Chapter 54
It seemed Herion was a much more remarkable person than she had thought. Seeing how she was already commanding this bird around so naturally…
“Hmm.”
As Ceres unfolded the letter and read through it, her brows twitched.
Though it was several pages long, it could be summarized in a single sentence:
“Help me!”
There were many who refused to listen, but the knights were the worst offenders.
The new head of the Ellsia family was being completely disregarded by them.
“But why is she asking me for help?”
Ceres had felt a slight sense of responsibility, but receiving a letter like this still left her speechless.
‘Well, I have seen her quite often lately.’
Between all the tests and evaluations, they had met frequently. Maybe they had developed a shallow sense of familiarity?
But the problem was that Herion hadn’t asked for help with healing arts or anything related to that.
She was an outsider, yet she was being asked to help resolve an internal issue of the Ellsia Count’s Estate.
Why trust me? Why ask me?
[Because I told her to.]
“What?”
[If you have trouble, just leave it all to her. I’ll vouch for her.]
“…….”
Ceres silently stared at Jubellios, who looked incredibly pleased with himself as if he had done something amazing.
After all this time spent together, this idiot still didn’t understand what kind of person she was?
That she was the type to get annoyed whenever someone tried to order her around?
“Chaian.”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s roast that damn bird.”
[I-I’m busy! Gotta go!]
Watching Jubellios hastily flee, Ceres clicked her tongue.
At least he knew she wasn’t just talking nonsense.
***
Late at night.
Though everyone else was asleep, the Magic Tower remained as lively as ever. Countless rooms remained lit, filled with scholars pulling all-nighters for their research.
“It’s quiet.”
Ceres was also unable to sleep.
Tomorrow, her temporary secretary role would end, and she would finally be returning home.
Yet, her gaze kept drifting toward a certain place.
A small, white building.
A magical space left behind by Arthia, a former Master of the Magic Tower.
It was usually bustling with people, but today, it was strangely deserted. Probably because of the upcoming promotion exams.
The Magic Tower held an annual promotion exam, where researchers competed for personal laboratories.
If they failed, they would lose even the labs they currently had.
So, every scholar at the Magic Tower was busy training and studying, too preoccupied to spare any attention for the building Arthia left behind.
“…….”
After checking her surroundings one last time, Ceres slowly approached it.
She felt the need to visit before leaving the Magic Tower.
Even the smallest trace would do.
She just wanted to see him again.
Screech.
As soon as Ceres neared, the sealed doors opened smoothly, as if welcoming her.
Inside, warm light spilled out, and as soon as she stepped inside, the doors shut behind her, creating a space where she was completely alone.
She had heard that once someone entered the building, others could not enter until the person gave up their challenge.
Wooong—
A faint vibration filled the air, and a blurry figure appeared before her.
A young boy, about six years old.
[Welcome to the first room.]
“…Arthia.”
It was young Arthia.
The mischievous look in his eyes was exactly the same as when she had first met him.
Seeing her childhood friend’s image, Ceres couldn’t help but smile.
[Here’s the first question. This one’s basic. You should know it by now, right? What’s my full name and birthday?]
“…Arthia Lucarlos. June 14, 1185.”
[Correct.]
As he spoke, a door materialized in the empty space.
Passing through it led to another room, where yet another image appeared.
This time, Arthia looked slightly older.
[Second question.]
To proceed, Ceres had to keep answering questions.
Just as Chaian had mentioned, there were no magic-related questions.
They were all about Arthia himself.
So, Ceres moved forward effortlessly.
His favorite flower, his favorite color, his favorite food…
Watching Arthia ask all sorts of small, personal questions, Ceres found herself surprisingly enjoying the process.
More than anything, she liked how she could see Arthia growing older with each room she passed through.
From the childhood she had dearly missed, to the last time she had seen him as a young man, and even the way he continued to age after she had left.
Seeing his entire growth process, Ceres felt a bittersweet longing as she opened the next door, eagerly awaiting the next version of him.
[You’ve reached the 25th room already. Congratulations on making it this far.]
Somewhere along the way, she had even surpassed the last door that Chaian had opened.
As Ceres stepped into the 25th room, she saw Arthia, now far beyond middle age, and felt an unexpected wave of emotion.
Despite passing through numerous magic formulas and artifacts, she had left them untouched.
She had never entered this place for treasure to begin with.
[Welcome.]
Now, before her, stood Arthia as an old man.
Despite the wrinkles and the gray in his hair, his eyes still sparkled with the mischief she had always known.
And for some reason, Ceres’ chest felt tight.
My Alti… you’ve grown so old.
[This is the final question.]
So, this was the end.
She felt a tinge of regret—she had wanted to see more of him.
Perhaps sensing her feelings, Arthia smiled gently, his eyes locking onto hers with warmth.
Even though she knew he was merely a magical illusion, for a moment, it truly felt like he was standing there, looking at her himself.
[April 3, 1213.]
…April 3?
[On that day, what were the last words I said to Grace?]
“…….”
Ceres couldn’t answer for a while.
Instead, she simply stared at Arthia, watching as he smiled at her.
April 3, 1213.
She remembered that day vividly.
‘That was the day…’
That was the day he found out about her illness.
She had hidden it from him for so long.
But that day, Arthia had walked in just as she collapsed, coughing up blood.
At first, he had stood frozen, his eyes wide with denial.
Then, without a word, tears had streamed down his face.
He had cried for a long time before finally speaking.
“Wait for me.”
“…I’ll save you.”
The words left Ceres’ lips like a whisper.
As soon as she spoke, Arthia’s smile deepened.
His eyes, too, seemed to soften—was it just her imagination?
[Grace.]
“……!”
[I kept my promise.]
“…What?”
Whoooosh!
Before Ceres could even process his words, a brilliant light enveloped the room.
This light was different from the previous ones.
“…Another door?”
Wasn’t it over?
As Ceres stepped forward, she memorized every last detail of Arthia’s face, still smiling at her.
But soon, his form began to fade, and Ceres turned away with regret.
Swoosh!
“…….”
As she stepped through the door, Ceres froze.
Before her lay a garden full of blooming flowers.
Endless white flowers stretched as far as the eye could see.
She knew them well.
“Lunaria.”
“Grace, what do you think of these flowers?”
“They’re pretty. What are they?”
“They’re called Lunaria. They only grow in the western region. You can’t use them for medicine.”
“I figured. I don’t know them, after all.”
“Do you know what Lunaria’s flower language means?”
“Do I have to?”
“Lunaria means…”
“…I’ll wait for you.”
At that moment, a gentle breeze blew through the field, carrying delicate white petals through the air, encircling Ceres.
I’ll wait for you.
I’ve waited for you for so long.
I’ve missed you so much.
It felt as if the entire space was whispering those words.
After standing silently for a long time, Ceres finally moved forward again.
In the center of the flower field, something was floating in midair, glowing faintly.
“…A letter?”
A single letter hovered in the air.
As Ceres approached, the light around it dispersed, and the letter gently drifted into her hands.
“To Grace.”
That handwriting—she could recognize it anywhere.
Despite being blessed with magic and called a genius, Arthia’s one flaw had always been his awful handwriting.
No matter how much she tried to teach him, it never improved—his letters were always crooked and uneven.
—
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