The Volcano and the Storm.
Or, in other words, Inferblayno and Stormblast.
"Louis, should I buy sothing for you? Or, would you like to go sowhere?"
"Lati, Louis has to work on the Cause and Effect Restoration with her master..."
"Quiet! I know Lady El's orders just as well as you do. But she needs to rest sotis!"
"Hmm..."
Although the power of the two clans was nearly equal, the relationship between Lati and Kunder was an exception.
In their case, Inferblayno overwhelmingly took the lead.
"Co on, let’s leave that brotherly figure over there and have so fun by ourselves!"
"Hmm..."
To be honest, I couldn't quite understand why Lati cared about so much.
Dragons generally perceive humans in a way that could be best sumd up as “insignificant.”
And, more specifically, dragons can be divided into those who are friendly toward humans and those who are not, with the Stormblast clan belonging to the forr.
However, the Inferblayno clan had been notoriously unfriendly toward humans since ancient tis.
This "common sense" was well-known in both the original story and this world.
Yet here she was, treating warmly, and I honestly couldn’t understand why.
"Louis?"
"...I need to go and study with my master."
"If you say so, I suppose I have no choice."
Lati’s red eyes closed slightly in disappointnt. She waved at , then vanished in flas.
Kunder had also been driven out of the castle due to Lati’s insistence.
I returned to my master’s study.
"It seems Lati was here."
"Yes."
"Then, shall we continue? Today, let’s try infusing the mana of the stars into this passage..."
And so, I once again imrsed myself in the study of Cause and Effect Restoration with my master.
Lati’s brief presence lightened my mood, but as soon as my thoughts wandered, a sense of suffocation quickly returned.
That’s why I saw this research as a refuge.
It was sothing I needed to do anyway, and if I didn’t concentrate on it, I felt I wouldn’t be able to suppress the guilt and longing that kept surfacing.
It seed my master sensed my struggle, so she kept giving endless tasks.
"Call for the Master Key. Let’s try this section again."
"Yes."
And so, another day passed.
* * *
Two weeks had gone by.
It had been two weeks since I last saw the hero party.
Though I tried my best to ignore it, my thoughts grew more frequent with each passing day.
Clang!
"...Ah."
Only after I shattered a glass instrunt did I realize I was in the middle of research with my master.
"Louis."
My master removed her glasses and spoke.
"...Yes."
"We’re done with today’s research."
"I can keep going."
"No, you can't. Enough talk; go rest. And check yourself in the mirror when you get to your room."
I wondered what could be wrong with how I looked.
I stood in front of an ice mirror and looked at myself.
There was a girl there.
A girl with snow-white hair.
But her condition was far from well.
The once lustrous hair was now dull and tangled, and dark circles were starkly visible under her eyes.
Blaming it on constant research was hardly an excuse for how bad it was.
'...What’s wrong with ?'
In the end, I couldn’t do anything that day.
That made resent my master.
If I’d kept researching, I wouldn’t have had to think about anything.
But with free ti, all kinds of emotions burst forth as if from a breached dam.
"······."
The only thing I could do was retreat to my room and hide under the covers.
I wasn’t sure how much ti had passed.
Soone opened the door and entered.
"Louis."
"...Lati."
Her hair, looking like a living volcano, flowed in the air as she approached my bed.
"Look at you, all scruffy."
Lati’s warm hand caressed my face.
Normally, I would have resisted, but, for so reason, I didn’t feel like it this ti.
"Louis, what’s wrong? Did sothing happen?"
Did sothing happen?
If sothing had happened, would that count?
Imagine one day you’re told that everything you've been doing up to now nearly led to others being killed or hurt. How many people could take that lightly or overco it easily?
I, at least, couldn’t.
During the Alpares incident, I was relieved that, unlike in the original story, fewer people were hurt and no one died.
However, it almost led to even greater danger.
Alpares could have been annihilated because of dozens of fortresses, and the empire itself might have been at risk.
During the Lacre incident, to prevent casualties from the plague and Rastok, I sought cooperation from people and devised a purification device for the city.
But by joining the hero party, I accidentally summoned rcadia instead of Rastok.
If I hadn’t restored the city with my unique magic, if my party hadn’t fought as hard as they did, rcadia’s awakening could have driven the world to ruin.
Because of .
Those things happened.
"..."
"Louis."
When I remained silent, Lati called my na again and made an unexpected offer.
"Louis, should I take you back to the hero party?"
"...What?"
Returning to the hero party.
If, like Kunder, I had Lati’s help, I could rejoin the party instantly.
