The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 26

Back then, why did I think everything would end?

In my sunken consciousness, I ceaselessly questioned.

I was frustrated that the peace that came easily to others wouldn’t come to me.

Since the Demon Emperor Verkith held my lifeline, I thought it would be over once he was sealed.

But I was reborn as Liberick Eldrian…

There were many painful things, but there were also many things I was happy about, being reborn and living in this world.

That was enough.

Now, looking back, I realized that my life so far hadn’t been a simple matter of nature.

Was it because Verkith, already sealed, still held my lifeline, causing me to be reborn?

Was that even possible?

I sat up with a gloomy feeling.

Even though I had washed my blood-soaked body and put on new clothes, my mood didn’t improve much.

The restraints that had bound my neck were gone, but my neck and shoulders still ached with every movement.

There was a kettle and an empty cup next to the cot, so I quenched my thirst.

This place was a makeshift tent.

The roof and walls were covered with gray canvas, and the supports were made of sturdy wood.  Even though it was temporary, it looked strong because it had been set up by knights.

I knew I had escaped from the clutches of the demonkind and was now safe, but… the anxiety lingered.

The deep melancholy in my heart wouldn’t disappear either.

“Liv?”

Luwen opened the tent and entered.

A handful of bright sunlight poured in through the momentary gap.  Day had broken, and morning had arrived.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

I shook my head instead of answering. Luwen sat beside me with a worried look.

“I’m just on my way back from sending a message to Prion that we found you. Your father will come straight here when he receives it.”

“What about Ash?”

Luwen paused, seemingly a bit flustered, then ran a hand through his hair, saying, “Hmm.”

“That wolf, you mean. He was injured, but he’s safe. He’s with my Master.”

I was so relieved that Ash was safe.  I felt a deep sense of relief.

“If it’s your Master…”

“Ron Klaus. Our great sage. I was planning to introduce you to him someday, but I didn’t expect you’d meet like this.”

“Then, did you leave Prion to meet him?”

“Right. That man, even though he’s quite old, gets around quite a bit. Well, we’ll talk more about that later…

Liv, I heard roughly from Ash what happened. It’s amazing how you endured that and escaped.”

How much did Ash know?  He surely knew less than I did.

I didn’t answer and just stared blankly at Luwen.

Luwen, looking distressed and unsure what to do, rubbed my shoulder.  His hand was very warm.

“This is a campsite not far from Prion. We were using this place as a base to track the demonkind horde.

That mansion you were trapped in was occupied by demonkind a while ago, and we were about to launch an attack.”

“Liv. I know it’s difficult, but is there anything you can tell me? About what happened at the mansion.”

“Um…”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came to mind. My head felt empty.

I closed my mouth and curled up.

Luwen gently patted my back.

“It’s okay, Liv. If it’s hard to talk, you don’t have to. When you feel better and want to talk, we can talk then.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s our fault for letting you go through such a thing. We should have been more careful.”

Luwen covered his forehead with his hand and let out a deep sigh.

“Prion, since the days when it was the fortress city of Arton, never allowed any demonkind incursion, but now that record has become meaningless. Especially on the day of the commemoration festival.”

“No.”

I buried my face in my knees.

My heart felt heavy, like it would sink endlessly.

“It’s because of me… I lured them here.”

“Liv, we already knew that the demonkind were targeting you.  It was our fault that we couldn’t protect you despite that.”

“I had a dream about Selina.”

Luwen flinched with a startled look. He, too, must have remembered Selina.

I could still vividly recall the dream.

“Selina in the dream led me. When I woke up, I was on top of the wall… And if Ash hadn’t come…”

“Liv…”

My arms wrapped around my knees trembled.  I continued speaking in confusion.

“So it’s me, not anyone else, who’s the problem. Master, I can’t trust myself. Even if I return to Prion, if the same thing happens again, no one will be able to protect me…”

Luwen looked at me with a complicated expression, as if at a loss for words.

I had been so afraid of this happening.

Now the Melgram is useless. My magic power already easily surpasses the level emitted by the Melgram.

Furthermore, since the demonkind use my memories and magic power to lure me, I can’t protect myself with my current clumsy magic control.

“Liv, I understand why you’re saying that.”

Luwen finally spoke after a long while.

“But I want you to know that we’re trying to find a solution to this. We’ll find a way. A way to keep you safe.”

His words were so warm. I felt like I wanted to hug him.

But I couldn’t.

“I wonder if I’m worth it…”

“There you are, Luwen.”

I stopped talking. The tent opened, and someone barged in.

It was the large knight, Loran, who had rescued me, and Luwen’s Master, Ron Klaus.

Luwen swallowed a sigh and stood up, blocking me. He seemed to be trying to protect me.

The Loran knight grinned when our eyes met.

“Glad to see you’re alright.  Liberick… was it?”

