Chapter 31: The Fire That Took Everything

Inside the council chamber of the Sorcerers’ Academy, Dansleif sat with the other instructors around the round table. Tension was etched across every face; the weight of recent events still hovered above them like an unshakable shadow.

Dansleif:

“Because of what happened recently… I will personally oversee the inspection of every individual in this Academy. I will not allow another betrayal. Once we’re done… we will proceed immediately with the Magic Examination.”

Raven:

“I suggest revising some of the current regulations as a precaution… and perhaps promoting a number of students to Assistant Instructor level.”

Rose:

“I agree. We have many promising students who deserve a better chance to show what they’re capable of.”

Sylvia:

“And we’re still short on healers.”

Leonard:

“As for the offensive division… they’ve already proven themselves.”

Dansleif:

“I’ll review all requests myself. Anything else?”

The instructors exchanged glances before Raven stepped forward, breaking the silence with a question that carried weight.

Raven:

“I have a question for Baradok and his team…

Do you know anyone who might be connected to the one-eyed sorcerers?”

Reinhardt let out a tired sigh.

Reinhardt:

“This question again…”

Auren leaned forward, intrigued.

Auren:

“Is that why you helped Y’s team?”

Raven:

“A few days before the battle, I found Y in my classroom. We talked briefly… and reached a clear agreement:

I would help his team if they decided to infiltrate the enemy’s base,

and in return… he would inform me if he learned anything about the one-eyed sorcerer.

That’s all there is to it.”

Rose:

“That explains a lot…”

Baradok:

“Y… always acts as if he’s following a plan none of us can see. But the ending… wasn’t something anyone could’ve predicted.”

A heavy silence filled the hall before Auren broke it, her voice steady with quiet grief.

Auren:

“Mourning won’t bring back those we lost… we have to keep moving forward.

And Y understands that better than anyone.”

Deep within the Fairy Forest, Y and Klee walked side by side beneath strands of light filtering through the tall leaves above. The soft whispers of the fairies fluttered across the branches, as if woven into the forest’s very magic.

Y:

“We’re back.”

Anna (smiling gently):

“Welcome home, both of you.”

Y:

“Where’s Lecht?”

Anna:

“You’ll find him with Freya.”

Y continued forward with steady, unhurried steps toward where Freya stood, encircled by shimmering rings of light.

Moments later, Angela approached Klee, her curiosity clearly taking over.

Angela:

“What happened in that kingdom?”

Klee:

“He took control of it… without a single fight.”

Angela raised her eyebrows in genuine shock.

Angela:

“Without fighting?! How?”

Klee:

“That’s exactly what happened…”

⸻

After the new king had been chosen, Klee went on, explaining the remaining details.

Lunaria (eyes widening):

“That’s… unbelievable.”

Lauma:

“This reminds me of when he used my magic for the very first time…

He understood it on the first attempt, as if it were his own.”

Klee:

“I can understand how he uses other people’s magic…

But how can he control and create complex spells the very first time he tries them?”

Lunaria:

“That’s the same question I have.”

Angela:

“And me as well… I want to know how he handles magic so easily.”

At that moment, Ash joined the conversation, hands on her hips, speaking with a confident, knowing tone.

Ash:

“Well… here’s what we know so far. He has two ways that help him learn techniques quickly.

First: precise observation.

For example, with Lunaria’s magic—Y spent an entire month watching her, analyzing the technique with his eyes until he understood its mechanism completely.

Second: this is a bit harder, and applies to more complex techniques.

The spell has to hit his body first… then he analyzes it from the inside and understands it, like Dansleif’s meteor.

It struck him multiple times—so he was able to reproduce it later, as long as the right type of magic is available.”

Klee:

“So that’s why he wanted to use my magic…”

Anna:

“Still… there are techniques too complicated to learn through those two methods alone.

That’s why he grows day by day… until he can understand them fully and improve himself.”

Klee:

“No wonder Dansleif values him this much. He uses everything around him in the best way possible.”

Lunaria:

“And not only that… he helps others improve too, even if they’re not part of his team.”

Angela:

“He thinks of his enemies before he thinks of himself.”

Anna smiled softly, as if every word naturally came together to describe someone she knew better than anyone.

Anna:

“Welcome back… this is our leader—Y.”

