Chapter 180 - Damn Reincarnation

Ariartel

A ring?

Eugene's eyes widened at the question. A ring... a ring?

"Oh."

So that was what she meant. Eugene raised his left hand and looked at Agaroth's Ring on his ring finger.

It was certainly there, but it felt completely natural and never got in the way when he opened, closed, or moved his hand. He looked back and forth between the ring and Ciel's face.

"... Someone gave..."

"Who?"

That was an awkward question. Ariartel had given him the ring. A dragon. He hadn't made a Dragon Speech-bound promise concerning her, but that didn't mean he intended to go around talking about her indiscriminately.

"I can't tell you."

Eugene answered with an awkward smile. Had he known this would happen, he wouldn't have said it was a gift. Just as that regret struck him, he saw Ciel's eyes waver. And not just her eyes. Both her fists were clenched tight, and she was biting down on her slightly parted lips.

"You. Can't. Tell me? Why?"

Ciel hadn't intended to get worked up. She wanted to be rational, cool, and matter-of-fact about this. Unfortunately, human hearts and emotions don't fucking listen to reason.

On top of that, people often fail to judge their own emotional state objectively. They insist they aren't angry when anyone can see that they are.

In truth, it isn't that they can't judge it. They don't want to admit it, or they're embarrassed, or they know perfectly well and are making a show of it for someone else.

Ciel was no different. She thought she wasn't particularly angry. She had no reason to be. A ring? So what? She told herself it didn't bother her, but that wasn't a spontaneous thought. It was merely a desperate argument in her own defense.

Ciel Lionheart, age twenty. She was the sort of person who teased rather than got teased, who made other people angry rather than getting angry herself. That made her all the more reluctant to accept this complicated—yet actually quite simple—irritation. Even so, her fists shook, and she kept biting her lips hard. It was an unmistakable display aimed at Eugene.

"... Uh... are you okay?"

A chill ran down his spine. Eugene took a step back and lowered his outstretched left hand. At that instant, Ciel shot out her hand and snatched his wrist.

"... Hmm."

The corners of Ciel's eyes twitched as she glared at the ring. A plain gold band. It didn't even have an expensive gemstone set into it. Actually, was it even gold? Perhaps it was plated, or made of some other metal. Once she thought that, the ring on Eugene's finger seemed to lose its luster.

"... It doesn't look very expensive, does it?"

"I don't really know what it's worth..."

"It's a bit questionable for a member of the Lionheart main family to go around wearing cheap—"

Ciel abruptly stopped. Through the opening in his shirt, she had spotted the old necklace around Eugene's neck. As far as she remembered, he had been wearing it for seven years already.

Gilead knew the necklace had come from Lionheart's Treasury, but Ciel and Cyan did not. The reason was simple. Seven years ago, Eugene had taken two things from the Treasury: the necklace and Wynnyd. Gilead hadn't wanted that to make his children jealous of Eugene and keep them from getting along.

So Ciel and Cyan had come up with their own explanation for his necklace. Since he never took it off, even when he slept, perhaps it was a keepsake from his late mother?

'You idiot...!'

An old, cheap necklace that couldn't be called a luxury even as a polite fiction. But it was probably a keepsake from his mother, and to Eugene, it must have been a treasure more precious than anything else. She'd forgotten it was there and said he was wearing cheap things... At a loss, Ciel anxiously watched his expression.

It really was a keepsake, as it happened. From his parents in his previous life, not this one. It didn't mean much to him anymore; he wore it simply because it was something from his past life.

"... Uh..."

His little sister was in trouble. Cyan thought this was precisely the moment to step in for her like a proper older brother. But how? He opened his mouth first, at least. That brought both Eugene's and Ciel's eyes to him.

He saw Ciel's eyes wavering. His younger sister, born just a few seconds after him. Those eyes, usually filled with mischief and teasing, were trembling pitifully.

"You're... you're a frugal person, after all."

