Chapter 258: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (51)

Chapter 258: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (51)It was a languid dream.

As the bubble of light swept through my vision like waves, the world dyed in pure white was recolored by the memories of an unfamiliar man.

No, was he really unfamiliar?

By the time I opened my eyes, I had become that man.

I could feel the humidity of the tropics with each breath..

From the soil tinged with a faint red, a unique aroma wafted. With every step I took, droplets of sweat fell from my forehead.

It was the Great Forest.

While I was lost in thought, that one particular phrase stuck in my ear.

"...Shackle and liberate."

Thwack—the hatchet neatly split the firewood in half.

Now, it was something I could do even with my eyes closed.

It was hard at first, but I had already been tormented for years under my tiny master.

Before I knew it, I was splitting wood with ease.

Who would think of me as the disciple of a Great Witch at this rate?

If anything, I seemed more like a lumberjack..

Unaware of her disciple’s inner thoughts, the master continued to prattle on beside me.

"You must comprehend this principle. In the flow, everything is either Shackled or Liberated... If you can establish yourself in the flow and unravel others, there is nothing your sword cannot cut through."

With that, the master puffed on the pipe she was holding.

A pungent medicinal smell spread.

It was the scent of herbs that only grew in the Great Forest. Just like this, my master always smoked dried herbs in her pipe.

They were mostly herbs with analgesic effects.

Without them, the master would be in such agony that even routine activities would cause her to groan.

The barrier that trapped the vampire demanded numerous sacrifices.

It was a demon that had lived for hundreds of years.

The demonic humans who made a contract with the Evil God Omeros were all strong without exception. Amongst them, vampires were known to be exceptionally powerful.

A monster rumoured to be able to cut down swathes of trees with a mere wave of its hand and could leap thousands of miles with a single step.

Such a powerful being wouldn’t quietly remain trapped inside a barrier.

Every day it struggled to break free, and each time, the body of the Great Witch that formed the core of the barrier suffered.

That was also why the Great Witch appeared as a young girl.

To conserve even the mana necessary for vital functions, she assumed the form of her young self.

Only by doing so could she keep the vampire confined.

Ultimately, the only power left for the Great Witch to use was merely a fraction of her original strength.

Yet, even with that little power, she possessed the ability to control the continent.

At least, no expert could match her.

Take me, for instance.

Perhaps it was because I was still just a novice who hadn’t even manifested my Aura Attribute yet.

A heavy sigh soon escaped my lips.

"Shackle or whatever, what can someone who hasn’t even properly awakened their Aura power do? I need to awaken my Aura Attributes first..."

"Tsk, tsk."

My master clicked her tongue, her disapproval apparent.

With her hands on her hips, she seemed ready to scold me.

The disdainful gaze of the little girl was directed at me.

"You inept fool, are you that anxious? Aura is the manifestation of one's state of mind! I've repeatedly told you it all depends on your resolve..."

I could only deeply sigh at my master's words.

After all, she was already at the master level.

My struggles to awaken my Aura must have seemed pitiful to her.

She probably wanted me to think broadly and look far ahead.

However the feelings of someone perched on that elusive boundary were not so easy to manage.

It was like being parched with thirst, knowing there is a well right in front of you but being unable to find the path to it.

Especially when someone else is already walking ahead.

Suddenly, a girl flashed through my mind.

"...No, but still Junior Sister is already an Archmage."

Based on the mention of the name 'Elsie' and the surname 'Rinella,' it had to be Senior Elsie.

Who would have thought that even the ‘me’ from the Future would share a connection with her?

Truly, the ways of the world were unpredictable.

Grimacing from a hangover that felt like needles piercing my brain, I staggered to my feet.

Drinking cold water from my canteen made me feel somewhat better.

Wondering if anything had changed, I looked around and noticed a letter on the desk. It was the very letter that had additional scribbled words on the back.

Sure enough, there was another new sentence added there.

'There will be no next time. Impossible.'

It seemed that calling him forth at my will was now impossible.

Although I didn't know the exact circumstances, he had always been someone who briefly borrowed my body and then disappeared.

I could only guess that there must be some reason behind it.

Nevertheless, since I managed to overcome a critical crisis, it has been quite effective.

It was a strategy I devised based on the fact I was unconscious due to either alcohol or drugs every time my future personality possessed me.

Honestly, I wasn't sure.

The only time I had tested this was when I was trying to gather information about the 'swindlers' in the back alley.

That day too, after I had drunk heavily and fallen asleep, unfamiliar words had appeared in the letter.

Of course, that alone wasn't enough to prove my hypothesis; it was more or less a gamble.

Asking Emma for a strong anaesthetic poison was nothing more than an impromptu idea. It was intended to be used only in situations where there was nothing else that could be done.

But that situation came about sooner than expected.

Considering I woke up in bed, it seemed that, thankfully, my assumption was correct.

With a sigh of relief, I prepared to step out of the room.

Although the smell of alcohol still lingered, there was urgency. I needed to find out what had happened in the meantime.

In just one day, the atmosphere of the manor had completely changed.

It was originally a place of leisure and tranquillity. Today, however, I could sense an inexplicable and anxious urgency amongst the servants.

It was puzzling, but I knew that this mystery would be resolved once I heard the explanation.

As I hurried along, the first person I noticed was the Saintess.

Her brilliant silver hair was reflecting the morning sunlight.

She was praying in front of the statue of the Heavenly God that nobles usually kept in their lobby. Her expression was pitiful and sorrowful.

It was the kind of sight that would make any man curious about her story.

As I debated whether to interrupt the Saintess who was in the middle of her prayers.

Her eyes slowly opened.

They were a captivating shade of light pink.

The woman seemed to notice my presence and subtly turned to look at me, then scrutinised my face for a long while.

It seemed as though she was unsure of who I was.

Eventually, I had to lift my hand awkwardly and offer a strained smile.

"...It's been a while, Saintess."

"Ian."

The Saintess exclaimed my name softly, almost like a gasp, and then quickly stood up.

She approached me with a worried look on her face.

It seemed I had caused her a lot of concern.

Seeing how kindly the usually fastidious Saintess was treating me indicated as much.

However, it soon became clear that this was a misunderstanding on my part.

Squish—my face was suddenly buried in something.

The sensation was soft and elastic, something I had felt before.

The sweet scent of her skin invaded my brain.

For a moment, my thoughts halted completely.

“Poor Ian... If you ever face hardships ahead, don’t keep them to yourself. You understand?"

It was a consolation offered by her as she embraced me tightly.

It was from none other than the Saintess herself.

And so, I found myself muttering to myself involuntarily.

What's this all about?