Sigrid Novel Chapter 70

Sigrid asked, and Arkana exhaled before answering.

"Magicians are prohibited from interfering with the outside world. Did you know that?"

"No."

Seeing her bold face that clearly showed she had no idea, Arkana said, "I see," and explained.

"Magicians are rare, right?"

"That's right."

"The reason is that magicians gathered and promised, 'Let's not interfere with the outside world.'"

"Why?"

"The person called the first magician decided that. Even when taking on disciples, he'd say, 'Don't reveal your power to the outside.' That's why the magician society is closed and narrow."

"I see..."

Sigrid tilted her head. She didn't quite understand, but perhaps that's how traditions were. Arkana continued:

"And reasons for not going outside were added and added. Like, 'It's too great a power, high-ranking people might abuse it,' or 'Our power might be used to kill people in wars.'"

"That could certainly be true."

Sigrid couldn't imagine Arkana killing people. But in the past, he had used his power like that. The position of court magician was not always a peaceful one.

"But you know, if they give you power but tell you not to use it outside, would you listen? Normally."

"They wouldn't."

Beramund answered briefly as he walked into the room. He asked while drying his hair with a towel:

"Is this sothing I shouldn't hear?"

"No, it's not like that."

Arkana said, stretching out his legs. He clearly had no intention of standing up or showing courtesy, but Beramund didn't mind. He approached the fireplace and said to Sigrid with a grin:

"Sorry, I only had my clothes."

"No, I'm sorry for borrowing your clothes."

"No, I'm fine with it. The maids said they'd wash them, so you can wear your own clothes tomorrow."

"I see."

Sigrid nodded. Beramund leaned against the fireplace and asked Arkana:

"So?"

Arkana shrugged and continued:

"Do you know what the source of a magician's power is?"

Sigrid shook her head.

"Just as knights have Aura Cores, we have Circles."

"Circles?"

"Circle of Heart. A ring forms around the heart. Of course, it's not visible to the naked eye, nor can it be touched like an Aura Core. Should I call it an image? Anyway, we just call it a Circle for short."

"Can we think of it as a magician's version of an Aura Core?"

Arkana nodded at Beramund's question.

"With that as basic knowledge, to continue the story, so magicians eventually wanted to go out into the world and make a na for themselves."

"Isn't that natural?"

Sigrid asked, tilting her head, and Arkana replied, "That's right," crossing his legs.

"So, magicians tried to use magic in the world, but the truth is— large-scale magic consus an enormous amount of magical power. In reality, we can't do that much. It's similar to Aura users."

"Like changing the weather or blinding all enemies?"

When Beramund asked, Arkana turned to him and said:

"If that were possible, I wouldn't be a magician."

"But teleportation is an incredible ability, isn't it? You'd be the best ssenger. And the ability to heal wounds..."

"But thanks to that, I'm now completely out of magical power. It'll take so ti to recharge."

"I see. Even so, for , it's nothing short of a miracle."

At Beramund's words, Arkana chuckled.

"I appreciate your kind words. Anyway, the powerful people who wanted magicians desired even stronger abilities, and magicians, trying to figure out how to make an impact— discovered Aura Cores."

"So— they stole Aura Cores?"

Beramund fell into thought. Defeating a magician certainly didn't seem easy. Because they were unknown opponents. Moreover, if they used armored knights like earlier to catch people off guard and attack from behind—

"Ah, then was my Core possibly a target too?"

At Beramund's muttering, Arkana shrugged. He couldn't know that much either.

"This is quite an old story, but they hunted Aura Cores— There were even rumors that if the number of Masters decreased, magicians' power would grow— Magicians who opposed them stepped up to stop them."

"Internal strife?"

"Similar, but they were incompatible from the start. However, they couldn't eliminate all of them, and the Ice Tower began calling them dropouts. But recently, there have been signs of their movent."

Arkana took a deep breath. That was the reason his magician appointnt was delayed. Arkana was also a magician who wanted to go outside, which was why the Council of Elders had so many etings.

"And I'm a magician who wants to work outside, so instead of delaying the appointnt, I decided to move as I wish outside."

"While also monitoring the dropouts?"

"Sothing like that."

Beramund grinned.

Not giving Arkana an official magician appointnt was so that the Ice Tower could distance itself if Arkana got involved in any other incidents.

'He is not a magician affiliated with us.'

It was truly a case of covering one's eyes and saying 'peek-a-boo,' but everyone knows how important such 'peek-a-boo' is in politics.

"I see. Then— are you saying they're attached to His Majesty's side?"

"That's highly likely."

Beramund brought a chair and sat down. With the three of them now seated around the fireplace, Beramund looked at Sigrid and said:

"So what's this story you wanted to tell?"

"Well—"

Sigrid glanced at Arkana, then took a deep breath and said:

"Actually, I have sothing to confess to Beramund."

"...What is it?"

"Well, you see. I ca back from five years in the future."

"...What?"

Beramund asked, squinting his right eye. Sigrid hurriedly explained:

"So, I'm twenty now, right? Actually, I lived until I was twenty-five. But when I died, I beca twenty again."

Beramund looked like he didn't know how to respond, then asked:

"So, you ca back from the future?"

"Yes..."

"Is that possible?"

When Beramund turned to Arkana and asked, he replied with a slightly stiff face:

"I actually thought it was impossible, but after hearing about the Aura Core, it doesn't seem entirely impossible. I was wondering where such an energy source could be found."

At those words, Beramund let out a small, dry laugh, then turned sharply to Sigrid and asked:

"So that's why you know His Majesty but don't know him?"

Sigrid nodded.

"What happened with His Majesty?"

At Beramund's question, Arkana also turned to Sigrid with curiosity. He too had only heard that Sigrid had co back from five years in the future, but had never heard the details.

