The wizard is reincarnated last Time

chapter 14

“…If you fail the exam, will you try again?”

Clementine asked Wadin, who was sitting across from her, continuing their earlier conversation.

Meanwhile, the coachman had set the carriage in motion. The large metal box, pulled by two horses, started moving with a jolt.

“It would be nice if Wady came to the same school as us.”

Clementine’s words were innocent, but Wadin choked.

“You two are going to the advanced general school. I want to get into the Knight Academy.”

“Clementine, you basically just told Wady to fail the entrance exam.”

I chuckled from my seat by the window. Clementine blinked, looking surprised.

“Oh, did I…? I just meant it would be nice if all three of us could study together. But general school isn’t so bad, is it?”

“Well, except you can’t join the Knights after you graduate.”

“I heard lots of people can’t join the Knights even if they graduate from the Knight Academy.”

Clementine, with an innocent face, pointed out the harsh reality.

Because the Knight Academy’s graduation exam was so difficult, many students either gave up and dropped out or joined other knight orders before graduating.  I knew this well, having heard Shuren’s anxieties about the upcoming exam.

“They said the Holy Magic Department is alright. It shouldn’t be that difficult.”

Wadin said, pouting slightly.

“Well, that’s good…  But I’m a little sad we won’t be at the same school, Wady.”

Seeing Clementine’s downcast expression, Wadin tried to comfort her.

“W-Well. The Knight Academy and the general school aren’t that far apart. They’re in the same city, so we can still see each other and play anytime.”

“I heard the Knight Academy has tons of classes and homework. And lots of festival preparations, too.”

“Oh, right, the festival! Liv, Wady, we’re going to the festival together, remember? You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?”

I successfully steered Clementine’s attention towards the festival.

Wadin breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

As the carriage made its way down Prion’s central street, we chatted excitedly about the events planned for the festival.

The ball at the Arton Memorial Plaza, various performances, the fireworks display, and the parades from different groups that would continue throughout the festival.

Even though the festival was still a week away, the entire city, including us, was already caught up in the festive atmosphere.

“And before that, it’s Liv’s birthday.”

Clementine couldn’t contain her excitement.

My twelfth birthday fell on the second weekend of autumn, the day right before the festival.

We always held a big birthday feast, and the number of guests had grown since we moved to Prion.

“Wady, you’re sleeping over at Liv’s, right?”

“I was planning to…”

“We’re staying up all night this time!”

Clementine was enthusiastic, echoing Wadin’s words.

I just smiled.

Knowing full well that all three of us would probably fall asleep quickly.

On every other birthday, Clementine had declared her intention to stay up all night, only to be the first to fall asleep.

And then, the next morning, she would be indignant about missing out on staying up.

“Huh.”

Looking out the window, I noticed something odd.

Dozens of carriages stretched out in a long line in the distance.

The traffic jam seemed endless, extending from Prion’s central street all the way to the White Knights’ Hall.

Our carriage was crawling along.

What was going on?

Even during rush hour, it wasn’t usually this bad.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something’s happening.”

Clementine and Wadin pressed themselves against the window where I was sitting. With three twelve-year-olds leaning to one side, the carriage wobbled precariously.

A short while later, our carriage came to a complete stop.

The coachman told us it would be impossible to reach Ervan Medical Center by carriage.

The medical center wasn’t that far.  We didn’t need the carriage anyway.

“Let’s get off.”

Clementine got out first, and Wadin and I followed.  The sidewalks were packed with people due to the traffic jam. Everyone, like us, seemed curious about what was happening.

As we walked along the street, we realized the atmosphere was unusual.

Something serious was definitely going on.

There were far more Prius Knights than usual, and they all looked tense.

They were either moving in formation or stationed along the streets, controlling the crowds.

“I wonder what’s happening…”

Clementine, looking a little scared, held my hand tightly.

“Maybe the Knights are practicing for the festival parade?”

“No way.”

Although Wadin’s casual suggestion sounded absurd, it made me smile.

Clementine giggled softly, too.

Feeling a little less tense, we reached the street across from the medical center.

Prius Knights were lined up on both sides of the street, leaving only the middle clear, as if for a parade, just as Wadin had said.

Several knights noticed us and started murmuring.

They recognized Clementine, the granddaughter of the White Knight.  Her bright silver hair was easily noticeable, even from a distance.

One of them, with a surprised expression, approached us.

“Lady Clementine? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, hello.”

We greeted the knight politely.

He knelt down to our eye level and said with a troubled expression,

“You shouldn’t be here. There’s an important mission about to take place.”

“But we need to go to the medical center for a checkup…”

Clementine spoke for me.

“The medical center?” the knight repeated, then paused in thought.

“Alright. I’ll escort you, but all three of you must stay close behind me.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

The knight nodded curtly and started walking.

