Chapter 761 – The Wizard’s Dream

000

＂Ugh… Ugh…＂

I had a terrible dream.

It is a memory of the time when one had just begun to recognize ‘oneself’ in this world.

He was such a small being, and those who were with him were beings of the same kind who, like him, had just been born into the world.

And- those looking at you like that are big eyes like sapphires.

When she thought that a hand so large as her own body had lifted her up, she smiled brightly at herself and gave herself her name.

And—

There, Aqua slowly opened her eyes.

Really, just when she thought she was having the worst dream, she looked down at her own limbs and realized that her body wasn’t moving properly.

He was tied to her, with his arms behind his back.

If that were all, she might have been able to escape somehow with her own magic, but in addition to the rope, she could see that her use of her own magic was blocked.

This must be some kind of sealing spell cast by someone with stronger magical power than you.

If she is said to have stronger magical power than the woman who is planning to become the best water magician in this town… Then, of course, her true identity is-

＂You’re awake, trespasser.＂

Thinking she heard a sarcastic voice, Aqua looks up while biting her lower lip.

Then, there was Lila standing there, looking down at herself with her arms crossed.

＂Lila… Haha. It’s strange, it seems like she was having a nightmare just before, so why does the nightmare continue even after she wakes up?”

“Well. “Isn’t she being punished because she committed a crime?”

As Lila said that, she looked down at Aqua and spoke with her eyes filled with contempt.

“How dare you send your familiars into my mansion to hurt my guests and colleagues?”

“I was just planning to take it if you didn’t use it. This is what happened.”

When Aqua speaks with regret, the veins on Lila’s forehead rise with anger.

It was as if she wanted to throw her into her own prison right away, but unfortunately, there is no such prison-like place in Helix.

Most of the residents are familiar with each other, and since most people do not leave their homes, the extremely low crime rate may have played a role.

“… You know what will happen in the future, right?”

Lila said while glaring at Aqua.

Of course, as it is a place where humans live, there are times when people with evil hearts appear – who impulsively hurt others or steal other people’s things.

The punishment for such people is ‘excommunication’.

In other words, it was a virtual form of expulsion from the village, which came from the fact that this village was created by the Flame Watch family and its disciples.

Of course, even in this situation, expelling Aqua and Petrus would be the surest and most understandable punishment for the entire village.

It would be unprecedented for members of two of the four great families to be expelled from the village, but they had committed a sin and violated Helix’s rules.

“They’re going to expel me and Petrus from the village.”

“I know very well. I’m going to talk to Uncle Fromme about you two and have them banished. Unsealing the Magic Tower, what are you thinking?”

Aqua sighs at Lila’s question.

＂To know that far… Aha. Ventuna told you everything. That child, he says he wants to be free, but he gives in to power and binds himself again.”

When people laughed at her and talked about her as if she was a helpless brat, Lila couldn’t help but make an expression as if she was laughing at whom.

＂Why did she try to unseal the magic tower, you asked, Laila? Then I ask you, why are you studying magic?”

When Aqua suddenly asked herself about her goals as a magician, Lila answered her with a look that asked her what she took for granted.

“My goal is the complete destruction of the Flamewatch family and, by extension, the Magic Tower, which is Helix’s secret wish. So that the various remnants of dangerous magic research sleeping inside that magic tower can never leak out of the magic tower again.”

That is the path of magic that my grandfather walked and that I am now walking.

No matter how powerful the seal on the Magic Tower is, it is ultimately a seal.

Someday—hundreds of years, perhaps thousands of years later—if the seal is lifted and the things trapped within it are released, it could once again cause enormous damage to Helix and the surrounding area.

Lila recalled her grandfather’s words, saying that magic is a study that goes into the past, but that power must always be used for the future.

However, Aqua, who heard Laila’s story, said, “Wow,” And laughed at her as if she thought Laila was laughable – or, as if she was too childish.

“You’re young, Lila. You don’t even know what’s sleeping inside that magic tower, but you’re afraid of it. “I’m a coward, just like your grandfather.”

As soon as Aqua finished those words, Lila couldn’t hold back her own anger for a moment and stretched out her hand to her, radiating her intense heat.

The reason the flames didn’t come out was probably because I controlled myself with a shred of reason.

As the temperature rose to the point where it was difficult to breathe, Lila stopped the magic and said as Aqua’s face instantly turned pale, and she lowered her body and shook her body as if pressing her face into the ground.

“If you mock my grandfather one more time, I will pour flames directly into your body and turn you into ashes from the inside out.”

At Lila’s warning, Aqua finally calmed her panting breath and immediately looked up at Lila with cold sweat streaming from her forehead.

“Did Ventuna talk about her freedom, Laila? But she got him wrong. He means that by liberating the Magic Tower, he will give us true freedom.”

“Do you… Do you want to take the magic inside the Magic Tower so badly?”

In Lila’s eyes, Aqua was nothing more than a greedy and reckless wizard.

It was common for evil wizards to covet ancient magic that they might be able to control and put everyone in danger, leading to self-destruction.

However, Aqua immediately looked indescribably angry at Lila’s question, and then raised the corners of her mouth and answered her.

“It’s not just magic. If we can rebuild the Magic Tower itself – we can begin the era of wizards once again.”

＂The Age of Wizards?＂

What Lyla remembered from her words was about the history of the past, when there was a time when wizards enslaved humans.

The magic tower that exists in Helix was also one of the magic towers built at that time, and it was the only magic tower that remained even after the end of that era.

