[Side Story] Wind Flower (6)
The shape of the valley that extends along the ridge of the Pulan region looks exactly like claw marks when viewed from above in the distant sky.
Looking at the valley that occasionally appears between the beautiful mountain ranges, people say that the mountain is scarred. That’s right, the terrain in question was actually a trace of a collapse caused by a blow from a large bear long ago.
Just imagining the majesty of the supreme spirit who created five valleys by scraping down the mountain is mind-blowing. It is such a grand sight that it is hard to believe that only recently has this connection been properly studied and reported to academic societies.
“It was called the Mountain Scourge. As it is passed down by word of mouth, some parts are somewhat exaggerated and some parts are reduced… It is said that the shadow of the huge bear that occasionally appeared in the clouds along the sky was truly majestic.”
“Approximately how old is that story?”
“It is difficult to say exactly because it is a story that has been passed down orally. You know. As it is a mountainous area like this, there are not many stories systematically recorded or active exchanges with the central part of the continent.”
Even if it was a pastoral village tucked into a corner of a mountainous area, even if it witnessed an event of that scale, the only stories that were passed down orally… .
No matter how I looked at it, I felt like this Toren village was a world separate from the rest of the world.
“Well, at the time, it must have happened in an instant, so our ancestors probably thought that God was angry or that a major natural disaster had occurred.”
“It’s not an incident on a scale that can be treated so vaguely. “It’s almost laughable that it’s finally been revealed.”
“As you know, Pulan here is completely closed, and long-distance transportation and news delivery systems would not have been properly established in the era when the great incident occurred. In the end, only the natural results of that disaster remain and exist as a landscape like this.”
Chief Glems spoke while looking at the quiet and idyllic mountain scenery.
It was barely time to call it morning, and the village was already bustling with activity. Ranchers and workers carrying fodder were whining and moving, and the cackling sounds of boys pulling mules, shepherds leading sheep out to the pasture, and women carrying laundry heading to the cloth could also be heard.
In the countryside, there is a flavor that can only be felt in the countryside.
It is a different feeling from Ross Taylor’s home, where one must always move with dignity and authority in mind, or Sylvania Academy, which is full of students with a passion for learning.
Since I had been living a busy life going back and forth for a while, I felt more at peace with this quiet rural scenery.
“It has been less than 30 years since our village began a large-scale upstream route to the central part of the continent. “It would not have been easy for the imperial family to lead by example and manage such a mountain range, so in a way, it was natural.”
“Is that so.”
“yes. Well, it seems like all the village residents are adapting well, so the village chief is very impressed. By the way, Yenika, what are you doing in the corner?”
Chief Glems shook off his red-brown cowhide coat and asked Yenika, who was sitting on a bench in the corner with her head down.
As for Yenika, the condition has not yet been restored. It’s called wise man’s time, when he remembers what he did last night and feels ashamed.
Yenika was so embarrassed that she was so drunk in the atmosphere that she showed all sorts of things that she couldn’t see, so she couldn’t even make eye contact and was in a state of gasping for air. In her head, she must have been thinking something. I was crazy, why did I do that? It’s an obvious repertoire.
His demeanor is so shabby that it’s hard to believe he’s a person with a noble title.
Her light pink hair was roughly braided, with small hairs sticking out here and there, her eyes were wide open, and her lips were trembling.
I tried to raise myself using the large lightning tree cane as support, but soon I fell back onto the bench with a groan.
“Huh, my back… .”
As I looked at Yenika like that, my expression hardened for a moment.
Yenika, who seemed fine until yesterday, woke up from a night’s sleep looking dead and complaining of back pain.
There may be people who pass it over and say something like that, but in the eyes of Chief Glems, who had been through all sorts of hardships, the situation was roughly pictured.
Chief Glems laughed heartily, then slowly approached me and spoke in a whisper.
“Indeed, it seems like you are as powerful as I heard.”
I was about to answer something.
There’s no need to tell the world that we slept together.
I thought about giving Jenica some attention later, but I had a mixed feeling because I could imagine how Jenica would blush when she found out the truth.
It is truly Yenika-like that she has no clue in this regard.
“Yenika.”
However, Chief Glems is also a Pulan person after all. I want you to point it straight at Yenika without saying anything.
