Chapter 2: Magic is not always perform miracles

After a week of walking and getting lost in the forest Lila finally arrive to her

destination she stops on her track and look at the small log house it has a

small chimney on top as the grass half cover the house in front of her as the

fresh wind blows as the leaves sings to the wind she closed her eyes to feel

the refreshing air, after a while she walks toward the house and slowly opens

the door as the fill up dust greeted her.

(cough)

as she tries to wave the dust away from her “I’m back” Lila said it in smooth

voice.

She

enter as she drops her back in the corner of the floor and remove her boots as

she walks the floor makes a little creak sounds afraid that the floor might

break if she carelessly walks to it so she walks slowly towards the living room

and the stops on the entrance of it as she looks around, most of the living

room is dark as the on light source is the two windows on the right side near a

big table with books stack on top of each other with the only half portion of

the room are being provided a light and in all the way is dark.

Lila look around still standing in the entrance of the

living room as the books and dust flying around the room, she walks back in the

entrance of the house to grab her bag and went straight to her room in the

corner of the living room she open the door and enters she’s looking to her

scatted bed sheet, tired she ignore it and went to lay down on it without

changing her clothes, she looks her dark ceiling as she slowly turning to her

slumber.

A

sound of sword clashing and explosion echoing in the entire room as shouts of

multiple people accompanied it, a man standing in the destroyed throne as the

fire rapidly spreading in entire room and in the other side there are four

people standing facing the man.

(Laughs)

“I commend you by reaching this far but even though if you successfully defeat

me, Human hero, this world would not be cleanse in my blood, your ideals,

belief and what are you fighting for is just nothing because this world is

always been ugly!”

“Yeah

sure it’s true, it’s not all rainbow and sunshine but I believe in human, I

believe in them the way they believe in me, that’s what my way of hero is!”

Ethan shouts in tops of her lungs

The

demon king laughs with his creepy deep voice as it’s kind of joke seeing the

young man standing in front of him pointing his sword and his three other

companion, in the past a countless hero’s tries to battle the demon lord which

all of them perish in the fight but right now there is different, the demon

lord feels that he can surely defeat this young man but his instinct telling

him not to attack him recklessly, and he spotted Lila on the back and realize

something.

The

demon lord once again laughs but this time as loud as he can that echoed to the

room, Ethan and others are confused what is going on and the demon lord

fiercely look at Lila.

 “Young man, you said that you believe in

humanity” the demon lord asks Ethan.

“Yes,

that’s what I said earlier!” Ethan replied.

The

demon lord look at Ethan, Groom and Hector with disappointment “Yet here you

are traveling without knowing the real identity of your companion”

“What

are you talk-“

Before

Ethan can finish his sentence the demon lord suddenly launch an surprise

attack, Ethan change his stance to guard yet the demon lord’s target is Lila

who didn’t expect that he would attack her.

The

demon lord grab her by the mouth as he pushed her to the corner and casting a

barrier between them preventing Ethan and others to enter, and the demon lord

grab her left hand and black wound appears on Lila’s hand.

“You

cannot escape your fate, someday you will consume by it”

After that Lila lost consciousness as Ethan and others

continue to fight the demon lord.

Lila

woke up soak in sweat she’s breathing heavily she sit down on the side of her

bed trying to calm herself down, she look at the wound on her left hand

realizing that it’s spreading slowly, she tries to cast healing spell to it but

every time she does that the wound would started to hurt which that’s the part

puzzling her normally healing magic would heal the wound of course as well as

act as anesthesia.

“Looks

like it’s going to take awhile to figure out how to heal this wound or more

likely a curse” sighing in defeat Lila wrapped her left hand with bandage

embedded with healing magic that slows the spread of the wound.

She

stands up and opens the window of her room realizing it’s still morning she

must slept all day, she walks toward the living room casting a light magic

revealing the dust piled up everywhere, she open the two windows in the living

room and stands up in the center and close her eyes, slowly wind gathers

circling her as the wind picks up the dust and she make a gesture as the wind

exits in the windows on the process making her cleaning much faster.

Self

satisfied making a smug face, she slowly picking up the books scattered

everywhere because she cast a wind magic that clear up the dust in the house on

the same process making every furniture’s scattered everywhere.

“I

guess I should clean it normally, magic is not always performs miracles huh”

After

awhile Lila finished tidying the furniture’s feeling hungry she went to get her

bag remembering that Groom gives her a food the night before she left, seeing a

bag of cookies she smile thinking Groom despite being a human body armor he has

cute side too.

She

bring the cookies in the kitchen as she brew some tea and sit down on the table

and starts eating the cookies as she slowly chewing it she feels bit lonely

since up until now she’s been eating with everyone remembering it make her feel

mix emotions.

After

eating Lila grab the basket in the corner of the table and went outside, she

covers her face with her left hand as the sunlight hit her face, blue sky,

gentle wind never thought that the day will come again for the demon lord army

destroys everything in their path.

