EP.40 Two people who look alike (1)
One night has passed since the terrorist attack by the renegade.
A lot happened overnight.
The knights busily walked around the building until the morning sun rose. The extermination of the demonic beasts was already over. The problem is that there may be a witch who kills the chicks or lays the eggs.
Of course, there is no way the demonic beast could have reproduced in that short a period of time. The possibility of that happening is very slim.
However, it cannot be overlooked.
Even if it is just one possibility, we cannot ignore it.
This is the center of the royal capital and the academy where noble beings attend. It has to be perfect.
“Aim for perfection.”
Led by the guard knight, Havel, the knights searched Aplia thoroughly. As a result, the demon beast’s eggs or chicks were not found.
However, there is not much to discover.
“···This.”
The hallway of the research building where professors’ offices are located.
The knights are gathered at the beginning of the hallway. We arrived at the place early in the morning to remove the debris.
gulp.
The knights swallowed dry saliva.
‘It looks like an animal has gone wild.’
The walls are collapsed and there are cracks in the floor. The corpses of demonic beasts are buried in deep pits here and there.
Grumble.
The blood of the demonic beast that flowed from the pit dyed the hallway red and blue.
‘That’s terrible.’
Havel clicked his tongue briefly.
“…Do you mean that the demon beasts do not hesitate to commit fratricide?”
A corpse that has lost its head looks as if someone had bitten it off. In any case, it is a terrible sight.
Havel shook his head and walked down the hallway.
The hand holding the sword is sweaty. A magical beast that caused such a tragedy is not someone you should look down upon.
‘I don’t feel any presence.’
Until I reached the end of the hallway, I didn’t feel the presence of any other magical beasts. There is only one body lying at the end.
‘What is it?’
It is the corpse of an unknown demonic beast. A monster with a bizarre appearance that seems to be a mixture of several monsters. Havel examined the headless body of the demon beast.
‘catch… ‘It was torn apart?’
The cut surface of the neck is not clean.
In the first place, it’s not even worth calling it a cutting surface. It looks like it was ripped open.
‘It seems like a monster with tremendous power has gone on a rampage.’
Havel looks at the end of the blood trail that continues.
There is a door that has not even the slightest defect despite the chaos.
“Ugh.”
A foul smell comes from beyond the door. Havel frowned at the rotten smell stinging the tip of her nose.
‘Are you saying there’s a monster of great power over there?’
Briskly, I approach the door.
Sigh.
Havel endured the stench and opened the door. With his nose plugged, he looked inside, but there was nothing to see. There is no corpse of a demonic beast, just an empty cavity.
‘What on earth is this place doing?’
I couldn’t figure out its identity.
“This···.”
just.
“Bone fragments?”
There are bone fragments rolling around on the floor.
That was all Havel knew.
2.
4th floor of Central Academic Building.
Ayla was rolling around on the bed in a daze. That’s why she asked her escort, Havel, to stay in the room until the situation was resolved.
“Hmm.”
Lying in bed, hugging a pillow, Ayla looked at the ceiling. Being locked in my room like this reminds me of the old days.
‘It was like this back then too.’
The betrayal of the court wizard, Gelik.
After the terrorist incident was over, Ayla had to stay locked in her room for a while, escorted by numerous knights.
“It’s already been 7 years.”
This is a story from when she was about ten years old.
Ayla gently closed her eyes. Just by closing my eyes and thinking of her, I can picture that day clearly.
There is no way I can forget it.
You must not forget it either.
‘Because I promised so.’
Close your eyes and listen.
The cries of the demonic beasts that chased me that day ring in my ears like an auditory hallucination. The sound of the knights’ armor blocking the ferocious beasts, and the laughter of Gelic chasing him with light steps linger in my ears.
-Please come here, princess.
-If only you come, they can survive.
A chilling laugh.
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-He promised me an army of immortals if I brought you to him. Have you ever imagined it? It is an army of immortals. An immortal army that no one can match!
A voice full of madness.
-Princess, come here…
-Don’t listen to me, princess.
And, the knights who stopped him.
-We will take care of this place.
-Run away.
At that time, Ayla had no intention of looking back. He was busy running away in fear. He didn’t even see the faces of those who died to protect him.
When I think of that time, my heart still races.
Cold sweat runs down the back of my neck.
I ran and ran again. When the sound of the knights’ armor stopped ringing, Ayla was able to arrive at the library.
There was a man there.
-Princess?
Gray hair.
Blue eyes shining between sharp eyes.
Raniel van Trias.
The man tilted his head and looked at Ayla. And, that gaze is directed at the wizard standing behind Ayla. The gazes of the two wizards meet in the air.
-You are the famous wizard.
-The court wizard, Gelig? Why does it look like that?
-Get out of there, young wizard. I don’t want to increase unnecessary sacrifices.
The gray-haired wizard did not get out of the way.
Standing right there, he pulled Ayla’s hand.
-Excuse me for a moment.
He took off his robe and handed it to Ayla.
-Go to the back and write it down. First of all, since we have drawn the circuit, it will protect it from shock.
Ayla nodded slowly.
Then, he hid under the desk and pulled his robe over his head. The wide robe was enough to cover Ayla’s body.
And then the shock begins.
The library began to shake.
Ayla crouched down, covering herself with her robe. He lowered his head, hugging his knees as if wrapping himself in a blanket.
I closed my eyes and blocked my ears.
I don’t really remember anything after that. The ground shook a few times. Even with my eyes closed, light seeped in. Noise flowed through his ears, which were covered with both hands.
