Chapter 89

Ludia, trembling physically, controlled her body as she heard Hayae's response.

'Finally.'

She can learn about the wizard.

After finding out that Lirika was a wizard, a thought had always, always, been swirling in a corner of Ludia's mind.

If Lirika had turned back time, what had she paid as the price?

Is my daughter okay? In the life she returned to, is she not being forced into some unreasonable situation? Is fate not demanding a price from her instead of me, someday, someday?

The sound when the ice on the lake breaks is louder than expected.

It's a sound similar to thunder.

It felt like the sound of walking on a lake of ice that I thought was solid.

Some say it's the sound made because the ice is firmly frozen.

Others say that even if it is, it's cracked and dangerous.

I could ask Altairus, but I didn't feel like it. Without a control group, how would I know if he was lying?

I don't distrust him, but it's not right to trust and rely on him blindly. He can't know everything, after all.

At least one more person who knows about wizards must be met.

When she first called Hayae, she just wanted to get a decent hand—such was her thought. But after finding out that Lirika was a wizard, it was different.

She racked her brain to call him, and when Rizert brought the 'Queen of Hearts,' she thought, 'This is it!'

The 'Queen of Hearts' is an artifact that can seal even the power of a dragon, so the Duke of Inro would surely know about it and be interested.

Thinking about it now, it brings a bitter smile.

'There were many stories I heard in the torture chambers and prisons.'

Ludia was arrested quite late. Lirika had hidden her.

When she was dragged into the underground prison where major criminals were kept, there were already quite a few of the rebellion's leaders who were worn out.

They struggled with fear turning into hatred, spewing out all sorts of slander about Takar and others.

Since they were going to die soon anyway, and the rebellion had failed, they had no information to keep. Of course, there were also quite a few mentions of Barat.

Torture doesn't proceed one-on-one. When many are gathered, just seeing someone else being tortured makes them tremble and spill their stories.

There, too, she heard various stories. Ludia, shedding tears from her fingernails, poured out everything she knew.

At the time, she didn't think much of those stories, and the information she had gathered while working for Barat. But combining them in various ways, many clues emerged.

'If only the artifact that Lord Rizert had was genuine!'

Or

'If Fjord were still alive, it wouldn't have ended like this!'

Such sighs.

At the time, she was so scared that she trembled, cried, and had a runny nose, but the stories she heard in the midst of fear were remembered much more vividly than expected.

"?"

As the silence stretched, Hayae looked at her with a puzzled expression. Ludia smiled and said, "Ah."

"I was just organizing my thoughts."

Ludia slowly chose and threw her question.

"Can wizards change fate?"

The question was much more to the point than Ludia had expected, and Hayae swallowed and then spoke.

"It depends on the wizard's power."

"Wizard's power?"

"Not all wizards have the same abilities. The most powerful wizard can shatter and sink an island, or make it rise from the water. The weakest wizard can make flowers bloom in winter—such is the difference."

"That doesn't sound weak at all."

Flowers are living things. It means being able to manipulate the biological clock of living things.

Ludia's words made Hayae nod.

"You're right. But there is a difference."

"Then what do wizards pay as the price for magic?"

"They pay with their power."

"Power?"

Hayae's expression relaxed. He leaned back against the chair. Scholars tend to become more at ease when talking about what they know, and of course, their tongues become lighter.

"A wizard's power is like a spring. Their blood is their spring. As long as they are alive and their blood flows, they continuously produce power. And there is a vessel. A vessel that holds the power produced by this spring. The size of this vessel is the measure of a wizard."

"I see."

If a large magic spell is cast, a considerable amount of power will be used. Someone with a pond-sized vessel wouldn't be able to cast a spell that requires a lake-sized amount of power.

"Is there a spell to bring the dead back to life?"

"There is, but it's not the 'revival spell' we think of. It's said that the revived person would drool and be in a daze, and then die again a few days later."

"I see."

Ludia hesitated to ask about the 'time reversal spell,' as it would be too obvious.

'Should I tell him everything and ask for his cooperation? But I haven't even told Altairus yet.'

Ludia, for some reason, felt that if anyone should know first, it should be her husband.

Ludia decided to ask another question.

"While we're on the topic of wizards, I'd also like to talk about the artifact I mentioned in my letter."

Let's take a short break.

Hearing Ludia's words, Hayae nodded, as if putting down his hand in a game.

"I would love to."

For a while, it seemed a subtle battle of nerves would continue.

* * *

Lirika, with a tense face, performed a curtsy. Hayae also greeted her.

The tension was completely different from when she learned from the Lady of Glindelin. Then, she was anxious and restless, but now, the tension was due to anticipation and excitement.

"Shall we sit down?"

Hayae suggested, and Lirika and he sat at the study table.

Hayae said,

"Her Majesty has entrusted everything to me. While it's good to ask questions, it's hard to ask good questions when you don't know what you don't know."

