Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 134

To Teacher, From Vanessa 134

The deafening laughter shook the mountains and splintered the trees, but Vanessa, now accustomed to the noise, focused solely on repairing the magic circle.

〚Humans are so interesting. Some awaken me to become rulers, while others relinquish power and lull me back to sleep.〛

Bam Vandalu smiled, watching the delighted black creature. Meanwhile, Vanessa pondered the most elegant phrasing for a sentence in Edirne.

A large head wobbled in the air, gazing down at the scene with amusement.

Humans were, in any case, growing on their sculptures. Lamaira and Nuire, who had already disappeared, would have admired it too.

Completing the magic circle was a lengthy process.

Bam Vandalu was undoubtedly helpful, yet he remained somewhat aloof. She didn’t know why he imparted these teachings, but Vanessa had to take the initiative in fixing it. It was a great honor, albeit an unwelcome one.

Eventually, the sun dipped below the horizon, and a crescent moon graced the dark sky. Light summoned by Bam Vandalu danced around, and the color-devoured wolf in the darkness wagged its tail, gazing at the stars twinkling in the night sky.

Vanessa, who had been toiling for hours, sat down to catch her breath.

〚You’ve worked hard. Why not reconsider?〛

Seeing her quickly pick up Bahr again, the wolf made a strange clicking noise, like a human clicking their tongue.

“I was just… just resting for a moment.”

As Vanessa rubbed her sleepy eyes, he curled his large tail around her, shielding her from the cold wind.

〚You’re a very interesting, yet very foolish human. Anyway, the sky is always a sight to behold, whether night or day.〛

Now accustomed to its overwhelming size and mythical pronouncements, Vanessa cautiously posed a question.

“Has the sky not changed since before?”

〚Yes. Well, the arrangement of the stars shifts slightly at night. Some have vanished. There used to be a large, flashing one beneath that faint blue star.〛

Presumably named Bairakos, the jet-black wolf began to ramble on.

It was a tale from the distant past, featuring friends named Lamaira and Nuire.

His voice was tinged with longing.

Vanessa listened, renewing her resolve. The night was long, the work was plentiful, and the stories were abundant.

Even as the moon set and another blue dawn broke, the work remained unfinished.

The magic circle here was literally the core of the core. Even if several magic circles were combined, their importance would vary. This particular circle, acting as the primary source of magic power, like a magic stone, was paramount.

“You can’t phrase it like that here. What’s the purpose of this sentence structure? It should naturally modify the object, according to your intention.”

“…I wrote it according to my intention.”

“Haha, are you kidding me?”

Vanessa tore at her hair at his bright smile, which suggested he was also adept at joking.

She missed the professors at the academy. The infamous founder of the academy was far less merciful than them.

He was so brilliant that he couldn’t comprehend the thought processes of ordinary people.

The professors would ponder over students’ assignments, pointing out flaws in the flow, but the founder would tilt his head with an innocent expression, wondering why, how, and why someone would construct such a sentence.

If she had to choose which was more demoralizing, it was definitely the latter.

Still, she was gradually improving. Vanessa did her best to prevent future mishaps.

Of course, perfection was unattainable, so she planned to delegate the task to other wizards afterward. The bureaucratic mindset she had cultivated proved invaluable: to overcome disasters, divide the labor.

Her fingertips ached from the constant movement, but it was worth it. The black wolf watched with interest, showing no signs of boredom.

Finally, when the repair of the magic circle was complete, a bright light softly enveloped the world once more.

As Bam Vandalu nodded after the final check, a wave of fatigue washed over her. The black wolf tapped the ground with its tail, a substitute for applause.

Vanessa was eager to leave, but she also felt a pang of sympathy for the black wolf, who had to fall asleep again. Contrary to human misconceptions, he was not an impure being, but rather something of great benevolence.

“Would you like to look around for a moment?”

As Vanessa hesitated, Bairakos said, preening his tail fur.

〚As soon as I awaken, lightning will strike the sky, and the ground will split with my every step. The person you love will remain in a sleep like death.〛

“It’s better for you to just sleep. Dreams will be more beautiful than reality. I worked hard, you know.”

Seeing Vanessa immediately retract her offer, the black wolf snorted. Humans, indeed!

The black creature looked up at the sky, gauging the pouring light. He stretched his body, warmed by the light, then curled up again, issuing a threat.

