Chương 8: High Mage Lissandra

The woman in front of him wore a black mage robe with pink details. If he had to guess, she was Lira's mother. The garden had already given her favorite color away.

"Yes?" Adolin hadn't prepared for this conversation. He had expected to speak with her, but only after he was already inside. He had assumed Telian or Lira would open the door. But now that he thought about it, Lira had been kicked out before. Her mother wouldn't want her opening the door. He cleared his throat.

"I'm looking for Lira." He had forgotten to speak in a respectful manner. Well… it was already too late. If he added a "good day" now, it would just make things awkward for both of them.

"You are?" she said, studying him.

"Dareth. The one who healed Lira," Adolin said, doing his best to sound respectful, since he hadn't managed that at the start. She did look angry after that, though he wasn't sure why.

"Come inside," she said after a brief pause. Adolin nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He still wasn't sure what he had done wrong. He followed her into a study on the ground floor. Bookshelves stretched all the way to the ceiling, packed tightly with books. A desk stood at the center, with two couches in front of it and a small table between them.

"Take a seat." Adolin took a seat, still trying to figure out what he had done wrong. She took the couch opposite him.

"Why would you use healing magic in public?" she asked, studying him. How was he supposed to answer that? Because he felt like it? That was most of the reason he had done it. But what would the appropriate answer be? Still, he didn't see a reason to lie.

"Because I felt like it… and Telian asked me to," Adolin said. She stared at him, confused at first. Then she tilted her head.

"Do you even know the penalty for that?" He hadn't at the time, but he had learned it later from Eduard.

"Not at the time. I'm familiar with it now."

"You're not affiliated with the church, are you?" Adolin rolled his eyes.

"No." A faint frown appeared on her face.

"How can you use healing magic, then?" How was he supposed to answer that? Because he knew a spell? With mana?

"Because… with mana?" That sounded bad, even to him. The woman didn't respond.

"What level are you?" she asked. He wasn't sure if he had advanced since… well, the last time. But he didn't like the looks he got the last time he checked his status.

"Nine," Adolin said. She went still.

"You can use healing magic at level nine?"

"There are healing spells at higher levels?" Adolin asked, a hint of curiosity slipping through. She didn't answer immediately. Her eyes stayed on him, sharper now, measuring.

"Yes," she said at last.

"Around level two hundred. But the mana cost is enormous, so high-tier mages rarely use it unless necessary." That made sense. Why would the church hold a monopoly over healing if mages could use it? But it did give him an idea. If he shared some of his healing spells, and the mages of this world could use them… the church would suffer. That thought brought a quiet sense of satisfaction. He had been silent for a while, lost in thought, when she spoke again.

"Who taught you?" Adolin had enough of the interrogation.

"Where are Lira and Telian?" he said.

"In the back garden. You can see them after you tell me how you escaped."

"The kidnapping?"

"Yes. Lira has been asking me to look for you. I asked around—you disappeared in the middle of the city. Without a trace."

"That's thoughtful of her," Adolin said.

"But I didn't escape. I left."

"You left?"

"Yeah." He leaned back slightly.

"They couldn't hold me even if they wanted to," Adolin said with a quiet chuckle. Her eyes narrowed.

"And who are they?" Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Did he want to tell her that? Not really. He didn't even know her name.

"And you are?" Adolin said. She held his gaze for a moment, as if weighing something.

"Lissandra," she said at last. Adolin nodded slowly, committing the name to memory. Silence lingered between them.

"So?" Lissandra said.

"Who were they?"

"Nothing special. A certain someone needed healing." Lissandra grew thoughtful for a moment.

"Aldric Velmuth." Well, he wasn't the one who had told her. But she seemed well informed. At least now he knew the name of his patient.

"How did you know that?" Adolin asked. The Count was either the only one banned from the church, or there were a few among the nobility, and it had just been a lucky guess. He didn't really care either way. Lissandra didn't answer. She stood.

"Follow me." Adolin obliged. They left the study.

"What do you want with Lira?" Lissandra asked, walking a step ahead of him.

"Only to help her." There wasn't really any other way to answer that.

"Why?"

"I don't know. At first, I did it because Telian asked me to. Then I got to know her a little, and she seemed to have it tough. So I decided to help her get rid of the Shade addiction."

"No other motives?" Lissandra asked, glancing back at him.

"No," Adolin said, shaking his head. They were already close to the back garden. Adolin could see it through the window.

"And you can help her?" Lissandra asked, stopping in front of the door.

"Get rid of it?"

"Yeah. In a few days, I can get rid of it permanently."

"How?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I know a spell."

"Why do you need a few days?" Adolin felt like he was being interrogated again. But this time, it felt like Lissandra was guiding him somewhere. Did she know he was reincarnated? Or did she suspect something else? He just smiled politely. Lissandra stared at him for a few moments, as if weighing something, then opened the door. They stepped into the back garden.

"Mister!" Telian came running. He wrapped his arms around Adolin's leg.

"Thank you again, mister!" he said excitedly. Adolin blinked, caught off guard. Then he smiled faintly and patted the boy's head.

"You're welcome, kid. How's your mom?"

"Better, mister! She's been awake all day now, and she smiles more," Telian said, finally letting go of Adolin. Before Adolin could reply, Lira came running from the same direction Telian had. She stopped right in front of him. Her hands rose— Then curled slightly, hovering in the air. A moment later, they fell back to her sides.

