Chapter 100 - Translation

Chapter 100: Potion Preparations Despite Leon’s attempts to regain his usual stoicism, he couldn’t have made his joy at Elise’s kiss more obvious as he walked through the busy streets of the capital on his way back to the Academy. His smile was a mile wide and his eyes bright; he practically exuded happiness from every fiber of his being. In fact, many of the people he passed who stared at this inexplicably happy young man wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Leon were to break out into song and skip down the street. But, fortunately for his own ego and sense of shame, he hadn’t lost that much self-control. [Hehe, hehehe,] chuckled Xaphan. He made it a point to do so loud enough for Leon to hear him. [… What is it that you find so funny?] asked Leon, the irritation in his voice obvious. [Oh, nothing much ,] answered Xaphan once he was sure Leon could feel his attention. [Nothing much? Explain yourself, demon, what does that mean?] [You don’t know what those words mean? You’re even further gone than I thought, human.] [I know what the damned words mean, what did you mean when you said them?] [Oh, I was just watching a little chaste boy losing his mind over one tiny kiss. You know, nothing much .] And just like that, the smile on Leon’s face vanished. He sighed, but when he was about to respond to Xaphan, he decided to hold his tongue. Instead, he turned his thoughts back to Elise, determined as he was not to let his demonic acquaintance ruin his good mood as he had done before. [Awwww, come on, don’t be like that! Brooding is quite unbecoming, you know. I mean, I’m sure it works on some people, but I doubt it works on anyone that you know.] Xaphan was met with silence, so he, too, sighed, then moved on to business. [Listen, before you leave the city, there are a couple things you should probably pick up if you don’t already have them back in your fancy little cave…] — After another half hour spent in the capital, Leon finally made his way back to the Snow Lion camp in the gorge. There weren’t many people in his unit who had returned to the caves so early, and those that had—or simply never left in the first place—weren’t particularly numerous and kept to themselves, which suited him just fine. He made his way farther in all the way to his private room. In the first week after moving in, the Snow Lions had thoroughly explored their new home and had realized that the cave system had as much if not more space than their tower did! This meant that Leon, as a third-tier mage, was able to have his own room, unlike when he had to share a room with Alphonsus and Castor after the Snow Lions had first arrived. [Alright, first things first,] Xaphan began as soon as Leon set down everything he had bought, [Use that curtain to block the entrance to the room.] Leon quickly complied, hanging a thick black curtain over the entrance of his door-less room, then quickly dug out a few small magic lanterns to scatter around so he wouldn’t have to constantly channel magic into his eyes to see in the pitch-black caves. [Good. When we take the Kagu flower and that salamander core out of their packaging, they’ll emit far too much magic for you to avoid questions. That curtain will block the magic aura from spilling out of this room, though,] said Xaphan as Leon unpacked the rest of the things he bought. First, Leon took out a narrow two-foot-tall stone cylinder and accompanying lid. Then, he pulled out half a dozen water-coals, so-called for being able to burn in water. They were fairly cheap, but they would work for his purposes. [Next,] instructed Xaphan, [fill that container about halfway with water.] Leon grabbed the cylinder and made for the bathroom. As with the tower, the trainees had made the discovery that the caves had their own bathrooms that even had fully functioning water runes. It had been an incredible morale boost, as they had for several days been living primarily on the water from the stream in the gorge and a few smaller water runes made by Leon and the others who were in the enchanting class. The cylinder was filled with the requisite amount of