TYND 68

TL: Motokare

Magic capable of transforming parts of the body was widely known, but spells that could alter one’s entire form were considered little more than fairy tales. It was something that existed only in theory, but no one had ever managed to achieve in reality. 

Naran, being a mage himself, knew this. He knew it was an unrealistic spell that requires 1,500 wyons or more of magical power, and that was just to maintain the transformation for a mere minute. It was simply unattainable. 

—I slipped away without Theon knowing. So we must be quiet.

The weasel slumped against the outer bars. He was using telepathy, an advanced magic in itself, simultaneously with this legendary transformation. It was so incredible that Naran wondered if he was dreaming, or perhaps if he had somehow been brainwashed without him knowing.

—I’m here because there’s something I want to ask you myself. 

Unlike the other weasel beside him, which bared its teeth, its sharp squeaks practically saying ‘I’m watching you. Try anything and I’ll go for your throat and face,’ Rothy’s weasel form was soft, trusting, and its eyes wide with a child’s naivety. Naran felt like if he reached out a hand, that small head would nuzzle into his palm.

Pull yourself together.

Naran gave his head a shake. He had to focus on the situation. Rothy had established a two-way telepathic link, not just a one-way broadcast, so Naran could reply without needing magic.

Yes. Please speak. What is it you wish to know?

—Was it… a lie? That you suffered? That things were so hard for you?

His mind clouded over, just moments after he had told himself to stay focused.

—What you said… it felt genuine. But I’ to come and check for myself. I’m sorry… Look, when you spoke of being in such pain, having such a hard time under The Mandate… was it just a lie?

Naran felt something catch in his throat.

Everything was real.

He bit his lower lip and his fingers clenched on his knees, nails digging into the fabric covering his thighs.

I was in real pain. I suffered. Just like you, Lord Rothy. I was fed poison to build immunity, whipped to endure pain, and when I was starving, they threw a single piece of bread in front of us and made us fight for it. All of it… it all happened.

Hatred sparked, flaring like crimson flames before his eyes. But the fire subsided just as quickly.

—That must’ve been awful. I’m sorry, for making you remember. You don’t have to say anymore.

The weasel wiped its tears… Seeing it sit down with a soft plop, rubbing the corner of its eyes with tiny front paws, Naran felt strangely empty. He was surprised at how easily Lord Rothy believed him…

—Then is it true that you’ll die once you’ve had your revenge?

Yes. I’ve no attachment to this miserable life, and I believe you, Lord Rothy, would understand how I feel. 

—Everyone thinks it’s natural when someone with only painful and difficult memories wants to die. It’s too sad…

……

—My master also said that to me before he died… Asked why I was so attached to life when I’d lived such a terrible one… But I didn’t want to die then, and I still don’t now. Maybe that means you suffered more than I did. Maybe I want to live because I didn’t suffer as much as you did…

Watching the small, sniffling weasel, Naran once again found himself at a loss for words. Lord Rothy hadn’t suffered less, that much was obvious. He was a perfected living magic stone. That alone proved how much pain he had endured. Naran parted his lips, feeling he had to say something.

That’s not true. Lord Rothy, I think you’ve been through—

Wait… would it be right to say that Lord Rothy had suffered more? Naran, who nearly continued this strange argument about who was more miserable, racked his brain for what to say.

—I’ll speak well to Theon for you. I’ll ask him to let you go since you’re telling the truth. Please understand Theon. He had no choice. Theon has lived a difficult life too. He lives a life where he must doubt and be cautious, so he doesn’t trust easily…

……

—But if I talk to him properly, he’ll definitely listen. Theon is kind…

Yes, thank you.

—It makes me really sad to hear you say you want to die. I wish you would live instead. Why do people who’ve been through terrible and painful lives always feel like dying is the only answer? I want you to think about it again.

The weasel slumped, its sniffles softening. The way it drooped made it look unbearably sad. It was then that Naran realised that he could confide in him. The truth he had kept to himself. What he’d seen before leaving for the academy. The real reason why he wanted to return to The Mandate instead of walking free. He’d kept sending telepathy to Lord Rothy to gauge whether this was something he could finally speak of.

Now, he was certain.

Lord Rothy.

—Yeah…

Avindior, the guildmaster of the Mandate, has locked up five hundred children in a prison. They’re all around ten years old or younger.

—……!

The weasel jumped to its feet and trembled, then slumped back down again. It’d understood exactly what that meant. 

