Chapter 63

EP.63 Side Story - Fate

The boy looked up at the sky.

The sky was filled with the light of the sun.

People thrived in the light of the sun.

But the boy thought,

"What if night falls?"

The boy made wings from feathers and flew up into the sky.

The closer he got to the sun, the more it burned him.

His wings turned to ash, and his body was filled with smoke.

Eventually, as his body burned, the boy said,

"I may not be as good as the sun, but it will have meaning."

The boy fell. His body turned into dry firewood, forming a small hearth.

As the sun set, people gathered around the hearth.

Humans had obtained light for the first time.

We call this light "fire."

***

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

It was a dark night, with the sounds of crickets and frogs creating a long harmony.

He was lying in bed, covered by a blanket.

His body couldn't move properly.

This didn't mean he was in pain or injured.

His left arm, in particular, felt like a block of stone, completely numb.

First, he needed to figure out where he was.

Leo gave his body a slight push to sit up in bed.

"Are you awake?"

In the room, a woman was leaning against the wall with her head bowed.

The thick cigar in her mouth gave her a certain charm.

"You are..."

Memories of the past flashed through his mind. He had almost been crushed by the debris of a stone wall when this person suddenly appeared and saved him.

"Chris Linhardt of the Dark Order, you can think of me as the one who brought you here."

His body was well bandaged, and the lack of scars suggested he had received proper treatment while he was asleep.

"...What happened to the others?"

Chris walked over to Leo, holding a cigar.

"The victims will have lingering effects, but with a few months of treatment, they should recover. And Aria, the girl who crossed the line with you, is now receiving education. It's a punishment for her reckless actions."

Aria, a name that suited her well.

Chris explained how Aria ended up there. It was reckless of her to follow suspicious people who were taking a child.

"Education...punishment?"

"Yes, for sneaking into a black mage's ritual."

He had suspected as much, but he didn't know it was true. He had only heard rumors about black mages' rituals.

"Actually, Aria should be grateful that it ended with just a punishment."

"..."

Indeed, writing a reflection was much better than dying, in many ways.

"So, how is your body? If you have any injuries, let me know. It will be harder to treat if it's delayed."

Leo checked his body for a moment, then thought of his paralyzed left side.

"My body doesn't move well. It feels different from a broken bone or muscle pain..."

"Let me see."

Chris suddenly pulled down Leo's shirt and touched his chest. The sudden touch by a mature woman made him feel awkward and strange.

The cleavage was a huge stimulation for a teenage boy.

"Seems like I was right."

Chris nodded to herself as she removed her hand from the scar on his chest.

"How long has this scar been there?"

"About... a month ago... during a fight with that girl... it was stabbed in my chest..."

A dagger had pierced his chest, and he had cauterized it with a lamp. The rough treatment seemed to be the problem.

"Was it Aria?"

"No... technically, I provoked her..."

He had thrown the gauntlet and acted recklessly, so he couldn't call himself a victim.

"I'm not trying to assign blame."

"Then...?"

"Your paralysis is due to Aria's attack. This is the judgment of that."

Chris drew a black dagger from its sheath. The blade and handle were engraved with inscriptions. It looked stylish, but the engravings had no relation to the dagger's abilities.

"You've seen this before, right?"

The clear aura flowing through the blade, the energy so vivid it could change the air currents.

"...Is it Aura?"

"If you know, it will be quicker to explain."

She sheathed the dagger again.

"Aura... To use mana, you either need to be born with it or undergo special training."

He knew that. That's why he couldn't use or learn Aura.

"But there are a few shortcuts to using Aura."

She thrust the dagger again.

"Most likely, the Aura in Aria's dagger was absorbed into your heart. Haven't you had chest pain recently?"

He had, but he thought it was a normal pain. It seemed strange to think there would be no aftereffects from such a treatment.

"...So, Aura can be absorbed that easily?"

"It's not that simple. The aftereffects are severe, like now."

Indeed, the pain was one thing, but the paralysis was a significant problem.

"And that's not all. If you're not prepared to release the stored mana in an instant, it will become a poison."

Only then did he understand why the stone wall had cracked. He had temporarily released Aura during the fire.

"...So, is it resolved?"

"If you're okay with living as a half-paralyzed person, then it's resolved."

Of course, that wasn't acceptable, and it wasn't resolved.

"Your body is in a state where the Aura pathways have temporarily opened. But since it's a shortcut, the condition is serious. If left untreated, you'll likely live like this for the rest of your life."

There was something worse than death.

"...Is there a solution?"

"There is. That's why I brought you here."

"Then, what is the solution...?"

"First, answer my questions. We'll discuss the solution afterward."

The pressure was palpable, far more intense than any enemy he had faced.

A cold killing intent seeped through the air.

"I had to investigate you."

Chris held up a mercenary badge. It was Leo's old mercenary badge.

"Checking your identity, Leonardo, you are indeed a mercenary registered with the guild. But..."

She placed the badge on the table and sighed.

"Why can a 13-year-old boy take on requests like suppressing a bandit gang or dismantling a human trafficking ring?"

This was a fact that couldn't be denied. Even if this place was a black mage's ritual site, it wasn't a job for a young mercenary.

"...Do I need to explain the reason? Or the method?"

"Explain the method first."

"I had a connection with the guild leader and took a test. And..."

Leo paused for a moment before speaking.

"I signed a contract to take on all types and levels of requests, with the condition of not receiving retirement or death insurance or any benefits."

Chris, slightly taken aback, dropped the cigar she was about to light.

"...Do you understand what that means?"

Leo, who probably understood it best, replied.

