In a Dark, Stormy Night...

Chapter XV

In a Dark, Stormy Night...

The rain pelting against the window glass intensified, and the wind howled like a pack of wolves on a full moon’s night. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, making the room quite chilly, despite the logs that burned furiously in the fireplace. Enji likened the storm raging since the day before yesterday to typhoons he had experienced in his native Japan; perhaps this one was stronger, although typhoons typically struck the coast from the sea, and they were way inland in the mountains.

He sat by one of the windows of the reception room, with Silma by his side. She didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk. After hearing what Elpinia had said, her demeanor had become distant.

The lord’s boy was carried out of the room by Koll, accompanied by one of Aslei’s maids. The mage and Neos, sitting at the other end of the room, seemed to still harbor some animosity toward Enji by the manner in which they were watching him. At the center of the room, acting as a protective barrier for Enji, were Pol, Sol, and Elpinia, talking, apparently, without a care in the world. Lia and Maka served refreshments while keeping an eye on everyone. That was the state of things for the moment.

A blinding light, followed by a thunderclap loud enough to rattle the window panes and the cups on the tables, startled everyone.

Enji watched the lamps in the room. In an isolated mansion, in some mystery story, the lights would have flickered and gone out, and someone would shriek in terror. A butler or the head maid would bring candles, and that’s when a dead body of one of the people present is discovered on the floor in a pool of blood—another shriek. But none of that happened; the room was brightly lit with magical gemstones infused with a special spell, making them impervious to the storm raging outside. Still, Enji didn’t want to be the one found dead.

The head maid did appear, but she wasn’t carrying a candelabrum; instead, she announced that hot drinks were being prepared and would be served shortly.

Ulua exited the room, and everyone resumed their previous actions. Enji stole a glance at Silma beside him. After a few moments, he decided to break the ice. “I didn’t know you wanted to become a high mage.”

“Oh! Yes, I do. At first, when I told Mistress she was opposed, but seeing that I was dead set on it, she relented, and now she supports me.” She wriggled her ears.

“Are Nilsei and Popa interested in doing the same?”

“Nilsei has other plans. Now that Popa has learned to read and write, she might want to be one too.”

“Is there some reason for becoming a high mage? What are the rewards for fighting against monsters?” Enji was unaware of what drove people in the kingdom to join the fight; his reason lay in his desire to return to Japan, and for that, meeting with the elf girl was essential.

“I don’t want my children and my children’s children to suffer for any inactivity of my part in this war.” She stared him in the eyes.

Yes, that was a good way to put it. Who wouldn’t want to live in a peaceful world devoid of wars and monsters? But how feasible was it to obtain? Galakei had alleged that the people of this world were losing ground against the invading monsters. Wasn’t this the perfect trope of the summoned hero to fight against the monsters? What did she call them? Grek, grok, something else...? I’ll call them Shadow Monsters and no! I don’t want to be a hero and fight monsters! “How close are you to becoming a high mage?”

“Remember the grimoire I carry with me? It contains sixty-four spells. Out of those, I have learned only twenty.” Dejected, she lowered her head.

That’s only about thirty-one percent. “What makes it difficult for you to learn the rest?”

“For some of the spells, it’s visualizing what they will do, for others, I don’t know what I’m supposed to gather from the essence of life.”

The essence of life. The specks of life, as Galakei called them, seem to be the atoms and molecules in the air and ground surrounding everyone. Enji reasoned that maybe her problem lay in identifying the elements she needed to gather for the incantations. “Silma, are you willing to learn another language?”

“Do you mean the one from your land?”

“Not precisely. It is the language of giants who left their legacy in one of my grimoires.” Enji smiled. An idea had begun to form in his mind.

“Your grimoires?” Her eyes couldn’t get any bigger.

***

In the end, Galakei never showed up in the reception room, so everyone retired to their rooms for the night.

Silma lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Enji’s reaction to the lord’s son’s assault on her took her by surprise. To stand against a noble... Enji’s words were etched in her mind: “She is not for sale for any money in the world!” She hid her face in her hands as the heat reached her cheeks and ears, accompanied by goosebumps all over her body. So, courageous... She kicked her legs a few times. But... A shadow clouded her mood. She admired that he had rescued the blood drinker girl, but because of that, it seemed that another rival had surfaced. Nilsei liked Enji, and so did Popa, even though she was not aware of it yet, and now, Skia too. “Aargh!”

