Ch. 77
[These are from your friends. These are from your instructors. And this one is from the king.]
“Hmm.”
[That one’s from your parents.]
Even though he was a spirit and shouldn’t be capable of such things, Rai did whatever I told him as if he were born to serve.
I patted Rai’s head as I looked around the room, now much tidier than it had been before I fell asleep.
His small snake head fit neatly in my palm—smooth and pleasantly cool to the touch.
“Good job.”
[Heheh.]
No matter what I made him do, he was a good boy who was happy with just a pat on the head.
[And now, for the most important part! I’ve arranged this side based on things I want to eat—]
“Not happening.”
[Just one bite!]
Still couldn’t keep that gluttony in check, though.
I glanced through the presents.
The one from Iruze, judging by the wrapping, seemed like newly released chocolates. The one from Mia was almost certainly a suspicious, dangerous potion she made herself, judging by the foul smell leaking from the packaging.
The one from the headmaster would undoubtedly be another book this year…
And the one from Master Yael Roenin—I couldn’t quite guess what it was, so I opened it to find a luxurious brush with a bluish sheen.
How did he know I lost my brush over a month ago?
“Oh, as expected of Master Yael.”
Maybe it was because we’d known each other for a long time.
He really understood my taste. I began brushing my hair with it and continued checking the other gifts.
I had to get things sorted, or I wouldn’t even have space to change clothes.
What I always put off opening until the end were the gifts from my parents and siblings who lived far away.
They’d faithfully sent heartfelt birthday gifts to the academy for over fifteen years, missing me all the while.
At the end of every letter, without fail, they always wrote that they loved me.
Every time I read those letters, I was tormented by a kind of guilt.
It happened more when I was younger, but there were years when I collected the letters without even opening them.
I knew in my head that they were my biological parents and loved me, but accepting that in my heart felt awkward and difficult.
It was natural love that parents gave their child, but I couldn’t accept it freely, and rejecting it felt wrong too. So I always felt conflicted and suffocated.
Even though I had accepted everything else in this world, the existence of my parents was still hard for me.
Because it felt like betraying the other parents I remembered.
‘Maybe I’ll try writing back this year…’
Maybe it was because I’d come of age.
* * *
[It suits you quite well.]
“Yeah, it does.”
[Try it on, Master.]
“…Later.”
This year’s gift was an elegant party dress.
It was adorned with delicate blue lace, and I knew that something like this required a custom order from a boutique and a wait of several months.
Not to mention, it would’ve been expensive.
The Crowell family wasn’t exactly wealthy—just a minor noble house in the provinces.
But more than the price, what moved me was the thought that they prepared this and waited, excited to send it, hoping I’d like it.
Even if I had kept my distance for emotional reasons, family was still family.
[Why not?]
“It’s embarrassing.”
[Well, if you’re going to make that face, just give it to me.]
“Are you out of your mind?”
[It’s a waste! Such a waste!]
This year’s letter from my family gently asked whether I’d be returning home now that I was old enough to graduate from the academy.
What must it feel like for parents to send birthday presents every year to a daughter who never sends a proper reply?
I thought I might understand a little—but still didn’t know how to respond.
“Ugh, even if I wanted to write back, I wouldn’t know what to say.”
I muttered as I slipped the letter back into the envelope.
Then I tried to recall the faces of my parents, but couldn’t remember.
Neither my parents from this life nor the ones from my past life—I hadn’t seen either in so long that their faces were only a blur.
I was definitely not the dutiful daughter type.
By the time I finished going through the presents, the sun was already high in the sky.
“Let’s go, Rai.”
[Oh! We’re finally heading out!]
“Yeah. I’ve got a good feeling today.”
—
I rode my horse up the mountain.
Horseback riding was one of the royal academy’s core subjects, so I was pretty good at it. Ever since I’d gotten my personal horse last year, I’d been enjoying it as a hobby.
“It’s been a while since we’ve gone outside, huh, Blondie?”
Blondie was a gentle, docile white horse.
Though her base color was white, she had strands of gold in her mane that reminded Bright of me—so he had “gifted” her to me. He was my third underling and magical item errand boy.
Bright had now graduated from Drike and was working as a support mage in the royal palace.
His assigned role was warp gate management, but since only royalty really used those, they were often idle. So he usually worked in the communication room.
He would sometimes pass along bits of news from Elan that he overheard in the communication room.
News about things I cared about—like Ash, or Rovenin.
“That bastard.”
Just thinking about Rovenin Fedri still made my teeth grind.
Thankfully, Undine hadn’t been destroyed at the time.
She had recovered her damaged body in the Spirit Realm and returned to me after three months, and we had a tearful, emotional reunion.
But my grudge hadn’t lessened one bit.
Whether I liked it or not, I kept hearing stories from all directions about that “great man,” and each time, I’d grind my teeth and reignite my fighting spirit.
When I heard Rovenin Fedri had reached the realm of Swordmaster at just nineteen, I was so enraged that I punched a hole in the training room ceiling.
And last year, when I heard he had begun traveling the continent at twenty-four, defeating other Swordmasters—I got seriously anxious.
I still hadn’t contracted with a high-grade spirit.
I’m already nineteen!
And that guy became a Swordmaster at nineteen!
“Ughhh!”
[Master? You’re making that villain face again…]
“Shut up!”
[Sigh, who could ever tame that temper…]
“What did you say?”
[We’ve reached the end of the trail. You’ll have to walk from here. Hehe, horses can’t go any farther.]
I dismounted, seething with frustration.
Just thinking about how that guy was steadily growing stronger while I was stuck in the academy, getting battered around by spirits, made it impossible to stay still.
Sure, I had contracted with a mid-grade spirit at the age of thirteen, and when I finally revealed that at seventeen, Master Yael was so shocked that he resigned from teaching and returned to the palace… but even that wasn’t nearly enough.
Only a high-grade Spirit Mage could be compared to a Swordmaster.
I knew I was being impatient.
But it couldn’t be helped—my natural rival happened to be that so-called once-in-a-century genius who defied all averages. So my goals were always set against his.
[The path is steep, so please be careful.]
Rai and I had arrived at the top of the high cliff that surrounded the lake.
I tied Blondie to a thick tree and looked down at Rai.
“Alright, I’m heading off. You stay here and watch over Blondie.”
[What?! That’s so unfair! Do you know how hard it was for me to create that thing, and now I’m just stuck guarding a horse?!]
Rai protested vehemently, but there was no helping it.
“I know.”
[Then take me with you! I want to see it too, Master!]
“No. I can’t let Blondie end up as monster food.”
[If it comes to that, I could use Blondie’s corpse to make myself a new body… that would be nice, but I guess it’s not gonna happen, huh?]
Rai was about to continue his nonsense, but shut his mouth before I could step on him.
[Have a safe trip. And don’t forget about me, Master! If you succeed, remember it was all thanks to me!]
Leaving behind Rai’s pitiful cries, I stepped into the forest.
