Chapter 135
[The sorcerer’s heart…]
“If you take a sorcerer’s heart, your circle will return to normal! Not just cracks — even if the circle is completely destroyed, as long as you take it before you die, it will be restored!”
The way Raglia said it was so calm that for a moment I almost thought, “Hmm, really? Then I just need to catch some random passing sorcerer and take theirs!”
But I quickly narrowed my eyes and looked down at my waist.
Raglia was wrapped around me like a belt, probably afraid I’d throw them again.
No matter how hard I pulled, I couldn’t get them off.
***
Winter’s question
“Never heard of such a thing before,” I said, stunned.
Winter, on the other hand, asked seriously:
“If someone with a perfectly fine circle did that… would they end up with two circles?”
Raglia snorted.
“Sounds like it’d give you more magic, or make your circle bigger, right? Nope! If a healthy sorcerer takes another sorcerer’s heart, they die!”
I interrupt
I quickly waved my hands to interrupt.
“Hold on! When you say ‘take the heart’… you don’t mean eat it, do you? Please tell me I’m misunderstanding.”
Winter just blinked, as if unsure what I meant.
Raglia said in a deadpan voice:
“What, did you think I meant playing ball with it?”
Oh. My. Sweet. Potatoes.
Right. I’d forgotten these two are dragons.
I shook my head firmly.
“I don’t do… or can’t do… that kind of gross thing. Absolutely not!
Also — who exactly am I supposed to ‘take’ this from? And how do you even know this method if it’s supposedly a secret?”
Raglia’s glow dimmed as they replied flatly:
“Because I’m the one who discovered it.”
Then they flickered and went completely dark — their way of saying they weren’t going to talk about it anymore and were going to “sleep.”
***
Back to the main problem
I sighed. “Forget about my circle for now. That’s not our biggest problem. The real issue is: we reached the forest, but how are we getting back to the Western Empire?”
Winter, who seemed lost in thought, replied after a moment:
“I already contacted the Northern Empire. Spirit summoners will come meet us. They can’t compare to an ancient spirit, but if we ride a carriage drawn by spirits, we can fly back in a single day.”
I notice something missing
I pushed off the blanket and sat up slowly, checking for dizziness. I reached for my wooden practice sword — my only remaining weapon now that my magic was gone — but…
It wasn’t there.
“Have you seen my wooden sword?”
“You dropped it when you jumped from the tower,” Winter said. “I’ll buy you another when we get back.”
“But… I need one now. Is there anywhere nearby I can buy one?”
Winter frowned. “Why do you need one so urgently?”
Why I need a weapon
“It’s my last line of defense. I can’t use magic anymore, so if something happens, I might have to… use violence. I don’t like hitting people, but I can when necessary.”
Winter raised an eyebrow. “With a wooden sword?”
“Of course, it’s limited, but Your Grace, you’ve done great things with just a teaspoon before!
I’m small, young, cute — which means I can catch people off guard if trouble comes.”
Winter’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“So you’re saying I’m not enough to protect you?”
“What? No, that’s not what I meant—”
But maybe it did sound like that. And judging by his expression, it was too late to take it back.
Winter’s frustration
“I can see how you’d think that,” he said. “When your circle was being damaged to escape Agrisen, there wasn’t much I could do.”
That wasn’t true — without him, I’d never have escaped. But he seemed stuck in his “must-solve-everything-alone” mindset.
“Being able to do more than others sometimes felt like a burden,” he said softly, smiling faintly.
“But wanting to save someone and not being able to… that helplessness is worse.”
There was an edge to his smile — not directed at me, but someone else.
Reminding him we’re a team
I sat back, feeling dizzy again.
“The prophecy was for three people — not just [Igrio] saving the world alone, but with [Materia] and [Ampelos]. All three together.”
In the tower, I’d noticed Winter tried to push me away “for my safety” instead of working together.
“If you keep leaving me out in the name of protecting me, things could go wrong one day. I’m not someone who needs rescuing — I’m an ally. Your teammate.”
Then I shamelessly held out my empty hand.
“So… Can you buy me a wooden sword? Or even a small real sword? Helping me now when I’m broke is exactly the right kind of help.”
Winter’s change of mood
The seriousness faded from his face, replaced by something lighter.
“You may not believe in my skills now, but someday, my sword will save the day,” I added.
A sigh came from somewhere — I wasn’t sure who.
“…Alright,” he said.
I thought I saw a clear, warm smile on his lips for a split second before it vanished.
“It’s almost dinner, and you’ve just woken up after three days,” he said, pushing me gently back onto the bed. “We leave tomorrow. Rest until then.”
“Where are you going?” I asked, lightly tugging his sleeve.
“To buy your sword,” he said with a small smile.
Night thoughts
I nodded and let go.
After he left, I stared at the ceiling until my eyes drooped.
Without magic, I felt like my energy had been cut in half.
Just before I fell asleep, a thought hit me:
“Wait… did we light the Seraphine candle?”
Too late. My body was already heavy, my mind drifting.
***
The next morning
I woke up biting my nails and laughing like a lunatic.
“Seraphine candle… Damn it, I forgot!”
When I woke, the candle was burning — Winter must’ve lit it when he returned late.
But it felt like there had been a long stretch of time when it hadn’t been lit.
Which meant… I couldn’t be sure whether I had dreamed during that unprotected time.
And if I had dreamed… maybe I had met [Ampelos] again.
