Chapter 12: Encounter (4)
Chapter 12: Encounter (4)
Ariel clutched her chest, where her heart pounded loudly enough to echo in her ears, and turned to speak to Rayner. Her voice trembled uncontrollably.
“W-what… what is this? You didn’t even warn me! You could’ve said something! I wasn’t prepared for this…”
[Prepared? What a luxury. On the battlefield, hesitation means death.]
“W-wait, are you saying you can draw out magic without incantations?”
[Don’t know about others, but I can.]
Rayner was nonchalant, his indifference irritating Ariel so much that she couldn’t help but snap at him.
“How can you casually say that when you’re the only one who can do it? You said you’d only be in the field twice!”
[Did I? Well, I think I mentioned staying longer if I liked it here.]
“You can’t even be sure about that right now, can you?”
[True. You haven’t been in the field yet.]
As the two bickered back and forth, the evaluator, who seemed to have just regained his composure, finally informed Ariel that her assessment was complete and that she could leave. His voice carried a faint daze.
Ariel stopped her argument with Rayner, bowed politely to the evaluator, and left the area.
* * *
After finishing all her tests, Ariel was directed to a temporary barracks where she could rest. The barracks, large enough to house about twenty people, already contained around a dozen or so women who had completed their assessments before her.
As Ariel stepped inside, the new presence naturally drew the other women’s attention toward the entrance. But their gazes didn’t linger for long; it was the same every time someone entered. No one bothered to stay interested in a stranger for long.
However, among the women, someone suddenly recognized Ariel.
“Oh, you’re the Phema, aren’t you?”
At the woman’s words, spoken from her seat near the entrance, the other women’s attention, which had briefly turned away, swung back toward Ariel.
“Phema?”
“The one with that rare, sentient grimoire from the rift of space and time, right?”
All the women in the barracks were witches, and none were ignorant of what a Phema was, or its significance. They also knew about Rayner.
Unbeknownst to Ariel, she had already become a hot topic among the wizard candidates. Rumors, based on speculation, had spread about her being the Phema, who can communicate with books, and her connection with the legendary grimoire, the infamous Rayner, who was now under her ownership. Her remarkable display during the aptitude test only added fuel to the fire, turning her into a full-blown celebrity.
The witches swarmed around Ariel.
“I never thought I’d see a Phema here. I assumed I’d only ever see Lord Fereshte.”
“Oh wow, is this really that book? Incredible!”
“Can we open it?”
“I heard the test was chaotic because of it.”
Moments ago, the barracks had been silent, with no one showing much interest in one another. But Ariel’s arrival, and the excitement surrounding her, broke the quiet as if by magic.
The witches gazed at Ariel with sparkling curiosity. While Phema grimoires were more common in places like the capital, Zen, where libraries needed them, they were exceedingly rare outside such areas.
In fact, only around 5% of wizards registered with the official Mage Association were Phema. For most witches living in rural regions or non-magical towns, encountering a Phema even once in their lifetime was unlikely. Their reactions were understandable.
“Does it really cast spells directly just by chanting the words written in it?”
“Do the books actually talk to you?”
The flood of questions overwhelmed Ariel, forcing her to endure the barrage of attention.
* * *
All the tests for both wizards and regular army recruits were finally completed after sunset when the sky was pitch black.
“Move to your designated locations! Assemble!”
A commanding voice rang out sharply, filled with authority. Until that moment, Ariel had been bombarded with endless questions from the witches in her barracks. It wasn’t until she stepped outside that she could breathe a sigh of relief.
The voice calling the wizards to assemble belonged to a tall witch with long ebony hair tied loosely atop her head. She wore a military jacket with buttons undone haphazardly, her hands stuffed into its pockets, while she sat cross-legged on a floating magic circle. Her appearance exuded a certain rebelliousness. She stood with her back to an open clearing, scanning the gathering wizards with her cold, black eyes.
The wizards moved leisurely, seemingly unbothered. The witch’s indifferent gaze turned razor-sharp.
“Move faster. Are you planning to dawdle like this on the battlefield?”
Her icy voice cut through the air like a blade, sending shivers down spines. The wizards, startled, quickened their pace. After that one remark, the witch silently counted the assembling wizards, her gaze fixed on the growing group until no one else emerged.
