The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 9

My mother arrived in Prion with Erner about a week later.

Having been asleep day and night, I had no sense of how much time had actually passed.

But I knew instantly, just by looking at her face, how quickly my mother had rushed to me.

She hugged me and didn’t let go for a long time.

It seemed Erner had told her what had happened.

Later, I overheard her talking with my father and learned that settling matters in the Merribelle territory had taken some time.

In the meantime, Erner had come to check on her and, upon hearing about the incident in Romella, had turned pale and rushed to Prion without rest.

The head butler had remained behind to finish settling the territory’s affairs, which meant Shuren’s arrival in Prion would be delayed.

It seemed there was much to handle, as the Eldrian family, who managed Merribelle, had suddenly relocated to Prion.

All I knew was that my father, the eldest son of the Eldrian family, had defied his grandfather and dedicated himself to Prius, leaving the Sernia Kingdom.

It was such an unconventional move that it had caused quite a stir among his family and relatives.

And now, he had left his homeland entirely and moved to Prion.

While I stayed at the medical center, receiving treatment from Grain, the resident holy mage, my mother and father busied themselves finding a house for us to live in Prion.

A few more days passed, and then…

“Liv!”

The head butler’s family and the servants arrived in Prion.

Shuren burst into tears as soon as he saw me. Tears of relief.

He had cried when we left home, and after hearing about the incident in Romella, he had been incredibly worried.

He cried so much that I had to comfort him.

I told Shuren repeatedly that he didn’t need to apologize, but he still felt responsible.

Always close by, he seemed to feel a strong sense of duty.

Still, it was good news that Shuren, as he had long wished, would be able to attend the Prius Knight Academy.

Relieved about me, Shuren talked about nothing else. Perched on the edge of my bed, swinging his legs, his face flushed with excitement.

“But it won’t be easy.  The entrance exam is incredibly difficult.  There’s a physical test, and you need to be proficient in swordsmanship and horseback riding, and you also have to study history and languages.”

Despite saying this, Shuren didn’t seem worried about the exam.  On the contrary, he was confident and eager.

“Well, I’m good with physical strength and swordsmanship, but I’m going to study for the academic test.  I’ll take the exam next year, graduate in five years, and then join the Knights.  The graduation exam is supposed to be incredibly difficult, too. People get held back for years…”

Shuren suddenly stopped talking and stared at me.

I was sitting quietly on a chair in front of a large mirror.

This was our new home.

A stately manor on a gentle hill, surrounded by a beautiful garden.

Other aristocratic mansions were scattered nearby, and a forest stretching towards the outskirts of Prion lay beyond.

The environment was very similar to my hometown, except for the city sprawling at the foot of the hill.

A massive city, the heart of the world, where the four races – Denan, Luoir, Arvat, and Loran – lived together.

Half of the servants from Merrirose Manor had stayed behind, and the other half, along with the head butler, had moved to Prion with us.

Mrs. Amara was among those who remained in our hometown.

Seeing how much pain she was in, my mother couldn’t bring herself to ask her to come with us.

Every time Mrs. Amara saw me, she was reminded of her deceased daughter and was deeply distressed that she had caused me harm.

So, although this manor was smaller than Merrirose Manor, the reduced number of familiar faces made it feel empty and cold.

“…You’ll be able to go to the Knight Academy when you turn twelve. Since your father is a Blue Knight. And you’ll become a great knight, just like him. What do you think, Liv?”

“Mmm…”

I barely heard Shuren’s words and just nodded vaguely.

It was noisy outside.  It seemed there was a lot of work to be done, as maids from neighboring houses had come to help.

I sat quietly, letting them change my clothes and put new socks and shoes on me.

Listening to Shuren, who was already ready, chatter beside me, I looked out the window.

Tonight was a welcoming dinner for our move to Prion.

A banquet to celebrate our new life in a new city.

My father and mother had wanted to keep it quiet, but there were many people in this city who sought my father’s attention.

He had reluctantly agreed to host a small dinner party at home, inviting just a few people.

However, those “few people” were important figures in Prius, so the servants were all incredibly nervous and bustling about.

“Liv, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?”

Shuren approached me with a worried expression.

“No, I’m fine.”

I had been at the medical center until yesterday, and I knew I would have to return if my symptoms flared up again.

But that wasn’t what I was worried about.

I couldn’t trust myself; that was the biggest problem.

The demon that had approached me in Romella had taken my mother’s form, worn her smile, and spoken to me with her gentle voice.

If I hadn’t noticed the Melgram turning black, I would have taken the demon’s hand and left the room.

So, in this place filled with unfamiliar people, what could I see, what could I believe?

