Chapter 60

(Elu’s Point of View)

【”What… does he mean?”】

Lifa muttered, her agitation palpable. She couldn’t understand the meaning of Justus’ words… No, she didn’t want to understand.

Observing her reaction, Elu realized he had made a mistake.

All he told Lifa was that Harold was a test subject for a certain research. The more detailed version, however, was that it was an experiment designed to amplify the user’s power by sacrificing their own life. Clearly, it was inhumane research.

And yet, Elu neither made this fact public nor did he tell Lifa about it. That was because he didn’t need to.

To begin with, that research was conducted with the tacit consent of the most powerful figures in the country’s government. The mere fact that Elu knew about it was already a significant risk, let alone publicizing it. If he, instead of selling the information, had made it public for the sake of someone he didn’t even know at the time, he would have essentially thrown his life away. Elu didn’t possess such a strong sense of justice, nor was he a journalist seeking to rebel against the established power structures.

Besides, doing so would attract unwanted attention. That would mean attracting attention to Giffelt as a whole, just for his personal matter, which would have been an extremely foolish move.

And this wasn’t limited to Harold’s case. Elu considered the risks and rewards, and he determined that the rewards simply weren’t worth the risk.

Elu had held this way of thinking long before, and when he actually became friends with Harold, he discovered that Harold himself was trying to hide that experiment. He didn’t quite understand Harold’s intentions, but if that was what Harold wished for, Elu had no room to interfere.

Elu and Harold had a cooperative relationship. Elu couldn’t go against Harold’s wishes, lest he lose his remuneration. Of course, that was assuming the pact he had with Harold was valid, but Elu still couldn’t confirm that at this point in time, so there was nothing he could do.

Therefore, even though Elu felt disgusted by that research, which played with Harold’s life, he couldn’t openly speak of it to anyone. Though he was aware that Lifa was falling for Harold, she was going to return to her village in a week’s time. Elu thought Lifa would be separated from Harold before she even realized her feelings, and the two would never meet again.

He couldn’t deny that this was a cold way of thinking for a friend, but he thought it would be better if Lifa didn’t know about the cruel reality. The relationship between Harold and her was still fragile, so it was better for everyone if the two ended their relationship while Lifa was still unaware of her feelings.

Especially if Harold didn’t have much time left to live.

However, Elu’s speculations had backfired in the worst possible way.

Lifa would not be able to keep silent after hearing what Justus had said.

【”Try to bear with it for now, Lifa”】

【”…. sorry”】

As Elu expected, his whisper had not persuaded Lifa. There was no way for him to withdraw from here without pinning Lifa down and causing a commotion, and to begin with, there was a chance that Justus had spoken knowing that they were present.

Elu feared that was the reason why the room was cleared of people.

He regretted having entered so carelessly. But it was too late for regrets as Lifa flung the door to Justus’ laboratory open without knocking.

【”-!… How long have you been here?”】

Justus looked surprised by Lifa and Elu’s abrupt entrance. It was a natural reaction that didn’t feel forced.

Though the whole situation seemed artificial, like it was set up in advance, Justus himself didn’t seem to be acting.

【”I’m sorry, we were eavesdropping.”】(Elu)

【”What did you hear?”】(Justus)

【”….That Harold doesn’t have much longer to live”】(Elu)

【”I-it was a lie, right? He looks so healthy….. I saw him training the other day! He was moving at an inhuman speed…… S-So, for him to be close to death or whatever, it doesn’t make any……”】(Lifa)

【”Calm down, Lifa.”】(Elu)

Lifa didn’t know what to think, she was in denial, her voice trembling as she desperately uttered pointless words. Elu gripped her shoulders and lightly shook her in an attempt to calm her down, but that had little to no effect.

As he watched the exchange between the two, Justus let out a sigh.

【”Please sit over there. It seems we all have things to ask each other, so I’ll treat you to some tea.”】

Justus stood up and poured some black tea, which he had heated beforehand, into three teacups. The mellow aroma of tea leaves that filled the room was soothing to the mind.

Partly thanks to that, Lifa somewhat regained her composure after a dozen minutes. However, she was still not in a state where she could speak calmly.

Having noticed that, Justus turned towards Elu.

【”Well then, I’ll start with you, since you seem to be able to speak properly. You two did some fine reconnaissance work there. You do know that was a crime, right?”】

【”Yes. We’re very sorry.”】

Elu bowed deeply. There was no room for excuses in this situation.

If Elu had tried to deceive Justus with eloquent lies, he would have given him a legitimate reason to suspect him. It was wiser to apologize obediently and dismiss the matter as a youthful mistake.

Justus sighed again. He was scratching his head with his right hand, seemingly trying to calm his temper. Elu couldn’t determine whether this was genuine or just an act.

【”Well, I’ll admit that I made a blunder, I was talking carelessly while I knew you were coming to visit. But what you heard was a very important secret that can’t be disclosed.”】

【”A secret? Then that means…”】

【”Yes, it’s the absolute truth, Harold is going to die soon.”】

As Justus affirmed that, Lifa, who was looking down at the ground, controlled her voice. Elu could see her tightly clenching her hands on her lap.

【”―― But why?”】

She, who had been silent until now, asked urgently. Her eyes were filled with tears.

