Once upon a time, Yuric surely wouldn’t have recognized her.
However, after learning dragon tongue magic from the earth dragon Alaldur for a long time in the mental world, Yuric was able to glimpse the mental world, if not perfectly, then weakly.
Right now, there was another presence within Lady Rani’s mind. Just as the earth dragon Alaldur’s will resided in Yuric’s mind.
‘No wonder everyone had no choice.’
Yuric politely greeted and slowly approached the bed. Fortunately, she no longer pressed him. Instead, she began to scrutinize him thoroughly with great interest from head to toe. Similarly, he also examined her closely.
Lady Rani sat cross-legged on the bed, staring intently at Yuric. Dense mana rapidly circulated within her body. It was clearly an excellent talent rarely seen. The question was, why was another presence residing in her mind.
Yuric pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. Lady Rani broke the silence.
“Did you come here to mock me like this?”
“Not at all. I came to help you, my lady.”
“What a joke. Who is helping whom? You?”
Lady Rani glared fiercely at Yuric. As immense mana swirled, the light of the magic artifacts in the room flickered dimly.
Yet, Yuric responded calmly.
“Even humans find solace in a single flower in the field. Then, couldn’t I also be of some help to you?”
Seemingly not expecting such words, Lady Rani’s demeanor softened slightly.
“Yes, that’s true. But I don’t need any help. I’m fine.”
Of course, there were no physical problems. In fact, she was quite healthy.
The problem was the powerful will that resided in her mind, uncontrollable by herself.
“Who are you?”
The woman did not answer.
Still, the presence of such a strong will proved that she was no ordinary being.
“Why do you reside in Lady Rani?”
“How dare you see me as nothing more than a parasite?”
“That’s not what I meant. As you can tell, even I have the earth dragon Alaldur’s will residing in me. We are both one and the same.”
At this, a strange light appeared in her eyes.
“…Indeed, I thought it was something else, but it turned out to be a dragon. I never imagined there would still be dragon knights in this era.”
“I accidentally entered his mind while approaching the dragon’s lair. However, I want to understand and help Alaldur’s will.”
Yuric continued the conversation.
“May I ask your name?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious. If I offended you, I apologize.”
She looked at him for a moment, wondering what his motive was, before revealing her name.
“Estella.”
“Pleased to meet you, senior.”
“Since you recognized me, I’ll tell you. It’s an honor.”
“Then, where is Lady Rani now?”
Estella pointed to her chest with her finger.
“She’s right here. Don’t worry. She’s fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Yuric had many questions but stood up calmly.
Now that he knew roughly how things stood, he felt today was enough.
As he stood up, her gaze followed him.
“I’ll return now.”
Estella didn’t seem to expect Yuric to leave so soon. She thought he might try to dig deeper.
She waved her hand as if telling him to go. He returned the chair to its original position and left the room.
As soon as Yuric left, Baron Ollinger asked about her condition.
“Lady Rani’s mind has another presence within it.”
“A mental illness?”
Many mages had already diagnosed it as a form of schizophrenia, attributing it to excessive mana fluctuations.
But Yuric firmly shook his head.
“It’s not just a simple mental illness.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s a magical phenomenon… This might take a while to explain. Is it okay to talk here?”
“Oh, let’s go to my study. We can talk there.”
Baron Ollinger and Yuric headed to the study. They sat facing each other across the reception table.
“Tell me.”
“High ancient mages placed great emphasis on willpower as well as mana. They believed establishing their firm will towards magic was the first step in magic.”
“I see.”
“Thus, back then, there were many mages with strong wills. This continued until runes began to be used extensively. That’s why many of the high ancient mages’ items often exhibited magical phenomena due to their willpower.”
Baron Ollinger and his close aide were completely engrossed in Yuric’s story. They, as mages, had some knowledge of historical studies.
“There are cases where people use magic to carry on their will even after death. I’ve experienced it myself.”
“You?”
Yuric raised his index finger.
“I inherited the will of the ancient mage Titon in my index finger.”
“Ah, such a thing exists…”
“In fact, this is such a rare occurrence that most mages aren’t aware of it.”
“Then, does this mean my daughter is in such a situation?”
“Yes. Your daughter’s mind houses a mage’s will.”
This was unexpected. Baron Ollinger covered his forehead with his hand.
But Yuric assured him it wasn’t a serious matter yet.
“When might your daughter regain consciousness?”
“She’s been like this since last night, and she returns in the morning. Though, she usually just sleeps when she comes back.”
“I see.”
“Is there no way to return to her original state?”
Yuric shook his head, uncertain.
“I don’t think forcibly separating them would be good. And I believe your daughter has accepted the will to some extent.”
“Rani?”
“The situation seems to be mutually beneficial. If your daughter fully embraces the will, I believe her condition would greatly improve.”
Though it seemed bleak, Yuric saw a glimmer of hope, which brought some relief to Baron Ollinger. If Yuric had left without grasping anything, it would have been truly disheartening.
“Your Grace, do you know anyone named Estella?”
“…Estella?”
“It’s the name of the mage residing in your daughter’s mind.”
Baron Ollinger looked puzzled.
“Could I ask my wife about it?”
“My wife?”
“Yes, I heard she’s from a prestigious magical family.”
“Alright.”
So, Baron Ollinger called his wife to the study. His refined wife, who resembled their daughter greatly, entered the study and sat beside him modestly.
“I am Mage Yuric.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
Baron Ollinger asked his wife if she knew the name Estella. Her eyes widened instantly.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“First, tell me who it is, madam.”
“She was a forebear of our family. Supposedly, she was the Great Witch of Arphenheim. A great mage.”
Yuric was surprised.
The Great Witch of Arphenheim?
“Could you tell me more?”
In response to Yuric’s polite request, Baroness willingly obliged.
“She was a hero who fought for humanity’s freedom against the demons. She protected the West.”
“Arphenheim is in the East. How did she end up here?”
“She had a deep connection with the hero Zadrot. That’s why she came to the West.”
“I see…”
“However, the hero Zadrot perished gloriously at the Stormy Ridge. Fortunately, our ancestor survived that battle, which is why our family line continues.”
This was a familiar story to Yuric.
He had visited the Stormy Ridge, Britante, to find Dural’s treasure. He had also seen the legend of the hero Zadrot’s spear turning into a giant tree with his own eyes.
“That’s all I know. I haven’t heard any further stories.”
“Thank you.”
The atmosphere became solemn.
The mage Estella, residing in Lady Rani’s mind, turned out to be a hero who fought for humanity.
Before Baron Ollinger was an aristocrat, he was a mage, and he held respect for heroes. The same went for Baroness and Yuric.
Baron Ollinger reflected on his handling of the situation.
“I may have been too hasty.”
“At the time, you must have been in a hurry.”
Still, the fog had lifted somewhat. Baron Ollinger gratefully clasped Yuric’s hand for helping him get this far.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. Now that I know the reason, I believe we can solve this gradually.”
“As someone deeply connected to Arphenheim, I consider this part of the cosmic order. Thank you for entrusting this to me.”
Baroness, who had been deeply troubled over her daughter’s issue, finally showed a faint smile.
Baron Ollinger asked Yuric if he could help further with his daughter’s treatment.
“Of course, I’d be happy to help. Actually, I wanted to ask for your assistance.”
“Thank you…!”
Yuric decided he needed to meet Lady Rani again tomorrow morning when she regained consciousness.
No matter how much the will of the Great Witch Estella influenced her, ultimately, the real essence was Lady Rani herself. If she could properly embrace and accept the will, he believed they could resolve this issue.
Love, tolerance, and will.
Yuric pondered deeply on how best to convey these.
