NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5 Part 10
“Huh!? The spell failed!?”
“Ahaha, sorry about that.”
As I scratched my head, Mayor Carter let out a deep sigh, burying his face in his hands.
After the gate to the otherworld had been closed, we had come to the mayor’s office to explain the situation. Across from us, Mayor Carter sat at his desk, looking exhausted.
“So, what’s the impact of the spell failure?”
“It’s fine. No major issues.”
Sophie nodded quietly.
“I’ve heard that serious accidents have happened before…”
“All past accidents involving the otherworld occurred because the cause wasn’t identified or handled in time. If we’d left it alone for days, who knows what might’ve happened? But after just two or three minutes, there’s no effect.”
“If that’s the case, then I suppose there’s no need to worry…”
Something about that explanation didn’t sit right with me.
“Sophie, wait. Are you saying… I was the only one panicking for no reason?”
“That would be correct. If it were such a dangerous spell, they wouldn’t perform it publicly every year.”
“Well, yeah, that makes sense, but you could’ve told me that sooner! A maiden of elegance, bleeding from the nose in front of a crowd, and now I’m stuck with tissues shoved up my nostrils—this is a disaster!”
“It was an amusing spectacle. Everyone seemed entertained.”
“I’m not a circus act! I’m not a monkey!”
“Now, now, Meg. I don’t dislike monkeys.”
“Mayor! That’s not helping!”
After all the back-and-forth, I was feeling pretty drained. I let out a sigh, and suddenly, my body wobbled. Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed the nearby shelf to steady myself.
Seeing this, the mayor looked at me with concern.
“Are you alright? You seem unwell.”
“Yeah, well… Ever since the gate closed, I’ve been feeling off. Like I can’t muster any strength.”
“That’s expected. After using that much magic in rapid succession, your body is going to feel the strain. Constructing magical formulas within your body isn’t something you can do repeatedly without consequences.”
“I see. Guess I should eat some liver later.”
“Why liver?”
“Thought maybe boosting my blood would help.”
“There is no correlation between blood production and magic.”
“Can you explain that in simpler terms?”
As we continued our pointless discussion, the mayor tilted his head slightly.
“But still, isn’t it unusual for a spell to fail when Sophie, one of the Seven Sages, is involved?”
“Well…”
“Ah, that was my mistake. My bad.”
I spoke up before Sophie could respond. She turned to me, eyes wide in surprise. I gave her a discreet glance, silently telling her to leave it to me.
“Meg, we got lucky this time, but next time, it could be a real disaster. And more than that, it would tarnish Lord Faust’s name. You really need to be careful.”
“Y-yeah…”
“I’ll report this to Lord Faust myself.”
“W-wait…”
Am I going to be okay? I had a horrifying vision of being stripped naked, whipped, and left hanging upside down at the front gate with sticks shoved into every orifice. Or worse, having my right hand and left foot cut off to keep me from escaping, and then being served a stew made from my own flesh.
“Ahaha… Maybe death is a form of mercy. All things in existence are born to be destroyed. Pain and humiliation are but mosquito bites on a cosmic scale. That’s what the Ascended Masters have shown us. Humans live to seek out their soul’s twin flame…”
“Meg, are you okay?”
“She’s losing it.”
With such morbid thoughts in my head, we excused ourselves and left the room. As I walked, shoulders slumped, Sophie followed a few steps behind me.
“Zuberi.”
“Hm?”
“Why did you lie?”
“Lie?”
“When you said it was your mistake.”
“Oh… Well, I had noticed the magic circle’s construction was a little off beforehand. I had a bad feeling about it, but I didn’t double-check. That’s on me too. Besides, I’m just an apprentice witch. If I mess up, I just get scolded. But it’s different for you, Sophie.”
If word got out that Sophie, one of the Seven Sages, had made a potentially catastrophic mistake at a small-town festival, it would be a massive scandal. The gossip columns would have a field day. It could even cost her her title, or worse, lead to legal consequences.
“I don’t mind. I make mistakes all the time.”
“But still…”
“This way, things settle down neatly. A seasoned Sage covering for an apprentice witch’s mistake—an accident prevented before it could happen. Plus…”
“Plus?”
“I don’t want this town to become a place of bad memories for you, Sophie.”
“Zuberi…”
“Alright, enough of that! The festival’s already started!”
I reached out and took Sophie’s hand. She hesitated for a moment before gently squeezing mine back, as if testing the waters—like two young lovers taking their first uncertain steps together.
“Heh heh, a beautiful girl’s hand is so soft~.”
“Let go.”
“I refuse.”
When I pushed open the entrance to the town hall, Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise.
The streets of Lapis were alive with people, bustling and celebrating. Colorful flags waved in the wind, food stalls lined the streets, and the entire town had transformed overnight into a vibrant festival scene.
“This sight… this is all thanks to you, Sophie. All these happy people, this lively festival. Though, I guess you’ve seen things like this plenty of times before.”
“…Yeah. But it’s different seeing it like this.”
Sophie gazed out at the town, her face filled with a quiet happiness. Perhaps, in her eyes, she saw echoes of a home she once knew.
“Come on, let’s explore! Anything in particular you want to eat, Sophie?”
“Sophie.”
“Huh?”
“Call me Sophie.”
She smiled, just slightly. It was the first time I’d ever seen her smile.
The witch who could enchant the world with her power had, in that moment, enchanted me with something far simpler—her smile.
I found myself unable to look away.
“Damn, you’ve got such a cute face.”
“Zuberi, you sound like an old man.”
“Who you calling an old man?”
Then, this time, Sophie took my hand and pulled me along.
The gesture caught me off guard, but for some reason, it made me incredibly happy.
“Let’s go, Sophie!”
Under the bright blue sky, my cheerful voice rang out.