We couldn’t very well leave two unconscious people lying out on the beach, so we brought them back to our house.
“It’s a good thing we built those guest rooms,” I said.
“Yes, it is...”
After having almost drowned, it didn’t seem like they would be waking up anytime soon.
We got to work getting lunch ready, seeing as it was just about noon. The day had been a hectic one, so we just had a simple meal of bread and soup. Mysteriously, the food Reina made was delicious despite all that.
“You aren’t going to ask?” Reina said.
“I will if you want me to. But not if you don’t want to talk about it.”
“I see...”
For a while after that, we passed the time in silence. Then, Reina quietly spoke.
“About those two... They’re part of the Seven Celestial Archmages, like me.”
“Huh?”
“Number Six: Zelos Grinder, the Flame of Ruin. Then, Number Five: Merlyn Mareen, the Divine Water. They’re both magicians ranked above me.”
After that, Reina explained their backgrounds. They were all Celestial Archmages, but while Reina was the youngest person to ever earn the title, Zelos and Merlyn were stronger as they had held their positions for more than twenty years.
“Oh, but they don’t look that old,” I said.
“Magicians can retain their youth by controlling their mana. Both of them should be more than fifty years old.”
I paused. “Seriously?”
As far as I could tell, they looked to be only in their twenties. I couldn’t help but think that that was more magical than any spell I’d seen yet.
In addition to Reina being the youngest person ever to attain the title, she was also a newcomer, and the other Celestial Archmages hadn’t given her a very warm welcome. Although, they apparently didn’t have much of a sense of camaraderie in the first place, with each of them individually seeking to further elevate their status as magicians. Because of that, Reina hadn’t associated with them very much and had found dealing with them to be a struggle.
“Huh, so that’s how it was,” I said.
“Well, having said that, I never would’ve had to think like this if I were just stronger.”
Reina spoke in a self-deprecating manner with none of her usual radiance. That rubbed me the wrong way somehow. Maybe this was self-centered of me, but I wanted Reina to be a strong-willed, resilient person. So, out of a desire to cheer her up even a little, the words automatically came out of my mouth.
“But still, it’s not like that matters anymore, right?”
“Huh?” Reina raised her face, looking mystified.
“I mean, no one on this island knows a thing about the Seven Celestial Archmages. Here, you’re just Reina.”
“Oh... Huh. Yeah, you’re right.” She seemed to pick up on what I was getting at, and her expression regained its cheer. “Exactly. A title like that is basically meaningless here. After all, it’s given to the strongest magicians on the continent, but that strength doesn’t apply on this island.”
“Yeah, this place sure is absurd.”
“As if you aren’t the most absurd thing here.”
Her mood seemed to have improved enough to the point where she could casually tease me.
Yep, I knew it. Reina’s best when she’s her good old self, I thought, but as I did, I suddenly heard quiet noises coming from the adjacent room.
“Ngh...”
“Ah...”
I looked at Reina, and she nodded, a determined look in her eyes. I entered the guest room. There, the man and the woman had woken up and, still unable to comprehend the situation they were in, looked at me with a mix of both wariness and confusion. But then, when Reina came in behind me, their eyes widened.
“Reina?” the man said. “Why, you little...”
“Aren’t... Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” the woman said.
“It’s been a while, Zelos, Merlyn,” Reina said, greeting them somewhat stiffly.
I looked at her and wondered what to do next. Still, I knew that worrying wouldn’t solve anything in the end, so I decided to surrender myself to the natural course of events.