Volume 5 Chapter 13 Reminiscence ⑬
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I felt the brightness pressing gently against my closed eyelids—it must already be morning.
I should get up now.
That’s what I told myself, but my body refused to obey.
It felt too comforting to move.
I was wrapped in something warm, soft, and carrying a familiar, pleasant scent. That feeling—I recognized it.
Ah—this was just like when I was held by Mama Vintenica.
Without thinking, I hugged that soft presence back.
”Mama… Mama…” I whispered, tightening my arms instinctively.
At that moment, a voice, calm but firm, interrupted my thoughts.
”Well… I told you, I’m not going to be your mama.”
Then I realized something was holding me firmly.
I tried to move, startled, but the grip was steady and unyielding. When I opened my eyes, there she was—
”Good morning, Soyuz.”
My master looked down at me, her expression unexpectedly sharp for so early in the day.
”Um… good morning… it’s quite early today, isn’t it?”
”It is,” she said. “I had to take some unusual medicine yesterday. Because of that, I feel surprisingly refreshed this morning.”
Her gaze was piercing, and I knew she wasn’t ready to forgive easily. I braced myself for whatever consequences awaited.
Yet, when I met her eyes, she softened and smiled gently.
”Soyuz… first, thank you. Thanks to you, I can continue to fight.”
I blinked in surprise, unsure what to say.
”I should find a way to thank you properly, but… would this make ‘this child’ happier?”
Her right hand began a slow, deliberate motion, and she smiled mischievously, her eyes narrowing playfully.
I couldn’t hold back a strained sound.
”What’s that sound? Where did that troublemaker from yesterday disappear to?” she teased.
She held me firmly, preventing any escape while continuing her teasing motions.
This wasn’t a thank-you—it was clearly a punishment.
”The troublemaker is right here,” I replied.
”You usually call me an old hag, but then you act like this. Isn’t that a bit shameless?”
Her fingers moved slowly and deliberately, causing a mix of sensations that frustrated me endlessly without relief. It was a slow, agonizing test of endurance.
She was clearly holding a grudge, and I hadn’t even realized it. So childish.
”I’m sorry, Master. I regret my actions deeply. I love you, Master, and I will never speak arrogantly again.”
”Do you wish to be relieved?”
”Yes.”
Her smile brightened like the morning sun as she adjusted the pace of her movements.
”Come now, Soyuz… come here.”
She whispered softly in my ear. Those words felt like a quiet spell, stirring something deep within me.
I felt my body tense as I reached my limit.
”That’s it,” she encouraged gently. “Let me help you release fully.”
Her motions matched the rhythm of my response, steady and encouraging.
The woman I once thought to destroy—my Master—smiled with quiet grace as she guided me through an experience unlike any other.
Could this really be heaven? Had I passed beyond life?
The moment felt surreal, almost frightening in its intensity.
But all moments must end.
After I had given all I could, she slowed and finally stopped. A heavy emptiness filled me.
”Even though you gave so much yesterday, men can be quite passionate,” she said, amused.
She examined her fingers thoughtfully, the faintest smirk on her lips.
”If a man like you were to force himself on me, my delicate body would surely be harmed.”
I blushed at the teasing, stumbling over my words.
”I mean… you wouldn’t hurt me, right? You’d be gentle?”
”Of course. That’s what I meant,” I assured her quickly.
She narrowed her beautiful azure eyes.
”Oh dear, it seems my wayward disciple has taken a liking to me. How mischievous. How did I end up with such a cheeky child? Incredible.”
My face burned with embarrassment.
”I—I just meant that as a general example!”
She laughed softly, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
”Anyway, since I’ve accepted your gift, it’s time for your punishment.”
She dropped the words casually, but they held undeniable weight.
”Punishment?” I asked, though I had expected this.
After all, I had drugged my Master. No excuse could justify that. The medicine could have been fatal.
”I am prepared. It’s only natural for the Master to be angry after being drugged, right?”
”It’s not that,” she said, her eyes sharp. “You’re missing the point, Soyuz. I’m angry because you used the ‘Life Share.’”
”Huh? You’re angry about that?”
My surprise only seemed to worsen her irritation.
”You don’t yet understand the danger of that magic. To use the magic that offers my life—of all things—on me, an elf…”
She sighed deeply and looked at me with intensity from where she lay.
”And so, this is your punishment. Reflect on your actions, my unworthy… beloved disciple.”
