Chapter 96

Carlaire began to speak calmly.

"‘The Darkness’ refers to a race skilled in manipulating the ‘Power of Darkness’—it feels like their descendants."

Then he continued.

"…Ah, feel free to ask questions whenever you like. I welcome them."

"Then I’ll ask now."

Saying that, I asked.

"What is the Power of Darkness?"

"I don’t fully understand it, but it’s said to be the source of the magic we use. As the source, it’s believed to have powerful secret techniques that we don’t know about. It’s scary, you know."

He chuckled and returned to his story.

"So, this race of darkness was defeated by the heroes. The kingdom they founded is this one. In other words, the royal family and many of the high nobles are their descendants."

"Why were the people of darkness defeated?"

"The people of darkness—along with the ‘Dark King’—tried to destroy the world."

"Destroy the world? But they are human, right? What’s the point of destroying it?"

"Their doctrine is ‘return everything to the chaos of darkness.’ A world submerged in the primordial darkness is the era they desire."

Carlaire paused.

"But, as Albert says, they are human. It’s natural that they don’t want to die. No one cared about that until that man—the Dark King—appeared."

"The Dark King…?"

"Yes. The King revived the ancient doctrine and incited the other people, claiming it was the true purpose of the people of darkness, and began to move to destroy the world."

Then, Carlaire continued.

"He hid his face behind a dark mask and wielded the magic sword Dainsleif, which is said to be unparalleled in power."

The man with the mask and the sword—

The scene from a few days ago flashed through my mind.

"…The man we fought at the academy?"

"Indeed, he has inherited the equipment… but that man is the Child of Darkness. In terms of being the head of the darkness, he is the same. The first head was the Dark King, and since then, they have been called the Children of Darkness—something like that."

After thinking for a moment, Carlaire continued.

"The reason the Dark King is only the first is that he is not dead."

"Not dead? But he’s from ancient times, right?"

"He is sealed. It seems they couldn’t defeat him because he was too strong. The ancestors of the kingdom sealed him to thwart his ambitions."

Saying that, Carlaire took a rectangular artifact from inside his clothes and placed it on the table.

"The key to this seal is this Mark of Darkness."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You’re just carrying it around, aren’t you!? Besides, is it even okay to take it out!?"

Firbus, who had been listening silently, exclaimed in surprise.

Carlaire laughed.

"Since the kingdom festival and the previous commotion, the academy has been noisy. I’m keeping it until things calm down. See, if I keep it, you can rest assured, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

Firbus’s face showed a look of “Wait, is that okay?”

Carlaire continued without hesitation.

"It’s not just the Mark of Darkness. The five ritual items, including this one, sealed the Dark King. The goal of the darkness is to gather the five ritual items to revive the Dark King and destroy this world."

Then, he added.

"This time, we successfully repelled the darkness. But the movements of the darkness have been spreading throughout the kingdom for quite some time… a full-scale war is inevitable. We will be inevitably drawn into a battle for the survival of the world."

Carlaire looked at me.

"Albert, your Magic Arrow is our hope. I want you to lend us your power."

"Of course."

Then, Carlaire looked at Laura.

"Laura, please assist Albert. Your brightness and righteousness are necessary for Albert."

"Yes! I’ll do my best!"

Carlaire nodded and opened a small box on the table.

"Albert, Laura, take these."

He took out two rings.

"These rings neutralize poison."

"…Poison?"

I raised an eyebrow at the unsettling word.

"Not just poison, but they also provide considerable resistance to other status effects. They are quite expensive. Don’t sell them secretly, okay?"

He quickly retracted the smile he had shown.

"I don’t know how you feel about the darkness—but after facing the Child of Darkness, it’s best to be cautious."

"Understood."

I said and put the ring on my left index finger.

"Ah, ah!"

Laura spoke up.

"Can I, can I really accept such an expensive item!?"

"Of course, Laura. And, I want you to change your perception. You are playing a much larger role than you think. You are also at the center of the situation. I have high hopes for you."

"…Thank you!"

Laura put the ring on her left pinky finger.

After observing our reactions, Carlaire concluded.

"The battle against the darkness will intensify. The expectations on you are great. For the peace of this country, let’s all do our best."

I nodded firmly.

I am a noble of the kingdom. Nobles have the duty to protect the country. There is no refusal.

For the country.

For the people who live in this country.

I will dedicate all the power I have.

And—

"Mr. Albert! Let’s work hard together!"

To protect her smile.

"Sure. Nice to meet you, Laura."

I smiled at Laura.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

After the kingdom festival ended—

Laura and I had to see off a student.

