Chapter 277 |
TL: TangSanFan
ED/PR: Tanthus
『Side Story』 Pursuing the Butterfly (4)
Fortunately, the inspection concluded without any issues. I had been worried that Princess Sella, bearing a grudge against me, might nitpick over every detail, but surprisingly she confirmed the report without any complaints, as if nothing was of much concern to her. The sight of Princess Sella, inspecting the academy facilities with such tranquility, made me wonder if she lacked any interest in the academy’s affairs. But someone with a sharp personality like Princess Sella would surely not act without reason.
Thus, the inspection came to a smooth end, and the time came to head to the grand carriage Princess Sella had instructed me to take— to meet the war hero, Zellan the Cutter.
“I want to go too.”
By now, it felt oddly empty not having Lucy Mayrill clinging to me. Without fail, she insisted on accompanying me.
I hesitated for a moment. Princess Sella had explicitly told me to come alone.
“If I mention that I know the whereabouts of Grand Mage Gluckt’s abode, Zellan’s side will probably request to meet with me first.”
And… while I didn’t know how Princess Sella would take it, she seemed oddly uncomfortable around Lucy, so I felt that if I pushed the issue, she might relent.
In the end, I climbed into Princess Sella’s carriage with Lucy in tow. To call it just a carriage seemed an understatement; it was as big as a sizeable house, definitely larger than my first cabin.
The carriage was pulled by no fewer than thirteen horses. It was more fitting to call it a moving fortress given its massive size.
The climb up the stairs took a while. The soldier standing guard at the entrance saluted politely, having been informed beforehand.
As we ducked our heads and entered the carriage, more people awaited inside than expected.
Princess Sella, seated at the highest position, caught my eye first—it was, after all, her carriage.
“You’ve arrived.”
Below her, a middle-aged man silently bowed his head, seated calmly.
Beside him, a slightly smaller figure in a robe sat—a magician, perhaps. Judging by the stature, the person seemed to be a young boy or girl.
“Take a seat there. However… I was certain I asked you to come alone.”
“Yes. However, this one seemed necessary.”
“…?”
I glanced at the two sitting across from us as I pulled Lucy’s arm to sit down next to me.
Lucy climbed onto my lap, dragging her large cloak, completely indifferent to the surrounding gazes.
“At this point in time, Lucy Mayrill is the only one who knows the former whereabouts of the Grand Mage Gluckt.”
At my words, the elder’s expression flickered—a curious reaction shared by the hooded figure.
“If you’re curious about information regarding Grand Mage Gluckt, there’s no better person suited to provide answers than Lucy.”
“… I see you’re somewhat aware of Zellan’s purpose.” the elder commented.
“I’ve been briefed on the basics by Professor Krayd.”
“That old drunk doesn’t seem to have changed at all. Still running his mouth—puts me at ease in a way.”
The voice was more melodious than expected. It held a hint of playfulness, yet also seemed relaxed.
When the hooded figure pulled down the robe, the youthful face of a girl appeared, her neatly tied hair cascading like wings down her shoulders.
Silver, with a tinge of pale violet—looking no older than her adolescence, I furrowed my brows for a moment, recalling Professor Krayd’s remarks that she should by now be a mature lady.
But…
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Zellan Allendark. They call me ‘Zellan the Cutter’ for splitting the North’s Orphend mountains in half. Though…”
The girl introducing herself as Zellan seemed hardly old enough to bear such a title.
Playing with the twirling ends of her two-toned hair, she continued in a relaxed tone, “…I’m not particularly fond of the nickname.”
“…”
“Somewhat surprised, huh? I guess I’m not what you were expecting?”
The girl gently adjusted her robe, brushing it off as if it were nothing.
“I’m actually 140 years old this year, young friend. I’m a challenger of taboos.”
I had heard about this during my campaign against the Glast. For the magicians of this world, there are three fields of magic that are absolutely forbidden to pursue. These domains twist the very fabric of the natural world and disrupt the order of the soul realm: eternal life, resurrection of the dead, and time reversal. Research into these areas is seen as taboo among magicians.
