Chapter 56 - Duty to Bear [1]
“Aria Cyth,” he called my name with an authoritative presence.
"Yes...?" I stood up straight, awaiting his words that would come out of his mouth.
The Kleinford Headquarters, 41st Floor.
This is where the Grand Council members work, authorities who reign over Demiurge as a whole.
Currently, there are eight active council members, with two positions vacant.
Each member is a specialist in their field, honed to perfection and unmatched in their expertise.
They hold the highest authority in Demiurge, rivalled only by the heads of the three great families.
Since all members of the Grand Council had witnessed the 'performance' I directed, it was only a matter of time before I was summoned.
The one who summoned me was none other than the judge,
Vendrick Fandelson.
"Tell me, how do you know the hidden secret of the Azure Blossom Tree, a secret known only to select individuals?"
Vendrick stroked his long beard and adjusted his attire, which reflected his esteemed status.
“I, uh, erm…” I fumbled, searching for the perfect excuse.
I forgot, but only the higher-ups knew the prerequisite to make the Azure Blossom bloom.
If I, someone who clearly shouldn't have known, suddenly revealed this truth, aren't I pretty much screwed?
“R-Right! The Knowledge Cube! The cube told me this!”
"...Hmm, the Knowledge Cube, I see.”
"Mhmm...!"
I nodded my head vigorously, my face stiff from all the smiling since I arrived here.
...
...
...
Vendrick gazed at me while sipping his tea.
“…Alright.” He nodded, as if he had made a decision.
“You may leave my office."
"...Huh? Is that all?"
I tilted my head, wondering if he would ask me more questions that could be as valuable as what the Knowledge Cube had provided.
"Yes, Aria Cyth. Although it may be too late..."
Without any warning, Vendrick, a noble comparable to a duke, lowered his head as a sign of respect.
"For the information you have provided and for saving Camellia Historia, you have my utmost respect."
I stared at him in amazement for a moment, unsure of what to say.
Vincent and Vendrick were like two sides of the same coin; one pursued fame and money, while the other embodied true nobility, serving as a role model.
"I just did the right thing, that's all," I replied modestly.
"The right thing..."
It was subtle, but Vendrick's stern expression broke into a small smile, just enough for me to notice.
"Then that performance of yours... I'll be sure to remember it."
"...Hwa?"
Feeling the heat rise to my cheeks, I shook my head, wishing I could erase the memory.
Did I really act like that in front of everyone? What was wrong with me that day?
"You don't need to worry about it, Aria Cyth," Vendrick said, his presence becoming more relaxed.
"I actually found it quite entertaining." He suddenly dropped his formal tone and smiled more, even letting out a chuckle.
...Hmm.
Nevermind, everyone in this damn world still has a screw loose in their head after all.
Weeks have passed since the trial was held.
After Camellia ran away, leaving me stranded in a ditch with nowhere to go, I ended up sleeping on a bench for two days.
It escalated to the point where the guards became suspicious and questioned me.
That’s when Erina found me in such a pitiful state.
In short, I felt like a walking pile of human garbage until I finally begged Erina for help.
The debt I owe her has been steadily increasing, and I don’t think it will stop anytime soon.
She orchestrated the whole shmuck with Orion and Camellia saving me in time, and even gave me a house she bought on a whim when she heard I was homeless.
Originally, she was considering buying a mansion, but I managed to convince her to settle for a small house that was enough for me to feel comfortable.
I'm grateful for all of this, and I meant that.
Rumours spread quickly that the accused Morzen Cultist was not guilty, which is quite rare.
Even so, with my striking appearance and reputation, doubts lingered, and some people approached me with ill intentions.
Once, a group of individuals asked me out, even grabbing my arm as if to assert their dominance.
It was a close call; I was so weak that I couldn’t fend them off.
As a result, I shot them!
I didn't kill them, though.
Just used a bullet that was enough to knock them out.
Soon after that, no one approached me. I may have a cute face, but whenever someone approached me again, I looked at them with a scowl, eventually turning into a tourist spot, somehow.
Now that I'm no longer homeless, the following days were peaceful, much like they were six years ago, with just a few changes.
The world is set in the distant future, and the internet certainly exists.
It's just that Demiurge doesn’t utilize it much because they prefer to remain traditional and resist modernization.
This world is a century ahead of my original one, so everything is considerably more advanced—except for Demiurge, specifically.
If magic didn’t exist, I expected the capability to travel to space. However, the conveniences of magic have prevented that from happening.
If Demiurge, the nation of magic, despised Trestkania, the nation of advanced technology? What would happen?
Our technology stinks, and students who aspire to different careers often study abroad.
