Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 129

To My Teacher, From Vanessa 129 (129/146)

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Of course, the next magic circle was also in an extraordinary place: the very top of the rocky cliffs of Mount Litinias.

“This is…”

This isn’t a dream, is it?

Even staring up with a serious expression, the overwhelming slope remained unchanged.

Since I had never been here before, I couldn’t use teleportation magic. The thought of climbing up on foot made me feel hopeless. Even in my usual condition, it would have been a difficult task, but these past few days, I hadn’t been able to sleep properly because of the nightmares, and I barely ate, so I couldn’t help but think I was doomed.

I’ll charge Gid for this suffering later. I won’t let it go. I’ll hit him with a very pointy ring.

I just kept muttering such things to myself. Then his bewildered expression came to mind, and I felt a little better.

Fortunately, I ran into some mages who had come down to get supplies and was able to get some help, but I still had to walk up quite a bit.

As soon as I caught my breath, Vanessa showed the mages the king’s permit and began to look into their research.

“I’ve always thought so, but it really is a unique inscription.”

As she stared intently at a corner of the paper where she had copied the magic circle, one of the mages interjected. Vanessa quickly raised her head and carefully replied,

“Ah, yes. I’m not an expert on magic circles, but it’s unique for something meant to suppress something.”

As she had felt when she saw the magic circle inside the castle in the past, there was something strange about it. A joyful song and an inscription to ward off nightmares.

“My guess is that it’s creating a dream more beautiful than reality to keep the black monsters asleep, but well, I’m not sure. Anyway, it’s the most beautiful magic circle I’ve ever seen.”

Vanessa chuckled at his enraptured expression, as if he had created it himself. The woman with roughly cut short hair kept spouting praises such as, ‘This inscription is so long, yet there isn’t a single twisted part,’ and ‘It’s incredibly clear, yet elegant.’

She went on and on for almost ten minutes before finally coming to her senses.

“Ah, I went off on a tangent again. I’m used to hearing that I’m crazy about magic circles, haha! But what was I saying?”

“That there are many magic circles found in the north overall.”

“Yes, that’s right. Bam Vandalu lived there for a long time, so there are many clues. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any magic circles in other places.”

The mage grinned and stroked his chin.

“As you know, the most important thing when constructing a magic circle is the purpose. Why else would you design a circuit with terrible initial efficiency and put in the effort to preserve it?”

“Yes, that’s right. The magic circuit must be designed differently depending on the purpose. If it’s for protection, the flow shouldn’t be biased towards a certain part-”

“Exactly. The flow, the flow!”

The mage suddenly interrupted and pointed to the paper with his finger.

“See this inscription?”

Vanessa narrowed her eyes and haltingly read the letters. She couldn’t completely decipher it, but she was able to grasp its intent. The sleepless nights of the past few days had been worth it.

“Uh, is it to supplement and transmit the flow of mana? East, no, east and west, west….”

“Oh, you know your stuff! Since it’s a magic circle that covers the entire country, it couldn’t be done with just one simple circle. The flow could get twisted and lose its function. Anyway, if you look here, there must be many other magic circles in the west.”

“So this was a supplementary magic circle.”

“That’s what we’re guessing.”

After talking a bit more, Vanessa thanked them. The mage rubbed his nose and gave a sheepish expression.

“I’m more grateful that you listened to my long-winded talk. Everyone runs away when I try to talk about magic circles now!”

Vanessa laughed out loud for the first time in a long while.

The way down was very easy. There was no magic as useful as teleportation magic in the world.

With the rhythmic sound of footsteps, her thoughts raced. This is excluded from the magic circle to find the center. A supplementary magic circle that supplements the flow to the west.

What came to mind when she heard the word ‘west’ was, of course, the cave where she had been separated from Gidion. The magic circle hidden inside the limestone lake.

The problem was that the path to that cave had completely disappeared. Vanessa had asked Gidion about it in the past.

‘Why isn’t the magic circle inside the cave marked on the map? That magic circle is also Bam Vandalu’s, isn’t it?’

‘The teleportation magic circle in the Morea Forest faded immediately, so we couldn’t investigate it. So I tried to teleport to the place where we escaped on the dragon, but even that was blocked. It’s strange, but I think someone put a teleportation restriction magic around the area. I regret not leaving a mark because I was in a hurry.’

‘Hmm, that’s too bad. I was going to ask you to put my name on the list of discoverers. Gid and Vanet. Is that okay?’

The soft laughter that followed came to mind. The tips of her toes trembled slightly before moving straight again.

Her legs, which had been walking for a long time, complained of fatigue and were swollen. But there was no time to rest. Vanessa headed to the portal that would take her west.

The magic circle wasn’t in the Morea Forest, but it wasn’t a bad idea to go to the Morea Forest anyway.

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The next day, she moved west. She used the portal, but arrived in a large city far from the Morea Forest. Houses with unique colorful bricks were lined up in a row.

Reconstruction was in full swing because of the recent major earthquake that had caused some places to collapse. Still, it was a lively place because of its size. Vanessa looked at the map and estimated the amount of mana needed to reach the Morea Forest.