Of course, there are those who walk a fine line researching around these boundaries, but outright challengers to a magician’s rule are rare. Usually, the magic towers impose sanctions and seal the magical powers of offenders. Sylvania Academy, as an educational institution, also upholds these prohibitions in its curriculum.
But Zellan the Cutter is someone who challenges these three taboos head-on.
“… Professor Krayd said you would’ve aged gracefully by now…”
“Ah, when I used to run around the battlefields, I did assume that appearance, true.”
“…”
“Shape-changing is no trivial magic, but it was necessary.”
Twirling her hair, the girl continued, “I’ve halted the flow of time in my body with magic since I was fifteen.”
“… Is such a thing even possible?”
There were limits even to supreme magic; while spells like temporal stasis could outright freeze biological entities, strategically stopping growth for eternal life seemed unheard of. If such immortality magic existed, it wouldn’t have been ignored by the powerful; taboos tend to crumble easily under human desire.
“Why couldn’t it be? I’m a genius.”
“….”
“… I know what your eyes are saying. I exaggerated a bit. With a combination of coincidence and insight… somehow I achieved eternal youth. I won’t talk about the process. I’d rather just say I was lucky.”
“And you chose to hide your true self and live in disguise because…”
“Right… I’m a great criminal, condemned to execution should the world of magic catch me. Even the name Zellan is a pseudonym.”
The war hero Zellan, known in history, is in fact a great criminal who violated the long-standing taboos of the world of magic.
Realizing this shocking truth, it becomes clearer why Princess Sella insisted I come alone.
“It’s not something to be widely disclosed.”
“I’ve also lived as an aged grand magician and as a noble child ignorant of the world. Well… wearing the name Zellan, I’ve assumed many identities… even that old drunk could be confused.”
“… Is your current appearance your true self?”
“… What do you think?”
Zellan grinned mysteriously, leaving the true meaning concealed.
I pondered momentarily, gently patting Lucy’s head.
The act of meeting Zellan alone clarified the situation to an extent.
A challenger of taboos.
Zellan the Cutter.
“You’re searching for Gluckt’s relics to challenge a taboo, to satisfy your own scholastic zeal. After all, there’s no better device than the relics of Gluckt Eldain, known for his supreme magic, that can twist the world’s order.”
“That’s only half correct.”
“And the other half?”
“…”
After a brief pause, the girl offered a bright smile and spoke, “I just have some things I’m curious to observe. It’s not for scholarly reasons.”
Ending it at that, the girl grew silent once more.
Taking a sip of the tea placed on the small table, I considered the situation again and turned to Princess Sella.
“Did the royal family know Zellan’s truth all along?”
“Yes. Not only did my father know, but also Pheonia, Persica, and even my brother Lindon.”
“… So the royal house has been sheltering a great criminal who broke sacred taboos.”
“How much influence do you think the magicians’ taboos have on our Clorel royal family?”
Princess Sella leaned back, tapping her lips with a fan as she spoke.
“We are royalty. To think that the petty taboos of mere magicians can shake our authority… that’d be rather presumptuous.”
“… But you didn’t want to make it public and cause a needless dispute with the magic tower.”
“Best not to stir trouble. Scholars always make noise. Why, do you plan to threaten me with exposure of Zellan’s truth? Sorry, but such actions would inconvenience not only me but Pheonia as well.”
Although she said that, if she truly didn’t trust me, she wouldn’t have called me here. Someone as meticulous as Sella would’ve thought it through.
She intended to share Zellan’s secret with me.
That begs the question, why?
“Why reveal such a significant secret to me?”
“It’s not that significant a secret. Truly, Zellan’s presence has been a headache for my position. She has been causing a myriad of issues in the lawless region of Keheln under my rule.”
“Haha, just side-effects from my scholarly research…”
“Be quiet.”
Sella curtly silenced Zellan, who just shrugged with a grin and sipped her tea again.
“I made a deal with Zellan. Provide someone who could solve your concerns, and she’d move her laboratory elsewhere.”
“Is that me?”
“Are you not fit for the role? It was a time when you needed Zellan’s help, too. Mutual benefit—I expected you’d be grateful.”
After her words, I thought for a moment, resting my chin in my hand.
“Yes… That seems like a fair point.”
“…”
“Thank you sincerely, Princess Sella.
