Chapter 23 – The Witch of Foresight

“We’re here!”

Clarina stretched out and smiled. It had been a while since she stepped on land.

“It’s been 2 years since, but, ya can’t see Manrinia from ‘ere either.”

“Yeah, it’s been 2 years for me, too, but if it were before, you can see how the town stands out from here. It’s the taint that’s causing this black haze to cover everything.”

A town that could be seen from several kilometers away. However, that same town is now dim and blurry as if there were only shadows there.

“So, Rideiran Kingdom’s largest port town, Manrinia, is now a demon’s den, huh?”

“Well if there’re no people ‘round, we could quickly suppress ‘em, right?”

“On the other hand, we have to do something about the monster extermination and the impurities.”

“If that’s the case, then, it’s troublesome.”

“Well, at any rate, Manrinia is a place I was put in charge of restoring, so let’s wrap this up quickly. Myra.”

At Clarina’s call, the space in front of her distorted, and from there, a huge, flaming bird with red and blue flames appeared.

This was Clarina’s familiar, Myra, the Phoenix.

“What is your command?”

“I would like to have all the monsters in that town exterminated.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

In a completely human-like manner, Myra politely bowed to Clarina, and at their master’s behest, made their way to the town with a powerful flap of their wings.

“Well then, let’s wait a bit until Myra comes back.”

“Issit really fine to take it easy?”

“It’s fine. Myra is an excellent familiar, so I’m sure they’ll even set up a barrier after exterminating the demons. We don’t have anything to do this time.”

“Myra-san’s amazin’!”

“They’re my familiar after all.”

From where Clarina proudly stood, the sound of several explosions echoed from Manrinia’s direction.

“Seems like it’s begun.”

“We could do it faster with composite magic, but it’s tiring.”

“Ahh, I get ya. I don’t wanna do anything after casting composite magic either.”

“I wanted my magic to be a bit gentler though.”

“A magic that has a wide range of influence and low power consumption…… that’s asking for the impossible.”

Just as the two sighed in unison, a huge pillar of fire rose from Manrinia.

“By the way, didn’t ya pick up Syltina-san from ‘ere 2 years ago?”

“Y-you remembered. That’s right. Well, it’s not a regular port, so it’s a place where no berths are allowed, but, the events from 2 years ago and now, there are special circumstances.”

“Well, nowadays, the port ain’t a place you can anchor to due to th’ taint, an’ 2 years ago was when ya picked ‘er up after bein’ exiled, right?

“Ah, that was terrible! I properly hired some people for the exile ship, and then I even made preparations for Sylti to go up to The Shield’s Perch Headquarter Ship after escorting her from there, but even I didn’t realize that Sylti couldn’t be escorted to the port by the country that exiled her.”

“That’s troubling, seriously. Me, Kura-san, Jin-san, and the other Two Name Holders were out on missions at that time, so we couldn’t do anything, and the Master was summoned by the King of Rulan Kingdom at that time, right?”

“Really, if the allies Syltina made from within Rideiran kingdom hadn’t discreetly helped her, then, she would have died……”

“And Jin-sama would’ve killed us……”

“That’s right…… When he saw Sylti covered in wounds, he partially ruined the branch in Rulan Kingdom, that person. But, yeah. They really did such a cruel thing to Sylti that time. I should have read farther ahead. My second name, The Witch of Foresight, is ashamed, really……”, as she said it, Clarina mussed up her beautiful black hair.

Clarina Hamillee was also known as The Witch of Foresight.

It was a fact that many from around the world knew, and even those who actually knew her could say that her second name was suitable for her. However, most of the people didn’t know that. Her power wasn’t just about predicting, speculating, or guessing future events and executing numerous measures against them.

The girl, Clarina Hamilee’s true power wasn’t prediction, but precognition.

She cannot choose which future she sees, but she can see things related to her and the people around her. The future she saw for Syltina was such a miserable thing.

“A fianceé and blood brother from an early age. A king admired and respected by his subjects. The friends she laughed with, and the citizens she cherished. These will all be taken away by a single outsider who came from another world. Everything she had sacrificed and worked hard for as the Duke’s daughter will be lost to a mere Otherworlder, who, without sacrificing anything, will be protected, accepted, and loved. The ultimate humiliation.”

Nevertheless, she understood that that ending was something she cannot change. For example, if she sees a great defeat in the future of a battle, Clarina can use all her power and brains to turn her end into a great victory.

Another example is if she sees the death of a friend with whom she went with in the battlefield in the future, Clarina can turn it into an outcome that saves their life by going through all the connections and strategies that she possesses.

However, Syltina’s future was something she could not do anything about.

“No matter how much power I have or how much I think, I can only rely on the people themselves since nothing could be done about their feelings. I’ve also told this to Sylti, but in her future, those people’s feelings had a lot to do with it. So I made a suggestion.”