water and Leon hurriedly returned to his room. [Drop the coals into the water,] said Xaphan. As soon as Leon did so, he impatiently continued with, [Now the core.] Leon dropped the core into the cylinder as instructed, letting the glowing red crystal sink to the bottom and rest among the coals. The fire magic it radiated ignited the water-coals, causing them to gently burn a dull blue at the bottom of the cylinder. [And the flower, stem first.] Leon carefully extracted the Kagu flower from its box, saturating his room with sweltering fire magic, though he found the heat strangely comfortable. Leon gently dipped the long stem of the flower that had been hidden in the box into the water, threading it through the gaps between the salamander core and the water-coals. To finish up that part of his preparations, he set the rest of the flower onto the surface of the water, where it stayed floating even as he closed the lid of the cylinder. There wasn’t any concern about allowing the flower access to sunlight; all it needed was fire energy to stay alive for as long as Leon and Xaphan needed it to. The coals would provide that energy so as not to drain the core before Heaven’s Eye managed to find the final necessary ingredient. Leon would need to change out the coals every week, but that was a fine sacrifice to make given how much it cost to buy the salamander core. [Finally,] said Xaphan, interrupting Leon as he leaned back onto his small stone bed, [we need to inscribe a few simple runes onto the cylinder so that the burning coals don’t transfer too much heat into it instead of the water. We want as much of the heat and fire energy to stay in the cylinder as possible.] [What?] Leon complained, [Why didn’t we do that to begin with? Now I have to do this when it’s full of water and expensive ingredients?!] [It was far more important to make sure the Kagu flower was properly taken care of and that the core’s magic wouldn’t dissipate into the surrounding environment. So hurry, we need to make sure the water doesn’t boil away. I mean, the lid should keep most of the steam in, but there’s no point in relying on ‘should’.] Leon sighed, but he still said, [Fine. What’s needed?] As soon as his mind was open to Xaphan’s information, Leon saw exactly what had to be done. He reached for his ink and spell paper and got to work. It took about an hour of careful work and more spell paper than Leon would care to admit, but even Xaphan couldn’t find any fault with his work. Leon plastered the side of the cylinder with the paper, which stuck as soon as he activated the enchantments. [Any more steps?] asked an exhausted Leon. He was perfectly willing to perform any more necessary steps but writing the enchantments had left him feeling mentally drained. [Nope. We’re just waiting on that feather, now. Nothing else to be done except drop in new water-coals every three or four days.] Leon gave a deep sigh of relief as he laid back onto his bed. He missed the bed back in the Snow Lions’ tower. He’d made the stone bed in the cave relatively comfortable with a few blankets, but it still couldn’t hold a candle to a proper mattress designed for a noble. Regardless, he fell asleep almost as soon as he got settled. He certainly wasn’t intending on sleeping; he had wanted to spend the rest of his day reading, but he was just that tired. — Leon woke up in time to head for the unit’s tower in time to meet up with the returning trainees. To his surprise—and the surprise of the rest of the extremely cautious Snow Lions—no one had been attacked. The Deathbringers hadn’t made a move the entire day. In fact, almost no one saw the Deathbringers at all throughout the entire weekend. The other units found them strangely somber and silent during meals, and it was only on Monday that they learned why, when the Deathbringers arrived at the training field with no banners. Since none of the other units had either banner that had been in the Deathbringers’ possession, it didn’t take long for everyone else to realize that the Snow Lions had gotten their revenge. Some playful insults were thrown around from the other units, but the