Chapter 117 - That Smell

After Ferda received the witch's invitation, all the workers in the castle returned to their duties.

Except for exactly one person.

Luri Silverwind; she alone stared down at the spot where Ferda had vanished after receiving the invitation.

By now she should have been cleaning, but at the moment, she couldn't focus on anything.

Complicated emotions kept circling in her mind, tormenting her.

'Why did he make such a choice?'

Unable to read Ferda's intentions, bad thoughts kept coming to her.

This was something that would have shaken even a saint.

Looking back on the things Ferda had done, it was inevitable.

He had brought a witch and a demon into the castle, made a deal with a Great Demon, and now he had accepted the invitation of the witches' leader.

He was a man who did everything he was told not to do.

'If it were an ordinary human, what would I have done?'

What would she have done, indeed.

Even for just one of those things, she would have exiled them without hesitation.

But for Ferda, it wasn't just one reason, but a whole pile of them.

That much was certainly enough to warrant a death sentence.

The reason she didn't do that to Ferda was simple.

'Because I can trust him.'

Ferda was the kind of person who would do anything for her master.

In fact, even when there was major trouble, he handled it flexibly, and up to this point, he hadn't caused any real problems.

This invitation was also something she should have been able to trust him with.

However, the situation had changed.

Luri had seen Ferda's weakness.

Upon realizing that he was also an absurdly weak human, she couldn't see him the way she used to.

He was just as weak a human.

If he was a human who posed a potential threat,

'I have to kill him.'

Luri looked down at her hands.

She remembered the promise she made to Ferda.

["I will kill you with these hands."]

Luri thought.

'If he tries to harm my master, could I really kill him?'

She was a dragon spawn.

She was the type to not hesitate when it came to killing humans.

It was she who had killed the 3rd Prince's aides when they tried to use Valdrova merely as a stepping stone to power, and it was she who had tried to kill Ferda during their first meeting.

But her heart was not the same as it was back then.

If,

even if he became hated by Valdrova and their engagement was broken off, providing a sufficient justification, would she really be able to kill Ferda?

She wasn't sure of that either.

'I too...'

What those two hands wanted to grasp wasn't Ferda's neck.

'It would be nice if I could comfortably rely on that man...'

Just like her master, Valdrova, did.

She just wanted to watch what he did without thinking about anything.

She wanted to see humans flock to this desolate land and prosper.

At first, there was a reason she couldn't rely on him.

It was because she thought Ferda was a human no different from the 3rd Prince.

It was her job to find as much fault with his actions as possible and drive him out.

However, even now that all those misunderstandings had been cleared up, Luri couldn't do that.

'Ferda is a human.'

Humans are mortals.

They are destined to die someday, and when they approach that fate, they always become unstable.

That was something Ferda couldn't avoid either.

To Luri's eyes, that weak image still seemed faintly visible.

Someone had to stay alert.

That someone had to be Luri.

She had to be vigilant and nitpick anything in his actions that she thought had even the slightest bit of malice.

It wasn't simply for Valdrova's sake.

'I have to protect him.'

That man who wanted to protect her master.

She had to protect him from the things that constantly tested him.

It was when she was staring blankly at that spot.

She felt a pulse of magic power within the castle.

Luri knew where the epicenter was.

Because she knew where it was, she also knew who had returned.

'Ferda.'

True to Silverwind's bloodline, Luri dashed toward the location at a rapid speed.

Echidna stood in a place where originally only Mori should have been.

She locked eyes with Luri with a clueless expression.

"W-What a complete mess this is...?"

She tried to smooth it over with an awkward smile and gestures, but Luri strode over and approached her.

Seeing Luri's expression, Echidna's face turned pale.

"Chief researcher."

"Y-Yes!?"

"Tell me the truth."

Echidna's shoulders shrank, crushed by Luri's aura.

"Where did you leave Ferda, and why did you come alone?"

"T-That's... Big Sister wanted to see the Regent—"

"What did you do to Ferda?"

At the word Big Sister, her aura grew even stronger.

Eventually, she began to speak hurriedly, on the verge of tears.

