Chapter 251
“Whatexactlyisthatplace?herewerenosignsthatanyonehadlivedthereinalongtime.”
“Amage’sworkshop.”
“m...figuredjustincase,sobroughtbackeverythingthatlookedimportant.”
Afternoddingatthegrimoireshehadcommissioned,Camillaturnedherheadtowardthepileofscattereditemsbesideit.
Whatcaughthereyeinparticularwasthewideassortmentofaccessories.herewerealsoseveralnotebooksthatlookedlikeresearchjournals.
“owdidyouknowwhereitwas?”
“heard.”
“Fromwho?”
twasinthemountains.Deepinthemountains,wherenooneeverwent.
owhadCamillaknownaboutaplaceprotectedbymagicmeanttokeepoutsidersfromintrudingandtoldhimtogothere?
Shehadevenexplainedindetailhowtobreakthemagicattheentrance.
“Didthedeadtellyouaboutthistoo?”
herewasonlyonepossibleanswertothatquestion.
“Yeah.”
Jayneraskedinavoicefullofcuriosity,andCamillaansweredasifitwerenothing.henshecarefullyinspectedtheitemshehadbroughtbackonebyone.
SincetheywerethingsJishuahadtouched,thereweresurelymagicalmeasuresplacedonthem...
“hepersonwhoaskedyoutofindthis,whoarethey?herealownerofthesethings?”
“Yeah.”
SinceCamillaknewnothingatallaboutthatsortoffield,therewasnowayforhertotellwhatwaswhat.
AssherummagedthroughJishua’sbelongingswithanintriguedexpression,somethingcaughthereye.twasabraceletwithstrangewritingdenselyinscribedalongtheinside.
Whatkindofmagicwasonit?
shouldaskJishuadirectly.
Slide.
“...?”
CamillahadbeenturningoveraratherprettybraceletinherhandswhensheflinchedatJaynersuddenlyleaninginclose,bringinghisfacerighttowardhers.
“Whatareyoudoing?”
“You’recruel.”
“ow?”
“t’sbeenawhilesince’veseenyou.Can’tyouatleastlookmeintheeyewhileyoutalktome?”
“......”
hereitwasagain,thatexpression.
Andhe’ssupposedtobetheheadofan{•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t}assassinguild.
owcouldhissmilingeyesbethatcheap?
AtJayner,whosmiledwiththecornersofhiseyesfoldingsoprettily,Camillaletoutashortsigh.
“Anyway,goodwork.”
“nlywithwords?”
“paidthecommissionfee,didn’t?Whydoyoukeepactinglikemadeyouworkforfreeeverytime?t’senoughtopissoffthepersonwhopaid!”
Atherfierceglare,Jaynerburstoutlaughing.
Camillastaredathimasifdumbfounded,thenintheend,afaintsmileroseatthecornerofherownmouthaswell.
“Dive’sdoingwell,right?”
“fcourse.”
AfteraskingafterDive,whohadreturnedtotheraciampirenotlongago,shepulledsomethingoutfromthedeskdrawer.
“ivethistotheDukeofsclara.”
“oFather?”
“founditwhilesortingthroughMother’sthings.”
twasasmallportraitofayoungRaviandtheirmother,ia,sittingtogether.
Jaynerlookedatitquietlyforamoment,thennoddedwithoutsayinganythinginparticular.ecarefullytuckedtheportraitawayinsidehiscoat,thendraggedthecornersofhismouthdownwithallhisstrength.
“Whatashame.”
“Whatis?”
“wantedtoseeittoo.Whatyoulookedlikeasachild.”
Jayner,whohadknownthatCamillahadbeenturnedbackintothebodyofafour-year-oldbymagic,wasgenuinelydisappointedthathehadnotgottentoseeitwithhisowneyes.
“Don’tyouhaveanyportraitsofyourselfasachild?”
“...othinglikethatexists.”
“Youshould’veatleastrecordedsomevideowhenyougotyoungerthistime.”
“saidnothinglikethatexists!”
lishaandilahadtakenanabsurdamountofvideo,butshehadnointentionwhatsoeveroftellingJaynerthat.
“Anyplanstocastthatmagicagain?”
“Couldyougetout?”
igglingatCamilla’sordertoleave,Jaynersaidtheywouldmeetagainnexttimeandquicklyvanished.
“hopeheatleasthandsovertheportraitproperly.”
ookingatthespotwhereJaynerhaddisappeared,Camillaclickedhertonguelightly.
ShedidnotknowhowmuchthatsmallportraitwouldhelptheDukeofsclara,butitwasbetterthannothing,atleast.
Mother’sportrait?
“Yes.”
Doyoureallythinkmemoriesforgotforsomanyyearswouldcomebackbecauseofnothingmorethanaportrait?
Somethingshavebeencomingbacktomelately.Faintly.
...ldmemories?
Yes.
...Allright.’lllookforit.
versincelearningaboutCamilla’sexistence,hehadkeptthinkingaboutthememorieshehadlost,andlately,vaguefragmentshadbeenbrushingpasthismindfromtimetotime.
Sincehehadsaiditmighthelpifthereweresomesortoftrigger,shehaddecidedtosendtheportraitbeforeanythingelse.
“Cometothinkofit,didhegothereagain?”
AsCamillagatheredupthethingsJaynerhadbrought,sherealizedJishuahadbeennowhereinsightforawhileandgottoherfeet.
