Chapter 43 - Volume 2 (1/2)

The expanse through the doorway was larger than I had expected. On the dome shaped ceiling, despite the fact that this should be underground, was a twinkling blue moon and glittering stars of various colors.

Looking at it clearly, they were simply models imitating the waxing and waning of the moon, and the movements of the stars, but simply reducing it to that was a slight to its beauty.

In contrast to the ceiling, the ground was empty but for a drawing of one large magic circle. It was intricately detailed, with archaic magical words written inside it. Those were glowing a faint purple.

「Edi, what is this? If I’m allowed to ask.」

First was to figure out if an ordinary person like me was even allowed to know what this place is, seeing as it was clearly hidden. Tilting his neck at me, Edi answered matter-of-factly,

「This is a place for tuning magical power, so to speak.」

「For tuning?」

「Yes. It seems a previous elite wizard created it. This magic circle can magnify or weaken an individual’s magic power. It was used for training.」

That which he said so easily, I could just let slide. Magnification and weakening of magic power. If that was possible, regardless of whether they had black hair or not, this world could be overflowing with powerful wizards. If this were to get out to the public, it would make more than just a commotion. Compared to this scandal, my and his marriage is nothing. Even at best, this would overturn the world’s common sense. No doubt, countless people would want this deeply. There could be countless wars over the possession of such a thing.

As if he read my fears, Edi smiled slightly.

「No need to worry. I said this was for training, didn’t I? The effect only lasts inside the magic circle. Once you leave, its influence disappears. The wizard who created this understood well its danger. In order to prevent someone from transcribing it, each individual character has been sealed with a spell. If not, this wouldn’t still be here. Even when I first saw this, I was conflicted as if I should destroy it immediately. Well, I guess now I know that I made the right choice not to.」

I nodded my acknowledgement, but even so, internally I was seized by a terrible cold sweat. Maybe it’s wrong to say, but I don’t want to know about a place like this.

It would be better not to know about this place of national secret level importance. The fact that I’m trusted so much is nice, but if I was asked if I was happy about this, I’d have to say no. It was all I could do to keep from face from twitching.

「I understand what kind of place this is. But knowing that, I don’t understand. Why did you bring me here?」

Yes, that was what I was confused about. I couldn’t figure out his motivation for bringing me here this training area for the strongest wizards. Wasn’t he going to lift my curse?

At my confusion, he nodded as he played with the quill pen in his hand.

「This is a training area, but at the same time, it can be used as a magic barrier. It can prevent magic power from leaking outside, and block any external magic power from interfering with things. There’s almost certainly magic on your curse to prevent counterspells, but if we’re here, this should prevent that.」

Having said that, he smiled slightly. But those eyes weren’t smiling one bit. I knew his anger wasn’t aimed at me, but still, it gave me goosebumps.

Unwanting to ask any more questions, I could do nothing but awkwardly assent, 「I see,」 once again.

「At this point, I still can’t lift the curse. I need to know who’s behind it. I said I’d drive it out, remember? From now, I’ll call him out.」

「Call him out?」

「Here, whatever I do, I don’t have to worry about the ramifications. Whatever I do.」

Why exactly he felt the need to say that part twice, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. He was definitely ignoring the look I was giving him. He handed me the parchment and pen.

「Write down your name here.」

「My name?」

I reflexively took them, but I didn’t understand why. I looked at the pen and parchment in my hands, and then back at him. He nodded seriously, his eyes twinkling.

「Right. There is a high possibility that the curse on you has origins in your name. Binding a name to a soul is the simplest powerful curse in the world.」

「You can turn a name into a curse that easily?」

「Even if you don’t know the target, if you only know their name then the curse is relatively simple. On the other hand, casting a curse on a person whose name you don’t know is pretty tough. Now if you can get your hands on a part from their body, it’s a different story, but since we don’t have any reason to think that, I think starting out assuming that the curse is based on your name is correct.」

As expected from a professional, he knows his stuff. Up till now I’ve been researching a bunch of things, but he plans to solve this in just a few hours. At the realization that I should have consulted him immediately, a bitter feeling began to well up inside me. Whether it was regret or shame was hard to say.

Crouching to hide the expression on my face, I set the parchment on the ground. I wrote 「Filmina」 on the parchment, then stopped. For a second I was conflicted as to what to write after.

But it was just for a second, and then I gathered my confidence and finished 「Von Lancent」. The thing he had told me on the princess’s bed gave me confidence. Filmina Von Lancent. That was my name now.

Finishing writing, I stood and gave Edi the parchment. He glanced at the writing and then nodded.

At his satisfied, and somewhat pleased-looking expression, even though this wasn’t the time nor the place, I started to feel a bit bashful.

He walked into the middle of the magic circle and placed the piece of parchment on the ground. I started to move closer, but he called my name and stopped me in my tracks.

「Filmina,」 looking straight at me with his sunrise eyes, 「From here on out, I’m going to do something I don’t want anyone else to see or hear.」

That beautiful voice didn’t suit what it was saying at all.

「So, close your eyes, and cover your ears.」

He went so far as to clarify further. I knew his real intentions though. I had known him for so long, after all.

「No.」

Shaking my head, I deliberately stepped forward. At my action, his eyes widened. I realized that I had started to smile. Stepping next him, looking up at my husband, whose surprised expression just made him more beautiful, I grinned.

「I will look. And I will listen. This is my affair. I didn’t ask you to take it all upon yourself.」

In the first place, this curse is on me. The responsibility lies with me. Whatever it is that he doesn’t want anybody else to see or hear – he probably thinks it’s his responsibility.

Even so, he’s doing this for my sake. I understand that. So, whatever ends up happening, I want match up to him, just a little. Not because it’s my duty, but simply because I want to.

His mouth moved as if to say something, but in the end he silently closed them. And then once more, he opened his mouth.

「You’ll regret it.」

「I’ll deal with that when it comes.」

「You’re an idiot.」

「Ara, ara,」 I laughed. What happened to his usual wicked tongue? His cutting wit seemed to be off. Calling me stupid, or an idiot, for some reason, right now, it didn’t hurt one bit. Seeing my smile, his face looked like he had swallowed something bitter. Finally, he sighed deeply.

「Well then, I’ll start.」

When I nodded at his declaration, he lifted one hand up in front of him. The space warped slightly, then a staff appeared. His favored staff, which he created himself and wielded during the defeat of the demon king.

The magic gem on the staff had already started to glow faintly. Even though there shouldn’t be any wind here this far underground, his jet black hair started to float into the air.

[gibberish]

An incantation flowed from his mouth. The surrounding magic circle began to glow brighter. The purple light, which was faint just a while ago, was already dazzling.

[gibberish] [gibberish] [gibberish]

High. Low. Whispering. Singing. As if he were reciting a beautiful poem.

Magical language is made up of words. Each word, each sound, transforms into energy to control one’s surroundings. Even I, to whom things like magic were far beyond my abilities, felt it on my skin. The concentrated magic power thickened, and moved toward the parchment with my name written on it.

[Filmina Von Lancent] – the words shimmered then peeled off the page and floated in the air. The letters unraveled one by one, then gathered together and became a glowing mass of light. But that light could by no means be called beautiful. It began to darken, as if resisting him, then blinked repeatedly.

[gibberish] [gibberish]

He continued to chant. Glancing at Edi, his eyes shone bright enough to rival both the bundle of light and the magic circle. As if they really were the sunrise. And then,

「Got it.」

At the same time, the mass of light scattered at once. No, that was wrong. The light that I had thought scattered once again gathered together, but it was completely different than before. It was more defined, and before long the blinking stopped, and what remained took my breath away.