Once the last of them had arrived, she stood up, stepped onto the floating magic circle, crossed her arms, and spoke.
“The squads and teams will be announced in two days. Until then, you’ll stay in the accommodations provided at the Firen quarter. After the teams are assigned, you’ll undergo two weeks of training before being deployed to the frontlines. That is all. Move out.”
As soon as her explanation ended, a military airship landed behind her.
* * *
Ariel’s ordeal didn’t end even after arriving at the temporary accommodations. Throughout her stay, witches swarmed her constantly, eager to talk or ask questions. Ariel barely had a moment to herself. Though she knew their intentions weren’t malicious, she couldn’t help feeling as if she were being tortured.
Two days passed. As soon as the announcement of the team assignments came, Ariel fled her quarters in relief. The list of teams and divisions was posted on a large board in the central square between the four dormitory buildings. Ariel thought she’d arrived early, but there were already several people crowding in front of the board.
Focusing intently, she began scanning the enormous board to find her name. While she was still searching, a voice suddenly cut through the air beside her.
“Third sheet from the left, third row, twentieth column. C20.”
The voice was small but clear. Before she could wonder who it belonged to, her eyes followed its guidance instinctively. There it was, her name. Only after confirming it did she realize she hadn’t identified the speaker.
“See? We’re on the same team, right?”
Before she could process it, the voice spoke again, this time with a tone that implied familiarity. It was a voice she had heard somewhere before. In an instant, an image flashed through Ariel’s mind, and a name rose to the surface.
Joshua Lennox.
Ariel turned her head sharply. Standing close enough that she first saw only his robed shoulder, she had to tilt her gaze upward. Shining golden hair, violet eyes, and a doll-like, elegant face resembling Aynkel greeted her.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Two days?”
Joshua smiled awkwardly as their eyes met.
‘Ah.’
Memories of their strange and awkward farewell two days ago resurfaced in Ariel’s mind. Embarrassment washed over her, making her neck grow hot. She quickly looked down, avoiding his gaze.
“About last time… I’m sorry.”
“No, no. It’s not your fault. I should be the one apologizing. I wanted to, but you left so quickly…”
“…”
“I really am sorry. But we’re on the same team now, so could we start fresh? I’d really like to get along with you.”
Even without looking, Ariel felt his gaze on her, waiting for her response. Though she wanted to meet his eyes, her embarrassment held her back. Still, she knew she had to reply.
“…It wasn’t that I was upset. I just had… other reasons.”
“Ah, so you didn’t cry because you hated me?”
Joshua brought up the very thing Ariel was desperate to avoid. Her shoulders stiffened.
So, he had seen it.
Though she’d suspected as much, hearing it confirmed was mortifying. She squeezed her eyes shut briefly before letting out a soft sigh and responding.
“…No. That’s not why.”
At least her sadness hadn’t resurfaced, that was a small consolation. Oblivious to her turmoil, Joshua continued speaking, undeterred.
“Then, can you tell me your name now? I couldn’t figure out which one on the board was yours.”
His persistence left Ariel with no choice. She sighed in resignation.
“Ariel Elias.”
“Ariel Elias…?”
Joshua repeated her name like he was tasting it, his voice carrying a hint of wonder. Then, as if he’d realized something, he let out a small exclamation.
“Your surname is your name backward! That’s so pretty. It sounds nice, too.”
As Ariel kept her gaze down, Joshua extended his hand toward her. When she glanced up hesitantly, their eyes met again, and he smiled brightly.
“You didn’t shake my hand last time, so can you do it now? Joshua Lennox. Feel free to call me Josh.”
In that unguarded moment, his face overlapped with her younger brother’s in her mind.
For a brief second, a lump rose in her throat, but she managed to push it down. This time, she wouldn’t let herself falter.
Clenching her trembling hand, she reached out and clasped his.
……
(T/N: Oh, I’m liking Joshua, just don’t be the second lead please 🙏
On another note, I apologize for being unable to release chapters after the holidays and these past few weeks. I had been busy with real life and school stuffs, I hope that you will forgive me 🙇 Thank you for waiting and have a great day ahead 🙇😸)
