Maydare Volume 6 Chapter 10 - Reminiscence (5) ~Yunocis Baromet~
Popoloactus. Dontanates.
I was staring at the two old dwarf hamsters sleeping in a straw bed in a wooden box.
“I don’t think they have much longer.”
Their breathing was becoming weak, and I felt the flames of their life dimming.
It had been around five years since we met. Considering the average lifespan of a dwarf hamster, I think they did very well to live as long as they had. But, there was nothing more we could do.
If these two were no longer here, I would…
“...?”
Knock, knock.
Hearing the sound of knocking on the door of this house, which almost no one came to visit, I lifted my head.
If someone entered this forest, I would know. However, the fact that I didn’t notice them until now meant that someone powerful had come to visit.
Could it be Torc?
No, the Black Demon King only ever visited my house that first time.
After that, it was mostly me who went to visit him, and that man showed no indication of coming here.
That was because the northern countries were embroiled in many conflicts and were in a tense situation, so a king couldn’t just come here easily.
I held my wand in one hand and opened the door.
“...Who are you?”
Standing in front of me was a white-haired young man.
His skin, hair, clothes, and even the air around him was refreshingly pure white.
His gentle, citrus yellow eyes were striking, and at first glance he looked like a man in his late twenties, but he had a calm demeanor that made it hard to believe that he was such a young man. I immediately realized that he was no ordinary man.
“A pleasure to meet you. I suppose that you’re the famous <Scarlet Witch> of the Salt Forest. I am called the <White Sage> from the Holy Land.”
“...The White Sage. Oh, you’re the one from the rumors.”
I see, so he’s the shitty old man Torc talked about.
I heard that he was a skilled magician who travelled the world, making contracts with many spirits and established spirit magic. Also, his adventures and saintliness in helping the poor and sick had made him so popular that he became a living legend, even being turned into stories and fairy tales.
He was the complete opposite of me and Torc, who only had bad rumors about us.
It irked me a little, so I was in full sarcasm mode from the very beginning.
“Is it okay for a saint like you to come to a place like this? I heard the Scarlet Witch abducts young girls, skins them, bleeds them dry, cuts them into pieces, and pickles them before she eats them.”
I told him a rumor of the Scarlet Witch that had ripened even further recently. I intended to scare the White Sage with a preemptive punch, but he just blinked and tilted his head.
“Why did you tell me such a lie?”
“Lie?”
“The thing about the flesh of young girls and the pickling. You don’t have that here, do you?”
“Why do you think that?”
“That’s what the spirits say. If such cruel killings are happening here, the smell of death will be in the air. And the regrets of the dead would remain. Even I can tell that.”
“...”
“All I can smell here is the sweet scent of apples.”
I was silent for a while.
Behind the gently smiling White Sage, there was a bunch of scary-looking spirits glaring at me. The moment I saw them, sweat naturally flowed down my cheeks.
What’s with this guy? He had contracts with a crazy number of spirits.
There was one in particular who was huge. It didn’t manifest, but a demon with giant goat horns was staring at me from directly above with sinister eyes…
“Hmph. Don’t glare at me.”
I glared back at the impertinent spirits.
On the other hand, I thought it might be a little troublesome to make this man my enemy.
“Fine, come in.”
The White Sage–that was the other name of the great magician who would later be grouped with me and Torc as the <Three Great Magicians>.
I served tea made from salt apple tree leaves to the <White Sage>, who suddenly came to visit. He savored the aroma and sipped it elegantly. He had a noble, handsome face, a gentle air about him, and a sense of cleanliness overflowed from him. I could clearly see why he was loved.
Yes. The crucial difference between him and Torc and me was that he didn’t look like a villain.
So it’s all about appearances, huh…I thought as I asked the White Sage a question.
“So, what does a famous sage want with a witch like me? You’ve got a lot of dangerous guys behind you.”
“Fufu. The reason why my spirits are so on edge is because you have a high amount of magical power.”
