Chapter 32: She Returned 

The woman's chest rose heavily, stretching the fabric of her skin-tight suit — it clung to her like a leather glove, leaving nothing to the imagination. I might have been aroused by the sight, if not for the wildly inappropriate time and place, and my own steel control over the raging hormones of a teenager. Still, I made a mental note to visit a brothel soon — suppressing your desires is dangerous, especially for a mage.

"Water…" Shizuka croaked, her lips cracked, her eyes barely open. I was already beside her, having dismissed my doppelganger and apparated directly to her side. A glass, transfigured from air and filled with water conjured by Aguamenti, appeared in my hand. I carefully lifted her head and helped her drink, afraid that in her weakness and thirst she might choke.

My teacher wasn't idle either — Black was casting a series of charms over her.

"Dehydration, as well as physical and magical exhaustion," Black announced, mostly for my benefit. He pulled several crystal vials from his bag and handed them to me, answering my unspoken question. "Strengthening, sleeping, and nutrients. She'll need all three."

I didn't ask about the sleeping potion. It was obvious — after surviving death and whatever came before it, she might bolt off somewhere in a panic and cause even more trouble. Before giving her the sleeping potion, I cast a minor healing charm. It couldn't hurt, and it would help her recover faster.

We didn't have to persuade Shizuka to drink the potions — she was so tormented by thirst and exhaustion that she would have swallowed poison without a word. Only after Hayato's daughter-in-law fell asleep did I lift her in my arms, and, grabbing my teacher's hand, we departed by portkey for Ryozanpaku.

***

We found Furinji in the middle of calming little Miu, whose name was embroidered on her swaddling clothes. As soon as we appeared, he was instantly at my side, and when he saw the slow, steady rise and fall of his granddaughter's mother's chest, he exhaled in relief.

"Thank you. I won't forget this," the giant said, his voice rough with emotion as he hugged me with one massive arm. Even through his steel will, I could feel the storm of feelings inside him — gratitude, relief, disappointment, and a fury directed at whoever had caused all this. Only after that did he ask, "Why is she sleeping? Side effect?"

"No, sleeping potion," Phineas answered for me. Hayato nodded, then turned back to me.

"Arthur, please take Shizuka to the guest room. Tomorrow morning, we'll figure out what to do next, when she wakes up and tells us what happened."

I carried her to one of the many free rooms in the dojo, spreading out a futon from the closet with a flick of telekinesis. The ever-present pervert in the green hat was nowhere to be seen — maybe he hadn't recovered from the morning's shock, or maybe even he had a sense of tact, or perhaps he was out visiting brothels himself. I didn't care. I had other things on my mind.

The whole way back to my room, and as I lay in bed waiting for sleep, I kept thinking: I'd finally managed to test resurrection charms on a human. Not that morality would have stopped me from beating a criminal half to death or apparating to a morgue and pulling someone back from the other side.

No, it was just too noticeable. Even if the special services — the Department of Mysteries, surveillance, or aurors — didn't catch me, there were still my teachers. And while Black, I'm sure, could accept my arguments, Hayato would hardly approve of experiments on people.

But this hopeless situation, as hypocritical as it sounds, came at just the right time. Now Hayato owed me, and a debt from someone like him means a lot. And apprenticeship doesn't count toward that. True, Black frightens me a little now, because he's the one who used Hayato's debt for my training. I hadn't looked at it from that angle before, but now it seems he's preparing me for something.

No, we agreed on an exchange of knowledge, but isn't he giving me too much? The deal feels unequal. And I have a feeling the old mage doesn't really need Sumerian magic. Especially since studying it takes years, and methods of life extension — or, Merlin forbid, relative immortality — take decades. 

Does someone at the end of his lifespan need that? Unlikely, unless it's just to broaden his horizons or pick up a few useful tricks. Nothing more.

Still, I didn't rush to question my teacher about my suspicions, and I won't. I just filed it away in my memory and told myself to be more careful — I'd gotten too relaxed.