Princess Sella. Thanks to your grace, I was able to save a lot of time and hardship.”
I expressed my sincere gratitude, although I had expected a haughty laugh from her, Sella’s reaction was surprisingly reserved.
“… I didn’t expect such a direct thank you.”
“… Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit taken aback. I never would have guessed you’d speak so frankly. Aren’t you always hiding your true feelings and beating around the bush with your words?”
“That’s…”
I wanted to retort that it was her who should be saying that, but decided against making any statements that could provoke royalty, swallowing my words instead. And as if the thief’s foot aches when mentioned, she seemed to read my expression and guess what I was holding back, looking rather irritated.
“You have a talent for making people angry even when they’re about to warm up to you.”
“… I apologize.”
“Apologizing without an ounce of sincerity only twists the knife further.”
Sella released a sigh, then continued.
“I’ll grant you a special pass to go through the lawless region of Keheln.”
It’s the middle of the semester, and I’m quite busy, but with an ‘imperial command’ as an excuse… I had no choice but to proceed.
“Take what you need from each other, find what you want, and please leave my territory when you’re done. I’d rather not suffer any further from Zellan’s strange research. Wrap up your business quickly.”
That was the imperial command given by Princess Sella.
“Let me introduce you to Wilhelm, my assistant. He’s very dependable so you should be able to communicate well with him.”
After stepping out of Sella’s carriage, Zellan introduced his accompanying assistant.
The burly, indiscernible man bowed politely, and I nodded, remembering the man’s name.
“It feels nostalgic, being around young people like this.”
Despite his youthful look, he lacked persuasiveness.
“The command has been issued, so it’s best to finish our tasks quickly, right? Once I find Glast’s relics, I’ll grant any wish of that young man, Ed… was it? Yes, anything he wants.”
“We’ll have to get ready to leave for the Rameln Mountains.”
“Well, it won’t take long. Time is swift, after all.”
He laughed heartily within the carriage, apparently more relaxed in front of royalty.
“Ah, you must be Lucy Mayrill. I’ve heard the name. The genius magician of the age.”
Zellan’s gaze shifted to Lucy, who was clinging to my waist.
“… You cling like an ornament.”
“I like it this way.”
“Well… I respect that. Anyway, I’d like your guidance. Tell me where the dwelling of the great magician Glast Eldervain is.”
“… No.”
Her curt refusal seemed to surprise Zellan.
“Ho?”
“You have too many secrets.”
Glast Eldervain is like a father to Lucy Mayrill.
She could not easily nod in approval to the idea of rummaging through his last dwelling.
Even though I had agreed to cooperate, there were things I felt I needed to say.
“You haven’t revealed how you achieved immortality, why you break taboos, or what you want to ‘observe’ through the relics of my grandfather… You’ve clarified nothing.”
Indeed, Zellan is a magician filled with suspicious elements.
Lucy would not be easily swayed to open up and spill what she knows to such an individual.
“Unless you reveal everything, I won’t say a word.”
“… Even if that blond youth you treasure so much asks you?”
At that, Lucy shivered and glanced at me, as if asking with her eyes whether I wanted her to share information with Zellan as she had implied.
If I truly begged her, perhaps, regardless of Zellan’s attitude, she might reveal what she knew about Glast.
Lucy’s anxious gaze hinted at such a possibility.
Of course, such a thing won’t happen.
“Unfortunately, I agree with Lucy’s opinion as well.”
Lucy hugged my waist tightly and buried her head in agreement, seemingly pleased that I had sided with her.
“If we want to help each other, we must lay all our cards on the table, right?”
Silence followed, and Wilhelm’s face darkened, but Zellan brushed it off with a cheerful laugh.
“The lad has a point.”
She stretched her diminutive frame, then tossed her robe’s hood over her head.
“As I said, my interest in Glast’s relics isn’t for academic reasons.”
Her voice trailed off wistfully, perhaps recalling unwanted memories.
“I’m a failure.”
The girl continued.
“Everything I’ve ever strived for in my life has failed, including my greatest regret and endeavor… that too, failed.”
Zellan looked at Lucy, who was clinging to my waist, with mournful eyes.
“You really care for this golden-haired youth, Lucy Mayrill. Perhaps he is the reason for your life.”
