She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

MIRA FOUND A SMALL INN not far from the academy. A typical wood-framed affair with a stone foundation, the inn was warm and welcoming despite its small size. The innkeeper was a middle-aged man who ran the establishment with his wife and two daughters.

Just as she’d hoped, the first floor was a tavern and the perfect place to find a meal. It was cozy, the food was excellent, and she even achieved her goal of having a short chat with the innkeeper. She sympathized with him a little, knowing the difficulties of one man up against three women, but the fellow wasn’t about to spill his troubles to a girl who looked to be younger than his daughters.

***

The next morning, Mira awoke to the sounds of birds fluttering about the eaves of the inn, and as she slowly gained consciousness, she began to make her plans.

There are still so many places to see. For now…

Her mind replayed yesterday’s events and lingered on the image of Amarette casually making her way down the street on the back of her rock bear. Mira felt herself growing excited—there were new possibilities, new endeavors she’d never tried before! Riding one of her summons was now her top priority.

Feeling proud that relieving herself was no longer a daunting task, she finished her morning routine before donning her technomancy robes and leaving her room. On her way down the stairs, a pleasing aroma tickled her nose, and she glanced into the tavern.

The place was packed—not just with her fellow guests, but with others who had come in off the street to enjoy breakfast. Amid the chaos, the sight of the family pulling together to make it all work filled her with warmth, and she smiled softly.

This inn went by two names: The Moonlight Pavilion and Nature’s Villa. When Mira asked why the names were split, the innkeeper explained that the tavern and inn were separate businesses, managed by him and his wife respectively. Their daughters helped with both.

Mira greeted the innkeeper as she took a seat at the counter. “You get busy early.”

“Oh, good morning, Miss Mira!” He smiled cheerfully and placed an unordered muscat au lait on the counter in front of her. “I suppose you’re right, but this is about the busiest it gets.”

“Hrmm, good morning,” she replied, glancing quizzically at him.

“You’re a cutie, so it’s on the house. Just don’t tell the missus or my daughters.” He took an exaggerated look around the tavern and grinned. Muscat au lait was his specialty, and last night, Mira ordered five in a row. Clearly he remembered when someone was a fan of his signature drink.

“Well, thank you.” Once she tilted the glass to her lips, her palate rejoiced in the flavor and acidity from the grapes along with the creamy sweetness of the milk.

Breakfast was a typical affair consisting of bread with strawberry jam, pumpkin stew, bacon, and eggs. Mid-meal, one of the innkeeper’s daughters swooped in to wipe a smear of jam from the corner of Mira’s mouth. Full and satisfied, she finished off her muscat au lait. Extravagant meals at the palace were well and good, but she much preferred filling, rustic fare.

After saying her goodbyes, Mira made her way through the city and headed toward the gatehouse leading to the countryside. She needed a large open area to conduct her experiments. The whole reason for trying to ride a summon was to reduce her travel time…and the best way to reduce travel time was to fly.

For that, she needed all the room she could get.

Half an hour later, she arrived at the defensive wall surrounding the city of Lunatic Lake. The massive metal gate was lowered every night and raised each morning, and even now it was only halfway open in its tall portcullis.

Mira stood, fidgeting and swaying as she listened to the rumble of the mechanism. Adventurers and merchants stood nearby, looking to leave town. Some stared slack-jawed, looking up at the gate. Others impatiently wondered how long this was going to take.

Finally, the gate rose to the top, and the guards signaled to the waiting crowd. Traffic began to flow in both directions. Mira slipped in and left the city, walking until she could no longer see the outer walls. Then she turned off into a large meadow and walked some more.

This area was called Muscat Meadows and lay to the east of Lunatic Lake. As one might expect, numerous vineyards were planted across the low hills that surrounded the pastureland. The sweet smell of ripening grapes hung in the air, and Mira wandered until she came to a secluded area. A row of trees concealed her from the main road, and nearly two hours had passed since she’d departed the inn.

Mira nodded to herself. This should be far enough to not raise any eyebrows. She was well off the main thoroughfare, and there were trees all around. Summoning something conspicuous here shouldn’t draw any attention. Suppressing a sudden rush of excitement, she waved her right hand with a flourish.

[Summoning Arts: Bound Arcana]

Four bindings appeared in the wake of her fingers as they passed through the air. Turning her hand, she converted the formation into the Mark of the Rosary. She began to chant:

Black, born from the depths of the earth, yearning for the light beyond.

White, raised high in the heavens, dreaming of the distant blue.

A bird, cutting cleanly through the crystal skies.

A dream, of conquerors etched into the wheel of time.

Longing surpassing ages.

Bound wings, clad in dreams.

Now, take to the skies, my beloved child.

