The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 41

41.

Late into the night, I sat with Pipi on the steps of the temple’s main gate, gazing up at the starry sky.

We didn’t need to say anything to each other. We weren’t those kinds of people. It was just nice to be able to spend time together.

Just that alone made me keep smiling.

As the pitch-black sky turned purple, signaling the dawn, Rain opened his mouth.

“Friede told you to wait for me?”

That was the strange part. No, more than strange, it was puzzling.

Why would she tell you to wait for me? And for 300 years? What for? There must be some purpose.

Unless it was something truly important, Friede wouldn’t have abandoned Pipi, whom she cherished more than her own blood, in a place like this.

All the members of the Hero Party liked and adored Pipi, but compared to Friede’s affection, who had raised her since she was a chick, it was nothing.

“This, this, this.”

Pipi shook her neck. There was a tiny pouch hanging there. From it, she managed to pull out a ring.

A ring with a gem that glowed like a blazing flame, a treasure among treasures: a Flame Jade Stone [a gem imbued with fire magic].

I couldn’t help but gasp, not because of its value, but because it was a familiar object.

“This is Friede’s.”

“Right, right, right.”

Pipi flew up as if telling me to follow her.

Her destination was in front of the firmly closed main gate of the temple. Despite being aged by time, the gate made of red wood was still intact.

“Did you fend off all the grave robbers for 300 years?”

“Protected, protected, protected.”

“Why? No, what?”

As I was wondering how to open this, Friede’s ring emitted a brilliant light.

As if resonating with that light, the red dragon statues erected on both sides of the main gate also emitted light.

Kugugugugu… And with a cloud of dust, the massive gate began to open.

I whistled in admiration, but Pipi flew inside, so I had to quickly follow.

“Pipi!”

As I stepped inside, flames sprang up from the candlesticks hanging in the niches, so there was no need to use lighting magic.

The dimly lit interior of the temple was filled with dust, but the ceiling was incredibly high, the jewels decorating the pillars were dazzling, and the red dragon statues lining the passageway were imposing.

Outside, it was still a chilly spring dawn, but inside, a mysterious warmth circulated, giving a sense of comfort as if entering the womb.

“Pipi, where are you going? Pipi!”

How far did I walk following the trail of flames Pipi left behind?

The place where Pipi finally stopped was at the end of a long corridor, where the priestess’s bedroom was located.

‘Friede’s room……’

After hesitating for a moment, I opened the door, and Pipi landed on the bed, nodding her head back and forth, humming a tune.

I wondered if it was because she was happy with her owner’s scent, but upon closer inspection, there was something under Pipi’s claws.

It was a luxurious ebony casket.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of tension, I opened the casket… and a glass bottle wrapped in red silk appeared. It was a mysterious liquid that shone vividly in the darkness with a reddish-gold glow, like a flame.

“What is this?”

At that moment, what took Rain’s breath away was not the liquid, but the small piece of paper lying on the bottom of the casket.

It was so old that it had turned yellow and looked like it would crumble with the slightest rough handling.

And… on that piece of paper, a familiar handwriting was there.

[1168.09.24 – To Rin.]

I gasped in surprise and stopped breathing.

It was hard to breathe because of the intermittent bursts of laughter rising from my throat.

‘A date from 250 years ago……’

Steadying my breath, I carefully opened the letter.

To Rin,

I am writing this letter again this year. It will probably be the last.

Knowing that Rin is terrible at treasure hunts, I have decided to give up on hiding it somewhere because of grave robbers.

So, I left Pipi as the gatekeeper, so that this letter and gift can reach Rin.

Did you meet Pipi? The Radiant Dragon took pity on us and extended Pipi’s lifespan. It’s a shame I can’t see Rin’s surprised face in person.

Pipi and I have both grown old, but the desire to see Rin again is as strong as ever. As I get older, I only get tearier, and I only think about the things I couldn’t do for Rin in the past.

I must leave now.

I am planning to go to the in the Antarctic with the legion. If what I dream of is achieved, I might be able to live until Rin comes.

I will end my letter here.

I want to write more, but I’ll refrain from doing so in case I hear any stories from Rista or Keyes.

Now, it is the wish of all of us that we do not want to chain Rin, who is about to start a new life, to the shackles of the past.

Enclosed with the letter is a birthday present.

Rin, happy nineteenth birthday. I promised you before. That is the Dragon’s Breath.

I sincerely pray that this gift will be of some help to Rin’s journey through life.

Thank you.

And I miss you.

– From your old friend, Friede.

The letters in the letter blurred and shattered. I could feel my eyes swelling up with moisture.

‘How unlike you to use honorifics……’

That’s what I thought, but when I realized that Friede was 90 years old when she wrote this letter, my heart felt empty.

Only then did I know for sure.

I was harboring vain hope: the hope that my comrades might be alive somewhere, the hope that I might meet them again…….

I had been living with that meager hope, soothing my vast loneliness.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Rin, don’t cry.”

