Drip, drip, splaaaash——
“Mmmph…….”
At the faint sound of rain drifting in through the window, my dim consciousness gradually rose to the surface.
I gently lifted my heavy eyelids, revealing a slightly dim private room at an inn.
From the first floor below came the sounds of people busily coming and going, and rowdy chatter. I also faintly caught the scent of a stew that had been simmering for who knew how long—a medley of miscellaneous ingredients.
I thought about sleeping a little longer and tried closing my eyes, but I didn’t feel like I’d fall asleep even if I kept them shut, so I eventually opened them gently.
“Huuuuh…….”
The cold air seeping in through the window and past the coarse blanket made my body shiver involuntarily.
Cold.
I had a body that wouldn’t freeze to death even at the North Pole, yet why I was so sensitive to the cold was something I had never figured out despite living for so long.
I flicked my fingers slightly and used magic. Warm heat rose from inside my stomach and instantly enveloped my entire body. It looked like a simple spell, but it was high-level magic requiring precise control.
After all, one wrong move and I could end up cooked alive.
Now that my body was warm, I took off the chemise I had worn all night, put it in my backpack, dampened a towel, and wiped down my body. Perhaps because I was small, it didn’t take long.
After roughly blowing away the moisture with magic, I layered on my outdoor clothes.
A top and pants woven from reasonably sturdy cloth, a leather skirt, and leather boots that came up to about mid-calf. Ordinary traveler’s garb.
Once ready, I opened the door, stepped out into the hallway, and knocked on the door to the next room. It was my disciple Kasian’s room.
Once, twice, three times.
After confirming there was no answer despite knocking several times, I sighed and opened the door to go right in. Beyond the door that opened with a creak, a gray-haired boy was still sprawled out, fast asleep.
Looking down at him, I suddenly felt like he had grown so big. I had taken him in when he was practically a newborn, yet before I knew it, he was almost my height. He’d overtake me soon enough.
I had experienced this dozens of times while raising tens of disciples, yet I couldn’t help but feel strange every time.
That aside, the fact that he was still dead asleep meant he was truly a lazy disciple.
I made sure he trained every day, but I didn’t work him hard enough for fatigue to accumulate like this. Just yesterday, the most difficult part of his training had been zapping him with high voltage for a few minutes.
It seemed yesterday’s training hadn’t been enough after all.
I wrapped electricity—my most reliable method—around my hand and gently caressed Kasian, just enough not to kill him.
With the tender heart of a master who cherishes his disciple.
“Kraaaaaagh!!”
Kasian flopped around like a fresh fish and immediately came to his senses.
As expected, nothing beats an electric shock for waking someone up.
◇
“Two krrit.”
“Here.”
I handed over two halves of a split copper coin and one whole copper coin, receiving in return two bowls of warm stew and a lump of bread.
Perhaps because it had been simmering for so long, the stew was steaming, but it didn’t look very appetizing with its mix of unidentifiable animal meat, the entrails of yet another unidentifiable animal, and mushy vegetables.
“Here.”
“Thank you for the meal…….”
Perhaps because he’d been electrocuted first thing in the morning, he looked somewhat dazed.
When I placed a bowl of stew and the bread in front of him, Kasian began emptying the bowl quickly, as all growing children do. The bread must have been incredibly tough, yet without bothering to soften it in the stew or anything of the sort, he simply chewed and swallowed it with his teeth.
I had a body that wouldn’t die even if I didn’t eat, but hunger was a separate matter, so I picked up the spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and brought it to my lips.
‘……Salty.’
The meat had broken down so completely that it was impossible to tell what kind it was, and the squishy vegetables combined with extreme salinity to create a maddening collaboration.
It wasn’t a flavor I had only tasted once or twice before, but the distinct salty taste I felt every time was undeniable.
Still, it was better than being hungry, so I endured the tongue-numbing saltiness and forced the stew down my throat.
I quickly finished the unpleasant meal, packed my things, and stepped outside the inn. I couldn’t see well because of the clouds, but the sun seemed to be just rising.
The moment I stepped outside, the smell of rain hit me strongly.
The downpour had weakened compared to when I’d first woken up, but it was still coming down hard enough to soak clothes in an instant, so I threw on my outer coat that I’d kept ready.
As I sloshed along the road that had become half mud, Kasian followed beside me, shouldering a backpack that was about half again as large as his own body.