Something is flashing.
I heard something breaking.
How long has it been like that?
Tuk.
Someone touched the robe. Ayla was startled, and his body trembled, but soon realized that there was no hostility in his touch and slowly lifted his robe.
Ayla looked around.
An overturned bookshelf. Books scattered on the floor. The corpses of countless demonic beasts.
and.
The corpse of Gelik, a traitor with a pierced heart.
The black blood that flowed from him soaked the floor.
Ayla raised her head.
-······.
The man was standing there.
He bent his back slightly and looked down at Ayla.
-Are you okay?
There is soot on that gray hair. A light cloudiness appears in the once transparent blue eyes. Even with empty words, I couldn’t say that I was in a good condition.
He looks like he’s in complete disrepair.
However, the man was standing with both feet on the ground.
-Please wake up.
He stretched out his hand.
-Princess.
He spoke in the same voice as always and smiled at Ayla. Ayla remembered that smile.
I thought about the feelings I felt at that time.
···Could it be because of the incoming sunlight?
Or was it the first premonition she saw after awakening as Stella?
That day, in Ayla’s eyes, that man.
Raniel, who would later be called the Gray Wizard, looked like a shining star.
“Phew.”
When I thought back to that time, I smiled involuntarily.
Ayla slowly opened her eyes. She shook her head slightly, shaking away the memories that came to mind.
Now that I think about it, it was a funny story.
It would be nice to say that I was a pet peeve when I was young.
‘I thought it was love at the time, maybe?’
At the time, I thought it was love at first sight. But now, when that man thinks about the achievements that Raniel has achieved…
‘That must have been my first prediction.’
Wasn’t that the wisdom of a star child?
That’s what Ayla thought now.
“Still, it was my first love.”
With her lips sticking out, Ayla muttered.
“What would you be doing right now?”
No one knows its whereabouts.
There is a story that he was invited by an ancient dragon wizard, and there is also a story that he was invited by ancient elves.
Anyway, it’s just a rumor.
There are no eyewitness accounts of the Gray Wizard.
‘Still, there are people who look alike.’
The gray wizard Raniel.
As I think of that man, the image of another person keeps flashing before my eyes.
Rania van Trias.
It may have been very rude to the professor, but Ayla felt Raniel’s traces in her.
‘It feels similar.’
It may not be just because of his characteristic appearance, with his gray hair and blue eyes, that makes him feel that way. Rather, it was difficult to relate the two based on appearance.
The Raniel that Ayla remembers is sharp.
He seemed harsh, sensitive, and had the impression of being a little edgy.
In comparison, what about Professor Rania?
The eyes are a little sharp, but they don’t look harsh or sensitive. Rather, it has a soft feel.
‘It seems a little detached.’
Anyway, we don’t look alike.
Of course, there are many things to connect apart from appearance. Being Rossel’s disciple and adopted son, being an outstanding magician, dismantling Skebal’s barrier, etc.
There are many connections.
It’s not decisive enough to overturn Ayla’s intuition.
Ayla’s eyes convinced her that Raniel and Rania were not the same person. Even the stars confirmed that conviction.
‘So, they might be different people…’
Why?
Ayla kept feeling like the two were the same person.
I just feel that way.
This is different from intuition. It may be that you are just mistaken because you have experienced a similar situation.
“It’s probably a delusion.”
Ayla smiled bitterly.
In the first place, it makes no sense for a man to become a woman. It’s not a polymorph, and gender reversal is an insult and treason to the star that has ruled the body from birth.
“Whoa…”
Ayla sighed and rolled over.
It was then. Suddenly, a voice came from outside.
-Princess.
“Yes, what’s going on?”
-Professor Rania came to visit.
“···yes?”
suddenly?
“Sleep, just a moment!”
Ayla hurriedly got up from the bed. He brushed down his messy hair and wrapped his shawl around his shoulders.
“You can open it now!”
-all right.
Soon the door opens.
Ayla brushed her hair away from her ear and glanced at the person entering the room.
Professor Rania.
With the faint scent of soap, she enters the room. My skin is so soft, as if I just got out of the shower.
However, there is something else that catches Ayla’s attention.
The attire was a little different from usual.
Not wearing a neat robe, but rather comfortable everyday clothes. Ayla tilted her head at that sight.
‘Yes?’
It was not the robe he had given as a gift. However, I soon remembered that there was a good reason.
‘It’s probably dirty and being washed.’
Because it was soaked in the blood of demonic beasts. Remembering that fact, Ayla slightly nodded her head.
“What’s going on, Professor Rania?”
“Uh, well… nice to meet you. “Princess.”
“···?”
Something feels strange.
Unlike usual, the way he answers is very awkward. I don’t seem to be able to make eye contact very well.
“···Why are you doing this?”
“No, um. that is···.”
She hid something behind her back.
Ayla narrowed her eyes.
“What is that?”
“yes?”
“You just hid it behind your back. “What is that?”
“Oh, that’s it…”
Ayla slightly lowered her head to the side. At the same time, Rania also moved half a step to the side.
“···What are you doing?”
“Uhm…”
After thinking for a moment, she finally showed what she was holding in her hand.
‘···clothes?’
It’s a pure white shirt.
Judging by the gold embroidery on the collar of the shirt, it was a gift from Ayla.
“Why this…?”
“Well, here.”
She pointed to one side of the shirt.
There were tear marks left there. And, the sloppy stitching marks.
“···It’s torn?”
Ayla’s eyes narrowed.