Givarche was preparing to conduct living magic stone experiments. Naran had stumbled across it by pure chance. The children had vacant expressions as if they’d been brainwashed, and they came from all kinds of places. 

Until now, he hadn’t dared speak of it. Not even when he was under the truth serum, not even when he was subjected to interrogation magic. He had resisted to the end. This was because he thought Theon Detre Falsen was the same kind of person since he’d taken a living magic stone as his spouse and brought him to the North.

If that wasn’t proof of greed, what was? 

He couldn’t let someone like that gain secret access to five hundred nameless orphans. But after seeing it all with his own eyes… The archduke looked like he genuinely cared for the living magic stone, and the living magic stone smiled back at him with more happiness than he’d ever seen on any face.

Naran decided he would trust what he had seen with his own eyes. 

About the man who hadn’t demanded loyalty for himself, but instead made him swear not to harm someone else. And about the boy who’d transformed into a weasel just to come here and find out the truth.

“Why do people who’ve been through terrible and painful lives always feel like dying is the only answer?”

And finally, that desperate look in the boy’s eyes, pleading for him to live despite knowing how much he’d suffered.

Screee…

The small white weasel trembled, its eyes growing damp.

Lord Rothy…

BANG!

Just as Naran was about to say something more, a loud bang echoed. Following the huge sound that sounded like an explosion had occurred, came the footsteps of several people running urgently.

“Find him! Now!”

“Damn it…! Lord Rothy!”

“Rothy!”

The one who turned the corner first was Theon Detre Falsen. The man, towering and broad, had drawn his sword, and his face was terrifying. His eyes, blood-red and sharper than ever, burnt with rage, and the jet-black aura surged around him, thick and violent. He didn’t even bother to hide the chilling murderous intent that seemed to pierce one’s skin. 

The Aura Master had rushed here so urgently that he was breathing heavily, showing just how quickly he had come running. The intimidating figure would normally scare others, but Naran strangely thought the large man looked afraid. 

“You—!”

Having rushed here so quickly, the Aura Master was breathing heavily. His intimidating figure would normally scare others, but Naran strangely thought the large man looked afraid.

He then spotted the two weasels in front of the bars and instantly launched himself over. 

Screeee!

The navy-clothed weasel pushed the white-clothed weasel towards Theon, but it didn’t actually need to do this.

Scree!

The weasel in the white-coloured clothes was already throwing itself at Theon, leaping up with surprising force while bursting into sobs. 

“……”

Screeee, screeeee, screeeeeeeng

He caught the weasel he’d never seen before while it clung to his hand and wailed loudly.

Clang

His sword dropped to the ground. He didn’t even care if the blade would be damaged.

“Rothy……?”

Screeeeeeing

The weasel cried miserably, pressing its face into Theon’s hand. It was soft and warm though its fur was damp where the tears had soaked in. Theon carefully held the small creature in both hands and wiped its eyes with gentle fingertips. 

He was completely bewildered by what was happening before him. When he discovered that Rothy had disappeared, a guard arrived reporting that Rothy’s weasel had been found in the prison, and strangely, there were two of them. 

He’d rushed here at once to find it was exactly as reported.

“……”

Naturally, his cold eyes turned towards the young assassin behind the iron bars. It was the look of someone demanding answers. Why was his spouse sobbing in this place, in the form of a weasel? Naran felt uncomfortable under that piercing look, not knowing what to say.

***

The Mandate had kidnapped five hundred children around the age of ten. After learning that they were preparing to conduct living magic stone experiments, Theon immediately moved to verify the information. The answer from his spy planted in Givarche was this:

“It’s true. They are setting up a living magic stone implantation laboratory at The Mandate’s headquarters. There are currently five hundred children at headquarters alone, and over eight hundred in total when counting those scattered across branch offices. Most are war orphans from Moam and Urlban. However, they haven’t started experiments yet. It appears they will begin once they secure Lord Rothy.”

Theon reported the matter to the emperor immediately. 

—We must rescue them at once. I didn’t think Ken Bane would stoop to this, but he’s acting no different from Maton’s lackeys. I never imagined things would escalate like this…

Enraged, Emperor Dierm demanded that the information be shared with the empire’s neighbouring countries—who were also the core nations of the Allied Forces—; Solten, Toran, and Gamia, and even the distant Droight. 

But of course, it was something that could never be disclosed because explaining the situation would inevitably expose the existence of the living magic stone. Thankfully, his advisors managed to calm him down and persuade him. In the end, the Empire chose to resolve the matter very quietly.