Chapter 14: Choices and Challenges

“Are you awake?”

The moment I got up from my bed, I heard a familiar voice.

Turning to the side in a half-awake position, I saw Rane sitting there, draped in her blue robe, looking at me. It seemed morning had come while I was asleep, as bright light was streaming in from outside the cave.

I immediately bowed my head to Rane.

It was entirely thanks to her that I had felt the power of mana and stepped into the realm of magic.

Rane smiled awkwardly at my gratitude.

And it seemed she was subtly gauging my reaction, eager to ask something.

I threw more firewood into the still-burning campfire and said, “Do you have any questions?”

Rane’s eyes sparkled as she nodded at my question.

Then came her inquiry.

“What was that you did?”

That “thing” she referred to was probably the magic.

It was the image of a shimmering river of starlight that I had shown her.

“I just demonstrated the magic I was thinking about.”

“That’s…”

I nodded and closed my eyes.

The inner world formed with Rane’s help still flowed with that river of stars.

It was a power that felt close enough to touch if I reached out, yet it was also infinitely distant.

“By any chance, did you already have knowledge about mana and magic?”

I didn’t deny Rane’s question.

Even if it wasn’t magic from this world, what I had shown and used was indeed magic.

The world I had built was infinitely vast and remarkably solid.

“Where did you learn something like that…?”

I told Rane about the magic I knew.

I even tried to illustrate it by drawing on solid stone, but Rane maintained a look of confusion.

I didn’t expect her to understand, anyway.

Rane was already someone who had been accumulating knowledge about magic while handling mana.

Just as the world I created existed with the feeling of mana, she must have her own magical world.

“Who is your master?”

I couldn’t answer this question. Who was my master?

Sometimes, they took the form of an old wizard. He wielded the light that illuminated the world, defending his realm against a vast cosmic entity.

At other times, she appeared as a young woman. She was the daughter of the sea who lost her parents to invaders from another dimension.

In this way, those I could call my masters existed in a myriad of forms.

Would she easily believe if I told her this fact?

I couldn’t say that I was someone who had lived in another world, and that the magic I knew was born from imagination.

Thus, the answer I could give was the best I could do.

“They’re not from this world.”

“Ah…”

At my answer, Rane trailed off, as if disappointed.

After that, silence followed. Inside the cave, there was only the sound of the cold wind and the crackling fire.

Staring blankly at my bag, I rummaged through it and pulled out some dried jerky and fruit.

“Let’s eat.”

Rane watched me intently as I ate.

Her gaze felt so intense and burdensome.

I had to awkwardly smile and look away from her.

While I wanted to delve deeper into the study of magic, the task was not yet finished.

I left the cave with Rane.

The cold air made me hunch my body as it filled my lungs.

At the same time, I realized that even the air I was breathing contained faint traces of mana.

I accepted it without rejection. Although the coldness spread through my body, my tension actually eased.

As my muscles relaxed, my body temperature remained at a suitable level.

“Haah…”

What comes in easily flows out just as easily.

As I exhaled, I looked longingly at the mana that slipped away.

I tried to use the faint mana to catch the weak traces of mana mixed in the air, but it was a futile attempt.

The mana quickly slipped away despite my efforts.

However, the power of mana was remarkable. I smiled faintly at the vitality I felt throughout my body.

The slight symptoms of a cold quickly vanished, and the muscle pain in my legs disappeared.

If I had more time, I would have researched how to securely hold onto the mana entering my body.

The exploration that had halted yesterday resumed.

Rane climbed the mountain with me, occasionally asking questions.

“Ceris.”

“Yes?”

“Were you a noble by any chance?”

“No.”

Sometimes cautiously, sometimes boldly, Rane quickly closed the distance with her questions.

I wondered what made her so curious; it would have been easier if she had asked questions about magic instead.

Rane wanted to know a lot about my family background.

As we ventured deeper into the mountains, the areas less trodden by people saw more frequent monster appearances.

Naturally, Rane and I encountered monsters.

Three goblins with green skin.

They were carrying a large deer, and as soon as they spotted us, they immediately showed hostility.

I took off my bag and drew my sword as if it were the most obvious thing to do. I had fought goblins before and had the experience, so I didn’t feel a sense of crisis.

Besides, I wasn’t alone this time; I had the support of a capable magician.

“Rane, I need your support.”

My voice came out surprisingly calm.

“Just buy me some time.”