“Excuse me, how long does it take to get to the Morea Forest of Tanamir from here by carriage?”

The man who was organizing his stall at her question rolled his eyes for a moment and then clicked his tongue.

“Why would you go to such a faraway place? It’s too far to go by carriage. Even if you drive as fast as you can, it will take more than 5 days, and no coachman will want to go. Unless you give them a lot of money.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Vanessa quickly calculated the mana she would need to invest based on the scale marked on the crude map, the speed of the carriage, and the time of 5 days, and then designated the coordinates.

The first place she arrived at was the wheat field village. It was the place where she first encountered a monster during her special forces training. The black cow with Belov’s eyeballs attached.

Vanessa watched the people moving busily in the distance while taking a breather.

The occasional laughter spread far on the wind. The people wearing wide-brimmed hats in the field sang loudly as they worked. The children running around made clear sounds as they played tag.

Regardless of the fact that the black monster was half-awakened, the scene was so peaceful that a languid breath flowed out.

Vanessa sat there for a long time before getting up again.

The second place she arrived at through teleportation magic was a log cabin near the Morea Forest. She had teleported almost continuously twice, but now she didn’t even feel the mana draining away, and she wasn’t dizzy.

That was her impression as soon as she set foot on the ground.

“It’s still the same.”

Spring had fully arrived in central Priba, but Morea still had humid and hot weather. The dampness that clung to her skin made her curly side hair stick to her forehead.

Vanessa took off the robe that was covering her.

The west, which had suffered severe damage from the monsters, had a large-scale dispatch of special forces. Thanks to this, the number of monsters attacking people had greatly decreased, and she heard that it had returned to its original state.

Perhaps that’s why the owner had returned to the empty log cabin. The wall that had rotted and exposed the inside had been repaired, and the hat hanging on the fence swayed in the small breeze. The smell of food wafted through the slightly open window.

Vanessa smiled faintly and offered a thank you to the person inside. Then she turned around.

The Morea Forest was really close. Still, as if to indicate that it was a dangerous area, a thin line was drawn at the entrance of the forest. Vanessa lifted the line without a moment’s hesitation and pushed her body into the forest.

The forest was still damp with humidity and covered with a green color so thick that it sometimes looked black.

It was so vivid that she could see the image of a boy running. Passing by trees covered with moss, and going around rocks also covered with moss. Then Gidion and the other members appeared, and while he was on guard, Vanessa stepped on the teleportation magic circle….

I should start from around here. Vanessa bent down near the rock and placed her hand on the ground.

Even a small clue was fine.

Her fingertips dug into the wet soil, and she began to trace the subtle traces. She even threw away her gloves, just in case.

Then she heard a growling sound nearby. She turned her gaze and saw a small animal lowering its body and baring its sharp teeth. It was a four-legged animal, but she didn’t know what it was. Only that its mane and patterns were unique.

The animal seemed a little thin, and its bones were exposed.

“Go away.”

She said curtly, but the animal baring its sharp teeth didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down. Rather, it lowered its posture even more and was fully prepared to pounce at any moment.

Well, I probably look pretty appetizing.

Vanessa waved her hand indifferently. There was no need for a specific action, but she needed to show the animal that she had done something.

The moment she waved her hand, the trees in front of Vanessa collapsed all at once. A roar echoed, and sharp pieces of wood fell to the ground, causing the unidentified creature to run away quickly.

Vanessa, who was left alone again, looked at her fingertips for a moment.

Now the magic was working so well that it was almost frightening. The magic was realized instantly with just her will, as if she were moving her limbs. There was not much difference whether the magic was simple or very complex.

The funny thing was that these experiences were accumulating, and the condition of ‘believe in yourself’ was being met so easily….

Vanessa sighed briefly, bent down, and checked again for any hidden lines.

How much time had passed? There was no way to cheat on this, so there was no choice but to search the area until her fingertips were stained black.

A heavy pain washed over her, and she straightened her back for a moment. She took a long breath and stretched her body, then discovered something strange.

“What is it…?”

The light wrapped around the tree in the distance flickered softly and repeatedly spun around. As if wanting someone to discover it.

Vanessa calculated the formula to deploy a barrier in case a dangerous situation occurred, and approached the tree. But the light moved again without any threat and crept away.

She stared blankly for a moment. Staggering, she chased after the receding light without catching her breath. She didn’t even notice she was out of breath, as if she had a treasure she had been dreaming of in front of her. The entrance to the forest quickly receded.

Then, her foot caught on a tangled tree root, and the moment she looked at the ground, what was sharply imprinted on her retina was.

“Ah.”

A teleportation magic circle in perfect condition, without a single damaged spot.

A faint light swirled and subsided on the beautiful lines. As if wanting someone to step on it.

Her mind calmed down.

It might be a trap.

She tilted her head.

But what does it matter?

Just as Gidion had taken risks for me, I could do this much for him.

Vanessa stepped onto the teleportation magic circle without hesitation. The light that soared up with a buzzing sound wrapped around her body.

And the forest became quiet again without a single sign of life. Only the sound of insects buzzing.