Rayish
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Chapter 115
🕑 Added 2025-03-20 08:06:46 +0000 UTCThe following days, Riveria spent her time at Aina's house, burying herself in research that seemed to lead nowhere. Together with her friend, she went through page after page of ancient High Elf books she had brought to Aina's house, hoping to find something that could help her better understand the ancient rune on her back.
Aina's husband seemed to understand the importance of their research. He was almost never at home, whether due to his busy schedule or because he intentionally gave them space. Riveria appreciated this gesture, as it meant she didn't have to feel guilty for staying at her friend's house for so long.
However, despite spending several days on their research, they still came up empty-handed. Many of the ancient books they read turned out to focus more on the history and culture of the High Elves rather than the magic Riveria could use. Some books even felt more like collections of poetry or travel journals rather than tomes related to Magecraft.
Riveria finally closed the book in front of her with a hint of frustration. "Haaah... it seems we need to look for other sources. Out of everything we've read, not a single thing is relevant to my Magecraft."
Aina sighed, also feeling tired. "Honestly, I feel like most of these books are just old stories that don't even mention things like the runes we're discussing."
It was already late afternoon when Riveria finally decided to return to the Loki Familia headquarters. She stood up, straightened her cloak, and then turned to Aina. "It seems I should head back. I can't leave the Loki Familia for too long."
Aina nodded, understanding her friend's intentions. "Alright, but before you go... Do you want me to send a message to your father? Maybe he could send more ancient books to Orario."
Riveria's eyes sparkled slightly at the suggestion. "That's a good idea. Please convey my request to King Larfal. If there are any other books that can be sent, I'd like to study them."
Aina gave a faint smile. "Later, I'll go to the Guild and make an official request to a messenger Familia like the Hermes Familia. They should be able to deliver the message quickly."
Riveria nodded in satisfaction, feeling relieved that her efforts wouldn't be in vain. Before leaving, she took Aina's hand and pulled her into a hug. "Alright, Aina. I can always count on you."
Aina hugged her back, gently patting her back. "Be careful on your way, Riveria. Don't push yourself too hard."
Before stepping out of Aina's house, Riveria calmly adjusted her cloak's hood, making sure it covered most of her long green hair. She then grabbed the supporter bag hanging near the door, even though it was empty since all the ancient books they had studied over the past few days had been taken out and left at Aina's house.
As she saw Riveria preparing to leave, Aina, who was still sitting relaxed in her chair, leaned back with her arms crossed. "You don't need to take those books," she said casually. "If you want to continue your research, just come back here. I can keep helping you translate them, right?"
Riveria looked at her friend for a moment before nodding softly. "Thank you, Aina. That would be a great help." Then, with a slightly more confident tone, she added, "When I come back here next time, I'm sure I'll be able to activate your Magic Circuit."
Hearing this, Aina raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. She leaned closer to the table and said in a teasing tone, "Well then, don't forget to say hello to your Magecraft teacher for me."
Riveria, who was almost at the door, suddenly stopped. Her body tensed for a moment, and although her face wasn't visible from Aina's angle, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. With a slightly hesitant voice, she half-turned and looked at Aina with narrowed eyes. "Why are you suddenly asking me to say hello to him?"
Aina giggled softly, clearly enjoying the moment. "Because I'm curious," she said lightly. "Besides, I want to know if you'll tell me his name directly or keep avoiding mentioning it like before."
Riveria sighed, realizing that Aina could always read her expressions better than anyone else. However, instead of responding to the teasing, she asked another question. "If I may ask, why do you want to learn Magecraft yourself? Isn't it different from the magic that Elves can learn?"
Aina leaned her head back on the chair, seeming to think for a moment before answering softly. "I want to make my cooking taste better for my husband."
Riveria blinked, slightly surprised by such a simple answer. "Cooking...?"
Aina smiled, her eyes full of warmth. "Yes. I still remember how you used Magecraft to enhance the flavor of our meals. And, honestly, I've never heard of magic being able to do the same. If Magecraft can help me make something more delicious for my husband, then I want to try it."
Riveria was silent for a moment, then slowly smiled. Aina's answer was typical of her—simple, straightforward, and full of genuine, heartfelt affection.
"Alright," she finally said, "I'll keep that in mind as I continue my studies."
With those words, Riveria finally stepped out of Aina's house, leaving her friend with a promise to return.
Thanks to her green cloak's hood covering most of her face, Riveria's journey back to Twilight Manor went smoothly. She walked through the streets of Orario, now bathed in the light of the setting sun, passing various buildings and merchants still busy with their activities.