〚Just so you know, if you’re not good enough, I won’t be able to fall asleep. Only your power will dissipate, and everything will remain unchanged. Then I’ll get up right away and go for a walk, stomping around.〛

That’s a very encouraging story.

Vanessa clenched her fist with a sulky expression at the voice that continued to threaten her until the end.

“It will be enough.”

The black wolf bared its teeth in a laugh, then rolled around to find the most comfortable position. Suddenly, he growled, telling her not to throw trash on his body, as it would itch him while he slept.

Vanessa vowed to propose an environmental protection bill for this mountain—that is, his body.

Finally, she reached the last stage. As Vanessa tried to relax by clenching and unclenching her hands, Bam Vandalu, who was standing next to her, hurriedly tugged on her collar.

“Vanessa, it’s okay to think about it a little more. There’s no need to rush like this at all. A lot might really change.”

“The answer is the same even if I think about it.”

Even at her prompt reply, Bam Vandalu shook his head.

“It’s very different to have something from the beginning and to have something disappear. Think about the impact that deficiency will have on you. Even the way back will be difficult.”

Yes, not being able to use teleportation magic is a shame.

Vanessa nodded shallowly and glared at him. Why are you saying this after it’s all over?

“Instead of offering belated advice, you should have helped me fix the magic circle better. I would have saved at least three hours.”

Then she declared firmly.

“I can take a carriage or a horse on the way back! There’s no need to save the world anymore, so there’s plenty of time!”

It was a wise answer. Bam Vandalu eventually smiled helplessly. He took his hand off her collar and whispered sincerely.

“I want to apologize. I’m sorry. I know it might feel like I used you. I said it wasn’t, but that might be my true intention.”

Vanessa just stared blankly at the boy.

“I did it because I know you’re a good person. That’s why I’m even more sorry. Because it’s not the guilty ones, but you, who have no sin, who have to bear this burden.”

“It’s enough if you know you’re sorry.”

It was still a cool answer without any hesitation. Bam Vandalu laughed.

“Then I’ll thank you this time. Thank you for being someone who can make this choice, Vanessa Rose. Thank you so much for protecting the place that I, my friend, love.”

The boy whispered. Vanessa stared blankly and then laughed along with him.

“I was going to keep it a secret because I didn’t want to make you feel comfortable.”

“Huh?”

“To be honest, you don’t have to thank me at all. I’m not protecting the Friba [likely a place or region] you loved, but the people I love. Thank you for showing me the way here.”

With that great power, she was barely able to protect a small boundary. The inside was a very small and cozy world, but it was full of the most precious things.

Well-dried and crisp blankets, sleeping in until the afternoon, the rustling sound of freshly taken-out white paper, ink shining in various colors, a pen that fits perfectly in her hand, and a book with a splendid leather binding, tart shells filled with butter and jam with chewy pulp.

Those were things that would sound too trivial to someone. Of course, there were more amazing things by Vanessa’s standards.

Beloved friends and people who shared relationships, their laughter-filled eyes, noisy conversations, affectionate gestures, and considerate movements.

And you.

Those were the things that made Vanessa incredibly happy.

So, what do I care about the world, peace, and a promise with a great king?

In the front page of the book she picked out from Jonah Hill’s bookstore, which she entered while walking through Gideon and Fydom in the past, Bam Vandalu’s words were written.

「The greatest wizard is not afraid of losing power.」

Maybe that was Bam Vandalu’s bait too, to subtly twist and induce her to make the choice he wanted.

But she was wrong. Far from being a great wizard, she was just a decent wizard with overflowing magical power, but Vanessa was not afraid at all. She was really sure which choice would make her regret more.

Therefore, there was no regret left. She was satisfied.

Finally, her fingertips touched the densely engraved letters. The magic circle began to shine blue.

The boy stepped back, and the black wolf closed its eyes, burning like the night sky, and curled up its body.

The blue magic circle turned into a white color that emitted light, then dyed black like darkness. The magic circle greedily devoured all the power Vanessa had. Her vision began to fade.

She felt like she knew what it meant to be a broken glass. Everything shattered.

The last thing caught in her blurring eyes was the magic circle that seemed to have melted into the ground and disappeared, the black wolf’s body that had turned into a huge stone mountain, and the boy’s small hand that was grabbing her as she fell.

Vanessa closed her eyes and thought.

Has Gideon woken up yet?