Then, without warning, she pressed a light kiss to my lips.
The arm around my neck tightened suddenly and firmly.
”Gah…”
Confused by the sudden kiss, I was easily caught in a hold both simple and absolute.
I lost consciousness once more.
* * *
How much time had passed, I wondered.
When I awoke again, I found myself alone in the bed.
”U… Master…” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
I blinked sleepily, searching the room, but there was no sign of anyone.
Slowly, I crawled out of bed, completely naked, and stepped out of the bedroom.
The largest room lay between my quarters and my master’s—a kitchen with a broad table at its center.
But my master was nowhere to be seen.
On the table, however, there was a single piece of parchment.
A cold premonition struck me. Instantly alert, I strode over and snatched up the letter.
As I had feared, it was from my master.
────
To my dear, unworthy disciple, Soyuz,
First, I must reprimand you for the foolishness you committed last night.
Do you understand why I forbade you from using that ‘life-sharing’ magic so easily?
No. You do not. Otherwise, you would not have used it so carelessly. Perhaps I was insufficient in my explanations, but that magic was unknown to me as well. Precisely because of that, I cannot allow it to be wielded lightly.
Above all, as my disciple, you must follow my instructions without question. Is that not so?
Listen carefully, Soyuz. That life-sharing magic heals another’s wounds by sacrificing your future life. No—it is, as I said, a curse.
It is cruel beyond measure, using your ‘future life’—the life not yet lived.
This means that while the subject can draw limitless power from you, you—the user—will lose your future growth.
In other words, as long as you rely on this magic, you will remain a child forever.
You should understand this much by now.
But the true cruelty lies deeper still.
Because the subject can draw as much of your life as they want, your power to grow is stripped away endlessly.
This is evident: it has been five years since you came to me, and only now do signs of your growth finally appear.
In other words, that Vintenica has taken life force from you for all this time.
That is why I have always feared you might use that magic on me by mistake.
Now that we have reached this point, surely you understand why.
We elves and humans measure life differently.
I cannot imagine how much of your future was sacrificed to heal my wounds.
That is why I never intended to let you use that magic.
Although, since mutual vows seemed necessary, I never thought you could wield it.
I never imagined you would drug me and use life-sharing magic without consent.
I was certain you hated me deeply.
Regardless, you used that magic on me.
Thanks to you, my severed right hand has returned—almost as if by some cruel joke.
But how many years of your future did I steal? The mere thought terrifies me.
So—
I will expel you. Go wherever you like.
I will never return to that hermitage.
This is your punishment for breaking my command.
Reflect deeply on your actions.
And—
Thank you for healing me.
Even if you did not grasp the gravity of what you did, because of you I regained my dominant arm.
I am truly grateful.
But because of that, I can no longer stay with you.
As you saw yesterday, I am now an outcast from the elf village.
This time, I lost only an arm. But who knows what will happen next?
Even if I survive again, there is no guarantee you won’t act recklessly once more.
No—you will certainly try it again.
After all, you are a foolish disciple.
You are such an utterly hopeless fool that you even developed feelings for the old hag who tormented you, saying ‘I love you.’
How can I put this? You truly are beyond help.
Therefore, this hopeless master cannot stay with you.
Ah, but I do love you too, Soyuz.
So forget about this old old hag and live happily.
With your current abilities, you could make it as an adventurer—I guarantee that.
After another ten years together, you would have grown strong enough to defeat me.
It’s a shame I won’t get to see that.
I really do love strong men.
We will likely never meet again.
The five years I spent with you were truly fun and meaningful.
More hardships await you, but I am sure you will overcome them.
After all, I taught you all those fighting techniques.
I will cheer for your future from beneath the distant sky.
Do your best, my ‘former’ disciple.
Your hopeless ‘former’ master,
Lucia
P.S.
If you plan to live as an adventurer, visit the Adventurer’s Guild in the town of Verdaine.
If you mention my name to a man called Godonov there, he will surely treat you well.
Notes:
• Vintenica – She is a tall, slender magic user, appeared as the new mistress buying six boys, wearing a deep purple robe with her right half face hidden by a white mask, half beautiful young woman and half eerie with blood-red lips, mysterious and slightly frightening.
• Verdaine – The largest local city in the region, ruled by the Margrave of Verdaine. It houses a branch of the Adventurers Guild and is the protagonist’s temporary base. Located within walking distance from the unnamed village where Lena was found.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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