“Liberick Eldrian. Liv, this is the Black Knight Commander, Sir Jin Gregor.”

The Black Knight Commander extended a hand to me.

His hand was so large that I couldn’t grasp it even with both of mine.

“Thank you for saving me, Black Knight Commander.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m glad you’re safe. I’m rather sorry I couldn’t rescue you sooner. Jayden must have been terribly worried.”

“You know my father?”

Only after asking did it occur to me that he, being a Black Knight Commander, would undoubtedly know my father, the Blue Knight Commander.

“Of course.”

The Black Knight Commander smiled broadly.

His black hair was short and looked coarse, and he had the characteristic thick, furry ears of a bear Loran.

His skin was slightly dark, and he had many small scars on his neck and the backs of his hands.

He was several times larger than me and possessed the powerful strength to easily crush demonkind, but his expression was exceedingly rich and gentle.

“Jayden is a junior I care for. I haven’t been able to see him much lately due to his position… I heard he had a son, but I never imagined I’d meet you like this.”

“I’m also glad to meet you.”

The Black Knight Commander looked touched.

“Hmm, then… Master.”

Luwen averted his gaze and spoke with difficulty.

The man who had been staring intently at me since entering the tent.

His white hair was tied back, and his face was lined with fine wrinkles.

His thin hands gripped a long, black staff tightly, and he wore a dark robe with minimal decoration.

He looked old, but his sturdy physique and movements didn’t betray his age.

And those sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through everything…

Luwen seemed somehow uncomfortable with his Master.

“As I said earlier, this is Liberick Eldrian.  Liberick is, well, the son of Jayden, the Blue Knight Commander.  And…”

“Yes, yes. Your disciple, you mean. I remember what you said last time.”

Ron Klaus pulled a chair in front of me and sat down. It was to get a better look at me.

I unconsciously recoiled slightly.

He spoke abruptly.

“I’m Ron Klaus. This guy’s Master. I’ve heard about you a few times. How you came to Prion, and how you became a disciple. I was intrigued… ”

“Master, Liv is still recovering. Let’s just leave the greetings at that and let him rest.”

“Luwen, shouldn’t this little one know about his own condition?”

My condition? I blinked and looked at Klaus.

“I’ll take care of Liv’s matters.  Master, you should go chase after your beloved mission.  Didn’t you have a purpose?”

Luwen now seemed angry.

“That’s for me to decide.  Even without you nagging me and following me around like a nanny. Anyway, leave this to me. I have something to discuss with this little one.”

“That’s not possible!”

I flinched. It was the first time I’d heard Luwen raise his voice.

In contrast, Klaus had a look of utter annoyance.

“What are you planning to say to a child? Liv is already having a hard enough time, and you…”

“Whoa, Luwen, calm down.”

The Black Knight Commander, unable to watch any longer, stepped in to calm Luwen.

“The Sage has something else in mind. Isn’t he usually like that?”

“I promise I won’t do anything you need to worry about.  It’ll only be a moment.  Go out and get some fresh air.”

“But…!”

“Luwen, Luwen.”

Luwen didn’t want to leave me alone with Klaus, but the Black Knight Commander eventually persuaded him.

Finally, Luwen let out a deep sigh and left the tent with the Black Knight Commander.

What was it he wanted to talk about? I became curious.

Silence and stillness settled in the tent.

It wasn’t just because the number of people had decreased.  A kind of barrier magic had been cast on the tent.

I could see the faint magical waves surrounding us.  It had started working after Luwen and the Black Knight Commander left.

Klaus cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Yes, understand why I sent Luwen out. It seemed like it would take a while since it’s a story he wouldn’t understand.”

“A story you say my Master wouldn’t understand?”

“That wound on your chest. Luwen thinks it’s an old wound that has reopened or worsened, but I think differently.”

Klaus’s sharp gaze made my heart tighten.

The sound of my heart beating seemed like it would echo outside.

“I think your thoughts are different too.  Aren’t they? You know what that wound is, don’t you? What they did to you.”

I didn’t answer. It was something I hadn’t even told Luwen.

“If you won’t answer, I’ll tell you.  Embedded in your heart is a fragment of the Red Seal Sphere.  A piece of the Red Seal Sphere where the Demon Emperor Verkith is sealed.”

I couldn’t ask what that was, nor could I feign ignorance and say I’d never heard of it.

Klaus had already seen through my thoughts.

“I’ve been sealing fragments of the Red Seal Sphere within the sealing grounds for a long time. So I know what kind of energy those fragments emit.

How it got into your body, how it fused, how you’re alive… I don’t quite understand.”

Klaus tilted his head and looked at me.

Meeting his gaze made the blood in my body run cold.

Klaus got up from his seat, stroked his chin as if in thought, and then looked down directly at me.

“You, what are you?”