"H-He'll be safe! The Regent told me to tell you not to worry...!"

CRASH!

A tremendous force slammed right next to Echidna's head.

Her leg had kicked the study wall with all her might.

Books tumbled out from the impact.

"Can you guarantee that?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you guaranteeing that Ferda will be as safe as you are, returning perfectly fine?"

"T-That's..."

He's perfectly fine.

He'll return safely.

She could have salvaged the situation just by saying that.

"W-Well, I'm not too sure either..."

Echidna couldn't do that.

As a former witch of the Philiaz, she knew the witches' tendencies well.

What she didn't know was the inner thoughts of Big Sister Lucy Philiaz.

It was too dangerous a place to guarantee his safety, and she couldn't read her intentions either.

Hearing that, Luri tensed her face.

She looked angry, but her heart was simply troubled.

She hadn't asked the question just to hear some one-dimensional comfort, but actually hearing that even she didn't know made her anxiety grow.

'I can't leave him there alone.'

She recalled what happened between Ferda and Abel.

If a helpless situation like that arose again, Luri wouldn't even be able to help.

"Chief researcher, you used to be a witch too, right?"

"O-Of course...?"

"Can you take me to the place called the Witch's Garden?"

"T-The garden? No matter how much I try to go..."

"Can you? Or can you not?"

Luri pressed for an answer, and Echidna replied.

"N-No... I can try to go, but stepping into that space is up to Big Sister. If Big Sister doesn't allow it, it's impossible to go. If you force it, you could die, no, you could become a wraith floating in limbo forever!"

Mages who misuse teleport magic end up as wraiths trapped in time and space.

It was a situation perhaps even more cruel than death.

It meant she couldn't just force her to make it happen no matter what.

'More than anything, if it's going to be done, I have to be the one to do it.'

But what could she do?

All I know how to do is use brute strength.

What on earth could I...

"Huh?"

At that moment, a sensation pierced into Echidna's mind.

As if this was all she had been waiting for, she looked at Luri and said,

"F-Ferda is here!"

"!!"

Hearing that, Luri also withdrew the leg she had used to pin her down.

As if afraid she might miss him, she sprinted toward the place where he had disappeared.

Just as Echidna said, Ferda was standing there.

Ferda was perfectly fine, putting her imagination to shame.

A black suit and gray hair.

And blue eyes like a deep lake.

Her shaken heart felt relieved upon confirming his figure.

Instead, she put strength into her eyes and approached him.

"Ferda."

However, she couldn't completely hide the tremor in her voice.

Pretending to be resolute, she asked him.

"What did that witch do?"

Ferda answered.

"Nothing happened."

"I can't believe nothing happened after you went all the way to the Witch's Garden. Moreover, didn't you spend time with Big Sister?"

Ferda nodded as if acknowledging her point and answered again.

"We just talked."

"What on earth did you talk about?"

"We talked about a topic that I hadn't reached a conclusion on with you."

That meant Ferda's weakness had been exposed to the witch.

Strength entered her politely clasped hands.

"Don't tell me you... made a deal with that witch?"

"I didn't make a deal."

If he had only said that, Luri might have been a little relieved.

"Instead, she helped me."

But she couldn't be.

Big Sister, Lucy Philiaz.

She was a witch rarely seen, but Luri had seen her before.

"Did that person say she wanted to help Valdrova?"

"Yeah."

"Then she must have talked about me too."

"Yeah."

Her face flushed with emotion.

"Do you know why I ignored her saying she wanted to help Valdrova?"

"..."

"It's because witches are a group who think everything other than themselves is either an enemy or a toy. They are malicious beings who enjoy their own amusement by exploiting others' vengeance. Silverwind's descendants also fell victim to that amusement. Do you know what Lucy Philiaz said when we held her accountable for that incident?"

"..."

"She said she couldn't control the Philiaz over such a trivial matter."

Luri was a dragon spawn.

Among them, a descendant of Silverwind, who had the highest solidarity.

It was clear how angry she was at someone who disregarded familial love.