"…Thank you. I’m fine from here."

At the main gate of the academy, the girl turned around and said.

Her name is Liz.

A female student who had grown closer to Laura when Laura and I couldn’t meet often.

And—

A girl who, fearing failure, made a contract with darkness and used its power to hurt Laura.

Liz was expelled.

The reason given was cheating on the exam.

Of course, that was the official reason.

The real reason was likely that the kingdom, which is on high alert, could not allow a person contaminated by the ‘Power of Darkness’ to remain in the academy.

"Liz, take care…."

Laura said in a solemn tone.

"Yeah, you too, Laura."

Then she continued.

"Sorry, Laura. I hurt you…."

"It’s okay! Don’t worry! I’m fine! Yes!"

Laura said with a smile—brighter than usual.

"…You’re so kind, Laura."

Then, Liz looked at me.

"Mr. Albert, thank you. For helping me back then. If it weren’t for you, I would have—"

"It’s good that it didn’t happen. Don’t worry about it."

"Yeah…."

Liz nodded ambiguously and turned her gaze back to Laura.

"Hey, Laura."

"Yes?"

"Laura, I approached you because Sares told me to, but… I’m glad I got to talk to you about various things."

"Me too! I’m glad I got to talk to you, Liz!"

That was surely Laura’s true feelings. Laura is not the type to just go along with a conversation.

The time spent with Liz had meaning and significance for Laura as well.

"I wish I could have become friends with you sooner. That’s my regret… I think a straightforward person like you would have scolded me for wavering to Sares’ invitation."

"No, no… scolding you…."

At that point, I spoke up.

"You do scold people a lot."

"Eh!?"

Laura was surprised.

"You often give lectures."

"Eeeeh!?"

Laura waved her hands frantically.

"N-no! That’s encouragement! It’s encouragement!"

"Haha, I know. I’m just joking."

My playful words made Laura squint her eyes.

"Mr. Albert, you make jokes."

"Yeah…."

Being pointed out directly was embarrassing. Indeed, I don’t remember saying such things to Laura often.

"But, it’s a little nice to hear."

Laura’s smile made Liz speak up.

"Hello?"

"Ah, sorry!?"

"Hehe, it’s good to see you two getting along so well."

Liz’s eyes, looking at us, narrowed as if she had seen something bright.

"Well, I’ll be on my way."

"Eh, e, e, e, e, no!?"

"Haha! Don’t worry, I don’t mean it badly! But, I have to go. My time here is over."

Liz said and looked up at the school building.

"Though my dream was cut short—there’s a sense of relief. It’s true that my abilities were not enough. I can still be useful as a mage in the village, so I’ll try my best there."

"Liz…."

Laura, who sent a sad gaze, patted her shoulder.

"It’s okay. Somewhere in your heart, cheer for me, Laura."

"I’ll cheer for you with all my might, Liz!"

"Ah, you’re going to scold me, right, Laura?"

"Yeah, Laura will scold you thoroughly."

"Aaaah, Mr. Albert!? Liz too!? No, I’m cheering for you, I’m cheering for you!"

After a burst of laughter, I told Liz

the words I should convey—

"Liz, I’ve also lost to my own weakness before. It’s a regret that still lingers. Some people laugh at it. But—"

Images of Laura and Furin floated in my mind.

"There are people who believe in the current me. That fact supports me. The bitter past here might try to crush you—but don’t give up. There will always be someone to reach out to the future you."

Liz looked at me in surprise, but then smiled softly and said.

"Mr. Albert, you can say some good things, can’t you?"

Then she continued.

"I’ll do my best. I’ll engrave these words in my heart!"

Liz tapped her chest with her fingers.

"See you. Thanks for seeing me off!"

Liz turned her back to us and left the academy.

While watching Liz go, Laura murmured in a sad tone.

"The darkness caused a wound in Liz’s heart… I don’t want this to happen again."

"Yeah…."

The movements of the darkness, as Carlaire said.

Even the academy, the throat of the kingdom, has its shadow. I need to stay focused…

This chapter has ended. Thank you for reading.

I would be happy if you could leave a review!

Actually, thanks to the ripple effect of the new work ‘Schrödinger’s Cat,’ Magic Arrow has been floating in the daily rankings. The current evaluation directly affects the ranking, so it’s efficient to support it (laughs).

The chapter ‘You Taught Me How to Walk’ has been well-received, which I’m very happy about! This chapter was written with that as the goal. I hope it was a good read for those who have been following the story.

I’ll see you in the next chapter.

I would also be happy if you could read ‘Schrödinger’s Cat’!

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0383gq/