【”Why is Harold going to die?”】(Elu)

【”Like I said, it’s confidential. If I tell you it would be-“】

【”Please tell us! …. Please….”】

Tears streamed down Lifa’s face, filling her eyes to the brim.

And yet, Lifa raised her head and looked directly at Justus. After a short while, Justus was the first to give in.

【”Lifa, I’d like to ask you something.”】

【”What is it?”】

【”You haven’t spent much time with Harold. At best, you’ve known him for two weeks. So why are you so concerned about him?”】

Justus’ question went straight to the heart of the matter.

As she reflected on her own feelings, Lifa began to express her heart, carefully choosing her words.

◇

(Lifa’s Point of View)

【”…… Harold often speaks cynically and has a twisted personality. Whenever we talk, we end up arguing. I don’t know if he’s the worst, but I haven’t heard any good things about him. However, he appreciates the magic I came up with. And, just to keep a promise he made to me, he fought without considering the risks.”】

That made Lifa happy, but it also had a deeper impact. It made her wonder, “has there ever been someone who would go that far for me?”

Lifa had doubts about magical powers since childhood. Why were magical abilities so different from person to person? Why were some people unable to use magic?

At first, it was just pure doubt. However, as the years passed and she gained more knowledge and values, her doubts turned into a dilemma.

Those who could use magic were rich, those who couldn’t were poor.

Those who could use magic were strong, those who couldn’t were weak.

These weren’t absolute truths, but most people lived by them. This created disparity, as the rich became richer and the poor poorer. And Lifa’s village was not spared from this.

The farmers who could use earth and water magic were more efficient at growing crops than those who couldn’t. This was because magic drastically reduced the labor needed to plow and water the soil.

As the work needed decreased, so did the cost of labor, which in turn led to lower prices. Between two products of similar quality, people always chose the cheapest. Moreover, using magic instead of manpower could finish the job faster, giving magic users free time for other tasks. And so, the disparity grew wider.

Whether in agriculture, hunting, livestock raising, or even manufacturing, those with magic relevant to their jobs enjoyed better lives than those without. Getting promotions because of superior magic was common.

“The right person in the right place,” perhaps that was all there was to it.

But the problem was that Lifa and her parents lacked any talent for magic. She possessed magical power but lacked the ability to use it properly. Despite her efforts to change this, she still couldn’t control magic.

Therefore, Lifa’s family was poor and faced many hardships.

Despite these circumstances, Lifa did not stop seeking ways to change the status quo. And then, one day, she finally found a solution.

If she couldn’t use magic herself, perhaps she could use it through other means. And so, she came up with the idea of using magic with the support of science.

She believed that, if she could achieve this, she would be able to help her parents and the many people who couldn’t use magic. With this in mind, Lifa devoted herself to her research, day and night, neglecting sleep and food.

Before she realized it, Lifa was labeled eccentric by her village, and her parents gave up on her, treating her like a good-for-nothing. She became isolated.

No one acknowledged Lifa’s efforts. But that was no surprise.

Lifa’s idea was too different from the world’s common sense. From the perspective of those around her, she was just a foolish girl desperately pursuing impossible dreams. At the time, Lifa wasn’t even ten years old, so she probably seemed bizarre.

After that, Lifa persisted with her research. She kept putting more and more effort into it, until it became her reason for living.

She didn’t know anymore if she wanted to help those suffering or if she just wanted to prove herself to those who had given up on her. Perhaps she just wanted to leave a testament to her hard work.

That’s why she was happy when Harold described her magic as an 【”Excellent means of attack”】, even though there was some cynicism in it. But even though he wasn’t entirely sincere, he did see some usefulness in Lifa’s research, which is why he put her in contact with Justus, so that her research could progress further.

Thanks to that, Lifa was confident that her magic would reach a whole new level.

【”I can’t thank Harold directly, but one day, I’ll repay his kindness without fail. Or rather, that’s what I wished, so why…?”】

“Why is Harold going to die?” she wanted to say, but she swallowed her words.

She couldn’t possibly say all those things to Harold face-to-face. She did want to express her gratitude, but she wasn’t able to be frank in front of him. However, she sincerely wanted to become more honest in the future.

【”Even if everyone thinks of Harold as a bad man, he’s important to me. Therefore, if he doesn’t have much time left, I want to do whatever I can for him.”】

Harold was going to die soon. Just imagining that was unbearable, it made her feel lost and her chest tighten. She hadn’t noticed, but Harold’s existence had taken a huge place in her heart.

Lifa wiped her blurred vision with the cuff of her sleeve.

【”I don’t want to see him pass away without knowing anything about him….”】

Perhaps she was just being selfish.

However, that was truly how she felt.

【”Haah…… he’s really a sinful man. Just what is so good about that guy?”】(Justus)

Justus muttered in exasperation while sipping his tea. He sat up straight in his chair and looked up at the ceiling.

He pondered and hesitated in that same posture for a short while, then sighed in resignation and began to speak.

【”You absolutely must keep this story to yourselves…. Actually, scratch that. You can’t tell anyone about anything you’ve heard or will hear in this place today. I will tell you about the secret that guy carries on his shoulders.”】