It was a languid dream.
As the bubble of light swept through my vision like waves, the world dyed in pure white was recolored by the mories of an unfamiliar man.
No, was he really unfamiliar?
By the ti I opened my eyes, I had beco that man.
I could feel the humidity of the tropics with each breath..
From the soil tinged with a faint red, a unique aroma wafted. With every step I took, droplets of sweat fell from my forehead.
It was the Great Forest.
While I was lost in thought, that one particular phrase stuck in my ear.
"…Shackle and liberate."
Thwack—the hatchet neatly split the firewood in half.
Now, it was sothing I could do even with my eyes closed.
It was hard at first, but I had already been tornted for years under my tiny master.
Before I knew it, I was splitting wood with ease.
Who would think of as the disciple of a Great Witch at this rate?
If anything, I seed more like a lumberjack..
Unaware of her disciple’s inner thoughts, the master continued to prattle on beside .
"You must comprehend this principle. In the flow, everything is either Shackled or Liberated... If you can establish yourself in the flow and unravel others, there is nothing your sword cannot cut through."
With that, the master puffed on the pipe she was holding.
A pungent dicinal sll spread.
It was the scent of herbs that only grew in the Great Forest. Just like this, my master always smoked dried herbs in her pipe.
They were mostly herbs with analgesic effects.
Without them, the master would be in such agony that even routine activities would cause her to groan.
The barrier that trapped the vampire demanded nurous sacrifices.
It was a demon that had lived for hundreds of years.
The demonic humans who made a contract with the Evil God Oros were all strong without exception. Amongst them, vampires were known to be exceptionally powerful.
A monster rumoured to be able to cut down swathes of trees with a re wave of its hand and could leap thousands of miles with a single step.
Such a powerful being wouldn’t quietly remain trapped inside a barrier.
Every day it struggled to break free, and each ti, the body of the Great Witch that ford the core of the barrier suffered.
That was also why the Great Witch appeared as a young girl.
To conserve even the mana necessary for vital functions, she assud the form of her young self.
Only by doing so could she keep the vampire confined.
Ultimately, the only power left for the Great Witch to use was rely a fraction of her original strength.
Yet, even with that little power, she possessed the ability to control the continent.
At least, no expert could match her.
Take , for instance.
Perhaps it was because I was still just a novice who hadn’t even manifested my Aura Attribute yet.
A heavy sigh soon escaped my lips.
"Shackle or whatever, what can soone who hasn’t even properly awakened their Aura power do? I need to awaken my Aura Attributes first…"
"Tsk, tsk."
My master clicked her tongue, her disapproval apparent.
With her hands on her hips, she seed ready to scold .
The disdainful gaze of the little girl was directed at .
"You inept fool, are you that anxious? Aura is the manifestation of one's state of mind! I've repeatedly told you it all depends on your resolve..."
I could only deeply sigh at my master's words.
After all, she was already at the master level.
My struggles to awaken my Aura must have seed pitiful to her.
She probably wanted to think broadly and look far ahead.
However the feelings of soone perched on that elusive boundary were not so easy to manage.
It was like being parched with thirst, knowing there is a well right in front of you but being unable to find the path to it.
Especially when soone else is already walking ahead.
Suddenly, a girl flashed through my mind.
"…No, but still Junior Sister is already an Archmage."
"Right, well said. You two have been so lovey-dovey lately that you've been treating this master like leftover food! But I see, you want to appear capable in front of the woman you care about , huh? Ah, this is why n..."
Thukk, for the first ti in a while, the hatchet bounced off the wood instead of splitting it.
I took a deep breath and looked at the master with wavering eyes.
Anyone could see that I was hit right in the sore spot.
"Hmph, what are you looking at like that for? I've been with you guys for years, you think I wouldn’t notice?"
"No, no, no! It's a misunderstanding. I've told you several tis, Junior Sister and I aren't like that..."
Of course, the master didn't even pretend to listen to my excuses.
Instead, she raised her voice even louder and shouted,
"Junior Disciple! Your Senior Brother says he really likes you!"
Then, with a 'beh', the master stuck out her tongue and scurried away.
My hand reached for my forehead, anticipating the developnts to co.
Just as I was about to sigh again, Junior Sister, as expected, appeared in the distance.
Bounding over excitedly, Junior Sister giggled and asked .
"My dear Junior, were you that concerned about this Senior?"
"…It's a misunderstanding."
Although my tone was firm, Junior Sister didn't seem to believe at all.
Instead, she playfully prodded my side with her index finger, further provoking .
Covering her mouth with one hand, she wore a aningful smile that seed a bit annoying.
"Co on, don't pretend you don’t know... you know that confessions should co from the guy, right?"
"AH, really, stop teasing . And what era are you talking about? We're in the age of gender equality now."
"Mmm, that’s true."
Grinning, Junior Sister curled her lips and stood on tiptoe.