We held hands tightly and followed him across the wide street.

As we walked down the cleared path, I glanced back.

The long line of knights stretched down the hill, across the plaza, all the way to Prion’s gate. A considerable distance.

This procession was the cause of the traffic jam.

“Are they really preparing for a parade?”

Wadin muttered again, but the tension emanating from the knights was suffocating.  It didn’t feel like a parade at all.

“Here we are. We’ve arrived at the medical center.”

The knight stopped at the entrance of Ervan Medical Center and looked back at us.

There weren’t many knights at the entrance, but several medical personnel were outside, observing the situation.

“You must not leave the medical center until the Knights’ mission is over. All three of you. Understand?”

We nodded obediently.  Our curiosity was piqued, but the kind knight quickly returned to his post.

“He just said ‘mission,’ right? Awesome! I wonder what kind of mission it is.”

Wadin’s face was alight with excitement and anticipation.

“If they need that many knights, it must be something dangerous.”

I said cautiously. But Wadin shook his head.

“If it was that dangerous, Clementine’s grandfather wouldn’t let her wander around.  Besides, he wasn’t there.”

“That’s true…”

Petron Lesis, Clementine’s grandfather and the White Knight, was extremely protective of his granddaughter.

He wouldn’t let Clementine leave the house if there was any real danger.

“I hope it’s really just festival preparation.”

Clementine said worriedly.

“A really important festival preparation mission?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Clementine giggled at Wadin’s words, and I finally managed a smile.

“Alright, we’re done.”

As soon as Grain finished speaking, I quickly got dressed.

There was a large, full-length mirror in the examination room, and my large, ugly scar was clearly visible in its reflection.

The red scar stretched long and wide across my left shoulder and chest, almost reaching my right side.

A wound so severe that it was a miracle I had survived.

Even though I had grown, the scar hadn’t faded much, and neither had its aftereffects.

“So, how often have you been coughing lately?”

“About twice a day.”

Grain sat at his desk, scribbling notes on a piece of paper.

I answered his questions dutifully. They didn’t seem very important.

How much I ate, how many hours I slept, whether I went outside to play often, and so on.

Grain asked these questions casually, as if they weren’t particularly important, so I almost believed they weren’t.

“Hmm, I see…”

Grain stopped writing and studied his notes.

My attention drifted, and I listened to Clementine and Wadin’s conversation outside.

The waiting area outside the examination room was filled with holy tools that Grain had collected.

Clementine and Wadin were excitedly examining them.

“You need to eat more, Liv. And don’t skip breakfast.”

“Yes…”

“And we need to exercise regularly. I know it will be hard, but you have to try your best.  That’s how you’ll grow big and strong like Shuren.”

I nodded.

My lack of stamina was a problem. Every seizure left me completely drained.

Grain was worried that the repeated seizures would have a negative impact on my health.

“I’m going to prescribe some medicine. I’ll give it to your father, so make sure you take it.”

“Oh…”

My eyes widened in surprise.

“Is it that bad?  Bad enough that I need medicine?”

Anxiety and worry washed over me.

Grain hadn’t prescribed any medicine for a while, not since the first year after we moved to Prion.

Seeing my surprise, Grain seemed taken aback and came closer.

“No, it’s not like that… it’s just a tonic. Medicine to help you grow healthy.  You can take it, right?”

Although I wasn’t entirely convinced, I forced a nod.

Grain smiled, as if pleased.

“Take it morning and night. Eat well, sleep well, and you’ll be fine.”

So, my condition wasn’t good after all.  I felt a wave of exhaustion.

“Okay…”

“Good, we’re all done.  Are you going home?”

As Grain stood up, his long white robes billowed around him like a cloak.

“No,” I said, climbing down from the chair. My trousers had become loose, so I readjusted the straps of my ankle braces.

“I have to go to the tower.”

“The tower? Do you have a lesson?”

“Yes.”

Grain walked over to the window and peeked outside, parting the curtains.

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then turned back to me.

“I’ll take you. I have to go out anyway.”

“Because of the Knights’ mission outside?”

“…Yes.”

Grain gave a wry smile.

“It’s not a good time for children to be wandering around without a guardian.”

“What’s happening?”

I seized the opportunity to ask.

Grain looked troubled. He seemed to want to tell me, but he hesitated and then walked out of the examination room without answering.

Clementine and Wadin, who had been lounging on the sofa outside, jumped up.

“Liv, are you finished?”

“Yes.”

I never got to hear Grain’s answer, because Clementine immediately started bombarding him with questions about my health.

“It’s not really my place to comment, as I’m not a member of the Knights.”

Only after we left the medical center and entered the hallway that led to the White Knights’ Hall did Grain finally speak, after much deliberation.

But before I could point out that Ervan Medical Center was also under the jurisdiction of Prius…  we understood what the Knights’ important mission was.