Chapter 12 - The Visitor
After all the sparring matches had ended.
Among the people leaving the stands, a man with a face distorted by anger was heading somewhere with rough steps.
"Lord Lian!"
The man spotted Lian and approached, shouting loudly.
"…What is it, Lord Dellan."
Lian, whose name had been called, stopped and turned his head.
Dellan Bellona.
The man's identity was the head of the Bellona family.
"Are you asking because you don't know?"
"Raising your voice in a crowded place like this just because you lost a duel does not seem like very good behavior."
"Whether my daughter won or lost is not that important! Tiana showed all of her skills, but…!"
Dellan looked around.
The gazes of many who were leaving the arena were fixed on the two of them.
Dellan finally suppressed his excitement and continued.
"Let's move somewhere else first."
Causing a scene here was not good for either of them.
"…Let's do that."
Lian reluctantly nodded.
As the two of them left, the onlookers also went on their respective ways.
Inside Dellan's private quarters in the banquet hall. He, having invited Lian there, pointed to a chair and spoke.
"Have a seat."
The two men sat facing each other.
It was Lian who spoke first.
"Is it because of the mana."
Lael had brazenly used mana in the arena.
And it was pure, strong mana comparable to the 5th Circle.
In fact, at that time, the person most surprised by Lael's mana was none other than Lian.
No, Elia was more surprised, but anyway.
'I was about to go to Lael right away, thinking something like this might happen…'
Lian still didn't know how his son had wielded mana.
He could only guess that it might be related to him recalling his past life.
"I too was surprised by the mana your son displayed. I heard he had no mana, but to think he had been hiding such talent all this time."
Dellan shook his head and continued.
"However, that is not a reason for me to be angry. Rather, I admired your strategy. To pretend to be incompetent to block the checks from surrounding families from the source."
"Then what on earth are you so displeased about?"
"Why is your son using my family's martial art?"
Lian furrowed his brow.
In truth, he had little interest in martial arts.
So even though he had watched the duel himself, he hadn't known that what Lael used was the Bellona family's martial art, the Fist Art.
"Why is there no answer?"
How could he tell another what he himself did not know?
But the situation was not good enough to just feign ignorance.
If he did that, the responsibility for stealing the family's secret art would fall entirely on his son.
Of course, it was by no means a good method for Lian to take all the responsibility either.
"You ask the obvious."
Therefore, the best method was to pass on the responsibility.
Lian continued.
"Lael didn't steal the Bellona family's martial art; he learned it."
"…Learned it?"
"Yes. The Fist Art is not so flimsy a martial art that it can be stolen just like that, is it? My son is not so much of a genius that he could master a martial art just by watching from the side."
"Are you saying… there is someone who taught Lael."
"This is as far as I can tell you. I am a busy man myself, so please find out the rest on your own."
Lian stood up.
By the time the bewildered Dellan came to his senses, he had already left.
"…Someone taught him the Fist Art."
Left alone, he muttered softly.
And just then.
"Don't tell me."
Suddenly, one person flashed through his mind.
It seemed he knew who had taught Lael the Fist Art.
"Is it Denver, that child's doing."
Denver Bellona.
Dellan's first son, and the child who had shown the most outstanding talent for martial arts among his children.
"Indeed, it was exactly 5 years ago that he left home."
It was also 5 years ago that Lael had disappeared from the public eye.
The puzzle pieces were fitting together in Dellan's head.
***
After the duel ended, I headed straight for my quarters.
Since the banquet was held for a total of 3 days, private quarters for individuals were also prepared inside the banquet hall.
"Keuk…"
Entering my quarters, I let out a small groan.
In truth, I had pushed myself a little to get here without showing that I had suffered internal injuries.
"This much will heal quickly anyway."
Of course, it wasn't that there was no treatment room in the banquet hall.
In fact, its level was among the best on the continent.
It wouldn't even take a few seconds to treat an internal injury of this extent.
The only problem was that their treatment methods didn't suit me at all.
Healing magic didn't work on me.
No matter how much mana they poured in, it was obvious it would only worsen, let alone heal.
"…And it's probably better to hide that fact as much as possible from now on."
At the final moment of the duel.
I had finally done it.
I spectacularly spewed out Aura in front of many people.
As if spewing out mana.
The standard way to use Aura is to compress it as much as possible, but to look like a mage, a certain amount of inefficiency was unavoidable.
'From now on, I am a mage.'
The reason magic doesn't work on me is because my body cannot accept mana.
Now that I've shown my mana (which is actually Aura), I can't let that fact be discovered either.
So, I had no choice but to pretend to be fine and return to my quarters.
"Hoo…"
I immediately sat on the floor and slowly steadied my breathing.
Then, I circulated Aura throughout my entire body.
This was to enhance my body's recovery ability.
"There."
After about 10 minutes of this.
The pain disappeared, and my body felt perfectly fine as if nothing had happened.
"Huaah…!"
I flopped down right there.
I hadn't expected to use so much Aura as soon as it bloomed, so even I couldn't help but be exhausted.
"…By the way."
Then, suddenly, the sense of unease I had felt during the duel came to mind.
I stretched my hand upward and drew out my Aura.
I focused all the Aura in my body into my outstretched hand.
Fwaaak—!
Then I released it all outside my body.
Since Aura has the property of scattering once it leaves the body, it disappeared into the air in an instant.
