Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 39

To Chevati Milo Dotti.

Milo Dotti is such a lovely surname. It feels like you’re gently rolling your tongue before snapping it at the end.

What nonsense am I spouting? I’ve always thought it, but I was too shy to say it to your face. I suddenly wanted to write it. I must miss you a lot.

Morea is so hot. You mentioned it before! You once visited Morea and spent your time reading in your room because of the heat and humidity.

I understand why now. It’s terribly hot and humid here.

Your internship is perfect; I couldn’t be more envious. It’s a complete mess here.

Oh, not the Special Forces, of course. I mean our students.

Where did I leave off last time? Right, I said we were heading to the Morea Forest? Currently, the Special Forces are in the Morea Forest, thoroughly searching it.

A seed of a monster was growing inside the Morea Forest. A monster seed! Remember?

I think Professor Guido mentioned it in passing a long time ago. It’s where monsters are born.

And the Special Forces Commander was right. The seed was artificially manipulated, and many strange monsters are being born inside it.

I won’t write the details for the sake of your mental peace. I’ll just add that it’s awful.

Anyway, none of the Special Forces are unscathed. It’s no wonder, since only four of them are subduing the monsters in that forest.

Every day, they leave as soon as the sun sets and only return when the dawn light faintly rises. By then, their bodies are already battered.

More Special Forces are said to be arriving soon, but…

Everyone is so tattered, and it’s sad that we can’t help them. We only soak cloths to wipe their wounds or prepare tea.

If I had known this would happen, I would have studied healing magic harder. As you know, I can only heal minor surface wounds.

But language magic is only so effective, so there’s nothing I can do. I really wish I knew the conditions for realizing magic [manifesting magical abilities] in times like these.

By the way, Chevati, do you know? The order of places where monster proliferation is most severe these days. Last time it was Danan and Appenzell, Barraut, and this time Morea.

Doesn’t it seem like the places in ‘The Last Journey of Bam Bandalu,’ which you gave me as a gift? Even the chapter order is the same.

Bam Bandalu travels to Danan from Chapter 3. Danan, Appenzell, Barraut, and then Morea. Next is Zion, but…

Well, it must be my imagination?

It’s funny even as I write this. I must have read that book too many times. Actually, I’ve read it over ten times.

Anyway, we’ll meet soon. Let’s go to Cafe Mandolo in Seogot first. I’m dying for their apple pie.

Actually, I miss you more than the pie.

From Vanessa Rose.

p.s By the way, what month is it? Has the year changed? I’m twenty now!

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Even though the dawn light was already painting the damp green earth, the Special Forces had not returned.

The students were worried about them, but Lieutenant Grain nonchalantly checked the bandages wrapped around his wrist.

“They’ll all be back soon. Don’t worry.”

Grain checked the barrier around the house. The magic circle Gideon had personally constructed around the house was flawless.

Well, that’s the Commander for you.

Grain hated constructing magic circles the most, so he only admired it and didn’t even think about drawing one.

“They were badly injured yesterday, and I’m worried they’ll be the same today.”

Moshwi said gloomily while wiping the table, and Grain chuckled.

“It’s nice to have a trainee worry about me. I didn’t have anyone to worry about me, actually. I guess the Commander’s fiancé might worry a bit?”

“You have a fiancé?”

Evan asked with a somewhat excited voice. Grain scratched the tip of his nose.

“Well, maybe? He writes letters to someone regularly, so that’s what we say among ourselves.”

In the small space, even unwanted sounds were easily heard. Vanessa felt a strange churning in her stomach.

*I see. A fiancé…* She stroked her chest several times, but it felt stuffy, as if something was stuck, so she ended up drinking a glass of water.

Grain stopped the small talk and warned in a stern voice.

“Absolutely do not leave this area. Don’t go near the forest; it’s too dangerous. I have to go check the monster corpses scattered over there for a bit.”

“Yes, sir! Don’t worry!”

Dalois answered cheerfully, and Grain grinned before disappearing out the door. Evan did some bodyweight exercises before collapsing.

“Ugh, it’s hot.”

“I’m hot too.”

Moshwi wiped the sweat from his forehead. The magic to cool the surroundings didn’t last very long.

Vanessa opened the , but the content wasn’t sinking in. Her head was dizzy, and her stomach kept churning.

*Would it be better to get some fresh air?*

Eventually, Vanessa stretched and stood up.

“I’m just going to look around the house for a bit.”

“Haaam. Don’t go too far. Inside the barrier. Got it?”

Dalois said, yawning. Vanessa nodded.

Somehow, there was a strange energy in the air this morning. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, so there was a blue tint, but the view was wide open.

Vanessa stretched lightly, inhaling the damp grass scent.

*I hope everyone comes back soon. I hope they come back today without any injuries.*

But then, a small figure seemed to flicker in the distance… near a moss-covered rock. A head repeatedly popped up and down behind the rock.

Vanessa narrowed her eyes.

A child? Why is there a child here?

