Chapter 107 - Damn Reincarnation

Senya

"... Hmm."

Senya's smile wavered slightly. Her green eyes widened as she stared at Eugene for a while. After studying him intently, she tilted her head several times.

"... Hmm?"

After tilting her head this way and that, Senya suddenly leaned her face close to Eugene's. Uncomfortable with her sudden approach, he immediately raised his hands to block her face.

"What's wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?"

"Move your hands."

Despite telling him to move them, Senya didn't wait. She grabbed both his hands herself and pulled them down, then narrowed her eyes and stared hard at his face.

"... It seems a little different... No... Is it the same?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hamel. You've learned magic, haven't you?"

A broad smile spread across Senya's face. Still holding both Eugene's hands, she swung them enthusiastically and laughed.

"And not just any magic! You've learned the magic I created. Haven't you?"

"... Yeah."

"Hmm, hm-hmm, hm-hm-hmm. Well, naturally. Hundreds of years may have passed since I disappeared, but there's no way a mage as brilliant as me could have been born afterward. Which means most mages must have learned the circle magic formula I created."

"... Well, yes."

"But! Hamel, you didn't just learn the circle magic formula. Judging by your mana... you've combined Vermouth's White Flame Formula with my Witch Craft. Haven't you?"

Whatever delighted her so much, Senya kept laughing. She wasn't just smiling; she was even humming to herself. Eugene found it irritating for no particular reason.

It was true that he had learned both the circle magic formula and Witch Craft.

Which meant Eugene was Senya's disciple. He had called himself her disciple countless times already, but that didn't mean he wanted Senya herself to officially acknowledge their master-disciple relationship. It was an unavoidable matter of pride...

"... I did learn them, but..."

"From now on, you will honor me as your master."

"It's not like I learned them because I wanted to. You died before me—"

"I'm not dead."

"... I mean, you disappeared... It was a way of mourning an old comrade and friend... Uh..."

"And what do you want me to do about that? Are you saying you didn't learn the circle magic formula? That you didn't learn Witch Craft? I'm the master, and you're the disciple. Got it?"

"Maybe I should just fucking die again. I can simply never use that damn magic for the rest of my life, can't I?"

"Talk some sense, Hamel. You've already learned it and milked it for all it's worth, and now you're saying what? How can anyone be so shameless?"

"Why act like that's something new?"

"Right. You were a shameless bastard in your previous life, too."

Senya accepted that quickly. She released the hands she'd been swinging around, but her smile remained as she continued to chuckle.

They were close. Senya suddenly became conscious of that fact. Clearing her throat softly, she tapped Eugene's knee with the tip of her foot.

"... You're too close. Move away a little."

"You're the one who moved closer. Why the hell are you giving me shit?"

"... When did I move closer?"

"Are you really so old you've gotten dementia? Have you already forgotten grabbing my face and squishing it around earlier?"

"Hamel, just try calling me old one more time."

Senya's eyes blazed.

"If you hadn't croaked in the Demon King of Incarceration's castle, you'd be the same age as me. So you have to count your age from your previous life."

"At least make your bullshit sound plausible if you want me to pretend to listen. Hey, how does that make any sense? Who the hell counts their age from a previous life? You count the age of your body. I've reincarnated, so my body's fresh and young. Yours—"

"Say one more word. I'll seriously kill you."

"... Just saying."

"The body is a fleeting thing. Besides, mine has been sealed for hundreds of years, and before that, I reconstructed it several times. Once I'm released from the seal, it'll be reconstructed again, so my body will start over at one year old."

"Sure, fine. Be one year old. Want me to give you a pacifier? I'll even carry you on my back and bounce you around, going coochie-coochie-coo."

Senya's fists trembled at his taunting. She glared at Eugene, then let out a long breath and shook her head.

"... Whatever. More importantly, what changed your mind? Hamel, in your previous life, I offered to teach you magic over and over, but you wouldn't fucking listen."

"That was my previous life."

Eugene tossed out the words and needlessly turned his gaze aside.

"... Three hundred years had passed. I'd reincarnated alone, and I didn't even know whether you or the others were dead or alive. There were still two Demon Kings left... So I just figured I didn't have a choice."

