The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 16

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

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

He and my father were just arriving, both looking tired.

“Are you really going to do that?”

“I can’t let it go this time.  I have to grab him by the scruff of his neck and…  Oh, Liv.”

Luwen noticed me coming down the stairs.  His annoyed expression vanished, 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, his face etched with fatigue.

“Grain said you looked terrified earlier, as white as a sheet. You seem better now, though…”

“It’s my fault. I should have told you earlier that we wouldn’t be able to have our lesson today. I’ve been so busy lately that it 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 bustling about, 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, a look of regret on her face.

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

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

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

I knew instantly that it concerned the incident at the White Knights’ Hall. Feeling a little apprehensive, I followed Luwen and my father to the drawing-room.

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

I sat down in one of the chairs, and Luwen sank into an armchair, still wearing his coat.  Despite his evident exhaustion, his gaze remained sharp.

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

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

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

That I had shared consciousness with someone radiating a dark, sinister power?

Telling him would only make things worse.

Besides, I already carried a secret from birth, so one more wouldn’t change much.

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

Luwen listened intently, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Did he… realize that Liv was there?”

My father asked anxiously.  Luwen sighed softly.

“It’s possible.  The Red Knight said he hadn’t moved an inch since being transferred from the abandoned capital, just frozen there like a statue. But then he suddenly tried to break the bars, and everyone panicked…”

I would have done the same.

I thought glumly.

If something you desperately craved was within reach, how could you resist reaching for it?

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

Luwen asked.

He had used “what,” not “who.”  I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know.

“A… demon?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

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

“That’s also true.”

My father said gently, as if to reassure me.

“Prion’s walls have a barrier that repels demons.  Ordinary demons can’t enter Prion, and they can’t manifest inside the city either.

However, this case is different.”

My father paused and exchanged a look with Luwen.  He seemed to be deciding how much to tell me.

After a moment of hesitation, he continued,

“A while ago, in the abandoned capital of Delayna… we captured a demon. Even though it was a demon, it didn’t attack us, and it seemed to be maintaining consciousness, suppressing its instincts.  Cases like that are extremely rare, so we decided to bring it to Prion for investigation.”

“So it wasn’t dangerous?”

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

My father looked at Luwen, who shrugged.

“It hasn’t resisted or shown any signs of aggression, but there’s no telling what a demon is really thinking.

Anyway, that’s enough talk 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 heavy guard and can’t hurt anyone anymore.

And this…  the fact that a demon has been brought into Prion, you can’t tell anyone about it.  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 have everyone on edge. Can you promise me you won’t say anything?”

“Yes, Teacher.”

I nodded.  Luwen smiled and patted my hair.

“Master, dinner is served.”

A maid knocked on the drawing-room door.  Luwen stood up.

“I should probably get going.”

“Luwen, you need to tell him.”

My father said, and Luwen looked back at me as if he’d suddenly remembered something.

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

“Where are you going?”

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

Feeling uneasy, I reached for the hem of his robe.  Luwen gently took my hand.

“There’s someone I need to find.  I’ll introduce you when I get back. We won’t have lessons until then, but Ilan will, um… Ilan will also be busy, so you’ll have to study on your own for a while.  Is that alright?”

“Yes…”

“Good.  Until I return, I want you to read three chapters of the textbook and one chapter of the compendium. That’s your homework.”

I estimated the length of Luwen’s absence based on the amount of homework he assigned.

Three whole chapters was a lot.  He wouldn’t be back before the festival, would he?

I nodded, then couldn’t help but ask,

“Teacher, does that mean you won’t be able to come to my birthday?”

“Ah.”

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

My father chuckled, 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 there.  But I’ve already got your present, so you can look forward to that.”

With those words, Luwen turned to leave.

My father and I saw him out 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, keeping him company while he ate.  It was my mother’s way of ensuring he didn’t eat alone.

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

“It must have been quite a sight.”

My father was talking about the prisoner escort mission from earlier.

He didn’t mention anything about a demon, saying only that they had transported a prisoner who had committed crimes related to the Knights.

That seemed to be the official story.

Or, as my father mentioned, some people were jokingly speculating that it was a rehearsal for the Knights’ festival parade.

I stayed quiet, remembering my promise to Luwen.

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

“You didn’t participate?”

“I had work at the Blue Knights’ Hall. Unless I received a request for assistance from the White Knights’ Hall, it wasn’t something I could get involved in.

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

I perked up.  My mother chuckled and said,

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

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

“Wonderful.  I had a particular performance in mind.”

My mother, her face alight with excitement, started talking about the performances scheduled for the festival.

My father listened indulgently, agreeing readily.

As the Blue Knight, he was always busy with work, so we treasured the time we spent together.  Whenever he had some free time, he always tried to make up for it by granting my mother’s wishes.

My mother was delighted by this, and her happiness, in turn, made me happy.

After finishing his dinner, my father thanked my mother and stood up.  She summoned a maid to clear the table.

As I finished my strawberries and climbed down from my chair, my father said, “Oh, right, Liv,” and turned to me.

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

“He prescribed medicine?”

My mother asked, her face creased with worry.

I realized I hadn’t told her about my visit to the medical center…

The incident at the White Knights’ Hall had made me completely forget about my checkup.

Since I hadn’t needed medicine for a while, it was only natural for my mother to be surprised and concerned.

“Is it that serious? Why suddenly?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

My father began to explain, then glanced at me.

“It’s just a tonic, to help build up your strength.  Liv, go upstairs 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 had a feeling it wasn’t good news.

Feeling a little downcast, I went upstairs and returned to my room.