The wizard is reincarnated last Time - [chapter 20] Festival Eve (2)

Chapter 20

I instinctively recoiled, stumbling backward until I hit the corner of a wooden crate, but I didn’t register the pain.

 

“Why…?”

 

Why hadn’t I known? Why hadn’t I realized sooner?

 

Confusion overwhelmed me, my mind blanking.

 

I have to get out of here.

 

I turned, desperately searching for the entrance, where the light streamed in.

 

Are you running again?

 

My feet refused to move.

 

I gripped the blue canvas tightly.

 

The urgent need to escape warred with the realization that I couldn’t keep running forever.

 

This time, a strange sense of calm emboldened me.  Unlike before, I hadn’t sensed anything.

 

I had even completely forgotten that a demon had been captured and brought into Prion.

 

My father, Luwen, and everyone around me had worked tirelessly to ensure I wouldn’t remember, that I wouldn’t be afraid.

 

I bit my lip, gripped the entrance of the tent firmly, then turned to face the oppressive darkness within.

 

If anything happens, I can run. There are knights and mages everywhere.  There are countless ways to get help…

 

I repeated this mantra to myself.

 

My arms trembled, and I felt my breath quickening, but I was determined not to run.

 

“You should run, little one.”

 

The man’s rough voice seemed to resonate deep within my mind, as if he had seen into its very core.

 

I strained to see him in the gloom.

 

The man, sitting in the shadows of the cell, shrouded in the deeper darkness within the tent, was difficult to discern.

 

“I won’t run.”

 

Taking deep breaths, I focused on controlling my mana. The mana swirling around me calmed and centered me.

 

It’s okay. I can do this…

 

I whispered to my racing heart, which threatened to send me into another seizure.

 

“Why?”

 

The man’s voice was devoid of emotion. It felt like I was speaking to something inhuman. Which, of course, he was.

 

“I have questions for you.”

 

I steadied my breathing and collected my thoughts.  This could be an opportunity.  Perhaps my only one.

 

“…Why do you target me?”

 

The man didn’t respond.

 

Instead, he moved.

 

He leaned forward, towards the bars of his cell. I watched, my grip tightening on the tent canvas.

 

As he drew closer to the bars, his dark gray hair, scarred face, and glowing red eyes came into view.

 

I flinched.

 

“You possess what we desire most. With just a fragment of your soul… we can sustain ourselves indefinitely, without needing to prey on dozens, hundreds of lives.”

 

For a fleeting instant, a flicker of something akin to hope ignited in the man’s eyes.

 

I sensed a deep longing in his crimson gaze.

 

To exist outside the natural order, burdened with a destiny of endless destruction – I was the one who had created such beings.

 

“So…”

 

The man’s hands clamped around the bars of his cell.

 

*Clang!*

 

The bars rattled ominously, his red eyes glinting between them.

 

“Run. Before I hurt you.”

 

I gasped, my body trembling, but I stood my ground.

 

It was a bluff. The red glow in the man’s eyes faded.

 

I felt a surge of courage.

 

“You won’t hurt me.  I can sense that you have no intention of doing so.  I don’t feel the longing anymore…”

 

He was different from when I had encountered him in his cell in the hallway of the White Knights’ Hall. The intense yearning was gone.

 

That was why he hadn’t reacted to, hadn’t resonated with my soul and mana this time.

 

Unlike Selina… who had used my power to fuel her rapid evolution.

 

The man released his grip on the bars and settled back, as if conceding the point.

 

“…That doesn’t mean we can be friends, little one.”

 

“Liveric.”

 

The man glanced at me.

 

“My name is Liveric Eldrian. What’s yours?”

 

The man remained silent.

 

I hadn’t really expected an answer, but I wanted to speak to him more.  Opportunities to talk with a demon were rare.  I might learn something useful.

 

The man looked at me intently.

 

“You… don’t have much time left.”

 

His blunt words surprised me.

 

As I searched for a response, he continued,

 

“I smell blood.  You’re dying, little one.”

 

“That’s not information I was looking for.”

 

I forced a casual smile.

 

I already knew that.  I felt it in my very core.

 

“And you all seem so convinced this city is safe. Ilan, the others…  They’re all so complacent.”

 

“Are you worried about me?”

 

I asked brightly, and the man frowned.  The air of menace around him was gone.

 

Why couldn’t we be friends now?

 

I had already befriended a demon, after all.  Though our parting had been excruciating.

 

After a long silence, he spoke softly,

 

“Go back now, little one.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

I nodded and bid him farewell lightly.

 

“But I’d like you to call me by my name next time we meet.”

 

Stepping out of the tent, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

 

My father and Luwen had been right. I had nothing to fear from him.

 

It was my past traumas, etched in my mind as potent phobias, that had made me so afraid.

