“I’m back,” Vellaniel said, pushing open the bedroom door with a weary face. She took off the academy uniform robe worn over her dress and hung it on the coat rack.
Ignis, lying by the fireplace, immediately sat up and trotted over to her legs, his eyes filled with concern.
After watching the opening ceremony from the sidelines at the square today, he had exited his Abyssal Border state. The palace’s protective magic circles were laid out too densely, making it impossible to find a point of entry.
“I’m fine. It’s just been a lot of work, and I’m tired,” Vellaniel managed a small smile. She crouched down and stroked Ignis’s head, but the faint anxiety in the depths of her eyes was still caught by him.
Ignis didn’t understand the full situation, but there wasn’t much he could do to help.
‘She probably ran into that scoundrel Leo again.’
“But fortunately, tomorrow will be a bit more relaxed.” Vellaniel picked him up in her arms and gently rocked him. “The academy is organizing a field trip for us to Mirror Lake Manor outside the Eternal City… I heard there’s a forest nearby, and the scenery should be quite beautiful…”
Having left the restrictive atmosphere of the Golden Oak Hall, Vellaniel felt completely relaxed, saying whatever came to mind.
“You can come along then. If a professor asks, I’ll just say it’s for research purposes. If you stay cooped up in this point-to-point routine between the academy and the Twilight Tower every day, even the most energetic soul would get sick from boredom…”
Ignis let out two purrs.
Going outside the imperial city?
That was good news. Ever since he hatched, he hadn’t seen what the outside world looked like.
“My third brother, Roderick, returned from the Eastern Borders and gave me this.” Vellaniel carried Ignis to the bedside, pulled a cloth bundle from the pocket of her uniform robe on the coat rack, and brought the shaman’s wolf tooth in front of him.
Ignis curiously examined the wolf tooth close at hand.
He could feel mana flowing inside the blunt fang, which was also slowly absorbing trace amounts of mana from the surrounding space.
‘How was such a small ritual tool manufactured? Can it be mass-produced?’
“He said it’s imbued with a spell similar to a Calming Curse, which can help a person stay clear-headed… I hope it’s useful.”
Vellaniel placed the wolf tooth on the desk and covered it with the blue cloth.
“Third Brother came to talk to me privately.”
Ignis was taken aback.
“He said I shouldn’t be buried in a place like this and that the doors to the Eastern Borders are always open to me… I think I’ve figured it out.” Vellaniel sighed softly. “Once my studies are complete, I’ll take you straight to the Eastern Borders.”
Ignis’s molten gold pupils widened slightly in surprise.
“Of course, I know he might just be trying to use me. At Third Brother’s status, considering family affection would be far too ridiculous.” Vellaniel’s face was bitter. “But there’s no other way. This might be my only way out…”
The air fell into silence.
Ignis looked at her, his initial surprise already suppressed.
He knew why, of course. Or rather, since the night he hatched, he had understood the awkward position Vellaniel was in.
Ostracized by the aristocratic circles yet forced to stay due to practical needs. Looking at it this way, perhaps leaving the imperial city — the center of the power struggle — wasn’t a bad thing.
Even if she would be living under someone else’s roof, it was at least safer than sitting on a powder keg that could explode at any moment.
One shouldn’t forget that there was an existence suspected to be an Abyssal Rift beneath the palace.
Vellaniel realized that this topic was no longer suitable for discussion, so she decisively shifted her attention.
“I saw Elves and Dwarves today, and even Merfolk.”
Ignis immediately perked up, sitting upright and staring at her intently.
Elves and Dwarves were classic races of a Western fantasy world, but Merfolk sounded quite fresh.
“You’re interested in other races too?” Vellaniel laughed, sitting down beside him. “Those Elves are very beautiful; it feels like you can’t even tell their genders apart. As for the Dwarves… well, I should say less. They’re quite vengeful.
“I once heard a bard say that if someone speaks ill of Dwarves — especially calling them short — they’ll record it in a tome called the ‘Book of Grudges’…”
Ignis couldn’t help but think of the Dwarf jokes he had seen in his previous life. One of them had left a deep impression on him:
The Dwarves once wanted to organize a cavalry unit, but all the mountable steeds were too tall, so they had to give up.
‘What a tragedy. Is that still considered calling them short?’
“…And the Merfolk. Their country seems to be called ‘Deep Sea’… no, it’s the ‘Deep Tide Court.’ The leader is the Chief Tidespeaker, named Serena. Her face really doesn’t look any different from a human’s, but the two guards following her were quite hideous…”
Vellaniel spoke enthusiastically, seemingly having forgotten the day’s unpleasantness for a short while.
“Do you know how they move on land? They summon a magic water ball and wrap themselves inside it, like a piece of living amber. And the water doesn’t even splash out.”
Ignis’s mouth hung slightly open as he listened with great interest, while secretly committing the name “Deep Tide Court” to memory.
Perhaps he would have a chance to visit in the future.
“Oh, right. There’s also a strange country. They are also a human nation… that’s rare. I always thought Saint Tyriel was the only human country on the continent.”
Vellaniel recalled the diplomatic speech made by that man, Edgar Varey.
“They came wearing military uniforms. The gifts they sent seemed to be a book, a bag of seeds, and a magic guide device that looks a bit like a water pipe… I didn’t see the title of the book, but it should be related to law.
“Their country is called the Ashen Alliance… or so the Master of Ceremonies called it. The man leading them was named Edgar Varey. He said a lot of things during his speech that I didn’t understand.”
Ignis fell into deep thought.
‘A magic guide device that looks like a pipe? What is that?’
He felt as if an answer was faintly appearing in his mind, but it was hidden behind layers of mist, impossible to grasp and examine closely.
“He said that the book represents the justice of law and the ‘rationality’ of governance. The magic guide device represents the determination to defend rights, and the seeds represent the value of labor… He also said that a country’s strength lies in the people’s livelihood.”
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning seemed to flash through Ignis’s mind, completely tearing through that barrier.
‘A gun.’
‘That’s a gun.’
Combined with what Vellaniel said about law, rationality, and other elements, the dead historical knowledge from his previous life suddenly began to attack Ignis.
The historical progression of that country had likely already advanced to a new stage.
“Their way of speaking was quite fresh and somewhat interesting, but it seemed to differ significantly from the Empire’s philosophy. Everyone present was very angry…”
‘Of course they were. The two groups are fundamentally opposed,’ Ignis thought silently.
“Finally, there was the banquet part. It lasted from noon until the afternoon. It’s a pity food can’t be taken out, otherwise, I would have definitely brought some for you to taste…”
Vellaniel had a look of endless aftertaste.
‘I wouldn’t be able to handle it anyway. At most, I can only absorb a bit of the emotions you produce,’ Ignis thought helplessly.
“All right, let’s go to bed early tonight. Goodnight.”
After a quick wash, Vellaniel climbed into bed, and Ignis returned to his own little nest.
For some reason, the sense of unease in his heart was growing stronger.