Lila

enter the forest, by walking slowly she picks up some flower on the way and

some edible plants on mind creating something out of it on dinner, she walks

further in the forest until she exited on the cliff side with full view of

nearby town and with towering mountains surrounds it and on the edge of the

cliff there is a gravestone.

She

walks toward it and pick the flowers in her basket and put it on the

gravestone, she rub gently the gravestone as she smile bitterly and she get

another a rag on her basket and start cleaning the gravestone and weeding the

area.

After

sometime she finished cleaning and weeding she sit besides the gravestone

facing the edge of the cliff looking to the blue sky as birds fly by and gentle

wind breeze.

“As

I promise to you, we defeated the demon lord as you always want the world is on

peace now” Lila talks to the gravestone.

She

looks the gravestone “I fulfill the promise but right now I left without a goal

in life I’m not really sure what to do now”

Time

passes the sky turn into orange red as the sun began to set Lila picks up the

basket and once again look at the gravestone and said “Maybe for now I will

travel again, and the time collect some magic I guess, there is a lot of places

I want to go but I didn’t have really chance to do it since we on the mission

to defeat the demon lord, we do some detour but I want to do it alone and take

it slowly, and it maybe takes decades to I will pass by time to time master”

Lila

began to walk and suddenly stops and once again looked back and said “And I still

loathe you for tricking me, now I’m stuck on this life”

And

she ran into the depths of the forest smiling as she decided what to do from

now on, after coming back she began to cook for dinner and read some grimoire

in mind of curing her wound but for most of it she just enjoy reading grimoire

as she always, after reading some books she didn’t find single thing about her

wound she remove the bondage, as she examine it looks like it stops spreading

so the spells are working she wrap it again.

She

look outside and really dark and quiet, Lila decided to call it a night and

went to her room and pack her bag with her clothes, and some grimoire, she

wants to leave first thing in the morning yet she have no destination in mind

all she wants now is to find a solace to her life since she has a lot left on

it.

As

the morning comes, Lila wears her usually clothes and began to start her

aimless journey, going place to place collecting grimoire accepting odd jobs in

return of grimoire reward, she got interest on making some potion which she

reads in one of the grimoire reward she get by cleaning the statue of the town

she stay for a while.

Almost

50 years has pass since Lila began her journey she is currently in small town

in the border of the southlands the area is mostly surrounds by mountain and

thick forest that reported many people lost and never seen since then, people

started to call it “The forest who devour” thanks to the countless people until

now hasn’t found yet.

 Currently she is to bargain a grimoire to one

of the magic shop in the town, since she already spend of her travelling

expenses buying random things and she ran out of grimoire to read, even now

matter how she bargain to shop owner still firm to his decision.

Defeated

Lila exits the magic shop and start to look at the job board in the adventurers

guild finding a easy job to fund her to buy that grimoire, while looking at the

board seriously she hasn’t notice that everyone eyes are fixed to her.

“Hey

that’s Lila right? The mage of the hero party” one of the adventurer said.

“Yes

that would be her but it’s already 60 years since the demon lord defeated yet

looks like she hasn’t age”

“I

heard that she is spirit-contractor” A female adventurer said.

“You’re

lying, spirit-contractor is a myth that existed long time ago, though it’s true

that spirit exist and that is the source of magic, and there is rumor that spirit-contractor

that only can achieve if you are qualified for a Spirit Covenant, in order to

get that qualifications a mage supposed to wield the four affinity of magic at

will yet there is no proof that human achieve that” one of the adventurer

retort.

“Yet

report said that, Lila only uses dark magic and she only saw once using a water

magic when she is tending a wounded soldier”

“But

no matter how you look at it, she is still young as she is 60 years ago, there

is no doubt she is spirit-contractor”

On

her own little world Lila didn’t notice all the gossip around her still looking

a quest with decent pay, can’t find anything that suits her taste she walks

toward the reception as the receptionist girl are nervous seeing Lila slowly

approaching her, she look at everyone in the guild but they started to hide

their faces, that leaves Lila puzzled.

“Do

you have any other job for me to take?” Lila asks the receptionist.

As

the receptionist didn’t quite understand her started to panic. ‘What kind of

other she means? Did the job posted in board, is not enough for her? I mean

there is a request there that to exterminate a dragon’

While

waiting for the answer for question, a brown hawk suddenly lands to Lila’s

shoulder startled by it she let out a bit of squek sound that echoed to the

guild hall, embarrassed she ran out of the guild.

“Pincer what are you doing here?”

Lila

spotted a letter attached to his foot she get it as she rub Pincer’s head and

let him fly upon opening the letter, Lila suddenly ran toward the inn she

currently residing and grab her bag as she left the key in the counter without

saying a single word leaving everyone in the building puzzled.

She

summon her staff and she started to fly like a mad woman chasing her cheating

husband, she arrive at the central capital by the end of the day, she landed in

the main gate as she ran as fast as she can without paying attention to her

surrounding and she arrive at the royal palace infirmary.

Out

of breath she barge open the door, surprising everyone there she sees Groom who

significantly a different person now, he has long black beard and white hair

and he lost bulky appearance, on the right side there is Hector wearing a holy

church white rob he is now also old with eye glasses.

