Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 125

To the Teacher, From Vanessa 125

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The four quickly spurred their horses back towards the portal. Along the way, Lieutenant Grain saw hundreds of Japaros [large, bird-like monsters] strewn across the ground and hiccuped.

“Did the Lieutenant do all this… by any chance?”

Slyman also looked around blankly at the slurred voice that couldn’t finish the sentence. Evan simply sighed.

Vanessa had nothing to say, so she hesitated and then closed her mouth. It would be a bit much to brag here.

“My magic works really well when I have a goal.”

That goal included protecting the people of Innis, but there was no need to reveal her desire to quickly return to Phydom and see Gideon.

Captain Slyman stopped his horse and touched a Japaro that had fallen to the ground with a broken wing, a look of disgust on his face. The giant bird-like monster was lying on the ground, too exhausted to even move its wing feathers.

“Make sure to report that the Lieutenant caught all of these. It’ll be worth some money. Japaro feathers are a highly sought-after material for magical engineers.”

Vanessa gave an awkward smile at the practical advice that came out of nowhere.

“A truly amazing magician has joined the Special Forces. I didn’t know you could take down these monsters and even put up a barrier.”

Slyman’s tone was laced with bitterness. He usually spoke as if he were the best, so it was a strange shift.

“At this rate, you’d be fine going on a solo mission.”

“It’s not just about solo missions, but if you gain a little more experience, you could even sign a contract as a Boundary Magician [a magician specializing in creating and maintaining magical boundaries]. How about we talk to His Majesty about it?”

Vanessa just shook her head without saying anything.

“Amazing.”

Evan smiled weakly. The feeling he had when he realized that Vanessa was the only one left on the beach… He thought he would never forget that day.

While the three were preoccupied with their thoughts, Vanessa, who was right in front of the portal, felt a surge of anticipation. She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but soon she would be in Phydom. If everyone put their heads together, they would soon be able to figure out the cause of the vibration.

The team members, including Vanessa, quickly stepped through the portal into Phydom.

But for some reason, the streets were eerily quiet. Usually, they were noisy with the lively movements of people and the sounds of carriages, but now it felt like everyone was locking their doors and peeking out from behind curtains.

Evan tilted his head.

“Why are the streets so quiet?”

Slyman also frowned. Before Grain could open his mouth, someone who had been waiting for them near the portal approached and showed the pin on their collar. They were wearing a hood pulled down low, obscuring their face.

“I am Aron from the Royal Household. By His Majesty’s command, return to the Special Forces building immediately and stand by.”

‘Aron’ was likely an alias for someone from the Royal Household. The person handed them a piece of paper bearing the King’s seal.

The content was the same as their words: all Special Forces members were to stand by in a state of combat readiness.

“What’s going on?”

Slyman asked with a frown, but Aron walked away without answering. The Royal Household only showed polite respect to the King. A teleportation magic circle spread out under their feet as they walked away, and they vanished.

Vanessa looked at the spot where Aron had disappeared, then turned her gaze away. The expressions on the faces of the four people looking at the letter were grim.

“Let’s go for now.”

Slyman scratched his head. Evan nodded.

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The murmuring among the numerous Special Forces members briefly stopped.

“…Pardon?”

“From now on, everything is top secret. It’s practically an open secret, but… anyway, accurate information must be conveyed to the Special Forces members who will be on the front lines to avoid confusion.”

Lieutenant General Jankbal said, stroking his unkempt beard. Judging by the razor cuts here and there, he seemed distracted.

“A few hours ago, everyone felt a huge vibration that shook the ground. The vibration was caused by the Black Monster that the Night Vandals had put to sleep, and it seems that the monster has awakened to some extent.”

The atmosphere was surprisingly quiet.

“The reason for this speculation is that some of the Night Vandal’s magic circles in the Royal Palace have dimmed. It is speculated that if the monster fully awakens, the magic circles will lose their effectiveness altogether.”

Lieutenant General Jankbal spoke with difficulty.

“Most magicians believe the problem is due to the magic circles naturally fading over time. We are currently urgently repairing the discovered magic circles, but it is still unknown whether this will put the monster back to sleep.”

“Many magical creatures, startled by the large vibrations, have descended upon the villages. I would like to know how to deal with them.”

One of the Special Forces members, whom Vanessa didn’t recognize, raised their hand and asked. They seemed to be a member who had been dispatched to another region for a long time.

Jankbal answered calmly.

“Special Forces members and magicians who have separate contracts with the King will be mobilized. We have contacted all Special Forces members currently spread throughout Priba, and from now on, we will be responsible for protecting the kingdom’s citizens as much as possible.”

“Will the Lieutenant General be in command?”

“Is the Captain still at the temple? Why isn’t he here? If he’s tied up elsewhere, there will be a big difference in the Special Forces’ strength….”

Several other members nodded.

