Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria - Volume 2 - Chapter 133

Chapter 133

――Who is the strongest magician in the world?







I don’t know who it was that may have stated that .
To speak of the common people, it’s easy for them to go along with that sort of easily understood propaganda .
It seems that the first magician to be called as such was, a small elf girl .
A high elf girl spoken of like a fairy tale in oral legend――Lunaria・Einshaula, the original world’s strongest magician .
It’s said that when humans stated it as propaganda for political use, the elf went along with it while wanting to live quietly .
Because she believed no one would want to make an enemy of that great power .
Ever since then, that strongest phantasm became something to be passed down .
The strongest of every era was unbeatable .
Because capable people succeeded it, just saying that doesn’t grasp the explanation for that great feat .
It’s also said that it’s because that name does not permit acts of defeat .
And so the phantasm is passed down and, causes various affects to the world even now .



――Because at the least the sixth generation, Tillbell・Einshaula, has clearly carved her name in this world’s history .



◇■◇■◇

「……」

I was endlessly, looking up at the same ceiling .
My head is heavy .
I haven’t done anything, since reaching the royal capital’s mansion .
The sun’s light doesn’t reach here even when it’s said to be morning, because of the torrential downpour that has continued falling since last night .
The sound of the rain resounds, in a room with the curtains fully closed like a darkroom .
It was like the heaven’s sorrow becoming tears and overflowing .

「Ojousama, could I come in?」

The sound of a well mannered knock entered the room .
I can’t bring myself to put my voice out, so I don’t answer .
Be that as it may, the other side won’t pull back like this .
Perhaps the voice’s owner became worried that I might possibly have died, Ilya comes into the room to see the situation even if by force .

「I’m intruding, ojousama . Eclair-sama has come to see you today as well but……」
「……」

My willpower doesn’t boil up .
Willpower is, the source of the power to act .
That becomes vitality and moves people, allowing them to live on .
It isn’t there for me now .
Therefore I suppose that my vessel that exists here is a corpse .

「――It’s fine Ilya . Surely there’s no need for something like restraint anymore . 」

The pure crimson girl who let out a sharp voice threw off Ilya’s inaction and entered the room .
She came beside where I was still looking up at the ceiling from my bed .

「You should get up already, Alice . 」
「……」
「Have looked at the mirror here over the last few days? You lack animation to an extent sufficient to make people think you’re a dead person you know . 」
「……」
「……」

With me making no response, Eclair didn’t particularly raise her voice but was looking down with a dejected expression .

「Do you understand just how much you worry the people around you, when you don’t even eat properly?」

That was proper logic so, my chest hurt .
While saying that as a reason, it wasn’t strong enough for me to move .

「Eclair……」
「!?」
「Tsu」

The voice I let out after so much time was, something hoarse enough to surprise even myself .




It was miserable enough that I couldn’t reconcile it with the tender voice I heard when I first came to this world .
The 2 people had made faces that seemed to mix surprise and joy .
But, those expressions changed to anger and pity with the words that came next .

「Hold me . 」
「――Tsu!!」
「Eclair-sama!!!」

My collar was seized and my upper body was forcibly raised .
Eclair’s slight fangs are bared like fangs .
With her energy like I could be bitten to death even now――――I unintentionally showed a smile .

「――」

The Eclair who saw that, thrust me away in a somehow cold manner .

「I ask of you Eclair-sama, please stop your violence . 」
「I won’t do anything more okay . 」

Dispassionately, Eclair turned her back and walked away .
I thought she would leave in that manner but, her legs stopped in front of the door .

「――You, want to cause pain to both your heart and body don’t you . 」

I wonder if that’s so, as I bend my neck .
I don’t understand what’s inside my own heart .

「It’s an honor for Eclair to be chosen as the executor of your punishment but, frankly there’s no room for that right now . 」

Looking closely, Eclair was unreliable like a discarded puppy, trembling meaninglessly while seeming apologetic .

「Sorry……Eclair slept, without being able to do the act of saving your precious person . There shouldn’t be……anything to say . 」

Eclair went out of the room, with quick steps .
Fleurety was standing in the hallway .
After glaring in at me, she gave chase as Eclair left .
I watch that in a daze and, Ilya came to gallantly hold me up .
Correcting my negligee with a shoulder string that had been pulled and came off, she put me back to rest in bed once again .

「……」

Somehow, I saw Ilya’s face as she came to put my sheets in their place .
I felt that it had been a long time since we’d properly turned our faces to eachother .
I noticed that it appeared that dark circles had formed, below the eyes of the Ilya who has no gaps with no exceptions .
On that note, should I suppose I’ve been having Ilya take care of me this entire time?
Even my memories are vague .
Ilya gave a soft smile, having noticed my gaze .

