Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 10
The bright morning light poured down on the two-story, quaint house with ivy climbing up its walls
The traces of the night were swept away by the light and vanished with the darkness.
Only Rosia, who had tossed and turned all night, could stare into space with bloodshot eyes.
“If I hadn’t taken a wrong turn yesterday, I wouldn’t have run into him.”
[I always go that way…]
Luperne made a quiet excuse, avoiding Rosia’s gaze.
[I thought for a moment that even you could pass through. I made a mistake.]
“I’m a fool, an idiot, for trusting you, a man who died 670 years ago. I should take my revenge on my own, right now…!”
Hearing Rosia’s resentful voice, Luperne apologized hastily.
[Sorry, sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.]
Rosia glanced at Luperne and spoke coldly.
“If you truly feel sorry, then give me ‘Randel’s Teleportation Magic’ and ‘The Rules and Order of Complex Systems.'”
Upon Rosia’s request, Luperne quickly shook his head.
[That book has been out of print for 365 years. How can I get it?]
“In that case, I’ll take revenge on my own!”
Rosia’s threat made Luperne’s transparent face even paler.
Luperne was a guardian spirit protecting the Escalonan Empire from malevolent spirits.
As a guardian spirit, Luperne had eradicated numerous demons from the early days of the empire until now.
However, even Luperne couldn’t eliminate malevolent spirits hidden within a living human’s belongings.
The annihilation of the prestigious clan in the 172nd year of the Escalonan Empire, the great fire of the capital in the 357th year, the epidemic that killed one-fifth of the empire’s population in the 621st year, and countless other calamities—all of these were caused by malevolent spirits that guardian spirits had overlooked.
To see his people suffer in the empire he had founded was a disaster for Luperne.
[Alright. I got it. I got it.]
For Luperne, Rosia was more than necessary. He poured out affection beyond necessity.
Luperne reproached himself for almost putting Rosia in danger because of his own mistake.
[I’ll get you all the books you want. I’ll contact every guardian spirit in the country and get them for you.]
“You promise?”
[Yes! Promise.]
Rosia cast an accusing glance at Luperne, who nodded vigorously.
Rosia knew she needed Luperne.
After her parents died and she was left all alone in the world, Luperne was more than a friend, more than a confidante.
He was like a nurturing parent, a mentor who taught magic, and a friend with whom he had shared friendship for a long time. Rosia couldn’t turn away from Luperne.
Rosia could not turn her back on Luperne.
[So, relax.]
With Luperne’s earnest apology, Rosia finally relaxed, letting out a long sigh as she leaned back in her armchair.
Rosia, while gently stroking the black cat perched on her lap, asked, “So, did you find out anything about that man from yesterday?”
The focus of the conversation shifted to the unfamiliar man Rosia had met the previous night. It was a sign that she wasn’t going to pursue last night’s mistake any further.
Luperne read Rosia’s meaning and nodded vigorously.
[He called for someone to answer him.]
With Luperne’s approval, the space rippled, and a figure emerged, an ethereal being donning the uniform of the Imperial Guard. The spirit saluted Rosia with a stiff demeanor.
[Good day, I am Guardian Spirit Philip Gunther of the Calenia Imperial Guard, and I am honored to meet the Medium Rosiana.]
“Not a pleasant day for me, sir,” Roche replied in a stern tone, causing Philip Gunter, the guardian spirit, to flinch. “I encountered a very unpleasant fellow yesterday.”
Gunther, noticing the moderator’s unhappy mood, asked cautiously.
[Whom are you referring to…]
“A man, not too old, tall, with black hair and his eyes…”
Rosia thought back to last night.
She remembered the color of his eyes. Green, but with a deep dark…….
“Deep emerald green.”
[Ah, you mean Master Calskronin.]
“Master Calskronin?”
[Yes, Ortebaek requested assistance from Master Calskronin to capture the Medium Rosiana.].
“No, why are you telling me that just now?”
Gunther’s soul swelled as if it would vanish at any moment as Rosia unleashed her furious magic.
While a person’s magical energy couldn’t directly affect an ethereal spirit, Rosia’s anger was palpable.
Gunther fidgeted and fiddled with the disheveled hem of his uniform.
[I apologize.]
It was Gunther’s job to investigate and report back on the timing and size of the guards pursuing the Trinity, their routes of travel, and the various magical traps they had set.
Missing such an important variable like Master Calskronin was serious oversight.
[But I had no control over it.]
Gunter continued, shivering with a sense of helplessness.
[The Master, who had refused the captain of the guard’s request, had come unannounced and unexpectedly. He made it sound as if he was only going to look at the relevant papers, not go out on a mission.]
Rosia listened, frustrated and regretful for the chaotic turn of events. “Then why was he there yesterday?”
[Upon reports that Trinity had used magic to escape, I didn’t have time to warn you or intervene…]
As a spirit, Gunther’s knowledge was limited to the past, and couldn’t predict Rosia’s current thoughts or future actions. It was an unknown territory, even for the Goddess of Fate. As Gunther mentioned, it was indeed an uncontrollable situation.
Rosia leaned her head back, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger.
“Ugh, a guy who just butted in without a plan,” Roche muttered in frustration.
[Yes, that’s correct.]
Rosia sighed deeply and reached for the cup on the table. It was filled with orange juice that she had squeezed herself. She gulped down the juice in frustration, but it didn’t ease the tightness in her stomach.
“Who is this guy exactly? Tell me everything,” Rosia demanded, prompting Gunther to stand up and begin his report.
[His name is Kaiden Calskronin, the heir of the Calskronin Duchy.]
“I hadn’t seen him before.”
[He served as part of the Magical Knights Order for the last three years, participating in demon subjugation campaigns at the border region before returning to the capital three days ago.]
“Oh, I see, so that’s why.” Rosia recalled the man with the striking appearance made such a strong impression on her.
He absentmindedly fiddled with her ear and pondered further. “What about his magic attribute?”
Luperne, who had been listening intently, answered her question.
[None.]
“No attribute, huh?”
Mages typically had their own unique attributes when it came to manipulating magic. Spells with specific attributes could be faster and more potent without relying on an external catalyst.
As such, many mages choose to play to their attributes’ strengths.
Like Rosia’s focus on manipulating the wind. But to have no attribute…
“Does that mean he has no abilities?”
[No.]
Luperne swallowed hard.
[Having no attribute is itself an incredible ability.]