“Don’t tell Orterand Sayla. If possible, feed Yenika a lot of food that will give her strength.”
He says that casually with a warm face.
Jenica smiled sheepishly and wandered around, but suddenly understood the true meaning of the words and blushed again.
“W-what do you mean!”
“hmm? Literally?
“… Yes, that’s right! Powerful food! You should eat a lot of foods that give you energy! I have to do research work, and when I return to the baron’s residence, I also have to manage the territory! You have to cheer up! strength!”
It is pitiful to see her lips trembling and smiling while pressing her fists against her knees.
After telling Chief Glems to leave it at that, I turned my head again and saw the wide open ridge of the mountain.
“In short, Master Ed believes that those large marks are the result of the rampage of the highest wind spirit, Tyrkalax.”
“yes. It hasn’t been long since reports on land surveys and topographical studies in the Pulan region were posted… No matter how much you think about it, that’s the only possibility.”
“Then why did the wind spirit of that distant past run so wildly? And, if such a powerful being went on the rampage, who would stop and subdue it?”
Chief Glems asked an obvious and reasonable question.
If Tyrkalax, the highest-ranking wind spirit, had gone on a rampage in anger, he would have devastated the entire Pulan region.
However, the huge bear was subdued by someone and disappeared, leaving behind only claw marks in this mountain range.
“It is said that even the legendary archmage Glokt Elderbane had a hard time trying to subdue the highest-ranking spirit, but who on earth could have prevented such a huge disaster in this rural mountainous region where there is virtually no talent?”
Glems said that and kept his mouth shut. It is a question that cannot be answered in the first place. Because it is a story from a long, long time ago.
However, I felt like I roughly knew the answer. There is no clear evidence, but if you consider the context, a rough picture can be drawn. He is a talented person who can subdue the highest ranking spirit, so he is one of the few people on this continent.
The story of Tyrkalax, the highest-ranking wind spirit who descended from the distant land of Pulan.
How does Merylda, who has lived on the remote Aken Island for hundreds of years, know the story of the giant bear?
Considering the facts, there is only one conclusion that can be drawn in the end.
“Great Sage Sylvania.”
It was the great sage in his lifetime who subdued Tyrkalax, who descended on the Pulan region.
* * *
“Oh my, Master Ed! I should have rushed out first when you arrived at Toren Village, and I’m really sorry! I was in the middle of going out to the ridge to check on the grazing cows… !”
I was thinking of going around the village and gathering information about the time of Tyr’kalax’s descent.
When I arrived at Failover Ranch, one of the most famous ranches in Toren Village, a very happy face popped out and I bowed.
Orte Palover, owner of Palover Ranch. He was an attractive middle-aged man with bulging muscles and a lively smile.
Since we had already seen each other once on Aken Island, there was no need for a full statement.
“I guess you’re very busy with ranch work.”
“Cancer. In addition, if you want to check on the cows spread out all over the pasture one by one, you end up having to take camping equipment and sleep nearby for the night. Anyway, thank you for your hard work on the long journey. Eat it inside the house! “Come on, Yenika, you too!”
“Yes!”
When Yenica returned home, her expression relaxed somewhat. She seemed to relieve a lot of tension because she was in a comfortable environment.
When I entered the house, Sayla Palover, who was making a lot of food, bowed her head and said hello. She must have been told in advance that I might be coming, so she prepared a sumptuous feast.
From the looks of it, it seems that the person who kicked Yenika out to my room last night was Seila Palover, and when she saw Yenika’s strangely hesitant face, she smiled all over her face.
“Oh my, Master Ed. To this shabby place… !”
I took off my coat and sat down at the table, and Yenica followed me and sat down with me.
It’s clearly Yenika’s house, but the reason Yenika herself looks the most awkward is probably because of her parents’ expressions, which were full of meaningful smiles from earlier.
Actually, it was obvious what had happened last night, so I didn’t feel very comfortable.
‘Ed… .’
‘why… ?’
‘I’m not sure what Ed will think if I say this, but I feel like I’m going to die of embarrassment… .’
‘… Get used to it… .’
It’s ironic that they look at their parents like they’re a ticking time bomb. Since I couldn’t tell what would come out right away, I decided to take the lead.
