The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 8

The metallic taste of blood in my mouth and the lingering scent of it in my nose wouldn’t go away.

I closed my eyes and endured it silently.

The throbbing pain in my bound wrists, the stinging sensation in my shoulder with every breath, the annoying flickering afterimage of the light above my eyelids – I endured it all.

It wouldn’t be much longer. This torment would soon be over.

The sound of footsteps on stone echoed from afar.

Cautious and uneven. More than one person.

I waited with my eyes closed.  Eventually, the footsteps stopped. Right in front of me.

“…Open the door.”

After a long silence, someone spoke in a woman’s voice.

The other person hesitated for a moment before moving.

A rattling sound, and then the heavy, metal door creaked open.

Only then did I open my eyes.

Two people walked into the dirty cell where I was confined.

The young, gray-haired knight, meeting my gaze, instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword.

His muscles tensed, as if he were about to draw it. But the scraping sound of metal against metal never came.

“Stay back.”

A silver-haired Luoir woman reached out to the knight.

The delicate woman carried the distinct scent of Luoir, reminiscent of flowers and trees.

The fact that she could maintain her own scent in this filthy, foul-smelling cell indicated she possessed considerable power.

In contrast, the young knight was a Denan, and despite being clad in heavy metal armor, he seemed more wary than the Luoir woman.

“But…he’s a mage. We don’t know what he might do.”

“Allen, please.”

Only after the woman’s earnest plea did the young knight step back, as she instructed.

However, he was still close enough to reach me with his long sword if he drew and swung it.

The Luoir woman approached me.

Either fearless or resolute, she was completely unguarded.

Unconcerned about her long clothes dragging on the floor, she lowered herself and placed her hand over my wounds.

A warm energy emanated from her palm, enveloping my wounds and seeping into my body.

But the power had no effect, dissipating within me.

“…I’m sorry, but holy magic doesn’t work on me.”

My voice was rougher than I expected.  It felt rusty from disuse.

The woman poured more power into her touch, then finally withdrew her hand.

“I see… Why is that?  Are you a demon?”

I met her deep green gaze.

A Luoir with a youthful, unlined face, a fairly powerful holy mage.

“Does it matter?  You wouldn’t believe me anyway, no matter what I said.”

I turned my head and spat out blood-tinged saliva.

A body impervious to holy magic.  My injuries could only heal on their own, with me enduring the full brunt of the pain.

“…Then let’s talk about something important.”

The woman nodded.

“You were leading the Demon Emperor’s army, yet you surrendered to our allied forces without a proper fight. Why?”

“Because you fought well, I suppose.”

I smirked, but she didn’t smile.

“This is important.  You will be executed at dawn. So, before that, tell me what you want to say.”

This woman was wise.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

The degree to which we believed each other’s words didn’t matter at this point.

She had given me a chance to speak, but it was a more significant opportunity for them than for me.

“…I need help.”

“Help?”

“Yes. To seal the Demon Emperor.”

***

I took a small breath and opened my eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room.

I was lying in a large bed bathed in the sunlight.

The clean, white sheets, the fluffy pillows, the soft clothes I was wearing – everything was unfamiliar.

And so was the young girl staring at me with wide eyes.

The girl’s silvery hair was neatly braided.

She had pale skin, a small face, and deep blue eyes, now wide with surprise.

I tried to offer a greeting appropriate for a child I had never met.

“*Cough*.”

Instead of a greeting, a cough erupted from my throat.  I clutched my chest, wheezing.

My dry throat and lungs continued to spasm. Every cough made it painful to breathe.

“Liv!”

The door opened, and my father rushed in, his face etched with worry. An unfamiliar man followed him.

My father came straight to me and checked on my condition.

“I’ll go get Grain.”

The unfamiliar man picked up the girl, who was sitting beside the bed, and left the room.

“Breathe slowly.”

My father helped me sit up, supporting my shoulders.

I was drenched in a cold sweat.

I tried to breathe evenly, as my father instructed. My breaths were ragged, but they gradually steadied.

A young man in white clothes entered, knocking softly on the door. He smiled gently when our eyes met.

“Thank goodness, you’re awake.”

“Grain, his cough won’t stop. Is there anything you can do?”

“Let me take a look.”

My father laid me back down on the bed, and the man called Grain approached.

As he rolled up his sleeves, I smelled water. A cool, clean, and pure scent.

I noticed the unique gloves covering the backs of his hands and the intricately patterned bracelet on his wrist.

Grain placed a small lamp on my bedside table.

He lifted the handle, and the lamp began to glow with a red light.

A gentle, warm, and comforting aura emanated from it.

I stared at the red lamp while my father and Grain examined my wounds.