As the hours passed, the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, and a great fire rose in the heart of the forest, cutting through the darkness with its warm orange glow. The elves danced and sang around it, as if reviving ancient rituals that time could never erase.

Inside a wooden house suspended high among the branches, Robin told stories of the old world. It was a warm, gentle gathering—just the girls—filled with quiet laughter and scattered wonder.

At the edge of the forest, Y, Lecht, and Soran sat in a slightly secluded spot, watching the flames and the distant dancing. Lecht stood silently, his gaze fixed on the fire as if he saw something hidden within it.

Lecht:

“Tell me… is it normal to kill someone you hate?

What would you two do if the person you love most died in front of you?

Would you seek revenge?”

Soran:

“Yes.”

Lecht turned to Y.

Lecht:

“And you, Y?”

Y:

“Yes… but not out of revenge.

Just… to return what was owed.”

Lecht drew a deep breath, as if a heavy weight had finally eased.

Lecht:

“You’ve both eased my mind…

It means I’m not different after all.”

He paused, lowering his voice.

Lecht:

“I have a wife… and a daughter.

My wife was a proud warrior, and my daughter… she was eight.

She had a rare gift—she could absorb magic.”

The fire trembled in his eyes as he continued.

Lecht:

“Three years ago… on a night just like this, in the elf tribe…

I was dancing with my wife, and my daughter was singing.

Everyone was celebrating with us.

Then suddenly… the dance turned to chaos, and the singing into fear.

A large group of humans attacked.

They burned homes… killed the men… abducted the children and women.

That night… the flames devoured everything.

Even my only daughter…

And my wife was taken—because I was too weak.”

Y and Soran exchanged a silent, heavy look.

Lecht (continuing):

“Since that night… the nightmares haven’t stopped.

I’ve seen the flames surround my daughter a thousand times…

And I’ve heard my wife scream under torture, calling my name again and again.

All because of one human.

His laughter… I can still hear it.”

He lowered his head.

Lecht:

“Today, Liz asked me…

‘Is it possible to attack someone without intending to?’

But that’s something I’ll never learn.”

Y started to speak, but Lecht continued quickly:

Lecht:

“Don’t worry… this has nothing to do with you.”

He lifted his eyes toward the dark sky.

Lecht:

“I won’t rest until I find my wife.

But… three years have passed.

And the waiting… it’s killing me.

What if she’s dead?

What if I can’t find her?

Tell me… what should I do?

Every day that passes… I’m the one who suffers.

Slowly.”

Y stepped forward and placed a quiet hand on his shoulder.

Y:

“Thank you for enduring all this.

Everything… will be alright.”

Then he walked away calmly.

Soran smiled faintly.

Soran:

“You’re lucky… your suffering is almost over.

You may not know this… but I’ve heard that in moments like these, Y uses every bit of strength he has.

More than a hundred percent.

Not once or twice… but dozens of times.”

Then he turned to Lecht.

Soran:

“Men usually keep everything inside.

We prefer solving our problems in silence.”

Lecht:

“Are you saying I was wrong to talk about mine?”

Soran:

“Not at all.

But… I understand how it feels.

In my world, I supported my wife in everything she did.

Until the day she started streaming games… but not many people watched.”

Lecht:

“What about your friends?”

Soran:

“They watched… only our friends did.

She felt discouraged—until one day, a stranger entered the stream.

The first person to watch her who wasn’t part of our circle.

That person… was Y.

He rarely spoke, but his silent support meant everything to her.

Just seeing him enter the stream was enough to make her smile.

And I… I’m grateful to him for that.”

Lecht inhaled deeply.

Lecht:

“I’m no different from other elves…

We don’t like humans.

But that never applied to Anna.

From the moment she appeared, she always said:

‘Just wait until Y arrives… things will get better.’

She hid the fact that he was human.”

He paused.

Lecht:

“The truth is… Y already knew.”

Soran:

“Was he waiting for the right moment?”

Lecht shook his head.

Lecht:

“He was simply respecting my pride.

Anna told me Y helps people in different ways—depending on who they are.

For me… he helped indirectly.

The contracts he made to force the kingdoms to help find the elves…

And making me talk to the merchants myself…

All of that helped me enormously.

We made real progress because of him.”

He looked at the fire, now beginning to fade.

Lecht:

“And as you can see… even when he’s not standing at the front…

He’s become a symbol of hope for the elves.

I’ve wanted to talk to him for a long time… but he was always busy.”