Phones and computers are still relevant, but now they operate through a new technology that allows access via real-time vision.
Of course, since Demiurge is extremely biased, it was the only nation that banned them.
Why? This technology was developed by Trestkania.
Of course they hated the idea of even trying to communicate with them.
As a result, Demiurge remains in an era where people interact with mobile devices—with using magic, that is.
“Hmm… this could work.”
—Vooom…!
Using the Ichor, I created a giant Ichor arm, using my own as the base.
Making something like this was becoming more trivial, the Ichor was like a third arm to me now.
"Right… left. Right, left, right, left!”
—Ving Ving Ving Ving!
I moved my arm back and forth, and the Ichor mirrored my motions perfectly.
“It works, though it’s a bit tiring." I clenched my fists, and the Ichor followed suit.
Since the giant arm was connected with thin strands, I attempted to make them function like nerves.
It took some time to adjust to the calibration, which had some latency issues, but overall, it worked out well, with only a few areas needing improvement.
Fighting Scarlett provided me with insights about utilizing the Ichor to shoot from different angles.
If I could better understand this concept, I could create something incredible in the future.
“As expected, I need much more practice with this,” I said, lying on the floor and staring at the sky.
Above me was a moon split in half, beneath a vast, yellow sky that seemed never-ending.
The sun shone brightly, yet I couldn't look away, even as I raised my hand to shield my face.
“...So many things have changed, including me.” I glanced at the giant arm I had created and impulsively formed a middle finger gesture.
...
...
...
“Hehe, funny,” I nodded in satisfaction.
“How childish.” A voice came from above me, a stoic tone that I'm familiar with now.
“…And you’re still coming to visit me every day?”
It was Erina, who came to see me every other day and had immediately recognized my identity.
She came to visit with her disguise on, wearing a hairband that changed her appearance.
"Is there a reason not to?” she smiled, then rubbed a bottle of cold water against my cheek.
“What—ack! That’s cold! What was that for?!” I exclaimed and took the bottle from her hand.
Like a wounded cat, I hissed at her, still a little uncomfortable with her advances.
“…Hehe.”
"You sure are enjoying this, aren’t you, Erina?"
“Mhmm.” She sat down beside me, patting the floor next to her.
Erina’s attitude made a complete 180-degree turn since she found out—she stopped smoking, too.
Just because Erina and Camellia are older than I doesn’t mean they can treat me differently now that they’re older.
I’m older, okay! I’m supposed to be the one in charge, not them.
“Tch.” I opened the water bottle and drank it all.
—Gulp...! Gulp...! Gulp!
“Pwah! What are you here for again?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
"There's no reason. I just want to see you, that's all."
As I stood up from my spot, she looked at me, fidgeting nervously.
"...Fine," I sighed, giving in to the guilt of feeling indebted to her.
"Is that fine...?"
"Just do it already!"
Nodding her head, she moved closer and rested her head on my shoulder.
A smile bloomed on her face.
...Despite her usually rigid personality, Erina is the type to be clingy to the people she likes.
In silence, the two of us closed our eyes, relaxing without a care in the world.
I’ve done everything I can in Kleinford; it won’t be long before I need to leave.
There are two things left to do: talk with Orion about my trip to Trestkania...
And have one final conversation with Camellia before I go.
“Hey… How's Camellia doing these days?”
“She’s doing fine. I think she’s getting better,”
“Hmm, I see.”
I chose not to elaborate further and fell silent.
Since that day, I hadn’t spoken to Camellia. She hadn’t visited me once, and I hadn’t reached out to her either.
What could I say besides offering encouragement and explaining that I was going to leave to find more rocks?
“Aria, are you sure you don’t want to tell her?” Erina asked about my true identity.
I had joked that Camellia would never figure out who I really was, but now that Erina could provide proof, it was a possibility.
“Not yet… it’s too early,” I replied, managing a bittersweet smile and hoping my future self would handle it.
“I see… then I’ll cherish this time between us where I can hug you for as long as I want.” Erina fell onto my lap and settled down.
“H-Hey…!” I tried to prevent her from doing so, but it was inevitable.
“You're so much cuter now, big brother,” she said as she nuzzled against my lap, clearly enjoying the moment.
‘This cheeky brat…!’ I clenched my teeth in frustration.
What a cute girl— is what you'd probably say when you’re in this situation.
Because Erina is the only Historia left in the nation, she was the only one who could covet the title of Historia.
The person on my lap is none other than the current head of the Historia family, a genius who has kept the nation stable.
Yet, despite her exceptional abilities, she was still young, weighed down by the burdens her father had once carried.
Even if Erina was a genius, she was still human.