Her words rang in the air, and the summoning circles glowed in response, rising and overlapping to form a halo resplendent against the sky. It grew, creating a gate that cut through the heavens with a great thunderclap. She called forth he who was draped in silver.

[Evocation: Imperial Dragon Eizenfald]

Billowing mana distorted the space surrounding the halo, and a trunk-thick tail lashed out from within. The tip gleamed like a burnished blade as two legs with great black claws emerged, followed by a body clad in silver scales. Arms, wings, and neck came forth, until two gleaming, golden dragon eyes turned to stare at Mira.

The halo shattered, and the ruler of the sky landed before her with a fearsome rumble. Leaning in close enough that she could feel the dragon’s hot breath, the beast took in her form, and his jaws parted.

“Father. Or…should I say Mother? When did this happen?” A low, calm voice rumbled out as the dragon lifted his head. Despite his appearance, he was sometimes quite childish.

“Well, it’s kind of a long story… I’d honestly prefer it if we just skipped it.”

“As you desire, Fa—Mother. I’ll question no more. I’ve always wanted a mother, anyway,” he said, closing his eyes and nuzzling Mira like a child looking for affection.

“I-I see. Hrmm, very well.”

Their relationship was its own tale, but it all started with an egg she found deep within a set of ruins in Dragon Valley. After considerable effort on Danblf’s part, the egg hatched, revealing the imperial dragon that was now happily purring next to her.

She scrunched her eyebrows and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Life was full of surprises, and sometimes that included becoming a mother. Turning that thought aside, she looked up at the dragon with pride. He was a great beast with a wingspan of over thirty meters. Fantasy lovers like herself longed to soar through the skies on the back of a dragon, and now that dream was about to come true. How could she not be excited?

“It’s been a long time, Eizenfald. Are you well?”

“Yes. Physically at least. I was terribly lonely without you, Mother. I feared you had forgotten me,” he replied sadly, rubbing his face against her as his body slumped.

“Look at you. Were you always this sensitive?” Mira asked, trying to stay upright as the dragon pushed against her. Eizenfald was always well behaved, but she didn’t remember him being quite so…clingy.

“You taught me that fathers were strict with their love, and only mothers were giving. So you wouldn’t spoil me. But now that you are Mother, your affection is permissible, is it not?”

“Erm…”

As she was finally knocked to the ground, Mira stared up at the sky and recalled old memories. It was true that Danblf had brought the dragon up quite harshly from a young age. It hadn’t been explicitly required, but he was always strict during their training sessions. It seemed like a meaningless choice in the game’s decision tree at the time, but clearly Eizenfald remembered. Now that he had Mira, he was determined to soak up the affection he’d been denied.

I guess I did say that… Hrmm, it was just roleplaying back then. Though I suppose I can’t go back on it now.

He was acting quite out of character for a creature called an Imperial Dragon. Mira smiled ruefully as she recalled a game screenshot taken by Luminaria titled “Wise Danblf and Majestic Eizenfald.” The dragon had his wings outstretched, before a moonlit tower.

“All this time, and he’s still a handful,” she muttered as she petted him. Then, out of nowhere, Eizenfald began to shine silver. “Hrmm, what’s this?”

Shielding her eyes with her hand, she squinted against the blinding light before it suddenly faded. Dropping her hand, she was faced with a young man with short silver hair. Good-looking wasn’t enough to do him justice—he was positively angelic. Mira was stunned, and the man’s innocent look shifted into a smile as he moved to hug her. 

He was also completely naked.

“Mother! I can feel your love across my entire body.” His deep, calm voice was immediately recognizable, and he hummed happily to himself.

Somehow, she managed to pull herself from his smothering embrace. “Is that you, Eizenfald…?”

“Of course it is, Mother!” he answered, beaming beautifully.

Dragons becoming human?! This really is a fantasy world. Does that mean there are others who can transform as well? I can’t wait to find out! Her mind raced at this new development as she patted Eizenfald’s head. He may have looked like an adult, but had the needs of a neglected child. This is a bit awkward, though.

Having a nude adult man snuggled up close to her was hardly appealing, and she cursed the choices of her past self. That said, she had put great care into raising him. She had a thirty-year absence to deal with, even if it wasn’t her fault. For the moment, she would allow it and consider what would be best for the dragon’s future.

After a thorough cuddle session, Mira decided it was time to get back to work. “By the way, there was something I was hoping to ask of you.”

“Of course, Mother. Anything for you,” Eizenfald responded, his golden eyes gleaming ever brighter. Feeling needed was the ultimate gift after such a long time apart.

“I wanted to fly on your back. May we try it?”

His eyes widened in surprise, and a moment later, he sprang to his feet. “Why, I have only ever dreamed of such a thing!”

Bouncing with glee, he flashed silver and returned to his dragon form. Then he crouched, his tail flicking about like an excited dog’s.