「Is it not cold?」

I answered by shaking my head sideways .
Perhaps it was rare that there was a reaction, Ilya showed an expression like her heart hurt .
And so she went out to the hallway for a time and, this time she came to the side table while pushing a service wagon .

「This is a request ojousama, please take your meal soon……you’ve become awfully, emaciated . 」

Aah, that means it’s logical that my voice became hoarse .
I’m not even drinking enough water……

「Un……since I’ll eat it later . 」
「I do not approve . Please, eat right now in this place . I, will not leave this place until then . 」

Ilya began preparing the food on her own .
It’s a stubbornness that’s unlike her .
Watching that, she adeptly set a sandwich with soup on the table .
Sandwich with, soup……

「This, meal……」
「……While it’s rude, I was aware . Even supposing I’m relying on bringing back memories, if that could restore ojousama’s spirit . 」

…………This is, the meal I prepared for Till when I first left town .
A slightly large amount of salt was put in……I remembered back to when Till ate that while expressing a wide smile .







――――I let out overflowing tears .



「……Haha, do you remember Ilya? She was awful wasn’t she, that Till . Even though I was tired and couldn’t move she said such a thing as『It’s fine either way so, do the preparations for dinner～』……She’s a devil, devil . 」
「That was so wasn’t it……」

I took the soup, like I was reaching out to my memories .
It’s a little late but, I realized the fact that my power wouldn’t enter as I desired .
I’ve grown weak .
I suppose I’m at my limit, to the extent that Ilya forcibly came to push me to this extent .
Watching as my hand trembled and my meal didn’t advance, Ilya took the utensil .
She took the soup as such and, cooled the soup with steam coming from it by blowing on it for me .

「With your pardon」

The spoon that was brought to my lips as such, is put into my open mouth .
The soup with a strong flavour due to the effect of its saltiness flows down my throat .
My heart and body that had grown cold without my knowledge are warmed .
2, 3 drips fall, on Ilya’s hand that had been left as such at my lips .

「Ojousama……」
「……Ano, ther . 」
「Hai . 」

My body honestly desired nutrition .
I suppose it’s natural, because…………I’m alive .

Taking a truly long time, I slowly took my meal .
Ilya always repeated the same motion and, brought soup to my lips .
I ate the sandwich as well .
There’s no one besides Ilya who has shared this taste with me, now .
After taking my meal in a trance, I became intensely sleepy .
For how I had been laying in bed for a full day, I have no memory of having slept .
As such I, gave my body over to slumber .



◇■◇■◇

The body of Till that had been looking up at the sky with a rainbow hanging over it, wavered .
I ran as hard as I could .
Irritated even with the air resistance, I remonstrate my body to arrive before she falls to the ground .

「Till!!!」

When I somehow caught Till’s body it was……surprisingly light .
So that she could be in a relaxed posture, I slowly let her body down and gave her a lap pillow .
Till was making a thin smile, with her eyes still shut .

「You, you’re tired right, Till? Shall we go to the royal capital now? Since I’ll carry you while you sleep . 」
「…………」

Till opened her eyes .
My relief, lasted for a moment .
I couldn’t sense light in those eyes .
It wasn’t clear whether the world may have been reflected within .

「…………」
「Since if you’d like, I’ll carry you the whole way! It’s fine, this is also training!」

Tears spill down and, moisten Till’s cheeks, even though I didn’t want them to flow .
Till closed her eyes once again and, smiled in a troubled seeming manner .

「Yare yare……what a noisy person . 」

Hearing her voice, my chest grew tight .

「Kufu, don’t make a tormented face like that……it ruins your cute face . 」





Well I suppose it’s captivating in it’s own way, and Till made a playful smile .
She put a hand on my cheek and, I grasped that hand .

「Nee, nee Till! What should be done? What, should I be doing!?」

Till’s body had gone completely cold to an implausible degree .
And ever since the time when she fought, the encroaching blue magic continues to encroach even now .
Such that her body is turning to ice .

「Nothing good will come of it if you only seek answers . Think for yourself and, live on as such from here on . 」

I used heal with my full power .
My head swam .
Biting my lips, I used willpower to scrap together my barely extant magic power .
Without rebuking such irrationality, without stopping it, Till watched over me with kind eyes .

「Alice, would you listen?」

I nodded countless times .

「During my childhood, I did the things I loved together with Est, I played as I pleased . Getting around the village’s strict rules was an easy matter . 」

I was an awful brat wasn’t I, and she narrowed her eyes with a nostalgic feeling .

「On a certain day, the Est I had always been with, who I had thought I would always be with, ceased to be . That incident was enough to make me feel that one of my wings had been plucked, it dug a hole in my heart . 」

The story of her separation from Est-san, of which I vaguely knew .