He hesitated, then said:

Lecht:

“There’s another reason I wanted to speak with him.”

Soran:

“What reason?”

Lecht:

“He doesn’t lie.

From the moment I met him… he has never lied or deceived anyone.

So I wanted to hear his honest answer:

Do I still have a chance to save my wife or not?

And what he said… lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders.”

Soran:

“I’ve heard life wasn’t kind to him in the old world…”

Lecht seemed to recall Lara and Anna’s stories about Y’s past.

Then, softly:

Lecht:

“They say… the world becomes harsher… the stronger a person becomes.”

Y slipped away quietly from the noise of dancing and singing, leaving behind the warm glow of the fire and the elves’ cheerful voices. He walked through the dark trees until he stepped beyond the forest’s boundary, where the night felt stiller… and the air colder.

There, sitting on a moonlit rock, Ash gazed up at the sky in deep silence.

She raised her head the moment she heard his footsteps.

Ash:

“I felt your aura change for a moment.”

Y:

“Yes… it seems I still can’t control it very well.”

Ash stood, then shifted gracefully into her fox form before leaping lightly onto Y’s shoulder. Her tail swayed gently behind him, matching the rhythm of his steps.

Y allowed a faint smile to appear.

Y:

“In that case… let’s head to Mond.”

Inside the wooden house nestled among the trees, the girls’ conversation was coming to a close, while the firelight outside painted warm, gentle reflections across the walls.

Anna:

“It’s getting late… let’s go to sleep.”

Diona:

“I’m sleeping with Y.”

Klee:

“Don’t you have your own room?”

Diona:

“I do… but sleeping next to Y is calmer. And much more comfortable.”

Lauma (smiling with quiet confidence):

“I understand that very well.”

Robin:

“What do you mean?”

Lauma lifted her hand as if explaining something simple and obvious.

Lauma:

“How should I put this…?

Imagine two doors:

Behind one is danger, behind the other is safety.

For us half-humans, our senses and instincts are shaped around detecting threats.

We rely on them for everything… which is why we can tell what’s behind a door without opening it.”

Diona:

“It’s the same for humans too.

There are people our senses naturally feel safe around… like Anna and Freya.

And the opposite—people whose presence feels dangerous.

As for me, with Y… my senses settle whenever I’m near him.

And on top of that, he always chooses the quietest place to sleep.

That matters a lot.”

She tilted her head lightly before adding:

Diona:

“He once told me he prefers my mother Lara’s home… and Freya’s domain.”

Leona:

“That doesn’t apply to anyone fighting him seriously.”

Lunaria:

“That’s true… his aura becomes sharp and heavy.”

Angela:

“Fortunately… training with him is easy.”

Suddenly, a voice came from above.

Voice:

“I hate to interrupt… but Y has left the Fairy Forest with Ash for some mission.”

Diona jumped to her feet instantly.

Diona:

“What?! Since when?!”

Freya:

“He just left.”

Lauma:

“Can we catch up to him?”

All:

“No.”

Anna exhaled softly, a gentle worry in her voice.

Anna:

“I just hope he doesn’t forget to rest… at least a little.”

Freya held up a small slip of paper.

Freya:

“We have messages from Y… he says to prepare for Mond tomorrow.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Leona stood up immediately.

Leona:

“Liz, Diona—go. Sleep now.”

The two girls headed to their rooms without hesitation, while Lauma, Klee, and Angela exchanged puzzled looks.

Klee:

“They got serious all of a sudden…”

Angela:

“Is it because of Y’s message?”

Anna:

“Yes. Normally, Y lets everyone choose what they want to do.

But this time… he said clearly that we have to go to Mond.

That means we’re part of some plan…

And it seems he needs all of us.”

Moving swiftly, Y reached a high ridge overlooking the Kingdom of Mond, Ash standing beside him in her human form after a quiet journey through the night. The air was colder here, and the city below shimmered beneath the moonlight like a silver painting.

Near the trunk of a large tree sat a figure in complete stillness—

a stillness that felt like the calm before a storm.

L lifted her head and looked at them with a faint, knowing smile.

L:

“You certainly took your time… I almost thought you forgot about me.”

Ash (smiling with confidence):

“We might forget ourselves… but we would never forget you, L.”

Y:

“You were my first companion in this world.”

