Moonlight Discussion

Tahrren smiled at seeing his apprentice so close to Ophelia. But he refused to tease them any further. Or rather, he didn't have the strength to do so. This long day had exhausted him. He placed his weapons near the entrance and removed his satchel. He approached a chair and collapsed onto it, exhaling a large breath of air.

Eiji was surprised to see his mentor like this. It was the first time he had seen such nonchalance in him. He stared at him for a few seconds before addressing him.

"Thank goodness not all days are like this."

Tahrren sighed once again as if those few words had reminded him of bad memories. He sat up straight in his chair, regaining his usual poise.

"To think that we had to fight, and just after arriving! The situation is certainly more serious than I predicted." He paused briefly before continuing. "Eiji, we need to change our plans. Let's help the city. One or more immortals live in the area, and if we do nothing, the whole city could disappear."

Eiji swallowed and looked at Ophelia, who smiled back at him. Although seven hundred years had passed, nothing had changed for her. He knew she wasn't the cause of all this, as incidents and corruption had already spread long before she became a dryad. However, he couldn't imagine what she must be feeling, she who had practically sacrificed herself to save her country, now in danger again, as if those seven hundred years were for nothing.

Finally, he stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

"Alright. But first, let's eat. The day was

exhausting, I doubt we can have a fruitful discussion on an empty stomach."

He prepared three bowls and poured a stew of meat and vegetables. One of the bowls was even more filled, as Tahrren didn't have soup.

"I managed to find some pieces of Nixian for a few bronze pieces at the market! I hope you'll like it. It's meat well known for its spicy notes."

Ophelia and Tahrren almost salivated at the sight of the meal. The delicious smells tickled their nostrils, and they joyfully savored their food. They only resumed their discussion once the bowls were empty.

"So, how are you doing, Ophelia?" Tahrren asked.

Slightly surprised and caught off guard by his intervention, she stared at him before answering.

"I am doing well, thank you. Unfortunately, I have no memories of these seven hundred years that have passed. However, I remember my life before as if it was yesterday. My friends, my father, and the entire kingdom."

Silence fell for a few seconds before Tahrren deigned to respond.

"I am sorry, I don't think I can recount all the developments and changes of the past seven hundred years..."

Eiji quickly intervened in the discussion, cutting off his mentor.

"I have already told her in broad strokes what became of her kingdom and the current situation. However, I think you are more qualified to talk about the immortals and the corruption of anima."

Tahrren gently stroked his chin.

"From what I know, and by analyzing the writings from that time, it seems that anima was responsible for droughts and the death of the region's forests. But the trend was reversed thanks to you, Ophelia. Anima remained dormant for these seven hundred years until it took over your mana and corrupted you."

Ophelia lowered her eyes and smiled slightly. Her actions were not in vain. She had effectively protected her country and people for seven long centuries. She wondered, however, if she deserved so much attention and praise. After all, they even named the city and kingdom after her and founded a religion around her! Wasn't that a bit excessive?

"The anima... I remember. A friend told me about it. A Higashito druidess. She had investigated the forest and discovered this new energy that no one had seen before. That's why we were in these woods. According to her research, this energy corrupts the mana inside the body of the living. We could nullify its influence by injecting mana in excess into the corrupted bodies.

Tahrren was intrigued by these words. Even the Soul Chasers were not founded at that time. This Higashito druidess was perhaps the very first person to have discovered the anima and was probably a genius if she discovered its main characteristics in such a short time.

"The anima is an inherent characteristic of immortals. The lengthening of life corrupts the mana, starting with the immortal himself. His mana constantly changes into anima. By radiation, this anima is transmitted to the living beings around him. That's how anima spreads. In reality, the best way to interrupt the anima flow is to kill the immortal himself. Eiji and I are part of the Soul Chasers. It is our role to chase down these immortals. But to think that an immortal survived seven hundred years without us hearing about it, that doesn't happen every day."

