Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 133

――Who is the strongest magician in the world?

I don’t know who it was that may have stated that.
To speak of the common people, it’s easy for them to go along with that sort of easily understood propaganda.
It seems that the first magician to be called as such was, a small elf girl.
A high elf girl spoken of like a fairy tale in oral legend――Lunaria・Einshaula, the original world’s strongest magician.
It’s said that when humans stated it as propaganda for political use, the elf went along with it while wanting to live quietly.
Because she believed no one would want to make an enemy of that great power.
Ever since then, that strongest phantasm became something to be pa.s.sed down.
The strongest of every era was unbeatable.
Because capable people succeeded it, just saying that doesn’t grasp the explanation for that great feat.
It’s also said that it’s because that name does not permit acts of defeat.
And so the phantasm is pa.s.sed down and, causes various affects to the world even now.

――Because at the least the sixth generation, Tillbell・Einshaula, has clearly carved her name in this world’s history.

◇■◇■◇

「……」

I was endlessly, looking up at the same ceiling.
My head is heavy.
I haven’t done anything, since reaching the royal capital’s mansion.
The sun’s light doesn’t reach here even when it’s said to be morning, because of the torrential downpour that has continued falling since last night.
The sound of the rain resounds, in a room with the curtains fully closed like a darkroom.
It was like the heaven’s sorrow becoming tears and overflowing.

「Ojousama, could I come in?」

The sound of a well mannered knock entered the room.
I can’t bring myself to put my voice out, so I don’t answer.
Be that as it may, the other side won’t pull back like this.
Perhaps the voice’s owner became worried that I might possibly have died, Ilya comes into the room to see the situation even if by force.

「I’m intruding, ojousama. Eclair-sama has come to see you today as well but……」
「……」

My willpower doesn’t boil up.
Willpower is, the source of the power to act.
That becomes vitality and moves people, allowing them to live on.
It isn’t there for me now.
Therefore I suppose that my vessel that exists here is a corpse.

「――It’s fine Ilya. Surely there’s no need for something like restraint anymore.」

The pure crimson girl who let out a sharp voice threw off Ilya’s inaction and entered the room.
She came beside where I was still looking up at the ceiling from my bed.

「You should get up already, Alice.」
「……」
「Have looked at the mirror here over the last few days? You lack animation to an extent sufficient to make people think you’re a dead person you know.」
「……」
「……」

With me making no response, Eclair didn’t particularly raise her voice but was looking down with a dejected expression.

「Do you understand just how much you worry the people around you, when you don’t even eat properly?」

That was proper logic so, my chest hurt.
While saying that as a reason, it wasn’t strong enough for me to move.

「Eclair……」
「!?」
「Tsu」

The voice I let out after so much time was, something hoa.r.s.e enough to surprise even myself.
It

was miserable enough that I couldn’t reconcile it with the tender voice I heard when I first came to this world.
The 2 people had made faces that seemed to mix surprise and joy.
But, those expressions changed to anger and pity with the words that came next.

「Hold me.」
「――Tsu!!」
「Eclair-sama!!!」

My collar was seized and my upper body was forcibly raised.
Eclair’s slight fangs are bared like fangs.
With her energy like I could be bitten to death even now――――I unintentionally showed a smile.

「――」

The Eclair who saw that, thrust me away in a somehow cold manner.

「I ask of you Eclair-sama, please stop your violence.」
「I won’t do anything more okay.」

Dispa.s.sionately, Eclair turned her back and walked away.
I thought she would leave in that manner but, her legs stopped in front of the door.

「――You, want to cause pain to both your heart and body don’t you.」

I wonder if that’s so, as I bend my neck.
I don’t understand what’s inside my own heart.

「It’s an honor for Eclair to be chosen as the executor of your punishment but, frankly there’s no room for that right now.」

Looking closely, Eclair was unreliable like a discarded puppy, trembling meaninglessly while seeming apologetic.

「Sorry……Eclair slept, without being able to do the act of saving your precious person. There shouldn’t be……anything to say.」

Eclair went out of the room, with quick steps.
Fleurety was standing in the hallway.
After glaring in at me, she gave chase as Eclair left.
I watch that in a daze and, Ilya came to gallantly hold me up.
Correcting my negligee with a shoulder string that had been pulled and came off, she put me back to rest in bed once again.

「……」

Somehow, I saw Ilya’s face as she came to put my sheets in their place.
I felt that it had been a long time since we’d properly turned our faces to eachother.
I noticed that it appeared that dark circles had formed, below the eyes of the Ilya who has no gaps with no exceptions.
On that note, should I suppose I’ve been having Ilya take care of me this entire time?
Even my memories are vague.
Ilya gave a soft smile, having noticed my gaze.

