The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 15

“…No, there’s no time for that. I have a mountain of work to deal with; I just stepped out for a moment.”

A familiar voice echoed from the entrance hall. It was Luwen.

He and my father were just entering, both looking exhausted.

“Are you really going to do that?”

“I can’t let this slide. I have to grab him by the collar and… Oh, Liv.”

Luwen noticed me coming down the stairs. His fierce expression softened, replaced by a welcoming smile.

I bowed my head slightly in greeting.

“Hello, Teacher.”

“Liv, I heard you were at the White Knights’ Hall earlier. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Luwen looked concerned.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and stood next to my father. He patted my hair wearily.

“Grain said you were quite frightened earlier, pale as a sheet.  You seem better now, though…”

“It’s my fault. I should have told you earlier that we couldn’t have a lesson today. I’ve been so busy lately, it completely slipped my mind.”

Luwen sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Luwen, will you be staying for dinner? It’s almost ready.”

My mother said, emerging from the dining room.

Inside, the maids and cooks were busy preparing a late dinner.

Luwen shook his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’d love to, but I really don’t have the time.  I only came to check on Liv.  I heard he was quite startled.”

“Oh, I see…”

My mother looked back and forth between Luwen and me, her expression regretful.

“Priscilla, Luwen has to leave soon. Just prepare dinner for me.”

My father added, and my mother nodded and returned to the dining room.

“Let’s go somewhere else to talk. Liv, come with us.  There’s something we need to discuss.”

I knew instantly that it was about the incident at the White Knights’ Hall.  Slightly nervous, I followed Luwen and my father to the drawing-room.

My father, the last to enter, quietly closed the door behind him.

I sat down on one of the chairs, and Luwen sank into an armchair, still wearing his coat.

Although he looked tired and weary, his gaze was sharp.

“Liv, can you tell me what happened in the hallway of the White Knights’ Hall?”

I hesitated and looked at my father. He stood behind my chair and nodded encouragingly.

He had asked me the same question on the way home, but I hadn’t told him what I had truly seen and felt.

That I had shared consciousness with someone with a sinister power?

Saying that would only make things worse.

Besides, I already had a secret I had carried since birth, so one more wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“The… person inside the prison suddenly turned around and looked at me.  I felt scared and breathless, but Brother Grain pulled me away.  He said I shouldn’t be there.  I felt better after we left.”

Luwen listened quietly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Did he… realize Liv was there?”

My father asked anxiously. Luwen sighed softly.

“It’s possible.  The Red Knight said he hadn’t moved an inch since he was transferred from the abandoned capital, frozen as if in a trance. But then he suddenly tried to break out of the cage, and everyone panicked…”

I would have done the same.

I thought glumly.

If something you desperately desired was within reach, you couldn’t help but reach for it.

“Liv, do you understand what that person *is*?”

Luwen asked.

He asked “what,” not “who.” I couldn’t feign ignorance.

“A… demon?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But Father said demons can’t enter this city…”

“That’s also true.”

My father said, his voice gentle, as if trying to reassure me.

“Prion’s walls are protected by a barrier that prevents demons from entering.  Ordinary demons can’t enter Prion, nor can they manifest inside the city.

However, this case is different.”

My father paused and exchanged glances with Luwen. He seemed to be gauging how much he could tell me.

He hesitated for a moment, then continued,

“A while ago, in the abandoned capital of Delayna… we captured a demon. Although it was a demon, it didn’t attack us, and it seemed to be maintaining its consciousness, suppressing its instincts.  Such cases are incredibly rare, so we decided to transfer it to Prion for further investigation.”

“So it wasn’t dangerous?”

“It was dangerous.  That’s why we mobilized so many knights to transport it through the city, and why we had to temporarily deactivate the city’s defensive barrier. But I heard it was quite cooperative during the investigation…”

My father looked at Luwen, who shrugged.

“It hasn’t resisted or shown any signs of defiance yet, but there’s no way to know what a demon is truly thinking.

Anyway, that’s enough about work.”

Luwen stood up and approached me. He lowered himself to my eye level and spoke softly.

“Liv, there’s nothing to worry about. He’s under strict surveillance and can’t harm anyone anymore.

And this… the fact that a demon has been brought into Prion, you mustn’t tell anyone about this. Understand?”