Tahrren displayed a bitter smile. In reality, this kind of event should not happen. Unfortunately, the Soul Hunters were short-staffed and therefore acted more in the reaction without being able to conduct investigations. Like with Ninakami, for example. Many lives could have been saved if information about Aarhèns' presence had been reported in advance. Fortunately, this time they could intervene before the damage became irreversible.

"Apart from that, Eiji. Are you getting used to life outside of Ninakami? Based on your fight earlier, I imagine you've at least managed to set aside your resentment for the Ophelians."

Eiji scratched his forehead. His feelings for his country were a complicated subject. Because whenever he thought about it, he imagined Ruka's smiling face.

"I can't shake off my resentment for the Ophelian army. They killed so many people. Higashito, but also and especially some of my friends, my friend's parents, or even some of my family members. I could never forget it. But, as I've said before, I can't let innocent people suffer because of it. The people are not to blame. And it's for them that I'll fight. So they don't have to go through the same trials as me."

Tahrren could only smile at such maturity at such a young age. He knew that Eiji was not like the others, but he could only be proud of such an apprentice. He lightly tapped on the table as Ophelia's voice echoed once again.

"Why is there so much resentment between the Higashito and my people?"

Eiji was taken aback by this intervention.

"It's true that you don't know. But for almost a century, the Higashito and the Ophelians have been at war because we refuse to adopt their religion. Ironically speaking, it's a religion that worships you..."

Although slightly embarrassed, he tried to put on the best smile he could on his face. However, his words angered Ophelia.

"It's lamentable. Coercing people to adopt their doctrine. Although I am flattered to be worshipped like this, I am also frustrated and disgusted. I am ashamed to be their ancestor. Don't they know that without the Higashito, we wouldn't even exist? We owe them so much. Yet, we offer them only misery and tragedy. On behalf of the royal family, even if it goes back several centuries, I apologize."

Eiji approached his hand on the young princess's shoulders. He gently laid it on her as if he was caressing her.

"Thank you, Ophelia. Your words mean a lot more to me than you think."

The latter blushed, looking him straight in the eyes and displaying a wide smile. Feeling out of place, Tahrren coughed twice to interrupt them.

"Ahem. Well, it's getting late. We'll talk more tomorrow morning. I'm going to rent a room at the inn. Irina had the brilliant idea of bringing you to a room with only two beds."

He got up and headed for the door. Eiji did the same and accompanied him to the exit.

"Don't forget to train. You need to develop your mana further. And rest well. The next few days are likely to be just as busy."

Tahrren said goodbye to his apprentice and Ophelia before leaving. The latter quickly cleared the table before preparing for the night. Eiji decided to train for a few tens of minutes, meditating while sitting on his bed under Ophelia's attentive gaze. After a few minutes, she sat next to him.

"You remind me of myself when I was still a young teenager. I also trained every day until I became one of the most powerful magicians in the region. But that title didn't mean much since most people were unfamiliar with magic."

Focused, Eiji didn't reply. But it didn't deter her, and she continued her monologue.

"In any case, I'm surprised at how well you take care of others. As a princess, I was often surrounded by servants, but rarely did I have the opportunity to meet someone as caring as you. You remind me of someone I knew long ago. My best friend. Elena. When she was younger, she had to take care of her brother. When she joined us as a servant, she stood out for her seriousness, intelligence, and kindness."

She paused, drying the few tears that had started to well up on her cheeks. As she was about to continue, she was interrupted.

"My little sister. As far as I can remember, I took care of her. She had a serious, incurable illness. Our parents worked daily, so I had to take care of her."

She looked at him. His saddened face pained her, and she instinctively placed her hand on his shoulder.

"She was lucky to have a big brother like you."

Eiji grabbed the necklace around his neck.

"No. I was the lucky one. Ruka helped me to become a better man."

Although she now understood, she had to ask him the question.

"What happened to her?"

He bit his lip and did his best not to cry.

"The illness got the best of her."