NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40.1
40.1. Return Visit
The next day, around noon, Nord visited Elisio again.
He climbed the spiral staircase of the stone tower on the grounds of the magic academy and knocked on the door.
No response.
Thinking Elisio might be out, Nord turned to leave. But just then, he heard hurried footsteps from inside the door.
“Coming! Just a moment… kyah!”
“Hey, are you okay?”
From inside came Elisio’s scream. Judging by the sounds, it seemed like he had tripped.
Through the closed door, Nord called out.
“Ouch… Nord, is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I came about yesterday.”
“Sorry! I’ll open up now.”
After the sound of the lock clicking, the door opened.
On the other side stood Elisio in his usual mage’s robe. His nose was red, and his eyes were teary, likely from hitting his face.
“Were you asleep?”
“Well, I kind of pulled an all-nighter yesterday…”
“Sorry for barging in. Should I come back later?”
“No, it’s fine. Rather than standing around, why don’t you come in?”
Nord decided to accept Elisio’s offer.
Stepping into Elisio’s home for the first time since yesterday, Nord closed the door behind him. Just like the day before, a pleasant scent tickled his nose.
He looked around for the source of the smell but couldn’t find anything obvious in the room. Could this be some kind of magical fragrance rather than incense?
“Hm?”
As Nord scanned the room, he noticed something.
A door leading further inside was slightly ajar.
Elisio must have forgotten to close it in his rush.
What could the personal room of a skilled magician look like? Curiosity tugged at Nord, tempting him to take a peek.
“I’ll make tea in just a moment, so please take a seat… Nord?”
“Huh? Oh, uh…”
Elisio was busy boiling water at a small magical stone stove set against the wall.
As he placed a kettle filled with water on the flame, Elisio glanced back and noticed that Nord’s attention was elsewhere.
“What are you looking at—ahh!”
“Whoa!”
Following Nord’s gaze, Elisio spotted the open door.
He yelped in surprise and dashed toward it, accidentally tossing the kettle into the air.
Startled, Nord dodged aside but managed to catch the airborne kettle mid-flight, preventing most of the water from spilling. Only a small puddle formed on the floor.
After setting the kettle back on the stove, Nord turned toward Elisio.
“Ahaha… did you see it?”
“Well, I caught a glimpse… Sorry about that.”
“I see… Yeah, you must have…”
“Was it that bad? Sorry, I shouldn’t have looked.”
“No, it’s my fault for not closing the door…”
Elisio hastily shut the door, then leaned his back against it protectively.
His demeanor was unusually serious, and Nord realized that whatever was in the room was something Elisio didn’t want anyone to see.
“I shouldn’t have peeked. That was too careless of me. A magician must have many things they’d rather keep private.”
“Eh?”
“Hm?”
Elisio made a puzzled sound at Nord’s apology.
“Um, what exactly did you see…?”
“Not much, really. Just a bit of something white—looked like fabric? Some kind of material?”
“…! Yes! Exactly! It’s a magical material I use in my work. I prefer to keep it out of sight.”
“Sorry again. I’ll be more careful next time. Forget what you saw, okay?”
“Thank you. That would help a lot. Phew…”
Perhaps it was something related to the magical tools Elisio mentioned researching for his master. Nord’s guess seemed correct, as Elisio’s flustered demeanor suggested so.
After collapsing to the floor briefly, Elisio stood up and resumed preparing tea.
Nord, feeling it would be rude to act any more carelessly in someone else’s home, sat obediently by the window as offered.
The magic stone stove burned without producing smoke, heating the kettle efficiently.
While they waited for the water to boil, an awkward atmosphere settled over the room.
Nord felt uneasy. Judging by his silence, Elisio probably felt the same.
Hoping to dispel the tension, Nord let his gaze wander.
His eyes landed on the bookshelf in front of him.
“Now that I think of it, you mentioned yesterday that you transcribe books.”
“Yes, books are expensive. Also, it helps me earn a bit of money.”
“Money?”
“Yes. The academy offers jobs to people like me who lack funds. Copying books is one of them. If I make extras, I can keep a few for myself, so it’s something I enjoy doing.”
Elisio smiled brightly, adding, “It’s half a hobby, really.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Go ahead.”
Nord browsed the spines of Elisio’s books. Most of the titles were related to magic, as he had seen yesterday. Opening a few at random, Nord found many terms he didn’t understand.
Yet among them, he spotted a book with a familiar theme.
“This one…”
“Oh, that one?”
Elisio had just finished pouring tea into two cups and glanced at the book in Nord’s hand.
“That’s not for work or research. I copied it out of personal interest.”
The book’s title read: “Legendary Beasts.”
“Let’s see… Fenrir the Divine Wolf, Sky Dragon, Behemoth the Thunderous Bear, Leviathan the King of Tides, Titan the Colossal Spirit…”
“You’re an adventurer, right, Nord? Did you ever dream of fighting creatures like these?”
“Well…”
Elisio’s words made Nord pause and think.
Why had he become an adventurer?
For his family’s sake—he was sure of that. His adventurer earnings had allowed his sister to attend school and covered other family expenses.
Yet, thinking back, Nord realized he had genuinely enjoyed the life of an adventurer.
As a child, he had loved the tales his mother and sister read to him about brave adventurers.
Living those adventures had been a dream come true, even if he hadn’t consciously realized it.
“Nord?”
“Ah, yeah. I suppose I did. Adventuring was fun. But…”
Nord held up the book and chuckled.
“I’d pass on fighting anything like this. One life isn’t enough for battles like those.”
“These aren’t fictional, you know.”
“Wait, what?”
Elisio’s unexpected response caught Nord off guard.
“They exist—or at least some do. Old texts confirm sightings of a few.”
Elisio flipped through the pages and pointed out one creature.
The name stood out:
“Arachne the Spider Empress.”
The two read the name aloud, their voices overlapping eerily in the quiet room.