"Dareth… you're okay," she said, letting out a breath. Lira looked hollow. The color was gone from her face, dark circles carved under her eyes, and her fingers shook at her sides. Adolin nodded.

"Yeah." His gaze lingered on her for a moment.

"You don't look okay."

"I'm… I'm fine. What happened to you?" Lira asked, trying to hide the tremor in her hands.

"Telian, go inside and read the book I gave you," Lissandra said.

"But—""No buts." She pointed toward the door.

"Go." The boy went inside, unhappily.

"Got kidnapped," Adolin said.

"After a long walk, we arrived at an estate. Had a bath. Ate excellent food. Then I left." Lira stared at him, trying to figure out if he was joking. After a few moments, Lira said, "You're serious."

"Yeah. The food was nice." Lira studied him for a moment longer, then smiled faintly.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said quietly. Lissandra intervened.

"Let's sit down." They followed behind her. The path was similar to the one in the Count's estate, laid with white marble slabs. In the middle of the garden stood a latticed canopy, vines climbing its frame, the same pink flowers that covered the fence blooming along it. The whole garden carried a soft, floral sweetness. Adolin was certain Luc would like a place like this. Maybe with a bit less pink. Beneath the canopy stood a stone table with white marble benches. They didn't look very comfortable.

It did move his goal of buying a house in this district a little higher. But he would need something bigger—somewhere with a private room for each member of his party. After a long period of rest without them. They sat around the table.

"Tea?" Lissandra asked. Adolin nodded. Lira sat across from him, still trying to hold onto a smile. A slender wooden staff appeared in Lissandra's hand, a pink crystal set at its tip. A teapot and cups formed on the table. She muttered something under her breath, more like a chant. Then she poured the tea. Adolin looked at Lira.

"The cravings are back?" Lira kept her eyes on the tea, avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah," she said slowly. Adolin nodded.

"How long did you go without it?"

"One day. But don't worry, my mom's helping me with it." Lissandra cut in.

"Nothing is working. It doesn't matter what I try. Only the High Priest or those above him can." She frowned. There were a few possible reasons. Some of the corrupted mana might still be lingering in her body, but removing it would require a high-tier spell. Something he didn't have yet. Or it wasn't physical at all. She needed a mind spell. Something to sever the craving itself. He didn't have that either. But there were other ways to keep her from relapsing.

"May I?" Adolin said, reaching for Lira's hand. She hesitated for a moment, then placed it in his. Lissandra watched them carefully. Adolin touched her hand lightly. He thought for a moment, then decided to try a toxin removal spell. It would purge the toxin from her body, but it also had a secondary effect. It rejuvenated it. That was what he was after. He had far more mana than when he first met Lira. That meant more options. Still, it wasn't enough to fully heal her.

He didn't waste any time and cast Toxin Removal. A faint light flickered around her hand, then faded just as quickly. The effect was immediate. Color returned to Lira's face. The dullness in her eyes lifted, replaced with a faint clarity. The tremor in her fingers slowed, then stopped. Lira blinked. Her breath hitched slightly, as if something had just loosened its grip on her. A real smile spread across her face.

"I…" She looked at her hands, flexing her fingers.

"I…" Lissandra looked at him questioningly, but held her tongue. It took Lira a few moments to calm down.

"T-Thank you."

"How do you feel?" Lissandra asked. Lira hesitated.

"Normal… I think. The cravings are gone, and… I feel better." Lissandra only glanced at Adolin, but said nothing. Adolin expected a lengthy conversation with her after this. He took a sip of tea and closed his eyes. It was… perfect. That was all he could think. He really had to get that spell from Lissandra. The one for making tea. If there was something Adolin lacked, it was convenience spells. Spells that weren't meant for destroying things. He had very few of them. Lissandra smiled faintly at his reaction.

Lira looked at her hands again, flexing her fingers slowly.

"It's really gone…" she whispered.

"Yes," Adolin said.

"I'll need to cast it each day so the cravings don't return." Her smile faltered. He added quickly, "Until I can remove it completely. That will take some time, but not too long."

"I know you said that before, but… is it really true?"

"Yeah. It's a small problem. I should be able to fix it in a week. Two at most."

"Will you do it?" Lissandra asked.

"Yeah. I can come daily, or you can bring her to the Garden Inn."

"I'll bring her," Lissandra said. A smile returned to Lira's face. She even looked a little more confident. Adolin didn't want to give her false hope, only to fail her later. So he gave himself some breathing room. It was the second time they had mentioned the church to him. Would it really be a problem? He could defend himself. He was good at it. Really good. He did lack mana, but spells meant for killing were far more efficient than healing.

Mana control alone was enough to take someone down, and the cost was minimal. And increasing his mana wasn't difficult. He just needed to do it faster.

"Would the church be difficult to handle?" Adolin finally asked. Lissandra studied him for a moment.

"Yes. Do you have enough backing to delay them?"

"Backing?" Adolin chuckled.

"Not really." Lissandra's gaze sharpened.

"You're telling me you've been doing this without any backing?"

"…Yes?" Lissandra's fingers tightened around her cup. Her face went pale.

"You don't understand what you've done."