Cyan gave a laugh as he spoke. Once again, he'd blurted something out first... Wouldn't something else have been better? Looking between Ciel and Eugene, he continued.

"That ring, too... uh... if you're wearing it, there must be some special reason ordinary people wouldn't understand..."

Ciel's eyes were gradually regaining their usual light. She gave a little huff. It was deliberate and not remotely natural, but she was convinced she had perfectly concealed her agitation and brought her emotions under control.

"... Why can't you tell us who gave it to you?"

"Shouldn't you respect people's privacy?"

That was Eugene's answer.

It was the worst possible answer. The corners of Ciel's eyes shot upward, and cold sweat poured down Cyan's forehead. Dezra wanted absolutely no part in that conversation. She kept her backside pressed to the saddle, maintaining her unsteady position atop the wyvern. Inside the cloak, Mer listened intently while crunching on cookies, frustrated though she was.

"That ring!"

Cyan hastily spoke up.

"Wearing it on your left ring finger means, you know, that it has a special meaning, right? Is that why you can't tell us, because it's private?"

"... What is going on? Why are you all so interested in a ring on someone else's finger?"

"O-of course we're curious. You're my brother. You weren't wearing any rings even a week ago, so if you suddenly turn up with one on your ring finger, of course we're going to wonder and care about it. O-of course, you're free to do that sort of thing..."

"No, you've got the wrong idea. It's not that kind of ring."

Eugene gave a disbelieving laugh and waved his hand, the back facing them.

"I'm not wearing it for decoration, either. It's just a magical artifact. The reason I can't say who gave it to me is..."

"Magic!"

Cyan shouted. He rushed over to Ciel and quickly draped an arm around her shoulders.

"Now I understand! If it's magic, there's nothing to be done. Magic is, what's the word, incredibly mysterious and secretive!"

"... What?"

"So it can't be helped. If magic's involved, you can't just talk about it. Knowing you, if you're not giving us a straight answer, you must have a good reason."

"That's right!"

Mer stopped merely listening and poked her head through a gap in the cloak. Scrubbing the cookie crumbs from around her mouth, she continued.

"That ring holds a magical promise. You wouldn't know, since you aren't wizards, but the left ring finger symbolizes contracts, promises, and connections. And magic places enormous importance on rituals like that."

"... Really?"

Ciel's expression softened considerably.

"Of course! And as Sir Cyan said, magic has to be secretive. That's why he can't tell you. Yes!"

In truth, she had wanted to watch a little longer. But if she let this continue, it felt as though it would end in catastrophe, and that wasn't what Mer wanted. Honestly, watching Ciel's innocent attempts to get Eugene's attention from inside his cloak had been quite entertaining...

'... Though it'll all come to nothing once Lady Senya returns.'

Mer was already savoring the superiority of a victor.

"... Is thaaat so?"

Honestly, what was she thinking?

Her boiling emotions quickly subsided. Still holding Eugene's hand, Ciel shook it briskly up and down and beamed.

"If it's magic, it can't be helped. Why didn't you say so sooner?"

She'd gotten worked up over something stupid. Ciel knew Eugene very well. Her vulgar older brother had been hiding obscene books in his room and secretly indulging in them since he was young, but as far as she knew, Eugene had never done that even once. He was so abstinent that it was hard to believe he and her brother were the same age, and he was single-mindedly devoted to the self-discipline of his training.

'Did he run into a wandering wizard hiding their identity?'

Alchester Dragonic, the empire's greatest knight, was that family's head. They might be slightly behind Lionheart, but it wasn't implausible for a reclusive wizard concealing their identity to be among their household.

"I did it!"

Dezra cheered behind them. The wyvern, which had stubbornly refused to move until now, was finally walking where she directed the reins and flapping its wings.

"Lady Ciel, look! My wyvern spread its wings!"

"Shut up, Dezra!"

How dare she interrupt just when things were going so well? Ciel shot Dezra a glare and released Eugene's hand.

* * *

A week later.

