Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Lucy Mayrill (3)

With every step she took, fallen leaves would spring up. She meandered through the mountain as if half floating until she came to her senses to find that she was already halfway up. She sat at the edge of the top of a coniferous tree that was roughly visible, and gazed down at the mountain. The color palette of the forest, once vibrant and multicolored, had now settled down. As late autumn approached, the foliage slowly disappeared, and the mountain prepared to welcome a new season. The girl gazed blankly at the sky.

Sniffing the air and taking a deep breath, she could feel the sticky humidity clinging to her lungs. Looks like its going to rain, she muttered quietly, her voice sounding much younger and clearer than usual. The girl, quick-witted, realized as soon as she heard her voiceits a dream. Looking down at her attire, she wasnt in her usual academy uniform but in an old blouse she used to wear wandering the mountains. And the scenery was not that of Acken Island.

It was the Lamellar mountain range of the northern empire where she spent her childhood. Between the outstretched branches, the old cabin is visible, too. Why was she dreaming of her youth now? She wasnt the type of girl to analyze such things deeply. However, since she was dreaming, she wanted to reminisce about good memories.

Who came to mind was the owner of that cabin. A man with a bushy beard, wrinkled skin, and a crooked back, but with a spine as straight as his convictions. He claimed to be a scholar and was also a first-rate magician. Yet, what he usually did was split wood, read in his armchair, or pluck at an instrument while staring blankly at the fireplaceseemingly trivial activities.

This great mage was already in the twilight of his life when the girl had just been born. What life he had led was a complete mystery to her. Deciding to visit him in her old dream, she lightly powered her legs and leaped through the trees. The sound of wind slicing through the air and the rustling of her clothes pressed against her ears.

She swiftly soared through the air and arrived at the cabin, landing gracefully. The familiar sight of the old cabin felt like returning home. A figures shadow swayed in the window against the cozy light of the fireplace. She could easily picture the sages silhouette as he sat in a rocking chair, waiting for her.

The girl walked with a spring in her step towards the cabin, feeling uncharacteristically excited.

Thud. Thump. Thump.

But she had overlooked one thingthe humid air that had made her chest feel damp. As if collecting on the foreshadowing, it began to pour down rain.

The rain quickly intensified, soaking her. The dampness made her clothes cling to her skin, and strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, asserting their presence. After briefly looking up at the downpour, the girl turned her gaze back to the cabin and caught her breath.

Just moments before, the cozy cabin appeared to have gone dark. The light of the fire seen through the window vanished in seconds. Cobwebs hung thickly from the eaves, and the once-clean doorknob was now dusty. It was a nightmare.

Despite the realization, her body moved involuntarily. She quickly opened the door and looked inside the cabin Someone still sat in the rocking chair.

In the dim interior, amidst the dank air, the sage slowly turned his head.

It was a fleshless skull. The skull looked at her, clattering its teeth.

As time passed, the bones had crumbled, and centipedes crawled through the cavities where eyes should have been. The teeth continued to clatter, then whispered to the girlwhy didnt you save me? There was a chance, why did you ignore me?

There was no change in the girls expression. As always, she looked blankly at the skull.

The skull cursed her. Dont think that those around you will last forever. Eventually, they will crumble and disappear in lifes storms like me, and you will be left alone counting your days until death. Loss comes without warning, which you well know.

As if suddenly freezing into a perpetual grin, the teeth halted with a click.

Still, the girl didnt move. The skull gradually turned to dust and disappeared. Only the clothes it wore collapsed onto the chair.

Woosh!

Lucy opened her eyes and sat up.

She was in room 203 of the abandoned wing. The academy was focusing all its efforts on rebuilding the Ophelius building, but it seemed likely that they would only be able to return next semester. Until then, they had to make do with elaborately decorating the old abandoned wing. Despite that, it could never be as luxurious as Ophelius had been before the devastation.

Since there was no helping the situation, most students had to accept it. Thankfully, the talented work of the Ophelius maids didnt go anywherethey made living in the somewhat inferior building tolerable.

Wiping away the cold sweat, Lucy kicked off the blankets and stood up. She immediately opened the window. The cool morning air cleared the stickiness from her sweat. The outer parts of the dormitory and the entrance to the faculty building came into view.

Curfew had long passed. It was an audacious time of night, but Lucy, not even bothering to take off the frilly nightgown the maid had forced on her, quickly donned her witchs hat and jumped out the window.

Immense magical power burst from her entire body, and in an instant, she manifested a high-level spatial magic.

For reasons unknown, Lucy felt a compelling desire to go to the northern forest. Arriving there in a blink, she landed in front of the old cabin.