「And so while I was wandering the world alone, I found it……kufu, there was a dark elf with the same sort of disinterested seeming face as my own . 」

It seems that was a freezing winter day with falling snow, of the sort that anyone would close their door to keep the warmth inside .
She said the one begging in front of a stable a ways away from the impoverished village, was Libra .

「It could also be said that my conscience wouldn’t let me leave her be . I also perceived that she had the talent for magic . Just, the main reason might have been that I wanted a partner to fill my loneliness . 」

Till gave a bitter smile toward herself .
Thinking, wasn’t the one who was saved at that time not Libra but, myself .
After that, the days guiding the Libra who begged for lessons were enjoyable .
During the days of journey without the need to speak alone, it was enjoyable as Libra took back her original brightness and came to make innocent conversation .

「Kufu, what’s called memories are stronger than the chains that connected to the magic wolf……the truth is that I was able to finish her . But I couldn’t do it . I couldn’t even do the act of, correcting my daughter who went astray and brought misfortune to others . What’s called the heart is, truly a difficult thing you know……」

Till smiled powerlessly, implying that that was her only regret .

「You can! If it’s Till it can be done! Or rather, I’ll show it be done! Please watch, because without troubling Till’s hand, I’ll rake that blockhead ane-disciple over the flames!!」

Is that so, and Till made a satisfied seeming nod .

「There’s no need to hold back . Don’t worry about life and death, or rather even the battle itself isn’t inevitable . The fate of me and Libra is our affair . Alice, you are……because what’s more important than anything is that you all are safe . 」
「I don’t want that! I’ve decided, I’m tired of being chased around already . The 2nd disciple of Ice and Snow will, show what she’s capable of!」
「Kufu……is that so . 」
「!?」

The power faded from Till’s hand .
The hand she had placed on my cheek, feel limply to the ground .

「Till……?」

My heart was, truly noisy .
Its palpitation was intense enough, to make me dizzy .

「……It is a little early, for you . You may end up being burdened with a heavy weight . But I wish to entrust it to you nonetheless . Alice, I already think of nothing but you . 」
「A, anything! Please ask anything of me!!」
「Kufu……I have your pledge then? Young magicians are not to be looked lightly upon……」

Saying something like I had heard before, Till hummed something like an incantation with a small voice .

「While it doesn’t mean I’ve lost in battle, there’s no victory in my memories . Such a being, is no longer suited to this name . 」

A blue magic system floated above Till’s center .
Having reached this point, thinking is she still going to use magic seemed to make me go mad .
And so that blue magic crystallized and, became a shining sphere floating above Till’s chest .

「……Accept it . 」

Nodding, I placed my hands on it so as to envelop it and, that blue light touched my hand and became silver light .
Not a moment later, something warm was sucked into my chest .
I shuddered in surprise from a heat like I was burning up .

「What, you’ll grow used to it in time……」

Till, turned her gaze to the sky after having looked at me with a kind smile in my surprise .

「There just happens to be a rainbow bridge built . It’s a good day to go . 」

This time it was like my heart would stop .

「I, I don’t want that, what are you saying Till! Please don’t say something ridiculous!」
「Kufu……sorry . Alice, it’s fine to take your time while coming after me . What, it’s fine even if you don’t hurry . Since I’ll pass my time with Est . 」

I was already, so shaken that I didn’t know what I should do .
I wanted to do something but, I couldn’t do anything .





「――I love you, my daughter . 」





The power faded completely, from Till’s body .

「…………Eh?」

Reality, doesn’t even wait long enough to think .
Till’s body hardened in blue crystal as I blankly looked down――――it broke and rose into the air .

「Ah――ah―――」

Give it back, give back, Till’s body――
Slipping through my desperately grasping hand, the crystals rise into the sky .
As if the rainbow bridge, was guiding the blue crystal somewhere .

「AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa!!!!!!」





◇■◇■◇

「――I was watching a dream wasn’t I . 」

My head hurts .
I notice something flowing across my cheeks is, being kindly rubbed by someone .

「Teacher-sama……surely that was fate……no one, would think you-sama would pass away……」

The hand that was unable to reach the person I wanted to protect, is enveloped by someone beside me .

「――This body is a shield, the shield that protects ojousama, from pain and hardship . I will not allow something that would drop ojousama into the abyss of sorrow, a 2nd time . 」

I noticed a warm drop fall, on the enveloped hand .
Sensing someone’s feelings come flowing in, I realized that Till made a troubled sort of smile within my dream .


――Can she not keep it together, this idiot disciple .


My kind kind mother-san was smiling, in such a manner――――

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