Capítulo 84: Chapter 84 - Wings (14)
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In my modest mansion's simple foyer, lively music completely mismatched with the setting fills the air.
Soon the music stopped, but the brown-haired schoolgirl clinging to me had no intention of letting go.
"Ellie. Let's go now."
"…Just a moment…just wait a moment…"
Ellie, her face buried in the finishing gesture of the dance, shook her head.
Breathing heavily from the exertion, she tightened her arms around my back. As if she wouldn't let me go easily.
She had returned to the academy two days after the ball.
And she treated me as if nothing had happened, but I knew from being close to her for a long time — that her mood had been off for the past few days.
She had gotten upset a few times for no reason, but it was the first time that her state had lasted this long. I wanted to ask if everything was alright at home, but Elli's expressions seemed to speak for her, so I let it go.
I don't know about anything else, but surely her brother didn't pay dearly for overstepping his bounds.
And today, the last day of the first semester.
As soon as the closing ceremony was over, she came to my mansion, and after dancing three songs in a row with me, she returned to her usual cheerful self.
Seeing her like this, I couldn't help but wonder if her regret for missing the ball was the reason for her recent behavior.
I guess I'll have to take her to the ball in the second semester, no matter what.
"There are people waiting to pick you up, you know? They must be waiting…"
"It's okay to wait a little longer… What's the harm in taking a break…"
She clung to me for a long time before finally pulling away, but her face still looked full of regret.
"I'll write you letters…you have to write back diligently?"
"I understand."
"Always be well-behaved…"
"What?"
"I'm really worried…I need to be able to take my eyes off you…"
"Ellie. Are you my mother?"
"That's not what I meant…oh…"
She let out a small sigh. And then, fiddling with her robe, she finally got ready to leave. But the robe Ellie was wearing looked familiar; the color, the decoration around the neck. And above all, it was a bit too big for a woman's robe.
"…Ellie. That robe, isn't that the one I gave you?"
"Yeah. So what?"
She replied in a tone that was all too matter-of-fact.
I had hoped it wasn't, but it turned out that the robe she was wearing was mine; the robe I had given her when I first met her in Drakton, looking at her outfit.
"…I thought you forgot it, so I've been wearing it…you can't tell me to give it back now…"
She clutched the robe and gave me a wary look.
I was going to ask her to give it back, but I gave up after seeing her reaction.
It seemed to be in good condition, and from the look of things, she seemed to like it a lot.
"I'm not going to do that. It's fine if you wear it. But isn't it too long? It looks like you need to get it hemmed. You might trip and fall if you're not careful."
"…Idiot. I'm not that short. And I like it…it feels like it's wrapping me up…"
She pulled the hood down over her face and hid it. And then she opened the back door of the mansion slightly and looked around left and right.
Making sure that there was no one around, she cautiously stepped her foot outside. Then she turned to me and waved her hand.
"Well…take care then, Ed. See you next term…?"
"You too, Ellie. I'll write."
Ellie waved for a long time, then left my mansion with hesitant steps.
I know I'll see her again when the holidays are over, but it's definitely lonely to think that someone I've been with for so long is gone for a while.
Maybe she was hesitant to leave like that because she was thinking something similar to me.
Through the open door, the muffled sounds of bustling city streets filtered in. Vibrant banners festooned the skyline as retinues of servants and soldiers congregated, awaiting to escort their young masters.
If this is how crowded the usually deserted streets are, it goes without saying that the front gate of the academy or the dormitory is even more crowded.
My family had also sent word that they would send knights and squires, but I had adjusted the schedule and location a little because I had a place to stop before returning to Madehaven.
Come to think of it, I wonder how Selene is doing? She must be on her way back to her hometown with Eugene since she said she would leave early this morning.
Considering how we talked longer than usual yesterday, she seemed to regret parting ways, too.
While still taking some getting used to, I hadn't sensed any lingering discomfort from her about the new name. In fact, she appeared rather pleased with it.
She had emphasized it was solely for the two of us to use. Not that it particularly mattered – aside from situations like this, I doubted many occasions would call for directly addressing her by name around others.
