The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 18

I instinctively stumbled backward, hitting the corner of a wooden crate, but I didn’t even register the pain.

“Why…?”

Why hadn’t I known? Why hadn’t I realized it sooner?

Confusion overwhelmed me, my mind blanking.

I have to get out of here.

I turned and fumbled for the entrance, where the light streamed in.

Are you running away again?

My feet were rooted to the spot.

I gripped the blue canvas tightly.

The urge to flee immediately clashed violently with the thought that I couldn’t keep running away.

This time, the fact that I hadn’t sensed anything beforehand gave me a flicker of courage.

Unlike the previous incident, I had been completely oblivious.

I had even forgotten that a demon had been captured and brought into Prion.

My father, Luwen, and everyone around me had worked hard to ensure I wouldn’t remember, that I wouldn’t be afraid.

I bit my lip. After a moment of hesitation, gripping the entrance of the tent, I turned and faced the darkness within.

I can run out at any time.  There are plenty of knights and mages around. There are countless ways to call for help…

I repeated this to myself over and over.

My arms trembled, and my breath quickened, but I resolved not to run.

“You should run, little one.”

The man’s harsh voice seemed to echo directly in my mind, as though he had peered into its depths.

I strained to see him.

The man, sitting in the shadows of the cell, enveloped by the deeper darkness within the tent, was difficult to make out.

“I won’t run.”

Taking deep breaths, I focused on controlling my mana.  The mana swirling around me had a calming effect.

It’s okay.  I can do this…

I whispered to my heart, which was racing, threatening to trigger a seizure.

“Why?”

The man’s voice was flat, emotionless. It felt like talking to something inhuman. Which, of course, he was.

“I have questions for you.”

I steadied my breathing and gathered my thoughts.  This could be an opportunity. Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

“…Why do you target me?”

The man didn’t answer.

Instead, he shifted.

He leaned forward, towards the bars of the cell. I watched, my grip tightening on the tent canvas.

As he moved closer to the bars, his dark gray hair, scarred face, and glowing red eyes became visible.

I recoiled.

“You possess what we crave most. With just a fragment of your soul… we can sustain ourselves indefinitely, without preying on the lives of dozens, hundreds of others.”

For a fleeting moment, the man’s eyes flickered with something that looked like hope.

A deep yearning emanated from the depths of his crimson eyes.

To exist outside the natural order, cursed with a destiny of endless destruction – I was the one who had created such beings.

“So…”

The man gripped the bars of the cell tightly with both hands.

*Clang!*

The bars rattled ominously, and his red eyes flashed between them.

“Run. Before I hurt you.”

I gasped, my body trembling, but I managed to stay rooted to the spot.

It was an empty threat. The man’s glowing red eyes subsided.

I summoned more courage.

“You won’t hurt me.  I can sense you have no intention of doing so.  And I don’t sense any longing anymore…”

He was different from the last time I had encountered him, trapped in his cell in the hallway of the White Knights’ Hall.  The intense yearning was gone.

That was why he hadn’t reacted to, hadn’t resonated with my soul and mana here.

Unlike Selina, who had devoured my power to rapidly evolve…

The man released his grip on the bars and slowly sat back, as if conceding my point.

“…That doesn’t mean we can be friends, little one.”

“Liveric.”

The man glanced at me.

“My name is Liveric Eldrian. What’s yours?”

The man remained silent.

I hadn’t expected him to answer, but I still wished we could talk more.

Opportunities to converse with a demon were rare. I might have been able to learn something useful.

The man looked at me intently and finally spoke.

“You… don’t have much time left.”

His abrupt words took me aback.

As I tried to formulate a response, he continued,

“I smell blood.  You’re dying, little one.”

“That’s not information I particularly wanted.”

I tried to laugh it off, feigning nonchalance.

I already knew that. I knew it deep within my bones.

“And you all seem to believe this city is safe. Ilan, the others, they’re complacent.”

“Are you worried about me?”

I asked cheerfully, and the man frowned. I no longer sensed any menace from him.

Why couldn’t we be friends now?

I had already had a demon for a friend, though our parting had been agonizing.

After a long silence, he spoke softly,

“Go back now, little one.”

“…Alright.”

I nodded and said goodbye lightly.

“But next time we meet, I’d appreciate it if you called me by my name.”

As I stepped out of the tent, I felt considerably lighter.

My father and Luwen had been right.  There was nothing to fear from him.

My past experiences, deeply ingrained as intense fears, had made me overly apprehensive.

