a small, blue planet resembling Earth, but with multiple identical moons, and muttered,

“Come forth, Ditto…!”

One of the moons glowed brightly—

****

“…Are you sure this is okay?” Evan asked as soon as they left Asha Village.

“What do you mean?”, “Your teacher… Lucy… she looked…terrified.”
“It’s fine. It’s not as dangerous as she thinks.”

Avalli said, but Evan wasn’t convinced.

“Creating clones is forbidden magic, you know.”

“I know. Lucy told me.”

“…How is what you left in the village any different?”

“It’s not a clone. It’s more of a…familiar. There’s a proper term for it, but…you wouldn’t understand.”
“A familiar?”
“Yes.”

Evan stared at her, bewildered.

‘…That thing?’

It possessed power rivaling the Demon King’s generals. And it was just a…familiar?

“It has its own… sentience, but it doesn’t think like me. It just looks like me. Like… a trained animal imitating a human.”
“…Can an animal really fool everyone?”
“It’s been…trained. Like an AI. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough.”
“Are those strange words you use some new slang?”

“No. They’re just…my words.”

Avalli’s nonchalant reply and blatant lies made Evan want to argue, but she couldn’t find the words.

‘I could handle it if I had to…’

She couldn’t defeat Avalli, but she was confident she could deal with…whatever that thing was, back in the village.

‘But hopefully, it won’t come to that.’

Evan followed Avalli, silently hoping for the best.

“Is this far enough?”

“We’re far enough from the village. It shouldn’t interfere with the Astrolabe.”

“Then let’s go. Ready?”

Evan nodded, and Avalli took her hands. Avalli’s hair shifted from brown to silver, her eyes glowing green, and a weightless sensation enveloped them as—

—“We’re here.”

—they appeared on the summit of the World Tree. Avalli’s teleportation magic had become effortless.

“Sylvain still likes her trees.” Avalli commented.

“You’ve been here before?”

“Yes, although the tree was…destroyed by the Demon King.”

Evan looked around, a sense of nostalgia washing over her. The sacred spring, the unusual architecture… it was all as she remembered.

“Wait here. I’ll get someone.”

Avalli said, walking towards a small shrine next to the spring. A silver bell, which Sylvain had prepared for her, hung there. She rang it gently, the clear sound echoing through the air.

Makiera, Sylvain’s priestess, appeared.

“Welcome back, Lady Avalli!”
“Hello, Maki. How have you been?”

“Thank you for your concern. The attacks have lessened recently. It’s been… peaceful.”

Indeed, Makiera looked much more relaxed than before, the tension gone from her shoulders, her skin glowing.

“Where’s Sylvain?”

“Lady Sylvain is attending to official matters. I’ll inform her of your arrival. Please, wait here.”

“Thank you.”

Avalli nodded, and Makiera bowed deeply.

“And who is this, Lady Avalli?”
“A friend of Sylvain. From a long time ago.”

“A… friend of Lady Sylvain…!”

Makiera looked surprised, then quickly composed herself.

“I’ll bring refreshments. The usual?”

“Yes, please. And… bring plenty.”

“Of course, Lady Avalli.”

Makiera vanished as silently as she had appeared.

“You really like sweets, don’t you.”

“Well, I am a child.”

“Just how old are you, really?”
“Twelve… no, thirteen, since it’s spring now. Although, technically, I’m still twelve, depending on how you calculate birthdays.”

Evan stared at her, an incredulous look on her face.

Avalli felt a twinge of guilt.

‘I can’t exactly tell her I used to be a man now, can I?’

A man in his mid-twenties, pretending to be a little girl with a sweet tooth… she couldn’t bring herself to admit it. It was a secret she would take to her grave.

“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
“…Well, I just turned nineteen, so I guess I can’t judge.”
“Should I call you ‘unnie’, then?” (TL Note: “Older sister” for females.)
“…Please don’t.”

Transcendent Beings typically lived for a very long time, their power granting them extended lifespans and protection from most threats.

But even they had a childhood. Young Transcendent Beings, like Avalli and Evan, were rare, but not unheard of. However, possessing such power at such a young age, barely past adolescence… that was unprecedented.

“…These are good.”

Evan said, munching on the crispy snacks.

“You know Sylvain. Weren’t these available before?”

“Not really. Back then, the entire continent was ravaged by the Demon King’s forces. No one had time for… luxuries like sweets. We barely had enough to eat. Dried ginger was a rare treat… and even that, I only had once.”
“…Sorry.”

Avalli apologized, and Evan shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

“I suppose not. Let’s enjoy them while we can, then. There’s plenty more where this came from.”
“…Really?”

Evan’s reply was hesitant, and just as Avalli was about to broach a sensitive topic—

“It’s been a while, Avalli.”

—Sylvain, her white hair shimmering, appeared.

“When do you plan to deliver the letter? The attacks have lessened recently, but it’s still…dangerous.”
“That’s… actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Avalli smiled mischievously. She wondered how surprised Sylvain would be.