Chapter 195: To the North (1)
“Say hello. She’s my wife.”
“…Wife?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. The hidden woman once again revealed her face. Her tanned skin and distinct features were impressive. Ronan belatedly realized the identity of the familiar feeling he had felt from the woman and took a sharp breath.
“Oh my God.”
It was someone he had actually seen before. She was the woman who had been sleeping inside the glass tube in Jarodin’s dim laboratory. She was the wife Jarodin had been willing to sacrifice everything to save.
Her name was Sunya, wasn’t it? Ronan asked, startled.
“Holy shit, has she completely recovered now?”
“Yeah. Her memory and sanity haven’t fully returned yet, but yeah. She’s basically afraid of people, so I only take her for walks in the early morning when no one is around.”
Jarodin nodded. It was truly an incredible achievement. He had heard that she had woken up, but he never imagined such progress could be made in just two years.
“Anyway… Ronan, you’ve changed a lot. I can hardly recognize you.”
“Well, I did grow a bit taller.”
“No, I mean internally. You seem to have developed a core. I had speculated it would take several more years to reach this stage.”
Jarodin narrowed his eyes. Ronan suddenly realized that Jarodin’s gaze was fixed on his chest. For a moment, he forgot that this man was an unparalleled master in the field of mana.
“In particular, there have been significant changes around your heart. Now, you seem capable of manipulating mana almost like an ordinary student. Am I right?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’ve improved a lot.”
“Incredible progress… I’ll soon devise new mana techniques and teach them to you, so be prepared.”
His tone was still as pragmatic as ever. It was so typical of a mage to skip over pleasantries like asking how one had been and diving straight into the matter at hand.
Indeed, it was this kind of dedication that had led to the achievement of resurrecting someone, an accomplishment that no one else had achieved. Jarodin continued to scrutinize Ronan and narrowed his eyes even further.
“But… why do I sense the presence of Navardose’s energy from you? Is it just my imagination?”
A chill ran down Ronan’s spine. He had momentarily forgotten the fact that a spark of the Primordial Flame had been transferred to him. Although there was no harm in telling the truth, he had a feeling that satisfying Jarodin’s curiosity might become quite troublesome in the future. Ronan spoke, avoiding Jarodin’s gaze.
“Um… really? I was just with her a moment ago.”
“I heard that too. Well, that can’t be it. To have a park of the Primordial Flame within a human body.”
Ronan swallowed hard. As expected, Jarodin was accurately assessing the situation. Jarodin muttered under his breath.
“…I can’t even imagine what will happen when the curse is completely lifted.”
Ronan was unaware, but Jarodin felt not only admiration but also a slight fear. It seemed that Ronan was currently utilizing only about forty percent of his full potential. Meeting and greeting him for the first time might have been surprising, but Jarodin was familiar with his exploits. However, it was astonishing to think that all of that had been achieved with only forty percent of his power.
‘Has a second star risen in the Empire?’
Jarodin thought to himself. Ronan, hearing the word curse, suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Right. Where did Professor Sekreet go?”
“Hmm?”
It had been a long time since he had thought about that name. Even though it was the first person he had spoken to after finishing two years of seclusion, he hadn’t seen his face until now.
Seeing that Separaccio was covered in dust, it seemed that it had been quite a while since he had vacated the premises. There had been so many events happening that he hadn’t had the chance to ask anyone else. Jarodin shook his head.
“…I haven’t heard from him in quite some time either. He’s such a changeable person, but this time, it seems to be taking quite a long time.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“To the north. He said he was looking for a way to drive away the winter from the Empire.”
Once again, it was the north. Just like in the case of Elysia. Was there something enchanting about the lands to the north that drew people in?
“Thank you.”
“There shouldn’t be any problems. He’s an extremely powerful mage.”
Jarodin said. Since Ronan had no intention of taking any action, he simply expressed his gratitude. Perhaps he would run into him in the north if he was lucky.
The conversation between the two finally returned to their current situation. Sunya tugged on Jarodin’s sleeve tightly.
“Jarodin.”
“Hmm? What’s wrong, my dear?”
Jarodin turned around. It was eerie how affectionate his tone had become. Sunya was still holding onto his sleeve and staring directly into his eyes. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“Did I mishear something just now? It sounded like she called your name.”
“It is one of two words that Sunya can say. If you look closely, it seems she remembers as much as I do.”
“What’s the other word?”
“That’s…”
Jarodin was about to answer when suddenly Sunya’s forehead contorted sharply. Letting go of his sleeve, she struck Jarodin’s abdomen with a fist.
“Bad!”
“Ow!”
Thud! Sunya’s fist plunged deep into Jarodin’s abdomen. It was a precise strike, accurate enough to impress even Ronan. Jarodin grunted, clutching his stomach with both hands.