The abilities of his previous life—of Hamel—weren't enough. They fell far, far short. Thankfully, his reincarnated body was incomparably better than the one he'd had as Hamel.

The talent he'd possessed in his previous life remained intact after reincarnation. Vermouth wasn't there. Anise wasn't there. Senya wasn't there. Moron wasn't there. With none of them around, Hamel had to learn to do everything they could.

That was what he'd thought.

Even though he couldn't accept the Lionhearts' Bloodline Succession Ceremony, he hadn't remained a rebel.

He had set aside needless stubbornness and pride and become an adopted son of the main family.

He had learned the White Flame Formula of Vermouth, the man he'd secretly considered his rival.

He had greedily sought to obtain as many of Vermouth's weapons as possible, including Wynnyd.

He had gone to study in Aroth to learn magic, something he'd never spared a glance in his previous life.

He had shut himself away in Akron for years, immersing himself in Senya's magic.

All of it was to become stronger than Hamel had been in his previous life. Even if he couldn't reap the rewards immediately, he planted seeds for the future. Someday, yes, someday, he would surpass his former self and kill the two remaining Demon Kings.

That desire alone had made him abandon the obstinacy of his previous life. Eugene didn't want to spell out all those feelings. It was embarrassing.

Senya didn't press him for the details, either. She wasn't stupid. Eugene—Hamel. That idiot, that dumbass, that moron, that stubborn, insufferable bastard... Why had he finally relinquished the stubbornness that had kept him from listening, no matter how often she'd told him in his previous life?

Senya knew Hamel all too well.

"I'm sorry."

That was why Senya bowed her head.

"What are you sorry for?"

"... Just... I feel like we left you all alone."

"Oh, please."

He could see the crown of Senya's bowed head, covered with thick, pale violet hair. The sight reminded him of Mer in Akron, and before he knew it, Eugene reached out and patted her head.

"... What are you doing?"

"You reminded me of your familiar."

"... Ah... Mer. You must have met her, too."

"She's doing reasonably well."

"As if."

Senya pushed his hand away and frowned.

"There's no way Aroth's old mages would have left Mer alone. They must have hounded her terribly after I disappeared."

"... Well, that's because you took the latter volumes of Witch Craft with you."

"Oh. That?"

Senya blinked for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"That was a lie."

"... What?"

"There are no latter volumes of Witch Craft. Strictly speaking, they're inside my head, but they're something like a truth of magic that can't be compiled into a spellbook."

"... I heard Aroth's royal family has a copy of the latter volumes of Witch Craft."

"That was... Hmm... My own way of doing the royal family a favor. The royal family of a magical kingdom ought to own some impressive, symbolic spellbook, shouldn't they? It's just a compilation of high-level spells I created."

Eugene gaped, speechless. At last, he managed to collect himself and stammered out a question.

"You're saying you scammed them?"

"Oh, that's a little harsh. It wasn't a scam; it was a white lie. I did give them an amazing, unique spellbook, after all. They're spells I created, in a spellbook I compiled. I can give it whatever title I want, can't I?"

Senya smiled awkwardly and waved her hands.

"Well... I didn't know I'd end up in seclusion like this. I'd been thinking about retiring anyway, but technically, I had an accident."

"... Apparently, Aroth's mages dismantled Mer to uncover the truth about the latter volumes of Witch Craft and your retirement."

"They did what? Those ungrateful bastards. After everything I've contributed to the history of magic, they torment my familiar that badly just because I've retired?"

Senya's eyes slanted sharply upward. She sprang to her feet and, without warning, kicked Eugene.

It didn't hurt much. But Eugene couldn't understand this sudden kick at all. Why did he have to get hit when he hadn't done a damn thing?

"Why are you hitting me?"

"You're the only person here besides me!"

"And how does that justify hitting me...?"

"Don't feel too wronged! When I get back to Aroth, I won't stop at kicking them. I'll turn the whole place upside down. Those fucking idiot royals. Those moronic mages! It's been two hundred years since I disappeared, and they're still obsessed with the illusion of Witch Craft's latter volumes!"