L sat on a chair crafted from blood magic—solid yet quietly shifting, as if it were alive. With a small motion of her hand, another chair formed beside it, this one larger.

L:

“Please… sit.”

Y sat down without hesitation.

Y:

“Thank you for protecting Lara in my place.”

L:

“There’s no need to thank me… I owe you far more than that.”

Y:

“So… how is Mond right now?”

L let out a soft breath, her eyes drifting toward the distant city walls.

L:

“Tense… especially inside the royal palace.”

Then something caught her attention.

She focused on the necklace resting around Ash’s neck.

L:

“It’s beautiful.”

Ash:

“It is… Y gave it to me.”

Ash stepped closer to L, leaning in with a playful whisper.

Ash:

“And he’s preparing a gift for you too… don’t worry.”

L’s eyes widened slightly—an expression she seldom showed.

L:

“Truly? What kind of gift?”

Ash:

“I have no idea… but I’m sure it will be wonderful.”

L smiled slowly, then met Y’s eyes—her tone calm, a mix of curiosity and quiet anticipation.

L:

“So… what are you planning to do now?”

Y lowered himself closer to the ground, taking a moment to collect his thoughts—as if settling into the mindset needed for what came next.

Y:

“Where should I begin…?”

Y:

“That’s everything… for now.”

L crossed one leg over the other, her voice steady and composed.

L:

“Then it’s my turn. While you were away, a few things happened.

First: the search missions for Lin’s sister are still ongoing.

And… we found someone interesting. His name is Diablo.”

Ash’s eyes widened instantly.

Ash:

“Diablo?! What was he doing there?”

Y:

“And who exactly is this person?”

L:

“Diablo is a well-known bounty hunter.

But the unusual part is that there’s an enormous bounty on him—almost equal to yours.

He’s currently the third most wanted.”

Ash raised an eyebrow.

Ash:

“Because of the first Y… right?”

L:

“The situation has changed.

Y is now in second place.”

Ash turned sharply to Y, disbelief written on her face.

Ash:

“Then who’s the most wanted now?”

A brief silence fell.

L:

“The one at the top… is Lara.

And the order is to bring her back alive.”

Y lowered his head slightly.

Y:

“I expected that.”

L:

“For her safety, we asked her to change her hair color and cut.”

Y:

“That’s the best option.”

Ash:

“So what do we do now?”

Y looked at both of them.

Y:

“The real question is… how much will Mond be affected by the message they received?”

L:

“Rosari said that message could make Mond ten times better…

or ten times worse.

You’ll need to speak with her to understand the details.”

Y sat down on the ground, picked up a small branch, and began drawing lines in the dirt.

Y:

“Give me a few minutes… let me think.”

L:

“Take your time.”

She then turned to Ash with a faint, knowing smile.

L:

“So… have you mastered your domain yet?”

Ash:

“I haven’t mastered it… but I can use it now.

And you won’t believe how I used it.”

L:

“That sounds interesting. Tell me.”

Ash leaned in, lowering her voice playfully.

Ash:

“But don’t tell Y. This stays between us, alright?”

L:

“I can’t promise that.”

Ash:

“Then I’m not telling you.”

The two of them burst into laughter.

A moment later, Ash leaned in again.

Ash:

“I’m kidding… at first, we were trying to save Y…”

After Ash finished recounting everything, L slowly shook her head in disbelief.

L:

“This is the first time I’ve heard of a clone acting on its own will.”

Ash:

“I know… I laughed that day too.

But even then… that clone still couldn’t fully imitate him.”

At that moment, Y stood up and brushed the dust from his hands.

Y:

“I’m done. I have a plan.”

L:

“Alright… let’s hear it.”

Y:

“It’s only a hypothesis. No proof yet.”

Ash:

“If it’s your hypothesis… it’s probably right.”

L:

“You’ve been thinking about this the entire time?”

Y:

“Yes. Too many questions don’t line up.

So let’s go back to the fundamentals:

First: the message Mond received.

Second: Rin’s sister.

Third: the bounty placed on us.

Fourth: the elves’ incident.

If we set aside Rin’s sister and the message…

that leaves the bounty and the elves’ situation.”

Y paused briefly.

Y:

“And from there, the real questions begin:

Why did Lara’s bounty rise now?

What about Lecht’s three years of suffering?

And the merchants?

These three… are directly connected.”

