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Chapter 32
At those words, Aris quickly got dressed. She was worried that Laila might cling to her even more afterward, but instead, Laila seemed to withdraw her attention from Aris. She busied herself carefully transcribing the numbers recorded on the measuring device into her notebook, then began setting up a complicated calculation to solve them. Tapping the tip of her pencil on the notebook, she frowned as something didn’t seem to work, ruffling her hair in frustration.
“Riviel, could you channel a bit of divine power now?”
“Now? But I left my staff behind.”
“That doesn’t matter. Even a little is fine.”
At those words, Mirae and Sio suddenly clapped their hands enthusiastically. Kundulen, smiling wryly as if he couldn’t help it, joined in the clapping.
“What are you doing?”
Sio answered Aris’s question.
“Come on, you should clap too. The better the response, the more Riviel’s divine power will be enhanced.”
Hearing Sio’s explanation, Aris vaguely understood their actions. The reason spells were needed in magic wasn’t because they directly affected the magic itself.
Instead, using magic required high concentration from the caster, and spells served as a way to heighten that concentration. Reciting complex words like poetry usually looked impressive, giving the caster something to feel proud about.
The same applied to divine power. Emotional excitement amplifies the divine power produced by clerics. Standing before them, Riviel bent elegantly at the waist in greeting. Then Mirae placed her hands in a cone shape near her mouth and, in an excited voice, called out:
“Jeol! Se! Mi! Nyeo! Ri! Bi! El! Lo!”
And this is how they reacted. Some people’s moods lifted just from receiving encouragement. Not to be outdone, Sio and Laila each added their own cheers.
“The representative songstress of Roxanne is here!”
“Sing the 12th hymn!”
“You don’t have to hype me up that much…”
Riviel, who seemed not to need the encouragement, smiled sheepishly, cleared her throat, and exhaled softly. A hum mixed with her breath, gradually forming into words. Riviel began singing the hymn Laila had requested. Her divine power flowed quietly, blended with the hymn’s sound waves.
Aris whistled softly in admiration. Using a song to channel divine power was a very clever method; sound waves spread widely and far, after all. Each religion had choirs for a reason.
Riviel’s voice was pure and beautiful, calming anyone who heard it. She had such skill that she could easily perform on an opera house stage, leaving Aris secretly impressed.
When the needle on the measuring device Laila had in front of her started moving again, she quickly jotted down the numbers. Riviel sang only one verse before stopping, but it seemed sufficient, as Laila buried herself in her notebook again.
Laila’s intense focus kept everyone from interrupting; they quietly glanced at her notes but quickly lost interest, unable to understand any of it. Luckily, Laila soon looked up, hurriedly gathering her things.
“I’ll go do some experiments in the lab before I forget! Ah, Kundulen, can I borrow this? I’ll return it immediately after using it.”
With Kundulen’s permission, Laila packed the device into her bicycle’s storage along with other items and quickly disappeared without a word of goodbye.
“She must have gotten some inspiration,” Mirae said with a tired laugh. Sio nudged Aris and Mirae’s shoulders.
“Since we can’t be of any more help here, shall we go have dinner together?”
Mirae agreed, linking her arm firmly with Riviel’s, and on the other side, linked arms with Aris.
“Riviel is coming too. Like it or not, we’ll be seeing each other for the next few months, so try to get along.”
Aris wore an indifferent expression, and Riviel gave a wry smile. They bowed politely to Kundulen, who had come to see them off at the main gate, then headed toward the tram station. Riviel stopped briefly to return to Kundulen, speaking in a gentle voice.
“Kundulen, loyal subject of the great Bobine. I understand your concerns about the influence Aris’s magic may have. I won’t dismiss your worries outright. But the Goddess’s fragment is already exerting its influence. Please do what you can.”
Kundulen smiled warmly, pressing his palms together.
“May the blessings of the Frost Goddess be with you.”
“And may the radiance of Bobine be with you.”
Obin bowed in human style, and the humans returned the gesture in Obin style, parting ways. At the tram station, as the three were deciding on dinner, they saw the tram approaching and urged Riviel to hurry.