"You are just another trivial part to that damn woman, Ferda. They have no such thing as sympathy. They plan to ensnare you fiercely and then make you their toy."

The anger and words Luri was expressing had some truth to them.

Talking with a witch was like holding a bomb that could go off at any moment.

That was the universal perception and common sense.

"Are you suspicious that I might betray you?"

At Ferda's question, Luri clenched her fists.

"Yes."

The truth was otherwise.

"I'm suspicious because it feels like you might harm my master."

I just don't want to see you get played by a witch.

Another sharp remark stabbed at Ferda.

"That's a relief."

"... Excuse me?"

At Ferda's words, Luri raised her head.

"What do you mean? How is that a relief?"

"Because you think that way, I don't have to make any unnecessary misunderstandings."

"..."

Ferda looked down at Luri with deep eyes.

"As you said, I might harm her someday. I might walk the wrong path, mistakenly thinking my intentions are for her sake. If you are keeping me on my toes like this, doesn't that mean there will be a chance to correct me if I go astray?"

"That just sounds like you're shifting the responsibility onto me."

"It is that, too."

"You're irresponsible."

"I can't help it. Because you are the person I trust the most."

Trust.

"Because I trust you enough to show you this weakness I possess."

Hearing those words, something Luri couldn't control rose in her chest.

'Again.'

Just like that day, the smell of ash faintly brushed past her.

And someone overlapped with Ferda's face.

Silverwind.

He didn't look anything like the person who had taken her in when she was completely empty, but she still ended up having that illusion.

Her cold, steel-like soldier's heart softened.

Trying hard to hide that feeling, she fidgeted with her lips and bowed her head.

Ferda couldn't possibly have known Luri's feelings.

Instead, he placed a hand on her head.

"Someday my judgment might blur, but believe in me for now. I won't get played by that witch."

He gently stroked her head as he pleased.

The illusion grew bigger, and the smell grew closer.

The smell of ash from that day...

Wait a minute.

This isn't the smell of ash.

"... Smell."

"Hmm?"

Luri sniffed, caught the scent properly, and raised her head.

"The smell of cigarettes..."

Her expression was rotten.

"Why does your body smell so heavily of cigarettes, Ferda?"

"That's..."

Ferda recalled Lucy Philiaz's actions.

How many times had she blown the smoke from her cigarettes right into his face?

'Don't tell me...'

No, it wasn't 'don't tell me'.

He was sure.

The reason Lucy Philiaz had blown cigarette smoke so terribly was likely to create this exact situation.

'She screws me over like this, huh.'

They said there's never a quiet day once you get involved with a witch.

"... You should wash up first, shouldn't you?"

Luri pulled out a green towel.

With the feeling of a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse, Ferda said this:

"... Please go easy on me."

However, the word mercy did not exist in Luri's dictionary.

Ferda recalled the words Big Sister, Lucy, had said.

"The line of emotion..."

Lucy Philiaz had told him to draw a line between his two emotions.

He didn't know how to draw that line, but Lucy had given him a clue.

'The mana cultivation method, Shape of Shadow.'

The phrase goes like this:

'I become the shadow, and the shadow becomes me.'

She had said that there lay the clue to controlling the two emotions Ferda possessed.

"If the shadow can truly become me, then what wouldn't be possible... huh."

Ferda muttered the words Lucy had said and lightly lifted a shadow hand.

This was a hand.

'But at the same time, it isn't a hand.'

Because it wasn't a hand, it wasn't strange if the fingers bent past a certain point. Rather, by snapping the fingers back, he could freely change the front and back.

Or he could alter its shape to mimic a foot, and though crude, it was even possible to turn it into a beast's paw.

'Therefore, this is a hand and not a hand.'

He alternated his gaze between the hand made of black mana and his own hand, pondering deeply about something.

Ferda released his control and tried moving according to the flow of his thoughts.

The shadow hand was a hand, and at the same time, not a hand.

'This shadow is also my body, and not my body.'

If so.

'Shouldn't it also be possible to create something that is my Circle and at the same time, not my Circle?'