The Reincarnated Transcendent Wants to Fill the Hole in Their Chest - Episode 7: Ternelica

Episode 7: Ternelica

――A little time passed after that.

The girl’s treatment had safely ended. Now Konoe and the girl were in a room within the academy.

The instructor wasn’t present. She had gone off to prepare a teleportation gate for travel to the girl’s town.

Teleportation gates were magical tools installed in cities all over the world. They allowed one to move instantly no matter the distance. However, they couldn’t transport large items, incurred massive costs, and required time to activate.

…In other words, the instructor wouldn’t be back for a while.

Only Konoe and the girl were in the room.

“Um, Adept-sama… May I call you Konoe-sama instead?”

“…Call me whatever you like.”

Konoe looked at the girl sitting beside him. She was oddly close.

The girl’s terminal illness had been completely cured. And she was now in perfect health. Her skin, which had turned reddish-black, had returned to its original pure white.

Being of the elf race—renowned for their beauty—once healed, the girl indeed had a charming appearance.

A girl with long, beautiful golden hair. Being stared at from so close, Konoe started feeling the urge to escape.

“Still, I was right to wait for you, Konoe-sama. I couldn’t get in contact with any other Adept at all… But I heard a new Adept was appearing and staked everything on that hope, waiting on those stairs.”

“…I see.”

“When my consciousness began to fade and I couldn’t see anymore, I thought it was the end… Then I felt someone holding me—and to think it was you, Konoe-sama…”

She expressed gratitude to the high ones—the forest god and the god of life.

She smiled brightly at Konoe. Since Konoe agreed to the rescue and performed the treatment, she had been smiling non-stop. And she kept talking to him the whole time. In contrast, Konoe had hardly spoken at all.

――The girl’s name was Ternelica.

Born of the Silménia family—that is, a noble house that shared its name with the town they were going to rescue. Apparently, she was the daughter of the ruling noble family there.

Ternelica came to the capital fifteen days ago. Right after learning her town had been abandoned.

Unable to rely on the country or her noble parents, she decided to negotiate directly with an Adept and traveled alone to the capital.

Since then, she had desperately searched for help—only to be turned away without even being able to speak with any Adept. She couldn’t even get treated.

“Whenever I asked for help, I was turned away immediately. They said the Adepts remaining in the capital were all assigned to guarding the city or protecting the gods. They offered to heal me if I gave up on the rescue, but…”

Ternelica said she could never agree to that.

She was angry, saying she couldn’t abandon everyone just to save herself.

“……”

Konoe stayed silent.

He honestly didn’t know how to respond.

“But no matter how many times I tried, it didn’t work. Then, when I was at a loss, I heard about you, Konoe-sama.”

Apparently, news of a new Adept was announced three days ago—right after Konoe’s final exam.

From that day on, Ternelica had waited on the stairs ever since…

“…? For three days, continuously?”

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten a spot in the front row.”

She said she got by using purification magic, spring water magic, and life-extending magic.

“I did overdo it a bit, though. The terminal illness progressed rapidly this morning, and I panicked a bit. If I died before meeting an Adept, I couldn’t ask for help, after all,” 

She said with a refined giggle. “Ufufu.”

“……”

…Wait, is that really something to laugh about? Konoe, not great at socializing, couldn’t tell.

Well, Konoe had wondered why her illness had progressed so quickly despite it starting just fifteen days ago.

“……”

…Speaking of things bothering him.

There was one more thing that had caught Konoe’s attention—ever since he heard she was a noble’s daughter.

“…About your family…”

“Yes, what is it, Konoe-sama?”

“Your family… didn’t you have any Elixir medicine?”

The one way to cure the terminal illness besides healing by an Adept.

A medicine so rare it’s practically never seen on the market.

But based on what Konoe had learned, each noble family was supposed to keep one dose of Elixir per household member—granted by the king, just in case.

“Elixir? Oh, we had some…”

“…?”

“But I believe mine was used by one of the knights.”

“…Huh?”

…The knights?

“Back then, fifteen days ago, it was more appropriate for a knight—who protects the people from monsters—to drink the Elixir than someone like me, who was only heading to the capital to find an Adept.”

“……”

“I figured once I met an Adept here, I’d be healed anyway… Though, when I coughed up bl00d this morning, I did wonder if I’d made the wrong call. If I died before asking for help, there’d be no rescue…”

“………………………”

Ternelica gave a sheepish smile and muttered that she’d messed up a bit.

Seeing her like that, Konoe—

(…You’ve got to be kidding.)

――Konoe couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

…No, that’s not quite right. He hadn’t just doubted her now—he’d been doubting her the whole time.

(…What is with this girl?)

Even when she was coughing up bl00d, even when she said she was denied even basic treatment while begging for help, even when she said she waited three days on the stairs, even when she said she gave her Elixir to someone else—Konoe just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

――Why was she capable of doing all that?