Seeing

Lila in the door both of them tear up and hug her in relief that she is doing

okay.

“I’m

glad that you are okay” Hector said it with bit raspy voice.

“Yeah

I’m glad Lila” Groom said it while rubbing her head.

Lila

also happy to her comrades once again “What happened to Ethan?” Lila asks upon

remembering what she came to.

“Ah,

we are having a tea together yesterday and suddenly he collapse everyone in the

city panic” Hector said.

Lila

walks toward Ethan who’s lying on the bed seemingly asleep, yet when she sat

down on the chair Ethan open his eyes and look at Lila.

“Ah

Lila you’re here” Ethan said it in soft voice.

“Hmm

I rushed over here when I receive the letter that you collapse” Lila replied as

she holds Ethan hand.

“You

haven’t change a bit since, you are still beautiful as the first we met”

(Laughs)

“And you, you are now old man with no hair” Lila replied playfully.

“But

still handsome”

“I

see even in old age you are still narcissist”

“Um

Lila-sama could you examine Ethan-sama? We cannot find any symptom why he

collapsed” the mage of the palace spoke.

“Are

you ill Ethan?” Lila asks with serious voice.

“I’m

not sure, I don’t feel anything” Ethan replied.

“Mind

if I tried to?”

Ethan

only nod on response with the look of knowing the answer yet he still let Lila

do what she wants since knowing her she won’t stop insisting, after some time

she finished examining Ethan not finding anything she got frustrated she clench

her fist and tries again but this time Ethan holds her hand, she look at him

looking at her straight in the face she stops, as Hector put his hand on Lila’s

shoulder.

“I

know my time is near, that’s the nature of human eventually we going to return

to soil so it’s alright Lila you don’t have to worry” Ethan trying to comfort

Lila.

Lila

stays silent bowing her head, Ethan seeing this he just smile thinking that she

hasn’t change a bit she may not show any emotion but when it comes to people

she cares sometimes she show this kind of side of her.

Ethan

put his hand to Lila’s cheeks “Lila you remember when arrive late to the town

that demons attack and people begs you to resurrect the dead you said that ‘not

all magic perform miracles’ treat this as one of it”

“Ethan

but” Lila replied in shaky voice.

“It’s

alright, it’s miracle that up until now I’m able to walk around the city in

this age”

“But

what about the promise that we going to watch the shooting stars again” Lila

replied as tears slowly flows to her eyes.

“Ah

we sure did promise like that”

Ethan

look at the mage in the back, and her just nod without asking anything, Lila

and others return to the hills where they watch the meteor shooting stars.

“It’s

been 60 years since we last together” Groom said.

“Yeah,

we been trying to send letters to Lila yet the Pincer couldn’t find her, he

always return with the letter still attached to his foot” Hector replied.

“I’m

sorry I’ve been going to town to town these past years” Lila replied.

Everyone

just laugh and once again reminisce about their decade-long journey and the

long awaited shooting star began to happen as everyone look at it with happy

faces, as Ethan look at Lila’s face once more and smile.

Next

morning on the church people gather to pay respect to the hero who once save

the world from the demon lord as everyone shed tears for the hero who just pass

away, in the entrance of the church Lila, Groom and Hector standing especially

Lila not showing any sign of sadness people started to gossip.

“She

is the companion of the hero Ethan right?”

“Yes,

she looked like not sad seeing her comrade dies, how heartless!”

Hearing

all the gossip Hector patted Lila’s shoulder and said “I’m sure Ethan is happy”

Lila

just nod on agreement, when it’s time to bury Ethan, Lila is looking to his

coffin slowly disappearing.

“Because

it’s only ten years, I didn’t know a single thing about him” Lila talked as

tears flows through her eyes uncontrollably.

Seeing

this Groom patted Lila’s head.

“Don’t

pat my head”

(Outside

of the central capital)

“Are

you leaving already?” Groom asks.

“Yeah

I cannot be away for a long time” Hector said as he approach Lila and added “Let

me look at you because maybe this is the last I’m going to see you”

“Are

you ill Hector?” Lila asks worriedly.

“No,

as you see I’m old now” Hector replied jokingly as he enters his carriage.

“Are

you not afraid of dying?” Lila asks.

“Growing

old and dying is what gives meaning and beauty to the fleeting span of human

life, it may flows different from you, but it’s precisely because we age and die

that our lives” Hector replied.

“That

some cool words coming from you pedo-priest”

Hector

just laugh hearing Lila’s reply and he leave.

“What

are you going to now? Still going to collect magic” Groom asks.

Lila

picked up her bag and replied “That’s that, I decided to learn about human”

“I

guess this is the effect of being a spirit-contractor, maybe you forget you are

once a human too” Groom mumbled.

“Did

you say something?” Lila asks.

“Nothing,

good luck and be careful”

“Yeah,

you too Groom take care”

And

once again the Hero’s party parted ways walking on the path they choose.

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