Silma uncovered her face and stared at the ceiling again. The rain continued with its onslaught against the window. It was the perfect night to spend wrapped in a blanket by the fireplace, drinking a hot beverage next to someone you loved. Love? Do I love Enji? No. No, no, I don’t! It’s just admiration! She turned, burying her face in the pillow, and kicked the bed again. “Lord...Enji...” she had vocalized what she wouldn’t dare to say or admit in front of the boy. “...Do you like me?”

With those thoughts in her mind, she slowly drifted off to sleep; perhaps she would dream of the black-eyed boy.

***

The next morning, after breakfast, Enji and Silma set out to see Skia. During breakfast, they received the news that she was fully regenerated and wanted to see Enji.

As they walked, Enji asked Silma, “Remember when I told you about the elements?”

“You mean fire, water, wind, and earth?”

“No, not those. What you call ‘the essence of life’ is composed of very tiny things we call atoms that make the elements, and combined, they form molecules with different properties.”

“Oh! What the Mage wrote on the grimoires as the Specks of Life!”

“Yes. Last night, as I was reading my... grimoire.” He pointed to the book under his arm. “I came up with an idea of how to identify those missing things from your incantations.”

“That would be wonderful!” Her eyes sparkled.

So engrossed were they in their conversation that they almost collided with Lady Aslei coming out of one of the rooms.

“Excuse us!” Silma apologized.

“No harm done, and good sunrise, Lord Enji and Lady Silma,” she greeted them with a slight bow of her head.

“Good morning to you, too, Lady Aslei.” Enji bowed, and Silma did her best to curtsy.

“Would you mind indicating how to get to Lady Skia’s chambers? I want to give the lady my thanks personally.” Her manner of speech was soft, and she pronounced every syllable with deliberate diction.

“You can come with us; we were on our way there.”

“How gracious of you. I was paying Captain Sarko a visit, and leaving without seeing Lady Skia would be unpardonable.”

The night before, Neos had mentioned that the captain had been injured and was bedridden. Enji was curious about his state. “How is he?”

“He is thankful to be alive, but sad he will not be able to work as an adventurer anymore.”

“Huh? What happened to him?”

“He lost one of his legs.”

The recollection of the tripods fighting each other for someone’s leg hit him like a punch. He thought he had buried it deep in his mind to preserve his sanity, but the memory resurfaced.

“I will make sure that he receives substantial compensation; if it is not from the domain lord, it will be from my own people.” Her tone of voice had dropped in volume and intensified in coldness when she mentioned the domain lord, who was her husband.

Ugh, I smell marital problems. Enji didn’t offer any comment; he just gestured for Aslei to accompany them. Silma, at his side, remained quiet. She seemed to be in awe of the lady.

They arrived at Skia’s door, and Silma knocked and announced that they had come to visit. After hearing the acknowledgment from within, they stepped inside.

Skia lay in bed, propped up in a sitting position with several pillows. A tray with empty plates lay by her side; she must have finished her breakfast. Skia, for a moment, observed Aslei, but said nothing. She ignored Silma and finally addressed Enji, “Worm, you seem to be alive.”

Enji didn’t mind her insulting him. Not because he enjoyed it, he didn’t have that kink, but rather, the way she said it was playful and devoid of meanness. “I’m glad you are fine. Would you be able to walk?”

“Look!” she flipped the blanket to the side, revealing her legs.

Enji choked on his saliva and coughed hard, his face turning a deep shade of red. Her long, shapely legs were exposed in all their glory, as were her midriff and shoulders. The triangle of cloth covering her lower parts resembled those popular beach bikinis tied with strings at the hip. Around her breasts, she wore the customary cloth band that seemed to be the preferred type of breast support in this world.

“Skia! There is a man present you should cover up!” Silma reprimanded her as she tried to pull the blanket over her.

“Oh...? That means you haven’t exposed yourself to him yet. Oi, worm, do you like my legs?” She wiggled her hips. Silma threw herself over Skia to cover her, and soon they were entangled in a fight. Enji moved around the bed, trying to stop their quarrel, but he didn’t dare touch any of the girls.

Aslei let out a joyful laugh. “Oh, my... what an amusing situation. Lord Enji, you are going to have your hands full with these two.”

The two girls stopped tussling; Silma stood up, and Skia covered her legs.