Deathbringers endured them with a quiet dignity that was most uncharacteristic of them. Gaius especially seemed to have taken the loss completely in stride, interacting with the other nobles as if nothing had happened. Even during the afternoon enchantments classes when he and Leon shared the same room, Gaius hardly even blinked in frustration or anger. He did send a few looks Leon’s way, but they didn’t carry the tiniest hint of malice, hate, or killing intent. Not even when Leon and Valeria exchanged a few greetings did Gaius’ mood change. If he dug deep, he would still find the oceans of anger that would’ve erupted had the Snow Lions attacked only a few weeks before, but the weekend had been enough time for him to bury that fury and let it cool. He would only bring dishonor to his family if he acted rashly and without a plan, so remained calm and in control, as if his father were watching over his shoulder. Although, given that his brother was Tribune working at the Academy, it wouldn’t be that inaccurate to say that Duke Tullius had his eye on his youngest son. But even then, Gaius found his anger oddly easy to suppress. He’d accepted Leon’s fighting strength and skill and a degree of respect couldn’t help but follow, despite his hatred of the Snow Lion. Consequently, rather than waste his time with rage, Gaius channeled that energy into his training. Over the weeks following the Snow Lions’ seizure of the banners, Gaius threw himself into his training and dragged the rest of the Deathbringers with him. Actaeon had put up a token resistance, but he loved training and had gotten on board with Gaius’ new policy quickly. Linus could see the benefits of the extra training, and though he personally valued his off-time, Gaius was able to convince him to join the training as well. With all three third-tier mages on the same page, no one else in the unit was able to go against them. They trained hard, with the nobles supervising the lower-tiered trainees and giving out pointers where needed. Additionally, their Senior Instructor had contemplated invoking the same right as the Snow Lions’ Senior Instructor had, that of revoking all weekend privileges until the Deathbringers had retrieved their banner, but he found that he didn’t have to; Gaius had already forced the Deathbringers into weekend training. Gaius knew they were behind. The Snow Lions had over a month of hard training on the Deathbringers, and Gaius needed to push his unit to catch up as he doubted the Snow Lions would halt their intense training after recovering their banner. That training paid off less than two weeks after it began, as the heightened attention to security that the increased training brought allowed them to repulse an attack from another unit that tried to exploit their seeming weakness. Securing the front door of their tower every day was made a priority, so when another unit arrived to try and bully the Deathbringers, it took them several minutes to force their way into the entrance hall. By then, they were faced with the prepared Deathbringers, fully armed and armored and ready to defend their dignity. And they did so with aplomb, eliminating two of the enemy’s third-tier trainees and a dozen others besides with an initial volley of arrows, giving the Deathbringers the advantage in numbers. That outcome gave the other units that were hoping to throw their weight around and use the Deathbringers for their own training pause, allowing the Deathbringers plenty of time for the training that Gaius wanted. !

