Chapter 101 - A Strange Girl

‘Why is she full of scars? She’s so thin, too… She must be an abused child,’ Azriel thought and remembered her childhood. Even the girl’s running steps seemed extremely tottering. At last, the girl fell after walking only a few steps.

“Ar…!” The girl stopped screaming and covered her mouth. She did not grab where she hurt when she fell but was covering her mouth first. Azriel could not help to be bothered. She was going to approach the girl and help her stand up. Then, the girl was taken aback and struggled to get up. Azriel rushed to explain to the girl who was stepping back like a cat raising its fur. “Hey, I’m a wizard who came to join the society. I’m not a stranger.”

The girl shook her head. She was still covering her mouth with her hands. When Azriel tried to approach her, the girl trembled convulsively and shook her head more strongly.

“Do you not want me to come close to you?” Azriel asked.

The girl nodded. She, then, slowly stepped back, looking at Azriel’s eyes, and when their distance grew to some degree, she turned around and ran away. Azriel could only watch the fluttering platinum blonde disappear into the hallways.

*

Rhema was waiting for Azriel by the lakeside. Marthicoras was lying on his belly in front of him and got up quickly to find Azriel returning.

“Master, welcome! I’ve been waiting for you!”

It was a passionate welcome. As if he had forgotten about his size, Marthi rubbed his body against hers and murmured. “It was a hard time, master. I don’t care for the greatest wizard or anything. I just like you, master. I missed you, master…”

“Were you scared? Rhema is a kind person, so you don’t have to be scared,” Azriel responded. Rhema merely was not interested in other people, but he was more kind than anyone to Azriel whom he cared for. ‘He just acts strangely sometimes because he is so powerful to the point that he is different from anybody and something is restricting him. Rhema must’ve been a very kind person before he became the Wizard of the Horizon.’

She did not forget his cruelty. However, her perception towards him had to change while watching him for the past three years. Rhema was also kind to Maylie’s family. He conversed with Maria well if she talked to him about the garden or cooking and did not get upset even if Maylie’s siblings made mistakes while playing together. Moreover, Robel, the third child of Maylie’s family, even begged Rhema to teach him magic and learned a little, though he quit not long after because he did not have much mana inside his body. Even though Rhema did not like a clamorous place like a party and did not get along with people openly, his attitude was always respectful and gentle. He was fine as long as Azriel was safe. The affairs when he acted mercilessly were all related to her. ‘It’ll be alright as long as I make him worried. Except for the affairs related to me, he rather helps people a lot of times.’

Azriel had never seen him being cruel to anyone ever since she left Colte. Instead, she saw him clearing up the flood that occurred in Modjankle last year, without a word. His reason was that he did not want to see the streets splashing with water, but it was a big help to people.

“…A kind person? Who do you mean, master?” Marthi asked as if he could not believe it.

“It’s about Rhema, Marthi. He’s fine,” Azriel brushed Marthi’s forehead, who was making a weird facial expression, and looked back at Rhema. “I’m sorry that I’m late, Rhema.”

Rhema Reshith thought while hearing her comforting her familiar spirit. He thought that his efforts were worthwhile after all. He did not want to see her cry again. He also did not want to make any more mistakes. He answered her with a kind smile. “You are not too late. How was your trip? Did you get any good results?”

“Umm, yes,” Azriel continued, patting Marthi. “I met someone unexpectedly.”

“Who is it?” he asked.

“Charles. The king of this country. Do you remember? Uh, he was kidnapped together when I was kidnapped…”

“…I remember,” Rhema’s voice was slightly lowered. His eyes became cold. Azriel did not notice his reaction as she was answering Marthi’s question asking who it was. “He thanked me for the past event and he said he’ll help. Do you want to meet him, too, Rhema? I will thank you so much.”

“I’m fine,” Rhema answered sternly and pointed at Marthicoras. “I found out several things about your familiar spirit. Would you like to hear it?”

“Oh, sure!”Azriel listened to his explanation about Marthi’s abilities and characteristics. She also learned some more skills to supply mana and control familiar spirits. She tried moving with Marthi on her own a few times, and the sun was setting. Leaving Marthi outside who loved the lake, she returned to the castle with Rhema. Before entering, Azriel asked a question that she had been thinking about since yesterday. “Rhema.”

“Yes, Azriel,” he answered.

“Rhema, you have a familiar spirit called Ofeq, don’t you?”

Rhema hesitated for a moment and said as he began walking again. “You’ve heard it from Marthicoras.”

“Yes. Well, was it the bird on the roof of your house?”

“…You are right.”

“Blanchet, Noir, and Largo did not ever mention that bird. Is it a familiar spirit that I shouldn’t know?”

“Ofeq is a little different from other familiar spirits.”

“Is it because he is guarding the watchman’s seal?”

Rhema looked back at her to hear her question. Grey eyes looked dry as glass beads. Azriel continued. “If it’s a question that you can’t answer, you don’t have to answer.”

“No,” Rhema turned his gaze and answered slowly. “Ofeq is a being I created to guard my seal.”

“That’s why you didn’t introduce it to me.”

A familiar spirit that was guarding the heart that a watchman cut out in order to fight a dragon… Was the heart a real heart, or was it a metaphor? ‘Rhema said he can’t answer this because he is a watchman.’

While Azriel was deep in thoughts, he said quietly as he opened the gate of the castle. “You’ll learn about the watchman naturally if you pass the new test.”

“The new test is finding out what the contents of the Aurora Disc, isn’t it? Wasn’t that related to dragon eye magic?”

“A dragon eye wizard will eventually end up becoming a watchman.”

“…What?”

Rhema looked down at her with a mysterious look. He did  not want her to become the same being as himself but wanted her to be, at the same time.

‘What do I really want from you?’ He was not sure. His desire was increasing and he became more confused. The more he stayed with her, she grew, and she grew as a wizard, the more he wished these days would last forever. He wished that he would see her smiling face a little longer and that she would reach his mastery. No, he wished that she would not. He wished that she would just live a happy and peaceful life. He also wished that other people’s names would not come out of her mouth, and she would not care about anyone other than him. Sometimes, he wanted to get rid of all the people around her, but he endured because that would make Azriel miserable, and the egg might crack and break if he did so. Such chaos in his mind was not revealed on his face. Rhema led her softly. “Brownie must be waiting. Let’s go eat supper.”