Lieutenant General Jankbal firmly set his wrinkled mouth. After a long silence, he spoke with difficulty.

“…The Captain has collapsed. He is currently unconscious.”

Vanessa stopped breathing.

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Amid the shock of the audience, Lieutenant General Jankbal slowly explained the situation.

He faced a giant monster that appeared behind the temple, which was not a problem, but he suddenly lost consciousness. Upon closer inspection, black stains had spread from a small wound on the back of his hand, and it seemed to have reached the back of his neck while he was using powerful magic.

According to the speculation of several magicians and the confession of the priests, it seems that the wound was caused by a byproduct of the Black Monster, and as the Black Monster regained its power, that power spread through his body along with his magic….

“Why did they have to target the Captain of all people?”

“They must have judged him to be the most threatening, aggressive magician in Priba. And that’s actually true….”

“Then is he… in Valder Castle [likely a place for important figures]?”

At someone’s stammered words, Lieutenant General Jankbal sighed and nodded. From then on, questions began to pour out.

“Does His Majesty know?”

“What are the chances of him regaining consciousness…?”

“Are other magicians treating him? What exactly is a byproduct of the Black Monster?”

Everyone was in a panic, unable to hide their shock. But it couldn’t be helped.

Gideon had entered the Special Forces before he was even twenty years old, and within a few months, he had exceptionally risen to the position of Captain of the Special Forces, holding that position for over seven years. Considering that the Captain of the Special Forces had changed frequently until now, it was quite a long time.

At first, there were many objections to the Duke taking this position, but he did not use his power to control the Special Forces, and he operated the personnel as fairly as possible. He used the power of his family to help the Special Forces operate properly.

As a result, after he took office, the number of Special Forces members quitting and being replaced decreased, and external interference disappeared, so Special Forces members were dispatched to places where they were really needed. He stepped in to protect Special Forces members if they were involved in potentially contentious matters.

With accumulated effort and time, Gideon became recognized by all Special Forces members. Complaints decreased, and everyone worked together to do their best.

He was clearly like a large tree with lush leaves that provided shade for everyone. All the members under his protection stood there feeling like they had lost their center and were staggering.

Lieutenant General Jankbal slammed the desk as if to calm the commotion. Only then did everyone shut their mouths with blank faces.

“I know you’re surprised. But I am impressed that the Captain has organized many things so well that the Special Forces can function properly even in times like these. Someone will want the Special Forces to collapse because a cornerstone is missing, but I will try to show that that is not the case.”

Jankbal said coldly.

“By His Majesty’s command, the Special Forces members will stand by in the castle. You will be dispatched immediately today, so enjoy a moment of rest.”

While everyone quietly got up and retreated, only Vanessa felt dizzy and couldn’t take a step.

She felt like vomiting. It felt like all of this was a joke, or rather, she wanted to believe it was, so she wanted to grab someone and just laugh it off.

*It’s a lie, right? Everything you just said is just a joke, right?*

If she said that, this terrible reality would be erased and it would really become a lie.

*Why him of all people? He’s not even the king, so why him?*

“Lieutenant Vanessa Rose.”

Lieutenant General Jankbal called out to Vanessa, who was standing there blankly. The Special Forces members who were leaving glanced back, but soon grief overshadowed their curiosity, and in the end, only Vanessa was left alone. The door closed.

“Lieutenant!”

At the loud voice, Vanessa barely managed to open her mouth, stammering.

“Yes….”

Lieutenant General Jankbal moved his lips several times before spitting it out like a sigh.

“Is there any other, personal relationship between you and the Captain?”

Her voice was barely audible because she was still in shock, her focus was blurred, and her ears were ringing.

When Vanessa didn’t answer, Lieutenant General Jankbal pressed down on the cheekbones near his gaunt, protruding cheekbones in embarrassment.

“I suspected there was a special relationship between you and the Captain. Is that right? I saw you together before you left for your dispatch.”

“I don’t understand why you’re asking that.”

As Vanessa quietly muttered, Lieutenant General Jankbal slowly lowered his sunken eyes.

“It’s a ridiculous thing to say, and I’m reluctant to say it myself, but maybe something will be different if a precious person is by his side even for a moment….”

Lieutenant General Jankbal cleared his throat and roughly swept back his hair. He was silent for a moment, then handed over a roughly scribbled letter with his signature on it.

“By His Majesty’s command, no one can enter Valder Castle right now. The family is also doing everything they can to protect their master, so even you won’t be able to enter easily. Go in under my name and come back before sunset.”

Lieutenant General Jankbal gestured for her to leave. Vanessa took the letter and stood still for a moment. Her mouth was dry and her voice didn’t come out well.

“Was he in a lot of pain?”

Vanessa muttered. Lieutenant General Jankbal spat out gruffly.

“I don’t know. Go to the Captain’s side and worry about it. Go now!”