“A suggestion?”

“Yes, a suggestion. It’s strange because there were 2 ends in Sylti’s future. The first one was considered risky because she was granted the death penalty for betraying and rebelling against the Royal Family. The second one involved the same crime, but instead, she was sentenced to exile. So, I made a suggestion and devised a plan that would at least steer her into the end we wanted. But, for that to happen, Sylti had to take the path where she loses everything she worked hard for.”

To keep the worst from happening.

To ensure that Syltina’s life would not end.

Her survival was given priority.

“But, yeah, even while making lots of preparations, she…… Syltina wished for it to not happen. She believed in most of the people involved in that future. She believed in the bonds she had built up until then.”

The future reality she was struck with was too cruel, but Syltina would still not give up hope.

“Hey, Rain-kun, can you imagine? That person knew about the betrayal, but they still believed those people from the bottom of their heart even as they made preparations for the time they were going to be betrayed. They continued to believe, trust, and have faith; they made plans, secretly maneuvered, made efforts, but their heart, which eventually became exhausted, was shattered into pieces by the same people they trusted. Can you imagine how that person might have felt when it happened?”

“……”

“I completely couldn’t imagine it. When I told her about the future, Sylti just sadly closed her eyes. When I made the suggestion, she just resignedly agreed to it. When she was betrayed by the people of this country as I predicted, she just silently sighed heavily. Sylti never said anything, so there was no way to understand her…… even if I see the future, I cannot see how people feel. But you know, I knew that Sylti was deeply hurt.”

Despairing because of the future, hurt because of the end where she was betrayed by the people she believed in. In spite of everything, Syltina made a choice.

“I’m sure Sylti already steeled herself long ago. So, when she was actually betrayed, she was deeply hurt, but, at the same time completely resigned to her fate. ‘The future where she walks together with the King of Rideiran and the people of the country’ is…….”

Once she gave up, the rest was history.

Without saying anything, she had placed everything in the past, and started working towards the future.

“Love turns into hate. Even if the person who embraced that hate didn’t have the desire to clear their name…… no, on the contrary, that’s precisely why we cannot forgive them.”

We would have preferred if she lashed out at us. If she let her feelings loose and said that she could not forgive them, then we wouldn’t have made them into our enemies. For the people who betrayed her, they surely laughed and stood by even, when she suffered in front of them. However, Syltina did not say anything.

She merely accepted it without saying anything.

That’s why we couldn’t forgive ourselves.

For the people who betrayed and hurt her, they laid their hands on her instead of standing by and letting her end her life as she fell into disgrace.

“Well, at first, we never intended to do anything if Syltina didn’t wish for it.”

If she safely got to the end where she was granted exile, The Double Winged Sword would welcome her after, and she would live as just Syltina from then on.

The first time Syltina was told about her future and the suggestion Clarina made, it was already decided that Syltina’s relationship with Rideiran Kingdom would come to an end.

“But it was impossible the moment Jin-sama found out, you know?”

“Ahhh I see. So, y’talked to us after Jin-sama found out, huh?”

“That’s right. Jin-sama found out and then he told me to call everyone in the guild because he had an idea he wanted to discuss. And then the rest is as you know it. That Jin didn’t want to just let Sylti’s exile be the end, so he constructed a plan.”

They never intended to take revenge unless Syltina wished for it. However, it was definitely against their feelings.

“I thought it was fine if Sylti didn’t wish for it, but I couldn’t just let Rideiran Kingdom and its people be happy after hurting Sylti. So, with that in mind, I got on board with the plan.”

As soon as Clarina joined, it was decided that they would completely cause the Kingdom to fall. Even though Syltina made preparations, she stubbornly refused to be involved with carrying out the plan.

“In the end, Sylti gave in and also became part of the plan. If it’s like this, then, we only have to make sure that the plan becomes a success.”

“Is there a possibility of the plan failing?”

“That’s impossible. Not even a chance,” Clarina plainly declared.

“Well it seems Myra is also done, so, Myra and I will be going around the country and putting up barriers in towns and villages. Rain-kun, take care of the people gathering here, okay?”

“Yer talkin’ ’bout the allies who’re ‘ere, ayt? Most of the members’ve heard of ’em, but are they gon’ participate in the plan as they are?”

“Of course. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Despair for despair. Betrayal for betrayal.”

Myra returned from Manrinia and landed just beside Clarina. Clarina smiled as she patted Myra’s head without getting burned by the flames.

“Those people should also experience the feeling of being betrayed, looked down upon while being driven to desperation and terror by the people they trusted.”

But even that is still not enough.

Rain clearly got the message even if Clarina did not mention it.

“They shouldn’t ‘ave angered the people in the guild.”

Sighing, Rain watched Clarina get on Myra’s back and fly away.