Riviel ran slightly, catching up to the tram just as it was departing. Coincidentally, the seating ended up in the order of Sio, Mirae, then Aris, leaving only the seat next to Aris empty. Riviel, however, calmly plopped into the vacant seat.
“Handsome gentleman, may I join you?”
“You’re already sitting; what are you saying?”
Aris replied curtly, then asked:
“They want to try Myren-style hot pot. What do you think?”
Surprisingly, Aris didn’t ignore her and asked her opinion. Riviel widened her eyes briefly, then shook her head.
“I’ve never tried it, so I don’t know.”
“Really? If it’s cooked not too spicy, it shouldn’t be polarizing. Want to give it a try?”
“Sure.”
“Lam will eat it too.”
As Aris relayed Riviel’s words to Mirae, Mirae chuckled. Riviel followed with a soft laugh and said, a hint of disappointment in her tone:
“Oh, you could just call me Riviel, not Miss.”
“Lam.”
“Oh.”
Riviel showed her disappointment at the firm refusal to compromise.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. That’s a big step already, isn’t it?”
Mirae chuckled softly, lightly nudging Aris with her elbow. Riviel was certain that if it weren’t for Mirae, Aris would never have spoken to her over something as trivial as choosing dinner.
The days had now reached early April, the day before departure to the Ruard Empire. Aris had a late breakfast and sat in a rocking chair on the terrace, sprawled awkwardly like a lazy cat, basking in the sunlight while doing the homework Kundulen had given her.
Then, somewhere came the click of a camera shutter.
“Did you get permission from the subject before taking pictures?”
Aris didn’t look up from her book as she asked. A small laugh followed, then another click. This time, raising an eyebrow, she turned around. Mirae stood there with a large camera, peering at Aris through the lens.
“Smile!”
But before Aris could even manage her expression, the shutter clicked again. Feeling she might end up used entirely as a subject, Aris got up and covered the camera lens with her book.
“Are you going to keep taking pictures? Where did you even get this?”
“I found it while packing for tomorrow. There was still some new film left.”
Mirae fiddled with the old camera, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Maybe I’ll bring it along too.”
“Why bring it when we’re already short on packing space? What would you use it for?”
“You don’t understand. Photos are what remain from memories.”
“We’re not going on a memory trip.”
“Even if it’s not a memory trip, eventually everything becomes a memory.”
Mirae put the book aside and pulled Aris to stand in the middle of the garden.
“Don’t move.”
She ordered Aris sternly, then went to the main gate to take the picture. Aris stood awkwardly, unsure of herself.
“Why are you trying to take my picture?”
“To make it look good.”
Mirae adjusted her stance to get the right composition. When it still didn’t work, she pouted.
The spot they were standing in was the exact same location as when Aris first returned with the key in the unkempt garden. Aris was in the same spot, Mirae too, and even the time of day was similar. Only the appearance of the garden had changed.
Mirae, still observing Aris through the lens, thought back. Back then, in that chaotic garden, only Aris had stood out. It felt as if he existed for that place.
But now it was the opposite. The place seemed to exist for Aris. Mirae realized it wasn’t just the garden that had changed. She had regretted before that she couldn’t capture the scene she had felt back then, but this was fine too.
Click.
“Before we leave on our mission, we should at least take one photo. By the time we return, the season will have changed.”
Sharne, Kundulen’s wife, had willingly maintained the garden until Mirae’s return. It had been beautifully arranged, and they couldn’t let it turn back into a jungle.
Mirae lowered the camera and spoke.
“You know, Aris, I was actually terrified of being alone in this house after my family died.”
Aris listened calmly.
“As you can see, this house is too big for just one person. Being alone without my family felt so awkward… That’s why I spent a few years at the Academy, staying in the dorms. Even after graduating and deciding to join Sephyros… I was so scared of facing this house that I stayed in the dorm apartment. Before, Paulo and Sephi lived here too, but now they have their own homes and families. I couldn’t ask them to live here with me. So, for five years, I let the garden turn into a jungle… But honestly, I wanted to come back. I was just too scared. I didn’t even realize I was such a coward until then.”
