Volume 5 - CH 13

v5c13 - Penance

–Then. Cyclo and his group escaped from the deep hole without incident.

They headed straight to the Frontier Count’s mansion to ask for a brazen favor.

“–So, the S-rank adventurer, Miss Alice Sandoria, is the culprit behind the guild bombing in the Royal Capital and is also Cyclo’s sister, so you want to take her into custody as a criminal slave?”

Deimos, the Count of the Frontier City, says while holding his forehead and looking like his head hurts.

Well, I guess it actually hurts.

Alice-Sandoria is the current full name of Alice-Owen.

“Yeah, that’s what I want to happen. Can you do it?”

“…… Do you know what a lord like me thinks when asked by a SSS rank adventurer?”

Deimos replies to Cyclo with a question. But without giving Cyclo time to answer, he answers himself.

“They weigh the risk of you turning against them against the cost of doing what they ask! Thanks to you, though, I’m having a lot of fun every day, worrying about my eccentric imagination every time, and having no end of anxiety!”

“I’m glad to hear that. So I can ask you to do it, right?”

The frontier count sighs at Cyclo, who is completely unmoved.

""

“Haah~ ……. Well, we are far away from the royal capital and have little relationship with it. I’m sure we’ll get scowled at for deciding how to handle a serious criminal on our own, but it won’t be that big of a risk. No problem.”

“That’d be helpful.”

Cyclo says and asks Deimos for a handshake. Then Deimos shakes his hand.

Thus, Alice’s custody was safe in Cyclo’s hands.

Then –At night, Cyclo and his party stayed at the residence of the frontier count.

In his room, Cyclo continued to design a magical tool that he could create with his clock generation skill.

Currently, Cyclo’s ability is faster the more parts are related to clocks, the faster they are generated.

The clock grenade, the majority of which can be generated as clock parts, can be generated in an instant, while the Mystletainn, most of whose structure has nothing to do with clock parts, requires several seconds.

Therefore, as long as he has time, he spends his nights reviewing the design, searching for a structure that can be generated faster, or simply trying to improve its performance.

And so the night goes on with the design.

Suddenly, there is a knock at the door of Cyclo’s room.

“Master. I have something I want to talk to you about. May I have a moment now?”

Mist’s voice came through the door.

“It’s okay, Mist. Come in.”

Cyclo said, and Mist opened the door and entered the room with a somewhat awkward expression on her face.

“What’s the matter, Mist?”

“…… Master. I have something I need to apologize for.”

Mist bowed her head as she said.

“You’re sorry …… For what? Mist is doing a great job.”

“That’s not it — I actually know another way to deal with the Master’s ‘symptoms’.”

Mist’s words rang a bell for Cyclo.

“…… I see. Restoration magic, right?”

“…… Yes. I believe that my “restoration magic” will probably be able to restore Master’s heart as well. I have a feeling that I can do it.”

With a tearful look on her face, Mist says.

“…… But if I ‘restore’ Master’s heart before it was damaged. Maybe – no. I’m sure that Master will lose his memories from that time until now.”

“Memories, huh?”

When Cyclo was told, he somehow understood why Mist had remained silent and why she had not suggested the Restoration Magic treatment.

“The truth is — I was very afraid. I really didn’t want to be forgotten by Master …… So I tried to somehow think of a way other than restoration magic to divert my attention …… Everything’s for my sake. So I’m here to apologize.”

Mist apologizes with words of regret, keeping her head bowed deeply.

Seeing Mist in this state, Cyclo asks.

“Then why did you decide to bring it up now?”

“…… It’s not fair. I’m hoping that if there was a means other than restoration magic, Master would take care of me – that he might not have to choose. That’s why I could come here to apologize ……!! I’m so, so sorry!!”

Mist utters her apology in a tearful voice.

Cyclo gently hugs Mist.

“Thank you, Mist. I’m so sorry!”

“…… Master.”

“Because you were on my side, I decided to try to improve my relationship with Alice. And now you’ve given me the option of using regeneration magic. Mist has done nothing wrong. Rather, you remained on my side. Just like you promised.”

Saying this, Cyclo patted Mist’s head and comforted her.

As he did so, Mist gradually calmed down and found that her tears had stopped.

“Don’t worry, Mist. –I will never forget you. The memories I have of you since we met are very precious to me. Even if they can be restored by restoration magic, I will remember you even if I have to defy it. So …… don’t worry, I want you to use restoration magic on me.”

Cyclo then makes a demand to Mist.

That’s the whole point–Mist is a slave, and all he has to do is give orders through a slave contract.

Still, Cyclo asked for Mist’s consent.

Mist thought that this was a sign of trust and kindness in Cyclo’s own way to Mist.

So–Mist, too, prepared herself.

“–Yes, I understand. If the master says so. I’ll believe in Master.”

“Thank you, Mist.”

Thus, both of them were determined.

Mist, as requested by Cyclo, invoked her restoration magic.

“–[Resurrection]!”

Magic is more effective when it is given a name and more concrete impression.

Therefore, Mist gave a name meaning revival to the only magic that could be invoked due to its aptitude for regeneration magic.

In this way, the restoration magic is activated when Mist puts magical power into it.

A golden, warm, dazzling light overflows from Mist’s body and begins to drift around the area as fine grains of powdery snow.

Soon, the light particles begin to flow toward Cyclo.

Cyclo, on the other hand, senses the magic power of the incoming light particles.

He felt Mist’s magic power healing his body.

Then – he felt the light reach a place that is not anywhere else in the world, the same place where he puts his magical power when he activates his skills.

(– It’s so warm, It’s like I could fall asleep like this.)

Cyclo almost surrenders to the warm light that fills his soul.

(But – this can’t go on like this.)

But – if I continue to be at the mercy of the light, I might lose my memory.

Therefore, Cyclo instinctively senses the area that “only here must not be invaded,” and pushes back the light that tries to reach it with his magical power.

Mist also sensed Cyclo’s resistance through her magic power.

(Master is also doing his best not to forget me. If that’s the case, then I, too–)

Mist consciously controls the grains of light that naturally overflow.

And then– she changed the flow of the light particles to follow Cyclo’s resisting power.

In this way, about …… ten minutes of time passed.

Mist senses that the restoration is complete and calls back the light.

The particles of light that had penetrated into Cyclo rapidly return to Mist’s body.

Then all the light disappears – and the treatment is successfully completed.

“…… Master.”

Mist calls out to Cyclo.

Maybe he’ll be fine. But still, there is still some uneasiness.

Cyclo slowly looks at Mist and smiles.

“It’s okay. I remember you well, about Mist.”

Saying that, he hugs Mist tightly.

“With this …… I should be able to get back to my previous relationship with Alice again. Thank you, Mist. For me, you are my lucky angel.”

“M-Master ……! I feel the same way!”

Mist was so happy that he remembered her. She was so happy that she was moved to tears.

“Ahaha. Even though you’re happy, you’re still shedding tears.”

“Yes, I do. That’s how special Master is to me ……”

“Then, it can’t be helped.”

“–Yes.”

Thus, the treatment with restoration magic was completed without any trouble.

The effectiveness of the treatment will be known tomorrow after Alice is officially contracted as a criminal slave.