“Oof… ow…”
“Bad!”
But Sunya wasn’t satisfied with just that. Suddenly, she kicked Jarodin, knocking him down, and then climbed on top of him, starting a full-on beating.
However, Sunya was not satisfied with just that. Suddenly, she kicked Jarodin, causing him to fall, and then she climbed on top of him to start a full-blown beating. With each punch landing on his helpless body, Jarodin let out muffled groans.
“Ugh! Keuk!”
The speed at which the punches landed was relentless. It seemed as if someone who had professionally trained in martial arts was putting their entire weight into each blow. Come to think of it, wasn’t she originally in charge of his security? In a hurry, Ronan grabbed her arms from behind to restrain her.
“What the hell are you doing right now?”
“Bad! Jarodin, bad!”
Sunya wriggled like a leopard caught in a trap. Despite her small stature, she was incredibly strong, but breaking free from Ronan’s restraint was futile. Jarodin, who had become a punching bag, spoke up.
“Let me go… Urgh, this is my karma…”
“After taking such a beating, you still dare to talk like that? Do you need to be knocked senseless before coming to your senses?”
“I… don’t you remember what I did to… my wife… Uwaaa!”
Jarodin, who had vomited out his inner thoughts, struggled to rise while twisting his body. For a moment, scenes of their conversation in the laboratory flashed through Ronan’s mind.
“Ah…”
Ronan remembered the misdeeds Jarodin had committed. He had treated his wife as if she were nobody, simply because she was a native, treating her as inferior.
‘His wife is right.’
Upon further reflection, Ronan felt that Jarodin deserved even more punishment. The moment Ronan released his grip, Sunya leaped at Jarodin like a wild monkey.
“Aaaargh!”
“Ugh…”
Jarodin gritted his teeth. In truth, he could have easily used earth magic to block her if he had wanted, but he had no intention of doing so even if a knife were held to his throat. Harming his wife once was enough.
Nevertheless, being hit was painful, so he tightly closed his eyes. Judging from the direction of the incoming fist, this time it was aimed at his right rib.
But no matter how long he waited, there was no impact shaking his stomach. Jarodin opened his eyes slightly. His wife, who had returned to her serene angelic face, was now lightly clutching her own sleeve.
“…Wife?”
“Jarodin. Hungry.”
Sunya said. Jarodin’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Unless his ears were mistaken, it was definitely a different word from what she used to utter. Ronan, who was watching them from the side, couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Uh, did she just say she’s hungry?”
“…Yes. It’s the third word.”
Jarodin’s eyes welled up with tears. Sunya tilted her head. It seemed like a significant moment in its own right. Wiping her eyes with his sleeve, Jarodin looked at Ronan and said,
“Anyway, it’s a relief to see you’re doing well, Ronan. Let’s meet often.”
“Uh… sure.”
Ronan nodded dumbfoundedly. There were things he wanted to ask, but it didn’t seem like the right time to bring them up. Jarodin took his wife’s hand and said,
“Shall we go, my dear?”
“Bad!”
Then Sunya struck Jarodin’s side with her fist again. It seemed like her mind was still in a state of confusion. Despite the loud noise echoing, Jarodin gritted his teeth and withstood the blow. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.
“That’s right… I’m bad. I did terrible things to you, my dear.”
“Jarodin?”
“So… huff, you can do whatever you want… I won’t cause you any more harm…”
Jarodin embraced his wife’s shoulders. Sunya stared at him with her large, blinking eyes. Eventually, Jarodin regained his composure and held her hand again, starting to walk. Whether she had vented her anger or not, Sunya no longer resisted.
“That’s right.”
Ronan watched the two of them until they disappeared from the central square. It was scary how love could turn such a rational person like Jarodin into a soft-hearted fool. He headed towards the dormitory.
‘These are more reasons why the world can’t be destroyed. It’s becoming a nuisance.’
As he raised his head, he noticed the star clusters sprinkling light like seeds. The small early morning moon hanging on the spire twinkled brightly.
Although it couldn’t compare to what he saw at the Drimore Fortress, it was still a decent view.
****
“Why do you keep doing this to me, Ronan? Please satisfy this old man’s curiosity.”
“There really is nothing. Why do you keep insisting?”
It had been a week since he returned from Drimore. The days that followed were incredibly peaceful. Although Katir and the Emperor persistently asked what happened with Navardose, Ronan stuck to his consistent answer to the end.
“The Mother of Fire took a human as aide. How can it be? I’m asking you, so please…!”
“Just so you know, I said the same thing to His Majesty the Emperor. Really, nothing happened.”
After a week of persuasion, Ronan was finally able to brush off Katir. Perhaps because he was a mage, he seemed somewhat whiny compared to the Emperor, who gave up after three days of pestering. Of course, he lied to both of them.