I fidgeted with the Melgram around my neck.

Unable to even trust myself, the Melgram was the only thing I could rely on.

However…

A nagging doubt surfaced in my mind.

The Melgram could detect the presence of demons, but wouldn’t it be too late by the time it did?

Besides, the Melgram was just a magical tool.

As I grew older and my mana increased, it would easily overwhelm the Melgram’s power.  When that time came, I wouldn’t be able to trust the Melgram either…

Such thoughts kept surfacing, making me feel despondent.

While I was at the medical center, my wounds had healed considerably, and I had regained some strength, but I still tired easily.

If I wasn’t careful, I would start coughing, and the pain in my chest would return.

I had told my parents I wanted to attend tonight’s dinner because I didn’t want them to worry any more.

But the manor, filled with strangers, felt more chaotic and unsettling than I had expected.

“Liv, are you ready?”

The door burst open, and my father, dressed in a fine suit, entered the room.

Shuren, who had been watching my face anxiously, jumped up and went to my father’s side.

I saw Shuren whisper something to my father in the mirror’s reflection.

With all the noise coming from outside, I couldn’t hear their conversation.

“Oh, Liv.  There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

My father came and stood behind me.  Shuren must have told him I was scared.

Well… he wasn’t wrong.

“The guests are all distinguished people who work for Prius. Luwen and Erner will be there, and Grain from the medical center is coming as well.”

My father, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder, seemed to be in very good spirits.

“They’ve all been wanting to meet you.  We can postpone it if you’re not feeling well, but…”

“No, I’m fine.”

I didn’t want to disappoint my father, who had finally found an opportunity to introduce me to his colleagues.

“Alright, let’s go.”

My father smiled and patted my head.  My carefully combed hair was messed up again.

After checking once more in the mirror that I was wearing the clear, transparent Melgram, I took my father and Shuren’s hands and left the room.

The layout of our new house was very similar to our old one.

A three-story building with various rooms of different sizes, a spacious hall, a dining room, a drawing-room, and so on. The main difference was the unusually large garden.

Important areas like the kitchen, dining room, and drawing-room were on the ground floor, while private rooms, such as my bedroom, my parents’ room, the study, the dressing room, and the lounge, were upstairs.

The third floor wasn’t very large; it contained the library and the attic.

I was eager to see the library, but having only just arrived home yesterday, I hadn’t had the chance yet.

Several similar-looking mansions stood nearby, all occupied by people affiliated with Prius, like us.

“My goodness, who is this?”

A loud voice boomed as I stepped into the entrance hall.

A woman with her red hair tied back appeared suddenly.

It seemed like she had come running from somewhere, but she had moved too quickly for me to see clearly.

“His eyes are exactly like Jaden’s! Did he inherit his hair from his mother?  It’s so shiny!”

The woman crouched down in front of me, excitedly ruffling my hair and pulling my cheeks.

I instinctively recoiled and hid behind my father.

The red-haired woman felt threatening.  It was the same metallic scent of blood… similar to what I had sensed when I first met my father.

“Merian, you’re scaring the child.”

A Luoir man, smiling gently, approached us.

“Colin, should we have a boy too?  Of course, our Ilenia is lovely, but she’s a girl, so it’s to be expected.  If I had known Luoir boys were this cute…”

“That’s because your blood is so strong.”

The man called Colin grinned mischievously.  He didn’t flinch even when the red-haired woman glared at him.

My father laughed, and the two of them finally turned to him.

“Merian, Colin. Let me introduce my son. Liveric Eldrian.”

My father gently nudged me forward.

I hesitantly stepped out and bowed to them.

“Liveric, these are Red Knight Merian Cortis and her lieutenant, Colin Cortis.  They both work for the Knights.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you…”

I blinked and looked up at them.

Cortis.

The same surname as one of the heroes, the Arvat of Fire, Cowen Cortis.

Perhaps because of that, I sensed a strong aura of fire emanating from the woman named Merian.

With her red hair and fiery aura, there was no need to ask if she was Cowen Cortis’s daughter.

“Ooh, Jaden, can I hug him? I can, right?”

Merian spread her arms wide and strode towards me enthusiastically.

I flinched and stepped back.

I had never met anyone so forward.  I should probably avoid her…

But there was nowhere to escape.

Frozen in place, I was engulfed in the unfamiliar woman’s embrace.

Merian’s body was warm, and her hair felt as vibrant as a flame.

And her enthusiastic touch ruffled my hair completely.

“Please be gentle, Red Knight. He’s still recovering.”

I turned my head at the familiar voice.  Grain, Erner, and Luwen were entering the entrance hall together.