There was no time to think properly. The boy had already stepped into the forest.

“You can’t go there!”

Vanessa shouted loudly, but the child, far away, paused and tilted his head.

The light brown-haired boy was wearing rough clothes, and his hair was unkempt, as if he hadn’t been taken care of. He couldn’t be from a wealthy family.

Vanessa said urgently.

“Come here. You can’t go in there.”

“But it’s where I go every day? There’s a fruit tree inside.”

The boy smiled brightly and took another step.

Vanessa’s expression hardened. *Where is Lieutenant Grain? He went that way earlier.*

*’Absolutely do not leave this area.’*

Vanessa wrung her hands. What to do?

“There are monsters inside. You can’t go. It’s dangerous.”

Vanessa said urgently, but the boy shook his head.

“It’s better than starving, miss.”

“I’ll give you some. There’s, there’s food in the house-”

“You’re not going to give it to me forever.”

Vanessa’s mouth moved, then closed weakly. The boy smiled. His cheeks, plump like a child’s, were smudged with soot.

“Bye, kind miss. Thank you!”

The boy bounced forward. Vanessa’s eyes widened. *No.*

“Come back! It’s really dangerous there!”

Greatly surprised, Vanessa tried to create a barrier in front of the boy.

A binding spell might hurt, so a barrier would be better, and even with her weak power, she could stop a child.

But even with the soft, song-like voice, the magic didn’t materialize.

Vanessa looked down at her hands in dismay. *Why is this happening?*

But without time to think, the boy’s back was receding. Strangely, no one came out of the house as if they hadn’t heard Vanessa’s voice.

Vanessa hurriedly opened the door of the house to call someone, but the boy’s back was already fading. If she lost track of the direction, it would be over.

Anxious, Vanessa crossed the barrier without calling her friends.

She was just going to grab the child and come back. She couldn’t let go of a child who might die. If that child’s body was found later, she would regret the moment she hesitated because it was dangerous.

“Wait!”

The boy was still just at the entrance of the forest. She could catch up soon. Vanessa had run the Bamberg Academy perimeter road for a whole year.

But children are faster than adults in the playground. The boy’s light steps bounced as if mocking Vanessa.

“Hey!”

Vanessa barely managed to grab the boy’s collar, but the boy quickly slipped away. His grinning smile was annoying.

“You really!”

“Catch me if you can!”

Now Vanessa had forgotten her purpose. *I have to catch him. You don’t know how many kids like you I’ve trained at the orphanage, do you?* She gritted her teeth.

Vanessa cast a weak binding spell with a gesture, but the boy had already changed direction to the other side. The magic only hit a tree in vain.

Before she knew it, she had long passed the entrance of the forest. From here, it was really dangerous.

“Please don’t go!”

Vanessa shouted anxiously. But the boy ran quickly and hid behind a tree.

“Vanessa?”

Then, a low voice from afar echoed in her ears.

Vanessa stopped abruptly and looked to the side. Gideon, in a black uniform soaked with blood, was walking towards her. His large hands, with veins showing, were gripping a sword with great force.

As he approached slowly, Vanessa felt a little intimidated.

“Stay still.”

Gideon checked the surroundings for a moment. He approached Vanessa only after confirming that there were no monsters.

He roughly wiped the blood off the sword blade with a hand wearing a leather glove and put the sword back into its scabbard.

“I told you not to leave that area.”

He was expressionless. Vanessa poured out her situation like a machine gun.

“I know. I’m really sorry. I’ll take my punishment later. But a child came in here!”

“A child?”

Gideon slowly frowned. There were hardly any houses nearby, and those that were had already been confirmed to be empty. There was no way there could be a child.

“He went that way. I told him to stop, but he kept running, so I was just going to grab him and leave. I’m sorry.”

Gideon turned his gaze to the direction Vanessa was pointing. The gloomy green forest was still welcoming them. But there was no sign of anyone.

“It’s dangerous for a child to go in-”

“I’ll find him, so you should go back. It’s too dangerous here.”

Hissop and Anna, who had seen Vanessa from afar, were approaching. Then, the boy peeked his head out from behind a tree.

“There!”

Gideon turned his head again, and Vanessa reflexively took a step forward.

The boy’s eyes widened, and he mouthed silently.

*’Sorry, miss.’*

“Hey, what are you saying? Come out quickly-”

“Who are you talking to-”

Thump. Thump.

“Huh?”

Her heart beat loudly. Vanessa blankly looked down at the strange energy flowing through her body.

A shining blue line was passing under the thick leather shoes.

A circular magic circle drawn only around Vanessa. A perfect circle, numerous straight lines, letters filling the spaces, and feather shapes drawn here and there.

It was a teleportation magic circle.

Vanessa looked up. The boy smiled brightly and disappeared as if scattering. *What, what is that?*

“Vanessa!”

The moment her vision blurred, someone seemed to embrace Vanessa. A large, warm embrace.

But her thoughts stopped there.