“I was just wandering around town for academic research because I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask.”
“For academic research?”
“It’s a story told around the Toren region, about a bear-shaped monster that was so huge that it filled the sky back in the day.”
There seemed to be silence for a moment at those words.
Sometimes I wonder if I know something, but sometimes I feel like I don’t know anything… Anyway, it was an ambiguous response.
“Did the village chief say anything?”
“You gave me the outline, but it seemed like you were avoiding mentioning any specific details.”
“… It’s worth it. “It’s a story that only older people in Toren Village know, and it’s something that most people just talk about.”
“Is that so?”
“Actually, the village chief probably decided that it would be better to hear it directly from the villagers rather than tell them.”
In front of the table piled high with various salads and meat dishes, Yenika tilted her head.
“Uh, huh? This is my first time hearing it… .”
“Of course, Yenika. “There is no reason to tell this story.”
Orte sat down at the table and started talking with a somewhat heavy expression.
“Actually, we were initially opposed to Yenika entering Sylvania.”
Suddenly the story turned towards Yenika. I thought there must be a reason, so I just listened quietly.
“I knew that Yenika had a talent for elemental magic, but it is consistent with the reason why I had no choice but to shrug it off.”
“What is the reason?”
“It is a story from the distant past that is now only passed down through word of mouth, but in fact there was another spiritist from Toren Village in the distant past.”
Yenika had an expression that made her feel like she was seeing this for the first time. Is this really a story that has been passed down only among long generations in Toren Village?
Yenika also had no choice but to listen to that old story that was shushed and avoided being mentioned.
“I don’t know if you know, but it is said that old spirits that have accumulated magical power above a certain level can appear in the world in human form.”
Of course I know that. I’m in the position of always having a guy by my side who I can use as an example right away.
“The story of the spiritist who fell in love with the manifest Tyrkalax… Have you heard of it?”
“… … .”
Sayla quietly lowered her head, and Orte continued to speak.
Perhaps Chief Glems wanted to hear this story directly from Orte himself. He seems to have thought that it was not a matter for which he could speak directly.
The reason is probably… .
“Her name is Katyn Palover.”
Maybe it’s because it’s someone else’s family affair.
Could it be that sensing spirits is ultimately a talent inherited? If we were to look for the source of Yenika’s extraordinary spirit magic, it was ultimately influenced by her lineage.
That may not have been the only reason, as his parents, Ortawa Sayla, didn’t seem to have any talent in that field.
“… “He is our distant ancestor.”
“Is that so… .”
After saying that, Orte was silent for a moment. When I looked at Yenika’s expression, I saw that it was a face I had never seen before.
What I didn’t even tell my daughter, Jenica… It’s probably because there’s a good reason for it.
“I guess what she said wasn’t very nice.”
“This story is a secret that only a small portion of the villagers know.”
Orte put down his fork and looked up at the ceiling for a moment.
“She died when her sensitive magic went out of control while trying to force a contract with Tyr’kalax. “I was told she had blood refluxing.”
“… … .”
“I also heard this from my grandfather. At first, he had no talent for elemental arts, but at some point he made a contract with a high-ranking spirit… In the end, it is said that he ended his life in anger after making an unreasonable contract with Tyr’Kalax. However, it is a strange thing.”
Before I knew it, Yenica was also completely listening to Orte. Although she had lived with the family her entire life, this was completely the first time she had talked about this.
“Isn’t the highest-ranking spirit a celestial being who is considered a great achievement just by summoning it once? It would have been enough to force him to briefly appear, so why did he try to make a contract himself? “I heard that such questions remain.”
“What do you think, Mr. Orte?”
“well… . It’s a story from the distant past. In fact, it is not a story worth leaving any kind of impression on, and I am not in a position to do so.”
To Orte, it is nothing more than a legendary story told by his grandfather in the distant past.
However, when the one and only beautiful daughter began to show proficiency in elemental magic, the meaning would have changed completely.
“So, when Yenika said she wanted to complete the spirit contract and enroll in Sylvania, I thought my heart skipped a beat. She is now our proud daughter… “To be honest, she was very worried.”