*****
Knockknock.
“Brother,whatareyoudoing?”
“ey!toldyounottocomeinhere!”
hemomentCamillaarrivedatRavi’sworkshop,shewasgreetedbyhisfull-volumeshout.
Maybebecauseofwhathadhappenedlasttimewhenshebrokethemanastone,Ravihadlaiddownastrictorderthatshewasnottosetfootinhisworkshopeveragain.
Whatapettybastard.
feltbadaboutthatandmadesuretogiveyoutop-grademanastonesinabundance.
Doyouevenknowhowrareandexpensivethoseare?hekindofthingthatcostswhateverthesellerwantstocharge!
“So’mreallyleaving?”
hecornersofCamilla’seyesdroopedatonce,allthesulkinessonherfacevanishing.
“So’mnotallowedtocomeseemybrotheranymore?”
“W-What?”
hepitifullookinhereyeswasabonus.fshebitherlipjustalittleatamomentlikethis,evenbetter.
Cryingopenlywouldhavetheoppositeeffect.yesjustdampenoughtomakeherlooklikeanabandonedpuppy—thatlevelwasperfect.
“ey!W-Whendidsayyoucouldn’tcomeseeme?onlysaiddon’tcomeintotheworkshop!”
Andjustlikethat,shegotanimmediatereaction.Ravi,whohadbeenyellingsavagelyjustmomentsago,wassuddenlyflusteredandataloss.
“...You’realreadyhere,socomein.”
“kay.”
Seeinghimsubtlywatchingher,likehewaswonderingwhethershehadreallybeenhurt,Camillalaughedinwardly.
hisisworrying.
owisourbrotherevergoingtosurvivewhenhe’sthiseasytofool?
owdoyoufallformyactingeverysingletime?
ewassecretlykindofdumbinallthewrongways.
“What’sallthat?”
Alittlelater,RavishowedinterestinthethingsCamillawassettingdownonthetableonebyone.Whyweretheresomanyboxes?
“wentthroughgreattroubletogetthemforyou,Brother.”
“Forme?Whatarethey?”
[What?Youalreadywentandfoundthem?]
Jishua,whohadbeenquietthewholetime,suddenlycutintotheconversationinahurry.
Knewit.ewashereafterall.
versinceshehadlethimintothehouse,hehadbarelyleftRavi’sside.Apparentlyhewantedtoseewhatkindofmagicmagesthesedaysstudiedandresearched.
“his,thistoo...hey’reallmagicitems?”
Ravi’seyeswidenedthemomentheopenedthefirstbox.
erecognizedthemagicformulasengravedintothebraceletandnecklaceataglance,andhecouldnothidethecuriosityinhiseyes.
“Wheredidallofthiscomefrom?”
“his?justhappenedtopickitu—”
“Don’tstartwiththatnonsenseaboutjusthappeningtopickitupontheway.”
“...Amagewhodiedalongtimeagocametomeandpassedthemon.”
“A...who?”
“Adeadmage.”
“......”
hunk.
hemomentheheardthattheitemshadcomethroughaghost,Ravidroppedwhathewasholdingtothefloorwithashockedlookonhisface.
Whatwaswrongwithhim?Shehadtoldhimthetruthexactlyasitwas.
“Ad-deadpersongavethemtoyou?”
“Yeah.”
“Y-You...!”
“Why?Don’twantthem?otgoingtotakethem?hen’llgivethemtosomeoneelse.”
[Whatareyoutalkingabout?!]
AsCamillatossedoutthewordsthesamewayshealwaysteasedhim,shelookedstraightatJishua,whoreactedbeforeRavidid.
[ivingthemtosomeoneelse?Doyouhaveanyideawhatthese—!]
AtCamilla’snarrowedstare,hefrozeforamoment,thenseemedtorealizehismistakeandhurriedlyturnedhisheadawaywithanawkwardexpression.
e’smakingitsoobvious.
WhatwasshesupposedtodowhenhereactedthatseriouslytotheideaofthegrimoireandmagicalitemsgoingtosomeoneotherthanRavi?
twasimpossibletopretendnottonotice,evenifshewantedto.
“penthatboxtoo.”
gnoringhimforthemoment,CamillapushedanotherboxtowardRavi.
Ravistillworeadubiouslook,buthemusthavebeentoocuriousaboutwhatwasinside,becausehereachedforitrightaway.
“his...”
“t’sagrimoire.”
“tlooksprettyold.”
Asthoughhecouldtellataglancethatitwasnoordinaryobject,Ravi’seyesshone,allsignthathehadbeenscaredgoneinaninstant.
“heysayit’stheblackdragon’sgrimoire.”
“Yeah,justlookingatit,itdefinitelyseemsincrediblyama—!What?”
“What?”
“You,you!Whatdidyoujustsay?”
“heysaidit’sthefinalgrimoireleftbehindbyerkros.”
Atthosewords,Ravi’smouthdroppedopen,andhenearlyletthegrimoireinhishandsfalltothefloor.
hen,startledbyhisownmovementasifhissenseshadfinallyreturned,hehurriedlyclutchedthegrimoiretighttohischest,likehehadalmostdroppedsomethingpriceless.
“h-hisistheblackdragon’sgrimoire?”
“Yeah.”
“-erkros?”
“Yeah.”
Ravi’seyesshookoverandover,fullofdisbelief.