L nodded slowly as Y continued:

Y:

“Three years ago, the elves were attacked without warning.

Many died, many were taken.

A year later, Lara was kidnapped with her family—

the merchants tried to force her into a contract for profit.

According to Lecht and Anna…

Kraidon had been getting elves far too easily.”

L raised an eyebrow.

L:

“So… the merchants caused the elves’ problem?”

Y:

“Most likely.

The sudden rise in Lara’s bounty means they desperately need her.

Which suggests someone influential wants Lara specifically…

or the same man who took her in the first place.”

He looked at both of them.

Y:

“Tell me:

If merchants hear about a massive bounty on someone, what do they do?”

Ash:

“They tear the world apart looking for them.”

Y:

“And if they still fail?”

L:

“They look for alternatives… like another healer.”

She paused.

L:

“But if they can do that… why increase the bounty?”

Y smiled faintly.

Y:

“And that’s the key.

The answer is in Lara herself.”

Ash froze—then realization struck her all at once.

Ash:

“Lara… is she special?

But I never sensed anything—”

She stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening.

Ash:

“Lara’s house.

Lara’s house is the answer.”

L’s expression softened with understanding.

L:

“That explains a lot…

You always slept soundly in her home.

Anywhere else, you barely slept three hours.”

Y:

“She’s far more than a simple healer.”

Ash:

“And Lecht’s story? The elves?”

Y:

“That’s where the hypothesis deepens.

If they couldn’t find a healer… they’d look for a replacement.

Lecht said his daughter died in the fire—

but there’s a chance she didn’t.

He said her magic absorbs magic.

So what if the flames that night… were magical?

What if she survived?”

L:

“It’s plausible… but difficult to believe.”

Y:

“True.

But what if we misunderstood her ability?”

Ash:

“You mean she doesn’t just absorb magic?

Wait…

You mean she absorbs everything.”

Y:

“Yes.

If her magic absorbs pain, illness, and every form of magical energy…”

L and Ash exchanged a look—understanding everything.

Y:

“All of this depends on the possibility she survived.

I didn’t tell Lecht—there’s no proof.

I won’t give him false hope.”

L:

“I agree.”

Y:

“So the next question:

If the whole world is searching for Lara and still can’t find her… then?”

Ash:

“They’ll look for another solution.”

Y:

“And what if that solution… is controlled by a merchant?”

L’s eyes widened slightly.

L:

“Then they’ll announce something soon.

And at the same time… we may finally find a clue about Lecht’s wife.”

Y gave a quiet, faint smile.

Y:

“That… was my hypothesis.”

He paused.

Y:

“And now… my next goal.”

L:

“I’m glad you have one. What is it?”

Y:

“My goal is to enter the Abyss.”

Ash and L stared at him in shock.

Y:

“I intend to enter it alone.”

Ash:

“You’re refusing our help?”

Y:

“Yes.”

L:

“Then we refuse your refusal.”

Ash:

“We reject the whole idea.

You know the Abyss is a prison for the most dangerous beings.”

Y:

“It’s not a prison…

It’s a place designed to destroy the strongest ones.”

Ash:

“That makes it even worse.

We’re not letting you go.”

L:

“And even if you enter, we’ll follow you.

Who else knows about this decision?”

Y:

“Anna… and Dansleif.”

L:

“I’m not sure about Dansleif,

but I’d bet Anna refused. Am I right?”

Y:

“She did.

She said I have to convince everyone first.”

Ash:

“You won’t convince us.”

Y:

“I know.

I’ll explain the details later in Mond.”

Ash:

“If you knew we’d say no… why tell us now?

You could have gone in secret.”

Y:

“My goal is to go alone.

If I disappeared, you’d spend days searching.

And one of you might follow me in—

and that’s exactly what I want to avoid.”

L:

“You’ve considered every possibility.”

Y:

“And just so we’re clear…

I’m not changing my mind.”

Ash:

“The Abyss appears randomly.”

Y:

“There’s a way to open it.

But we’ll need Soldan’s magic.

I’ll explain later.”

L:

“If you intend to discuss this with everyone,

we can continue later.”

Y:

“I’m sorry…

but I’ll be relying on you both a lot in the coming days.”

L:

“We chose to follow you.

So don’t apologize.”

Ash:

“Exactly.

We’re one team.”

Y:

“Thank you…

Let’s head to Mond.”