Chapter 40

EP.40 Two Resembling People (1)

A night had passed since the terrorist attack by the traitor.

Many things happened in that one night.

The knights busily patrolled the dormitory until the morning sun rose. The extermination of the monsters had already been completed. The problem was that there might be monsters that had laid eggs or given birth.

Of course, it was impossible for the monsters to have reproduced in such a short time. The possibility was extremely low.

However, it could not be overlooked.

Even the slightest possibility could not be ignored.

This place was the center of the royal capital, an academy where noble beings studied. It had to be perfect.

"Strive for perfection upon perfection."

Under the leadership of the guard knight, Havel, the knights thoroughly searched Aphria. Ultimately, no monster eggs or young were found.

However, they did find something.

"···This is."

In the corridor of the research building where the professors' offices were located.

The knights gathered at the entrance of the corridor, a place they only reached in the early morning after clearing away the debris.

Swallow.

The knights swallowed hard.

'It looks like a beast has run rampant.'

The walls were collapsed, and cracks ran across the floor. Deeply dug pits contained the bodies of the monsters.

Drip.

The blood of the monsters, flowing from the pits, dyed the corridor a dark red.

'Terrible.'

Havel clicked his tongue.

"···So, the monsters don't hesitate to kill their own kind?"

The headless bodies looked as if they had been torn apart by someone. Regardless, it was a horrific sight.

Havel shook his head and walked down the corridor.

His hand, gripping the sword, was sweating. A monster capable of causing such carnage was no laughing matter.

'I don't sense any presence.'

Until he reached the end of the corridor, he did not sense any other monsters. Only one body lay at the end.

'What is this?'

It was the body of an unknown monster. A bizarre creature that seemed to be a mix of several monsters. Havel examined the headless body.

'Was it... torn apart?'

The cut on the neck was not clean.

In fact, it hardly looked like a cut at all. It appeared to have been torn apart.

'A monster with tremendous strength must have run rampant here.'

Havel looked at the end of the blood trail.

There, a door stood, untouched even in the chaos.

"Ugh."

A foul odor wafted from beyond the door. Havel wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell of decay.

'Is there a monster with tremendous strength in there?'

He approached the door with heavy steps.

Creak.

Havel held his breath and opened the door. Pinching his nose, he looked inside, but saw nothing. Only an empty chamber, devoid of any monster corpses.

'What kind of place is this?'

He could not determine its purpose.

"This is...?"

Just.

"Bone fragments?"

Bone fragments rolled on the floor.

That was all Havel could discern.

2.

The fourth floor of the Central Academy.

Aila was rolling around in bed aimlessly. She had been asked by her guard knight, Havel, to stay in her room until the situation was resolved.

"Hmm."

Lying in bed, hugging a pillow, Aila gazed at the ceiling. Being cooped up in her room brought back old memories.

'Back then, it was like this too, wasn't it?'

The betrayal of the court mage, Gerrick.

After that terrorist incident was resolved, Aila had to stay in her room under the protection of many knights for a while.

"It's already been seven years."

It was a story from when she was around ten years old.

Aila closed her eyes tightly. Even just recalling it, the day's events were vivid.

She could never forget.

She must not forget.

'Because I promised.'

She closed her eyes and listened.

The howls of the monsters chasing her echoed in her ears like a hallucination. The sound of the knights' armor blocking the fierce monsters, and Gerrick's laughter as he pursued her with light steps, lingered in her mind.

-Please come this way, Princess.

-If only you come, they can live.

A chilling laugh.

-If I bring you, he promised me an army of immortals. Can you imagine? An army of immortals! No one could stand against it!

A voice filled with madness.

-Princess, come this way...

-Do not listen to him, Princess.

And the knights who stood in his way.

-We will handle this place.

-Run.

At that time, Aila could not think of looking back. She was too terrified, running for her life. She did not even see the faces of those who died protecting her.

Thinking about that day still made her heart race.

Cold sweat trickled down her neck.

She ran and ran. When the sound of the knights' armor no longer echoed, Aila reached the library.

There was a man there.

-Princess?

Ashen hair.

Sharp eyes, and a pair of glowing blue eyes.

Raniel von Trias.

The man tilted his head and looked at Aila. Then, his gaze shifted to the mage standing behind her. The two mages' eyes met in the air.

-So, you are the mage with the notorious reputation.

-Court mage, Gerrick? Why do you look like that?

-Step aside, young mage. I don't want to increase unnecessary casualties.

The mage with ashen hair did not move.

Standing his ground, he pulled Aila towards him.

-Excuse me for a moment.

He took off his robe and handed it to Aila.