“…Not even Clementine, Wadin, or Brother Shuren?”

“That’s right.  If word gets out, people will panic.  The festival is coming up soon; we can’t ruin the mood.  Can you promise me you won’t tell anyone?”

“Yes, Teacher.”

I nodded. Luwen smiled and patted my hair.

“Master, dinner is ready.”

A maid knocked on the drawing-room door. At the same time, Luwen stood up.

“I should be going now.”

“Luwen, you need to tell him.”

My father said, and Luwen looked back at me, as if remembering something he had forgotten.

“I almost forgot again.  Liv, we won’t be able to have lessons for a while. I have to leave Prion for a bit.”

“Where are you going?”

I couldn’t understand why Luwen, the head mage of the tower, would leave Prion while a demon was being held within the city.

Feeling uneasy, I reached for his robe.  Luwen took my hand.

“There’s someone I need to find. I’ll introduce you to them when I return. We won’t be able to have lessons until then, but Ilan will, um… Ilan will be busy too, so you’ll have to study on your own for a while.  Can you do that?”

“Yes…”

“Good. Until I return, read chapters three through five of the textbook and one chapter from the compendium.  That’s your homework.”

I gauged the length of Luwen’s absence by the amount of homework he assigned.

Three whole chapters was quite a lot. Would he be back before the festival?

I agreed, then couldn’t help but ask,

“Teacher, so you won’t be able to come to my birthday?”

“Ah.”

“It can’t be helped.  I was planning a wonderful garden party.”

My father said, smiling, and Luwen narrowed his eyes.

“There won’t be any alcohol anyway, since it’s Liv’s birthday.  Liv, I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it. But I’ve already prepared your present, so look forward to it.”

With that, Luwen turned to leave.

My father and I walked him to the front door.

The carriage carrying Luwen quickly disappeared down the street.

My father went to the dining room for his late dinner.

My mother and I sat across from him, watching him eat.  My mother’s way of ensuring he wasn’t eating alone.

I nibbled on a small strawberry, listening quietly to my parents talk about their day.

“It must have been quite a spectacle.”

My father was talking about the transport mission that had taken place earlier.

He made no mention of the demon, saying only that they had escorted a prisoner who had committed crimes related to the Knights’ work.

That seemed to be the official story.

Or, some people jokingly speculated that it was part of the Knights’ parade preparations, just as we had initially thought.

I kept quiet, remembering my promise to Luwen.

“It was.  Almost all the knights stationed in Prion were mobilized.”

“Didn’t you participate?”

“I had work at the Blue Knights’ Hall.  Unless the White Knights’ Hall requested assistance, it wasn’t something I could get involved in.

So, how are the preparations for Liv’s birthday party coming along?”

I looked up expectantly. My mother chuckled and replied,

“Almost done. I’ve already found people to help with the food preparations.  Since it’s right before the festival, I thought it best to secure help in advance.”

“Wise, as always. I think I’ll be able to take a long break around that time.  Let’s go see a festival performance together.”

“That’s wonderful. I was hoping to see a particular performance.”

My mother, her face beaming, excitedly chattered about the performances scheduled for the festival.

My father listened patiently and agreed to whatever she suggested.

As the Blue Knight, my father was always busy, and we cherished the time we spent together.

Whenever he had free time, he tried to make up for lost time by indulging my mother’s wishes.

My mother was happy about that, and I was happy to see her happy.

After finishing his meal, my father thanked my mother and stood up.  She called for a maid to clear the table.

As I finished my strawberries and climbed down from my chair, my father called me.

“Liv, I brought your medicine from Grain.  You need to take it morning and night, so make sure you take it before bed tonight.”

“He prescribed medicine?”

My mother asked, her face filled with concern.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t told her about my visit to the medical center…

The incident at the White Knights’ Hall had completely overshadowed my checkup.

Since I hadn’t received any medicine before, it was natural for my mother to be surprised and worried.

“Is it that bad? Why suddenly?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

My father started to explain, then glanced at me.

“It’s just a tonic, to help build up your strength. Liv, go up to your room.  I’ll bring you the medicine.”

“Okay…”

I bowed to them and quietly left the dining room.

It seemed my father had something to discuss with my mother privately, and I could easily guess that it wasn’t good news.

Feeling slightly downcast, I climbed the stairs and returned to my room.