Silent Witch

Book 14: Chapter 11: The Pawn Outside the Board

Two years had passed since Isaac advanced to the senior division.

During these two years, Isaac frequently snuck out of the dorms to roam the streets at night whenever he had the chance. However, he had yet to find something he could truly immerse himself in.

He tried music, theater, stories, and the like, but he could never purely enjoy the works themselves. He was always too focused on analyzing things like the quality of the work or what ideologies were popular among the citizens.

For the sake of making connections that could help him later abandon the Crockford Duchy, he even visited brothels, but the lively banquets and time spent with beautiful courtesans still left him feeling like he was merely skimming the surface.

For a long time now, he had been too preoccupied with being "Felix" and had completely dulled his sensibilities as "Isaac."

Surely his heart had been numb ever since the real Felix died. That's why he could only skim the surface, his heart unmoved, unable to become immersed.

No matter what he experienced, he could only think about how "Felix" would react.

One day, Isaac learned that his hometown was completing a memorial monument for its reconstruction and holding an unveiling ceremony. Taking advantage of a long vacation, he secretly traveled to the eastern region.

Though over ten years had passed since the Dragon Knight Corps rescued him, Isaac had never returned to his hometown. At the very least, he wanted to leave flowers for his deceased family while he still had the freedom to move about.

At that time, rumors of a black dragon sighting were circulating in the eastern region. However, if Isaac missed this chance, he might never visit his hometown again.

Thinking that, Isaac stubbornly proceeded with his plan, but his judgment was flawed.

By the time he arrived in the eastern region, the roads were already flooded with people abandoning villages and towns to evacuate.

Having come in secret, Isaac couldn't risk being noticed by the evacuees. As a result, he had to take quite a detour and unfortunately encountered a flock of wyverns.

The Black Dragon Wogan that appeared in the eastern Kerbeck territory of the Ridill Kingdom was said to lead a flock of wyverns. Part of that flock had drifted this way.

The shrill screeching cries were different from the ferocious roars of the earth dragons that once attacked Isaac's hometown.

However, when faced with overwhelmingly powerful giant creatures, the primal fear felt by humans remained unchanged.

What's more, there were over twenty large wyverns present, each potentially a disaster on its own. How could this not be considered a great disaster?

Though wyverns were lower-ranking among dragons, their sheer numbers and size could lead to catastrophic damage.

Just a single wyvern gliding low overhead near houses could cause buildings to creak from the wind pressure alone. And its carelessly dropped sharp claws could easily tear through the bodies of livestock.

This flock of wyverns was essentially an intentional storm.

Even the vaunted Dragon Knight Corps of the capital would likely suffer considerable casualties trying to exterminate such a flock.

Dragons were the beings that had once robbed Isaac of his family. At that time, Isaac was powerless and unable to protect even his younger brother.

And now, faced with these overwhelmingly powerful creatures, Isaac was just as powerless.

The fear and despair he felt when he lost his family overcame his entire beingwhen suddenly, a clear ringing sound echoed.

At first, Isaac thought it was just a ringing in his ears, but no, it was different.

Something appeared above the circling flock of wyverns. It was a sharply glistening ice spear.

Beautiful crystal-like ice spears pierced the brows of every single wyvern without exception, as if each spear had a will of its own, striking with perfect accuracy.

Was that magic?

However, anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of magic would realize how superhuman that technique was.

To pierce over twenty wyverns with ice spears of such high magical density would require exquisitely precise control of mana akin to threading a needle. It was a miracle on par with a divine judgment.

The wyverns slain by having their brows pierced did not simply plummet to the ground as lifeless corpses. Instead, wind magic gently guided their falls, making them pile up on the earth.

The dragons that had once instilled a sense of powerlessness in Isaac were dispatched with such ease!!

Isaac was utterly captivated by the sight before him.

What beautiful magic! So serene, yet mercilesslike the judgment of a god!!

A shiver ran down Isaac's spine from the intense exhilaration and excitement.

His heart, which had forgotten the feeling of excitement for so long, pounded loudly. Hot blood coursed through his body, flushing his pale cheeks.

Ah, Isaac couldn't help but let out a breath of admiration.

"It's like a miracle."

Later, when Isaac learned of the witch who performed this miraculous feat, he pursued information about herthe Silent Witchwith an obsessive fervor, his eyes alight as if nothing else mattered.

Large raindrops pounded the earth, accompanied by the sound of wheels churning through wet soil.

Having just awoken from a light doze, Isaac's head was not yet fully alert, his mind tingling with the lingering sensation of his dream.

Ah, I want to meet Lady Everett.

The great Sage of the Seven Sages, the Silent Witch, who wielded intricate and beautiful magic ceremonies, instantly struck down the dreaded dragon hordes that symbolized humanity's fear.

The true heroine who made Black Dragon Wogan yield and repelled the cursed dragon of Reinberg.

Just seeing her was enough to make his heart race, leaving him giddily infatuated like a lovestruck youth.

He wanted to get closer to her, to know her.

To etch into his eyes her wordlessly eloquent, unspoken magic ceremonies!

