༺ Having Lots Of Fun During Exams (1) ༻
What if a daughter from the future suddenly appeared in front of you and said, “You’re my dad…!” How would you feel?
I don’t remember how I felt at the time, but naturally, the thought “You’re lying.” must have crossed my mind at some point.
It made me suspect some kind of prank was happening.
That’s what I thought.
Cariote probably thought the same.
“Judas, you don’t seem to have a talent for jokes.”
Cariote seemed to take everything I said as if it was a joke.
Of course, she would find it hard to believe.
If someone understood this right away, they’d be considered quite odd.
The normal way of thinking would be to doubt or to think it’s a lie.
However.
Regrettably, this wasn’t a lie nor was it a surprise show.
“It’s all true.”
I spoke again, this time more seriously.
Cariote had a good intuition and could usually spot my lies quite easily.
By now, she should be convinced that I am telling the truth.
“Tell me more.”
Swoosh—
Cariote sat back down at the table.
Tic— Tac— Tic— Tac—
Looking at the clock, it was already half past eight.
There was still some time before nine o’clock when Cariote had to board her airship.
“Alright, I’ll tell you what happened. One day, I ordered pizza from a bar I regularly frequent. Instead of pizza, Naru showed up.”
I still vividly remember the day I first met Naru.
A little kid was shivering in the cold of a night not yet fully into spring, thrusting her hand towards me.
She called me Dad.
I will probably never forget that moment until the day I die.
The following explanation involved coming to the Academy in search of Naru’s mother.
And then, after meeting Cariote─.
“After that, well, it’s exactly what you experienced with me. Killing the necromancer of the Alubaba gang. Defeating the vampires. Fighting with the bandit Jack.”
“……”
“Honestly, I even thought you might be Naru’s mother at the start. After all, if we go by appearances alone, Naru and you have the most similar colors.”
It was a bit funny to say that people ‘resemble in color,’ but it was meant quite literally.
Cariote and Naru were almost identical in terms of racial distinction.
But, my guess is that Naru’s mother is likely Brigitte.
And it seems Cariote is related to Cecily.
Of course, Cariote doesn’t resemble Cecily much, but Cecily is the spitting image of her mother, Lady Leone.
Not resembling one’s mother but one’s grandmother instead.
This could be explained by the term ‘atavism.’
Or not?
…I don’t know, I’m a humanities major, so I only learned the basics of science.
However, the evidence that Cariote was Cecily’s mother was surprisingly abundant in Cariote.
Firstly, the fact that Cecily had learned a whole host of noble etiquette from her mother.
Among the ladies I knew, only the Princess of the Ordor Kingdom or Brigitte fit such noble femininity.
The Princess of the Ordor Kingdom is… forty years old this year.
Thus disqualified as Cecily’s mother.
Then, among my acquaintances, only Brigitte, the daughter of the ancient house of ‘Walpurgis,’ could be considered noble.
But in truth, Brigitte was a woman far from being aristocratic.
She had the fastidiousness of a mage but lacked the arrogance or dignity of nobility.
Rather, she was more like a free-spirited thief.
Therefore─.
“Cariote, you are more refined and well-mannered than I thought.”
Cariote was the only one left.
Indeed, Cariote was very composed and dignified for a Barbaroi.
But that was likely due to the various teachings from her mother, Lady Leone.
“In my opinion, you are Cecily’s mother. Your daughter has come here, six years from the future.”
“…To transcend time and space. Is such a thing possible? If it really is, then… it means that what has happened could be undone.”
Cariote’s black eyes shone fiercely.
It was a very ominous gaze.
At that moment, I wondered if it had been right to tell Cariote the truth.
I remembered the grave warning from Brigitte, “You must never speak to anyone about the time-space magic…!”
Time-space magic.
It was a tremendous taboo.
Imagine if villains who seek the resurrection of the Demon King hear of it.
For example, if the existence of time-space magic became known to demons aiming for the Demon King’s revival, they might think, “Let’s make it as if the Demon King never died!” and attempt to turn back time.
Then Sabernak will be resurrected, and Nocturne will consume the world, wreaking havoc across the continent in various ways.
The mere thought of it is horrifying.
As I entertained such thoughts, Cariote muttered seriously.
“…If it’s possible to turn back time. Then it might be possible to save my mother and sister.”
I already knew that Cariote had lost her mother and sister in some incident.
I didn’t know exactly what had happened, but it must have been terrible.
That experience must have turned Cariote into the demon hunter she is today.
Everyone has one or two such experiences in their life.
If one could go back to the past and make those events as if they never happened, naturally, they would want to.
“If someone sent Naru and Cecily to the past. Could I possibly be sent back as well?”
Cariote asked.
I had faintly anticipated that I would be asked such a question when I revealed the time-space magic.
Brigitte had anticipated it as well.
What did Brigitte say?
“It might be possible. But the future could change drastically. You might cease to exist. Everything you’ve achieved and love might be gone.”
Changing the past.