Indeed, everything she said made sense.

Logically speaking, it was a rational choice. If she wanted to protect the people of her town, perhaps it was the right call.

Since no help came, she gave her Elixir to someone else while suffering from a terminal illness, and dragged her rotting body to the capital.

She begged for help from the Adepts. She could’ve saved herself if she’d just asked for treatment—but she abandoned that path and searched for a way to save more people. Even on the verge of death, she kept shouting.

It sounds noble when said aloud. It sounds like the obvious right thing to do.

“No need for medicine. Once I get help, I’ll be healed anyway—so what if I suffer a little longer?”

Konoe might have said the same—if he hadn’t seen it for himself.

It’s easy to sound wise when it’s just theory.

――But.

“――”

Do you realize what it means to have your body rot?

No—she must realize it. She was the one experiencing it.

Suffering through hellish pain, watching her body fall apart before her eyes.

Why would anyone do the right thing under those circumstances? Konoe couldn’t understand.

(…I don’t get it.)

Is it her status and the responsibility that comes with it?

Sure, nobles are obligated to protect their towns. They must protect the people, strengthen the nation, and someday defeat the evil gods. That is a noble’s duty. And in exchange, they gain divine blessings, authority, and wealth.

…So yes, this girl was doing the right thing as a noble.

But even so—

(…Humans aren’t that righteous.)

People make mistakes. They take the easy way out. They run away.

At least, the people Konoe knew were like that. When it came down to it, they chose themselves.

(Why does this girl go so far?)

People aren’t supposed to endure that kind of pain. And yet she did.

The only thing that might overturn that…

(…Don’t tell me—it’s love?)

Something Konoe didn’t understand. Something he’d never received, nor given.

Konoe couldn’t comprehend love. That’s why he was willing to use a love potion. He sought something tangible, not a vague concept. That’s why he worked so hard.

…Because Konoe had always watched others from outside the circle.

“Konoe-sama?”

“…No, never mind.”

Ternelica peeked into Konoe’s face as he fell silent.

Konoe averted his gaze and sighed lightly.

“…So, is the contract ready?”

“Ah, yes! I have it right here!”

Konoe forcibly changed the subject and glanced through the offered contract.

It was simple: Stationing in a miasma-contaminated city. Duration: 30 days. Subject to change depending on the situation. Compensation: 1,000 gold coins… A standard amount, according to the rate chart he was given.

“……”

“Um… is it not enough…?”

“No, this is fine.”

Seeing Konoe go quiet, Ternelica looked worried—perhaps misunderstanding something. Konoe shook his head. As long as it matched the standard rate, it was fine. With 1,000 gold coins, he could likely buy a mansion in the capital. He could buy slaves and medicine too. So this was fine.

Konoe signed on the spot and returned one copy of the contract to Ternelica.

“…Thank goodness.”

Ternelica whispered, her eyes starting to glisten.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” 

She said repeatedly. She was bowing her head over and over as she hugged the contract to her chest. 

“With this, my hometown will be saved,”

She said. Konoe didn’t know what to say in response to Ternelica.

“—You two, come. The teleportation gate is ready.”

It was then that the instructor came to call them.

◆

Konoe stood in front of the teleportation gate.

A stone gate about the same size as a person.

Magic circles were drawn around it. And glowing magic stones were embedded throughout.

Magical energy saturated the air, and there was a sound like something burning.

At the center, a whirlpool of light swirled.

The teleportation gate.

Once they stepped through, it would already be the girl’s hometown.

And Konoe’s first job would begin.

After all the training he had gone through, he felt no nerves and stepped forward.

(…Still, this has really turned into something big.)

Konoe thought that, now of all times.

He had imagined a much more laid-back Adept life. He looked ahead with slightly distant eyes—

“Then, then! Let’s go at once!”

“Yeah.”

Urged on by Ternelica pulling at his coat,

Konoe didn’t resist, and stepped into the whirlpool of light—

◆

“—GAAAAAAAAAAAAA！！！！”

—On the other side of the light, there were fangs.

Red and white. The jaws of a beast, right in front of him.

Beyond the teleportation gate, killing intent was waiting.

An enormous jaw, lined with fangs the size of large knives, surrounded them.

Fangs that could easily tear a person apart lunged toward Konoe and Ternelica.

Less than a second had passed since they were transported.

The beast had already closed the distance in a blink,

Before Ternelica could even react—

“—”

—Konoe smashed the jaw with his fist.

With a horizontal blow, the monster lost its upper body,

Flying sideways like it was launched at a right angle, and slammed into the wall.

…A Garum, a wolf-demon, huh.

“…Huh?”

“……”

…And so, Konoe’s first battle as an Adept had begun.