After carefully considering their words, Midir came to the conclusion that he had absolutely no memory of such a thing.
“We don't know how to do it either! Do either of us look like mages to you? Fine, fine, I’ll find a book on basic magic for you tomorrow. Once you read it, you’ll understand!”
Aila massaged her temples, looking a bit exasperated.
After crossing through several blocks of varying heights, the three finally arrived at Rosal’s residence.
It was a small house left to Rosal by her parents. It was incredibly unremarkable, not just in the bustling Lionheart City, but even by the standards of a smaller town.
Rosal pushed the door open and lit the magic crystal lamp inside. A neatly kept two-bedroom apartment appeared before Midir’s eyes.
“Not bad, Sister Rosal! Small as it was, it had everything one could need. You’re a homeowner after all, right? Especially in the Royal Capital~”
Aila spoke cheerfully as she looked around the cozy little room.
“You flatter me! I’m sure Sister Aila’s home is much more beautiful than this!” Rosal said, waving her hands in a modest gesture.
“Alright, I’m just teasing! Since I’ve seen you two settled in, I should head back. I’ll come find you tomorrow once I have that book! Bye-bye!”
Aila gave them a playful smile and turned to leave.
Just as Midir was about to wave goodbye, Aila, who had already stepped out the door, suddenly spun back around and spoke to the two inside with a serious expression.
“Midir, don't do anything bad tonight! You know, abducting a young girl is wrong~ hee-hee!”
With that, she lightly pulled the door shut, leaving behind a bewildered man and a bright-red girl.
...
Midir sat on the sofa in the living room, staring blankly at the book 《Carlos's Great Journey》 in his hands.
As he flipped through it, he found that the book recounted the travel experiences of a mage named Carlos across the continent. It had been written many years ago, and much of the information was now outdated.
And just as Ronald Ironheart had told him, the book was completely a semi-finished product.
Not only was it less convenient to use than the Magic Intelligence Book he had seen at the Adventurers Guild, but it also malfunctioned frequently; some story chapters wouldn't load at all, only emitting a distorted buzzing sound.
“The great Carlos and his friend Arthur arrived today at the canyon where dragons dwell, bravely challenging the dragons...”
Listening to the mechanical voice coming from the book, Midir turned the cover back toward himself, looking at the poorly designed title and the stone made of some unknown imitation material.
He was now certain that the sense of familiarity he felt was solely due to the book's appearance. It was possible he had seen this book before.
“Maybe finding the original version of this book would help me remember something? But where would I even look? Ronald said this is a replica from over a hundred years ago... Forget it, I’ll just finish reading this over the next few days and see if there’s any useful information.”
While he was deep in thought, Rosal had already brought out the food.
“Mr. Midir, dinner is ready. It’s a bit late, but please eat something. The... the taste might not be very good, so please don’t mind.”
Looking at the two dishes and one soup steaming on the table, Midir gave her a polite nod and sat down at the dining table.
“Hmm... the soup is too salty. The vegetables were stir-fried for too long, they’ve lost their sweetness; a minute less would have been about right. The meat isn't very flavorful; next time, you should pound it before marinating. It’ll taste better.”
Midir critiqued her bluntly as he ate, sounding like a strict food critic.
Rosal, her face flushed with embarrassment, took out a notebook and began recording his comments, looking very much like a student who had gotten a problem wrong.
“Mr. Midir, can you really not remember anything from before?”
“No, I can't remember a thing.”
“Then... your name is a pseudonym too? It means... shooting star?”
“Someone else gave it to me.”
“Oh, they must have been a good person!”
“Yes, but he is dead.”
“Ah... oh? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to!”
“Don't worry about it. I carry some of the responsibility for that as well.”
...
After dinner, the two sat by the window watching the night scenery, chatting idly.
As the moon reached its zenith, Rosal had unknowingly curled up like a kitten in the corner of the sofa and fallen into a dreamless sleep. Her gray hair was scattered over her shoulders, looking peaceful and beautiful.
Midir glanced at the deeply sleeping Rosal and draped a blanket over her. He then pushed open the door and stepped out onto the street.
With a single bound, he easily leaped onto the roof without making a sound, moving as gracefully as a ghost under the night sky.
Watching the lights of the Royal Capital gradually go out, Midir suddenly felt a sense of unreality. Everything around him was so foreign, as if he had never existed in this world before.
This was a sense of isolation, as if he were cut off from the world. Though he stood within it, everything seemed to be separated from him by a layer of bubbles—a feeling most people could never understand. It sat heavy in his heart, as vast and dark as the night sky above.
“Sigh...”
After letting out a deep, meaningful sigh, Midir’s tall figure gradually blended into the night, disappearing from the rooftop.
The next morning, Rosal was awakened by an exceptionally enticing aroma.
Finding herself waking up on the sofa, the young girl looked a bit embarrassed. But as she followed the scent, she found the silver-haired man standing by the stove wearing an apron, his spatula flipping skillfully.
A moment later, Midir brought a large plate of egg fried rice to the table. Seeing that Rosal was awake, he smiled.
“You’re up? Come and eat. You didn’t have many ingredients, so I could only make some simple fried rice, but I’m quite confident in the flavor.”
Looking at the fragrant breakfast on the table from afar, Rosal swallowed hard, wanting to say something polite.
However, her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. The girl, blushing, pulled out a chair and sat down, looking down at the bowl of egg fried rice that was hers.
The egg evenly coated every grain of rice, the color uniform and perfectly cooked—neither too soft nor too firm—giving the entire dish an inviting golden hue.
Midir had also carefully used the fire element while stir-frying to maximize the aroma of the various spices, filling the entire room with a rich scent.
After just one bite, Rosal’s red eyes turned into little stars.
“This... this taste is amazing! I don't even know how to describe it! It’s much better than any restaurant I’ve ever been to! Mr. Midir, you’re incredible!”
Not even a string of exclamations could slow her down. As if she had been starving for days, Rosal finished the large bowl of egg fried rice in no time.
“Good morning! I’m here~ Wow! What smells so good?!”
Just then, Aila, who had changed into a casual long dress, walked in unceremoniously. Her small nose twitched slightly as her gaze landed on the egg fried rice on the table.
“Huh? How can egg fried rice smell this good? Little Rosal, I didn’t know you were such a good cook! Quick~ give me a bowl too!”
“This... Mr. Midir made it, not me!”
Rosal waved her hands frantically while wiping the oil from the corner of her mouth, then looked at Midir with an inquiring gaze.
“Eh? You made it? I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover! Here~ take this. This is the book I promised to bring you yesterday. Consider the meal my payment!”
As Aila spoke, she pulled a shabby notebook from the bag behind her and tossed it to Midir, then sat down at the dining table as if she belonged there.
“You certainly make yourself at home... but thanks anyway.”
Midir caught the old notebook she threw and, without saying much more, sat down on the nearby sofa and began to read it seriously.
Rate on N.U.