“Come now, Mother.” He extended his left arm—foreleg, perhaps—and Mira used it as a ramp. His back was broad and covered with silver scales, and with each step, she marveled at what she’d never been able to do before.

“All right, here we go!” Eizenfald stopped fidgeting and rose to his feet, and Mira’s vantage point suddenly shifted. Losing her balance, she grabbed out at some of the protruding scales.

“Whoa, not so fast!”

“My apologies, Mother. I just couldn’t keep still.”

Even as he apologized, his voice bounced with enthusiasm. Feeling the excitement pouring out of the dragon and knowing he was hopeless to control it, Mira hurried to find a comfortable sitting position.

“All right, Eizenfald. Time to fly,” Mira said, trying to downplay her own excitement.

“Yes, Mother!”

The dragon spread his wings, crouched, then bounded into the sky with a mighty flap. The trees around the clearing swayed in the sudden gust, creaking ominously as the lord of the sky took flight.

“Excellent, Eizenfald! You’re truly amazing!” Mira cried out, unable to contain her joy any longer. They rose higher with each flap of his mighty wings. She patted his back, and emboldened by his mother’s praise, he soared ever higher.

“This is amazing for me too!” he shouted.

Finally, the horizon stretched out before them, and Mira gasped at the view. Mountains, forests, villages, cities, ancient castles, and a clear blue sky that stretched on forever—it was a true feast for the eyes. Man-made structures dappled the land, but from this height, one could see how humanity and nature were living in harmony in this new world.

This view makes it all worthwhile…

Fixing the image in her memory, she turned and looked in the direction of the Silver Towers. She was delighted that she’d succeeded in mounting a summon, and now it was time to put her theory into practice.

“Now, Eizenfald…to the tower!”

Mira pointed in the direction of the Sacred City of Silverhorn, and the dragon roared with approval as he flapped to maintain altitude and gradually changed direction. Then he gently began to glow.

“Here we go, Mother!”

A moment later, he broke the sound barrier.

In the blink of an eye, he passed the mountain range that separated Silverhorn from Lunatic Lake, dragging a supersonic shockwave in his wake that blurred the scenery beneath him. Mira was blown right off his back.

“Oh, come on!” Mira screamed as she experienced the sudden sensation of freefall.

Eizenfald was now a dot on the horizon. After savoring the thrill for a moment, she sighed and brushed at her fluttering hair and outfit in irritation.

Right…of course this would happen, going from a hover to the speed of sound. I should have told him to take it easy for the first flight.

Mira had chosen Eizenfald from among all her summons because he truly commanded the skies. Apparently, he played a little loose with laws of physics too. Inertia applied more to her than it did him.

She slowed her descent with the Air Step spell, watching as Eizenfald’s form grew larger above the distant mountains. It seemed he’d finally realized that he lost his passenger and had come to retrieve her.

“Mother! Forgive me!” With tears in his eyes, he swooped down to catch Mira on his back. Then, with some trepidation, he arched his neck around to look at her.

Mira smiled at his sullen expression and laughed. “These things happen. I’m partially to blame; I was too excited and didn’t think about it.”

“I’m so sorry!” Her unanticipated apology seemed to wound him more than the rebuke he’d expected.

“That’s all right. Let’s try it again, but a bit slower.”

“Certainly!” He gently accelerated to a reasonable speed, and they flew toward the tower.

As they crossed the mountains, they passed over Silverwand, where Mira and Garrett had stopped for lunch a few weeks earlier. Despite the seemingly slow crawl of the scenery below, they were traveling much faster than the Pegasus Carriage and Mira flattened herself against Eizenfald’s neck.

Chill crosswinds whipped around her. Shivering slightly, she pulled her coat closed, but it had little effect. It’s colder than I expected. I’ll have to remember to wear warmer clothes next time I fly.

Then the towers peeked out from around Eizenfald’s neck. Mira hadn’t been back since the day she arrived. That meant she hadn’t seen Mariana since then either.

How will I keep up the ruse? Maybe I should just tell her the truth?

Solomon’s advice flashed through her mind. For thirty years, Mariana had been waiting for Danblf to return. If there was some guaranteed way for Mira to return to her original form, the waiting wouldn’t be so bad. But there didn’t seem to be a way to purchase a new Vanity Case or receive one from another player. There was almost no chance of her ever becoming Danblf again.

Her earlier excuse that Danblf was stuck in the Mystic City of Beasts wouldn’t last forever. More importantly, she wanted to give her attendant peace of mind. No matter what Mariana thought or how she took it, Mira couldn’t bring herself to continue to deceive the woman who had done so much for her.

While she may have been a young woman, a mother looking out at the world from her son’s back, it was time for her to take responsibility like Danblf would.