Eugene sat up in bed and blinked.

Akasha was floating in the middle of his room.

She'd said she'd have it brought to him... Apparently, she'd meant that literally. Akasha had flown through the sky all the way from the backwater of Bolanyo to Eugene's room in the Lionheart mansion.

"Seriously... what was she going to do if someone snatched it up, or a bird shat on it...?"

Of course, every precaution against possible mishaps had been taken, from the basic invisibility spell to a protective barrier that kept wind, rain, and dust from dirtying it. Still, Eugene grumbled as he reached for Akasha.

Outwardly, nothing had changed. But the moment he grasped the staff, his vision wavered.

'The mana circulation system has been improved.'

Three hundred years was a long time. Akasha had been crafted by a dragon, but by modern magical standards, parts of it were somewhat outdated. Ariartel, a dragon herself, had identified those shortcomings and brought its circulation system up to date.

'Right. The circle magic formula hadn't been established when Akasha was made...'

As a result, circle magic cast through Akasha had involved a little waste and delay.

"Does that mean that dragon learned Lady Senya's circle magic formula?"

Mer peeked out of the cloak Eugene had taken off.

The terrifying Dragon Fear Ariartel had unleashed.

A week had passed since their return from the Dragonic mansion, but Mer still couldn't forget that terror and crawled into the cloak every night.

"She adjusted the circulation system to fit the circle magic formula, so probably."

"Which means Lady Senya's circle magic formula is brilliant enough for even a dragon to acknowledge it!"

"Why are you acting like that's news...? Most wizards learn the circle magic formula anyway, not just dragons."

"A human learning it and a dragon learning it are entirely different things! Making even dragons, the progenitors of magic, acknowledge her work! That's Lady Senya for you!"

Making a great fuss, Mer wriggled out of the cloak, hurried over, and climbed onto Eugene's bed. She wore an untroubled expression, but merely thinking of the dragon had brought back the terror of facing Dragon Fear head-on.

Eugene felt her faint trembling, too. Without a word, he pulled the blanket over and wrapped it around her.

"... Hmm."

He focused his mind and began linking with Akasha. What had changed, and what had been added? The answers immediately became clear in his mind.

'The backlash from higher-circle magic has decreased. Spell construction is smoother and faster, too...'

Eugene was currently at the Fifth Circle. With Mer and Akasha's assistance, he could use Seventh Circle magic, but frankly, doing so in combat placed a considerable strain on him in several ways.

The improved circulation system greatly reduced the burden of using higher-circle magic and made his mana use more efficient. He hadn't expected this extra service. Grinning, Eugene gazed at the dragon heart adorning Akasha's tip.

He could see the magic Ariartel had inscribed. Word magic, not constructed from spell formulas. As for how to use it... Eugene rose, absorbing the information flowing into his mind.

"... Hmm."

He looked around, then remembered his necklace. Taking it off, he tried resonating it with Akasha.

The dragon heart flashed once. At that instant, someone's image appeared in Eugene's mind.

'That's me.'

A hazy image of his previous life. His current appearance overlapped it. Was it showing the soul imprinted on the object? And the location... When he fed it a little more mana, the grounds of the Lionheart main estate appeared.

'I can't read the coordinates... And the projection of the space doesn't seem to get very close, either. Right, Ariartel said so. Once you go beyond spatial units and reach the dimensional level, regions and coordinates become meaningless. If I can find a definite connection...'

Closing his eyes, Eugene grasped the true nature of the Word magic. Find something connected to Raizakia and resonate it with Akasha. If the object had a definite connection to Raizakia, he could forcibly open a dimensional gate and reach the rift where Raizakia was drifting.

'... Spatial coordinates aren't fixed. They constantly shift a little. That's why complex calculations are necessary.'

It abandoned coordinate calculations and expanded the search to the dimensional level instead. In exchange, it projected the space occupied by the target, albeit from a distance. That was enough. Smiling, Eugene reached for the Cloak of Darkness.

