The West Wind’s Destination - Chapter 65

Bea looked down at the magic stone in her hand, pondering.

Is that so?

Is having a body that’s practically useless but alive better than losing one’s life?

By Bea’s standards, discarding a failure and creating something new perfectly was better. It was more resource-efficient and practical.

Raising such a child would be even more inefficient. Moreover, it was broken. It could become a body that could do nothing on its own if no one cared for it, just like Bea when she was abandoned in the desert.

But, there was Aseph Vilkanos.

―Even if you don’t try to prove your worth, or anything of the sort, I love you and will never stop loving you, Bea.

Was such thinking a privilege of those born in such a land of abundance? Would it have been different if she had been born in this land?

“Ah, and, Bea.”

“…Yes.”

Lost in thought for a long time, Bea came back to her senses at Aseph’s call.

“I had left the hearing aid for repair last time… I asked them to restore it as much as possible to its original form, but I’m not sure if it turned out well. They said its core functionality had long been damaged. It must have been very inconvenient for you.”

“The hearing aid? Ah.”

“It’s different from the usual hearing aids, and it has other devices in it, so the repair was delayed. I’m not exactly sure what the functionality is, but…”

Bea blankly stared at what Aseph was handing her. It was an object she had never been apart from since she first encountered it.

“I was going to give it to you once your ears had recovered a bit more, but it seemed like an urgent issue. They say it will be as efficient as the one you used before.”

Aseph added more words while observing Bea’s expression.

“…You seemed to cherish it. I once made the mistake of touching it.”

Aseph mentioned the time he had temporarily detached the device in the laboratory to nurse Bea back to health. The reaction was almost panicky, as if frightened.

However, the expression on Bea’s face as she looked down at the object was cold.

“Master made it for me.”

And when he gave it to her, he had advised never to part with it.

Because she would be as useless as a cripple otherwise.

Bea was someone who had to constantly prove her worth to survive, and even if her master had not advised her, she would never have parted with it. Without it, her body would hardly be able to function anyway.

It wasn’t an object with good memories. It was simply feared for bringing her closer to death without it.

“Ah… That person, the only one for you. You said you loved him.”

Bea was startled by that word.

The love given by a family. The love given by a mentor.

…The love Aseph spoke of was nothing like any of those.

But since Bea had only recently become aware of such emotions, she couldn’t specifically articulate the difference.

“It’s different with you.”

She merely denied it with a short reply.

“Of course… it must be. That person took you in, taught you, and showed you how to live, and I am far from perfect.”

“……”

“I won’t be as smart as him, nor will I be able to see your interests from the same perspective. You will always find my words frustrating, and I will not completely understand yours. But I can still do well.”

“That’s not it…”

It seems the communication barrier persists.

“Then, I will prove it to you.”

“……”

“I may not be of help this time but…”

As if regretting he couldn’t assist with the research, Aseph took Bea’s fingers and kissed them.

“You will do well. You’ve always found the answers.”

This too was a peculiar feeling.

Passing the hearing aid, talking about future responsibilities, and expecting results were similar to what the master did, but the feeling was entirely different.

“Yes…”

Thus, even Bea, who had been skeptical about saving the homunculus until now, had no choice but to agree willingly.

❖

Having entrusted the homunculus to Aseph, Bea spent several nights awake.

Though someone brought food to the laboratory, she neither ate nor drank. Desperately compiling and revising formulas as if being chased, blood dripped from her nose, and tinnitus continued to plague her ear, which was supposed to be healing.

Yet, she couldn’t stop. The ambiguous progress made it seem possible yet impossible.

If the homunculus’s body is collapsing due to an excessive accumulation of magical power, it seemed okay if it could be released at the right time. But then, it couldn’t be considered a clone of Aseph anymore. The very nature that accumulates magical power in his body made him the Guardian of Vilkanos.

Aseph had once pressured her into secrecy, holding her captive with the claim that it was confidential.

People believed that the homunculus had inherited the anti-magic power of Vilkanos directly. Considering the incident at the mine, the retainers already viewed the homunculus as the successor of this place. Probably, declaring him as Aseph’s child was for that reason.

Wouldn’t losing that trait make it impossible?

―That’s still better than having to forfeit his life.

‘…If he said that, he wouldn’t just discard it.’

Bea finally convinced herself of the reason to fix the homunculus, which accelerated the research.

Still, progress was slow. The formulas seemed to be adequately compiled, and it looked like only a little testing with the homunculus was needed.

But something always seemed lacking.

In the past, this was never an issue. Her mind was always heavier and colder than anything else. And it wasn’t this clouded. This must be due to her disrupted equilibrium.

Bea grimly looked at the hearing aid she had yet to wear, lying on the table. With it, her body always operated at optimal efficiency.

Now, everything was a mess.

Both her body and her heart, which she hadn’t even been aware of its existence or absence.

― Even without me, that human will protect you, Master. I wanted to, but my body couldn’t grow fast enough.

It was more difficult and took longer than expected.

“Ugh.”

Unbeknownst to her, it had started to drizzle.

Rain, rare in the desert, was so common here. Drops of water, both a source of life and a disaster. Now, they were pricking the weak parts of the body like needles.

Sitting dazedly in the laboratory, Bea couldn’t bear the pain and reached for the hearing aid.

The pain subsided.

And at the same time, the duty she had forgotten came back to life.