[Episode 183] Suspicion (13)
Luna was like a delicately carved glass statue—beautiful and immaculately crafted, but seemingly on the verge of shattering with the slightest touch.
I wasn’t sure how she perceived herself, but as an observer, that was the impression she gave me.
The reason I had come this far was out of concern. I didn’t want to see her hurt or descending into darkness again. Of course, a duel evaluation alone wouldn’t likely lead to such a fall, but the heart often doesn’t follow reason.
Luna broke the silence first.
“You can come in…”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k in g mt l. or g
“…What?”
T h is w a s c o p i e d f r o m king mt l . or g
“The kids told me there’s no one to watch us.”
“…”
T h i s was c o p i ed f r o m k i ng m tl.o r g
Still, just to be sure, I peered around before stepping into the waiting tent.
Unlike the others, Luna wasn’t checking her gear or warming up. She just sat quietly in front of a mirror, combing her hair.
She glanced at my reflection in the mirror and said,
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
Had I been with the senior members of the Art Department, I would have undoubtedly been expected to cheer for Pavela. If I wanted to maintain a good rapport with everyone, I should have stayed with the seniors; but that’s not what I wanted. Strictly speaking, Luna was closer to being one of ‘my people,’ and I preferred to invest my emotions in a select few.
“Is there anything you need help with?”
“No, I—no.”
Luna’s eyes flitted about, seemingly unsure whether she needed assistance or not.
Thi s w a s c o p i e d fro m kingmt l .o r g
“Why do you ask?”
“…Can you… help me tie my hair?”
I found it somewhat odd. I knew how to tie hair. As a child, Liza and I took care of each other, learning many things in the process, and tying hair was not something I could forget.
“…”
Luna’s voice was slightly faltering.
“I used to have it tied before a duel… but I don’t have a maid now…”
Her hair was so long that it required another person’s help. As a child of privilege, she probably never had to tie it herself.
Women’s hair is often considered more delicate than their bodies. I wondered if she would find it acceptable.
I approached Luna from behind.
“Do you have a ribbon?”
She searched the table and around the mirror, then said with a puzzled look,
“It’s… lost.”
“Hmm… It doesn’t have to be a ribbon, right?”
“…Yes.”
Luna was visibly flustered.
I took out a white handkerchief I normally carried in my pocket and gathered her blonde hair, tying it with the handkerchief. I then made sure to tie it into a neat bow so it wouldn’t stand out.
Never thought I’d be using my hair-tying skills like this again. When we were young and couldn’t afford hair ornaments, I used to tie Liza’s hair this way.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l. o r g
White ribbon on silver hair had been a striking match. Of course, I probably wouldn’t see it again.
Looking at it now, the gold of Luna’s hair seemed to suit her quite well.
Luna, apparently abashed, kept her head down, pressing her knees with both hands.
“All done. How is it?”
Luna hesitantly turned her head to check the handkerchief in her hair.
Then she asked timidly in a small voice,
“Is it pretty… Where did you learn this?”
“I learned it from the nuns when I was young.”
“Damian… Did you live in a temple?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t ask more about the past, probably due to her cautious nature.
After a moment of hesitation, Luna asked another question.
“…Have you ever tied Trisha’s hair?”
“I’ve never tied Trisha’s hair. It’s been years since I’ve done something like this.”
Luna seemed to gain a bit of confidence and lifted her head slightly, a faint smile on her lips.
“Luna.”
“…Yes?”
Thi s w as c o p ie d f ro m k i n gmt l . o rg
“I don’t think you’ll lose, but if it gets too tough, untie the handkerchief and wave it as a white flag.”
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i ng mt l. or g
She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed silently. Seeing her like that made me feel a bit closer to Luna.
“Alright… I’ll remember that.”
“Don’t get hurt.”
***
Luna took her place in the arena before her opponent. Not long after, Pavela also entered the arena. She was the same woman I had met in front of the Guardian Tree.
However, the ambiance she emanated now was different from when we had met at the Guardian Tree. She looked just like any other student at Eternia. Although she appeared the same, she felt like a different person standing there in the arena.
And like Luna, Pavela too had her hair tied up.
Luna felt a strange sense of déjà vu seeing her. Oddly enough, Pavela seemed to be experiencing the same sensation.
Luna could tell that Pavela’s eyes were filled with turmoil.
It wasn’t the tension of an upcoming duel or fear of a senior student. It was denser, more intense.
Pavela murmured as if to herself,
“What is… that?”
Her gaze was unfocused, so it was unclear what exactly she was referring to.