 

He was still a dangerous being to be wary of, but at least I could trust his cooperation with Prius.

 

Not long after, as I wandered among the tents, Ilan found me.

 

“Wow.”

 

Stepping out of the carriage, I gasped at the sight of the transformed garden.

 

I knew they were preparing it for my birthday party, but seeing it in person was breathtaking.

 

Several white-clothed tables were set up on the vast lawn, adorned with colorful tents and sparkling lights.

 

The small spring at the back of the garden had been diverted, creating a meandering stream. The glittering water flowed through a small grove and a flowerbed bursting with autumn colors.

 

Gardeners and workers bustled around, transplanting shrubs and flowers, pruning bushes.

 

Lavoir gardens were always full of life, but for birthdays, they were especially meticulous, ensuring not a single leaf was wilting.

 

“Liv.”

 

My mother, who was inspecting the tables under one of the party tents, greeted me warmly.

 

I ran over to her.

 

“You did all of this today?”

 

My mother smiled gently and placed a hand on my shoulder.

 

“Of course.  Tomorrow is your birthday. We’re celebrating all day long, right here in the garden.”

 

The anticipation for tomorrow bubbled inside me.

 

Clementine and Wadin were coming over first thing in the morning.

 

We would eat in the garden, open presents, and play all day. Then, as evening fell, we would move the party inside and continue until we collapsed from exhaustion.

 

It was the perfect birthday plan.

 

“Look over there.  That’s your birthday tree.  We’ll plant it tomorrow.”

 

My mother pointed to a small sapling off to the side.

 

A white grapevine sapling, about as tall as I was.  Its roots looked thin but strong, and its pale branches seemed ready to reach for the sky.

 

“It represents our wishes for your good health and fortune. Can you take good care of it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I nodded, and my mother smiled, stroking my hair.

 

Like all Luoir families, we upheld the tradition of planting a birthday tree every year.

 

We planted the tree with our hopes and wishes, nurturing it diligently. A Luoir’s life was believed to be reflected in the growth of their birthday tree.

 

That was why Luoir gardens were always abundant with trees, their numbers constantly growing.

 

Not only our family’s birthday trees, but also Shuren’s, the head butler’s, and all the servants’ were planted in our garden, making it more lush and expansive each year.

 

“I think that one’s probably a book.”

 

I pointed at a large, flat, heavy package at the bottom of the pile.

 

“No way, it’s too big! What kind of book is that huge?”

 

Shuren shook his head dismissively.

 

He was right; a book that size would be difficult for me to read… So, what could it be?

 

Shuren and I were busy analyzing the mountain of presents piled up in a corner of the entrance hall.  Boxes and packages of all shapes and sizes were stacked high, wrapped in bright, colorful paper, their contents a mystery.

 

We weren’t allowed to open any until tomorrow, my actual birthday.

 

It was a silly tradition, but a tradition nonetheless.

 

They said if you opened your birthday presents early, the good wishes contained within would escape.

 

But with this many presents, surely it wouldn’t matter if a little leaked out?

 

Or so I thought.  But traditions were traditions, so for days now, I had been circling the mountain of gifts, trying to decipher their contents.

 

“What do you think this is?”

 

Shuren picked up a small, long, cloth-wrapped package.

 

“Ah.”

 

I remembered a glimpse I had caught earlier.  That was the package Shuren had brought. I had seen him quietly sneak in and add it to the pile.

 

“Easy. You brought this one, didn’t you?”

 

“No, I didn’t.”

 

Shuren’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vehemently. I grinned. He was so transparent.

 

“It’s a secret until tomorrow. You’re not supposed to tell.”

 

“But I already know what it is.”

 

The long, slender shape was clearly visible beneath the thin cloth.  And the way Shuren was holding the bottom end of the rod-like package, like a sword hilt, betrayed its contents.

 

“It’s a sw–”

 

“Aaack!”

 

Shuren yelped and clamped a hand over my mouth with lightning speed, desperately trying to stop me from saying the word.

 

I burst out laughing and decided to tease him further.

 

“But even if I got a sword, I wouldn’t know how to use it.”

 

“You can learn! If you want to, there are plenty of people here who’d be happy to teach you.”

 

“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”

 

I smiled faintly, giving a noncommittal answer.

 

Learning swordsmanship wouldn’t be a bad idea for self-defense, but I doubted I’d be able to manage it.

 

Just holding a sword properly would be difficult, let alone having the stamina to wield it effectively.

 

Shuren, perhaps realizing this, must have chosen a sword much smaller and lighter than the ones knights usually used.

 

I sincerely hoped I’d be able to handle it.

 

It would surely put my father’s mind at ease.

 

Just then, the front door opened, and my father and the head butler returned.