Not a single Elf greeted her or showed any suspicion, which made her feel a bit relieved. Although her appearance was quite distinctive as a High Elf, the cloak she wore was enough to avoid curious glances from the city's residents. Riveria didn't want to draw attention, especially after spending several days at Aina's house.
When she finally arrived at the large gates of Twilight Manor, she immediately noticed something was different. The atmosphere was quieter than usual. There was no loud chatter from adventurers who usually gathered in the main hall, no members relaxing after returning from the Dungeon.
"Are they all still in the Dungeon?" Riveria thought as she stepped inside. She saw a few Familia members on guard duty, but their numbers were fewer than usual.
Not wanting to dwell on it too much, Riveria continued her steps calmly, climbing the large spiral staircase leading to the upper floors. Her steps were steady, silent, reflecting the calmness and discipline that had been part of her for a long time.
When she reached the fourth floor, she finally arrived at the door to her room. With a gentle motion, she opened the door and stepped into her neatly organized room. The evening light coming through the window gave the room a warm ambiance, highlighting the wooden furniture typical of Elves that adorned her room.
Without wasting any time, she placed her large supporter bag in the corner of the room, making sure everything remained tidy. After that, with graceful movements, she removed her green cloak and changed into a casual Elf outfit—a loose, light green dress comfortable for indoor wear.
Once she finished changing, Riveria let out a soft sigh and allowed her body to relax for a moment. Finally, after several days filled with research and discussions, she could enjoy a bit of peace in her own room.
Riveria walked to the corner of the room where a small shelf neatly held various types of tea. She selected a tea bag with a soft and calming aroma, then took a teapot filled with clean water.
With a relaxed and practiced motion, she lit the small oil stove in her room. The blue flame flickered slowly, creating a soft sound as the water in the teapot began to heat. While waiting, Riveria exhaled softly and closed her eyes for a moment, letting the warmth of the room seep into her body.
However, she wasn't just brewing ordinary tea. With her left hand, she touched the tea leaves she had prepared, then slowly channeled prana into them. Magecraft Reinforcement began to work, enhancing the natural characteristics of the tea leaves—their aroma became more intense, their flavor richer, and their soothing effects on the body increased.
When the water in the teapot boiled, Riveria poured it into a cup containing the reinforced tea leaves. A fragrant aroma immediately filled the room, refreshing the air with its scent. She took the cup, blowing on the rising steam.
With the intention of relaxing, she took the cup and stepped out of her room, heading to the balcony overlooking the backyard of Twilight Manor. The cool evening breeze gently swept through her green hair as she sat on one of the wooden chairs available there. From this spot, she could see the usually peaceful scenery—a large yard filled with green grass and a few large trees adding to the natural feel.
However, as her eyes scanned the yard, her eyebrows raised slightly.
What was supposed to be a peaceful view had now turned into something... unexpected. Several members of the Loki Familia were gathered in the yard, but they weren't just chatting or training as usual.
They were riding something.
Riveria narrowed her eyes, trying to understand the strange object they were riding. The vehicle had two wheels, a frame, and pedals they were pushing with their feet. Although the shape was unfamiliar to her, all the vehicles looked identical—making her even more curious.
Raul, with an awkward but enthusiastic expression, tried to catch up to Aki, who was confidently speeding ahead. Alicia, with her blonde hair fluttering in the wind, seemed to be laughing as she challenged her friends to a race.
"Is this... some kind of new training equipment?" Riveria murmured softly, sipping her tea elegantly.
Calmly, she turned her gaze to the main hall, which had felt quiet earlier. Now it all made sense. Apparently, it wasn't because they were still in the Dungeon, but because they were all in the backyard... busy with those strange two-legged objects.
Riveria observed from the balcony for a while longer, her eyes tracing every detail of the vehicle being used by the Loki Familia members below. They all looked identical—no variation in size, shape, or color. This fact made her even more certain that these vehicles weren't the work of an ordinary blacksmith.
"Projection..." she thought to herself. If all these vehicles were identical without any differences, then it was highly likely that they were the result of a certain man's unique ability—a man who had been catching her attention for quite some time: Shirou Emiya.
She let out a small sigh, leaned back in her chair, and smiled faintly. "Once again, you've created something interesting," she murmured softly, imagining how the young man might have casually created these vehicles just because someone asked.