“Master, where are we going now?”
“Who knows. Where shall we go?”
I had wandered quite a few places by now. It was only natural, since I had simply roamed the continent without any particular purpose.
I could go north along the coastline, or south. That was simply the nature of purposeless travel.
The continent was vast, and there were far more places worth visiting ahead than where I had already been.
But no matter which way I went, there was somewhere nearby I had to stop by briefly.
“There’s a tall coastal cliff near here. Let’s stop there first before we go.”
“Ah, the one standing tall in the distance? But why there?”
“There’s someone I want to see for a moment.”
◇
We passed through the city gates and walked for another half a day. The rain had stopped, but the clouds were thick, and the sun, which must have been rising toward midday, was still hidden.
It looked like it would pour down again at any moment.
It wasn’t good weather, but if I missed him this time, I wouldn’t know how many years it would be until next time, so I decided not to mind.
The place we arrived at was the coast. Not the sandy beaches one usually imagines when hearing of the shore, but a coast made of high cliffs—looking down, they were tall enough to stack two or three buildings.
And right in the middle, a steep cliff rose up, looking as if it had been carved out from the surroundings. Perhaps because I hadn’t seen it in so long, it seemed slightly different from before.
Kasian looked up at the top of the cliff and let out an exclamation of awe.
“Wow, it’s high…….”
“Stop gawking and let’s climb.”
“Huh, the person you want to see is up there?”
“Something like that.”
I hopped lightly over the rough rocks jutting up high and reached the summit in an instant. Looking back, Kasian had scaled the cliff just as effortlessly.
I didn’t know who had taught him, but it seemed they had taught him well.
Standing at the top of the cliff, all that lay before me was the coastline and surrounding scenery, now even more clearly visible, as well as a short grassy field covering the flat summit and a small rocky outcropping rising from its center.
“There’s no one here?”
“Right there.”
I pointed at the moss-covered rock in the center of the field.
I approached it and brushed away the moss with my hand, revealing faintly remaining letters hidden beneath.
I had been slightly worried that it might have worn away completely, and while it was hard to see, fortunately enough remained to be readable.
〈Te□□t Kra□ Pol □□mit | □□42 - □20□〉
“A tombstone?”
“Yes.”
“……Whose grave is it?”
“A disciple I taught long ago. He’s like a senior to you.”
I set down my backpack and took out a bottle of wine. It was cheap stuff sold nearby, but he had loved to drink anything as long as it was alcohol, so he probably wouldn’t mind.
I placed the wine bottle right in front of the tombstone, knelt down, closed my eyes, and clasped my hands in prayer.
I knew it was actually a meaningless comfort to myself, but sometimes I wanted to immerse myself in the past like this.
How had we met? Right, the first time was when he got caught trying to pickpocket my wallet in the market.
He had surprisingly outstanding magical talent, so teaching him had been rewarding. I think it was also because he had only been my second disciple.
I had been so flustered when that boy grew up and asked me to marry him.
Since I was someone incapable of love regardless of gender, I still felt a little sorry that I had been unable to accept him.
After all, the memories of the dozen or so years I lived in that world beyond were what formed the core of who I am now.
……It had been a bit much that he fell into depravity and became a harem king with more than ten women, but.
Even so, he had been someone I couldn’t hate.
As I prayed like this, I couldn’t help but recall drinking with him around the time he had just come of age.
“…….”
I remained still and prayed a little longer, then unclasped my hands and stood up.
“……Are you done?”
“Yeah.”
Finally, I lifted the bottle and poured it over the tombstone. The reddish-brown wine gradually soaked the rock that had worn down so much it no longer looked like one.
How many years would it be before I came here again? By that time, I would probably be visiting with a different disciple, not Kasian.
“……Master.”
“What.”
“……Nothing, never mind.”
For some reason, Kasian had been quiet since earlier.
Well, I had a rough idea even without asking. He was probably thinking about how he too would die someday.
Feeling a sudden chill on top of my head, I looked up at the sky, and this time my cheek grew slightly cold. I brushed it with my fingers, and ice crystals quickly melted away in my hand.
Snow.
Winter was slowly approaching, after all. It was about time.
If it piled up, it would become a hassle, so we had to move quickly.
I gazed briefly at the tombstone as snow began to settle on it, then turned my back to it and walked away.
“Let’s go.”
I would likely return here many more times in the future.