Sigrid clutched her knees.

Now that she was about to talk about what she had done, she was afraid. She hadn't known it was wrong at the ti, but looking back now, it was full of terrible deeds. She was sure that after she finished telling her story, both Beramund and Arkana would despise her.

But she still wanted to tell them.

So Sigrid opened her mouth. While she talked about her past—which was also an erased future—the two n listened silently. Sigrid couldn't raise her head to see their expressions. Just looking at her own knees, she finished her story.

"So... I was beheaded on the guillotine. Even as I was being beheaded, I didn't understand—"

She felt like laughing at her own foolishness. How could she have been so ignorant back then? Is ignorance an excuse?

No.

Sigrid thought.

"But when I opened my eyes after being beheaded, I was on my bed in my room. Five years earlier, when I was twenty. At first, I thought it was a dream, and then I decided I would never live the sa way again. So— you know the rest."

After finishing her story, Sigrid waited for their reactions. When no answer ca, she desperately said:

"I know, I did terrible things. But I didn't know. Of course, not knowing doesn't excuse it— I just wanted to be an excellent knight—"

Arkana interrupted Sigrid's rambling:

"Siri."

Called by her nickna, she jerked her head up. Arkana smiled and reached out to wipe under her eyes, saying:

"It's okay. Thank you for telling us."

Sigrid blinked. Beramund looked at her and said with a bitter smile:

"But for us, it's sothing that hasn't happened. We can't interrogate you now for the results of choices that haven't been made yet, can we?"

"But, that—"

As Sigrid stumbled over her words, Beramund said:

"But I certainly understand now. That's why you reacted like that when you t His Majesty. Besides— you saved Erial and the royal heir's lives, didn't you? If those two had died, Serios could never have been favorable to the west."

"And you saved my sister's life too. That's as good as saving my life."

Sigrid was perplexed by their words.

"No, that's, that—"

Sigrid was flustered by how easily the two seed to accept it. Beramund said:

"But it's best not to go around telling this story."

"I agree."

"It doesn't sound sane."

"That's right. Of course, I believe Siri."

"I believe her too."

"Is that so? Anyway, the future has diverged quite a bit from what Siri experienced."

"And I think I know why it diverged."

Beramund grinned.

"We should probably prepare..."

He muttered softly.

"After hearing Siri's story, I think I have an idea too."

"Oh?"

"Yes. But I'll talk about it when I'm more certain."

Sigrid's tension dissolved at the two's calm behavior. She had thought they would condemn her, but they continued to treat her normally. The fact that they remained her friends made all the strength leave her body.

Beramund, who had been talking with Arkana for a while, looked up and grinned. He nodded towards Sigrid, and Arkana turned to look and smiled.

"Oh my."

"She must have been tired."

"She must have been."

"Shall we continue the conversation later?"

"Let's do that."

"I feel bad waking her up like this—"

Muttering, Beramund approached Sigrid and waved his hand in front of her eyes. Without any sign of wariness, she was sleeping soundly. Beramund reached out and picked her up. He laid her on a nearby bed and covered her with a blanket.

"Arkana— is it okay to call you that?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Ah, then you can just call

Beramund too. I'll show you to the guest room."

Arkana looked back at Sigrid once and nodded. Beramund looked at him with a strange expression. He was soone who irritated him for being close to Sigrid, but he had saved his life. And he was skilled.

'A troubleso opponent.'

Beramund showed him to a nearby guest room and returned to his own room.

'I'm tired.'

He rubbed his eyes with his palm, then glanced at his left arm and gently touched his left eye.

"I was lucky, wasn't I?"

But he was surprised at himself.

He knew he liked Sigrid, but he never thought he liked her this much.

'It's the first ti I've liked soone this much.'

It hurt to think that she might not like him as much.

'This is a first too.'

Unrequited love.

Beramund smiled bitterly and got into bed. Fatigue hit him like a wave, and he quickly fell asleep.

Beramund felt a tickle.

'Ticklish...?'

Soone was caressing his face.

"—!"

As soon as he realized this, Beramund sprang up from his bed, grabbing the sword at his bedside. Then, seeing the person's face, he made a dumbfounded sound.

"...Siri...?"

As his eyes widened in surprise, Sigrid's face turned red.

"No, that— I an..."

"What's wrong?"

"Just—"

"Just?"

Sigrid stamred:

"I had a dream... about Beramund's eye... and arm..."

"Ah," Beramund put down his sword. He reached out, took her hand, and placed it on his left eye, smiling.

"It's really all healed."

Sigrid's fingers carefully traced his face. Feeling ticklish, Beramund couldn't help but laugh. She lowered her hand and peered closely at his eyes.

"Really? Are you really okay?"

"Really."

Beramund lowered his gaze. It was too close; his mouth went dry. She slled nice up close, and this was his bedroom, his bed—

'I want to hug her and kiss her.'

Sigrid's hand moved to his left arm. She rolled up his pajama shirt sleeve and examined his left arm. There wasn't even a trace of where the wound had been. Beramund smiled, finding her sigh of relief adorable.

"I followed you to protect you."

She said in a dejected voice, lifting her head.

"Instead, I beca a burden."

At those words, Beramund blinked. Sigrid's face contorted.

"I'm sorry. If I had acted properly then, that wouldn't have happened."

"No, there wasn't even enough ti to act properly."

Beramund said, flustered. There hadn't even been ti to draw a sword.

"No. If I had been more careful, it would have been better."

"That's not true. Both you and I were off guard."

"Even so..."

Her pupils trembled. Sigrid interlaced her fingers with his left hand and said:

"Besides, at the end when you embraced — please promise you won't do that again."

"I don't want to."