"Yes, I gave up all the guild's benefits except for the requests."

"...Wasn't the guild leader an acquaintance? Did he allow this?"

"I asked him to."

On the contrary, the guild leader, worried about him, set up the contract so it could be terminated at any time, without any penalties or notice periods.

"...Do you have a family?"

"...I think so. I work as a mercenary under these conditions to find my family."

Chris's eyes changed.

Leo continued his story.

Was it to dispel suspicion, or did he need an adult to listen to his story?

Leo reluctantly acknowledged the known answer.

"...That's how it is."

"Did you never find your mother...?"

"At least finding a memento would have been some comfort... But there was no body, and she never returned."

Leo gave a bitter laugh.

"...Are you okay?"

"It's... like that. Being a mercenary taught me that there are many ways to die without leaving a body."

Being burned to ashes, thrown into the sea with heavy weights, or being eaten by monsters—such deaths were common.

His mother's death was one of them.

"That's not something a child should say."

"...I'm not a child. I've killed people..."

At that moment, Chris bowed her head.

No, it was more than a bow.

She knelt on the floor, placed her palms down, and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry."

"...What? Why...? Get up!"

The sincere and heavy apology made Leo feel awkward.

"I judged you unfairly based on Aria's story a month ago, without knowing you. This is my apology."

She brushed off her black clothes and stood up.

"And you saved my niece Aria and all the victims. This is my gratitude."

Chris gently touched Leo's body and infused a bit of mana. The sensation in the paralyzed area temporarily returned.

"I can move..."

"It's temporary. To control the mana from the shortcut, you need to practice mana control properly."

Leo felt a bit dejected at that.

"That's... a bit disappointing. Mana control techniques are extremely rare, so..."

"Then I'll teach you. I'll teach you the Linhardt family's mana control technique."

"...What...!?"

Did he hear that wrong, or was he so desperate for hope that he imagined it?

"I said I'll teach you the Linhardt family's mana control technique. It's the most efficient method."

"...Why...?"

"Anyone can bow and apologize or show gratitude. As an adult, I have a responsibility to take."

Then, she walked towards the door and said,

"And you, as a child, have the right to rely on someone, but..."

Creak, thud

As Chris quietly opened the door, Aria stumbled into the room.

"...Oof...!"

"Aria, what are you doing here?"

"That... It's not like that... Aunt..."

Leo, looking at her from the bed, asked with a slightly cold tone.

"What's your name?"

"Leonardo, oh."

She had been caught red-handed.

"Did you hear everything?"

"Yes."

The quick answer, but she couldn't meet his eyes, clearly embarrassed.

"Um, if I learn the mana control technique, will it fix my body and make me stronger?"

"That depends on your effort. I'll teach you the method, but the realization is up to you."

That was a fair deal.

"Then, if I master it within a month, can I fight Aria again?"

"...Are you serious?"

"Would I joke about something like this? It would mean my death."

Chris laughed heartily. Leo thought he might have a talent for jokes.

"Haha, that's funny. Aria, what do you think?"

"...Um... I... Yes..."

She still seemed embarrassed about eavesdropping and gave a hesitant affirmative.

"Is that settled then?"

"...Yes. You have good eyes."

Looking into his eyes, Chris extended her hand and said,

"Your eyes are filled with will and passion. Even if you don't win immediately, you'll be a great help to Aria in the future."

"We'll see."

She smiled, not just mocking him, but because she finally saw a childlike curiosity in him.

"Then, would you like to become a member of our family?"

***

"That's how I ended up working for the Linhardts."

"Isn't something missing?"

"...As expected, you knew."

Leo intentionally only told the beginning of his past life. The Sage clearly wanted to know...

"...How Aria died..."

"So, when is the love-making?"

There was no need to be surprised, but Leo really wondered why this person was called a Sage.

"...Forget that. How did the test go?"

"Check the black stone first."

Leonardo looked at the black stone on his bracelet. A red line was drawn from the center of the bracelet.

It shone like a gem, but the texture of the color was like flowing blood.

"I told you it would grow by consuming your mana."

"...To this extent?"

"Probably because you were struck by lightning at that time. I don't know how the ability changed."

It was a bit awkward to argue about why he didn't know. It seemed the Sage hadn't imagined such a change either.

"Anyway, that's why I brought you here. Your weapon changed, so I was worried about a potential rampage."

"Then, what about the test?"

Was it not about scores or passing?

"It's just that I thought it would be necessary to stabilize your weapon. It's easily affected by emotions. If you failed, you would die, and so would I."

He wasn't sure whether to be angry at such a casual statement or to be relieved. At least it meant the bracelet was stabilized.

"...What should I do now?"

"Talk more if you want, or go outside the cave if you don't. Then..."

Drip...

"...Hey..."

For some reason, the sensation in his lower body was wet. The warm, sticky feeling was very distracting. The warm liquid dripping down was very unpleasant.

"...Sage, does real-life stuff affect this place?"

"Yeah. If you pee, it definitely shows up here."

Embarrassment washed over his entire body. He couldn't believe he had done it in the hospital room.

"Right now... I'll go out!!"

"Okay, wash your underwear first when you go out."

Too embarrassed to even curse, Leo ran out.

His eyes flashed, and he shouted,

"No way...!!"

"...What...?"

In front of the bed, a girl was pulling down her pants.

The crotch of her pants was stained with a thick, dark liquid, not urine.

The white-haired, blue-eyed girl was holding Leo's pants, pulled down to his hips.

"...T...That... Huh...?"

Aria, after a long time, said that.

Her face was redder than his, the patient.

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