Chapter 2 — The City of Fog (4)
The last na was clearly a magical alias—that much was obvious. But what exactly was the grave issue ntioned in the letter? What could be so serious that the Magic Association was desperate to summon Mr. Ken?
At that mont, the bathroom door opened. Lijedahl stepped out, towel-drying her hair, a faint fragrance drifting into the air along with the lingering steam.
To my shock, she had co out wearing nothing but a bath towel.
"Wha—Lijedahl, what are you doing?"
I quickly turned my face away, unsure whether to call her careless or just completely lacking in common sense.
"Uh, I forgot to bring my clothes inside... haha..."
I didn't look at her, but judging by the hurried footsteps, she must have grabbed her clothes and dashed straight back into the bathroom.
Several minutes later, she crept out again on tiptoe.
Her face was bright red, her eyes now a deep shade of pink, as she shyly covered her cheeks with her hands.
"Will, it's just... It's because I... I trust you. I know you'd never do anything improper, so I... um, I thought you'd understand... r-right?"
She was rambling now, her voice trembling with embarrassnt.
"You... I didn't really understand what you just said, but... couldn't you have just called to bring your clothes?"
"No way! If you brought out my underwear or sothing, I'd feel so—ugh... Besides, the room is huge. I didn't hear anything outside, so I thought you were far away. I figured I could sneak out quickly, but instead..."
I was at a loss for words. Saying anything more would just make it sound like I was picking on her.
"Uh... fine, fine. Get yourself settled, then tell what you wanted to talk about."
"Okay, okay."
Lijedahl took a deep breath.
"Ahem, let start. You've read the letter, right? It ntioned the difficult situation the Magic Association is facing—sothing that concerns all of Britain. Can you guess what it is?"
She paced back and forth in front of , just as she often did when thinking aloud.
"... I'm not sure. My guess... It's about your sister?"
"Mm, clever. That's very likely the case. But actually, there's another matter that may have caught their attention too."
"What is it?"
"Our ti travel. Rember what Anna and Jona said? That all the mages in Britain felt the disturbance from our magic circle."
Right! There was that as well.
"Yes... That's definitely possible. But isn't our main goal to save your sister? We're outsiders here; we’re only at this eting because of Mr. Ken. Why should we care about the rest?"
"Because I may very well be classified as a 'powerful mage.'"
Her tone grew serious, her eyes shifting to a somber gray.
"... You're right. We need to prepare for that possibility."
"That letter invited Mr. Ken so urgently because he's both powerful and respected. Clearly, the Magic Association is in desperate need of capable people. And now, I've appeared—out of nowhere, no less. If Mr. Ken doesn't vouch for and instead puts forward, things could beco very troubleso for us."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Then we'll just have to keep a low profile. If worst cos to worst and you're pushed into the spotlight, don't show any opposition. Pretend to accept it, but from start to finish, avoid making any statents. Stay unnoticed. Of course, last-minute plans like this always run into unexpected problems, but as long as you follow that approach, we should get by without too much trouble. And if you're ever forced to speak, take a neutral stance—or side with Mr. Ken. That's the safest option."
Lijedahl instinctively rested her chin on her hand in thought, while I, too, began piecing things together.
Our real objective was to save her sister. This eting with the Magic Association was a golden opportunity—a chance to connect with influential figures and gather information. With Mr. Ken's connections as our stepping stone, we might uncover sothing crucial.
I voiced my reasoning as I worked it out, earning Lijedahl's approval.
"Will, since you're my 'assistant,' you normally wouldn't have a place in this eting. And Anna and Jona, as apprentices, wouldn't either. So this is your chance—use it to get the truth out of them."
"You an... to dig into Mr. Ken as well?"
Lijedahl smiled, giving a aningful look.
I understood. I had guessed right.
We knew nothing about Mr. Ken. We couldn't fully trust him without learning more.
"All right, Will. I know you still have questions for , too. Go ahead—ask."
She really does know well.
"Fine. Then... your sister. Who exactly is she? Or rather, what's her na?"
Lijedahl smiled lightly and sat down beside .
"I knew you'd ask that. Her na is Frisse—they call her the Witch of mory."
mory?
"She's proud, even arrogant at tis, but she cares deeply for her sisters. She would never allow anyone to harm us. And she herself doesn't like to hurt others. Sotis her pride can be irritating, but other tis... it makes her truly admirable."
Her voice dimd as she spoke, a trace of sorrow clouding her expression.
“When I was on the run, I heard news of her. She had encountered the child we once raised. By the ti they t, the Church had already surrounded them. Even after a soldier's spear pierced her body, Frisse still fought desperately, forcing her way through with magic to give him a chance to escape. But she herself was captured.”
Lijedahl brushed her hand across her own body.