Thinking about the terrible end of the ancestral spirit master, how did you feel when Yenika, who was born with the same blood, said that she would follow the same path as a spirit master?
“Dad… “That’s why you opposed it.”
“Well, I quickly agreed again after seeing Yenika’s strong will. So, Yenika, how did you feel when you failed to summon Glaskan and there was an uproar?”
Ortega Sayla must have felt as if the sky had fallen.
As someone who had heard the story of a person who died trying to bring down the highest spirit since childhood by word of mouth, I am glad that I did not faint immediately when I heard that my daughter got involved with the highest spirit and went on a rampage.
“I am so happy to see you now becoming such a worthy spirit master, but there are still times when I feel uneasy. “That can’t be helped.”
Seila, who had been listening quietly, also took a bite.
Katen Failover.
A spiritist who died while trying to make an unreasonable contract with the highest-ranking wind spirit, Tyrkalax.
It felt odd, but I felt like I needed to remember it anyway.
* * *
As the morning comes early, the night also comes early. Is that what rural life is all about?
By the time the sun sets, the people of Toren Village have already finished their day’s work, and as soon as the moon appears, they get ready to go to sleep.
A life that goes to bed early and wakes up early. Of course it is desirable, but it is very out of rhythm with my life of researching and working late into the night.
That seemed to be the same for Yenika, who came out to check on me while I was smoking a cigarette in front of the dorm.
It’s late summer. That also means that fall is approaching.
It was muggy at night on Aken Island, but perhaps because it is an alpine area, it was already quite chilly.
“Ed.”
“Why are you in your room?”
Yenika must have gotten used to the weather here, which gets chilly early, so she was wearing loose-fitting pajamas and a long light gray shawl.
As I look at her tightly wrapping her hands in the shawl that goes beyond her shoulder line and down to her waist line, it seems like there is someone hiding behind the curtain.
“Well, that… Something doesn’t calm me down… .”
Then he comes and sits down next to me, who is leaning against the outside wall of the village hall.
My posture is very low as I am sitting astride a tree stump roughly placed on the dirt floor. Yenica came and sat down next to me without any sign of concern, and spoke with difficulty as she caught her breath.
“Well, what should I say… Because I’m alone in the room… I guess I can’t organize my thoughts well… .”
“I guess so. Because I suddenly heard a story about your ancestors. “I heard you were hiding it from your parents?”
“huh? Oh, yeah! yes! There is that too… .”
“That too’… ?”
“… … .”
“… … .”
As I look at her intently, Yenika speaks as if she were embroidering.
“Ah, I’m not used to sleeping in the same room yet… .”
“yet… do… ? “You made such a fuss yesterday, is it still there?”
“Well, let’s not even talk about yesterday because I can’t get used to it yet.”
“You are truly extremely adaptable in this area.”
“Che, this is my first time, what should I do! It’s even weirder if you’re good at it from the beginning… ! Well, just… .”
Yenika hugged her knees and then leaned her head on my shoulder.
“I never thought I would experience something like this in my life.”
“That’s too much fuss. “It’s something that everyone goes through.”
“But… just… “It’s inevitable that your thoughts will become complicated.”
Yenika leaned her shoulder like that for a moment, then looked up at the moon in the midheaven.
The moon of Pulan symbolizes silence.
Perhaps because of the lifestyle of the Pulan people, who go to bed early when the moon rises, Toren Village, bathed in moonlight, must have always been immersed in silence.
“It’s been a while since I saw the moon in my hometown.”
Most of the scenes of Pulan that Jenica remembers are of livestock grazing under the bright sunlight.
In Toren Village, which was quietly sleeping, there was a strange feeling as if they were the only two people awake.
Even though I thought that time in the world had stopped, I was able to realize that time was still passing due to the sound of insects in the grass or the sound of wild animals rustling in the grass every once in a while.
“It must have been hard to move around all day, so go to bed early. “I have to relieve it with blood.”
“no. To put it bluntly, I’m feeling tired right now.”
“okay?”
“huh.”
With her head buried, Yenika speaks quietly.
“Shall I tell you a very interesting story? In the past… To be more specific, when you first saw Ed, was he very uncomfortable?”