Although he was still a dangerous being, I could at least trust that he was cooperating with Prius.

It wasn’t long before Ilan found me, as I wandered among the tents.

“Wow.”

Stepping out of the carriage, I gasped at the sight that greeted me.

I knew they were transforming the garden for my birthday party, but this was the first time I was seeing the finished product.

Several white-clothed tables were arranged on the sprawling lawn, adorned with colorful tents and shimmering lights.

They had diverted the small spring at the back of the garden, creating a gently flowing stream. The sparkling water meandered through a small copse of trees and a flowerbed brimming with autumn blooms.

Gardeners and workers bustled about, transplanting trees and flowers, pruning shrubs.

A Luoir garden was always filled with trees and flowers, but for birthdays, they were especially meticulous, making sure not a single leaf was wilted.

“Liv.”

My mother, who was inspecting the tables under one of the party tents, greeted me warmly.

I ran over to her.

“You did all of this today?”

My mother smiled and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Of course. Tomorrow’s your birthday.  We’re having an all-day party in the garden.”

The anticipation for tomorrow filled me with excitement.

Clementine and Wadin were coming over early in the morning.

We would eat in the garden, open presents, and play all day. As evening approached, we’d move inside and play until we collapsed from exhaustion.

It was the perfect birthday plan.

“Look at this.  This is your birthday tree; we’ll be planting it tomorrow.”

My mother pointed to a small sapling off to the side.

A white grapevine sapling, about my height.  Its roots were thin but strong, and the white branches seemed poised to reach for the sky.

“It’s a wish for good health and good fortune.  Can you take good care of it?”

“Yes.”

I nodded, and my mother smiled and stroked my hair.

Like all Luoir families, we followed the tradition of planting a birthday tree every year.

We planted the tree with our hopes and wishes and nurtured it carefully. It was believed that a Luoir’s life was reflected in the growth of their birthday tree.

Because of this tradition, Luoir gardens were always filled with trees, their numbers constantly increasing.

Not just our family’s birthday trees, but also Shuren’s, the head butler’s, and the servants’ were all planted in our garden, making it grow larger and more lush with each passing year.

“I think this one might be a book.”

I pointed to a large, flat, heavy package at the bottom of the pile.

“No way.  It’s way too big.  What book could be that size?”

Shuren shook his head dismissively.

It was true that a book that big would be too much for me… So, what could it be?

Shuren and I were analyzing the mountain of presents piled up in a corner of the entrance hall.

I had no idea where they had all come from, but boxes and packages of all shapes and sizes were stacked high, wrapped in brightly colored paper, their contents a mystery.

We couldn’t open any presents until tomorrow, my birthday.

It was tradition, although I didn’t know who had come up with such a rule.

They said that if you opened birthday presents early, the well-wishes they contained would escape.

But with this many presents, wouldn’t it be okay if a little leaked out?

That’s what I thought, but since I couldn’t defy tradition, I had been circling the presents for days, trying to guess what was inside.

“What do you think this is?”

Shuren picked up a small, long, cloth-wrapped bundle from among the presents.

“Ah.”

I remembered a scene I had glimpsed earlier.

That was the bundle Shuren had brought. I had seen him quietly slip in and add it to the pile.

“This is easy. You brought it, didn’t you, Brother?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Shuren’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously.  I chuckled.  He was so transparent.

“It’s supposed to be a secret until tomorrow. You shouldn’t tell.”

“But I already know what it is.”

The thin, long shape was evident through the flimsy cloth wrapping.

And Shuren was holding the bottom end of the rod-like bundle just like he would a sword hilt, his posture completely artless.

“It’s a sword, isn–”

“Aaack!”

Shuren yelped and clamped a hand over my mouth with lightning speed, desperately trying to prevent me from saying the word.

I burst out laughing and decided to tease him.

“But even if I got a sword, I wouldn’t know how to use it.”

“You can learn.  If you want to, there are plenty of people here who would be happy to teach you.”

“Hmm…  I’ll think about it.”

I smiled faintly and kept my answer vague.

Learning swordsmanship would be useful for self-defense, but I doubted I would be able to handle it.

Even holding a sword properly would be difficult, let alone having the stamina to wield one.

Perhaps anticipating this, Shuren had probably chosen a sword much smaller and lighter than a knight’s typical weapon.

I sincerely hoped I would be able to manage it.

It would surely please and reassure my father.

Just then, the front door opened, and my father and the head butler returned.