Chapter 74 - The Castle and the Forest

“What kind of magic is this? Flying magic?”

“It’s an application of wind magic. It’s better to use flying magic when you’re alone, but if you need to fly with other people, it’s simpler to apply wind magic.”

“The magic to make wind? Is it the conjuring I learned?”

“That’s right.”

Without her knowledge, they were above the cypress forest. Walking between the trees standing tall, she looked back. The stars that were in the place where they had passed were scattering away naturally.

“I didn’t know that can be applied this way. Do you think I can do it, too?”

“Do you want to give it a try?”

“Yes, I’d love to!” Azriel sparkled her eyes.

Faintly smiling, Rhema explained it to her.

“Just form the wind that blows from below to above by limiting it within a range and repeat it.”

“How do you limit the range?”

“Like this…”

Rhema slowly moved mana before her eyes. She carefully watched stars gathering and forming a figure.

“… You make a frame first, pour in mana inside it, and embody it with wind.”

Normally, it was magic that would have taken several days only to explain. However, to Azriel who could see mana, it was enough to show her a demonstration once. Azriel drew out stars that were swirling inside her body and tried arranging mana in the same form that Rhema showed her.

“Esthera.”

She recited the spell. When the mana arranged like wind responded, it became wind. The invisible block of a stair was created next to Rhema’s stairs, invisible likewise.

“Would this be the way?”

“Yes. It is perfect. Now, step on it.”

Still holding his hand, Azriel stepped on to the stairs she made, a foot first and both feet after that. Then she let go of his hand and stood in the air by herself. Wind sturdily supported her feet. She could see a trail continuing in the forest underneath her feet.

“I did it, Rhema!”

Azriel excitingly looked back at him. Rhema watched his hand that she let go of blankly and lifted his chin.

“Great job, Azriel. It’s indeed an easy task for you. Now all you have to do is to make the same frame repeatedly.”

“Like you’re building a staircase?”

“Yes.”

Azriel made another frame right underneath the wind block she was standing on. It was not as hard after trying it once. She tried making several frames at the same time. She felt as if she was drawing a bridge that connected constellations. It was fun. She called the name of her mana with her cheeks flushed.

“Esthera!”

Stars responded as they twinkled. A staircase was formed to the beginning of the trail which was the end of the forest. The staircase consisting of mana was dazzling in golden light. It was laid next to Rhema’s staircase which shined white. The sight was so beautiful that she regretted that she was the only one who could see it. It would be invisible for other people.

‘No, Rhema can see it. Thought it must be in a slightly different form than mine…’

As soon as she thought so, Rhema spoke quietly.

“It’s a dazzling golden staircase.”

Azriel looked back at him delightedly.

“Isn’t this pretty? Do you also see it dazzle like gold?”

“Of course. It’s because it’s made out of your mana. My staircase would look white to you, Azriel.”

“Yes, the white stars as if you’ve cut them out of a milky way—” Azriel paused from answering him and vacantly murmured. “… Magic is so beautiful.”

“I think so as well. All magic is beautiful from the moment it is made to the moment it fades.”

He said as he bent his eyes. He sounded very pleased. Azriel suddenly realized. Rhema must have watched the dazzling scenery formed by mana all alone until now. No one would have sympathized with him about something this beautiful. He must have accumulated the short feeling of regret that she just felt that nobody would be able to see it over such a long time.

‘And I, too— I wouldn’t be able to share this experience with anyone if Rhema wasn’t there.’

It was a strange feeling. Azriel shook her head and began carefully stepping down the stairs. When she moved her feet, Rhema, who was waiting for her, also moved. It was the invisible staircase that continued from the top of the tree to the trail. She stretched her arm and walked as she sweeped the branches right next to her.

There was especially a lot of mana in the forest. Whenever branches shook, mana fluctuated and sprinkled sparkling light. It looked like snow that had piled up was scattering as it collapsed. She watched at it, mesmerized.

“Now we can see it. It’s that place, Azriel.”

She turned her head at Rhema’s words. As soon as she turned toward the direction, her focus was scattered.

“That, that’s—Eek!”

Rhema caught her swiftly as she was unable to maintain the staircase and fell below. He supported her with one arm and let her step down on a narrow path.

“Th, thank you. Rhema, you’re quite strong.”

“You are too skinny, Azriel. You should eat well.”

“By the way Rhema, is it that place? That’s not a house… but a castle.”

Azriel spoke, stupefied. When they got out of the forest, she could see a castle by a little lake. The castle with a light beige-colored stone body and a pointy navy roof was casting its romantic reflection on the surface of the water. It was indeed a beautiful castle that could have popped out of a fairy tale, but was this a house? She had said that she did not need a flashy house, thinking that Rhema would get an enormous house close to a castle, but did not think that he had actually arranged a castle instead. Bewitched halfway, she murmured to herself.

“Oh my! I had no idea there was a castle and a lake within the city—”

“It’s not a castle in the city. I couldn’t find a house that I liked among the ones in the market now in Modjankle, so I found one from another place.”

“From another place? Did you connect this place to Modjankle with magic somehow?”

“Yes, it is dragon eye magic. This is where another mansion was originally. I made it connect to the castle so that we get to the castle instead of the mansion once you enter the garden.”

“This forest is the garden that belonged to the mansion that was here? How big the garden must’ve been— But that wasn’t enough for you. My word.”

She had noticed that there was exceptionally a lot of mana in the forest, but the scale of this place was way too extreme.