It’s the same as denying everything in the present-.
Brigitte had said so.
Honestly, I’m not sure.
But Cariote spoke as if she didn’t care either way.
“I have no regrets about my present. What I desire now is solely to make amends for my mistake that day. How can I go back to the past?”
“……”
This is troubling.
Tic— Tac— Ding— Ding— Ding— Ding—
That’s when the bell rang.
It signified that it was nine o’clock.
It seems I had somewhat succeeded in stopping Cariote from boarding the airship for now.
Scrape—
Soon, Cariote pushed her chair back and stood up.
“I’ll go see the mage, Brigitte. It seems more appropriate to discuss this with her than with you.”
Indeed, she was a capable hunter.
* * *
Nine thirty.
The airship to the other village had long since departed.
Cariote was unable to pursue the rival she was looking for, but her heart was filled with unprecedented excitement and anticipation.
She didn’t care about the airship anymore.
“Space-time magic.”
Perhaps it was an opportunity to eliminate a more fundamental cause.
Full of excitement, Cariote headed to Brigitte’s laboratory within the academy.
Landing on the balcony and tapping on the window, Brigitte, who was busy writing at her desk, stopped her hand abruptly.
Brigitte looked towards the window and then approached to unlock it.
“Cariote, why use the window when there’s a perfectly working door?”
“It’s not the time to worry about that. Do you know about space-time magic?”
“……”
Brigitte’s expression showed slight surprise.
Then she swept her palm from her forehead down to her chin.
“Cariote, if you’re talking about this, you must have heard quite a bit from Judas. Judas must have had a reason to tell you.”
“Brigitte, can you send me back to the past with space-time magic?”
“I don’t know.”
Brigitte was frank.
“It hasn’t been researched yet. Of course, in six years, it would have been thoroughly researched. But Cariote, I think it’s impossible to send you to the past.”
“Impossible!? Why!?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a theory for now. But think about it. Why would our future selves send children to the past instead of coming themselves?”
“……”
Cariote didn’t know much about magic.
So, as she kept silent, Brigitte sighed deeply.
“That’s my big assignment to figure out. There must have been a reason as to why only the children had to be sent. Maybe, maybe adults can return to the past? That’s what I’m assuming.”
“Damn.”
Cariote spat out a short curse.
Drip— Drip—
Blood flowed from Cariote’s palm, staining the floor.
“Are you hurt?”
Brigitte noticed now that Cariote was clutching something so tightly it drew blood. It was a very strange object.
Small enough to be wrapped within a palm.
It was a carved artifact.
Judging by the hole, it seemed right to call it a small whistle.
“An instrument from Barbaria? An ocarina? Given the strange magic power it emits, it seems like a magic item. Carved from bone? What effect does it have when played?”
Brigitte’s scholarly curiosity was piqued.
Then Cariote murmured softly, looking at the object in her hand.
“…This is a keepsake from my father and mother. It was made from the bones of the sea dragon Leviathan, who roamed Barbaria’s wilderness when it was once a sea. It’s a treasure unique in this world, a family heirloom.”
“…Leviathan!? If that’s true, it’s almost an ancient relic…!? Older than artifacts of the Demiurges from other worlds…! Can I, may I touch it? Please?”
Humanity on the Pangaea continent began with the appearance of transcendent beings called Demiurges from other realms.
Before that, this Pangaea continent was an infertile land inhabited by giant monsters and ancient calamities—according to the consensus in academia.
Leviathan was the name of a monster rumored to have roamed the world when most of the Pangea continent was engulfed by the sea.
An instrument made from the bones of such a powerful monster would undoubtedly be of immense historical value.
Such an incredible thing being a family heirloom.
‘Could Cariote be the daughter of some barbarian tribal leader? No, that doesn’t really matter. I can feel an incredible magic power from the instrument. I want to touch it….’
Swoosh—
That’s how Brigitte reached out to Cariote’s instrument.
Of course, Cariote frowned and quickly withdrew her hand.
“It’s not something just anyone can touch. In the wrong hands, it could bring about a terrible calamity. Only the clan of the great hunters can handle it.”
“…Tsk. Acting all high and mighty.”
Brigitte sneaked a glance at Cariote while saying so.
Cariote’s face was quite flushed, perhaps due to excitement.
But she was a very pretty woman.
Even Brigitte, as a woman, thought she looked sleek and stylish, like a smooth-coated puma with black fur.
‘She must have been with Judas today. Does Judas talking to Cariote about Cecily mean he’s ready to take her as his wife?’
Being alone with a woman like Cariote would certainly stir and shake the hearts of men.
Especially a lecher like Judas.
‘Did these two do something today? Now that I think about it… when is Cecily’s birthday? Naru’s seems to be in summer….’
It started to bother her a bit.
Then Cariote spoke.
“By the way, the imp’s pursuit has ended. It’s related to that girl, the Priestess of Gluttony. We can go meet her tomorrow if you want. You can come with me if you like.”
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