"After that, I heard she was subjected to brutal torture—just like I once was. But she never gave in. She never even bowed her head. In the end, she was sealed away, struggling endlessly until this era... where she finally died."
I looked at her. Her hands were trembling.
From Mr. Tuer's stories, I knew that Lijedahl, too, had endured unspeakable tornt.
"You... you both went through all that?"
She gave a faint nod.
"We don't die so easily... but the pain was real. I will never forget the feeling of fire burning my skin, the agony of my flesh being torn apart, the numbness of being tortured until consciousness faded... I don't want to live through that ever again."
Lijedahl buried her face in her arms, trembling.
I couldn't even imagine enduring that kind of suffering myself. All I could do was try to comfort her.
I pulled her into an embrace. She flinched at first, surprised by the sudden gesture.
"It's all right. It's over now."
I stroked her back gently. I wasn't sure if it would help, but at least it was sothing.
"... Yes, it's over. Those days are finally behind ."
Then she returned the embrace.
"That's why I must save her. No matter what."
She pulled away, her expression regaining a trace of her usual smile.
“There’s still ti—because I t you. Do you know how deeply grateful I am to you? For understanding , for helping , for saving .”
Her words weighed heavily on , almost too much to bear.
"I'm just an ordinary man. I'm not that noble."
I shrugged, and before she could say more, I cut her off.
"Alright, the sad part is over, isn't it? Great ti mage?"
She was about to speak, but my words caught her off guard, turning into a genuine laugh.
"What is it? Why does hearing you say that sound so funny?"
"Haha, maybe because of the way I look?"
Her spirit was strong. I could feel it. Anyone else would have collapsed long ago.
"All right, enough laughing. Tell —what was that Tarot magic you ntioned when you and Mr. Ken were doing that air magic earlier?"
Lijedahl lay down on the bed, casting a playful glance.
"Will, could it be that you want to beco a mage?"
"I don't have that kind of talent. I'm just curious."
"This kind of magic can actually be learned by ordinary people. You're clever enough—I could teach you. How about it? Want to beco a half-baked mage?"
"No thanks. I'd rather not be half-baked."
"Haha."
She rolled onto her side, facing .
"You know Tarot cards, right?"
"Ah, so that's what it is."
"Tarot cards aren't just for divination—they can also be used to test magical affinity. For ordinary people, if your affinity matches the card, learning is easy. If not, it might take three years to get anywhere."
Hearing that, I already had a pretty good guess at what category I'd fall into.
"Then I'd better stick to sothing I'm compatible with."
"Normally, a mage would give you a deck and have you draw your fate. But I don't need that. I've studied magic for so long I can feel the flow of your magic right away."
"Oh? Then what suits ?"
"The Hermit."
"Sounds about right. Fits pretty well."
"What's your zodiac sign?"
"Virgo."
"Age?"
"Uh, twenty-seven."
"A perfect match. See? That's my ability."
"So what powers does the Hermit have?"
"I'm not entirely sure. The Hermit's abilities are unpredictable."
"What do you an?"
"Before learning magic, all mages must study the entire Tarot and learn to use it fluently. Out of a hundred people, maybe two will have a similar affinity with the Hermit card—and even then, not exactly the sa."
"... I see."
"So, the exact abilities? You'll only know once you start using them. Besides, tarot powers are ant to work alongside other spells—they're more of a support."
"Got it. Then what's your strongest affinity?"
"The Mage."
"Of course... I don't really know the aning, but just the na already suits you perfectly."
"Haha, so you're saying I'm a true mage?"
"Pretty close."
"Thanks for the complint, Mr. Hermit."
We teased each other back and forth, and for the first ti, I felt like I was beginning to understand the charm of magic.
"So, how do I learn it?"
"Not possible right now—we don't have a deck."
"Oh, I see."
"But I can at least tell you the essence. Though it may be a bit hard to understand."
"Go ahead, I'll try to make sense of it."
“一An old man in a gray cloak stands atop a snowy mountain peak, holding an oil lamp, lost in thought. Its faint glow flickers in the desolate, dim night—seemingly powerless, yet to him, it is truth. It is hope. The staff in his hand is many things: the Fool’s plaything, the Mage’s conduit between heaven and earth, the Chariot’s spear of triumph. But after ignorance, fervor, and glory, it now seems so ordinary.”
"..."
Lijedahl wore a constant smile—the confident smile of soone knowledgeable speaking to the uninitiated.
"Don't think too hard. I'll teach you when the ti cos."
"... All right."
Night fell. We extinguished the lights and lay down to rest.
Whatever awaited us—danger or disaster—we would endure it together.
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(T/N): When I read ‘the Fool’, it automatically reminds of Lord of the Mysteries (my fave novel of all ti). PRAISE THE FOOL 🧐
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