Pipi urged me, moving back and forth on my shoulders. I wiped my eyes and shook my head.

“It’s okay. I’m not crying. It’s just funny that you’re using honorifics……”

I pretended to be calm, but it was so hard that I couldn’t even hold something in my hand. I decided to put away the Dragon’s Breath right away before I dropped it.

Knowing that, Pipi pecked the cork stopper with her beak and pulled it out. As if heat was rising from a fire, a mysterious aura leaked out of the liquid in the glass bottle.

Thank you, Friede, I muttered inwardly, then poured all the thick liquid into my mouth.

“……?!”

Something felt strange inside my mouth, and the sensation of it passing through my esophagus was as painful as swallowing a flame.

But the pain… it didn’t feel like pain… it felt like an enormous vitality was filling me up…….

Blood vessels bulged and glowed red throughout my body, and an unprecedented power surged into the main circuit that circulated magic through those blood vessels.

An uncontrollable power, a sense of fullness that felt like it would burst, a burning sensation as if the main circuit was being devoured by flames.

“Pipi, my bag.”

“Bag, bag.”

“There’s a diary I used to use. Can you open it for me?”

Feeling even a dizzying sense of elation, I felt the explosive magic circulating through my body, and a string of characters unfolded before my eyes. It must be Ludien [Rain’s unique magic analysis skill].

Gustaba: Quantifies the caster’s physical condition into mathematical values.

ㆍPillar: Current magic power 13,222 -> 26,444.

My mouth dropped open at the unbelievable amount of magic power increase.

Double?

Exactly double?

This was a truly unbelievable amplification figure. The amount of magic power increase from the elixirs or panaceas that the Eight Great Schools prepare over hundreds of years for the next headmaster is less than 5,000.

‘Ah, what a mistake……’

If I had known it was this great, I would have created about 50,000 magic power and then eaten it to reach 100,000. But I shook my head to dispel the gloomy feeling.

‘But that means I can now use the Mind Barrier.’

As proof, the unique rune on my left palm, wrapped in bandages, was faintly flickering and expressing its presence.

Brante [Rain’s other unique skill].

– New magic circuit, usage conditions met: Flowing Quantity World Honored One.

The growth of magic power is unique, in that it initially draws a gentle downward curve, but once it breaks through a certain point, it changes to an upward curve.

Once it enters a certain orbit, the rate of growth gradually increases.

So, there’s no need to be depressed at all. The rate of magic power growth will probably be completely different from what it has been so far.

Around that time, the morning light was shining dazzlingly through the stained glass of the temple. I packed Friede’s casket in a bundle and said.

“Pipi, I have to go now. I have to leave now so I won’t be late for the dormitory curfew.”

“Rin, must go. Rin, must go.”

“So, I was wondering… would you like to come with me?”

Then Pipi’s eyes sparkled, but she lowered her head as if she couldn’t.

“Pipi, wait for Friede. Waited for Rin, now wait for Friede.”

Is that so?

Is that what you promised?

Does this girl have to repeat another endless wait? I couldn’t leave her like that.

“You can wait with me.”

“Rin, together?”

“Yeah. Friede is so famous that if she were alive, it would be a big deal. There’s no need to wait here, we can go meet her together then. Friede will be very surprised……”

Pipi tilted her head at first as if puzzled, but soon her eyes lit up and she climbed onto Rain’s head and wiggled her head back and forth.

“Together, together, together.”

As we left the temple, the morning sun spread out, brilliantly coloring the world. Thump, behind us, the massive gate closed on its own. It probably won’t open again now.

“Pipi, what do you want to eat?”

“Corn, corn, corn.”

“Ah, right. Pipi really liked corn, didn’t she?”

It was still a chilly spring morning, but the conversation with my old friend warmed my body and mind throughout the way back.

Warm, warm, and warm again, it warmed my soul.

* * *

After finishing writing the letter, Friede stared silently at the letter for a moment. Next to her, Pipi was pecking at kernels of corn.

“Pipi.”

“Pipi, Pipi, Pipi.”

“I have to go now.”

Pipi stopped eating the corn and looked up, meeting the old owner’s clear eyes. A bitter smile formed on Friede’s wrinkled lips.

“Will you wait for Rin here? So that child doesn’t become a loner.”

“Pipi, wait for Rin.”

“It will be a very difficult and arduous journey…… You will be a loner until that child comes.”

Friede couldn’t dare to guess how painful and long that journey would be. Is that why she herself is now leaving for the Antarctic, because she cannot know?

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Are you really okay? You can just come with me.”

“Even if it’s hard, Pipi wait for Rin. Rin, Friede’s friend. Rin, Pipi’s friend.”

Ah…… Friede hugged Pipi tightly with both hands and began to cry silently for a while.

Maybe this is the last time. But if…….

“I’ll be waiting in the , Pipi. Tell Rin this when she’s ready to leave on her journey.”