Chapter 70 · Memory (1)

The deep green of summer. Brilliant sunlight under a lofty sky. There are few people who dislike Santra’s summer. It is hotter than other seasons, but the just-right, pleasant weather continued for months.

Yet I could not welcome the arrival of summer.

‘It’s come at last…’

Because of the plague that would soon strike.

It had already been nearly four years since I obtained the seeds, and I never thought not a single sprout would appear. Leo was still practicing to use memory magic. According to him, casting such high-level mental magic wasn’t something that could be done all at once—one had to become proficient in many basic spells first.

He was right. Even elemental magic doesn’t let you shoot a pillar of fire right away. You have to start by making a small flame.

“Vacation is coming soon! I’m so happy at the thought of the princess finally meeting my parents. It’s modest, but I’m planning to prepare something like a garden party.”

Mila, unaware of the future that was coming, said innocently the moment class ended.

‘I wonder if Mila’s plans will come to pass…’

From what I remembered, the province of Letitia was one of the regions with the highest plague infection rates. Perhaps because there were many tourists, the damage had been great.

“The princess hasn’t seen the lake village yet, have you?”

“No. Actually, I’ve hardly ever been outside the royal palace and the temple.”

“Then you can look forward to it. The lake in Letitia is truly beautiful!”

That’s right. I had lived ten whole lives and had never visited a single tourist spot, let alone a lake! That was actually why I wanted to see Eldina all the more. The island nation of Eldina was described in books as being surrounded by a beautiful emerald sea, which had fueled my fantasies.

“I really want to see it.”

I heard that Letitia too had a vast lake and mountains with snow-capped peaks year-round that were truly beautiful and magnificent. Mila’s parents were surely good people, and if possible, it would be fun to go with everyone…

‘I feel bad for pestering him, but today I absolutely must ask Leo when he’ll be able to do it.’

◇ ◆ ◇

At that time, the king was receiving his first report about the plague.

“In the southern region, people keep collapsing from an illness of unknown cause.”

“What are the symptoms?”

“That is… it is all the more dangerous because it doesn’t show clearly on the outside. They say the body’s organs are gradually weakening and losing their function.”

“Good heavens, how dangerous! How could a disease never seen or heard of before suddenly…”

“If it’s the weakening of organs, divine power won’t be of much help.”

High Priest Belus, who had been listening nearby, also spoke in a worried voice.

“For now, dispatch priests and healers, use various herbs, and observe the progress. Since it’s an epidemic, make sure the isolation and control of patients are thorough!”

“Yes, sir.”

The king sank onto the throne and let out a sigh. An epidemic of unknown cause and no cure was one of the things a monarch feared most. He prayed that this would pass as a mere incidental event and not spread widely. If the god Lux loved Santra, He would not send down a trial He knew they could not endure.

Meanwhile, Aquila too heard the news immediately. Despite the grim tidings, her face was the brightest it had been in years.

“At last, the opportunity has come.”

At those words, Alter let out a hollow laugh. There was probably no one in the world but her who waited so eagerly for disaster.

“An opportunity to bring down that bastard child?”

“Didn’t I tell you? She’ll destroy herself.”

“It might not be such a big deal. If isolation is thorough, it won’t spread.”

“It won’t stay a small matter.”

“…”

From her firm answer, he could tell she intended to pull strings. The king’s orders would not be properly carried out.

‘But can that be called self-destruction?’

What did it matter? Either way, what he and she wanted was similar.

“Then is there no need to respond to the southern continent’s delegation?”

“It would be good if we could tie them in together. Contact them as soon as they arrive. First, we need to make the interpreter one of our people.”

Alter clicked his tongue at her thoroughness and raised his coffee cup, then paused at her next question.

“Are you continuing ‘that’ research?”

“…I am, but it’s not complete. There are no test subjects either.”

“It would be best not to use an incomplete method if possible.”

Aquila murmured, barely audible.

“It will all be over soon anyway.”

It had been over three years. How hard she had worked, enduring quietly among the loathsome king, the disgusting temple, and the irritating nobles who subtly mocked her. The day she no longer had to hear nonsense like ‘child of God’ was not far off, and the thought delighted her.

Everything would return to its proper place.

◇ ◆ ◇

“Is it good?”

“…Yeah.”

Leo was beside me now, chewing on the meat pie I had brought. Seeing him eat with his cheeks puffed out was heartwarming. The boy who had once thrown a salmon sandwich on the floor had become this docile. I wanted to say ‘Aww, good boy, eating well,’ but Leo really hated being treated like a child, so I held back.

Before bringing up memory magic, I searched for something light to talk about.

“Was the book I brought last time helpful?”

“‘Magic and Space-Time,’ you mean. It was interesting. I’ve always been curious about how space-time twists when using portal magic. And those four hypotheses about it—”

He stopped eating and chattered excitedly.

