My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 113
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 113
"...."
A chilling silence settled over the dinner table.
My father's eyes opened wide and my mother spitted her drink.
"A what...?"
"Your moustache."
"Say it again."
"Your moustache."
"Did you say moustache?"
"Yes."
"...." After double-checking with me to make sure he heard me correctly, he began to fiddle with his moustache with one hand. He contemplated it for a moment.
"...I'll give it to you after dinner." After a long pause, he slowly spoke, his mouth opened as heavy as an iron gate.
"Thank you." I nodded at him in gratitude. This was easier than I thought it would be.
Then, as promised, he offered me a strand of his moustache, which he had cut off with a razor after dinner.
Night had fallen and it was midnight. I took the two ingredients the mage had asked for and headed to the meeting place.
I could hear merry laughter coming from the next room, where my parents were staying. They were having fun despite the late hour. I was glad for that. They were too busy playing with each other to notice I'd disappeared.
A full moon illuminated the night. I was able to walk along the walkway without any need for lights. Though, It was so late at night that there was not a single human being on the trail.
It was quite spooky, but I didn't let that stop me.
I want to know what Lancer is thinking.
I plucked up my courage and walked down the lonely walkway, solely to fulfill that wish.
It was only when I reached the end of the walkway that I saw her.
"You're right on time, Princess." The mage sat down under a large elm tree and slowly raised herself up.
Unlike the last time I had seen her, she wore dark robes that reached below her knees. She looked more like the mage I visualised.
"Did you bring the ingredients?"
I nodded in response.
"Very well, let's look at the first ingredient first. Show me the most precious thing you wish to give to Lord Lancer."
At her command, I did not reach into my pockets, nor did I pull out what I had hidden inside the shawl I was wearing.
Instead, I took a step toward her.
"Here."
"What?" She blinked, not quite comprehending the situation.
"The most precious thing I wish to give to Lancer, this is it." I thumped my chest with one hand. I kept my face stoic and determined.
She stared at me, speechless. "Princess, are you saying you want to offer… your body?"
"No, not that! Why are you interpreting it so strangely?" Embarrassed, I raised my voice. Then I covered my mouth with one hand as I didn't want to be overheard by a passerby.
"The… the most precious thing I wish to give to Lancer is me." I cleared my throat and turned away from her. I could feel my ears heating up.
"...." She stared at me, speechless again. The corners of her mouth were twitching and nudging upward. Her eyebrows were trying not to wiggle, like a caterpillar crawling.
"...I'd rather you laugh."
"No, I'm not laughing at you! Pfft… the most precious thing you have is yourself…. It's a little cliché, but it has the innocent sincerity of a girl, so I'll give you a pass."
‘Pass.’ Is this some kind of test? I was about to retort her words, but she beat me to it.
"Okay, I've heard your determination. Now I'm going to cast the spell, so lift your bangs."
"Wait." I stopped her, puzzled by her intention to cast the spell immediately. "Didn't you tell me to get two ingredients, my father's moustache?"
"What?" She looked at me and cocked her head. "That was just something I thought would be fun?"
"...?"
What kind of bullsh*t is this?
"Oh, my God, no way! Did you really bring the duke's moustache? Oh, dear… that's a little unhygienic, isn't it? And a little disturbing, Princess...."
"...."
I tossed the strand of my father's moustache, which I had wrapped inside a handkerchief, far away.
"Forget about that...."
"Alright. Now come here, Princess." The mage gestured toward my forehead with a cheerful smile. I quickly lifted my bangs with one hand.
"One last question, Princess." She whispered to me, her tone deadly serious. "My magic, once cast, does not disappear unless special conditions are met, so you must think of this decision wisely."
"...I know." I nodded slowly, holding my hair still.
"Do you really want to know what Lancer is thinking? Do you really want to know what Lancer is hiding from you?"
"I want to know." Without the slightest hesitation, I returned an affirmative answer.
I'd already spent a long time thinking about it. I wanted to stop guessing and interpreting what Lancer was thinking. I wanted to know exactly what he thought and what he felt about me.
I'm sure.
So. "Cast the magic on me."
Not knowing that it would end up being a curse, I made a wish to the mage.
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"As you wish."
She pressed one finger lightly over my forehead. A strange sensation took over my head, and at the same time, a shiver ran through my body like nothing I had ever experienced before.
A weak scream escaped my lips. My mind was confused by new sensations I didn't understand, they were like cold fire and hot ice. I shut my eyes tightly against the conflicting feelings.
Soon, everything went pitch black.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, I saw leaves gently swaying in the breeze of the moonlight.
I was lying at an angle, leaning against an elm tree at the end of the trail where I had found her.
"...."
I scrambled to my feet, barely opening my heavy eyelids to look around.
Where's the mage…?
I looked around frantically, but she had vanished without a trace.
I should have asked for her name.
I didn't know anything about the mage, and I hadn't even thanked her properly. My mind had been elsewhere, and I'd forgotten the most basic things.
But there was no point in lamenting this now. She had already disappeared.
I looked up at the night sky and saw that it was still dark.
How much time had passed? I stood up and could see dirt under the hem of my skirt.
My parents would scream if they saw that. I sighed as I brushed the dirt off with one hand.
I didn't feel anything weird with my body. My forehead tingled slightly where she had pressed a finger, but that was all.
…Can I hear Lancer's thoughts now?
I wanted to test it right away, but Lancer wasn't here right now.
I would have to wait a few days when I returned to the capital. I would find him and give it a try.
With that thought in mind, I trudged to the other side of the walkway.
I was about to enter my hotel room as quickly as possible when the clerk at the front desk spotted me.
"What happened to you, miss?"
"Huh? Oh, uh… nothing happened." I glanced at the clerk with a grim look.
His gaze fell on the hem of my skirt, which was still stained with dirt. "Your dress must have gotten dirty from your walk. I'll send someone to your room if you need it cleaned."
"No, I'm fine." I quickly shook my head.
If it was sent to be cleaned, I'd be charged extra. Then my parents would question why my dress was dirty. Then I'd be in trouble.
But the clerk wasn't about to let me go so easily. "Are you sure? I can have it cleaned and sent back to you in a couple of hours."
"It's fine...." I was about to decline politely again until….
‘Why are you acting so cheap when you're offered help? It's not like you're a rich noble, judging by your outfit!’
He snapped.
I was frozen in place.
What the hell just happened?
I narrowed my eyes and glared at him.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You, what did you just say?"
"What?"
"I'm acting cheap? How could you say such a rude thing!" I raised my voice at him for crossing the line.
Taken aback, he quickly threw his hands up in the air and began to defend himself. "I didn't say anything like that, miss!"
‘What is this? Did she actually hear me?’
I was as surprised as he was.
“I don't understand.”
I heard two different voices at the same time.
I froze, speechless, and stared at the clerk standing in front of me. I couldn't quite understand what was happening either.
Why am I hearing two conflicting voices?
I took a few steps back, creeped out by this bizarre phenomenon. I stared at him for a moment, who was also speechless, then turned and started running.
"Oh, miss, wait, wait!"
‘Oh, sh*t, I must have my thoughts slip out of my mouth since I'm so tired!’
He rushed to catch me, but I didn't stop.
Thump, thump!
Back in my room, I reached into my pocket for my key and quickly unlocked the door. My hands were shaking, and the sound of metal on metal assaulted my ears.
Once inside my room, I threw myself onto my bed.
What the hell is going on!
I pressed my head into the pillow and bit my lip tightly.
I was filled with an unknown sense of dread and panic. My heart was pounding like it was going to explode at any moment.