Chapter 21 Memory
There was no need for additional personnel from another academy to intervene. When Gael and Flynn joined the fight against the ghouls, the battle became easier.
“Flynn, you take the left side.”
“Understood.”
The knights guarding the noble’s carriage were encouraged by the sight of the Eternia insignia on Gael’s armor.
The arrival of a swordsman from Eternia was like having an army at their side.
Flynn took the left, while Gael handled the right, and they continued their offensive. The number of ghouls rapidly dwindled.
One by one, they were cut down until only two remained at a distance. The remaining ghouls roared at them before turning tail and fleeing.
Flynn watched the retreating ghouls and commented.
“Disgusting creatures.”
Fortunately, there were no injuries. The carriage door was broken and swung loosely, the only damage sustained.
Had Eternia’s carriage not passed by, the knights and carriage passengers might have been annihilated in a perilous situation.
The apparent leader of the escort team expressed his gratitude to Gael.
“To think that a carriage from Eternia would pass by in such a situation, it’s a stroke of fortune. Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks. We did only what was necessary.”
Someone cautiously emerged from inside the carriage.
A middle-aged couple and a young lady, appearing to be in her twenties, came out, their hearts finally settling from their shock. Their attire was as if they were heading to a ball—extravagant and grandiose.
Upon seeing the carriage with the Eternia crest, and Gael and Flynn, the couple was taken aback, momentarily holding their breaths.
They looked wide-eyed at the corpses of the ghouls and then back at Flynn, after which the lady whispered something into her husband’s ear.
The middle-aged man stepped forward first and spoke.
“If it were not for your assistance, we might have faced a disaster. I truly thank you. I am Count Sinatra. This is my wife Scania, and our only daughter Nancy.”
With a nudge, he pushed his only daughter slightly toward Gael and Flynn.
Nancy lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied gracefully.
“It’s an honor to meet both the famous professor and disciple from Weisel.”
Gael and Flynn exchanged looks, their eyes wide with surprise.
Gael, sensing something amiss, asked.
“Do you know us?”
The fact that they were headed to conduct a Masters class examination was strictly confidential, not known to anyone outside the academy.
Count Sinatra explained.
“How could we not know? You are Madam Silveryn and her disciple, the genius swordsman Damian. You use the sword in such an extraordinary manner, just as we’ve heard.”
‘Damian?’
Flynn’s eyebrows twitched in reflex. He was well aware of Silveryn’s fame, but this was the first he heard of her having a disciple. Rumor had it that Silveryn would never take a student, which made the situation feel even more peculiar.
Additionally, it stung Flynn’s pride a bit to have another’s name attached to him in connection with the sword, especially away from the homeland and academy.
Gael shook her head.
“We can’t divulge any information regarding our mission right now.”
“I understand. It was unnecessary of me to speak so.”
“We can’t stay here. More ghouls could swarm in, so we need to move along quickly.”
Had the carriage been completely destroyed, their route would have been blocked, leading to a significant delay. Another attack was unpredictable, and there was no guarantee of such minimal damage again.
The situation was swiftly managed, and the carriages began moving again.
The nobles’ carriage was now leading ahead of Gael and Flynn’s.
“The rumors weren’t quite true, were they?”
“What do you mean?”
“He seems rather different from what I expected. I was told he was a handsome man…”
“You really don’t hold back before your saviors, do you! Don’t pay attention to idle gossip; it’s nothing!”
They failed to realize that their words were leaking out due to the damaged carriage door.
Flynn resolutely banished their conversation from his mind.
Gael, unfazed by the loose talk, simply crossed her arms and gazed out the window.
If not for the ghoul incident, the view could have felt rather peaceful.
Though the issue at hand was resolved, Flynn felt a certain unease lingering.
“Professor, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Were there always this many ghouls around here?”
***
I had risen early in the morning to pore over Zverev’s research notes, concentrating on the formulation records for Potion Number 1.
The more I read, the more I marveled at the alchemist’s obsession and madness.
The pursuit of the perfect potion comprised countless cycles of formulating, experimenting, and discarding.
Once a degree of stability was achieved in the potion, having gone through ghoul-based experiments, Zverev moved on to human trials. Whether participants were voluntary, I couldn’t tell, but the experiments continued successfully and the effects of the potion became increasingly evident.
The final naming of Potion Number 1 was ‘Griffin Potion’.
The Griffin Potion was developed to aid in combat, which requires intense physical activity.
