Chapter 281
Chapter: 281
Encia couldn’t tell when that voice first started to whisper in her ears.
Probably since the moment she was born.
“Such a cute child. When you grow up, the boys will swarm around you and it’ll be a hassle.”
A voice talking about things she didn’t quite understand. A voice that echoed even when nothing was there. Encia kept wondering who the owner of that voice could be.
“Watching you calmly isn’t so bad. If I were to keep worrying, it would have been tiring. Yep, not bad.”
It was watching her. That voice was keeping an eye on Encia.
Who could it be? The voice that claimed to be watching her?
“Encia has been blessed with magical power. This dazzling silver hair is proof of that.”
Encia’s mom said with a gentle smile.
The blessing of magical power. Encia didn’t understand what that meant.
She only had a vague thought—that the owner of the voice was somehow related to this magic thing.
“Wow, this place is quite barren. By the location… is it near Procyon? The temperature here is pretty high, but you manage to survive in such a place?”
The voice said words that Encia didn’t understand. Procyon? What was that?
Curiosity piqued, Encia asked her mom.
“Mom.”
“What is it?”
“What’s Procyon?”
Encia’s mom paused slightly at her words.
Procyon. The city of mages. A massive city located at the entrance of the scorching desert.
A city where mages scribble the laws that transcend this world.
It was a place of awe for some, while evoking a hint of fear in others.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Um… I heard someone say it.”
Encia wasn’t lying.
Looking at Encia, her mom wondered if she had overheard conversations from others in the village.
“Procyon is… a place where amazing people live. They can create flames from their palms and ignite light in the darkness. Those who wield magical power are called mages, and they shape the world as they see fit.”
“Mages…?”
“Yes, mages. They are those who handle magical power.”
Encia repeated those words in her mind for a moment. Magical power. Magical power…
Could it be that if she received the blessing of magical power, she too could wield magic like those mages?
And this voice too. Could the voice that only she could hear be associated with that magical power?
Then…
“Mom.”
“Yes. What is it?”
“I want to become a mage.”
Encia had discovered a dream.
The dream of becoming a mage.
“Procyon…? It seems this child has never heard of that… Where did she pick that up? How intriguing.”
The voice that only Encia could hear was blissfully unaware that it was talking about Procyon. It simply sounded a little dazed.
—
Encia grew day by day.
Once a village that experienced frequent crop failures, it seemed that ever since Encia was born, the farming had been going smoothly enough that they didn’t struggle to make ends meet.
The hot winds from the south weren’t as bad as they used to be, and wandering merchants or pilgrims from the Church of Life visited much more frequently than before.
The nameless little village, despite its barren environment, was becoming a relatively pleasant place to live.
Everything changed since Encia’s birth, so she was cherished as a treasure of the village.
So much so that…
“Please give the child to me!”
“Get lost! She’s only just turned ten!!!”
“Please! I’ll pay anything!!!”
“When she’s grown up, you’ll be in your 40s! Get lost!!!!”
“Please!!! Ugh!!!”
It got to the point where a man without a shred of shame was knocked out by a rock thrown from somewhere and dragged away like trash after being tossed away, such was the growing interest in Encia.
It went so far that even matchmaking agents from other villages started showing up.
“What a beast without shame.”
Encia’s dad spat on the ground and closed the door. The frequency of such beastly men showing up was increasing day by day.
“Dad? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
It was all likely due to Encia’s exceptional future prospects. Even though she wasn’t an adult yet, she possessed a shimmering beauty that spoke of greatness.
It was a must to chase away any beasts craving for such a precious daughter. That was what Encia’s dad thought a father should do.
“Too bright a light tends to attract moths. Yep.”
Moths? Encia simply tilted her head at the voice she heard.
“Encia doesn’t have to worry about anything. Your mom and I will handle everything.”
“Okay.”
Thus, after giving her dad a hug, Encia returned to her room.
And then…
“Are Mom and Dad struggling because of me?”
“Raising children is difficult… Uh. Parenthood is indeed hard.”
“Parenthood?”
“Raising a child is no easy task. That’s why parents are great.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s how it is… Uh… Hmm? Wait a minute. Why do I feel like we’re having a conversation? What’s going on?”
“A conversation?”
“A conversation. Hm… Wait a minute. Can you hear my voice?”
Encia nodded her head slightly.
“Wow. How fascinating. You can hear my voice.”
“I’ve heard it since I was little.”
“You’re still a little child, though.”
The voice seemed to burst into a small laugh. She couldn’t hear it, but it felt that way.
“The reason you can hear my voice… Uh, I’m not sure, but is it thanks to your high affinity for magical power? Or maybe it’s because you possess a large amount of magical power? Or could it be because you have the potential to become a priestess? Either way, it’s remarkable.”
“Remarkable?”
“Yes. Normally, my voice shouldn’t reach you. Well, I don’t think this is so bad. Being able to have a bit of a conversation is more fun than just watching from afar.”
“Fun? It’s fun?”
“Yes. From my perspective, watching you is quite entertaining. Oh, please keep me a secret. If others find out, it’ll be troublesome.”
What kind of trouble could it be? Encia had no idea.
“Then, what should I call you?”
“Me? Hmm… Tia. Call me Tia.”
“That’s a strangely similar name to mine. Encia. Tia. Sia. Tia.”
“It does sound oddly similar.”
Encia giggled softly. The gentle voice felt like it was becoming another family.
Is this what it feels like to have an older sister?
“Let’s get along well from now on, Tia.”
“Sure. Although I’ve been watching for quite a while now, I look forward to it, Encia.”
“Call me Sia. It feels more familiar that way.”
“Hmm. If that’s your wish, I’ll do that. Sia.”
“Okay. Tia.”
Encia chuckled softly, and the voice called Tia seemed to laugh back lightly.
So, Encia accepted a family that no one else knew about.
—
“I want to become a mage.”
“A mage?”
“Yes, a mage. If I become a mage, I can support my parents without making them struggle.”
The village Encia lived in wasn’t far from Procyon.
So, hearing tales of Procyon and the mages living there was only natural.
“A mage, huh? Well, with your talent, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Really? But how do I become a mage?”
“It’s simple. You just need to use magic.”
“Magic?”
Encia tilted her head.
She was somewhat aware of what magic was on multiple occasions.
Those who could suddenly create flames where there were neither logs nor kindling and illuminate the darkness.
Those who realized unimaginable feats.
Mages were superhumans who could do such things with ease.
“Though perhaps they’re not quite superhumans yet. They just move magical power with their will to create phenomena.”
“Will? Magical power? Phenomena?”
“If you strongly desire something, the world grants it. Magical power is drawn by such desires.”
“Is that so? I don’t really get it.”
“Well, you’re still young. But you want to become a mage, right?”
“Yes, I want to become a mage.”
Tia thought for a moment and then said.
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Magic theory is starting to ignite in Procyon. It’s a suitable time for basic magical theories to emerge.”
“Basic magical theory?”
“Basic theories about how to use magic. Currently, mages are using their magic almost instinctively.”
Encia furrowed her brow. Wasn’t that what magic was meant to be?
“They’re using it following instincts because there’s no proper system established. So usually, they can only use a limited number of spells they can perform.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s how it is. So… I think it’s suitable for mages to diversify a bit. Let’s test it out a little.”
“A test?”
Encia merely tilted her head at Tia’s words.