Unable to contain her anger, Senya stamped her feet. Eugene felt just as betrayed. He had even considered joining the court mage corps just to gain access to those latter volumes... And they had never existed in the first place?

"You're just as much of an idiot, Hamel!"

"Moron's the idiot, not me."

"Right, you're the dumbass! You've read Witch Craft, haven't you? With your talent, and judging by the mana I can sense, you must have understood at least a little of it. And even you believed there were latter volumes?!"

"... I... Of course I didn't believe it."

"Don't lie."

"When you get down to it, this is your fault. Why tell a lie like that and cause trouble for everyone? What? A white lie? You'll go back and turn Aroth upside down? Before you do that, get on your knees and apologize to Mer. She's the one who suffered because of your lie."

"... Of course I'll apologize."

Senya sat down, her lips jutting out in a pout.

"... So. How was Witch Craft?"

"... What kind of answer are you expecting?"

"Your honest impressions. Admiration for me. Reverence for the greatest genius in the history of magic, unmatched in the past, present, or future."

"Yeah. Your magic was awesome."

"That's all?"

"... Really awesome."

"You just can't be honest."

Senya grinned as though she'd never been pouting at all.

"Yes, it is awesome. The heart of Witch Craft is the Eternal Hole. The Witch Craft I left in Akron is merely a textbook to help morons understand the Eternal Hole."

"Fine. I get how amazing you are. Stop changing the subject and answer my question."

Eugene stared at Senya without smiling.

Senya stopped smiling, too.

"Raizakia. How do I find that fucking lizard?"

"... I told you, it's beyond you as you are now."

"You think I'm asking because I don't know that? Of course it is. Even in my previous life, I wasn't sure I could take that bastard alone."

The Black Dragon. Raizakia was a monster. Even before his corruption, he had reportedly been among the strongest young dragons, but he had killed the Lord and devoured his heart, becoming an even more terrible monster.

"Senya. Are you worried about me?"

"... No."

"Like hell you aren't. Who do you think you're fooling? Isn't it ridiculous for you, half-dead and sealed away, to worry about me when I'm alive and kicking?"

"... What if..."

Senya averted her eyes and murmured.

"... You go looking for Raizakia for my sake. And you finally find him... only to die? What am I supposed to do then?"

"What do you mean, what are you supposed to do? Why get scared over something that hasn't even happened—"

"You don't know."

Senya gave a small laugh.

"You don't know anything, Hamel. You can never know. After you died... how those of us left behind felt. What I felt as I carried your necklace. What I was thinking as I stood in your tomb."

"I know."

Eugene took Senya by the shoulders.

"I know how much you bawled like a little kid in there. I know how you lived for decades in Aroth."

"..."

"But do you know how I feel? Of course you don't. Sealed away in this place, you could never know. You might know who I was in my previous life, but you don't know who I am now."

"... I suppose not."

"Then you need to get to know me. You'll never learn anything about me while you're stuck in here. Senya Merdein. Stop needlessly worrying about me and imagining that I'm going to fucking die again after reincarnating."

Senya lifted her bowed head.

"You found me, and I found you. Sorry, but that isn't enough for me. I'm going to drag you out of this place, whatever it takes. I'll make sure you can stand up, walk, and come with me. Even if you sit down and whine that you don't want to, I'll force you out."

Senya's eyes wavered at those words. Eugene gripped her shoulders with both hands and stared into her trembling green eyes.

"No objections, right?"

"... Ahaha."

Senya burst out laughing at his blunt question.

"I don't know who you are now? No, that's not true. I know you, Hamel. Even if reincarnation changed your body, your face, and your name... you're still exactly the Hamel I know."

"Then you know I mean every word I'm saying."

"... Yes."

Senya smiled through her tears.

"You're still the same. You haven't... changed at all."

"They say if you laugh while crying, something grows on your ass."

"You haven't changed in how much bullshit you spout, either."

"So, how do I find Raizakia?"

Still holding Senya's shoulders, Eugene shook them.

"... Is my staff still in Akron?"

"Akasha? It is. It's being kept safe alongside Witch Craft."

"Of course it is. Those dumbass mages there aren't good enough to tamper with Akasha's seal."

Senya pondered for a moment. Regardless, Eugene continued gently shaking her shoulders.