While under the potion’s influence, visual response, strength, jump power, reflexes, and other combat-essential aspects all improved.
Side effects included increased heart rate, insomnia, loss of appetite, occasional hyper-sensitivity, and irises glowing gold like a griffin’s. Addiction and dependency were low, and the side effects were tolerable.
I couldn’t help but desire it, given that my physical abilities didn’t yet fully support the power of my sword. For the time being, I would need potions to boost my performance.
While I could manage ghouls alone, facing creatures like cockatrices, ogres, trolls, and wyverns made this potion essential.
Its drawback was that the effects only manifested several hours after ingestion, making its use in sudden combat situations difficult.
Zverev even created a fast-acting recipe to mitigate this disadvantage, but with double the ingredients and complexity in its creation, I had to put that on hold.
Before the griffin blood I ordered arrives, I need to refine the stocked herbs so I can produce the potions quickly.
But during this process, I questioned whether my alchemical knowledge was adequate.
I need to test the potion before the academy’s examination team arrives.
While wracking my brains, someone knocked on my door.
I shoved Zverev’s notebook under my bed before responding.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Silveryn entered. She looked like she had just woken up, her hair tousled.
“Were you awake?”
“Yes, reading a book.”
“Aren’t you busy? Do you remember that young girl? The one who got hurt by ghouls and brought here earlier.”
I remember. The girl was rushed here first thing in the morning, causing quite a stir throughout the village.
After her grandmother died, the orphaned girl was left on her own.
“Yes.”
“She’s woken up. Wanna go down and see her with me?”
I immediately followed Silveryn downstairs.
Silveryn opened the door to a room along the hallway and walked in.
In the small room with a bed at its center, a girl my age sat propped against the pillows. Two maids greeted Silveryn alongside her.
The girl stiffened in surprise upon seeing Silveryn, seemingly unaware she had been receiving care in Silveryn’s estate.
“How do you feel?”
The girl fumbled with her hands and stuttered the words in response to Silveryn’s inquiry.
“Where is this place…?”
“It’s my estate. The villagers brought you here.”
The girl looked anxious, prompting Silveryn to offer reassurance.
“I merely came to check on how you’ve recovered since you woke up. I won’t kick you out nor ask for any compensation.”
“Oh, thank you…”
She hesitated before speaking again.
“Um, my grandmother, where is she?”
Silveryn briefly hesitated. The girl’s grandmother had perished at the hands of ghouls. The horrific scene was still vivid in my mind.
“Unfortunately, your grandmother didn’t survive.”
The girl’s eyes widened with shock. She momentarily displayed a look of surprise before regaining her composure. Although she maintained outward calm, it seemed she was harboring a whirlwind of emotion inside.
With a suppressed tone, the girl thanked Silveryn.
“Thank you for taking care of me…”
“Are you hurting anywhere?”
“No, thanks to your care.”
Silveryn slowly nodded after looking at the girl’s face.
“You must have a lot on your mind, so we will give you some space. If you need anything, just call for the maids.”
“Thank you truly.”
Silveryn left the room. She knew the girl needed time to gather her emotions. The maids and I followed her out.
Leaving the girl alone, Silveryn spoke to me after closing the door.
“Get ready for training. I’ll change and join you.”
“Okay.”
Silveryn headed upstairs.
I lingered at the door for a moment, lost in thought.
What would become of the girl once she was fully recovered? Would she return to that small house?
If so, at such a young age, and being a woman, she’d have to start life alone.
Though it’s not my place to overly concern myself, I couldn’t help but be troubled.
Then, from behind the door, I heard a noise.
The girl was sobbing quietly.
“…”
It felt as though I had heard something I shouldn’t have.
The girl seemed accustomed to suppressing her emotions in front of others.
The shack she had lived in didn’t look prosperous. She and her grandmother must have struggled to make ends meet, forcing the girl to grow up sooner than her peers.
She must have led a life where she could never afford to show her struggles to anyone.
“Sob… sorry, grandma.”
“Sniff, I’m alone… sorry, oh grandma… I’m sorry.”
A whirlwind of emotion suddenly seized me as well.
She was the one who remained.
The girl’s murmured words unexpectedly pierced my heart.
I stood motionless, unable to do anything as a memory long buried deep within my consciousness surged forth without my volition.
I was the one who hadn’t survived, and therefore I could never fully understand her sorrow.
I couldn’t permit myself the presumption of offering solace so freely.
All I could do was contemplate what it must be like to be left alone.
Quietly thinking of Liza.
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