SIDE 1
One day, a few days after I first spoke with Luna, I decided to take Killian and go out to meet her again. I timed our outing to coincide with Luna’s usual visit to the town because I wanted to see her once more. Killian also seemed to have a favorable opinion of Luna and came along eagerly.
As we arrived in town, I quickly spotted Luna shopping, just as she always did at this time.
I waited until she finished her errands before approaching her to avoid being a nuisance.
“We meet again, Luna,”
“Oh, rath and Killian,”
she responded, as if greeting a casual acquaintance.
…Well, that’s fine. This feels refreshing in its own way.
“Would you like to have tea with us again?”
I had learned from our previous encounter that Luna couldn’t resist an invitation to tea.
“You must be quite wealthy, rath,” she said sarcastically but eventually gave in to the temptation.
We entered a tea shop and were shown to a private room. Luna took off her white robe, revealing her figure, which was more feminine than I had expected. Even though she was fully clothed, I found it hard to look directly at her.
Her hair, usually hidden by her hood, was now visible. It flowed like golden threads and swayed with her movements, drawing my attention.
I looked at her face. Her ruby-like eyes contrasted with her silky white skin, giving her a look of determination. Beauty and strength seemed to coexist within her. When our eyes met, I felt embarrassed and looked away. I had never experienced such a feeling before.
“Luna, do you ever wish to be free?”
I asked, gathering my courage to address the red-eyed girl.
If she expressed a desire for freedom, I was prepared to help her achieve it.
“What is freedom?”
she asked, seemingly uninterested.
“Right now, you’re owned by someone, but in this country, human trafficking is not allowed. If you report it, you might be able to break free from your current situation.”
“Isn’t that strange? Just because something is illegal in one country, saying the contract is void here doesn’t make sense. The person who paid for me would just be at a loss,”
she said, as if discussing someone else’s problem.
“People should be equal under God. Buying and selling people is wrong. If it’s a sin, then the loss is justified.”
“That’s wrong. People aren’t equal. From birth, some are born into high-status families like yours, while others can’t even afford tea. I’m not blaming you; that’s just how the world works,”
Enjoying the aroma, Luna slowly sipped her tea. Despite being around the same age as me, she had a strangely mature outlook.
“If you don’t aim for beautiful things, nothing will improve. People should seek ideals. Eventually, other countries will also prohibit human trafficking like this one,”
“Huh, rat, you’re unexpectedly proper. When I first saw you, I thought you were a more arrogant person,”
Finally, Luna turned to me and gave me a smile.
To me, who thought that having a smile directed at me was only natural, it felt incredibly valuable.
“So, do you want to be free or not?”
“I don’t know. I have no home to return to even if I were free. Besides, I find value in proving my worth beyond the price my master paid for me. You might not understand, but I also enjoy learning magic. It feels right for me.”
“But the magic you’re learning…”
I was about to say more when Killian gently touched my back, signaling me to stop.
“What about the magic I’m learning?”
“I was just wondering what kind of magic your master is teaching you.”
“Nothing special. Just normal magic like lighting fires and producing water.”
Luna emphasized the normalcy of her magic.
“What does your master usually do? It seems like you do all the housework, shopping, and even making potions.”
“He’s researching magic. That’s what wizards do, right?”
While it’s normal for wizards to research magic, it was unusual for someone to stay indoors all day.
No one had seen her master except for Luna.
“I’d like to meet this master of yours.”
“That’s impossible,”
she said flatly.
“No one in town knows about me because of this amulet. If my master found out I made some acquaintances, who knows how he’d react. He’d probably forbid me from going out. So, I can’t introduce you to him.”
“Do you get along well with your master?”
I asked, curious.
“We’ve been together for about ten years, so I guess we’re like family. Though I’ve never known what a real family is like.”
“I see. If you say so, then it must be true.”
I couldn’t say anything more. I didn’t understand the relationship between a girl who had never known a family and the wizard who bought her, but Luna’s face showed no signs of distress.
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After seeing Luna off, we headed to the apothecary
This is where she delivered her potions.