As Grain’s hand touched my skin, an energy similar to the one emanating from the lamp flowed into my body.

I recognized this power.  The life force that reached the deepest parts of me.

“Fortunately, your wounds are healing well. There’s no sign of infection.”

“Then why won’t his cough stop?  Is it because holy power isn’t very effective?”

“Well, yes…”

Grain chose his words carefully as he adjusted my clothes.

I pulled the covers up and sat up, supported by my father.

“Your son does have a constitution that’s resistant to holy power, but if holy magic is used continuously, it will have an effect. It’s just less efficient. The wounds on his body will eventually heal.”

Grain said, stroking my hair with his warm hand.

“However, wounds on the soul cannot be healed with holy magic.  If the coughing and pain persist even after his physical wounds have healed, they can only be treated by addressing the power of the soul.”

“…Magic?”

My father asked with a troubled expression, and Grain simply shrugged.

“It seems Luwen has some ideas. Why not leave it to him?”

“Yes… alright. Thank you, Grain.”

My father gave a wry smile to Grain, who replied cheekily,

“I wouldn’t mind a drink from the Blue Knight.”

“Alright, when I have time.”

“Good. I’ll prescribe some medicine to aid in his recovery.  Get plenty of rest, and your strength will return quickly.  Well then, Liv, I’ll see you later.”

Grain smiled, ruffled my hair, took the red lamp from the bedside table, and left the room.

After he left, my father quietly closed the door.

“So, Liv. Do you need anything? Do you want to sleep some more?”

I shook my head, then noticed the Melgram around my neck.

I remembered the moment it had turned black.

The image of my mother’s face, horribly contorted, the ferocious demon that had tried to devour me.

My body trembled, and my heart pounded.

“F-Father… where’s Mother?”

I felt breathless. A chill ran down my spine.

“Mother suddenly turned into a monster, and I tried to run away…”

“Liv, Liv.”

My father pulled me into a tight hug, his face filled with alarm.

“That’s not true. That monster wasn’t your mother.  It was an evil being that changed its appearance to deceive you.  Like Selina.”

“Then where’s Mother? Is she safe?”

My father nodded.

“Mother is safe. I sent Erner to check. She’s on her way here now. Don’t worry.”

“Thank goodness.”

This time, tears of relief welled up.

My father, also looking distressed, hugged me tightly and patted my back.

“I was delayed because I received a report that Romella’s defensive barrier had disappeared. I shouldn’t have left… I’m so sorry.  It’s my fault.”

“No, it’s not.”

I was the one who had attracted the demon, just like with Selina. My longing for my mother had caused the demon to change its appearance. It wasn’t my father’s fault.

I hugged my father tightly. His warm hand gently rubbed my back.

“I won’t let those terrifying demons hurt you again.  I’ll make sure of it. So don’t worry. Alright?”

“…Yes.”

“More importantly, look at this.”

My father lifted me and carried me to the window.

A large city sprawled beneath the dazzling sun.

“This is Prion.  The massive fortress city that serves as the headquarters of the world restoration organization, Prius.”

“Prion…”

Prion was a much larger and more beautiful city than I had imagined.

Neatly arranged streets were lined with houses of all sizes, and spacious plazas dotted the cityscape.

I could see shopping districts, residential areas, parks, and schools.  Countless people thronged the streets.

And gleaming white walls surrounded the entire city.

“This is Ervan Medical Center, under the jurisdiction of Prius. Look, that large building down there.”

My father pointed to a large building across the main street.

“That’s the Prius Knight Academy. And up there is the White Knights’ Hall, the headquarters of the Prius Knights.”

“Where do you work, Father?”

“I work at the Blue Knights’ Hall, next to the academy. I’ll show you around later.”

My father pointed to various locations in Prion, explaining them to me.

The wide streets, the plaza with its magnificent statues, the bustling market teeming with people, and the sturdy walls that had repeatedly repelled the demon hordes.

“I’m planning to find a nice house for our family to live in together.”

“Are we going to live together now?”

“Of course.”

Overjoyed, I hugged my father tightly.

Regardless of the reason, I was incredibly happy that my mother and father wouldn’t have to be separated anymore.

“You’ll be safe in Prion. You can go to school with other children and make friends.”

“Friends…”

My father seemed even more excited about our new life than I was.

“Oh, right. I’ll introduce you to the gentleman who visited earlier and his granddaughter again soon.  When you’re feeling a bit better.”

I smiled at my father, whose expression had brightened considerably.

I rested my head on his shoulder. I still needed time to recover my strength.

As my father’s hand gently stroked my hair, I felt drowsy.

“For now, let’s just focus on you getting better.  You need to be healthy when you see your mother again.”

I felt the same way.