Chapter 144: Come, Spring (9)
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Lorehon, the Tower Master of the *Twilight Magic Tower.”
Lorehon chuckled softly. For an introduction from a legendary Great Mage, it was remarkably modest.
Elizabeth began to hiccup, Aselle and Itargand froze in place. Ronan remained calm, silently observing him.
‘…I can’t believe I get to see this guy here.’
Despite his composed expression, Ronan felt his heart pound as if it would burst from his skin. To see Lorehon at such proximity was quite something.
Lorehon.
Like many other famous figures, Lorehon had numerous names. Bards and fellow mages referred to him with grandiose titles like the Lamp that Illuminates Ignorance, Creator of Light, or Master of the Five Prime Elements, illuminating his name with extravagant praise. However, most people simply preferred to call him the ‘Great Mage.’ As the only living mage of this era to reach the Ninth Circle, there was no mistaking him for anyone else.
Ronan was familiar with him too. He recalled glimpses, a couple of times at a distance. Once, witnessing him bringing rain to a drought-stricken village during his wandering days, and another time, glimpsing him at the Imperial Army general meeting before the final showdown.
‘That was the last time.’
Ronan grimaced as memories flooded back. Lorehon had been involved in the sealing of one of the two giants that descended with Ahaiyute.
Specifically, news had surfaced that Lorehon had used his own soul as a medium, sealing it away eternally. Echoes of screams and awe sporadically echoed from beyond the fortress.
“Wh-What…! Is Rodolan really floating in the air?!”
“What in the world…!”
It was an ability that warranted the description of being omnipotent. It was hard to believe that such a powerful mage had vanished without defeating even a single giant, regardless of whether that entity was stronger than Ahaiyute. The gravity of the impending apocalypse felt more real than ever.
‘But… what’s with his appearance?’
Ronan raised an eyebrow. While the boy before him appeared to be Lorehon, there was a considerable discrepancy from the image he remembered.
After a moment of silence, Elizabeth, who had finally stopped hiccuping, spoke up.
“Lo-Lorehon… Is that… the one I know?”
“Hmm, probably so. Why do you ask?”
“N-No, it’s just… the image I have in mind is a bit different…”
Elizabeth stumbled over her words, nervously scratching around her chin. Ronan was equally curious about the discrepancy. Lorehon seemed to understand and nodded.
“Ah, I see. So what you’re saying is…”
Snap! Lorehon flicked his fingers in the air, and suddenly, he began to grow taller. Wrinkles etched into his once smooth skin, and frost dusted his formerly pitch-black hair.
In an instant, Lorehon, surpassing Elizabeth, stopped almost level with Ronan. Fortunately, his clothes expanded with his body. Wiping the beard that flowed down to his chest, he spoke.
“Why not this appearance, I suppose?”
“Yes, yes… That’s right.”
Elizabeth, momentarily stunned, nodded her head. It was a sight Ronan was familiar with. Suddenly, memories of the old man jokingly brushing his beard and bantering with punitive unit comrades flashed back.
“Haha, a favored appearance for public occasions. Quite fitting for the grand title of Great Mage. Let’s see this beard.”
Lorehon grabbed the midsection of the beard, playfully shaking it. It seemed like he deliberately adjusted his mannerisms to resemble the old man. Ronan, feeling a sudden unease, chuckled.
“Hmm? Seems a bit different from the usual Polymorph.”
“Oh, you even recognized that?”
“Yes. I can’t explain it in detail, but it seems more natural…”
“You have a keen eye. Yes, at some point, I gained the ability to manipulate the flow of time within my body. But I don’t like this appearance; it hurts my knees, so I’ll return.”
With another flick of his fingers, he transformed back into a child. Lorehon explained that he could freely manipulate the aging process of his body. Ronan laughed at the seemingly whimsical ability.
“Heh.”
An overwhelming ability that surpassed even Sekreet, someone cursed to age arbitrarily. Astonished, Aselle, who had been quite intimidated, widened his eyes.
“…Y-You can manipulate time?”
“Yes. Only for myself, of course.”
“H-How is that possible? It’s…”
“Haha, a born wizard with curiosity. What’s your name?”
“Um…! I-It’s… Aselle!”
Finally, Aselle bowed halfway, overcoming curiosity with a hint of fear. Lorehon began scrutinizing Aselle up and down.
“Right, Aselle. Ijinne… why do you think the Winter Witch coveted you?”
“Y-Yes?”
“I can’t quite make out what I’m seeing now. I hadn’t expected to encounter someone with potential surpassing that child Kratir for the next few centuries…”
His gaze and tone turned solemn. Aselle, clueless about the situation, fidgeted with his hands. Lorehon didn’t continue, creating a peculiar silence for a while. Unable to bear it, Ronan spoke up.
“Um, sorry to interrupt, but what about her?”
Ronan pointed at Evelin. Leaning against the wall, she seemed like a wax figure, eyes unfocused and vacant, only breathing steadily.
Approaching with concern, Lorehon touched her forehead. After concentrating for a moment, he nodded.