-Go behind and put it on. For now, I've drawn a circuit to protect you from the shock.

Aila slowly nodded.

She then hid under the desk and put on the robe, which was large enough to cover her entire body.

Then, the shock began.

The library started to shake.

Wearing the robe, Aila curled up. She hugged her knees, just like she would in bed, and bowed her head.

She closed her eyes and covered her ears.

After that, her memory is a bit hazy. The ground shook several times. Light seeped through her closed eyes, and noise filtered through her hands covering her ears.

Something flashed.

The sound of something breaking was heard.

How long had it been?

Tap.

Someone touched the robe. Aila flinched, but soon realized the touch was not hostile and slowly lifted the robe.

Aila looked around.

Overturned bookshelves. Books scattered on the floor. Numerous monster corpses.

And.

The body of the traitor Gerrick, with his heart pierced. Black blood from his body stained the floor.

Aila lifted her head.

-······.

There he stood.

He slightly bent his waist and looked down at Aila.

-Are you alright?

His ashen hair was dirty, and a faint cloudiness appeared in his once clear blue eyes. He was far from unscathed.

A battered appearance.

But he was standing on his own two feet.

-Please stand up.

He extended his hand.

-Princess.

He spoke in his usual voice and smiled at Aila. She remembered that smile.

She tried to recall the feeling she had at that moment.

···Was it because of the sunlight streaming in?

Or was it the first premonition she had as Stella?

That day, to Aila, the man.

Raniel, who would later be known as the Ashen Mage, looked like a shining star.

"Phew."

Recalling that moment, she couldn't help but smile. Aila slowly opened her eyes and shook her head to clear the memories.

Thinking about it now, it was a funny story.

Something she could call a childhood embarrassment.

'Back then, I probably thought it was infatuation?'

At the time, she thought she had fallen in love at first sight. But thinking about the achievements of that man, Raniel, now...

'That must have been my first premonition.'

It might not have been a premonition as the Child of the Stars. The current Aila thought so.

"Still, it was my first love."

She pouted and muttered.

"What is he doing now?"

No one knew his whereabouts.

There were rumors that he had been recruited by ancient mages or invited by ancient elves.

But, they were just rumors.

There were no sightings of the Ashen Mage.

'Still, there are people who resemble him.'

The Ashen Mage, Raniel.

Thinking of his appearance, another person's face kept appearing in her mind.

Rania von Trias.

It might be very impolite to say, but Aila felt Raniel's presence in her.

'The feeling is similar.'

It wasn't just because of his ashen hair and blue eyes, those distinctive features. In fact, it was hard to connect the two by appearance alone.

Aila remembered Raniel as sharp.

He looked prickly, sensitive, and had a slightly intimidating presence.

In contrast, Professor Rania.

Her eyes were a bit sharp, but she did not look prickly or sensitive. Instead, she had a gentle appearance.

'She also seems a bit detached.'

In any case, they did not look alike.

Of course, there were many connections. Being Roselle's disciple and adopted child, being an excellent mage, and dismantling the Skewfall barrier, among others.

There were many connections.

But they were not enough to overturn Aila's intuition.

Aila's eyes were certain that Raniel and Rania were not the same person. Even the stars affirmed her certainty.

'So, they must be different people... but...'

Why did she keep feeling they were the same person?

She just felt that way.

This was different from intuition. It might just be a delusion from her similar experiences.

"Probably, a delusion."

Aila smiled bitterly.

After all, it was impossible for a man to become a woman. Not even a polymorph spell could reverse gender, as it would be a rebellion against the stars that determined one's physical form at birth.

"Phew... "

Aila sighed and rolled over. Then, she heard a voice from outside.

-Princess.

"Yes, what is it?"

-Professor Rania has come to see you.

"···What?"

Suddenly?

"Just a moment!"

Aila hurriedly got out of bed. She brushed her messy hair and draped a shawl over her shoulders.

"You can come in now!"

-Yes, I understand.

The door finally opened.

Aila brushed her hair out of her face and glanced at the person entering the room.

Professor Rania.

She entered the room with a faint scent of soap, her skin looking fresh as if she had just bathed.

However, something else caught Aila's attention.

Her attire was different from usual.

Instead of her usual neat robe, she wore casual everyday clothes. Aila tilted her head in confusion.

'Hmm?'

It wasn't the robe she had given her. But she soon recalled a plausible reason.

'It must be in the laundry, stained with monster blood.'

Recalling that, Aila nodded slightly.

"What is it, Professor Rania?"

"Oh, that... Hello, Princess."

"···?"

Something felt off.

Her tone was unusually