Side Story Episode 8

Perhaps because I had just emerged from a dimly lit prison, the sunlight felt exceptionally bright.

*Thud.*

After gazing quietly at that warm light for a moment, I moved my steps. The place I was heading to was outside the imperial palace, not far from the garbage dump where I had awoken.

After Roam fell, my sister, who had died lonely and alone, was buried in a communal cemetery where unclaimed bodies gathered. That was precisely where I was going.

[It feels like I'm coming back to life, breathing the outside air.]

Minte, who had been unable to leave the imperial palace all this time because of Bark, spoke with a truly relieved voice as she took the lead.

Zigore tried to stealthily land on her back, but Minte immediately shook him off, causing Zigore's covert boarding attempt to fail.

Tristan watched this and teased Zigore for a long time about his weak wing strength, which provoked Zigore, and they began a heated back-and-forth squabble.

It was a noisy journey. Thanks to that, I quickly shook off the somber mood I had after meeting my parents, and arrived at the communal cemetery with a relatively light heart.

"It's more desolate than I imagined."

It seemed there wasn't even a gravedigger managing the communal cemetery. The fence, barely put together for form's sake, was so low it was practically useless.

Some graves appeared to have been dug up by wild animals, with the soil messily overturned.

I moved forward, carefully checking the crookedly standing tombstones one by one.

Finding a grave that looked relatively recent wasn't difficult. Near the entrance, I easily found my sister Phrygian's burial site.

The grave, unattended by anyone, was untidy.

「Are you going to kill me?」

My sister's trembling question came to mind.

They said my sister died from poison. Since I was the one who took away the purification magical artifact, leading to her poisoning, it was essentially no different from me killing her.

I knelt before the grave. As I reached out my hand, the gritty texture of the soil transferred to my palm.

"Sister Phrygian."

My sister, who must have watched Roam's destruction and died in her bed.

"What were you thinking in that bed?"

Naturally, I couldn't hear an answer. Rubbing a handful of soil, I quietly gazed at the grave before lowering my eyes.

"...You know, I'm actually not curious."

Whether my sister died in her bed resenting me, or hating me.

In a situation that was essentially my doing, I wasn't here to get caught up in sentimental feelings and mourn.

"You will be reborn."

So that gods can no longer interfere, so that only the natural cycle of life remains as the world's order. Because I made it so.

The corner of my mouth twisted wryly.

"Let's never meet again."

Actually, I came here to say this. I stood up, scattering the soil I had been clutching onto the grave.

All the emotions and events that existed between us were merely exchanges; let this settle everything and let us never be entangled again.

Whether my words would truly reach my sister, I couldn't know.

* * *

"Why are you telling me this?"

—You brat, who else would I tell?

"There are separate mages running magical artifact distribution businesses!"

In response to Xenon's protest, his master, glaring at him from the other side of the communication channel, snorted.

—If you plan to wander around without returning to the Magic Tower, you should at least do this much!

"I haven't not returned! I even attended a presentation recently!"

Thanks to attending that presentation, he was also able to meet the resurrected Anelli quickly. Recalling that time, Xenon let out a soft chuckle.

Surprisingly, that reunion reminded him of their first meeting. How romantic and fateful! They must be a match made in heaven.

—That was mandatory attendance!

At his master's firm words, Xenon's expression, which had been briefly lost in memories of the past, crumpled again.

He really couldn't communicate with his master. Not only did he not praise or support his disciple's sweet romance, but he was only thinking of ways to make him work.

Xenon looked at his master with a face full of discontent.

Frankly, this could only be interpreted as his lifelong-bachelor master being jealous of his fated love.

"I didn't come here to work, you know?"

—Where else can I find a mage who can enter and leave the imperial palace as easily as you!

"Ah, but Dekin is at the imperial palace!"

—Why are you bringing up that expelled guy again!

At that moment, Xenon, who was about to retort that he knew his master was secretly keeping in touch with Dekin despite the public expulsion, ultimately closed his mouth and let out a deep sigh.

He had made plans to spend time with Anelli until the coronation, but it was all ruined. Xenon, who had considered just refusing outright, finally wore a resigned expression.

He knew the reason his master was pushing work on him like this was, in fact, all for his own sake.

He was, after all, the future Tower Master. Who knew how long the elders would tolerate him continuing to idle around.

"So, I just need to talk about the private warp gates, right?"