“She’ll be fine. Being combined with the highest-ranking spirit for a year must have been quite a shock. She’s already an exceptional mage, so if she focuses on recovery, she’ll soon improve.”
“…Highest-ranking spirit?”
“Ah, you didn’t know. Ijinne, the Winter Witch, was originally a spirit. And a very high-ranking one at that. There’s almost no information left due to the passage of time, but…”
Lorehon explained that the Winter Witch was a high ranked spirit comparable to Hyran and Edelbach. The group’s eyes widened.
‘So that’s why she was so damn strong. Damn it.’
She seemed excessively powerful. Never would’ve they thought that she would be compared to Hyran, the Prince of Wind. Having seen Hyran firsthand in the Mental World, Ronan was well aware of his majesty. Lorehon continued speaking.
“If the bond with Aselle had progressed further, things wouldn’t have ended as smoothly as they did now. It’s fortunate.”
“What on earth is the relationship between you two?”
“Um… Our perspectives differ, so it’s vague to explain. I see myself as a guardian protecting Ijinne’s honor, but she views me as a wicked prisoner.”
Lorehon fiddled with the pendant containing the absorbed Winter Witch’s essence. Inside the transparent dodecahedron, a blizzard swirled within a nail-sized range. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“A guardian?”
“Yes. A guardian that prevents incidents like today. She has completely lost her dignity since she fell in love.”
Lorehon explained that it was his role to help the witch regain her status as a great spirit. Her corruption began after becoming obsessed with someone.
The ethereal witch tried to possess bodies of magically gifted women to entice him but often failed. And the person who had seduced the great spirit, he must’ve been extremely captivating. Ronan thought to himself.
“Right, by any chance, do you know who she’s in love with?”
“No. She didn’t speak much. Apart from occasional remarks about how white hair and crimson eyes are exquisite… Speaking of which, your eyes are also crimson?”
Lorehon raised an eyebrow. Ronan didn’t respond. He knew of only two individuals with similar descriptions, one was his sister, Iril, and the other was the traitor bastard who stabbed the Savior from behind.
‘Is it really that bastard?’
For a moment, he considered if the witch’s love might be that individual. But if that were the case, it raised another question.
The witch referred to the ones who imprisoned her in ice as ‘strange assailants’. If her love were the robed figure, she would surely have known about Nebula Clazier.
‘This is getting complicated.’
Ronan furrowed his brow. Moreover, she must’ve seen the robed figure carving his sword marks into the ice, but she didn’t say anything about it. At that moment, Lorehon seemed to sense something and turned his head backward.
“Well, it seems I should start heading back. I’ve been away for too long.”
It seemed urgent. Given their approximate location, even if a day were extended to 72 hours, it’d be hard to find much leisure. Lorehon looked at them one by one, before speaking.
“By the way, you’re all students from the Philleon Academy, aren’t you? How’s that child, Kratir, doing?”
“He’s been overwhelmingly busy. Hopefully, it should improve from now on.”
“It’s worrying that they need to be able to manipulate time before their lifespan ends.”
Lorehon chuckled bitterly. He mentioned that among his disciples, Kratir was the only one still alive. Lorehon exchanged pleasantries with each one, finally shaking hands with Asel.
“Aselle, do you perhaps have any interest in exploring the truth with me?”
“Um… me?”
“The world still hides many secrets. From a macro perspective, we’re all blind travelers. If you ever have thoughts about it, please visit the Twilight Tower after graduating.”
After finishing speaking, Lorehon smiled. It felt like an incredibly significant proposition had just slipped by. Aselle was left speechless, unable to find the words.
“W-What does that mean… Lorehon?”
“Don’t neglect your studies at Philleon. There’s no better place for learning. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
Clap! Lorehon clapped his hands, and suddenly, a strong gust swept through. His body disappeared like dispersing mist, carried away by the wind.
“What a dramatic exit.”
Ronan chuckled in amazement. Everything that had happened moments ago felt like a dream. He wondered if Lorehon’s existence itself was a dream.
However, the floating landmass where they stood and the hovering Rodolan reassured them that this was no dream. Ronan, who was quietly looking at the horizon, gently lifted Evelin on his back. With the witch captured and Aselle recovered, there was no more to do.
“Well then, shall we start heading back?”
Without exchanging farewells, the group returned to Philleon. Itartgand gave them a ride. Aselle, seeing the dragon’s true form for the first time, gasped in astonishment.
“S-So huge…!”
“Just seeing him you’re surprised. You’d faint if you saw Navardose.”
He said that, but in truth, Ronan couldn’t quite comprehend it either. It was indeed something to experience. Riding atop the Red Dragon. If his past self had been told this, he would have never believed it. Itartgand spoke.
“When you arrive, keep your promise, Ronan. Teach me how to become stronger.”
“Alright, then let’s get going.”
The flight lasted for about two hours. The sunlight pouring down from above was warm. The dense clouds that had covered the sky had long vanished. Ronan muttered softly.
“It’s spring.”
In the distance, an island was visible. Patches of fresh green spread like watercolor across the newly revived land. The melting snow revealed the color of the earth.
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