Free Web NovelChapter 36: I Will Restore You
Valeria couldn’t shake the feeling, no matter what she thought about. She knew how powerless she was, but the feeling she got when staring down the goblin and having no means to fight back was one that she couldn’t prepare for.
It felt like her whole identity had shattered, the SSS-Rank Hero turned into just a crippled woman being taken care of by her husband.
The memory of her apologizing still left a bitter taste in her mouth. A mere goblin had made her fear. There was only one other time that she had truly been scared, but that was a memory worse than any apology.
Even the sight of her own spell being used to kill the goblins became a source of sorrow for her. She thought that she had gotten over her past life, coming to terms with her powerless state, but feeling the mana in her core gave her hope, along with the knowledge that she could return to her former power.
She could feel Luke behind her. He was worried, but Valeria couldn’t turn around. Facing him in her current state would show him a darker side that she didn’t want to reveal.
’I can’t continue this cycle of self-doubt.’
Valeria did the only thing she could. She imagined casting devastating spells from her past, altering their characteristics and shapes at will. Spells combined and formed different elements, while others split apart and still maintained their originally devastating power. Her comprehension of spells was matched by none; she was feared even by those of her own rank.
If not for that day.
’Stop.’
With a single thought, she contained her inner monologue, returning to the meditative trance that her mental training brought her into.
The wheelchair stopped moving, but she didn’t open her eyes. Elements crashed and slammed into the battlefield constructed in her mind. Valeria summoned imaginary monsters onto the battlefield, only to eviscerate them in a split second, leaving only dust behind.
Her battle raged on, even after the wheelchair lurched back into motion. It didn’t stop as the familiar bumps of the train shook her.
She cast spells the size of natural disasters as her imaginary body hovered upon a piece of earth. It wasn’t until a hand landed on her shoulder, and she had drained away her weakness through her entire arsenal, that she opened her eyes again.
The whole walk home, Luke was worried. Even when he stopped by the academy to register for another rift, Valeria never opened her eyes. Luke was sure she hadn’t fallen asleep due to her focused expression, but he was still worried about her.
Ultimately, he trusted her and let her continue whatever she was focused on.
It was only when they arrived on their doorstep that he finally took matters into his own hands. Not wanting to scare her, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder as a signal.
Her eyes fluttered open as she turned around to meet his own. They stared at each other for a moment, long enough for Luke to realize she had changed between the walk from the shopping district and their house. All of the emotion from the rift break had disappeared, leaving only her steeled resolve.
With the realization that she was fine, Luke’s own worry faded, and a content smile replaced it.
How are you?
Hungry, but better.
Put the clothes in the bedroom while I cook. Okay?
Valeria nodded, her mood improving slightly.
They both made their way to their own respective tasks. After an hour, they were both full and organizing his new clothes into the closet. Most of them ended up folded on the ground, as all the rack space was taken up by her countless dresses.
When they finished, their nightly ASL lessons began.
Without Pattern Recognition, he would still be a beginner, but because of how synergistic it had become with practicing sign language, his skill level was about intermediate.
By the end of the lesson, they had only one Chapter left in the book, and he was confident that unless the conversation ended up being about rifts, he wouldn’t need a piece of paper again.
Is my signing finally up to your standards?
He attempted to make his body language as mocking as possible, but Valeria didn’t react to the taunt and fired back with her own teasing gestures.
You might reach it after a few more years of my lessons.
Very fun-
Luke was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Immediately, he got up from the couch and checked through the peephole. A face familiar to Lucius stood on the other side.
Butler Codwell.
He unlocked the door and opened it, revealing the Kreugers’ head butler standing behind it.
"Hello, Young Master. I am here to deliver an invitation from your parents."
Luke stared at the card in his hands.
"An invitation for what?"
"Your birthday, Young Master. Since you graduated from the academy this year, the head of the family decided that a big celebration was in order. Every noble on friendly terms with the family has been invited."
"Can we even afford a celebration? I mean, we were in years of debt just a week ago."
"Do not worry about that, Young Master. The Chamberlin’s were gracious enough to provide the funds for the party. Word of your exploits has traveled through the circles of nobility."
Right, how could he forget? Now that he seemed to be of some use, the Chamberlin’s wanted to build a good rapport with him and his family, in case he turned out to be useful. It took him no time to realize the reason behind the celebration.
Valeria’s family would try to sweeten him up and possibly recruit him as an explorer.
Too bad he wouldn’t let them have their way.
"Thank you. We will make sure to be there."
Luke gave the butler a devious smile, shocking the old man slightly. His training allowed him to recover quickly and continue with his formal demeanor.
"Have a good night, Young Master."
"You as well, Codwell."
The door closed, and Luke walked back into the living room, reading the invitation before handing it to Valeria.
When she finished reading, she looked at Luke, coming to the same conclusion as him. He simply smiled back at her and started signing.
I will restore your mana core before the party.