As she clung to my arm, the soft touch pressed against my forearm. The sweet, distinctive scent of her body grazed my nose.
Soon, a sweet whisper heated my ear.
"...So how about 'Ian Rinella'? It’s better than 'Elsie Percus', isn’t it?"
I pondered for a mont.
'Ian Rinella' and 'Elsie Percus.'
Neither na seed bad.
While I was conflicted, shecontinued to persuade .
"We have to think about our children too... Rinella matches well with any na. So of my siblings have quite unique nas, you know."
Just as I was inadvertently considering if I should go with Rinella.’
I suddenly ca to my senses and flicked her on the forehead.
With a smack, a stifled scream escaped from her lips.
"....Ahhck! Why, why hit like that!"
Junior Sister, having allowed to strike, raised her voice in indignation.
Nevertheless, I just shook my head and warned her.
"It’s not appropriate for a grown woman to fearlessly cling to a man, Junior Sister."
At my words, she made a face of disbelief and swallowed a scoff.
Then, she started grumbling whilekicking the innocent ground.
"Fuck... do you think I do this to just anyone... A-And stop calling Junior Sister!"
As always, she bristled at the title 'Junior Sister'.
Seeing her cute reaction, I couldn't help but smile wryly.
Then one day, amidst these now-familiar routines, I received a request from my master.
"Eldest, you and your Junior Sister must go to the city together."
It was the day after the Emperor of the Empire had visited the Great Forest.
**
My heart thudded violently.
I finally opened my eyes, taking in rough breaths. The sound of my panting seed unusually loud.
It was another dream.
The once vague and unfamiliar mories were now revealing a concrete scene.
It was the first ti soone's na had directly appeared.
Based on the ntion of the na 'Elsie' and the surna 'Rinella,' it had to be Senior Elsie.
Who would have thought that even the ‘’ from the Future would share a connection with her?
Truly, the ways of the world were unpredictable.
Grimacing from a hangover that felt like needles piercing my brain, I staggered to my feet.
Drinking cold water from my canteen made feel sowhat better.
Wondering if anything had changed, I looked around and noticed a letter on the desk. It was the very letter that had additional scribbled words on the back.
Sure enough, there was another new sentence added there.
'There will be no next ti. Impossible.'
It seed that calling him forth at my will was now impossible.
Although I didn't know the exact circumstances, he had always been soone who briefly borrowed my body and then disappeared.
I could only guess that there must be so reason behind it.
Nevertheless, since I managed to overco a critical crisis, it has been quite effective.
It was a strategy I devised based on the fact I was unconscious due to either alcohol or drugs every ti my future personality possessed .
Honestly, I wasn't sure.
The only ti I had tested this was when I was trying to gather information about the 'swindlers' in the back alley.
That day too, after I had drunk heavily and fallen asleep, unfamiliar words had appeared in the letter.
Of course, that alone wasn't enough to prove my hypothesis; it was more or less a gamble.
Asking Emma for a strong anaesthetic poison was nothing more than an impromptu idea. It was intended to be used only in situations where there was nothing else that could be done.
But that situation ca about sooner than expected.
Considering I woke up in bed, it seed that, thankfully, my assumption was correct.
With a sigh of relief, I prepared to step out of the room.
Although the sll of alcohol still lingered, there was urgency. I needed to find out what had happened in the anti.
In just one day, the atmosphere of the manor had completely changed.
It was originally a place of leisure and tranquillity. Today, however, I could sense an inexplicable and anxious urgency amongst the servants.
It was puzzling, but I knew that this mystery would be resolved once I heard the explanation.
As I hurried along, the first person I noticed was the Saintess.
Her brilliant silver hair was reflecting the morning sunlight.
She was praying in front of the statue of the Heavenly God that nobles usually kept in their lobby. Her expression was pitiful and sorrowful.
It was the kind of sight that would make any man curious about her story.
As I debated whether to interrupt the Saintess who was in the middle of her prayers.
Her eyes slowly opened.
They were a captivating shade of light pink.
The woman seed to notice my presence and subtly turned to look at , then scrutinised my face for a long while.
It seed as though she was unsure of who I was.
Eventually, I had to lift my hand awkwardly and offer a strained smile.
"…It's been a while, Saintess."
"Ian."
The Saintess exclaid my na softly, almost like a gasp, and then quickly stood up.
She approached with a worried look on her face.
It seed I had caused her a lot of concern.
Seeing how kindly the usually fastidious Saintess was treating indicated as much.
However, it soon beca clear that this was a misunderstanding on my part.
Squish—my face was suddenly buried in sothing.
The sensation was soft and elastic, sothing I had felt before.
The sweet scent of her skin invaded my brain.
For a mont, my thoughts halted completely.
“Poor Ian... If you ever face hardships ahead, don’t keep them to yourself. You understand?"
It was a consolation offered by her as she embraced tightly.
It was from none other than the Saintess herself.
And so, I found myself muttering to myself involuntarily.
What's this all about?
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