Novel Full 536 Gaining The Upper Hand
Within Jane’s office, several things could be seen.
As she went inside, she smiled sadly, remembering her earlier conversation with Jared.
“I’ll never be number one in his life, will I?” She laughed slightly.
A tinge of pain reflected in her eyes as she laughed, but the Fairy maintained her composure.
“But you… you’re different, aren’t you?” Jane glanced at a warbling orb within a tube.
It was on her desk, and the orb glowed ever so brightly.
It had a partly purple and partly golden ambiance, and it kept dancing in the contraption that kept it stable.
“Well, I have all I need now. Putting the current time we have, I can start working on this side project.” Jane smiled as she sat on her desk and longingly stared at the orb in front of her.
“It won’t be long now, Lewis…” Her smile was a bit sad and nostalgic, but her eyes were now brimming with determination.
“… I’ll definitely bring you back.”
******************
We returned to the Eastern Kingdom—specifically our training area.
Thanks to the events that had occurred thus far, we were interrupted. However, now that a good number of it was resolved, it was time to return to the main issue.
“Serah, we should probably explain things to Asa when he wakes up. He’ll stay with the Elves pending the time we work things on our end.” I glanced at the Grand Mage, and the child she carried.
‘Though, it would be nice if I figured out how he was able to become one with nature… that sort of thing.’
With a soft smile, and a downcast eye, I apologized to everyone for being forward back at the ruined Beast Nation.
Perhaps it was due to my unsettled heart, or the impatience that losing to Legris did to me. In any case, I had to control myself more.
“Let’s get straight to the point… I was wrong. Rather, I miscalculated. It seems the Cult is moving faster than expected.”
After they realized that I was listening to their conversation, they must have taken drastic measures.
I understood that much, but still… finding Arcanas wasn’t easy!
‘The only other person who can pull that off, except me, is Jane. But, she’s busy on her end, and we even share a Soul Brand…’ I couldn’t doubt her.
Perhaps there were brilliant people within the ranks of the Cult, so I had to let go of my bias. Still…
‘Even after the Hero Party disbanded, I still continued my search—alone. The only person I made contact with was Jane, thanks to our bond…’
As I thought of the good days, I realized how much I had relegated my closest friend to the sidelines.
It was because the situation called for it, but wasn’t I being too selfish by leaving her all alone to handle so much work—where she would spend a very long and accelerated time?
‘Jane enjoyed research, but she likes it better when she has a partner…’
I really wished I was there with her, but I was needed on the field.
‘I guess I’ll make it up to her later on…’ With that thought, I sighed.
Now wasn’t the time for frivolities.
“Alright, here goes.”
Space instantly warped, and I summoned a particular box that manifested in midair.
The black box remained suspended in the air, coated by my Mana.
“This is the only edge we have against our opponents,” I said to everyone, noticing how they looked at the box.
I touched it, and after infusing enough Magic in key areas, like solving a puzzle, the box began to open, like a safe.
Eventually, the work was complete, and the black contraption finally granted me access to the contents inside.
“This…” I dipped my hand inside the box and brought out a book.
It looked a bit rugged, but it was quite large, with several notes sticking out of various positions.
It has a dark brown hardcover, and each leaflet was made to be extra sturdy. Anyone who saw this would realize that it didn’t come from the modern era.
‘Yeah, that’s right. It’s something I had in my last life…’
“I had Edward get this for me in a particular location,” I said, addressing my audience’s curious face.
‘… My Memoir!’
********************
When I was 42 Years Old, our Hero Party split up.
This was because of the death of one of us—Dom, the Indestructible Immortal.
After we parted ways, I couldn’t return to the Eastern Empire.
Not only was it full of bittersweet memories, but my heart wasn’t at rest.
I still sought after the Arcanas, probably to right the wrong I had wrought in the past.
It was absolute foolishness on my part, but I had already gone so far.
There was no way I could stop at my current point.
And so, I resumed my journey—alone.
Maybe it was because of guilt, but I didn’t tell anyone. I just went on my own path.
It was at this point that I started to write my Memoir.
I documented my adventures with the heroes, who were my friends, and also the adventures we had.
But, most importantly, I wrote down every single result of my research on the Arcanas. Clues, texts, anything I could find that pointed me in any direction.
I did extensive research on the Arcanas, but without Magic, there was no way I could have solved the mystery myself.
That was also when I sought after the knowledge of more Magic.
And that was when I met another friend… someone who changed my life forever—at least in the brief moment we met.
*******************
“So, you’re saying you somehow found clues that led you to believe that Lewis Griffith’s Memoirs were in a particular location. That’s why you sent Edward to retrieve it… is that right?” Ana spoke with a suspicious eyebrow raised.
“Y-yeah. That’s right.” I smiled.
Now that I heard Ana say it, my excuse was quite silly.
‘But, it’s too late to turn back now.’
“In any case, this is something that places us at an advantage.”
‘There’s no need to start researching the Arcanas from scratch.’
With the knowledge in this book, and my current capabilities—as well as the aid of my friends—we would be able to gain the upper hand.