Chapter 221 - Damn Reincarnation

Ruhar

He had expected it, but creating his signature took a long time as well.

Eugene turned twenty-one in Aroth. His days settled into a familiar, monotonous routine. He practically lived in the Red Tower’s research wing, occasionally visiting Akron.

He received help from several people.

His master, Lovellian, put all his personal affairs aside to remain at Eugene’s side. Melkith, who visited occasionally—no, frequently—also took an active interest in his signature and offered advice on the construction of its spell formulas.

Eugene could not expect Hiridus and Trempel to advise him on the actual contents of those formulas. However favorably the two viewed him, the formulas constituting his signature had to remain secret.

Balzac’s research materials proved useful too. Before delving into them, Eugene first showed them to his master, Lovellian, for verification. The materials covered research Balzac had begun even before becoming an archmage, and his almost unnervingly meticulous attitude toward magic gave Eugene plenty of inspiration as he read.

Mer Merdein.

She had not had many opportunities to shine until now, but Mer was originally the familiar who oversaw the Hall of Senya in Akron. She could use a wide range of magic herself, but what made her invaluable here was her ability to interpret and connect spell formulas.

Without needing to cast magic from the formulas, Mer calculated what sort of magic different linked formulas would produce, and which variables would alter that magic and affect the formulas.

“Do you think I was created to manage Akron from the start? I’m a familiar made to assist Lady Senya with her magical calculations.”

Mer puffed herself up, delighted to finally have a chance to show what she could do.

And Eugene also had Akasha. The staff helped him “understand” magic. When he first grasped it, the spell formulas he had learned and knew had naturally been restructured into their optimal forms through Akasha.

He could use Akasha’s power while creating his signature too. Even formulas that would not connect could be made to link smoothly after he modified them this way and that with Akasha. Being able to connect otherwise incompatible magic greatly expanded his options. He then had Mer reexamine the formulas he assembled.

In the summer of his twenty-first year, he created his signature, imperfect though it was. There was no problem invoking its formulas and manifesting its effects, nor any possibility of failure due to variables. However, because it was not yet complete, its “range” was smaller than he had originally envisioned.

Still, there was nothing preventing him from using it. Eugene closed his eyes and savored his satisfaction.

“Wow...”

Watching from a distance, Mer wore a look of utter distaste. Kristina, standing beside her, had the exact opposite expression. Deeply moved, she clasped both hands before her chest.

“How beautiful and noble he looks...!”

[“Kristina, I sometimes find myself thinking this. You received little love growing up. Your unhappy childhood and suppressed childlike innocence have instilled some unhealthy notions in you.”]

Anise clicked her tongue as she spoke, but Kristina made no reply. To her, Eugene looked beautiful and noble right now.

Watching from elsewhere, Lovellian wore a pleased expression.

When he first heard the concept for the signature, he honestly doubted it would work. Eugene’s signature was different from those of other archmages. It was magic, but not magic for magic’s sake. Its sole focus was supporting Eugene.

That did not make it any less impressive as magic. Spells layered upon spells were producing an entirely different phenomenon. Even Lovellian himself could not imitate those intricately intertwined formulas.

“... It’s different from magic, isn’t it?”

“Didn’t we teach him that magic lets you do what you otherwise cannot?”

Lovellian chuckled and looked at Melkith. She was staring at Eugene with her brows deeply furrowed.

Melkith had a rough knowledge of the formulas constituting that signature too. But she did not know the original formula running through its core. No, even if she did, she could not possibly explain how those formulas produced such a phenomenon.

“And a signature must incorporate an archmage’s unique abilities. My Pantheon is a signature because of the summoned beings I’ve created and collected. Your Trinity Force requires contracts with the Earth Spirit King and the Lightning Spirit King. Those are prerequisites that cannot be imitated—our unique abilities.”

“... Well, that’s true.”

“The same applies to his signature. That makes it troublesome to face.”

What made Eugene’s signature especially difficult to deal with was that it could not be treated as mere magic. Since it supported Eugene himself, its power would continue to grow with his abilities. There was no guarantee that what they understood about it now would remain the same next time.

“... I think Lady Carmen will like it even more than I expected.”

Purple flames fluttered through the air. Soon they subsided as though burning out, then vanished. Wearing a conflicted expression, Mer spoke to Eugene.