Riveria touched the rim of her cup, but her thoughts now drifted far beyond just the vehicles. Her trip to Aina's house, the rune that also appeared on her friend's back, and the fact that this ancient symbol was indeed inherited by the High Elves... All of this further strengthened her belief that she needed to talk to Shirou soon.
Not just about these vehicles, but also about the rune she had discovered on her own body. If it was true that all High Elves bore the same mark, then their Magecraft and magic might be more closely related than she had previously thought.
"It's been a few days since I last saw him..." she thought. She had only stayed at Aina's house for a few days, but still, there was a slight feeling of longing lingering in her heart. The routine of early morning training in the corner of the garden, where Shirou patiently guided her in Magecraft, was something that had started to feel familiar to her. The way the young man explained things gently, corrected her mistakes calmly, and the seriousness in his eyes whenever he discussed something related to Magecraft—all of these were things that Riveria now realized... she missed.
She straightened up slightly, taking another sip of her now slightly cooled tea. Her eyes once again scanned the yard, trying to spot the red-haired young man among the Loki Familia members busy trying out the new vehicles.
However, she didn't find him.
Riveria frowned slightly. "He's not here?" she thought. If he wasn't in the backyard, then where was he?
The most logical answer quickly came to mind.
"Ah... maybe he's still at the Hostess of Fertility," she concluded. The young man was still working there, helping with cooking and serving customers. That meant he likely hadn't returned to Twilight Manor yet.
She let out a soft sigh, then placed her teacup on the small table beside her.
"Then, I'll just have to wait until he returns."
When her teacup was nearly empty, Riveria let out a soft groan, savoring the lingering tranquility. She rose from her chair, intending to return to her room for a brief rest. However, something in the distance caught her attention—a tiny dot moving slowly in the far rear area of the yard, away from where the other members of the Loki Familia were gathered.
Her brow furrowed slightly. "Who is that?" she wondered.
A possibility crossed her mind. "Could that be Shirou?" The man hadn't returned to Twilight Manor yet, but what if he had already arrived and was now testing a new vehicle he had projected?
It was then that she remembered something.
Some time ago, she had asked Shirou to show her how to enhance her vision using Reinforcement Magecraft. The young man had demonstrated by placing his hand over Riveria's eyelids and channeling prana into them.
Riveria closed her eyes for a moment, then repeated Shirou's actions with full concentration. Her fingertips touched her eyelids, and she slowly channeled prana. A warm sensation spread from her eyes, and when she opened them again, her vision had become significantly sharper.
Her green eyes now glowed faintly with prana, and she focused her gaze on the figure moving in the distance.
"Alright, let's get a clearer look," she murmured softly.
She focused her gaze on the moving dot. What she saw ahead made her freeze in place.
There, in the distance, was a two-wheeled vehicle with two saddles. The vehicle was different from the others—longer and clearly designed to be ridden by two people.
"This vehicle... it's unlike the others," she thought, slightly surprised. The vehicles she had seen before were only for one person, but this one seemed unique.
However, the real surprise wasn't the shape of the vehicle, but who was riding it.
At the front was a gray-haired man pedaling with his usual expression—furrowed brows and a slightly sour face, as if he wasn't enjoying the situation. There was no mistaking it; it was Bete Loga.
But what truly stunned Riveria was the figure sitting behind him, also pedaling with an expression that contrasted sharply with Bete's.
A girl with long black hair tied in a braid, wearing a brown and white top—Linne Arshe.
The girl looked slightly embarrassed but was also smiling faintly as if she was enjoying the moment.
Riveria rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things. After convincing herself that what she was seeing was real, she leaned against the balcony railing with an indescribable expression.
"I never expected to see something like this," she murmured softly, almost wanting to laugh.
She had always thought of Bete as a tough, rough man who disliked those he considered "weak." And Linne? She was just a level 2 supporter, a healer far from the definition of a strong fighter.
But now, before her eyes, she saw the two of them pedaling a tandem vehicle together.
If Bete truly hated weak people, why would he let Linne ride the vehicle with him?
Riveria narrowed her eyes, realizing something.
"Ah... so that's how it is."
They were in a secluded area of the yard, far from the usual gathering spots. No other members of the Loki Familia were around to see them, except for her, who happened to be observing from the balcony.
Riveria covered her mouth, suppressing the small smile forming on her face.
"So, even though Bete always acts tough and annoying... in the end, he can't resist when he likes someone, huh?" she thought.
Riveria cleared her throat softly, then shook her head with a faint smile. "I guess I'll pretend I didn't see this."
With a slightly lighter heart, she released the reinforcement on her eyes and turned away, leaving the balcony.