So now that Camellia and I are here, it must have taken a lot of burden off her shoulders.
'Those eyes…’ I brushed her hair aside and noticed her unique eyes—more unusual than the golden eyes typical of the family.
Erina has a golden eye on her right and a blue eye on her left.
It's similar to heterochromia, but it's related to the ability embedded deeply into her left eye, known as <Soul Locus>.
This is akin to how the Ichor affected my own appearance. My hair now has golden strands, and I have pupils like a cat's.
When I told her about my new look and asked if she had any questions, she replied, "Big brother is big brother; it doesn’t matter," before going about her day.
As much as I wanted to distance myself from her, still struggling to fully forgive her, I noticed the dark circles under her eyes, which gave me pause.
"…She must have stayed up all night yesterday," I commented, looking at her.
"You did great, Erina." Feeling a bit guilty, I gently brushed my fingers through her hair, caressing her head.
"…" Erina's eyes widened, surprised that I would take the initiative.
Time passed this way as she savoured my presence.
We were taking slow steps toward reconciliation, and I couldn't ignore how she had helped me countless times already.
Under the glow of the sunset, I softly caressed her head, and Erina closed her eyes... holding back tears once more.
Didn't take long for someone to disrupt the moment.
—Clank!
“Ah, intruders.” Startled, Erina suddenly stood up from my lap.
“Intruders?” I felt my alertness surge as I sharpened my gaze.
It wasn’t intentional, but another one of Erina's rich antics was renting the entire training grounds for my exclusive use.
For someone to disobey Eri’s orders and trespass… they must be bad news.
“Erina, can you stand up… huh?” I stood up in an attempt to get her off my lap.
But Erina vanished from my sight while I wasn’t looking.
「I’m still here, I hid while you were looking away.」
“Oh, I see… Wait, how can I speak to you then?”
「Now’s not the time, they’re coming.」
“Wait! Who’s coming, dammit!”
Anxiety surged through me as I quickly formed Libera, preparing myself for the worst.
The day I realized the gap between Scarlett and me was a wake-up call. I’m still weak compared to the monsters I’m bound to encounter as time goes on.
I need to get stronger, much stronger than before, until I’m capable of upholding my destiny.
—Tap Tap Tap!
I heard numerous footsteps at the entrance, voices chattering among themselves.
My uneasiness grew as time passed, waiting to see them… until all the tension vanished upon recognizing them.
“Oh, it’s you guys.” A blank expression crossed my face; I lost interest.
They were the students from Arcadia whom I had beaten up, the same people who had been with Scarlett trying to apprehend me.
“Excuse me?!” a man with orange hair roared in anger.
“S-Sorry… we tried to stop him from disturbing you, but…” a girl with pink hair said, bowing repeatedly in apology.
“Pfft, this guy's just bitter about how easily you knocked him out, that’s what he meant,” another guy with blue hair smirked, eager to provoke him.
“Shut your mouth, Cyan!” the orange-haired man punched him on the shoulder, but he dodged it just in time.
"You two, can you stop bickering for a second?" a girl with brown hair sighed, as if this were a regular occurrence.
...
...
...
"Rowdy bunch."
「Yeah.」
Ignoring my presence, they were constantly arguing, revealing their personalities to me like an open book.
I could tell what type of people they were at first glance.
“Sigh… What do you want?” I placed my palm on my face.
If they're students at Arcadia, they’re probably my age, right?
Then again, Noah was like that too—young, naive, and generally annoying.
“Hah! What do I want?” The hot-tempered one walked up to me with a scowl on his face.
—Slap!
Without any hint of respect, he threw a white glove onto the floor, signifying that something annoying was going to happen.
“I demand a duel!” he declared loudly.
“…A duel?” I tilted my head, playing innocent.
‘Damn it… looks like I’ve been dragged into another bothersome situation,’ I thought to myself, shaking my head.
「Go go, Aria. Beat them up.」Erina encouraged me in a barbaric way.
‘I don’t think that’s something you’re supposed to say,’ I responded, slightly confused about how she could hear my thoughts.
「…Why not?」
‘…Huh? Can you hear me through my thoughts?’
「Nn, I’m a genius after all.」
I could easily picture her puffing out her chest in pride.
‘I don’t think that’s within the realm of a genius at this point…’
「Keep praising me.」
Her ability to use Soul Locus efficiently is remarkable—hell, it only goes up from here when she combines it with her Magic Art.
Just when I thought I could relax, I found myself in yet another troublesome situation.
…Fine, I guess it’s time I get used to fighting other humans as well.
"I hope you don’t regret this, kid." I stood up and stretched my back.
It's about time I get to take on someone weaker than me anyway.