**Chapitre 100 : Préparations de Potions** Malgré ses efforts pour retrouver son stoïcisme habituel, Leon n'aurait pu dissimuler sa joie après le baiser d'Elise tandis qu'il parcourait les rues animées de la capitale pour regagner l'Académie. Son sourire s'étirait jusqu'aux oreilles, ses yeux pétillaient ; il irradiait littéralement de bonheur. En vérité, nombre de ceux qui croisèrent son chemin et observèrent ce jeune homme inexplicablement euphorique n'auraient pas été surpris de le voir entonner une chanson ou gambader comme un écolier. Mais, heureusement pour sa dignité, il conserva assez de maîtrise pour éviter un tel ridicule. [Héhé, héhéhé,] gloussa Xaphan, en s'assurant que Leon perçoive son amusement. [... Qu'y a-t-il de si drôle ?] gronda Leon, l'agacement teintant sa voix. [Oh, pas grand-chose,] rétorqua le démon une fois certain d'avoir capté son attention. [Pas grand-chose ? Développe, démon. Que sous-entends-tu ?] [Ignorerais-tu le sens de ces mots ? Tu es plus naïf que je ne le croyais, humain.] [Je sais parfaitement ce qu'ils signifient. Quel était ton intention en les prononçant ?] [Oh, je contemplais simplement un jeune homme chaste perdant la tête pour un simple baiser. Rien d'important, vraiment.] Ainsi s'évanouit le sourire de Leon. Il soupira, ouvrit la bouche pour répliquer, puis se ravisa. Il choisit plutôt de concentrer ses pensées sur Elise, bien décidé à ne pas laisser ce démon sarcastique altérer sa bonne humeur comme à son habitude. [Allons, ne fais pas cette tête ! Bouder ne te sied guère. Enfin, peut-être avec certaines personnes, mais certainement pas avec ton entourage actuel.] Xaphan, face au silence obstiné, poussa un soupir théâtral avant d'aborder des sujets plus sérieux. [Écoute, avant de quitter la ville, certains achats s'imposent, à moins que ta précieuse grotte ne les renferme déjà...] — Une demi-heure plus tard, Leon regagnait enfin le camp des Lions des Neiges dans le canyon. Peu de membres de son unité étaient revenus si tôt dans les grottes, et ceux présents—ou qui n'en étaient jamais partis—se tenaient à distance, ce qui lui convenait parfaitement. Il gagna directement sa chambre privée. Durant leur première semaine d'installation, les Lions des Neiges avaient exploré leur nouveau repaire et découvert que le réseau de cavernes offrait autant, voire plus, d'espace que leur tour ! Ainsi, Leon, en tant que mage de troisième tier, jouissait désormais d'une chambre individuelle, contrairement à l'époque où il partageait un dortoir avec Alphonsus et Castor après l'arrivée des renforts. [Bien, commençons par l'essentiel,] annonça Xaphan dès que Leon eut déposé ses acquisitions. [Installe ce rideau devant l'entrée.] Leon obtempéra promptement, fixant un épais rideau noir devant l'ouverture sans porte, puis disposant des lanternes magiques pour éclairer la grotte plongée dans l'obscurité sans puiser constamment dans sa magie visuelle. [Parfait. La fleur Kagu et le noyau de salamandre dégageront trop d'énergie magique une fois déballés. Ce rideau bloquera toute fuite d'aura,] expliqua Xaphan tandis que Leon déballait le reste du matériel. D'abord, il sortit un cylindre de pierre étroit, haut de deux pieds, avec son couvercle. Puis, il exhiba une demi-douzaine de "charbons d'eau« , ainsi nommés pour leur capacité à brûler même immergés. Bon marché mais idéaux pour son usage. [Ensuite,] dirigea Xaphan, [remplis ce récipient à moitié d'eau.] Leon saisit le cylindre et se rendit aux sanitaires. Comme dans la tour, les recrues avaient découvert que les grottes abritaient des latrines dotées de runes hydrauliques fonctionnelles—un confort précieux après avoir dépendu du ruisseau du canyon et des sortilèges hydriques improvisés par les élèves en enchantement. Le cylindre rempli à la mesure requise, Leon regagna précipitamment sa chambre. [Jette les charbons dans l'eau,] ordonna Xaphan. Avant même que les pierres ne touchent le fond, il enchaîna : [Maintenant, le noyau.] Leon laissa couler le cristal rougeoyant parmi les charbons. Au contact de la magie ignée, ces derniers s'enflammèrent, produisant une lueur bleutée au fond de l'eau. [Puis la fleur, tige en premier.] Leon extirpa délicatement la fleur Kagu de son étui, emplissant la pièce d'une chaleur magique étrangement apaisante. Il immergea la longue tige dissimulée dans l'eau, la guidant entre les interstices du noyau et des charbons, avant de laisser le reste de la fleur flotter à la surface, même après avoir scellé le couvercle. Nul besoin de lumière solaire : l'énergie du feu suffisait à préserver la fleur jusqu'à l'obtention du dernier ingrédient. Les charbons, moins précieux que le noyau, assureraient cette fonction—Leon n'aurait qu'à les remplacer hebdomadairement. [Enfin,] interrompit Xaphan alors que