The shop was just closing, but I opened the door and entered anyway.
“Did you have a pleasant conversation with Luna, Lord rath?”
Luciana, who was inside the store, asked me, with a faint smile.
“…Yes.”
“That’s good to hear. You don’t often have such good company,”
“…Indeed.”
Having been cared for by Luciana since birth, I couldn’t argue with her. It was her report that piqued my interest in Luna in the first place.
She had informed me about a wizard’s apprentice, a girl around my age, who was different from the girls around me.
Intrigued, I decided to meet her. Luciana had given me a ring to nullify magical influences, as without it, the girl’s presence would go unnoticed due to her amulet.
When we first met, Luna had thrown insults at me, something I’d never experienced before.
It was a shocking event.
I had consulted Luciana, who scolded me, saying, “You get what you deserve for associating with the wrong kind of women,” and advised me to properly introduce myself to Luna.
I was reluctant to admit it, but It was humbling to admit my mistake, but it worked. Now, I could speak with Luna normally.
“What do you think of Luna?”
“She’s beautiful, intelligent, and though she’s rude, I find her likable.”
“High praise from you, Lord rath,”
Luciana laughed.
“I think Luna is a good person too,”
Killian, who was standing behind her, said. Killian is Luciana’s younger brother.
“If Killian says so, it must be true,”
Luciana smiled at him. She was always gentle with her brother.
“But I had a chat with Luna while having tea. I’m not sure how much she knows about her master. She emphasized that her magic is normal, but is it really?”
“Luna doesn’t talk much about her master. If the magic she learns is truly ordinary, she wouldn’t hide it. So, it’s likely she’s learning…”
“Necromancy?”
Necromancy involves magic through the dead or spirits. It originally aimed to know the past or future through the dead, but later evolved into controlling the dead, and ultimately, surpassing death itself.
However, the method of transcendence was problematic.
It involved transforming oneself into a vampire. Vampires are considered the worst kind of monsters.
In the past, our ancestors who rebelled nearly wiped out the people of Asra.
But among the Asra people, those who specialized in necromancy became immortal kings surpassing vampires and fought our ancestors, causing devastating damage.
Hence, in legends, vampires are said to have red eyes, leading to the persecution of the entire Asra people.
Eventually, magic itself was banned, but over time, the restrictions loosened, and now magic is generally accepted. However, necromancy remains forbidden. This is only known to those who study magic, as revealing it to the public might lead to widespread fear of magic.
“Have you found any proof that her master is a necromancer?”
“A powerful barrier surrounds the mansion. If we approach carelessly, they might detect our movements. Moreover, we don’t know what traps lie inside and outside the mansion, making it difficult to infiltrate.”
“Why do you think Luna was taken as an apprentice?”
“If that magician, Kahn, is a necromancer, then probably for the ritual to become an immortal king.”
There is a significant difference between a mere vampire and an immortal king.
Vampires are weak to sunlight and silver weapons, and they die if their heart is pierced. They are not truly immortal.
However, immortal kings have no such weaknesses. While they can be defeated, they have no clear vulnerabilities.
It is said that Asra people can become immortal kings if they transform into vampires. But for non-Asra people to become immortal kings, they must transform into vampires and then drain the life of an Asra person by drinking their blood.
“When will the ritual take place? Luna mentioned they’ve been living together for about ten years.”
“Perhaps Kahn’s magic hasn’t yet reached that level, or Luna needs to possess a certain amount of magical power. Or both.”
Luciana is an excellent magician. That’s why I had her investigate.
“Was Luna made an apprentice to enhance the magical power needed for the ritual?”
“It’s likely to bridge the gap in magical power between us and the Asra people.”
Luciana looked bitter.
“When will the ritual happen?”
“The goal is to become immortal, so they probably aren’t in a hurry. In past cases, the ritual often began when the magician’s death was near…”
I felt a bit relieved. From Luna’s story, Kahn didn’t seem to be that old.
Even if Kahn was a necromancer, the ritual was still a long way off.
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