Consultation with the Guildmasters (2)
Dad proceeded to explain my background to the guildmasters, answering most of their questions while I occasionally chimed in with details.
"Ah~ So your father disappeared right after you were born? That must've been tough. But traveling with an infant means your mother was exceptionally skilled. Must've been one hell of an apothecary. Though with healing magic, she could've earned easier money..."
"Using healing magic openly would've drawn attention from governments and churches. If they were being pursued as Alke suspects, selling medicines through guilds was safer. Minimal interaction, no long-term contracts. By the time her reputation spread in one town, they'd already moved on."
So that's why we kept moving... I'd thought it was just because of our pink hair, but there might have been multiple reasons we were being tracked.
Considering that, it's amazing Mom never abandoned me.
Had she left me at an orphanage, she could've traveled lighter, avoided that disgusting bald lord's advances, maybe even survived those bandits...
"O-oi!"
"Vio!"
Suddenly I was lifted into the air, enveloped in warmth like a furry blanket.
Thump-thump-thump-thump
Ahh... Dad's heartbeat. Why does this sound so comforting?
Maybe because it proves he's alive.
Mom died because of me, and I should've died too, but here I am... Is this really okay?
"Mom... I'm... sorry... It's my fault..."
The world went dark as he hugged me tighter.
Warm. Safe. Like Mom’s. Mom...
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"Cry all you need. Yer mother protected you because she wanted you to live. I'm just thankful I found you when I did. Thank you for being my daughter."
Gently patting the back of the small daughter in my arms, trying to soothe her.
She quietly shed tears, apologizing to her mother, the depth of his daughter's heartache was immeasurable.
After a while, her body seemed to relax, and she felt a bit heavier.
To him, even this heaviness was precious - proof she will survive.
"Let me get this straight. You found her just last week?"
"Aye, during my patrol along the riverbank. Thought she was a corpse at first, but then she moved. Called out, but the poor lass startled and went under."
Now that he mentioned it, the river housed magical fish and beasts from the forest.
For a child to float here unharmed was nothing short of miraculous.
"She hadn't shed a proper tear since that day until today. I'd hear her whimper in her sleep now and then, but never when she was awake. Her real name's Violet—same pink hair as her ma, who used to wear them fancy color-changing magic earrings. Must've lost 'em in the river or the junk heap."
Aslan's golden eyes gleamed with scholarly fascination.
"Fascinating! Earring-sized transformation artifacts suggest Miss Vio’s mother was both healer and master enchanter. How I wish I'd met her!"
Vice-Guidlamaster is indeed skilled, but as soon as magic is involved, he becomes quite troublesome.
He is a top-notch magician, but he's basically just a magic nerd.
"You're using honorifics for Vio. Pretty rare for someone who's terrible with names. But cut that creepy act when talking magic, got it?"
Though his phrasing was crude, he wasn't wrong.
"How rude! I'm not bad with names - I simply can't be bothered remembering uninteresting people.
But Miss Vio here possesses all elemental affinities and wisdom beyond her five years!
I have the basic four elements plus minor holy magic aptitude, while you specialize in fire and earth with some dark magic, correct?
If we properly teach Miss Vio, she could become an unparalleled mage!
And she's already mastered the most tedious fundamentals - mana sensing and manipulation. At her age!
She's a prodigy beyond compare!!"
Ah... So the famously unflappable Vice-Guildmaster who treated everyone with equal indifference had simply never met someone who interested him before.
Seeing his usually pallid face now flushed with excitement would be amusing if the object of his fascination wasn't my daughter.
“Ah~~~~ Ahem. Anyway. You wanted maps to locate Vio's hometown? What was it called?"
Right, even the unshakable Guildmaster found this display uncomfortable.
While Alke would eliminate any threat to Vio without hesitation, having Aslan teach her magic would be valuable.
Best to overlook the eccentricity.
"The place was called Ashimos, and the dumping ground was over in Rossa Village."
"Bunch of worthless scum. But if they'd discovered Vio's capabilities, escaping was fortunate."
"The Ashimos territory doesn't exist in our Lizmoni Kingdom. It must be one of the neighboring countries.
Given the river's flow... Ah! Here - the Ashimos Viscounty in the Lusitania Empire.
We can't confirm the village name, but if it was near the river outside their main territory... This border region, the Jezak Viscounty, would be most likely.
Had they remained in the Empire, as a healing magic user, her mother would've been taken to the imperial capital and likely confined by the church. We owe the river currents a great debt for bringing Miss Vio to us."
His swift analysis was impressive, though the earlier spectacle dampened my admiration.
"That explains why her mother avoided healing work. The Republic has many adventurers, including some making living with healing magic, so it wouldn’t be them. Avoiding using healing magic altogether suggests their pursuers may have been Empire’s people."
Alke nodded the Guildmaster grimly.
Whether Vio's mother died due to these pursuers, and whether they might still target Vio, remained unknown.
"The viscount only knew them with altered hair colors, right?
Then he likely won't pursue. Nobles seldom care about commoner children.
The other faction tracking her natural hair color is the real concern.
If they sought holy magic users, they may suspect she inherited the trait.
If only I could recreate the transformation artifacts... I'll inquire at the Royal Arcane Academy.
Luckily, with the flood season ongoing, we've time before the wind season increases traveler traffic. Until then, we can help Miss Vio disguise with hats and alike."
The Arcane Academy in the capital was renowned for magical research - if transformation artifacts existed commercially, they'd know.
What do you think about this chapter?