“Be quiet. Do you think I made it like this because I wanted to? What am I supposed to do when this is the optimal form?”

“Is it really optimal? I feel like you could have made it take another form if you’d tried...”

“You... you’re painting a weird picture of me. There’s nothing special about this form. Huh? How many spells look like this?”

“That’s true, but you have a history of this, Lord Eugene.”

“Be quiet, Mermer.”

“My name isn’t Mermer. It’s Mer Merdein. You’re making fun of my name to distract us from your bizarre taste, aren’t you?”

“Keep that up and you really will die, Mermermermerdein.”

“You’re so childish.”

Clicking her tongue, Mer burrowed into Eugene’s arms. He gave the head of the familiar who had so casually snuggled up to him a light rap, then opened his cloak to let her inside.

The final verification was complete. Although the signature was still imperfect, it could no longer be called unfinished. He could make up for its shortcomings after leaving Aroth.

In truth, Eugene had no time left to spare.

The Knight March, to be held in the Kingdom of Ruhar, was next month. Its venue lay in the remotest reaches of Ruhar’s frontier, where there were no warp gates. Allowing ample time for the journey meant he had to leave Aroth today.

So he decided to do just that.

“Nothing serious should happen, but please remain careful at all times.”

Eugene had already said his farewells yesterday to the people who had helped create his signature, so only Lovellian and Melkith had come to see him off at the warp gate.

Trempel Wizardor, commander of Aroth’s court mage corps, would attend the Knight March with Crown Prince Honein. The tower masters, however, were not members of Aroth’s magic corps and would not participate.

“What is there to be careful about? The Knight March is being held in Lehein, isn’t it? That place is famous even in Ruhar for its luxurious hot springs. You can’t get in even if you have money!”

“Of course money won’t get you in. They call it luxurious, but it’s directly below the monster-infested snowy mountains of Leheinyar.”

“But the facilities are luxurious!”

“Well... that’s because they’re facilities for the mountain rangers who stand guard in Leheinyar and the knights who come regularly to train. If you’re so determined to enjoy Lehein, why not apply to Ruhar’s White Fangs, White Tower Master? I’m sure they would welcome you with open arms.”

“Am I crazy? The White Fangs, of all things... Hmm, maybe that old fellow Trempel would take me if I asked...”

“He would gladly take you if you transferred to the magic corps.”

“Then I’m not going. I can just make my own hot spring and enjoy that. Heat up groundwater and you’ve got a hot spring, right?”

Bantering away, Melkith approached Eugene with both arms spread wide.

“Anyway, congratulations, kid. Don’t forget that the great Melkith El-Hayah helped with that signature of yours. When you write your autobiography someday, make sure you mention what a kind, good person I was.”

“I’m not going to write an autobiography, but yes.”

“And bring me a souvenir from Lehein. I don’t know whether they sell souvenirs there, but I hear they mine stones called fire crystals in those hot springs. Apparently they’re sometimes found at the bottom of the springs, so bring me one.”

“Those are stones imbued with fire. What would you use one for, Lady Melkith?”

“What else? I’d use it as a catalyst to woo the Fire Spirit King.”

Apparently, contracts with two Spirit Kings still were not enough to satisfy her. Leaving the cackling Melkith behind, Eugene exchanged farewells with Lovellian as well.

“But is it really necessary to travel together?”

Kristina subtly tried to discourage him. Of course, Eugene did not recognize it for what it was and answered with an unconcerned expression.

“The others have already left, and those two are already waiting for us.”

“I understand Lord Cyan’s case. But isn’t Lady Ciel a member of the Black Lion Knights’ Third Division? Why is she waiting to travel with you instead of going with Lady Carmen and her fellow knights?”

“They’re siblings.”

“Siblings...! What does that have to do with anything?”

“The Lionhearts are bound to attract attention at this Knight March. Too much has happened to us recently. And that attention will fall on Cyan, Ciel, and me, the family’s next generation.”

Eugene paid the warp gate fee as he answered nonchalantly.