If that were the case...
"I already spoke with Lady El. I know what you’re worried about and what you’re missing. I could bring you back if you wanted to. Why? Because, after all, I’m of the Inferblayno clan."
Her blood was Inferblayno’s.
Officially, she didn’t have to follow the words of Stormblast.
For a mont, the hope of eting them filled with energy.
But then I quickly realized.
'...If I'm there, the situation will only get worse.'
Because of the world's law of causality, I can no longer be with them.
In the end, I could only refuse Lati’s offer.
"Thank you, but I'm fine."
Let her offer be the last thing I desire.
Aria, Serelin, Niavella, and Aswell too.
Let bury those monts of happiness in my heart.
Soday, after they defeat the demon king, I’ll have a chance to see them again, so I’ll wait for that day.
I managed to make up my mind.
"Is that so? Well, it doesn’t matter. Soon, the hero party will arrive at Stormblast."
"...What?"
With Lati’s next words, my resolve crumbled instantly.
* * *
Two days after she disappeared into the arms of the Duke of Stormblast.
Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere of the party sank instantly.
"Louis..."
Even Aria, who never lost her smile, murmured her na and sat blankly.
Serelin continued training endlessly, likely out of frustration at her own uselessness.
Niabella, particularly close to Louis, seed even more despondent.
"..."
And Aswell, he regretted everything.
'I should’ve gone to her.'
To hide his feelings, he had left her city and threw himself into task after task.
'I should’ve gone sooner.'
If he had taken just one less request, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
'...I should’ve confessed earlier.'
If he had ignored everything and simply confessed his feelings to her.
[What do you think of Louis?]
Once, Aria had asked him as he sat, flustered, in her lap.
Aswell had tried to dismiss it by calling Louis rely a "companion."
[No, I’m asking about your true feelings, Hero.]
But there was no avoiding the saint’s eyes.
Even without words, he felt as though she’d stripped his heart bare.
And when Aswell still couldn’t bring himself to speak, Aria finally told him,
[If you still don’t understand, take the ti to realize your feelings on your own.]
With that, they rose and returned to the mansion, maintaining a small distance as Aria gently led the way.
As they walked back, Aswell was plagued by her question.
How did the hero feel about the magician?
The answer was simple.
Unlike the hero, she was a truly extraordinary magician.
Soone with strength beyond comparison.
Soone with a spirit so noble that she was willing to sacrifice herself when the party or the city was in peril.
Sowhere along the way, the feelings he harbored for her turned into "admiration."
But.
"..."
Could he confidently say that this admiration was pure?
The hero couldn’t answer.
At that mont, the hero beca Aswell, and the magician beca Louie.
The hero admired the magician.
But at the sa ti,
Aswell loved Louis.
If he had conveyed these feelings, would the frustration in his heart have eased?
Since the mont she left, Aswell felt as though he’d lost his way.
While his heart yearned to chase after her and bring her back, his mind and reality denied the possibility.
Because he was a hero.
Many sought his help.
But he couldn’t bring himself to leave Lacre, the last place where traces of her remained.
Ahaha!
Kyarak...
Beyond the inn, the sound of children’s laughter reached his ears.
And above, a device sparkled, lighting up the children’s path at night.
The creation she had crafted brought joy to people.
He wanted to tell her that.
"What... should I do..."
Bang!
"Aswell!"
At that mont, the door to the inn burst open, and Lafiré stord in.
When she returned after vanishing sowhere on her own, the party mbers, who had been listless, turned to look at her.
"Aria! Serelin! Niavella! What are you all doing just sitting here, so downcast! Is it really because Louie’s gone?!"
"..."
"..."
When no one responded, Lafiré let out a loud sigh.
Then she slamd sothing down on the table.
"Ugh! I really didn’t want to do this! Put on warm clothes and get ready to leave!"
"Lafiré? What are you talking about...?"
The object she placed on the table was a single piece of paper.
[Official Yggdrasil Royal Letter]
[In regards to an official audience with the Stormblast clan concerning the trade of a branch of the World Tree, a hero party representative has been selected…]
"Huh...?"
"I really didn’t want to co back to the party if it disbanded, but look at this! All because of her!"
And beneath that paper was a brief additional note.
[In exchange for accepting this docunt, Lafiré Yggdrasil will be formally acknowledged as heir to the throne...]
"Lafiré..."
"I don’t know what’s bothering you all, but we now have an official reason to visit Stormblast! Now let’s go!"
With those words, Lafiré lifted her four companions, like a blue whirlwind.
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