「Is it not cold?」

I answered by shaking my head sideways.
Perhaps it was rare that there was a reaction, Ilya showed an expression like her heart hurt.
And so she went out to the hallway for a time and, this time she came to the side table while pus.h.i.+ng a service wagon.

「This is a request ojousama, please take your meal soon……you’ve become awfully, emaciated.」

Aah, that means it’s logical that my voice became hoa.r.s.e.
I’m not even drinking enough water……

「Un……since I’ll eat it later.」
「I do not approve. Please, eat right now in this place. I, will not leave this place until then.」

Ilya began preparing the food on her own.
It’s a stubbornness that’s unlike her.
Watching that, she adeptly set a sandwich with soup on the table.
Sandwich with, soup……

「This, meal……」
「……While it’s rude, I was aware. Even supposing I’m relying on bringing back memories, if that could restore ojousama’s spirit.」

…………This is, the meal I prepared for Till when I first left town.
A slightly large amount of salt was put in……I

in……I remembered back to when Till ate that while expressing a wide smile.

――――I let out overflowing tears.

「……Haha, do you remember Ilya? She was awful wasn’t she, that Till. Even though I was tired and couldn’t move she said such a thing as『It’s fine either way so, do the preparations for dinner～』……She’s a devil, devil.」
「That was so wasn’t it……」

I took the soup, like I was reaching out to my memories.
It’s a little late but, I realized the fact that my power wouldn’t enter as I desired.
I’ve grown weak.
I suppose I’m at my limit, to the extent that Ilya forcibly came to push me to this extent.
Watching as my hand trembled and my meal didn’t advance, Ilya took the utensil.
She took the soup as such and, cooled the soup with steam coming from it by blowing on it for me.

「With your pardon」

The spoon that was brought to my lips as such, is put into my open mouth.
The soup with a strong flavour due to the effect of its saltiness flows down my throat.
My heart and body that had grown cold without my knowledge are warmed.
2, 3 drips fall, on Ilya’s hand that had been left as such at my lips.

「Ojousama……」
「……Ano, ther.」
「Hai.」

My body honestly desired nutrition.
I suppose it’s natural, because…………I’m alive.
Taking a truly long time, I slowly took my meal.
Ilya always repeated the same motion and, brought soup to my lips.
I ate the sandwich as well.
There’s no one besides Ilya who has shared this taste with me, now.
After taking my meal in a trance, I became intensely sleepy.
For how I had been laying in bed for a full day, I have no memory of having slept.
As such I, gave my body over to slumber.

◇■◇■◇

The body of Till that had been looking up at the sky with a rainbow hanging over it, wavered.
I ran as hard as I could.
Irritated even with the air resistance, I remonstrate my body to arrive before she falls to the ground.

「Till!!!」

When I somehow caught Till’s body it was……surprisingly light.
So that she could be in a relaxed posture, I slowly let her body down and gave her a lap pillow.
Till was making a thin smile, with her eyes still shut.

「You, you’re tired right, Till? Shall we go to the royal capital now? Since I’ll carry you while you sleep.」
「…………」

Till opened her eyes.
My relief, lasted for a moment.
I couldn’t sense light in those eyes.
It wasn’t clear whether the world may have been reflected within.

「…………」
「Since if you’d like, I’ll carry you the whole way! It’s fine, this is also training!」

Tears spill down and, moisten Till’s cheeks, even though I didn’t want them to flow.
Till closed her eyes once again and, smiled in a troubled seeming manner.

「Yare yare……what a noisy person.」

Hearing her voice, my chest grew tight.

「Kufu, don’t make a tormented face like that……it ruins your cute face.」

Well I suppose it’s captivating in it’s own way, and Till made a playful smile.
She put a hand on my cheek and, I grasped that hand.

「Nee, nee Till! What should be done? What, should I be doing!?」

Till’s body

/> Till’s body had gone completely cold to an implausible degree.
And ever since the time when she fought, the encroaching blue magic continues to encroach even now.
Such that her body is turning to ice.

「Nothing good will come of it if you only seek answers. Think for yourself and, live on as such from here on.」

I used heal with my full power.
My head swam.
Biting my lips, I used willpower to sc.r.a.p together my barely extant magic power.
Without rebuking such irrationality, without stopping it, Till watched over me with kind eyes.

「Alice, would you listen?」

I nodded countless times.

「During my childhood, I did the things I loved together with Est, I played as I pleased. Getting around the village’s strict rules was an easy matter.」

I was an awful brat wasn’t I, and she narrowed her eyes with a nostalgic feeling.

「On a certain day, the Est I had always been with, who I had thought I would always be with, ceased to be. That incident was enough to make me feel that one of my wings had been plucked, it dug a hole in my heart.」

The story of her separation from Est-san, of which I vaguely knew.