“...Hmm.”
“You’re not contracted with a spirit? Even the Black Demon King has a contract with a dragon spirit and a deer spirit.”
“Huh. Unfortunately, I only have two old dwarf hamsters. I haven’t made any contracts with spirits. Apparently, I have a constitution that makes them dislike me.”
Of course, I thought about making a contract with a spirit several times before.
Having a contract with a spirit was the very thing that signified the status of a magician.
They were useful as familiars, served as conversation partners, and some even helped with housework. However, spirits avoided me for some reason, and none ever showed up.
On the contrary, that White Sage probably had a constitution that made him be loved by spirits.
He was always protected by spirits, and even though he had a soft atmosphere around him, you could tell that he had no openings. I wondered exactly how many spirits he had contracted with…
“Now, let’s get to the main topic.”
The White Sage put down his teacup and looked at me again.
“Just the other day, I witnessed a magic contest between you and the Black Demon King in the country of demons. I was staying in the castle during that time, and I saw you blow away a snowy mountain using your magic, and the Black Demon King…Torc was buried in an avalanche.”
“Oh, you were in the country of demons during that time?”
That happened the other day. When I went to visit the Black Demon King’s castle and had a magic contest with him, things heated up and a snowy mountain got blown away. Torc complained, we argued like children, and in the end, I buried him in an avalanche and ran away…
“He’s alive?”
“Of course. He’s very much alive and furious at you.”
The White Sage grinned.
“Why are you two fighting? If there’s a reason, please tell me.”
“...Why, you ask?”
I chewed on the salt apple cookies I served with the tea, thought for a moment, then answered.
“There’s no real reason. He wants to study his magic by having magic contests with me. There aren’t many opponents he can use his full strength with. It seems like you don’t spar a lot with him. It’s just that we quickly get into a high and things get out of hand.”
“I see…”
Well, there was no way I could tell him the real reason why I was visiting the Black Demon King’s castle.
The White Sage put his hand on his chin and seemed to be deep in thought.
“You see. There’s no deep meaning behind it. We’re fighting, but it isn’t a dispute. That’s just how we play with magic. It’s all for the sake of learning the limits of our magic in the country created by the Black Demon King.”
The White Sage still looked mystified. I giggled and rested my chin in my hands.
“I thought you would understand this feeling, Mr. Sage. We recognize each other’s power. It’s because we’re equals that we can truly compete with each other. You must have thought about it a little, right? The difference between you and those around you.”
“...I’d be lying if I said I never did. I’ve been living for seventy years now, and I still look the same as I did in my twenties.”
“Oh my, so you are a shitty old man. It’s just as the Black Demon King said.”
“It’s disrespectful to call me a shitty old man. And you call me that, but you are also a…ahem. No, I’ll refrain from speaking there. I don’t want you to set me on fire, Lady Scarlet Witch.”
“Oh? You can tell me, you know. Your life will end here, though.”
Did those words arouse the anger of the White Sage’s spirits?
In an instant, the air became tense, and the tableware in front of me cracked.
“Oh my, oh my, how scary.”
Even though the Sage was gentle, it seemed that his spirits got angry easily.
“Stop it, everyone. We’re guests in someone else’s home.”
However, when the White Sage spoke those few words, the presence of the spirits once again disappeared into the air.
“That’s amazing. How many do you have?”
“About 151.”
“Wow…what a boring number~”
The White Sage chuckled and took another sip of tea.
But, having a contract with that many spirits was proof that he truly had extraordinary magical power. For a normal magician, the most spirits they could contract with was one or two.
It was probably because he was able to contract with so many spirits that he was able to devise and establish so many methods of spirit summoning magic.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t tell you my name.”
The White Sage put his hand on his chest and gave his name.
“Let me introduce myself. I am Yunocis Baromet.”
Yunocis Baromet.
The moment I heard that name, my eyes changed color.