Like that, not a single speck of Aura was left in my body.
"As expected."
At the same time.
The empty Aura vessel in my body was once again filled to the brim.
'My Aura doesn't decrease.'
I had experienced the same phenomenon back then, when I drew out all my Aura to end the duel.
And I had just now realized the reason.
"This place, no… this entire land."
Because there were no more Aura users.
'It was filled with Aura.'
The world was filled with ownerless Aura.
All this time, I had been living in a world of infinite Aura.
"Haha…"
In other words, it meant that I would not have trouble due to a lack of Aura in the future.
"Why didn't I think of this obvious fact until now."
In fact, it was possible to deduce that the world would be filled with Aura even without using it myself.
Whether it was mana or Aura, their essence ultimately originates from nature.
If the beings that can fully absorb it disappear, the density of Aura in the air is bound to rise.
'No. Rather, if it weren't for this event, I might not have noticed for a long time.'
Aura in the air is basically colorless and odorless.
It is only after being absorbed by a person that it takes on color and form.
At the very least, one has to use a large amount of Aura at once to make it easier to deduce that fact.
"Should I send my thanks to the Philhart family?"
This series of events was, in effect, the result of a single phrase from Argon.
If he hadn't looked at me and said I had peculiar mana, I wouldn't have used Aura in front of everyone.
Although I didn't get the information about the Archmages that was my original purpose, in a way, I had obtained information that was more valuable.
Knock knock—
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
I got up and carefully opened the door.
"Lael, let's talk for a moment."
What stood beyond the door was my father.
"Yes, come in."
I let my father in and closed the door.
And just then.
"Hahahahahahat!"
My father suddenly burst into laughter.
He was usually a stoic person, so it was a little bewildering.
"Well done, Lael!"
My father had a relieved look on his face, as if a ten-year burden had been lifted.
Looking at my father's face, I felt like I understood why he was so happy.
I carefully asked my father.
"How was I?"
"You were the best! Of course, I was a bit bewildered when I saw your name on the match-up chart, but when I recall that explosive mana at the end, I still get goosebumps!"
"I told you, didn't I? That I'm strong. That you don't have to worry."
I gave my father a bright smile.
Until now, the incompetent Lael who didn't know of his past life had no future.
Chasing an empty dream that could not be achieved, just living day by day.
And that was a despair not only for Lael himself but also for his father, Lian.
The fact that he couldn't do anything even as his son struggled in pain.
That had crushed him as a huge sense of guilt for a long time.
But 6 months ago.
I was reincarnated.
In other words, I regained the memories of my past life.
Color was added to the empty, black-and-white dream.
Seeing me change day by day, my father's guilt must have lightened little by little.
'Still, I can't tell him everything.'
I hadn't said a word about the sword or Aura to either my father or my mother.
Because in this world, just knowing of their concepts could be dangerous, so I had only hinted that 'there is a way to become strong.'
Of course, no matter how absurd my words were, my father would have believed me.
But that kind of trust is not enough to cast off all anxiety.
I still had no mana, and in my father's common sense, it would have been impossible to become strong without mana.
But just today.
Because I had proven my changed self for all to see.
His joy right now means that the guilt that had been crushing him has disappeared.
"…Are you crying?"
A single tear fell down my father's cheek.
As if realizing it late, my father was flustered and quickly wiped away the tear.
"Ahem, hem. It's not that. It's because I laughed too hard."
"Haha, I guess so."
"Ehem! Hem! Right, anyway."
My father bent one knee.
He matched my eye level and continued.
"From now on, if there is anything you need, tell me anytime. Your mom and I will support you with all our strength in whatever you do."
A warm feeling bloomed in a corner of my heart.
The corners of my mouth went up on their own.
I nodded.
"Yes, I will. Thank you."
My father smiled with satisfaction and straightened his bent knee.
"Well then, I should get going. I have many questions, but this isn't a good place for it. For now, rest comfortably."
Of course, there was no one around to see or hear our conversation.
But strictly speaking, this entire banquet hall was Philhart territory.
My father knows that too, which is why he is deliberately avoiding topics like reincarnation.
"Yes. Ah, is Mother okay?"
"Of course. You have me, your dad."
"Please explain it well to her, Father."
"Don't worry."
My father patted his chest as if to reassure me.
"See you tomorrow."
And so, he returned to his own quarters.
I looked at the clock hanging on one wall.
It was already time to sleep.
"Hwaaaam…"
The Aura blooming, the banquet, and the duel, too many things had overlapped at once, so I was quite tired too.
'If it weren't for Aura, I would have been out like a light long ago.'
It was thanks to my entire body being strengthened by Aura that my fatigue was only at this level.
I covered the magic tool that was lighting the room with its cap and immediately lay down in bed.
Just as I closed my eyes and finished preparing for sleep.
Knock knock—
Someone knocked on the door again.
"…Umm."
In the end, I got up.
My father might have come back.
I opened the cap covering the magic tool and lit the room.
Knock knock knock—
A series of knocks, as if to hurry me.
I hurriedly opened the door.
"Hello?"
"…You are."
What stood beyond the door was not my father.
A woman with long blond hair and red eyes.
"Oh my, you know me?"
She twisted the corners of her lips.
Seeing that crazed expression, I was certain.
Although this was the first time I had seen her face in person, I knew instinctively.
"You are Ena Philhart, are you not."
The madwoman of Philhart had come to find me.