The wizard is reincarnated last Time

6. Swirling Fate (2)

After that, I couldn’t leave my bed for a while.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed.

There were times when I felt well enough to sit up and look out the window, but then, suddenly, pain would surge through me, accompanied by difficulty breathing.

At times, I even fainted.

My mother was always so startled when that happened.

She grew increasingly pale and lost her usual vibrancy.  That, in itself, was another source of pain for me.

One afternoon, Mrs. Amara stayed by my side instead of my mother. She said my mother was having an important discussion with my father.

Mrs. Amara, too, looked incredibly sad and exhausted.

Despite my mother and father’s comfort and understanding, she seemed to believe that this had happened because of her daughter.

While she struggled to comprehend the fact that her deceased daughter had tried to harm me, she was also in pain and grieved.

Mrs. Amara seemed to want to ask me about how I had played with her daughter, but she knew those questions would be painful for both of us.

In the end, she didn’t say anything and just took care of me diligently.

As if, as always, that act itself brought her some comfort.

When I woke up from a nap after taking medicine to ease the pain, it wasn’t Mrs. Amara or my mother who was by my side, but my father.

With his back to the dark window, my father held my hand and looked down at me.

Our eyes met as soon as I opened mine. My father smiled gently.

“You’re awake. Are you feeling any better?”

I nodded slightly.

The effects of the medicine hadn’t worn off yet, and my mind felt half-empty, as if in a daze. I felt like I was still dreaming.

My father gently brushed a few strands of hair from my forehead.

“Liv, listen carefully. We’re going to Prion tomorrow.”

At first, I couldn’t quite grasp what my father was saying. It took me a moment to process his words.

Prion?

“I can’t leave you here like this.  Your mother agreed.”

“Why…can’t I stay here?”

My voice was hoarse. My father’s expression turned somber.

“I can’t tell you much right now.  But if we go to Prion, you can receive much better treatment than here. They have many holy mages and excellent medical facilities. Let’s just focus on that for now.”

I quietly acquiesced. In my current dazed state, it was impossible to even string my thoughts together.

My father kissed my forehead gently.

“We’ll leave in the morning. You don’t have to worry about anything; just sleep soundly.”

“Mother…?”

My consciousness drifted into a deep, dark place.

My father said something in response to my question about my mother, but my fading consciousness couldn’t register his answer.

A considerable amount of time passed again.

The sound of a boy’s sobs brought me back to my senses.

I managed to open my eyelids slightly.

Everything around me was hazy, as if shrouded in fog.

Amidst the blur, a black-haired boy was crying, looking at me.

“…Sorry, I’m sorry. Liv. I… I should have protected you…”

The sight of Shuren crying was blurry, like a dream.

In my dream, I told him it was okay. It wasn’t his fault, and he didn’t need to feel guilty.

Even in my dream, I didn’t want to see Shuren cry.

I barely remembered leaving home for Prion.  I was carried to the carriage, asleep in my father’s arms.

I regained consciousness inside the jolting carriage.

I was surrounded by unfamiliar sensations.

I blinked and sat up.

A small, confined space.  It took me a moment to realize I was inside a stationary carriage.

The interior, designed for passengers to sit facing each other, was neat and spacious.  Even when I lay down on the seat, I didn’t take up even half of it.

The ceiling was decorated with red, square patterns, and a small lamp swayed gently.

Wrapped in a blanket, I moved closer to the carriage window.

Sunlight flickered between the red curtains.

I pulled back the curtain slightly, and a dazzling light revealed a landscape I had never seen before.

A vast field stretched endlessly.

Far in the distance, I could see low hills, a cluster of trees, and scattered houses of various sizes.

Nearby, a clear stream flowed.

Birdsong drifted from somewhere, mingled with the murmur of human voices.

Where am I?

I stared at the scenery, bewildered.

“Liv?”

I turned my head to see my father looking at me through the slightly opened carriage door.

“Aren’t you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

My father asked, showing me a bowl of soup.  He seemed to have been eating.

As I saw it, a savory aroma wafted towards me, and I suddenly felt hungry.

I nodded.

“Wait just a moment…”

“I’ll go get it.”

Erner’s voice reached me.

My father said, “Thank you,” and opened the carriage door wide.

The two of them had been eating, sitting in front of the carriage with a small box between them.

“Liv, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

I moved closer to my father.

His large hand reached me, even though I was sitting on the seat. His warm touch caressed my cheek.

“You’re a little feverish. Perhaps it’s because of the change in environment.”

“I’m okay…”

Having said that, I was startled by how small and unfamiliar my own voice sounded.

My father gave a wry smile.

“You must tell me if you’re feeling unwell. Don’t push yourself.”

Erner returned with a small bowl of food.

I bowed my head, accepted the bowl, and began to eat.

Warm, savory soup, a chunk of bread, and a tender piece of meat.

Even chewing and swallowing wasn’t easy, but driven by hunger, I ate diligently.

As I ate, I looked around.

The carriage was stopped in a small, sunny clearing.