It was the best name. I was sure that the one who named him was a brilliant naming witch.
“Very few people call me by that name nowadays.”
“...Fufu. That’s right. Everyone becomes afraid, and they feel like they shouldn’t call you by your name. The more you stay ageless and the longer you live, the more you become separated from those around you.”
I understood. I could tell.
He really was just like me and Torc…
“Then, Scarlet Witch. May I ask your name?”
“Hmm. I’m Makirié. Makirié Lucia.”
“Huh. That’s quite an unusual name.”
“My grandmother was an excellent naming witch. It’s the best name for me. Just like yours.”
“I see. Then, may I call you Makirié?”
“Please, do as you wish.”
After that, the man named Yunocis Baromet told me about himself. He had now completed his journey to find spirits, and was now currently staying in the Holy Land and in the process of taking students and teaching them spirit magic.
“So, what did you want from me that made you come here?”
I tried to get the conversation back on track.
After taking another sip of tea, the White Sage Yunocis spoke in a very natural tone.
“To put it bluntly, I would like to ask for your cooperation for my dream.”
“Huh? Your dream?”
My eyes widened at those unexpected words.
“Talking about dreams at your old age…? What exactly do you plan to make me do? I won’t work for free, you know.”
I was on guard, but Yunocis steepled his fingers near his mouth and gave me a faint smile typical of a magician.
“I want to create a school where everyone can learn magic.”
Furthermore, the proposal was even more incomprehensible than I imagined.
“A magic…school…?”
In this era, magic existed, but there were no magic schools.
Magic was generally learned by becoming an apprentice to a famous magician, or by being born into such a family and taught by your parents or relatives.
Therefore, people who had magical power but were not in an environment where they could learn magic often had too much of that power and let it run wild.
The man named Yunocis Baromet saw many such people while traveling around the world in search of spirits. Even though they had strong magical powers, they didn’t know how to use it and destroyed themselves, or they became the target of discrimination just because they were different from the people around them.
He felt that there was an urgent need for a “magic school” where everyone could learn magic, so these people could be guided. He believed that creating a magic school was his final mission as the White Sage…
“Makirié. Just like you and Torc acknowledge each other’s powers and hone each other’s abilities, the presence of others is essential in order to raise your own magical ability to the next level. A friend who can see things from the same point of view as you, and with whom you can work hard together…”
“...”
The Scarlet Witch, the Black Demon King, and the White Sage…
I wanted to meet friends who could understand me and vice-versa, and stand on the same level.
Somehow, I felt like the three of us felt the same way about that.
“Yunocis, did you want someone like that too?”
Yunocis looked surprised at my question. “Well, I suppose that’s how it is,” he said, smiling a little shyly.
At that time, I had a vague idea that the White Sage’s proposal to create a magic school was something very important. If I had gone to magic school, I might have had more friends or learned how to interact with people through magic… My own desires overlapped with his.
“Very well. I’ll take you up on it.”
“Truly!?”
Yunocis’s expression suddenly brightened, and he leaned forward over the table.
He seemed like an old man, but he also had this childish side.
He was a true magician who hadn’t forgotten his child’s heart.
“Hmm. In exchange, I want you to do one thing for me.”
“What is it? If it’s within my power, I’ll do it.”
“...”
I stiffened my expression, then quickly stood up and went to the next room and grabbed the wooden box with both hands. The inside of the box was covered with cloth and straw, and there were two animals inside, wrapped in them and breathing uncontrollably.
Yunocis’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What are these?”
“They are dwarf hamsters. Though, they hadn’t retained much of their original appearances.”
“I’m shocked. Were they transformed by your magical power?”
“...Yes.”
The two had already become deformed. All of their fur had fallen out, their limbs were warped in strange directions, their eyeballs were different sizes, and there were wart-like lumps all over them.
Even so, they were still alive.
My wish made my disastrous magic do that.