“It was worth it. Everyone was disgusted when they said my name at the university. In the meantime, you were the only one who didn’t show signs of discomfort. “If I think about it now, it’s a great thing.”
“Well, even if it was uncomfortable, it wasn’t the unpleasant feeling Ed thought it would be, it was just…” I’m not sure how to deal with him, and I can’t predict what Ed will do… That feeling was stronger. So Ed was always an uncomfortable partner.”
Jenica rests her cheek on her shoulder and quietly raises her eyes to meet mine. Judging by her playful little smile, she seemed to have regained her composure.
“But now that I’m leaning my head on Ed’s shoulder like this, I feel very reassured and at ease. “When I was sitting alone in my room, I felt restless and nervous for no reason.”
“… … .”
“It’s strange. I found Ed so awkward and difficult, but since when did he become such a comfortable and secure person? I can’t pinpoint exactly when, but I think it’s the human mind that changes so slowly, like clothes getting wet in a light rain. “If you look at the results, it was completely the opposite.”
I raised my arm and wrapped it around Jenica’s other shoulder. Since you say you are comfortable with it, I have no intention of giving up. More than anything, I also received a lot of psychological salvation from Yenika in many ways.
My school days, when I had to run away from the fear of death every day, were changed in many ways by this shy and timid spiritist.
It may not have been a change so great that it could be called a cataclysm, but little by little, distorted changes gradually accumulated, and at some point, the landscape itself was changed.
Just as Pulan with the sun and Pulan with the moon feel like opposite mirrors. The scenery of the camp where Jenica exists has become a bright side of my survival life.
There was no need to explain in words how much of a spiritual salvation it was in itself.
“So, since I’m mentally much more stable now… . Your inner voice or sincerity may leak out without you even knowing. “Can you accept it in moderation?”
“What?”
“… “From now on, you can just pretend you didn’t hear what I said.”
Jenica spoke in a whisper with her face buried in her shoulder.
“That’s what I thought when I heard the story about an ancestor named Katyn Palover. The person who loved the highest-ranking spirit, a distant being with a completely different hierarchy, birth, power, and everything else… “What did it feel like?”
“well… . “It’s not easy to have that kind of experience.”
“To me, Ed is that kind of person.”
I couldn’t help but be speechless there. If I wanted to come up with an appropriate answer right away, I needed to organize my thoughts.
Actually, I had some idea of what Yenika was thinking, so I wasn’t embarrassed.
“Can I tell you something really new? “It’s so obvious and new that even if you laugh out loud, I don’t know.”
Yenika talks with a big smile on her face.
It seemed as if time had stopped for a moment, or rather, time had sped up so quickly. The words suddenly rang into my ears.
“I guess I love Ed.”
I hugged Jenica tightly by her shoulders and placed my head on top of her head.
In times like this, it was better to listen quietly rather than trying to say something grandiose.
The human mind is a strange thing that becomes strangely distorted and clouded the moment you try to express it out loud.
So, people do something called communion. The amazing thing about humans is that they can communicate with each other just by leaning on each other, without necessarily exchanging words.
“So… I really want to know the fate of a person named Katyn Palover. “Rather than just hearing about it like this, it might have happened.”
Yenica’s words carry weight.
“From what I heard, it wasn’t a very good ending… “If you dig into it, doesn’t it only leave a bitter aftertaste?”
“Still, I want to see it with my own eyes.”
“Is that so… What if the story is much more terrible and bitter than you thought? like… .”
I had a feeling what Yenika was worried about. Poke into that part right away.
“If it’s so terrible that it feels like your future… ?”
“That’s why I want to check. “Still, I wonder if I can love Ed.”
There is no need to go that far. Katen Failover and Yenika Failover are completely different people.
The situation and my own abilities are completely different. Above all, I am not the type of person to neglect Yenika carelessly.
Nevertheless, being confident in your own mind is entirely your own matter.
“okay. “I can confirm.”
That’s why I confirmed it for now.
The reason I came to Pulan was to conduct academic research. Of course, we came prepared to some extent for him.
Above all, I can use aspect magic. If the environment and media are well-equipped, it is possible to glimpse the distant past. Although it is not an easy task.
“Let’s take out the magic engineering supplies brought on the wagon tomorrow.”
