Chapter: 142
I remember his gentle voice.
“Selvier, today’s really nice… The sunlight is warm, and the clouds make for just the right weather.”
His black hair shimmered. There wasn’t a shadow of doubt on his face; he seemed filled with a positive certainty that set him apart from anyone else in the village.
Among the villagers, who harbored even a smidgen of jealousy, hatred, or anger, he shone alone like a beacon of light amidst the prevailing evils. He stood firm against the generational malevolence. He was the light in the shadows.
In other words, he was a boy who didn’t quite fit in with the village.
He would admonish unruly boys, resolve disputes between neighbors, propose wise solutions, respond to insults without returning them, and inspire others with his kindness.
He raised his voice clearly against the village’s various bad customs, fought injustice, upheld righteousness, and saved people from the darkness in their hearts.
It was impossible to think of him as a mere child. How could a boy, barely seven years old, accomplish all that? Hence, he drew both awe and fear from those around him.
He was the brightest person in the village.
Moreover, he was Selvier’s childhood friend.
And he tended to be quite talkative.
“People need to get sunlight regularly. And… during childhood, it’s best to play freely. I think that’s the best way to enjoy childhood…”
“You’re always talking too much. Don’t keep pretending to know everything, dummy!”
“Um… Sorry, Selvier, I’ve made it boring. How about we play hide and seek?”
The way he softly gazed at her while speaking made him seem incredibly… mature. Unlike the other boys, who would fly into rages over the slightest thing.
In their shallow childhood understanding, the most fitting word to describe the atmosphere he enveloped was ‘maturity.’
Whenever she caught his gaze, her heart would flutter, and she’d feel strange. Young Selvier would pout and say, “You should have said that earlier!”
“Still, you can’t wander too far. If you go beyond the forest again… this time, I won’t talk to you for a week.”
“…I have plenty of friends besides you!”
“Yeah, if you disobey, it’ll be a week. There’s no negotiating with a terrorist who goes beyond the forest.”
“……”
Despite tolerating Selvier’s childish frustrations, he also firmly drew the line on certain matters. Thanks to that, she wasn’t gobbled up by bears or wolves.
Reflecting back, it was a strange thing. Although he shouldn’t have been that much older than her, he felt more mature than anyone else in the village. Like someone who had lived for decades ahead.
In a village where it was normal to see children left parentless, where one would naturally loot daily necessities and furniture from homes marked ‘property of the deceased,’ it was a terrible environment for children’s emotional education.
Without him, Selvier might have grown up with a twisted personality.
She wouldn’t have known how to cope with stress, how to climb over walls, how to make friends, or how to love herself.
That’s why… now, there were things she wanted to say to the wandering Envers.
She understood how powerful someone’s comfort could be when the heart felt burdened.
Like sharing warm teachings from a prophet with someone, or offering warmth to a shivering child, or giving a piece of bread to a starving girl.
Having received more than enough to fill her heart’s vessel, she, too, wanted to be someone who could give to others.
Selvier wanted to become a magnificent person.
===============================================================
What would he have done?
What words would he have conveyed?
In her heart, Selvier asked her blurred-featured childhood friend.
Fragments of memories flitted by, and Selvier decided on a story to convey.
===============================================================
Envers groaned softly, slowly opening his eyes. Upon waking, he found himself in a nighttime scene. Looking around, he saw a dark park bathed in the pale blue moonlight.
“…Where is this?”
“Academy Park, bench. Are you coming back to your senses, you drunkard?”
With a hazy mind, Envers began to recall how he had ended up there. He had drowned his sorrows in alcohol, trying to escape the wall he felt after seeing the Heavenly Demon, the pain in his heart.
“‘I can show you a paradise without any pain,’” he recalled the words of a woman who had enticed him…
Envers covered his face with both hands, murmuring gloomily. Being awake felt torturous; it seemed like all his efforts were being denied.
“Why didn’t I just leave it there…?”
“Wow!”
Selvier shot open her eyes, looking at him sideways.
However, for a moment, she closed her eyes again to empathize with Envers’s feelings. He had endured ‘pressure to succeed’ and ‘punishment for failure’ throughout his growth.
Growing up as an assassin for his family, he had been trapped in an endless competition from a young age. Even if he had a bright nature, somewhere deep down, he must have harbored a splinter of pain.
He couldn’t afford to fail.
Then came the betrayal from his brother, the breakdown of his magic apparatus, being kicked out by his mother, and the cold reception in the mansion. Each incident likely left another splinter embedded.
“If only I had power…”
If that were the case…
Selvier broke the silence.
“Envers, do you hate failure?”
“……”
Envers inhaled sharply, as if a knife had pierced him.
“Hey, I heard you have a goal. The reason you came to the Academy, right?”
“…I do.”
“Will you tell me about it?”
“…I’ll grow stronger and return to my family. From there, I’ll fix everything I’ve missed. I have to.”
Envers answered gloomily. Ah, I see, Selvier nodded, saying:
“Hey, I have a really important goal too. To find my family, my teacher, and benefactor—my lost childhood friend, and to return what I’ve received.”
“………”
“There are those who entered the Tower Master’s apprenticeship before me, and that girl, Snow White, has already stepped into a fable. I’m worried whether I’m progressing or not, and if I can ever reach that point.”
But.
“When faced with such walls… you become a drunkard, and I manage to walk straight is due to the difference in perspective.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Instead of the wall, you ought to see yourself, Envers.”
愚公移山 (The Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains).
“We climbed the Tower of Trials and learned a lot. Especially you… you even picked up some strange techniques while playing with Luna, right?”
