Chapter 135: We Can’t Have Everything! But… (5)

Chapter 135: We Can’t Have Everything! But... (5)

“Light. Butterfly. Time. Flight....”

Lunch time.Brigitte was mumbling.In her hand was a cup, and the cup, flipped upside down on the table, was holding a butterfly captive.

“It should have used more than four words at least. Path...? Guide...?”

Brigitte had been talking to herself like this since earlier.She didn’t even notice that I stole the one cherry tomato off her plate.She was completely focused.In this state, she wouldn’t even notice if someone pulled on her nose.

Swoosh—

“What are you doing? What about my nose?””

No, she does notice her nose being pulled.I released Brigitte’s nose and spoke.

“Well, I was wondering what you were doing, not even eating your food.”

“Food? That doesn’t matter. I’m trying to figure out the spell that formed this butterfly. It was five words at least. It’s more than a five-circle spell.”

“Is that so?”

Honestly, I knew nothing about magic.When doctors show patients scribbled words and explain with technical terms, patients tend to think, ‘I see, that’s how it is.’Whenever I heard explanations about magic, I always felt like a patient.In the end, the important thing was whether it was good or bad for your health.

“So, what’s the bottom line?”

I asked.To that, Brigitte tossed a huge chunk of meat into her mouth and chewed as she spoke.

“The bottom line is that this butterfly is magic. The spell used to form this magic is more elaborate than anyone else’s I’ve ever seen.”

Brigitte was a brilliant mage.And all brilliant mages were full of pride, having the mindset of “I’m the best.”

Arrogance.Self-righteousness.They say those were important for mages.But if Brigitte was commending the spell to such a degree, it was evident how skilled the caster of this magic butterfly was.

“So, what’s the purpose of the caster?” Did they release the butterflies to terrorize Freesia?”

According to Brigitte, these butterflies had the effect of bending something called the ‘time axis’.To explain in a way I could understand, they were able to draw ‘results’.

“This butterfly has the effect of drawing the future and results from objects. In my opinion, this is a finished state of spacetime magic. That’s all I know right now.”

Spacetime magic.It was a kind of magic that I knew as well.Naru, Cecily, and Hina had been able to come from 6 years in the future because of that spacetime magic.

Hadn’t the Demiurge of Magic, Epar, sent the kids back to the past?That basically meant that one had to at least be like the Demiurge Epar to manipulate spacetime.

“So Brigitte, you mean to say, that this butterfly is a lifeform created by a mage comparable to Epar, then? An enemy? Ally? Where did such a person come from?”

I could only wonder.And Brigitte seemed to feel the same.

“I don’t know. However, things will likely be changing rapidly. For what reason did they send these butterflies? What are they after?”

Brigitte was saying that all magic has a ‘purpose’.

If a light magic was casted, then its purpose was obviously to brighten the darkness. If someone shot a fireball, then the purpose was to burn something, they said.So, this mass of butterflies should also have a purpose.

“... And why a butterfly? If creating a spell anyway, there are more simple and effective forms. Like flower petals or spores.”

* * *

“Wow, holy shh...! There are lots of butterflies...!”

Naru gazed at the tree planted in the field.The tree had butterflies resting on it and their sparkly wings were very nice to look at.Cecily nodded as well.

“Butterflies are elegant and beautiful creatures. Going from caterpillar to cocoon, then finally spreading its beautiful wings is a symbol of patience, a noble virtue.”

“Ah, they’re going away!”

Naru shouted.The butterflies were extremely sensitive so whenever people approached nearby, they would spread their wings and fly away.To catch such butterflies, Cecily moved quietly.

─Cecily Style, Catwalk!

Cecily approached carefully and swung the net around.With three to four butterflies getting caught on every swing, the kids all marveled, saying, “That’s awesome!” or “Cecily, you’re totally a butterfly hunter!”

「Butterfly Hunter」.Cecily thought it a wonderful nickname befitting of a noble young lady.

Hina put the butterflies that were caught into a clear bag.

Fwsh— Fwsh— Fwsh—Soon, the round candle flames went out one by one, and the knot tied firmly around the opening of the bag loosened.Then the butterflies all flew in one direction.Seeing this, Naru spoke.

“Let’s all follow them!”

It was correct thinking.Cecily, Hina, and Naru chased after the butterflies and Tywin was going to follow them. But Tywin was unexpectedly out of breath and it was difficult to even walk.

“Haaah, huaah, haaaah....”

“Tywin, are you.... alright?”

Elizabeth, surprised, helped Tywin.Then Naru, Cecily, and Hina, who had been running ahead, stopped and turned back towards Tywin.Tywin’s hands were shaking.

Not only that but Tywin’s ash-colored hair, for which was called the ‘Ashen Princess’, had turned white.It was white like an old lady’s.

Tywin’s skin was also unrecognizably pale.To the point that blue veins were showing through.

Her fingers were thin like a withered branch, and her face which the adults complimented, “You’ll be the greatest beauty of Freesia in 10 years,” was gaunt.

“I’m okay so.... hurry up and go.... go... follow the butterflies.... and ask them.... for help....”

Tywin lifted her hand and pointed at the door through which the butterflies left.If they lost the butterflies like this, then the wish for which she offered her remaining time would become meaningless.

“Let’s go, Cecily.... Naru....”

Hina started to move again.Naru and Cecily also followed.But Naru kept looking back.

“Tywin, is she going to be okay...?”

Tywin was a friend.Naru especially had many memories with Tywin so she was worried for her.In comparison, Hina was unworried, not having as many memories with Tywin.

“In our future.... there was no Tywin.... Tywin never had much time in the first place....”

From what Hina knew, Tywin was a cloned human.However, even Elle Cladeco couldn’t clone a human perfectly.

Side effects.Short life span.... A life that was to fade anyway.

‘Perhaps that was the reason for Elle Cladeco never giving Tywin any affection.... Since she knew that her life was short, that was why she didn’t want to grow fond of her. Because it was a relationship that was meant to end....’

An encounter culminating in an inexorable separation.That was also the reason why Hina had tried to hide the best she could from her mom, Salome, or her dad, Judas.She didn’t want to get attached because they were fated to part.

‘Get it together. I am the cool-headed Hina Barjudas. My role is to always stay calm and assess the situation.’

Hina was level-headed.She had to be composed under any circumstances.Because no other sister could be as calm and rational as her.

“Naru... we have to hurry. You knew already.... that the moment of decision was going to come.... We need to choose.... what we’re going to lose.... and what to protect....”

Hina spoke calmly.And when she did, Cecily was a bit surprised.

“Did we have this conversation before? I think I remember!”

They seemed to have talked about this before.It was an old memory, feeling like it was a long time ago.

At the time, Hina had said—

“Naru, we can’t have everything! We need to choose!”

—those words.The conversations of that time and now were the same.

What had Naru said back then?Cecily busily searched her memories.Memories flooded like water through a broken dam.As she was arranging them, Naru spoke.

“Not everything! But... We’ve come back to the past. We came here so we could change the future! So, Hina, I’ll leave that part to you!”

Fwsh—Naru turned around on the spot and ran back towards Tywin.Hina and Cecily were left.Hina’s red eyes gazed at Cecily.

“Ceciy, what are you going to do.... Tywin made her choice.... Going after the butterflies is what’ll help her decision....”

Hina and Naru tended to be at odds with their respective opinions.Almost all the time.

A tense confrontation between the two.It was always left to Cecily to decide the winner.Cecily thought about it.

“I....”

Cecily gazed at Naru’s back.Then she looked at the butterflies flying away in the /genesisforsaken