“The journey from Ruhar’s capital to Lehein won’t be easy. It’ll take a good month, and the frontier snowfields are crawling with monsters. They train with their order all the time, but they rarely get a chance to build bonds by overcoming difficult terrain as siblings, do they? Besides, I’m their brother and have reached a high level in the White Flame Formula. The idea is probably for them to gain some positive motivation and inspiration from me as we cross the snowfields together.”

After he went that far, Kristina had nothing to say. In fact, he sounded right, and she felt ashamed of the uncharitable thoughts she had entertained for no reason.

So she reflected on her behavior and began murmuring a prayer of repentance. Just then—

[“Positive motivation, my foot. I cannot speak for that young lord Cyan, but that scheming little girl Ciel must have stubbornly insisted out of a selfish desire to travel with Hamel.”]

‘...’

[“Kristina. If that girl is too much for you to handle, leave her to me, your Sister. I will correct her behavior so she never tries anything so sly again.”]

‘... I’m fine...’

It was not as though she felt no desire to do that, but she did not want to go so far as to ask Anise...

“Shouldn’t you at least change clothes before we go?”

Mer poked her head out of the cloak.

“The Kingdom of Ruhar has winter all year round. Lady Anisilla sent me some new winter clothes recently, actually. Would you like to see them, Lord Eugene? I’ve already changed.”

“See what? You showed me as soon as you got them, and again yesterday.”

“Honestly, even I think I look pretty cute in a fur coat. Aren’t I cute no matter how many times you look?”

He could not deny that, but Mer’s face was incredibly irritating as she looked up at him with a smug little grin. Eugene tugged both her cheeks and shook his head.

“Don’t pinch me. Aren’t you going to change, Lord Eugene?”

“I’m fine. This cloak is winter clothing.”

“What about you, Lady Kristina?”

“My robe also protects against the cold.”

“Honestly! How can you all be like this? Do you only wear clothes to keep from getting cold? There’s fun in wearing something new and different too!”

“Clothes just need to keep you warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s hot, and let you move comfortably.”

[“That little familiar has never wandered through Helmuth. She has it too easy.”]

Eugene grumbled, and Anise agreed. But Kristina sympathized with Mer to some extent and felt a small urge herself. Come to think of it, she had never worn anything other than a nun’s habit or priestly vestments.

“... Ahem... This robe protects against the cold, but it won’t keep the swirling snow off me. So I think it would be all right to purchase a coat.”

Having persuaded herself with that reasoning, Kristina walked toward the warp gate.

Following her, Eugene thought of Moron.

This was not his first visit to the northern snowfields. They had had to cross them to enter Helmuth. In those days, demons and demonic beasts occupied most of the northern lands. Though not quite as bad as Helmuth, that bitterly cold land had been appallingly full of them.

Those snowfields had enraged Moron. Eugene had never visited the Bayar tribe where Moron was born and raised, or the snowfields where they had settled. But the Bayar called themselves children of the north, children of the snowfields. Even if the snowfields Moron had crossed with Hamel three hundred years ago were not Bayar territory, they were still a land of snowfields swept by blizzards.

Moron wielded a great hammer and an axe.

When he brought his hammer down, avalanches followed. When he swung his axe, blizzards parted.

When those utterly brute-force attacks were aimed at demons or demonic beasts, his enemies were crushed or burst apart without leaving intact corpses, staining the snowfields with blood of every color.

The snow never stopped. It kept falling thick and fast. Even when mangled corpses littered the ground and blood stained the entire snowfield, only a little time had to pass before the bodies and blood-soaked earth turned pure white.

Moron loved those snowfields.

‘... The hot river.’

A hot river flowed near the Bayar tribe. Three hundred years ago, when Anise first spoke of the Spring of Light, Moron had spoken of that hot river too.

At the time, Hamel and Senya had laughed at him, refusing to believe it. How could river water be hot? The Bayar tribe lived in the far north, where snow fell in great flurries. They thought even a cold river would freeze solid and stop flowing, so the idea of a flowing hot river seemed absurd.

‘Hot springs, huh.’

Moron had not lied. Hot springs were a famous tourist attraction in the Kingdom of Ruhar, a kingdom built in the middle of the snowfields.

[“Once the war is over, we can all go together. I’ll be the Bayar chieftain by then. If I tell the tribe to clear the river for my friends, they’ll gladly give it to us.”]

Moron had said that with a broad smile.