"Leave me alone for a minute, you bastard."

Finally losing patience, Senya slapped Eugene's cheek. This time, too, it didn't hurt very much.

"... I'll teach you the formula to undo Akasha's seal."

"If I have Akasha, can I find Raizakia?"

"... It won't be easy. Banishing Raizakia was an accident caused by his desperate resistance and the fact that I wasn't in good condition. Still, Hamel, if you keep Akasha with you, you should be able to sense Raizakia, isolated somewhere in a dimensional rift."

Even Senya couldn't be certain of that. What was certain was that Raizakia was isolated somewhere in a dimensional rift within this world. If he'd been banished to an entirely different dimension or had died, his curse couldn't have persisted for hundreds of years.

"So you're telling me to roam the continent."

"... If you don't want to, don't."

"When did I say I didn't want to? I'll just do it. Besides, I'll get your magnificent staff out of it."

"... Just in case, let me make this clear. Once I'm well again, I'm taking Akasha back. And if you go on some pointless rampage and shatter Akasha's dragon heart..."

"I know. A dragon will come for me, right? Actually, wouldn't that be better? A dragon would at least be better at magic than I am."

"Would those proud lizards kindly grant your request? Or blast their breath at the bastard who deliberately broke a staff gifted by their kind? If you want to test that with your own body, go ahead."

"If nothing else works later, maybe I will."

After answering, Eugene sank into thought for a moment.

Raizakia, the Black Dragon. He had been famous in Eugene's previous life, and he still flaunted his presence in the current era. Raizakia was, after all, one of Helmuth's three dukes.

Senya had banished Raizakia into a dimensional rift two hundred years ago.

Yet Raizakia still existed in Helmuth.

"... If that's really true, the Raizakia in Helmuth isn't the real one."

Senya's eyes grew calm as Eugene voiced his suspicion.

"The one who attacked this place was unquestionably Raizakia himself. If the banishment had failed, he would have attacked again."

"If it isn't him, then someone else is pretending to be Raizakia?"

"Those demon bastards in Helmuth would never respect the position of a Raizakia who wasn't even there. It's probably... an avatar of Raizakia, or a hatchling."

"... A hatchling?"

Eugene furrowed his brows, thinking of Raizakia. Had that Black Dragon had a hatchling?

"I don't know, either. How would I know whether that lizard had offspring? But either way, it wouldn't be bad for you—"

Senya cut herself off and clapped a hand over her mouth. Eugene scoffed at her and smacked her leg.

"Why stop talking? Right, it wouldn't be bad. Whether it's Raizakia's avatar or hatchling, it's connected to him either way. If I dig into it, I might be able to find the coordinates of wherever Raizakia's stuck."

"... Don't do anything reckless, Hamel."

"I won't. I've already died once. I don't want to die again, either."

Eugene smiled as he spoke.

"... Oh, right."

As he smiled, something suddenly came to mind. His smile vanished at once, and he glared at Senya.

"Hey. What's the deal with that?"

"What are you talking about out of nowhere?"

"The storybook."

Senya's expression froze.

"Hamel the Stupid."

"... Uh..."

"Who wrote it?"

"I-I don't know. It was entertaining, though. I read it, too... Uh... No, I didn't read it..."

"Who do you think you're bullshitting? There's a first edition sitting right there in Akron."

"That was... just... something I kept as a memento."

"I told you to cut the crap. Mer said you read that storybook hundreds of times."

"Why is she making things up? Maybe something broke after I left her alone for hundreds of years..."

"The contents of that first edition were quite a sight. Beautiful, cute, adorable, darling Senya."

"I-it didn't say adorable or darling. ... Probably."

Senya desperately searched her memory.

"It still said beautiful and cute. Are you out of your mind? How could you write that yourself?"

"W-what are you talking about! Why would I write it? It—it wasn't me."

"Then was it Anise?"

"Uh... Yeah."

"You're bullshitting me right to the end. Don't you think that's going too far? You and Anise are cute, beautiful, adorable, darling, and a fucking pain in the ass, huh? But why is Moron an idiot and I'm a bastard?"

"I didn't write it!"

Her face bright red, Senya shrieked.