Lady Aslei came close to the bed as she removed her veil and dropped back the hood of her dress. She bowed at an angle that back in Japan would have meant deep respect. “I, Aslei [Kilai] Whitemane of the Bluegrassland Clan, wife of Deepford, give my most sincere thanks for your opportune intervention in our rescue, Lady Skia.”

Enji thought he was already accustomed to the different races of this world, but he wasn’t expecting how Aslei looked.

She had rabbit ears. Yes! Pink rabbit ears, just like her hair. Her eyes were a lovely aqua color, big and expressive, and her skin glowed with a sun-kissed, golden tan. She was more than beautiful, even in her pregnancy, almost at full term. If she had claimed that she was a goddess, he would have believed it without a doubt. This is that pig’s wife?

Skia sat straight and bowed her head. “No need, my lady, it was my duty.”

“You can call me Aslei; no need to show deference to me. I believe Lady Elpinia ranks higher than I, and as her retainer, you should not be below me. Can I call you Skia?” Skia nodded. “Are you fully recovered? I could cast a high healing spell on you.”

“My la—Aslei, won’t it affect the state you are in?” Skia asked.

Aslei shook her head. She extended both her arms over Skia. After whispering an incantation, several gold circles formed over the vampire girl, and as fast as they appeared, they were gone.

“Thanks.” Skia ran her hands over her legs, checking them.

Aslei turned to Enji and Silma. “I have no problem casting magic on others, although I’m unable to use it on myself. That’s the reason I traveled to see Mage Galakei.”

“Are you suffering from some illness?” Silma ventured to ask.

“Oh, no. The Mage examined me to find out the sex of my baby.”

“Like an ultrasound sonogram?”

They all looked at Enji, puzzlement painted on their faces. Aslei was the one who spoke first:

“I understood some of the words’ meaning, but the combination as you spoke them evades my comprehension.”

Enji knew what a sonogram was because he had to accompany his older cousin to a clinic to get one. “It’s a magical device that uses sound waves to draw a picture of what is inside a hu— a person’s body.” He hoped Aslei wasn’t offended by his slip of tongue.

“Please, proceed.”

“In my country, there are animals that can navigate in the darkness by emitting sound inaudible to people’s ears, and as the sound is reflected, they can calculate the distance of the object in front of them. The ultrasound device uses a similar principle and paints a picture of the objects the sound collides with.”

“Is it safe?” She caressed her belly.

“Within reason, yes, it’s used all the time for the purpose of seeing babies, among other uses.”

“Do you know how to make such a device?”

“I’m afraid not.” Enji could see the disappointment in Aslei’s face. He figured that knowing her baby’s sex before it was born must be very important to her.

She bowed her head. “It’s a fascinating concept, worth investigating. I shall keep correspondence with the Mage. For now, I must bid you forgiveness for intruding so much on your time. I shall retire.”

“Farewell, Lady Aslei.” Silma curtsied.

“My Lady.”

“Thanks for stopping by to see me,” Skia said.

Aslei covered her head with the hood and exited the room.

“She seems interested in what you said, worm.”

“Uhmm... There must be something important about Aslei baby’s sex.” Enji turned to Silma. “Do you know anything about their culture?”

“I had heard very little about the Bluegrassland people. They are mainly composed of four-ear people with a few human villages.”

That was a term that Enji had not heard before. So, instead of being called demihumans or “beast people,” in this world, they went by the name of “four ears.” It made sense. It was the most obvious description of them.

“Hey, worm, forget about the lady. Sit by my side.” Skia patted the bed.

Giving Silma a side glance, Enji refused. “I’m fine standing here.”

“But, I want you to, worm.” Skia pouted her lips and clasped her hand under her chin.

“Why are you acting like that, and why do you keep calling Enji a worm?” Silma confronted her.

“Because he is my worm!” Skia gave Silma a defiant look.

“What?” Silma’s tail whipped furiously from side to side.

Enji didn’t want to get drawn into a love triangle situation. He would have loved to have a harem of girls; what teen boy wouldn’t? Or even just the love of one girl, but his priorities lay elsewhere. He knew that if he fell in love, he would never want to return to Japan. “Sorry, I can’t be with any of you or reciprocate your feelings for me. My main goal is to return to my land.”

Skia rose from the bed and grabbed Enji by the shirt, almost lifting him. “Are you trying to ignore the fact that the moment you gave me your blood, you became my betrothed?”

“Huh... What?!”