Leon s'apprêtait à se reposer, [il nous faut graver des runes de régulation thermique sur le cylindre pour concentrer l'énergie dans l'eau plutôt que dans la pierre.] [Quoi ?] protesta Leon. [Pourquoi ne pas l'avoir fait avant ? Maintenant, je dois manipuler ce récipient plein d'ingrédients coûteux ?!] [Priorité à la stabilisation de la fleur et au confinement de l'aura. Alors active-toi avant que l'eau ne s'évapore—le couvercle retient la vapeur, mais mieux vaut ne pas compter sur les »normalement".] Leon soupira mais s'exécuta : [D'accord. Quelles runes ?] Dès qu'il ouvrit son esprit aux instructions, la marche à suivre lui apparut clairement. Il saisit encre et parchemin à sorts, s'attelant à la tâche. Une heure de travail méticuleux—et plus de parchemins gaspillés qu'il n'aurait aimé l'admettre—plus tard, même Xaphan approuva le résultat. Les formules adhérèrent au cylindre lors de leur activation. [D'autres étapes ?] questionna un Leon épuisé. L'écriture runique l'avait vidé mentalement. [Non. Nous n'attendons plus que la plume. Juste à remplacer les charbons tous les trois ou quatre jours.] Allongé sur son lit de pierre recouvert de couvertures—bien moins confortable que le matelas noble de la tour—, Leon s'assoupit presque instantanément, malgré son intention initiale de lire. — Leon se réveilla juste à temps pour rejoindre sa tour et accueillir les recrues de retour. À la surprise générale—même des prudents Lions—, aucune attaque n'avait eu lieu. Les Porte-Mort étaient demeurés inactifs tout le week-end. En réalité, peu croisèrent leur chemin durant ces deux jours. Les autres unités notèrent leur absence étrange aux repas, et ce ne fut que le lundi matin qu'ils comprirent pourquoi : les Porte-Mort apparurent sur le terrain d'entraînement... sans leurs bannières. L'absence de trophées chez les autres unités rendit évident que les Lions des Neiges avaient pris leur revanche. Quelques quolibets fusèrent, mais les Porte-Mort les endurèrent avec une dignité inhabituelle. Gaius, notamment, semblait avoir digéré sa défaite, interagissant avec les autres nobles comme si de rien n'était. Même pendant les cours d'enchantement partagés avec Leon, il ne montra ni rancœur ni colère. Ses regards vers Leon, même lorsque ce dernier saluait Valeria, étaient dépourvus de haine. S'il avait sondé son cœur, il y aurait trouvé un océan de rage—bien plus violent si l'attaque avait eu lieu quelques semaines plus tôt—, mais le week-end lui avait permis de refroidir cette fureur. Agir impulsivement n'eût été qu'un déshonneur pour sa famille. Il se contrôla donc, comme sous le regard invisible de son père. D'ailleurs, avec son frère tribun à l'Académie, on pouvait dire que le duc Tullius veillait sur son cadet. Pourtant, Gaius trouvait cette maîtrise étrangement aisée. La force démontrée par Leon lui imposait un certain respect, malgré sa haine. Il canalisa donc son énergie vers l'entraînement. Les semaines suivant la perte de leurs bannières virent les Porte-Mort s'exercer avec une ferveur inédite. Actaeon résista symboliquement, mais son amour pour l'entraînement le rallia vite à la nouvelle discipline. Linus, bien qu'attaché à ses loisirs, reconnut les bénéfices de cet effort. Avec les trois mages de troisième tier unis, l'unité entière emboîta le pas. Les nobles encadraient les recrues moins expérimentées, partageant conseils et techniques. Même leur instructeur renonça à supprimer leurs week-ends—Gaius les avait déjà convertis en séances d'exercice. Gaius savait les Lions des Neiges en avance d'un mois d'entraînement intensif. Il devait combler cet écart, d'autant qu'il doutait que ses rivaux relâchent leurs efforts. Cette discipline porta ses fruits en moins de deux semaines : leur vigilance accrue leur permit de repousser une attaque exploitant leur prétendue vulnérabilité. Leur sécurisation rigoureuse de la tour força les assaillants à livrer bataille dans l'entrée, où les Porte-Mort, en armes et déterminés, décimèrent leurs adversaires dès la première volée de flèches. Cette démonstration de force dissuada les autres unités, laissant aux Porte-Mort le loisir de s'entraîner sans interruption.