But even without keen senses, the turmoil was evident.
“You… Why do you have that…?”
Pavela’s voice wavered.
A cold breeze swept through. Despite the warm late-spring weather, the air brushed against Luna’s neck like the chill of early winter.
Soon, the stands began to buzz. The chill wasn’t something only Luna felt. Everyone sharing this space detected the unseasonal change in temperature.
Dark clouds loomed in the sky.
As Luna looked up, an instructor rang the bell signaling the start of the duel.
***
Despite the starting bell, Jenia was still looking at the sky. Haley, the president, tapped her on the shoulder.
“What are you staring at?”
“Something’s not right. This can’t be happening.”
“What is it? Just storm clouds, right?”
“No, that’s not just any cloud.”
“What is it then?”
“Snow clouds.”
Jenia still hadn’t taken her eyes off the sky.
“Snow clouds? Why?”
“Eternia is supposed to be impervious to snow. It’s been magically sealed against winter since ancient times…”
Jenia was uncharacteristically grave, while Haley, lacking deep knowledge of magic, couldn’t grasp the implications.
Unaware of the severity, Haley only realized the change when she saw her breath in the air.
“Oh…?”
Soon, sleet began to fall from the sky.
Snow in Eternia was a rarity, not seen unless under special circumstances.
The spectators momentarily lost focus on the duel, entranced by the falling snow.
Only when Luna manifested a pack of wolves as large as bulls did their attention return to the arena.
“Now’s not the time to be distracted.”
Haley nudged Jenia to refocus her attention.
The wind wolves were one of Luna’s primary spirits. Each could consume the magical energy that ordinary mages could not sustain for even thirty minutes, but somehow Luna could summon them with ease even in everyday life.
Some of the graduating students of Eternia occasionally contracted with high-level spirits, but none were as young as Luna, commanding such numbers.
Even a few students who had never witnessed a high-level spirit exclaimed in admiration.
“Both are your juniors from the Magic Department, right Jenia? Do you think Pavela can hold on?”
T h i s wa s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g mt l . o r g
Truth be told, Pavela was a member difficult even for Haley or Jenia to approach. She wasn’t particularly sociable and didn’t seek attention. They maintained a relationship based on mutual cooperation rather than deep friendship.
They knew she had a fiancé, but no one knew his face or name. They didn’t know what he did or where he lived. Pavela was a girl dedicated to her role.
Without much interaction, it was difficult to gauge the full extent of Pavela’s capabilities.
Luna did not seem inclined to delay.
Her wolves began to encircle Pavela. As they ran in a circle around her, the air currents churned, quickly forming a whirlwind.
Jenia clicked her tongue and remarked,
“Luna’s taking it easy.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. To confront a spirit, you need to either dominate with magical pressure, use the same spirit, or attack the summoner directly. But how could Pavela do anything? It’s ridiculous to think she could exert that kind of pressure without being a grand mage, she doesn’t command spirits, and attacking Luna directly isn’t easy with the wolves guarding her. Looks like Luna’s going to disable her and wrap it up nicely.”
“Hmm…”
As Haley watched on, she suddenly sneezed.
“Achoo!”
She hadn’t realized it, but the chill had intensified, feeling like the middle of winter.
A gust of frosty wind blew the snowflakes not onto her head but against her cheek. Haley, wearing a light dress with her shoulders and underarms exposed, wrapped her arms around herself.
“Crazy, why’s it like this? Is this Luna’s doing too?”
Jenia was quick to deny it.
T hi s wa s c o pi ed f r o m k i ngm tl.o r g
“That’s impossible. If she could break ancient magic, she’d have to be a professor.”
Pavela was obscured by the rising dust enveloped in the whirlwind.
Was this how it would end, without her doing anything?
Moments later, Pavela slowly revealed herself. Contrary to everyone’s concern, she had not suffered a single wound.
Instead, she emerged from the whirlwind as if she were a ghost, unaffected by the wind.
The students in the stands began to murmur.
“What? How did she do that?”
“How is she withstanding that? Does she have some kind of high-grade artifact?”
Jenia looked up at the sky. The clouds had thickened, darkening the daytime sky to early evening.
The wind grew fiercer, chilling to the bone as if they had been transported to the north.
Then, the students sensed something was off, and some even began to leave the stands.
Jenia had a feeling. Something was going terribly wrong.
Koong, koong, koong…
T hi s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k i ng mtl . or g
Strange noises followed one after another. The pillars supporting the circular stands sounded as if they would collapse.
And then Pavela’s counterattack began.