"Your Highness, we'll be arriving shortly."

Responding with a short "Hm" to the coachman's words, heFelixturned his gaze outside. The rain-soaked window revealed the world had grown quite dark.

Checking his pocket watch, he saw it was almost the final dismissal time. He would have enough time to return to the student council room and retrieve some documents before heading back to the dorms. He could review the documents' contents after returning to the dorms.

Though he wore an overcoat when moving from the carriage to the school building, his uniform shoulders were still damp through the coat, and drops of water dripped from his hair.

Well, since he was just retrieving documents before returning to the dorms, it didn't really matter. Felix briskly walked down the dim hallway. There didn't seem to be any other students left in the building, most likely having already returned to the dorms.

As he grasped the doorknob to the student council room, Felix was slightly surprised to find it unlocked. It seemed someone was still present. Cyril, perhaps?

Upon opening the door, he saw a petite girl sitting primly on the sofa in the dimly lit room. It was Monica.

Without even turning on the lights, Monica was staring intently at the chessboard on the low table in front of her. She had the white pieces. Who was she imagining as the opponent's black pieces?

"You'll ruin your eyes like that," Felix said as he lit a lamp.

At the sound of his voice, Monica slowly raised her head to look at Felix.

In situations like this, the usual Monica would have widened her round eyes and let out an amused, peculiar sound. But the current Monica had a slightly dazed look in her eyes.

Though it didn't seem like she was absorbed in calculations or chess either. Her slightly greenish eyes simply gazed straight at Felix.

"Have you been playing chess alone this whole time? We should leave soon, or we'll get locked in."

".."

Instead of responding, Monica slid a white pawn forward. It seemed to be white's turn now. Glancing at the board, it appeared the white and black pieces were more or less even.

Felix moved a black knight, capturing Monica's white pawn.

He wondered if she would be upset that he moved her pieces without permission, but Monica merely stared silently at the white pawn removed from the board.

"For example, if you had to sacrifice someone to have your wish granted"

"Hm?"

"What would you do?"

Felix didn't hesitate with his answer.

After all, he had already made that choice over ten years ago.

"If necessary, I would take that step."

He had once burned a dear person with his own hands.

He wouldn't flinch at a small sacrifice like this, not for the sake of becoming king.

Just as he manipulated Emanuel Darwin, the Jeweled Magician, to assassinate the Duke of Crockford.

"If it's necessary for me to become king, I will surely do so."

"Why do you want to become king so badly?"

"Didn't I tell you before? It's because I have to become king."

Yes, Felix Arc Ridill had to become kingto etch his name in history.

So that people would never forget the existence of the pitiable, kind prince.

".."

Silently, Monica moved a white rook.

Promptly, Felix moved a black knight, shifting the situation on the board to favor the black pieces.

For Monica to save her white king, she would have to sacrifice one of her other pieces.

"When having to sacrifice something to have your wish granted I've always thought I could do it easily."

The meek, quiet girl confessed in a tone akin to self-admonishment.

That she was someone capable of sacrificing things.

"Because I never had anything precious. As long as I had numbers, that was enough."

What Monica stared at was neither Felix nor the chessboard.

It was the captured white pawn removed from the board.

"I really thought I could easily, cruelly, abandon someone. But"

Monica's hand drifted aimlessly across the board without touching any pieces before returning to her lap.

"When I learned my father died for someone else's wish I didn't know what to do anymore."

Surely, the usual Monica would have made her next move without hesitation. It was well-known at chess tournaments that Monica never took long to decide on moves.

But now, Monica was hesitating. In this situation where she had to sacrifice pieces to regain mobility.

With a sigh, Felix exhaled and swept his right hand across the chessboard, scattering the pieces.

At the now chaotic board, Monica's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between the board and Felix.

"Eh, um, uh"

"Life isn't necessarily like chess, with just black and white sides. Human relationships are complex. There aren't always just two factions."

In reality, political issues were incredibly convoluted.

Even within the same "white" faction, there could be multiple sub-factions, and just when you thought there were only three or four factions, a new fifth faction would emerge.

Felix returned the scattered pieces to their case. It was about time they left the school building before getting locked in.

"If you're feeling cornered, rely on those around you Perhaps you can rely on me."

At those words, Monica looked like she was about to cry for some reason.

Her small lips parted as if to say something but then closed again.

"Monica?"

As Felix reached out to touch Monica's cheek, she abruptly stood up, as if evading his hand.

Then, in a strained voice, she declared:

"Benedict Rayne."

Unfamiliar with the name, Felix gave Monica a puzzled look. She squeezed out her words with a desperate expression as if holding back tears.

"No matter what choice I make from here, no matter what future I end up in please, never forget this name. Absolutely, absolutely never forget it."

With those words, Monica fled from the student council room as if running away.

As the door slammed shut, Felix repeated the name to himself.

Benedict Rayne.

An unfamiliar name, and yet, it felt like he had seen it somewhere before.

From the context of the conversation, it was likely the name of Monica's deceased father?

I should look into it a bit.