—Yes. The internal conflict is so intense that we need a bit more time.

"Well, whatever. When I installed one, it seemed perfectly viable for commercialization."

—You brat, that's because you installed it! Unless you're going to personally install every single private gate, shut your mouth!

Well, that was true. Xenon scratched his cheek and nodded. It was a fact that his skills were excellent.

And warp gates required extremely precise magical manifestation. There would naturally be limits to anyone's ability to install private warp gates.

—Did you visit the imperial palace with that Resurrected One?

"Yes. Lady Anelli was also invited to the coronation."

—'Lady Anelli' my foot! Is she the only Resurrected One? You're about to become the Tower Master yourself, what are you lacking that you're groveling?

His master exploded. His master's habit of nitpicking over trivial matters was now all too familiar, so Xenon shrugged nonchalantly.

"I started calling her that from the beginning, and it stuck. It's comfortable."

—Tch, you insufferable brat. To think I have a disciple like you.

His master clicked his tongue and shook his head. Xenon, looking at his master with amused eyes, calmly opened his mouth.

"It's not as one-sided a relationship as you think, Master."

—What do you think I'm thinking?

"If you knew how much Lady Anelli loves me, you'd be surprised?"

—...I've never seen such a madman.

Seeing his master's disgusted expression as if he'd heard something unbearable, Xenon burst into loud laughter.

"It's true."

—Who said anything?

"I know what you're worried about, but you don't need to."

The master didn't answer. Xenon spoke to him again in a voice tinged with laughter.

"I'm not a child anymore. It's different from the old days."

—Enough nonsense. Cut it off.

His master answered curtly and ended the communication first. Xenon stared blankly at the now-dim communication channel for a moment before raising his head.

While exchanging communications with his master, he had come to a quiet corner of a park. Distant noises could be heard, but they weren't loud; the air was calm, and the sky was clear.

The day his mother died was exactly like this. A very clear and peaceful day.

「Ah, why is it... that you're not even as good as your brother...?」

When someone entered the Magic Tower, a certain amount of money was paid to their family, almost like compensation. Dekin and Xenon entered the Magic Tower at a young age, and money was paid to their mother.

Dekin entered the Magic Tower first. He showed excellent ability in the test conducted upon entry and was immediately chosen as the Tower Master's disciple.

But Xenon was not. When Xenon first took the test, he didn't receive a very good score. Because of that, he was assigned to a very low level, and the money paid to his mother was also very little.

「Useless child.」

He couldn't remember his mother's face well now. But her voice, full of disappointment, sometimes haunted his mind.

Unlike his brother, who brought home a paltry sum, his mother was greatly disappointed in Xenon and often wasn't pleased when he visited home.

His mother had been frail from the beginning. Even after using all the money the brothers brought for medicine, there was no improvement, so it was only natural she became sensitive.

Still, Xenon wanted to see his mother's smiling face.

「You give flowers to someone you love.」

He heard someone say that.

So he drew flowers with his magical power. Everyone around him looked at Xenon with pity, but he didn't care.

If she saw beautiful flowers, his mother would smile. The young Xenon vaguely and blindly believed that.

Since his mother died before receiving his flowers, he could never confirm if his belief was right.

With his mother's death, he lost his reason to learn magic. No matter how beautiful the flowers he bloomed, there was no one to receive them, and Xenon fell into despair.

Did he love his mother?

He wasn't sure, but he certainly craved her love. The aftermath of that frustration was immense.

Until his master took him in, Xenon had never imagined his own future. Such imaginings were meaningless.

「Dekin's younger brother?」

He was lucky. That was the only way to describe it. Under his master's observation, Xenon underwent a re-evaluation and received a score much higher than his first.

Xenon, who had been in the lower levels of the Magic Tower, instantly leaped several floors upward.

After that, well.

It was just an extension of life, bickering and clashing with his master. Living like that, he kept rising to higher floors, and before he knew it, he reached the highest level.

Since he hadn't lived aiming for the higher floors, he honestly didn't feel an enormous sense of achievement.

His master always worried about that. Xenon's attitude of having no particular ambition, silently doing what was given, and not regretting even if he lost everything.

Perhaps his current worry was along similar lines.

From his master's perspective, it must seem like Xenon was almost unilaterally clinging and devoted.

Worried that if things went wrong with the Resurrected One, he might lose all motivation again and sink into despair.