「And so while I was wandering the world alone, I found it……kufu, there was a dark elf with the same sort of disinterested seeming face as my own.」

It seems that was a freezing winter day with falling snow, of the sort that anyone would close their door to keep the warmth inside.
She said the one begging in front of a stable a ways away from the impoverished village, was Libra.

「It could also be said that my conscience wouldn’t let me leave her be. I also perceived that she had the talent for magic. Just, the main reason might have been that I wanted a partner to fill my loneliness.」

Till gave a bitter smile toward herself.
Thinking, wasn’t the one who was saved at that time not Libra but, myself.
After that, the days guiding the Libra who begged for lessons were enjoyable.
During the days of journey without the need to speak alone, it was enjoyable as Libra took back her original brightness and came to make innocent conversation.

「Kufu, what’s called memories are stronger than the chains that connected to the magic wolf……the truth is that I was able to finish her. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even do the act of, correcting my daughter who went astray and brought misfortune to others. What’s called the heart is, truly a difficult thing you know……」

Till smiled powerlessly, implying that that was her only regret.

「You can! If it’s Till it can be done! Or rather, I’ll show it be done! Please watch, because without troubling Till’s hand, I’ll rake that blockhead ane-disciple over the flames!!」

Is that so, and Till made a satisfied seeming nod.

「There’s no need to hold back. Don’t worry about life and death, or rather even the battle itself isn’t inevitable. The fate of me and Libra is our affair. Alice, you are……because what’s more important than anything is that you all are safe.」
「I don’t want that! I’ve decided, I’m tired of being chased around already. The 2nd disciple of Ice and Snow will, show what she’s capable of!」
「Kufu……is that so.」
「!?」

The power faded from power faded from Till’s hand.
The hand she had placed on my cheek, feel limply to the ground.

「Till……?」

My heart was, truly noisy.
Its palpitation was intense enough, to make me dizzy.

「……It is a little early, for you. You may end up being burdened with a heavy weight. But I wish to entrust it to you nonetheless. Alice, I already think of nothing but you.」
「A, anything! Please ask anything of me!!」
「Kufu……I have your pledge then? Young magicians are not to be looked lightly upon……」

Saying something like I had heard before, Till hummed something like an incantation with a small voice.

「While it doesn’t mean I’ve lost in battle, there’s no victory in my memories. Such a being, is no longer suited to this name.」

A blue magic system floated above Till’s center.
Having reached this point, thinking is she still going to use magic seemed to make me go mad.
And so that blue magic crystallized and, became a s.h.i.+ning sphere floating above Till’s chest.

「……Accept it.」

Nodding, I placed my hands on it so as to envelop it and, that blue light touched my hand and became silver light.
Not a moment later, something warm was sucked into my chest.
I shuddered in surprise from a heat like I was burning up.

「What, you’ll grow used to it in time……」

Till, turned her gaze to the sky after having looked at me with a kind smile in my surprise.

「There just happens to be a rainbow bridge built. It’s a good day to go.」

This time it was like my heart would stop.

「I, I don’t want that, what are you saying Till! Please don’t say something ridiculous!」
「Kufu……sorry. Alice, it’s fine to take your time while coming after me. What, it’s fine even if you don’t hurry. Since I’ll pa.s.s my time with Est.」

I was already, so shaken that I didn’t know what I should do.
I wanted to do something but, I couldn’t do anything.

「――I love you, my daughter.」

The power faded completely, from Till’s body.

「…………Eh?」

Reality, doesn’t even wait long enough to think.
Till’s body hardened in blue crystal as I blankly looked down――――it broke and rose into the air.

「Ah――ah―――」

Give it back, give back, Till’s body――
Slipping through my desperately grasping hand, the crystals rise into the sky.
As if the rainbow bridge, was guiding the blue crystal somewhere.

「AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa!!!!!!」

◇■◇■◇

「――I was watching a dream wasn’t I.」

My head hurts.
I notice something flowing across my cheeks is, being kindly rubbed by someone.

「Teacher-sama……surely that was fate……no one, would think you-sama would pa.s.s away……」

The hand that was unable to reach the person I wanted to protect, is enveloped by someone beside me.

「――This body is a s.h.i.+eld, the s.h.i.+eld that protects ojousama, from pain and hards.h.i.+p. I will not allow something that would drop ojousama into the abyss of sorrow, a 2nd time.」

I noticed a warm drop fall, on the enveloped hand.
Sensing someone’s feelings come flowing in, I realized that Till made a troubled sort of smile within my dream.

――Can she not keep it together, this idiot disciple.

My kind kind mother-san was smiling, in such a manner――――