A bonfire burned in the center of the clearing, and people were gathered around it in small groups, eating.

There were many people besides those who had come to our manor as guests.

All seven or eight of them were either wearing knight uniforms or had swords at their waists.

The only familiar faces were Laillin and Joel, who had been at the manor, and Luwen.

“Father…”

My father, who had been talking with Erner, turned to me.

“Have you finished eating?”

“Where’s Mother?”

My father and Erner looked momentarily flustered.

My father stood up and came inside the carriage, to my side.

Confused, I looked around again.

“Where did Mother go? And Brother Shuren?”

“Liv, Mother will be here soon. We’re just going ahead a little.  Shuren will be coming too.”

My father spoke soothingly, but I was quite disconcerted.

I had things to say to Shuren, and I had only caused my mother worry.

Contrary to my father’s words, I had a nagging feeling that I might not see them again.

“Why can’t we go together?”

“There’s a lot we need to take care of. The head butler and his son, Shuren, as well. They’ll come see you as soon as things are settled. Can you wait until then?”

“…Yes.”

I felt dejected but forced a nod.

I should have stayed awake.  I hadn’t even properly said goodbye to my mother.

He said we would see each other again soon, but it was the first time I would be separated from my mother for so long, and I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

“Liv, look at this.”

My father retrieved something from around my neck.

Wrapped in the blanket, I hadn’t even realized I was wearing anything, but it was the Melgram my father had given me.

The small crystal sphere, which had turned jet black when Selina ripped it from my neck, was transparent again.

“Your mother replaced the necklace cord with a new one.  So you won’t lose it.”

A finely braided, embroidered cord hung around my neck.

I clutched the Melgram in both hands. A warm feeling spread through me…

“Can you wait until Mother comes?”

“Yes, Father.”

My father smiled and patted my head.

After I finished eating, I took the medicine Luwen brought. It was bitter, but I wanted to get better quickly, so I didn’t complain.

Afterward, Luwen unwrapped the bandages to check my wounds.

Neither Luwen nor my father looked pleased.

Luwen placed his hand over my wounds and muttered something.

As he spoke, the mana surrounding him shimmered and flowed into my wounds.

The stinging sensation subsided considerably.

“It’s best if you get some rest, Liv.”

Luwen withdrew his mana-infused hand and gave me a strained smile.

“When you wake up, we’ll be in Prion.”

I hoped so. I wished for these painful moments to pass quickly.

My father pulled the blanket up to cover me, and I quickly drifted into a light sleep.

My consciousness lingered on the border between dreams and reality.

From somewhere far away, yet not so distant, I heard a voice.

“…Have you given it any thought?”

Luwen’s voice.

The sound of my father’s short exhale followed.

“I don’t want to think about it right now…  His recovery is the priority.”

They seemed to be talking about me.

My consciousness sank deeper, but even then, curiosity surfaced.

“Yes, of course.”

“From the beginning, I intended to let Liv do whatever he wants. That’s why I left the family.”

“What if Liv wants to learn magic?”

“…Then I’ll have to ask you a favor.”

My father’s voice sounded strangely bitter.

“I couldn’t bring myself to tell my wife.”

Drifting between dreams and reality, I was suddenly jolted awake by a stern voice.

Not much time had passed since their last conversation.

I didn’t know what they were talking about, but the atmosphere was completely different now.

I opened my eyes slightly.

Beyond the small carriage window, I saw a figure pacing back and forth. It was my father.

“Is that, is that true? That he could… turn into a demon?”

My eyes widened. The lingering drowsiness vanished instantly.

“Judging by what we’ve seen so far… yes.  Based on the magical diagnosis, it seems Liveric’s soul is incomplete.

Children with incomplete souls like this are easy targets for demons.  They can be consumed by demons, or transform into one themselves, or be killed by humans before that even happens…”

“Stop, that’s enough.”

“…I’m sorry.”

A heavy silence fell between Luwen and my father. Not even the sound of their breathing could be heard.

I hugged myself, feeling a chill run down my spine.

“Is…is it certain?  Luwen. It’s just a conjecture, isn’t it?”

After a long silence, my father spoke, forcing a cheerful tone.

Luwen’s reply was heavy.

“Yes… I’ll need to investigate further when we return to the tower.  Even if it’s true, you don’t need to worry too much.

Technology has advanced considerably since the Demon Emperor’s reign, so we’ll find a way. Something like what happened during the reign…”

“Won’t happen again.  It mustn’t.”

My father’s voice was firmer than ever.

I pulled the blanket over my head.

I didn’t want to hear any more of their conversation. I tried to force myself back to sleep.

But Luwen’s words lingered in my ears, refusing to fade.

My soul, which had endured countless cycles of life and death, worn and fragmented while bound to the Demon Emperor, couldn’t possibly be the same as that of ordinary people.

A soul carrying the full weight of past lives couldn’t possibly conform to the natural order of the world.

Why hadn’t I realized that?  I curled up into a ball.

A happy life in a peaceful new world, as a beloved child…  It was a foolish dream.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Even breathing felt painful. The fever was returning.