(EP-250.2) Caged #5

250 – Caged Bird #5

The door suddenly opened, with both Elga and I shutting our mouths. I wondered if the elf maids had come to bring blankets or pillows.

However, the person who entered through the door was Mirna, dressed in a white nightgown.

“Calling someone at this late hour. What’s going on, Lady Lioness? I love my sleep and would like to go to bed early. Although I did sneak in quietly.”

“It wasn’t me who called, it was Theo.”

“Sir Theo?”

“I’ll explain everything.”

I recounted the same story I had told Elga to Mirna. After hearing the whole story, Mirna was greatly surprised.

“You’ve already made contact with Opal…?”

“It seems so. It was a brief moment, but he was definitely in front of me. I don’t know why.”

“Is your stomach alright?”

“Yes.”

“But let’s check it out just in case. Lift your clothes up.”

Seureuk-.

At Mirna’s request, I showed her my stomach. Her slender fingers gently traced over my ribs and skin.

It was ticklish.

Then, Mirna suddenly pinched my belly.

“Guaak…!”

It hurt so much it felt like I would tear up!

“There doesn’t seem to be any damage to your bones or organs. You seem perfectly fine. Are you sure you were cut by a blade?”

“… Yes. The sensation of my organs spilling out was vivid.”

The sensation of my stomach opening and pouring out its contents. I could feel it right then and there, that it was death.

“I didn’t think….”

“Lady Lioness, do you have something to say?”

When Elga opened her lips, Mirna immediately caught on. Then Elga folded her arms.

“Don’t hesitate, what is it, Lady Lioness?”

“No, I thought it was too absurd to mention. Did you know that mages or monks who have reached the pinnacle of magic can embody their image externally?”

“Mental image manifestation. A barrier spell that creates a battlefield advantageous to oneself.”

“Yes, exactly like that. The path of the long and narrow sword. At its end, those who reach the peak achieve a state where they can cut through their opponent with an intangible sword of the mind. They call it the Mind Sword.”

“Cut with your mind. Does that make sense?”

Mirna rolled her tongue as if it made no sense, and I agreed with her. No matter how full the world was with magic and other marvels, it was just too much.

But Elga calmly explained.

“Imagine taking a big bite of a sour lemon. The juice floods your mouth and goes down your throat. Just imagining it makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“Human minds can imagine that. Similarly, people can imagine minute muscle movements, their breathing, presence, will, and more. Our minds can conjure up imaginary attacks based on these.”

Elga’s explanation was quite verbose, but I was able to easily grasp its meaning with Calm Thinking. Basically, Elga’s point was….

“Are you saying that I was hit by an imaginary attack?”

“At least that’s how it appears right now. If such an opponent exists, they must be a highly skilled swordsman. It wouldn’t be strange if Opal Bellhawk, who got his life extended, reached that level.”

A swordsman who could cut someone down with just their mental image.

How terrifying…

“Either way, we’ve taken a hit. Regardless of an imaginary attack or whatever, if that had been a real attack, Sir Theo might have truly died.”

Mirna was indignant.

As she said, if it had been a real blade, I might have ended up halved instead of just a half-fairy.

“We can’t just take this lying down. Daring to attack a court mage? I’ll file charges as soon as we return tomorrow!”

Mirna was furious.

Using Angmar’s authority to punish Opal and the Bellhawk family would be an effective strategy. However, Elga seemed to have a different idea.

“Do you know how many people in the legal system are in the elves’ pockets? We’d be hard pressed. And if we accuse them without evidence, it’s like making enemies of the entire Bellhawk family.”

Elga had a point.

If we engaged the Bellhawk family without clear and definitive evidence, it would just be a frivolous brawl.

This could lead to internal strife in Angmar, and Aira’s heart, which had been healing well, might become distressed again. The barrier might even collapse.

Of course, Mirna grumbled, “Lady Lioness, you’re sounding unusually weak.” To which Elga responded, “Who’s being weak?”

“Do I sound weak? No, I don’t plan to rely on something soft like an indictment. A close fist always takes precedence over a distant law. We’re going to drag Opal out ourselves.”

‘I see.’

Elga was planning to confront Opal directly. That certainly seemed more like Elga and might be more effective….

Creak.

At that moment, we heard a sound from the ceiling above us. When I looked up, wondering what it was, I saw amber eyes looking down at us.

“Shh─.”

It was Stella Bellhawk.

She softly descended from the ceiling and sat beside us.

“… Where did you just come from?”

In response to my question, Stella said.

“There’s a passage in the ceiling of this mansion that I secretly made. It’s great for sneaking around. Anyway, I heard the story. You’ve already made contact with Opal…?”

“Yes. I almost died.”

“… That’s strange. He never comes out of the basement for any reason. Anyway, we finally have some time to talk. I’ll get straight to the point.”

Stella pointed to the ceiling.

“You can reach the basement through the ceiling I just came from. If you use the method I’ve prepared, you’ll be able to safely enter the forbidden area.”

Edited by: faker