Lirika nodded at Hayae's words.

"So, I plan to start by categorizing what I consider basic knowledge. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Even about things outside of this."

"Yes, teacher."

Lirika answered respectfully. Hayae smiled.

"But what I know is just knowledge. For things like playing an instrument or drawing, it's better to have a separate teacher."

"Yes, I understand."

"Shall we start lightly?"

The smile that came with the word 'lightly' felt ominous, but Lirika nodded.

The lesson was long.

Very long.

When Hayae finished and left, Lirika was completely exhausted, lying on the desk.

"Are you okay?"

"The amount is overwhelming..."

Perhaps because she hadn't studied separately for a while?

The basic subjects Hayae taught were vast. History, astronomy, geography, medicine, mathematics, art—

"Is there this much to learn?"

When she asked without thinking, Hayae nodded.

"Basic studies are broad and shallow. As you progress from intermediate to advanced, they become deeper and narrower."

He demonstrated by spreading his hands wide and then gradually bringing them closer together, and the eye fairy smiled coldly like the north wind.

"Can you become a fool if you keep this up?"

At the voice mixed with laughter, she looked up to see Athil standing there. Lirika protested.

"Why would studying make me a fool?"

"Studying too much can make you a fool."

It was a strange logic, but surprisingly, it sounded plausible.

"Let's go out."

"A, but—"

Before she could finish, Athil said, "You can do it tomorrow," and pulled her hand.

Before she knew it, she was dragged to the window in the reception room.

"Ah!"

Lirika exclaimed.

"It's snowing!"

"Yes, it's not the first snow, but the first snow of the year was a bit boring, wasn't it? When it snows, it should be like this."

Large snowflakes were falling heavily. It seemed to have been snowing for a while, as the snow was already quite deep.

"Let's go step on the snow."

Athil laughed, thinking they should be the first to step on the accumulated snow.

"Yes!"

Even Lirika couldn't help but get excited by the snow. Bryn helped her change her clothes.

He put on her gloves made of fine, colorful wool, tied a scarf around her neck, and helped her into boots coated with wax.

Athil and Lirika headed to the garden together. Stepping on untouched snow makes a pleasant sound. As they carefully made footprints, the snow started to fall more heavily. When the snow reached their ankles, they began to make snowmen.

It took much longer than expected, and by the time they finished two snowmen, it was already after sunset.

With their cheeks flushed from the cold, they giggled as they entered the palace.

Bryn and Bran, who had been waiting, quickly brushed off the snow before it melted and helped them change their boots before stepping on the carpet.

While warming her red, cold hands by the fireplace, dinner was prepared.

The warm vegetable soup seeped into her body.

"This year, I will definitely find a snow crystal."

Lirika mumbled as she got into bed, and Bryn smiled.

"Yes, you will definitely find one this year."

Getting into the warm bed, sleepiness quickly overcame her, and Lirika fell asleep.

* * *

She had a dream.

She knew it was a dream.

She always dreamed of this desert, but today, there was no flying dragon, and it wasn't midnight.

'Wow.'

The desert under the midday sun was a spectacular sight. The sand dunes danced, and the contrast with the clear blue sky was strangely beautiful.

Something shimmered in the distance.

'What is it?'

Before she took a few steps, it was already close. It was an oasis. The surroundings were quite lush, and the water looked very cold and clear.

Tents were gathered under the shade. They were white on the outside but decorated quite lavishly on the inside.

It was a dream completely different from her usual ones, which was intriguing.

"Are you crazy?!"

Then a loud voice was heard. Surprised, she was soon drawn by curiosity to where the voice came from. People were gathered under a nearby shade.

In the middle, a young man and woman were fighting. The man shouted,

"What are you doing?"

The woman seemed calm. No, she looked at the angry man with a displeased expression.

"I'm just trying to protect us."

"You're locking us up!"

"Fine, even if that's true, what? Our children can be protected, our children can be saved."

The woman's voice also became more agitated. The man's face turned grim at her words.

"From what? What are you protecting us from, Takar?"

Lirika gasped.

That man just called that woman...?

"This place isn't safe. Our numbers are too few. I will protect us from anything, no matter what the threat is. Inro, you know that, right?"

Now Lirika felt completely awake. But, in a dream, is it okay to be fully awake?

What kind of dream is this?

Is it because I learned history today?

'Inro and Takar.'

Then, are Sandar, Wolf, and Barat also here?

She looked around at the people. They all looked bewildered, but she couldn't tell who was who.

Takar said,

"From floods, from the desert, from across the sea, no one can come here."

"And no one can leave."

Inro replied.

"It's okay. As long as it's safe. Inro, we didn't know. We didn't know the island would break apart like that. We didn't know."

Inro's face was distorted. He looked at Takar with a sad, angry, and painful expression.

"Now our children can't use magic. We decided to abandon it as the price for escaping that island. So."

Takar said coldly,

"If you're weaker than me, just shut up."