Read Novel Full Chapter 101, Night of Light
Chapter 101, Night of Light
Translator: Barnnn
“Fieda, now! Now! You’re too slow — ahhh!”
“Was that it just now?”
“Yes, that was it! Try pulling it up. See? It already got away.”
“…You’re right. You sure know how to tell.”
“Of course I do. The line jerked hard!”
“I thought it was just the current.”
“Hal! Hal! I caught a log! A massive one!”
“Agh, Ize! Hold on! Don’t yank it like that! The line’s gonna snap!”
“Ke-kyooon…”
“Ah — Sato’s floating away!”
“Wait, you idiot! I told you not to go into the river! Fieda, stop just standing there and do something!”
“Kyooo…”
The group had left Gurun some time ago, stopping by several villages, including one famous for crafting teacups. A total of two weeks had passed since then.
It was summer now, full and blazing. The teacups they’d bought weren’t cradling warm tea anymore, but standing in for glasses of iced green tea.
Today, three figures sat by a gentle riverbank, enjoying a peaceful day of fishing — or trying to.
◆
About four days earlier, the road they followed had taken them along a river, and soon they came to a bridge. Across it was a small fishing village. After some light negotiation, they were welcomed to stay.
The key to that deal was Dungeon-sourced meat. Though Fieda’s party always carried plenty of it, they had no one skilled in cooking, so most of it remained untouched during their travels.
But for the villagers, who mostly survived on wild game, Dungeon-sourced meat was a rare delicacy. Hal didn’t even need to flex his Negotiation skill — they and their meat were warmly, hungrily welcomed.
During their stay, Fieda helped with net fishing. Hal collected clams along the riverbank. Ize — under the pretense of babysitting — took the kids out fishing. Each of them found their own way to pass the time.
And today, though she had gone out to fish, Ize returned… completely drenched.
“What the hell, Ize!? What happened to you?”
“My rod got caught in a tree. I tried to get it loose… and slipped.”
“Big bro went splash! Like, swoosh — bam!” a boy added.
“To be fair, the rod is unharmed,” Ize said with a smile.
“That’s not the point! Just stand over there — I’ll dry you off.”
“Sorry — hyaaa!”
“Ah–!”
In a panic, Hal cast his wind spell — too hastily. The gust that surged out struck Ize full-force, launching her backward… and incidentally flinging the surrounding children straight into the river’s shallows.
SPLASH!
“S-sorry!”
“Bwahaha! Hal, now it’s even worse!”
“I’m really sorry, Ize!”
“You’re soaked again, big bro! Hahaha! Do it again, bigger bro!”
“Yeah! Shoot out another one of those whoosh winds!”
“Let’s try it in the deeper part this time!”
“No, we are not doing that! Everyone okay? Line up — I’ll dry you all off properly this time.”
This time, Hal took his time, activating his wind magic with careful precision. A warm breeze passed through the row of children and Ize, soaking them in gentle heat.
The afternoon sun was mild and sleepy, and the warm wind tickled their chilled skin.
“Nap time…”
“Hey now, the rocks by the river aren’t exactly comfy.”
“Mmm, still sleepy though…”
“There’s a big flat boulder over that way. Let’s go lie there.”
“Yesss, let’s go!”
They all piled onto the rock, though it couldn’t quite fit everyone. Hal and Ize settled against it instead, sitting with their backs pressed to the warm stone.
“They taught me how to fish,” Ize said, brushing damp strands of hair behind her ear.
“You didn’t catch a thing, though, big bro.”
“That was the spot’s fault, not mine.”
“We caught stuff!”
“Ugh… Well, you’ve lived here your whole life. I’ve only got half a day of fishing experience — I never stood a chance.”
“Excuses, excuses!”
“Totally an excuse!”
“It is. I’ll admit it. But mark my words, I’ll catch up to you someday.”
“We’re looking forward to tonight!” one of the children grinned.
“Tonight?”
Hal tilted his head in confusion. Ize grimaced slightly, looking defeated.
As it turned out, Ize had made a wager with the kids — whoever caught the most fish. She’d lost spectacularly, and as punishment, she now had to entertain the villagers with some kind of act that evening.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m thinking of juggling energy balls… sort of.”
“Sort of?”
“Yes. I mean, the light orbs I make won’t actually be thrown — they’re controlled with intent. So technically it’s not juggling.”
“I see. I guess that does make it a sort of juggling act. Hey — what if we added something…?”
◆
That night, the villagers gathered in the central square — children, parents, and visitors alike. There was no stage, just a wide, open space under the stars.
“So? What are you plotting?” Fieda asked with a sidelong glance.
“You make it sound so sinister,” Hal replied innocently. “We were just prepping something fun.”
“I saw you sneaking around the containers.”
“Still! Calling it a plot is rude. We’re not doing anything bad — just a little surprise.”
“It better stay little,” Fieda muttered.
Hal merely smiled, eyes forward.
“Ah, it’s starting.”
A hush fell as Ize stepped into the square.
She wore a long white dress that brushed the earth with each step. A delicate circlet gleamed on her brow, and layered necklaces shimmered against her collarbone. Bracelets adorned her wrists, chiming softly with each movement.
“Wait — is that big bro?”
“Big bro’s a girl!?”
“You brats have been calling someone that pretty ‘big bro’ this whole time!?”
“But she didn’t get mad when we did…”
Voices of surprise bubbled up from the children who had played with her earlier.
Then — between her outstretched palms — an orb of light the size of a basketball rose into the air.
“Ooh! She’s a light mage!”
