Descending Into A Novel-Chapter 88:Rayleigh Von Mez (18)

A faint ripple travelled throughout the world. Unnoticeable, imperceptible to any living creature. Moving through the minds, soul and body of everything. Man, beast, rock and tree. Wiping away an invisible part of their lives.

Rayleigh suddenly looked up at the night sky. An ominous feeling in his gut.

Someone at his level would never experience something like mere stomach aches. Rather, it was his instinct as a perfect human. Trying to warn him of something.

He frowned, the empire still had yet to declare war. Most of the races were now in hiding with his hlep—accumulatimg strength.

He had also been traveling back and forth between the empire and the races. Using his true time clone to substitute for him whenever he left. Proactively preventing any incident which could be a cause of war. Even inciting the remnants of the seven kingdoms and whatever few resistance groups there were.

With his support, these groups were much better off. Now, they could at least pose some trouble to the empire. Even if they were just a mosquito on a giant.

There should have been no problems. So what was this sinking feeling he had?

Rayleigh stopped his mana cultivation—which he had been doing for the last several months straight. Standing up and casting a teleport spell to take him elsewhere.

Appearing in a forest, he strolled through the ancient woodland. Stopping once he reached a certain point. Activating his World Tree mark, he stuck a hand through. Watching it disappear last an invisible boundary. Before stepping through it as well.

Seeing no one on the other side, he mentally tutted in disapproval. They were extremely proud of their own hiding magic. Not even assigning any guards here.

Entering the city, he ignored the several stares he received. Pulling his hood up to cover his face.

Finally arriving at a certain residence. Made of still living plants, woven and twisting into the shape of a beautiful open-styled house. He rapped his knuckles on the door. Tapping his foot as he impatiently waited for them to answer.

When the door finally opened, he asked. A bit or irritation in his voice.

"What took you so long?"

Except he wasn’t greeted by a tall, handsome elf. But rather a small child who only reached up until his waist in height.

"Uhm...may I ask who you are looking for?

Your Eminence."

Rayleigh already told any elves he met to not call him Eminence. But clearly this child didn’t know.

He sighed, "I’m looking for Godrick. You’re his son, Adonis?"

"Father is currently busy right now. Do you want some tea while you wait for him?"

"I’d love to."

Seated on the balcony, sipping a cup of elven floral tea. Rayleigh started tapping his fingers again impatiently. The feeling in his chest intensifying with each and every minute that passed.

’Dammit, why do I keep feeling this way?’

He hesitated slightly, before covering his eyes with his hand. Casting a spell as he fully closed his eyes.

"True future sight. One day."

Before the spell could be completed, Rayleigh suddenly felt his mana go out of control.

Spurting blood out of his throat, Rayleigh collapsed onto the floor. More blood coming out from his eyes. Causing droplets to dirty the floor.

He grasped his throat, casting a healing spell to restore his body. Shocked, the absurdity of it hitting him.

’I...failed to cast a spell?!’

Has Rayleigh ever failed in casting a spell before? Naturally, but those were moments when he was still learning magic, or experimenting with new spells.

True Future Sight. A spell he created that let him truly see into the future rather then predicting which of the constantly changing possibilities was the most likely. By viewing it, he had essentially locked the future in place. Forcing it to occur no matter what.

It was an extremely high level spell, but Rayleigh was also an extremely high level mage. Casting such a spell should have been easy for him.

Yet he had failed to cast it? Not just failed, but had even inflicted mana rebound on himself?

The only times he had ever failed such a spell was when he tried to gaze too far into the future—causing Punishment. Or when he tried to see something too out of his league to be able to withstand, such as an extremely important event that would shape history.

His body started hyperventilating. As he stopped leaking blood from his eyes. He got up and sat back down on his chair. Cleaning up his blood that had splattered everywhere.

Just in time, as a tall elven man opened the door to the balcony. Gazing at Rayleigh with a confused expression on his face. Bowing slightly,

"Greetings your Eminence. To what do I owe the pleasure to be meeting you today?"

He frowned, "Didn’t I already tell you to stop calling me your Eminence, Godrick? And why are you bowing to me again?"

Godrick stiffened slightly, an awkward expression on his face. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Pardon me your Eminence but...the way that you keep referring to me...have we ever met each other before?"

***

The door to a small cottage home slammed open. A white haired man, panting as he desperately searched for someone.

"Anna?!"

Several dozen spells landed on him, spells he easily dispelled. They were his own creations after all. He knew them best.

But with all these spells flying towards him, Rayleigh felt his own fear come true.

