The Seventh Moon

The Magic Inside Me

I found the way where I can get hope for the future... ~ New World, Charice

xxxxxx

Though the pain on Risa's head started to lessen and she could move more vigorously now, Jehan still wouldn't let her do anything inside the house.

"It's still strange to see you do house chores when you said that you're a noble," Risa commented as she was watching Jehan wash the plates they used to eat that day.

She was sitting on one of the chairs of the dining table and writing that world's alphabet over and over on a piece of paper that he provided for her the other day. It appeared that the sealed magic in her body had allowed her to gain the knowledge about letterings and language of that world. And thanks to that, she was starting to get used to learning a little about that magical world through the books that Jehan and the Master Mage would bring to her.

Jehan laughed a little at Risa's comment and turned to look at her.

"I don't have any servants that I can ask to do that for me in this place. Not to mention, I don't like asking any of the servants in the Ellanher household to come with me and do these things. For a long time, I've longed to do things independently. Thankfully, the head maid and butler in the house taught me about these chores when my parents weren't around."

"They must have thought of it as strange."

"They do not think of it as such, especially when they were aware that my parents wouldn't care, anyway. As long as I hide that common knowledge from them, then I'd be fine."

Jehan once mentioned to her that he was not that close to his parents at all. They favored his older brother who had achieved more than he did. So when he decided to become a mage, they mocked his so-called lack of magical ability. But when Lady Enlari intervened and personally went to the Ellanher household to get Jehan to study under her and the Master Mage, his parents, and older brother were speechless.

Especially when they learned that Jehan was capable of using both lightning and ice magic. And they knew that the Master Mage would only take students who were capable of casting two or more magical abilities.

Risa sighed as she put down her quill pen on the ink bottle beside her.

"Is there any way I can help you with the chores once I fully recover? I don't like putting a burden on anyone even though they decided to take care of me."

At this point, Jehan sighed and placed all of the washed and dried plates on a dish rack. Risa had already noticed that, even though this looked like an old house, the furniture there looked sturdy enough. They were comfortable, as well. As for the other household supplies and home fixtures, they didn't look like a person of low class owned them.

Then again, from what Jehan told her, the Master Mage also belonged to a noble clan. So it was no surprise that the inside of his house looked and felt comfortable, even for a stranger like her.

"You don't honestly like being a burden, do you? How many times do I have to tell you that you do not need to worry about things like chores?"

"Well, I can't stay still like this while you're moving around and doing these chores to keep the house clean. Besides, I need to do something to distract myself from the fact that I'm still in a strange world with no idea of the reason why I'm here in the first place. I also want to be able to get accustomed to the life here while having the journey of learning the answer to that question."

As strange as Risa's answer was, Jehan couldn't help smiling at that. It was rare for him to meet a woman other than those from the low class that would insist on doing household chores. Of course, no woman had ever told him that, anyway.

Heaving a sigh of defeat, Jehan faced Risa who was looking at him with such an expecting expression.

"I'll let you help me pick herbs around the mountain once you've recovered. Since Lady Enlari said that she would teach you to utilize the magic that sealed parts of your memories, I could teach you to make healing potions from those herbs we'd pick, as well."

Risa frowned, however. "But... isn't the magic that sealed my memories a bit dangerous? How would I be able to use it if it's dangerous?"

"We still don't know that. Yes, it is different from anything she'd ever felt. But I don't think she mentioned that it was dangerous. So you don't need to worry about anything. It's for the best that you also learn how to utilize that magic so that it would help you in some way. I'm sure I can't be there for you every time to protect you while you're in this world. That's why Lady Enlari decided to help you use it."

With Jehan giving her such reasons, even Risa won't be able to disagree with the plan.

But would she be able to utilize it well? Even if the reason was for her to survive in such a dangerous world where magic was prominent?

xxxxxx

"The witch is already dead. And yet how come I could sense an even greater evil presence near where she was killed?"

But the Second Prince Alathil could only look at the worried Crown Prince Aldron, his older brother. They were at the small pavilion outside the Reharis Tower where they knew no one would disturb them as they discuss the events a week ago. But it appeared that even one death of who they perceived to be the enemy wasn't enough to make them feel at ease.

Then again, no one among the Revian royal family ever had. There would always be threats to their lives everywhere, especially for the Crown Prince.

"Have you talked to father about the other presence we all felt that day?" Alathil asked when he knew he could talk to his brother.

The Crown Prince nodded. "Though it was faint, there was no mistake about it. That person in the legend is finally here in our world. However..."

"Shuren wasn't able to locate anyone that could match the magical presence as that of the Seventh Moon. Even when he surveyed the surrounding area where he killed the witch, there was nothing out of the ordinary."

"Father said that the presence of the 7th Moon disappeared before your bodyguard killed the witch. The magical presence was possibly sealed somehow as a protective measure or due to a trauma that the person must have suffered. The Master Mage did report that the witch had killed several people when she tried to cross the border. Some might have survived but we have no way of knowing for now as to who could those people be."

Those possibilities sounded plausible. But Alathil knew he had to do something more to know which among those possibilities was the truth. He did make a vow to protect his family, after all. As a military strategist and the most trusted adviser of the Crown Prince, he must provide a conclusive answer to their questions and figure out what they had to do next.

"I will go to the Hareskoven Forest soon and learn more," Alathil declared as he faced his brother. "Maybe I should visit Jehan and the Master Mage, as well. It's been a long while since I made an appearance to them."

The Crown Prince nodded. "Send them my greetings. And come back soon. You know I don't like talking to any other people in the palace."

"You're talking as if you don't like talking to Raerin or Elysea," the Second Prince joked with a smile. He was referring to his brother's bodyguard and their sister respectively.

"What I mean is people I could talk my visions about. Even though our sister can be such a person to me, you know I won't be able to disturb her at this point. What happened at the party took a toll on her. Her barrier endured too much while trying to protect me from that witch's spell that day."

"Has she woken up?"

"She did. But she prefers sleeping more for now. Father is just letting her."

"But do visit here, still. You know you're her favorite brother."

Both brothers smiled at each other before Alathil took his leave to head to the Northern Forest.