“……”
“You’ve grown stronger, Envers. You will. Instead of seeing the wall you can’t cross, look at what’s built up under your feet. Then… do as you’ve been doing so far.”
“…Are you cheering me on?”
Without answering, Selvier lightly slapped the back of Envers’s head. Envers awkwardly placed his hand on his nape and lifted himself from the bench.
People don’t change overnight. He was still teetering on the edge of failure, but hearing Selvier’s comfort made him feel a bit at ease.
Somewhere in his past, he felt he’d experienced something similar.
Back when he played with Rodelus, when he would fuss and look out for him, that’s how it felt.
“…Thank you.”
“No problem. We’re friends, right? Stop being all gloomy and quit drinking. You look pathetic.”
“…Can I call you ‘sister’?”
“Are you crazy?”
Selvier shivered at that.
After a deep breath, she looked at Envers again and added:
“Luna wanted to see you. She’ll be at the place where the Tower of Trials was. Drop by on your way back.”
“If I catch a whiff of alcohol again, arrows of dissatisfaction will fly your way.” With that, Selvier firmly warned him and turned to leave.
For a moment, Envers stood still before heading toward the Tower of Trials, where Luna was waiting.
===============================================================
Moonlight filtered through the window.
In the stillness of the blue night, a shadow of a girl moved, bathed in the spotlight of moonlight.
“…Luna.”
Luna was dancing. Was she mimicking a bird, or perhaps a snake? She stretched her limbs, transforming her form with every passing moment.
Envers, peering through the doorway, was captivated by her dance.
The curves and lines drawn by her body were beautiful in themselves. Adding to that the magical grace in her movements, she looked like a work of art.
Should he approach?
Should he step inside? He hesitated.
Then, their eyes met. Envers, who had been spying, froze as if caught doing something wrong.
Luna’s gaze softened, and in a flat tone, she spoke. The night’s calm allowed even her quiet words to resonate.
“Peeping Tom.”
“…No.”
“Come in.”
“…….”
Face burning, Envers shuffled inside. Though the night air was chilly, his heart raced oddly, making him feel warmer.
As he drew closer, he couldn’t help but notice the smooth skin of Luna, slightly damp with sweat. The fabric of her clothing clung to her body, unabashedly revealing her feminine curves.
He had nowhere to look.
“Eyes.”
“…What did you say?”
“You know. Eyes, feel.”
“…….”
That’s right. It was Luna who had taught Envers the technique of eye insight. She’d surely noticed where his gaze lingered the previous evening.
Now that he recognized it, there was even less to look at. Overwhelmed by rising embarrassment, Envers shut his eyes tightly. He had no confidence in controlling his instincts.
Hmph.
A small giggle echoed. Envers’s eyelids fluttered, but they remained closed. Had Luna laughed? Was it a sneer, or…?
“You think too much. Open your eyes.”
“…This is hard.”
“I know. Open your eyes.”
“…….”
Envers found it impossible to resist Luna’s command. He slowly opened his eyes, focusing only on Luna’s brows, pouring all his concentration there.
With a strange smile, Luna faced him, pointed with her index finger to her eyes, and then to herself.
See me well. That seemed to be the intent.
She moved her body. The movements were chaotic, imbued with meaning that was hard to decipher. Suddenly sitting, doing handstands, and shifting her center of gravity dramatically.
At first, he didn’t understand, but soon Envers discovered the answer.
Those were movements mimicking the Heavenly Demon. They were bizarre moves that defied human comprehension, making it impossible even to imagine.
“…Did you study this?”
“Yeah. A bit.”
“…When I was lost, you were making strides.”
“Not really.”
That wasn’t the point she meant to convey.
Luna came to a halt and stared at Envers intently. Words were not her strong suit, so she often relied on her body to express herself. Until now, that had worked well enough.
Usually, she understood everything, so why was she struggling now?
She sighed lightly and spoke up.
“I taught you about eye insight. About destruction technique. The Heavenly Demon isn’t different.”
“…….”
“I’m a good teacher. You are a good student too.”
“…You’re saying you’ll teach me?”
Luna shook her head slightly. That meant only partially correct. She poked Envers’s chest with her fist. Then, she smiled as provocatively as she could.
“Let’s make a bet, us.”
“…A bet?”
“You go. To another world. Learn from them.”
I’ll chew over the techniques of the Heavenly Demon here while you go and study their martial arts in the world where the Heavenly Demon lived.
“And when you’re ready. A duel.”
When the time is right, after learning enough and mastering the skills, let’s match our martial arts. It’s just a light bet. No stakes. No grand goals or moral imperatives. Just the intent to enjoy.
“Let’s have fun.”
Just like we enjoyed climbing the tower. Just like we didn’t let failures remain mere failures.
To ensure even the pain of failure could transform into the joy of play.
Still, it wouldn’t be amusing to have nothing at stake…
Luna pressed her index and middle fingers to her lips, then firmly pressed them against Envers’s lips, making a pecking sound.
“If you win, I’ll do it for you.”
“You seem pretty interested in me.”
“…….”
“Deal?”
“…I’ll accept.”
“Good.”
Then we’ll meet later. Luna nudged Envers gently on the chest.
With his brain feeling like it had been freshly formatted, Envers lost track of reality. The events that followed remained like fleeting dreams.
He walked back to the dormitory, still dazed, brushed his teeth like a zombie, and collapsed onto his bed.
Stuck in a stupor for about an hour, he pondered whether a mere indirect kiss was enough to ignite his motivation. He chastised himself for being so naive, yet he felt it might just give him a boost.
“…I really need to quit drinking.”
Ultimately, he gathered his resolve.
[Time When the Moonlight Filters: Clear the martial arts session and win in a friendly match with Luna.]
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