At our final practice session, I had confirmed that she had managed ten spirits last time we met, so handling the corrupted spirits during the break should be manageable as well.
And if she also gets the items that the spirits were guarding, she will be able to sharpen her abilities even more when she returns in the second semester.
I too needed to ensure I was properly prepared for the challenges lying ahead.
The incident that happened at the academy the other day was just a prelude to the chaos that was to come.
Of course, there was still some time until that happened, but I felt something from the last incident — that I could be swept up in that flow even if I didn't want to.
So I can't just let go.
The enemies I will face will probably be the demons and their minions.
Judging by the fact that my father didn't say anything about the last incident, it seems that the South didn't suffer much damage, but I can't easily guarantee that it will be the same in the future.
I need to keep an eye on the movements of the demons as well, but at least there is still room for dialogue with them.
They still have a few years to go before their land, the Eastern Continent, is completely devastated.
And since I keep supplying them with grain, I can buy more time before the invasion. As long as they have food, their desperation will decrease.
And one more thing. There's something I've been thinking about lately.
The comment Princess Alkmene had made at the ball about those inheriting the dragon blood.
Coupled with what senior Efania said about the "Dragon Tongue" when recounting imperial history.
Those two key phrases kept gnawing at my curiosity until I finally obtained permission to access restricted historical records separately from the standard academy curriculum.
While the academy offered history courses, their contents were rather lacking compared to other subjects — however, this was not so much a matter of the academy's ability as it was a result of the vested interests of the various families. So if I have any questions, I have to look for separate books like this.
And after searching through the historical records, I was able to synthesize quite a bit of information, more than I had expected.
Those who inherit the "Dragon's Blood" are the descendants of the Drakan Dynasty, the first imperial line to rule this land before the current family. These descendants traced their lineage back to those who bore the blood of the divine dragon.
And the "Dragon Tongue" was an innate ability passed down through their lineage, granting powerful control and dominance over mana wielders.
Hailing from the western lands, the Drakan people employed Dragon Tongue to conquer this land, either driving out the native inhabitants or subjugating them as vassals under their dominion.
The dynasty's founder, the "Valorous" Emperor Cusbert, was said to wield this power with unmatched might — uttering mere words could force others to their knees before him.
While the Dragon Tongue continued to be passed down through generations, none have ever matched the formidable potency as Cusbert once had.
He had taken multiple wives to solidify alliances, no doubt the precedent Princess Alkmene invoked when raising the topic of past polygamous practices.
So was the empire established, only for the original Drakan bloodline to be severed following the cataclysmic the Great Demon's emergence.
Just as senior Efania had told me, their final princess Ruella bore no heirs from her union with the Hero.
And upon Ruella's own passing, the Dragon Tongue too faded into legend.
It was at this point that a certain realization struck me.
That among the items I know of in my possession, there was one called the 'Shard of the Divine Dragon.'
Originally, it was just some item of unknown use listed among the byproducts of hidden items, and though three pieces came from the Demon Realm last time, I did not consider them very important.
But I could not simply discard them, so I just had them properly stored in the vault of Madehaven.
Yet the Drakan openly claimed descent from dragons. And here was an item bearing that very same "Divine Dragon" moniker they likely revered as progenitors.
That tantalizing connection alone warranted revisiting those shards with fresh eyes upon my return.
— Chirppp! Chirppp!
A familiar chirping sound made me pause my thoughts and turn my head towards the window. There was the sparrow that had become so familiar to me.
After unlatching the pane, the little sparrow alighted naturally onto my waiting hands, seemingly treating them as its personal roost. When I stroked its downy head with a fingertip, it accepted the gesture without a shred of apprehension.
I would not be able to see this bird for quite some time. I felt a tinge of regret. What if it forgot about me after the break ended? I considered taking it with me, but this creature surely had its own suited environment as well.
"Take care, little friend. I'll return in a month's time. Don't forget about me, all right?"
— Chirppp! Chirppp!
The sparrow gazed at me with an inscrutable, beady-eyed look, as if comprehending my parting words.
Perhaps it truly did understand, in its own simple way.
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