‘It’s still too early for humanity to accept this information.’
Ronan’s attention was diverted from the report he was reading. The paper, enchanted to automatically incinerate after reading, contained news that three branches of Nebula Clazier had been eradicated in the past few days. Among these branches, two had been taken down by the forces led by Zaifa.
‘I still have to deal with the large branch personally. I hope she won’t overdo it.’
He worried about the consequences of rushing to attack the large branch. If he gathered a large force and stumbled upon another Dharuman-like figure, it would result in massive casualties again.
‘It hasn’t even been long since she got better. That old woman’s spirits are impressive.’
Ronan’s plan to dismantle the organization was progressing smoothly. Zaifa, having risen from her sickbed, was literally devouring Nebula Clazzier.
The Imperial Army units that Ronan had instructed under his authority as the Dawn were also performing quite well. The location information compiled from Lieutenant Nemea and Russell demonstrated a remarkably high accuracy rate.
‘But they’re doing well.’
Although there were concerns, there was currently no alternative. Except for relying on people and luck. Moreover, he had something else to worry about.
‘I have to handle the large branches myself. It would be good if she doesn’t overdo it.”
However, there was concern about rashly interfering with the large branches and ending up in trouble. There was a reason he instructed to deal only with small to medium-sized branches. If they recklessly approached and encountered unexpected foes, it could lead to significant casualties.
‘Still, they are doing well, so it’s fine.’
It was indeed a cause for concern, but at the moment, there were no alternative options. Besides relying on people and luck, there wasn’t much else to do. Moreover, he had something else to be mindful of.
‘Takes about a month? No, maybe two months. I can’t get a clear sense.’
Upon returning from Drimore, Ronan immediately began planning his departure for the northern regions. He had to make thorough preparations, not unlike when he went to Dainhar. The final destination, the Ghost Sea, was undoubtedly significant, but reaching Heiran before that was also a challenging task.
The fortunate thing was that summer was approaching. It was a time when the seemingly eternal snowfields of the north softened and revealed their green core.
There was no better time to embark on the journey. Adeshan, who was organizing documents, looked at Ronan and smiled.
“It’s nice to see you after so long. I was so busy with work that I couldn’t make time.”
“That’s true.”
She sat in front of the platinum desk, which only the student council president could sit at. With a single glance, Ronan, who had just entered the room, gulped down the cup of tea placed in front of her.
Although he didn’t know what it was brewed with, it didn’t taste as bad as he had expected. As he raised his head, the unfamiliar scenery of the student council room caught his eye once again. He had only heard rumors about it before, and it was his first time visiting in person.
‘This facility looks incredibly lavish no matter when you see it.’
He couldn’t say whether all academies were like this, but it felt like a place where a parliamentary session could be held. Perhaps because it was during the after-school hours, the only people remaining were him and Adeshan.
“So, what’s going on?”
“Ah… it’s nothing special, I just have a few things to tell you. You’ve done remarkable work so far, you know? I’ve been getting calls from various places.”
Adeshan said proudly. She explained that calls had come in from noble families with two-digit ranks, knight orders, and three-digit business entities, all expressing a desire to meet Ronan.
So Ronan was called to the student council even though it was after school. Since Adeshan was preoccupied, he just sipped her tea without saying anything.
“Ah. It’s done.”
Finally, Adeshan finished organizing the documents and stood up. It was a mystery how the chair made no sound when she moved it. With her elegant appearance and demeanor, she was a perfect fit for the position of student council president.
“Then, let me explain it to you one by one. First, the Viscount Mondrian has proposed to hire you as a full-time knight as soon as you graduate. He said he’ll give you this level of compensation just for visiting during the summer vacation, so take note. However, this is not the only place where such a proposal was made…”
Adeshan, sitting face to face with Ronan, explained each of the proposals that had come in. Most of them were aimed at Ronan after his graduation, but there were also requests for him to just visit during the summer vacation.
“Wow, that’s amazing. They’re willing to pay this much?”
Some requests were for hosting banquets or observing their son’s swordsmanship, and they were willing to pay fees that were unimaginable for any ordinary student. So much so that Ronan wouldn’t mind taking a few days off and working on these side jobs without any issues. Adeshan said with a hint of envy.
“It’s great, Ronan. You don’t have to worry about the future now. Everyone wants you.”
“Well… I’m not so sure.”
Ronan scratched his chin. While the offers were certainly generous, there was nothing particularly appealing about them. After all, his main goal was not the documents themselves, but the person who was holding them. Ronan, who had been silently observing Adeshan, finally spoke up.
“Senior.”
“Yes?”
“Since we’re done with this, how about going on a trip with me during the vacation?”
“…Huh?”