"Wait! I’m just here to talk!"

Anna carefully lowered down her staff. Still cautious at the man who had just barged into her home. Ears flattened backwards, her tail tense with the fur puffed out.

Remaining careful, she asked him. "Who are you?"

Ahh. That one question alone felt like a knife digging deep into his heart. Mercilessly carving a hole through his body. The countless years he had spent with her, gone in just a blink. Her eyes, staring at him without a single hint of recognition.

"I..."

He felt the words get stuck in his throat, there was so much he wanted to say. In the end, he just told her his name.

"...my name is Rayleigh. I...I wish to have a discussion with you. I promise I won’t hurt you or anything."

"What do you wish to discuss?"

Anna was quick to recognize his strength however, realizing she was powerless in front of him. She hesitantly agreed to his want.

Rayleigh didn’t even know where to begin.

She had spent the majority of her life under his care. Yet she was treating him like an absolute stranger now.

He had fed her, bought her very first new clothes, taught her how to read and write, taught her his magic, protected her and saved her, helped her when she was sick.

He had told her bedtime stories, helped her fall asleep when she had nightmares, helped her get over her fear of others.

They may not have shared a single drop of blood, but their bond as father and daughter was stronger then any steel.

"Do you...really not know who I am?"

"I apologize, but if I was acquainted with a figure such as yourself. I believe I would highly value such a connection."

"During your years in the tower. Who taught you magic?"

"How did you...? I self studied my magic when I was inside the tower. There were many different magic tomes and grimoires within, I was able to learn through those."

"But your time and dimension magic! Who taught you that?"

"It was also within the grimoires. I am merely responsible for spreading such a magic. The creator of either magic disciplines has seemingly never revealed himself. I only discovered the few journals he left behind."

Rayleigh felt his own mind slowly sink into the depths with every question he asked. Each followed up by an answer of a history that never happened. One where he never existed.

He clawed at his own face, desperately wishing it was all just a dream. A horrible, terrifying nightmare that would never actually occur.

But despite drawing blood from his own skin, he never woke up. Still stuck inside the hideousness that was reality.

His actions caused Anna to worry about him. Seeing as he seemingly went insane all of a sudden.

"S-sir?! What’s wrong?"

Your question is wrong. This whole situation was wrong. None of this should have been happening.

In the end, his mind landed on only one outcome.

This was his Punishment for rewinding time.

Rayleigh quietly straightened his posture, putting his hands onto his lap. The self-inflicted wounds on his face healing within seconds, returning back to its pristine and fair appearance.

As his breathing stabilized, he faced Anna. The look in his eyes sending a shiver down her spine.

The only way she could describe it was like those of a dead fish. Eerily unsettling, cold and lifeless. If the man she was conversing with before was desperate, the man in front of her had just visibly entered the fourth stage of grief right in front of her eyes.

"I apologize for startling you. I also wish to apologize for barging into your abode so suddenly. Looking back on it. I made a mistake."

"Ah...it’s fine."

His sudden serenity only served to chill her even more.

"Before I leave. May I ask for one final thing?"

If she said no, what would happen? Anna couldn’t reasonably determine the level of the man in front of her. But he was clearly someone of a level she could never reach. Even if she expended every last year of her lifespan. She had already plateued ever since reaching the eight circle. Her progress towards the next level coming to a grinding halt.

Without waiting for a reply, he asked.

"May I...pet you? I apologize, I am aware that many beastkin find such a thing disrespectful. You may decline if it makes you uncomfortable."

A strange request that’s for sure. But Anna didn’t actually mind people petting her that much.

"You may."

With that sign of consent by her, he stretched out his hand. Moving closer towards her as his fingers ran through her silky long hair. Occasionally scratching her fluffy feline ears, causing her body to relax slightly at his touch.

She even let out a small purr, nearly impossible to hear unless you were right in her face. Although for people at their level, it may as well have verb equivalent to shouting.

After over a minute of his petting, he stopped. Forcing Anna out of her daydreaming and into reality again.

"Thank you."

Without waiting for her reply, he suddenly pulled her into a hug. Body quivering slightly as his arms wrapped around her.

Her body stiffened, tail straightening upwards in surprise. Truth be told, she could have easily pushed him away. He wasn’t using much force.

But she felt hesitant to. The man in front of her seemed so...pitiful. Like a vase on the edge of a table, he seemed likely to break at the slightest touch.

In the end, she simply let him continue his hug. Strange, but if he found comfort in it. Then she supposed there was nothing wrong with it.