It was an embarrassing thing to say, but Lucy nodded nonchalantly.
“I chose to live for him. If you want me to define it, I was coerced into having a reason for living.”
“That’s a harsh way to put it, Lucy…”
“It’s fine. I didn’t mind it.”
Lucy spoke casually, simply stating that this was how she felt.
“But I’m different from you, Lucy Mayrill. I have no remaining reasons to live for. I’ve lost everything, and I’ve failed at everything.”
Upon hearing this, Lucy grimaced briefly.
She knew the pain of loss all too well. I wondered how Zellan appeared in her eyes.
Many have lost much, but Zellan claims she has not managed to protect anything.
“I wanted to integrate the Aein tribe as members of this Empire, but in the end, I was put in a position where I had to kill them myself. Pushed by the wave of war, as a magician of the Empire, I had to stand in front of the Aein as they were slaughtered.”
She bowed her head and spoke softly.
“When I came to my senses, I was drenched in the blood of the Aein, and the Empire hailed me as a war hero for the massacre.”
Suddenly, I thought of the Aein nuns at the Cledric monastery.
The young Aein survivors Zellan left behind may have been her last lingering sense of guilt.
“When one excels in the sacred magic Glast wields, they can observe every flow of the past and the future, no matter how divided and fragmented.”
The word ‘observation’ finally came up.
Achieving such a state is only matched by the great sage Sylvania. She is the only one who has observed thousands upon thousands of possible pasts and futures.
Reaching that state is likely impossible.
But even if less significant… if one could observe different flows of past and future…
“It may be hard to understand. But all I wanted was to see if, among those myriad divergent paths, there might have been one where I had achieved what I wished… just to see if it was possible.”
Zellan longed for a reality where she had not massacred the Aein.
Could such a possibility have existed?
She just wanted to check if that ‘what if’ scenario was real.
The question of what meaning that held hung at the tip of my tongue but was restrained.
However, as if she knew the unasked question, Zellan spoke with a faint smile.
“Yeah, you might find it meaningless.”
The girl stretched her arm towards the sun hanging in the sky.
“It’s like chasing a butterfly that seems within grasp but never gets caught. Even though I know it’s futile, I’m compelled to chase.”
“So, all I wanted was to check if such a future could have existed. That is the last wish remaining in my life.”
“… You speak as if you were about to die.”
“Well, who knows.”
Zellan lowered her arm and looked at Lucy.
“Are you satisfied with the answer, Miss Picky Cat?”
Not all the questions were answered, but… at least she had provided some response…
Lucy quietly gazed into Zellan’s eyes and slowly nodded.
In her eyes, Zellan’s seemingly carefree appearance seemed strangely hollow.
“Hey.”
We had finished preparing to leave and promised to meet again.
Lucy and I then parted ways with Zellan and strolled along the dusky scholarly district.
Lucy, clutching my sleeve, suddenly stopped me.
“… Why?”
“Hug me.”
I assessed Lucy’s condition, questioning her request.
“Are your legs tired? Surely we did walk a lot today. If your legs hurt, I should rather carry you…”
“That’s not it, I just want a hug.”
Lucy’s request seemed bolder than before, as if there was a change in her emotions. I considered examining her expression, but shook my head, changing my mind, as I understood her feelings.
We were in the twilight of the academic district.
On a quiet street…
I gently bent down and hugged Lucy tightly.
Lucy wrapped her arms around my back and whispered.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, you recalled some bad memories.”
I, too, empathize with Lucy’s thoughts.
As a fellow war hero, it’s hard to overlook…
Zellan’s eyes, appearing lively but hollow, too closely resembled those of Professor Glast, who’s no longer with us.
It’s not a good memory for Lucy Mayrill; it’s a bitter recollection.
The image of Professor Glast falling beneath the oak tree, growing cold in death.
A foolish scholar who could not overcome the pain of loss and bound himself in chains of death.
For Lucy, it brought back memories of battling loneliness.
She has overcome solitude.
Beside her is me, Ed Rothtaylor.
As if seeking confirmation, Lucy quietly clung to me.
The twilight deepened.
Within the lengthening shadows, I continued to hold Lucy for a long time.