“They are long past their lifespan. But, I wanted to stay with these two for just a little longer, so…”
The magical power I poured into them had a strange effect. It extended their lifespan, and they ended up like this.
I wanted to give them peace.
But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
To kill the adorable Popoloactus and Dontanates, who soothed my loneliness…
“I thought you could do something to…stop their suffering.”
“Are you asking me to euthanize them?”
“...”
“But they say they still want to be with you.”
“Huh…?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I used to be able to hear their emotions and inner voices, but lately they had become so weak that I could no longer understand what they were thinking.
Yunocis seemed to be able to hear such things more sensitively than I could.
“But…they look like they’re in a lot of pain. I’m the one who made them like this.”
Yunocis was deep in thought for a moment, then pulled out something that looked like a long, narrow bottle from inside his robes. He spoke to me in a serious tone.
“Then, in order to make both of our wishes come true, let me make a proposal. How do you think about turning these two into spirits?”
“Turn…turning them into spirits? Is that possible?”
“Yes. If I turn them into spirits and you form a master-servant contract with them, they will be with you forever. However, once they become spirits, they will never experience life or death.”
“...Does that mean…they won’t be able to die as living beings?”
I didn’t know if that was a good thing for them or not.
As I was hesitating, the two dwarf hamsters crawled out of the straw, looked up at Yunocis, and made squeaking sounds. It sounded like they were using the last of their strength to plead for something.
Yunocis listened to them, trying to hear the inner voices of these frail creatures.
“I see. It seems like these two have already made up their mind, Makirié. In that case, I will respect their wishes.”
He removed the lid of the small bottle, held up his long staff, and chanted a spell.
“Yuri yuno rei cis—become spirits and serve your master.”
A warm white light enveloped what used to be two dwarf hamsters.
I couldn’t help but shield my eyes from the bright light, but…
“Hekera!”
When I opened my eyes, I saw the two adorable dwarf hamsters, just as adorable as they were when they first came to this forest. They groomed themselves and looked up at me with shiny black eyes.
“Ah…aahh…Donpopo…!”
As I was trembling with emotion, I heard voices.
“For our lady, we aren’t going to die yet, poyo!”
“We promise to be your lifelong companions, dechi!”
…Huh? I could hear their inner voices so strongly. And was it just me, or were the ends of their sentences kind of weird?
Wait a minute…they spoke…
“T-They taaaaalked!”
I jumped up in shock.
Even though I could hear their mind’s voices, I never actually talked to them.
“Fufufu. Spirits can speak the same language as humans.”
“You should have told me that earlier!”
“...My apologies, I thought you already knew. Come to think of it, you didn’t have much interactions with spirits,” Yunocis said, but I was crying loudly.
Popoloactus. Dontanates. My two beloved dwarf hamsters were in front of me in good health. I was overjoyed. I scooped up each of them in my palm and rubbed them against my cheeks.
Although they took the form of small mice, the two would now always be by the <Scarlet Witch’s> side as her loyal spirits.
“How…unexpected. I can’t believe that the <Scarlet Witch>, infamous for being powerful and cruel, is doting on these frail and weak creatures so much.”
“Shut up. I’m doting on them. Fiercely.”
“Haha. I don’t dislike that about you.”
“S-Shut up…! Ugh~~. But thank you, Yunocis.”
“...No, it was my pleasure.”
Maybe it was because I thanked him so sincerely, but Yunocis was chuckling again.
The atmosphere among the spirits behind him seemed to have softened a little.
“Makirié. Your wish has come true. Please remember the promise you made to me. The promise to help me build a magic school.”
After saying this to me, Yunocis gallantly left the hut.
He seemed kind and gentle, but also gave off the air of someone who shouldn’t be made light of. The very picture of a magician.
I did indeed ask him to grant my wish that could have only been made possible through his magic.
Therefore, I would do my best to make this man’s wish of “creating a magic school” come true.
Comments
Post a Comment