For now, he intended to run a variety of tests. First, he took out Wynnyd. As he held Akasha toward it, the blade began vibrating, and Tempest immediately responded.

["What unpleasant magic."]

"Help me out here."

["Hamel, if you wish it, I cannot refuse. But bear this in mind. Countless beings have tried to pinpoint the spirit realm and cross into it. Several dragons were among them. But no being is permitted entry into the spirit realm."]

"Why not just say it plainly? Even if you find the spirit realm, you'll die if you cross over."

Grumbling, Eugene resonated Akasha with Wynnyd.

His head throbbed. Unlike before, neither Tempest's presence nor the space he occupied was projected.

["So it cannot force open a door to the spirit realm? It seems this magic can only open gates within this dimension. Of course, that young dragon could hardly disregard laws of the spirit realm of such an order and open a gate connecting to an external dimension."]

"Then it's useless if Raizakia is in an entirely different dimension."

["Hamel. Don't you already know the answer to that? If Raizakia truly were somewhere in an external dimension, his curse could not remain on Senya Merdein and the elves."]

That was true. With a little disappointment, Eugene set Wynnyd down.

He took out the Moonlight Sword.

["... Isn't that dangerous?"]

Tempest knew the Moonlight Sword's power well, too. An unidentified sword discovered in underground ruins in Helmuth. Though Tempest was the Wind Spirit King and had existed since the distant past, no myth or legend on the continent contained anything about the Moonlight Sword.

["Hamel. As you know, that is... destruction in the shape of a sword. One wrong move could cause an unforeseen backlash."]

"The Moonlight Sword has the strongest connection to Vermouth."

Without hesitation, Eugene drew it from its sheath.

Pale, gentle moonlight formed the blade. The moment Mer saw the Moonlight Sword, she burrowed under the blanket.

"The Thunderbolt Bow, the Dragon Spear, and the Holy Sword all have origins that predate Vermouth, and all had other owners before him. But the Moonlight Sword has no known origin beyond Vermouth. I'm holding it now, sure, but Vermouth used it far longer, far more often, and far better than I have."

["... That is true, but..."]

"I'm not expecting much. That meticulous bastard went so far as to fake his death and hold a funeral, so he's probably erased every trace connecting to him. But there's always a chance, right? Even if I fail to find Vermouth, I might at least learn where the fragments are."

As he spoke, Eugene brought Akasha close to the Moonlight Sword. The moonlight pouring from the blade pushed Akasha's magic away. Eugene immediately began adjusting the interaction between them.

Three years ago, when he'd first obtained a fragment of the Moonlight Sword, he had practiced mana manipulation against it. Then he'd acquired the hilt in the desert tomb. He hadn't been able to control the fragment at all, but once he added the hilt, control became possible.

It hadn't been easy. Casting magic while holding the Moonlight Sword, releasing sword force... Reaching the point where he could do all of that had been brutally difficult. That was how Eugene had tamed the Moonlight Sword.

KEEN...!

The Word magic activated in Akasha connected to the Moonlight Sword.

'... This is...'

Inside his mind.

Something.

'... I...'

It appears. Spreads. Soaks in.

'... What am I looking at?'

Darkness without a single speck of light. Is that... the sky?

'... That is...'

He doesn't know. He can't understand what he's seeing. It's too dark... Nothing is visible. No, he can't see...

'Vermouth?'

CLINK.

A sound he'd heard somewhere before. ... When was it?

CLINK.

The sound of chains dragging.

The darkness churns. Two red lights open in its midst.

"Do not look."

A calm whisper.

'The Demon King of Incarceration.'

Eugene recalled whose voice that was.

The darkness turns red. Eugene knew what that red was.

...

...

...

["... Hamel!"]

"Sir Eugene!"

The voices echoing in his mind and piercing his ears brought Eugene back to his senses.

His vision was still bright red.

"Fuck."

Eugene swore as he wiped away the bloody tears streaming from his eyes.