Leo really… I wish I could describe it in one word—fanatically absorbed in knowledge, perhaps… Anyway, once he started talking about magic, there was no end. Was it a side effect of living alone reading books for so long? Still, I found that side of Leo cute. And talking with him was fun. Even if not as much as Leo, I was quite the scholar myself.

“But why don’t you bring me books about divine power?”

That stung.

Because if you studied divine power, you’d learn about Nine’s abilities… And if you knew I watched over you every night until you fell asleep, that would be a bit creepy, wouldn’t it? Sometimes ignorance is bliss!

“It’s because Leo is more interested in magic, so I brought magic books first. But what are the priests like in your country? Does Kalisa have this many temples too?”

I quickly changed the subject.

“Not as many as Santra. And no matter how high-ranking a priest is, they don’t meddle in politics.”

“Gasp… Really? Then aren’t the priests treated poorly?”

“Well, I think Santra is much worse.”

“What? No way. They’re treated so well. They’re provided with the best food, clothing, and shelter, and nobles don’t dare to disrespect them.”

“But they have too little freedom.”

“…Freedom?”

“They can’t marry, and they can’t retire as they please. They have to be separated from their families and live in the temple no matter what. They serve for free for life, so of course they should be provided for, shouldn’t they?”

His words made my head ring.

“Priests in Kalisa can marry?”

“Yeah. Well, some do dedicate their whole lives to God, but it’s not forbidden.”

“And they can have children?”

“Um… Is that so surprising?”

My face must have been full of shock. Well, of course—I had just heard something that shattered the common sense of ten long lives!

“So they marry and have children…”

Then if Paeon and my mother had been Kalisan, could their love have been possible?

‘No, it would still be impossible.’

Even if priests were allowed to marry, those two could never have been together because of Paeon’s status. Considering the vast, ocean-like gap in station between him and my mother… no matter how much he was the hero who protected Santra, it would have been absolutely impossible.

Looking at this, I wondered what love even is. How could those two have fallen in love despite such terrifying obstacles?

‘I will absolutely never have such insane love.’

I never even had the chance to love anyone, dying before I turned twelve, so I don’t really know what love is… but seeing it described in romance novels and fairy tales as something omnipotent was fascinating.

More important than my house, more important than my fortune, and more important than my life is love. I love you, Lady Catalina.

A famous line from ‘Lady Catalina’s Melancholy,’ said to be Santra’s most popular romance novel. But I think that line is nonsense. Setting aside family, could there be anything more important than money and life?

People must be realistic. You must not risk great danger for something like love. That was my creed.

‘The reason I became such a dry human is all my parents’ fault!’

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

I snapped to my senses at Leo’s voice.

“Sowwy! I was just so supwised… But it’s a wittle stwange. Why is it so diffewent fwom Kalisa?”

“The Santran nobles must have made it that way. They have to take freedom from the priests so they themselves aren’t threatened. It’s easier to control them if they’re gathered in one place.”

“B-but it could have been the will of Wux. Because they weceived special powew, so they wouldn’t misuse it…”

“If that’s the reasoning, isn’t magic also a special power? Then mages should likewise be forced to live in chastity their whole lives and be stripped of their freedom.”

“…”

It was a contradiction I had often felt myself. Perhaps Santra really was a country full of contradictions, just as Leo said.

‘I really need to leave this place.’

As I burned with determination once again, Leo hesitated and spoke.

“Um… about the memory magic. I think I’m roughly ready.”

“Weally?!”

I looked at him with sparkling eyes at the good news.

“…Don’t suddenly pounce on me like that. Anyway, thanks to the magic stone you gave me, I was able to learn it faster than I expected.”

“Weo is a genius as expected! I knew you could do it!”

“I haven’t even tried it yet.”

He seemed a little anxious. And my joy was brief—I quickly became anxious about the memories I absolutely could not show him.

“But Weo, um… about that memory magic. Can you see onwy sewectivewy? Onwy the memowies you want to find?”

“There are several methods, but I focused on practicing that one first.”

Phew, thank goodness such a method exists.

“But as I said, memory magic is extremely difficult. Think of it as having to break through tens of thousands of barriers in the mind. No one succeeds on the first try.”

He emphasized repeatedly. If someone as proud as him was saying this much, it must truly be difficult.

“While I cast the spell, you think of one memory you want to show me. Since it’s the first attempt, make it something clear rather than vague.”

I nodded carefully, tense. A memory I want to show him… What should I do?

Right, Leo likes animals, so let’s go with the pretty swans I saw at the Laselles estate.

He took a deep breath and faced me, and I closed my eyes and kept picturing the swans.

“Inspícĭo memórĭa.”

Beautiful swans with white, long necks! Cute baby swans floating on the pond! I must not think of any other memories. If I do, it’s completely over. Swans, only swans!

But why is it that the things you think must never happen are the very things that happen?