The moment Rane’s reply ended, the goblins began to charge at us.

They wielded sharply sharpened stones in their hands.

-Kyaahh!

The first goblin leaped at me with a scream.

Following that, the second and third goblins jumped in from the left and right.

It would be wise to retreat. If I could hold them off while Rane cast her magic, she would intercept them.

Yet, I felt an inexplicable confidence.

I realized my arms and legs felt lighter than before.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind: what if I infused my swordsmanship with magic?

I knew it wasn’t impossible.

As soon as the thought arose, my body began to move.

With a wide stretch of my leg, my sword soared above my head.

At the moment my hands tightened around the sword, a shimmering starlight surged from my heart.

The starlight flowed up my hands, wrapping around the sword blade, creating a phenomenon.

Flash!

The faint silhouette revealed a large moon. Surrounded by countless starlights, the moon obliterated the goblin that blocked its path.

The movement of the moonlight did not end there. As the moonlight fell to the ground, it showcased a small spin along with the starlight that enveloped it.

As red blood splattered, covering the pure white snow, my body began to rotate.

The direction of my pivoting leg shifted, and my waist turned.

That rotation merged with the countless starlights, preparing for the next attack.

Because I had transformed the stance of my downward strike, my hand holding the sword was pulled back.

In that moment, a new starlight surged from my heart.

A straight line.

As the retracted sword thrust forward, the starlight mingled with the moonlight and shot upward along the sword blade.

The moment I confirmed the tip of the sword splitting the goblin’s head, a dark shadow descended to my right.

Crash!

The identity of the shadow was a spear made of stone.

The solid stone had been molded into the shape of a spear.

The spear pierced through the goblin’s body.

“Are you hurt?”

“Oh, no…”

I nodded at Rane’s question as I assessed my condition.

My breathing was steady. I was in good shape to fight more.

However, Rane’s gaze was unusual. With her eyes shining brightly and her lips moving, it seemed she had more to say.

I wiped the blood off my eyes with my sword and asked, “Do you have something you’re curious about…?”

“Yes!”

An excited Rane began to bombard me with questions.

She even asked what the starlight emanating from the sword was and whether I possessed any artifacts.

“I just infused magic into the sword.”

“You infused magic…? Is that sword perhaps made of magical stone?”

I shook my head. This sword was just an ordinary iron sword.

Even after my answer, Rane didn’t drop her skeptical gaze.

Eventually, I handed the iron sword I was holding over to her.

The magic I used wasn’t that remarkable.

I had merely sharpened the mana.

It was similar to the way Rane had created wind using mana.

Rane could do it too, even without that magical stone.

After examining the sword for a long time, Rane finally returned it to me.

“Hey, Ceris.”

“Yes?”

“After this request is over, would you come to the Magic Tower with me? No, you definitely need to go to the Magic Tower.”

“The Magic Tower?”

“Yes.”

“You want me to become a magician?”

“Exactly!”

Rane began to explain the benefits of becoming a magician affiliated with the Magic Tower in response to my question.

She talked about the enormous stipend that came out every month, the right to access the great library filled with all kinds of magical books, and a mentor to teach magic, not to mention the title of honorary noble bestowed upon you.

However, to enjoy all these benefits, several conditions were required.

Rane continued her explanation.

“Free outside activities are only allowed for one day a month, and you must prioritize the tasks given by the Magic Tower. Of course, she added that you can go out for outside activities while performing these tasks.”

“Lastly, you must not export the knowledge from inside the Magic Tower to the outside. What do you think? Doesn’t it sound great?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

I rejected Rane’s proposal without hesitation.

Surely, if I entered the Magic Tower and became a magician, I could live without worrying about money for the rest of my life.

It would be a dream come true for an ordinary girl from a rural village.

However, I was the one who ran away from a forced marriage.

I still wanted to explore this world. I wanted to roam freely without being tied down, experiencing the new world with my own eyes.

That was why I had chosen the profession of an adventurer.

“It’s not free.”

“W-Well…”

“I’m happy as I am now.”

“Hmm…”

It seemed Rane couldn’t let go of her desire to drag me to the Magic Tower.

Throughout our exploration of the Karum Mountain Range, she kept suggesting we go to the Magic Tower.

Even until the very last moment of our request’s conclusion.

“Are you really not going?”

“No.”

“You’ll regret it!”

“Maybe.”

“Ugh…”

Rane handed me the promised reward and walked away with a defeated expression.