Unfazed by the growing audience, Ize split the orb into two, then four, then eight — each new orb glowing smaller and brighter than the last.
By the time they multiplied to thirty-two, she moved.
Her body swayed left, then right. The lights followed, as if tethered to her rhythm.
Spinning, dipping, twirling — they formed rings, broke apart, reunited again.
She leapt. The orbs darted beneath her feet like a dance of golden butterflies.
Her loosely tied hair slipped over her shoulders, catching the light and glittering like fine silk. The circlet gleamed no less than the light itself.
Shara, shara — the bracelets rang.
She raised one arm and a spiral of lights ascended it like a helix, then spilled down the other as she lowered it. The jewelry caught every flicker, making her glow as if her very body radiated magic.
Countless golden lights traced the gentle smile on her lips.
“So pretty…” a child murmured, awestruck.
No one moved. No one spoke. All eyes were fixed on Ize and the dance of her light.
Gradually, her movements slowed. The orbs began to fuse — two by two — until only one remained, back to its original size.
Then–
“Here we go!”
With a cheerful cry, she tossed it high — straight into the air above the crowd.
“Eek!”
“Whoa!”
“Ahhh!”
And then–
POP!
A gentle crack split the night. The light orb burst apart, raining golden sparks over the villagers like powdered starlight.
“Wow!”
“Beautiful!”
Gasps and laughter rose as gold dust shimmered down, brushing against hair and shoulders, vanishing on contact.
Children shrieked with delight, chasing the last falling flecks.
“…It really is beautiful,” Fieda murmured.
“See? A little mischief isn’t so bad every now and then,” Hal replied with a smug grin.
He clapped his hands — once, twice — and the sound echoed through the square. The villagers joined in slowly, then all at once, applause washing over Ize like a tide.
Her expression changed — not the graceful performer’s serenity from moments ago, but a grin full of mischief, like a kid whose prank had just worked.
She pinched the edges of her skirt, bent her knees, and dipped into a curtsy worthy of nobility.
◆
The next morning, as the trio prepared to leave the village, the children came to see them off. One boy stepped forward hesitantly before finally mustering the courage to speak.
“Ize… Here. I want you to have this.”
Ize looked down, surprised by the object he held out to her.
“A fishing rod? Are you sure? Didn’t your father make this for you?”
The boy nodded earnestly. “It’s okay. Yesterday, my dad said your dancing was really pretty. So… he said it was fine if I gave it to you. There’s one for the older guys too.”
“Oh? He made rods for all of us?” Hal chuckled. “That’s really kind of him. Thanks.”
“Well then,” Ize said with a gentle smile, “if I catch a lot of fish with this, let’s have another fishing contest sometime.”
“By then, I’ll be a proper fisherman,” the boy declared, cheeks blazing red. “I’ll catch tons of fish and make you eat every last one!”
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” she replied.
Ize returned the boy’s gaze with a radiant smile, completely unaware of the flush on his face or the trembling effort it had taken to speak to her.
Watching this innocent scene unfold, Hal gave a quiet sigh.
“This won’t end well…”
“Be strong, boy,” Fieda murmured under his breath, shaking his head.
Oblivious to their sympathy, Ize beamed as she cradled the fishing rod in her arms. She remained wholly unaware of the boy’s feelings — even as his eyes welled with unshed tears.
Fieda, moved by the boy’s heartbreak, clicked his tongue and called to the horses. The horsebus began to roll.
“Bye-bye!” one child called.
“You better come back someday!” another cried.
“We will! Let’s meet again!” Ize shouted back, waving at the children chasing after them.
As they watched the village grow distant behind them, Ize turned with a bright expression.
“Let’s come back here someday, okay?”
“Yeah… yeah, we should,” Hal replied, a little stiff.
Ize gave him a confused look. “Why the awkward tone?”
“No reason. Just… we’ll come back, all right?”
“Mm-hmm!” she nodded cheerfully.
[Hopefully by then, that kid will have moved on,] Hal thought, giving a small sigh.
He reached out and gently patted Ize on the head.
◆
Along the journey, the three of them sat by a river, trying out their new rods. Or rather, attempting to.
It quickly became clear that neither Fieda nor Ize had any talent for fishing.
Hal watched them both with an amused frown. He wondered, was fishing really something one needed a sense for?
Fieda held his rod like he would a set of reins, sitting upright and steady, barely moving a muscle even when the tip of his pole twitched.
[This isn’t a horsebus, you know,] Hal sighed. [If the rod moves, you’re supposed to react…]
Then he looked over at Ize.
Her rod was swinging this way and that, never staying still for more than a moment. With that kind of motion, even the hungriest fish would struggle to grab the bait. No wonder she lost that contest against the kids.
Meanwhile, Sato had taken it upon itself to jump into the river and was now drifting along with the current like some lost vegetable. Hal narrowed his eyes.
[Sato, if you get swept away one more time, I swear I’m getting you a leash. What is this, some old folk tale? The story of Turnip Boy?]
Despite the chaos surrounding him — or perhaps because of it — Hal ended up with the biggest haul. Or maybe it was just that the other two caught absolutely nothing.
“Fishing’s harder than I thought,” Fieda admitted, reeling in another empty line.
“We’ll have to try again,” Ize said. “We’ll beat Hal next time for sure.”
“Kekyo,” Sato chirped from the bank.
Hal let out a groan. “I think I’ve had enough fishing for a while…”
“Kekyon,” Sato said, lightly whacking him with a leaf as if to say, “Hang in there!”
No one seemed to notice just how exhausted Hal truly was.
Staring up at the cloudless blue sky, Hal let out another long, weary sigh.