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After swallowing, she looked through the window. The flickering flame of the fireplace was in view. Ed Rothtaylor lay asleep on a simple bed covered with a threadbare blanket.

A sigh of inexplicable relief escaped her, and Lucy leaned against the outer wall of the cabin and sat down. From there, she had a clear view of the camp. As someone who had napped in many places, Lucy quickly noticed that vitality was seeping away from the camp.

The stockpile of firewood wasnt increasing. Food supplies were the same. One side of the workbench was broken but remained unfixed. The smoker hadnt been used in a while. Traps that should have been set in the forest were all now on display at the camp.

The owner of this camp was preparing to say goodbye.

Strictly speaking, it had nothing to do with Lucy. Yet, she felt empty, and sat down, hugging her knees, gazing at the sky. The drizzly sky seemed to look down on Lucy.

It might rain.

With that calm remark, there was no one to answer.

* [ Magic Ability Details ]

Grade: Skilled magic student Specialization: Elemental magic Common Magic: Quick Casting Lv 9 Mana Detection Lv 9 Fire Elemental Magic: Ignition Lv 15 Wind Elemental Magic: Wind Blade Lv 14 Intermediate Magic has become accessible!

Spirit Magic: Spirit Sensitivity Lv 13 Spirit Comprehension Lv 13 Spirit Manifestation Lv 3 Sensory Sharing Lv 3 Spirit Slots: Lesser Fire Spirit Muk Sensitivity Level: 3 Elemental Diet Efficiency: Good Unique Enchantment Skill: Favor of Flame (Temporary Immune to Fire Burst) Explosiveness (Junior Explosion Magic)

Increased Fire Magic Abilities Spirit Slot: Vacant New Spirit Slot!: Vacant

Yenika looked unsettled, tilting her head a few times before finally sighing deeply and leaving the camp.

*

Intermediate Fire Magic Focused Blast

An evolved spell from the ignition incantation, this intermediate spell concentrates mana at a targeted point to create a small-scale explosion.

The power and scale are proportional to the amount of mana, so some users may only cause burns, while archmages can destroy buildings.

Despite seeming insignificant compared to the ignition spell, Focused Blast is not simply an intermediate spell without reason. Its advantage lies in its overwhelming versatility.

The long casting time and visible spread of fire make counteracting ignition magic straightforward.

However, Focused Blast, which ignites flames instantly at the targeted location, delivers overwhelming shock and leaves no chance for response if one cannot quickly detect the flow of mana.

Even after a whole day, I cant get basic mastery starting with intermediate magic, the difficulty of learning definitely becomes tangible.

Having nearly no magical talent, it naturally took time to acquire intermediate magic. Even with preliminary study during the elemental lectures, its still challenging.

Despite training nearly all day using the most efficient methods, the skill doesnt seem to appear in the skill window, leaving me feeling drained.

As the sun sets, there seems to be no progress, which is frustrating.

Ah well lets eat.

I closed the elemental studies book and carelessly tossed it aside.

Then, I picked up the lump on my lap.

Lucy wouldnt think of leaving all day while I was studying mana flows and reading the elemental studies book, insisting on sitting on my lap.

Ugh!

After stretching out her tiny body and yawning, Lucys expression remained unchanged.

Im hungry.

Go eat. Ophelius Halls student mealtime is almost over.

Okay.

Remarkably, with no fuss, Lucy got up from her spot, ready to leap toward Ophelius Hall, then suddenly corrected her posture.

She stood up straight against the tree trunk and looked at me, asking.

Hey.

What?

What will you do when I leave?

Its unusual for Lucy to pose such a question, indeed unexpected.

While preparing a pile of wood for the campfire, Lucy watched me quietly.

I have things to do after eating.

Things to do?

I turned my head slightly, looking towards the makeshift wooden table. On it lay the key to the secret vault handed to me by Professor Glast.

The academys investigation seems to be wrapping up, and the entrance to Professor Glasts secret lab, created without authorization, has been sealed.

I planned to use the hole bored by Lucy to enter the library and check its condition and the contents of the vault.

Without any further delay, I intended to move tonight.

Before that, I need to check the campfire and fireplace. The temperature could drop below zero at night, and without care, one could actually freeze to death.

We were nearing winter break.

Even bundled in layers, breath would turn to mist once the sun set. For the next while, I planned to use Muks flame for double heating. Without needing to use a large amount of mana immediately, it made sense to conserve firewood.

If I were to move into Dex Hall, these concerns would be unnecessary.

Whether to move into Dex Hall or continue cabin life, the scales waver. Before the holiday starts, its better to decide to set future plans clearly.

Oblivious to my thoughts, Lucy observed my face before suggesting

Lets go together.

She uttered, bewilderingly.