SOUTHERN FANTASIA | CHAPTER 9

[posseoir]

 

Once again we found ourselves in front of Ethan's room.

Faust.  It's just as Lennox said, though minute, some power remains.

Breaking the seal will probably do no harm, but we should be cautious.

Lennox.  Noted.

His expression was rather stiff as he nodded. Figaro then patted him on the back.

Figaro.  It's going to be alright. We're here.

That surprised me a little. I would have expected Figaro, a well-spoken and sociable man, to be more expressive at a time like this. Yet, I noticed that Lennox's expression seemed to soften at those short, simple words.

Faust.  If by some chance you unleash something, I will purify it with my own hands. 

Lennox. Do as you wish.

Lennox.  Yes,  thank you.  Now, I will break the seal.

Lennox took one step toward the door.

Lennox.  <Forsettao Meiuvat>

As he recited the incantation, a faint glow illuminated the door. 

Soon, the entrance slowly opens, heavy with the sound of creaking wood.

Lennox.  ….this is….

As we entered, we were met with the smell of dust and the sight of weapons : axes, spears, swords, crossbows, and a multitude of other types. Although the room was not that large, they were all crammed into a small space.

Figaro.  What an impressive collection. Wonder if these were entrusted to him through his job.

Liam.  No…. To the best of my knowledge, Master turned down all work involving weapons. “I don't deserve it,” or something like that….

Faust.  So, the weapons that are lined up here…

Lennox absentmindedly reaches over toward the work desk. 

He picks up a whitish envelope coated in a thin layer of dust.

Lennox.  A letter from Ethan…? It’s also been sealed with magic…

Figaro.  This must be for you. We should go outside.

Lennox.  …No. Stay here if you like.

Following a brief pause, Lennox picks up the envelope and pulls out a letter. He glances at me, who cannot read the contents, before reading it aloud.

Lennox.  “Lennox. If you are reading this, you probably received the letter I sent last night. Sorry for sending such a thing out of the blue. I no longer have the magic to send you a long letter. So, I'm leaving a note here. Maybe you've heard rumors. I've been forging human weapons for a long time, since I left the Revolutionary Guard.”   …  “I've cursed them.”

Liam.  ….Eh?

Liam winced. Lennox choked slightly, too, but quietly continued reading. According to the contents, Ethan traveled from one city to another, casting curses on weapons that would injure their owners. Eventually, he drifted to the city where blacksmiths gathered. Blacksmiths who are skilled usually live in this town, after all. After several hundred years of blacksmithing, Ethan was becoming suspicious everywhere he went as a blacksmith with a "reason" for not living in the city despite his skill.

Lennox.  “I needed to stay in this town as long as possible. Hence, I needed to somehow disguise the rumors of a blacksmith wizard, and it was then that I heard someone was looking for an adopter for a child who had no relatives. The idea of taking a human child as an apprentice came to me; for no one would suspect a craftsman raising a human apprentice would be the wizard who cursed human beings.”

Liam.  ….

Lennox.  “...The name Liam was also a name that I felt a connection to. As you would know, it was the same name as that of my little brother, who died before joining the army.”

But.... Liam was unaware of Ethan's intentions and believed in and adored Ethan with innocence.

Lennox.  “He wasn't particularly skilled with his hands, but he was a diligent, hard-working, and persevering child. He didn't look much like my brother, but he was very much like him in that he never listened and was stubborn as hell. Just like you Lennox.”

Eventually, Liam caught up to the age at which his younger brother passed away.

Lennox.  “During the birthday celebration, he laughed and said, "I'm glad my master took me in.” When I told him that he would have learned more from a human instructor, he stubbornly insisted that he still wanted to learn. I regretted it, at that very moment. I let my resentment get the better of me and did things I could no longer take back.”

Ethan's words made my heart hurt. 

His words were so simple, but I felt as if they were overflowing with pain and remorse.

Lennox.  “It may not redeem me, but I have decided to seek out and purify all the weapons that I have cursed.”

Nonetheless, Ethan's self-imposed curse was strong. With each purification, the curse would rebound and Ethan gradually became weaker and weaker. Realizing that he would soon turn to stone, he picked up his pen. Lennox looks at the last part and takes a deep breath.

Lennox.  “Lastly, I would like to say one more thing, Lennox. If you are still trapped and haunted by that day. I hope you don't make the same mistakes I did. I only wish you happiness.”

Upon finishing the letter, Lennox looked up and slowly looked around the room. All of these weapons were cursed by Ethan, and in exchange for his life, he purified them.

Figaro.  ….In a sense, he ended his own curse.

Faust.  Yes. Even if it meant suffering, even if it meant sacrificing his own life expectancy. 

It was something Ethan had to accomplish.

Faust then lowered his eyes. Lennox's gaze traced the weapons one by one.

Lennox.  …A strong sense of responsibility, typical of Ethan.

Lennox muttered with a small laugh. 

As if finally reuniting with an old friend at the end of a long and uncertain journey.

Liam.  ….

Lennox.  …Liam.

At the call, Liam turned to Lennox as if he had come to his senses.

Liam.  Oh, I'm okay. Of course, I never dreamed that my master used to curse people….or that he took me in to hide it;  but I'm glad I got to know him. I will take responsibility for the weapons here, as the apprentice who took over the workshop from the master.

Liam nods to us. His expression showed no sign of gloom.

Lennox.  …Liam. Do me a favor. Can you teach me how to make a knife?

Liam.  Of course I don't mind, but what do you want to make a knife for?

Lennox.  If possible, something that can be used as a protective talisman. I'd like to make an offering at Ethan's grave. …The weapons Ethan built for me in the past have protected me and my friends many times. I would like to give something in return. A prayer that the resting place Ethan found in his final days will always be a blessing….

CHAPTER EIGHT | CHAPTER TEN