But those words had never come true. The war ended unsatisfactorily, and Hamel died. That made it impossible for all of them to visit the hot river together.

Still, Moron became the Bayar tribe’s chieftain and founded a kingdom bearing his own name.

“Moron was the most successful of us.”

Eugene smiled bitterly and passed through the warp gate.

Senya had been praised as a tower master in Aroth, but Vermouth had attacked her for unknown reasons, inflicting a fatal wound. Afterward, Raizakia’s attack left her cursed and sealed within the World Tree.

Anise had tried to retire by embarking on a pilgrimage, but at the very end, a change of heart led her to take her own life. Her body found no rest, instead being used as a sacrifice for Yuras’s next candidate for sainthood.

Vermouth had served as a grand duke in Kiel and established the Lionhearts, one of the foremost noble families. But he, too, found no rest in his later years, faking his death and disappearing.

Moron, however, had lived happily for a very, very long time. That was what people said.

He founded the Kingdom of Ruhar in the snowfields Helmuth had trampled. He gathered countless refugees who had lost their homelands and made them his kingdom’s people. In the three hundred years since its founding, Ruhar had become the greatest power in the north. On its own, it wielded more influence than the Demon-Subjugating Alliance, a coalition of small and medium-sized countries near Helmuth.

Ruhar’s extraordinary growth had been possible because Moron the Brave had stood behind it until just a hundred years ago. He reigned for about fifty years after founding the kingdom before passing the throne to his son. Rather than retire into seclusion, however, he continued protecting Ruhar as its former king.

But even Moron had suddenly withdrawn into seclusion and disappeared around a hundred years ago.

‘These bastards are all the same. Moron went into seclusion, Senya went into seclusion, and Anise went on a pilgrimage. They all vanished without giving a proper explanation. And that bastard Vermouth pretended to be dead.’

Eugene raised his head and looked ahead. He had already passed through the warp gate, but the temperature had not changed drastically. If anything, the air was pleasantly warm.

The capital of the Kingdom of Ruhar.

“Hamelon!”

Inside the cloak, Mer looked up at Eugene with a bright smile.

“You know about it too, don’t you, Lord Eugene? They say the city is called Hamelon because the first king, Lord Moron Ruhar, wanted to honor his fallen companion.”

“... I know.”

“They say there are statues of Lord Moron and Lord Hamel together in the square in front of the palace. You’ll go see them, of course?”

“No.”

“Why not? I hear they’re beautifully made and really magnificent.”

“I think seeing them would make me feel strange.”

“I would like to see them, though...”

Kristina tentatively spoke up. Inside her head, Anise giggled.

[“I saw them once, but I would recommend not looking.”]

‘Why, Sister?’

[“Moron honored his fallen companion a little too much. The statue of Hamel there is, how should I put it... It is a statue of Hamel, but it doesn’t look like him. He made it look extremely... noble. Like the holy statues in Yuras.”]

‘Noble...? I’m not sure what you mean.’

[“Moron made a statue of the moment Hamel died, so the people of Ruhar could mourn his noble sacrifice... Hamel lies with a hole in his chest, and Moron is lifting his body into his arms. I remember it vividly. After the Demon King of Incarceration returned Hamel’s body, Moron picked it up and carried it away...”]

Recalling the distant past, Anise gave a sorrowful laugh.

Eugene could not hear Kristina and Anise’s conversation, but he genuinely did not want to see the statues in the square.

The reason was simple. He felt that seeing them would inevitably leave him melancholy and bring him to tears, and he did not want Anise to see him like that...

“... Still, Lord Eugene. Wouldn’t it be better to see them at least once before we leave?”

Kristina gently urged him. Just as Eugene opened his mouth to answer—

“Eugene!”

Someone called his name loudly. When Eugene turned, Ciel ran up from nearby and threw her arms around him without slowing down.

“It’s been so long!”

It had been nearly half a year since they last saw each other, so she was right. Ciel pushed back her thick, furry hood and smiled up at Eugene.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

“Were you waiting here?”

“You said you’d arrive today. So my brother and I came out early.”

Still beaming, Ciel cast a sidelong glance at Kristina.

[“Kristina. Wouldn’t it be better to switch with me?”]

Anise whispered like a devil inside her head.

The corner of Kristina’s mouth twitched.