𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟔
“. . .Is this the tower of the Barrier Maiden?”
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“Yes, it is. There are four of these along the border.”
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“There’s no entrance, but do we enter from the second floor?”
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There’s a window on the second floor, but no entrance can be found on the first.
Noticing this, Chris tilted his head.
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“. . .I’ll open the entrance now.”
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Going around to the back of the tower, there were two spots where the stones were slightly indented.
Perhaps they were worn away from people touching them repeatedly.
Placing both hands on it, I let magic energy flow.
A sound like dragging stones was heard, and the front of the tower opened.
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“A hidden door, huh.”
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“It’s designed so it won’t open unless magic flows through it.
It can also be opened from inside the tower, but the mechanism is the same.”
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An entrance just narrow enough for one person to pass through.
Once a witch enters the tower, she must not leave through the entrance.
Because if she’s not inside the tower, she can’t supply magical power.
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So, I’ve only entered from the entrance once.
Even so, I remember the sensation.
As I step in, my body is enveloped in a chilly air.
. . .I’ve had this sensation for a long time. . .
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“. . .Is magic being drained just by entering?”
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“The amount being drained isn’t much, but it does feel quite strange.”
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“Normally, one wouldn’t experience having magic drained.”
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When magic is drained, it feels as if the power that makes you up is slowly being pulled away.
The boundary between yourself and the surroundings becomes vague, and it’s unsettling until you get used to it.
If there’s more magical power, the sensation becomes stronger.
It was natural that Chris and Kyle were making unpleasant faces.
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Once inside the tower, there’s nothing on the first floor.
When the witch was here, there should have been food and other supplies placed here.
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Delivering food and necessities was the knight’s duty for about thirty years.
During the war, and post-war, not only food but many other things were scarce.
To ensure that it was delivered to the witch without being intercepted,
Knights had been delivering it.
But once the barrier was cast, and there was no worry of attack from other countries,
And life became richer, it became safe for others besides knights to deliver.
But both the knights and merchants who came to deliver goods could only come this far.
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A spiral staircase is attached to the wall, leading up to the second floor.
The tower, made of stone, is sturdy, and even after more than two hundred years, it’s still solid.
As I Ascend the stairs step by step, I arrive at the second-floor room.
There’s a kitchen area in the back, but it’s not visible from here.
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. . .There’s nothing here. The bed that was supposed to be here is also gone.
Perhaps everything was removed after the witch left.
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“. . .So this is what the inside of the tower is like.”
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“I knew mostly from reading books, but
In reality. . . I was confined in a place as empty as this.
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Although there are windows on the second floor, they are small and don’t open.
They only allow you to look outside. You can’t even reach your hand outside.
I remember that it was just looking, even if a little bird landed on the nearby tree.
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“To continue living here alone. While having magic drained. . .”
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“That’s definitely tough. . .”
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Chris and Kyle imagine the life of the witch and sympathize.
Not knowing how to respond, I stand in the center of the room.
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“. . .Place the magic stone here. It’s fine to leave it in the wooden box.”
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Kyle places the magic stone that he brought in the middle of the room.
It doesn’t matter where in this tower it is placed,
But somehow it felt like the barrier would be more stable if the magic was in the center.
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“What needs to be done here, is this the end?”
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“Yeah. This is fine here.”
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“Then, let’s return to the carriage.”
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Once again descending the stairs, going outside, and closing the tower’s entrance.
Doing this ensures that even if discovered by Kokodia’s knights, they won’t be able to enter.
It might collapse if directly attacked from the outside,
But considering the possibility of being discovered by Eugenis’ knights, normally, no one would do such a thing.
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“Alright, let’s go back.”
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This time being lifted by Kyle, and guided by Chris, we return to the carriage.
Upon returning to the carriage, the waiting Wei and Fel have relieved expressions.
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“Was there anything wrong?”
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“No, there was nothing.”
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“Good, then let’s disable the recognition inhibition.
Let’s move to the next place.”
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We should arrive at the next tower in less than half a day.
As I get on the carriage, it seems the tension has drained from my body.
As I slumped down, Kyle held me in his arms and helps me sit down.
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“Tired? Rest a bit like this.”
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“Yeah.”
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After giving instructions for the direction to proceed, I closed my eyes.
My body felt lethargic, and I didn’t want to move.
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Who was in that tower?
I tried to remember, but I couldn’t recall the face or voice anymore.
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