The Magic Tower, left without an owner, continued to research magic with its own will, and as a result, familiars such as chimeras and golems born as a result of the experiment roamed around inside, making it a dangerous place that people could not approach. .

＂You, such an empty dream…＂

But Laila knew better.

The era of wizards ultimately ended with humans exploding after enduring the oppression of wizards.

In the end, there is no such thing as eternal rule.

However, Aqua responds to Laila’s words as if she were directly contradicting them.

“I just need the power to say I don’t need you. I don’t know about geniuses like you. If this is an empty dream, does that mean that there is a suitable opportunity for those without talent?”

＂…＂

Seeing Aqua distorting her meaning, Lila just sighed as if she didn’t have the energy to speak anymore.

“… Yes, I understand. No matter what we say to each other, there are differences in values ​​that can never be accepted.”

After saying that, Laila turns around as if she has nothing more to say.

“I’m waiting calmly here. I’m going to call Uncle Fromme. Considering the shock he will receive, I think it would be better to talk slowly.”

Given her age, if her own grandson tried to unseal the Magic Tower, Fromme might collapse from the shock.

However, as the acting chief – in fact, as the current chief of this Helix, in order to expel the criminal –

And, as for what Petrus did, he too must know.

Leila muttered as if her worries were taking precedence, and she walked out, leaving the two of them in the room.

＂…＂

However, Aqua seems to have not given up yet.

She was staring straight at Lila, as if a black flame was burning in her eyes.

001

When Lila walks out of her room, Cleon, who was waiting in front of her, looks back at her.

＂How do you feel?＂

＂What the heck… He was an ordinary guy with a red face. “I still can’t believe that a guy like that is my childhood friend.”

Cleon had a complicated expression, not sure whether to comfort Lila or laugh at her own joke.

However, after shaking her head, she spoke to Lila.

“Actually, I found it while cleaning up, and it seems like there was a door whose lock was broken when Amelia and Lilim fought.”

“What!? Ah, but… I can’t help it. Because they must have fought in a narrow hallway…”

Lila made a loud noise in surprise for a moment, then nodded and scratched her head in understanding.

“I haven’t checked the inside yet. Because I can’t check it without permission from her owner.”

“… Okay. Okay. Well then, let’s check before calling her uncle from prom.”

When Cleon nodded, as if agreeing with Lila’s opinion, the two went down the stairs and headed to the hallway on the first floor that had been cleaned.

The cleaning was over, but Lila couldn’t help but sigh when she saw that the marble fragments were sticking out, the wallpaper was peeling off, and there were small holes in the ceiling and floor.

“It’s an old mansion, but they cut a hole like this…”

＂S-sorry…＂

When Amelia, who overheard her say that, let out an apologetic voice, Lila nodded and turned to her as if to cover up her own remark.

“Oh, no. Are you okay? Rather, I should say thank you to this side. They protected the mansion from those two people while we were away. If Amelia wasn’t there, she would have been in big trouble.”

＂It wasn’t just me, Lillim was also there.＂

As Amelia said that, she turned her head and saw Lilim, leaning back on the sofa in her living room, asleep and recovering her exquisite magic.

Perhaps because she had expended too much magic fighting the golems and slimes, she almost fainted and fell asleep right after Cleon and his party returned.

Lila nods her head at Amelia’s words, and after saying that she is glad that she is safe, she walks to the front of her room where she broke the lock.

＂… There were a few doors on the first floor that didn’t open like this… Ugh… ＂

When Lila makes a strange noise, Cleon and Amelia look at Lila.

＂What’s wrong?＂

＂”Is there somewhere… Where you feel unwell?”

＂It’s not that… It’s just… If what’s in here is the research results left behind by my grandfather…”

Layla holds her head and speaks as if she is a little scared.

“Well, well… Then, wouldn’t it be a good thing since you wouldn’t have to go into the gap in another dimension to get the key?”

＂That’s true! Then, the research we have done so far to obtain the key…! Awesome!”

As various internal conflicts intersected, strange sounds came out of her mouth again.

＂… Well, then, should we not go in until we get the key?＂

When Amelia carefully questioned Lila, Lila made an ‘uuuuu…’ Sound from her mouth again, and then she shook her head.

“No! Anyway, I have to check it out…! It could be an ordinary room used by another student…!”

As Lila calms her mind, she finally opens the door whose lock was broken.

When the sound of a door that had not been used for a long time and needed to be greased with hinges rang out, the appearance of a room with curtains came into view.

Then, what caught the eyes of the three people was-

The inside of the room with the lights off was a more ordinary place than they thought.

The room was decorated with various dolls.

And, a small bed covered with a cute blanket that could be used by a 5- or 6-year-old girl.

If it weren’t for the dust, someone’s stuffed toys were scattered on the floor, so much so that you could have thought a girl had been playing in this room just a moment ago.

It was as if only the people had disappeared and time had stopped.

“… On the outside, it looks like an ordinary girl’s room?”

“Ah. But… It’s not organized. What should I say?”

Cleon nodded at Amelia’s words, but for some reason, seeing her heart pounding a little, Cleon turned to look at Lila, the owner of the house.

Then, Lila looks around the inside of her room for a moment.

＂Here… You might remember it… ＂

＂… That means.＂

Lila picks up one of the dolls from the ground.

The doll, which seemed to be modeled after a rabbit, was something you would see anywhere, but it seemed somewhat familiar to Lila.

After looking around the room with the doll for a moment, he looks back at the two of them as he places his doll on the small desk.

“… This feels like my childhood bedroom.”

‘, Lila said, as if opening a door to old, rusty memories.