***

I woke not in the morning, but at night, to the sound of something breaking the sound barrier in the courtyard. As I transfigured my clothes on the go, I cast a complex of concealing charms over myself. 

Carefully slipping out and peeking through the window, I saw Phineas and the pervert Kensei, both with serious faces, watching a battle that any normal person would have mistaken for a bombardment — the noise, the explosions, the clumps of earth flying everywhere.

But when I accelerated my mind and body, I saw Hayato — not fighting, but blocking all the strikes… from Shizuka.

"What's going on here?" I asked, dropping the charms when I saw there was no need to hide. The battle stopped instantly.

"A student shouldn't interfere in a battle of masters!" Hayato's daughter-in-law shouted, trying to catch her breath.

"This student resurrected you from the dead. You could at least thank him," Furinji said, supporting me. "And we're not done talking. Why did you try to run away? Wasn't one death enough for you?"

"This concerns your son and my husband! Someone took his appearance and attacked our friends and me! If we don't stop the enemy, how many more will die?" The news surprised the giant — and, I think, pleased him a little.

"My student was right. We shouldn't judge too quickly. But what do you want to do, Shizuka? Can you identify the spy?"

"What am I supposed to do? How can I sit here not knowing if my husband and friends are safe? I've already decided, and you won't stop me! And if you lock me up — I'll escape!" She was serious, and before another round could start, I spoke up.

"Then what do we tell your daughter when you die again?" My question plunged Ryozanpaku into silence. Only the leaves rustled, and a bird chirped somewhere in the distance. "Raise your daughter, teach her, and then do whatever you want. Don't dump all the responsibility on your father-in-law. If you really want to help, you should have asked your daughter's grandfather for help, not started fighting with him."

After that, I just left and collapsed in my room. It wasn't really my business, but it hurt that someone I'd just resurrected not only didn't thank me, but was running headlong into danger again. What kind of attitude toward life is that? And toward her child? Did she really want to die again instead of raising her daughter? Whatever. I'd drink my potions and sleep. Let them sort out their melodrama themselves.

***

My second awakening was natural, though still early. I went out to the courtyard to do morning exercises with weights and saw Shizuka sitting on the porch, breastfeeding little Miu.

"Hi, Arthur." She saw me and smiled, though it took effort. "Thank you for everything — for the resurrection, and for… your words last night. I really almost made a mess of things. And sorry for yelling at you."

"Apology accepted. Where's Furinji-sensei?" I asked. It was nice, but the aftertaste lingered.

"I told him everything that happened, and he promised to sort it out. It's so unusual."

"Isn't that what a real family should do?"

"I was born… in a closed village, let's say. Only strength and natural selection mattered there. From childhood, I knew my fate was to be an incubator for the strongest, and I tried to become strong enough to avoid that. Until I met Saiga, who showed me that even someone like me is worthy of loving and being loved. 

Everything was wonderful until another conflict between the Fist of Life and the Fist of Death, and we got caught up in it. Then an unknown spy in our ranks and… you know the rest." Judging by her openness, she was really moved.

"I sympathize, truly, but why are you telling all this to me — a child?"

"You can pretend to others all you want, but I, my husband, his father, and your teacher certainly don't see you as a child. And age… it's a flaw that passes with time. I shouldn't look down on you after everything you've done."

"Fair enough," I nodded. "As for your story — in life, some shit… unpleasantness happens that you can't handle alone. But that's what close people are for, to help lighten the load."

And I went to do my exercises, feeling Shizuka's gaze on my back. Only in my thoughts did I feel a little sad, because I always tried to carry everything myself. I hadn't told Ariel about Lerach's book right away, hadn't even thought of teaching my friends magic — even wand magic, which probably wouldn't have raised much suspicion.

Although, during the whole Gaunt mess, those same relatives and friends from my past life couldn't have helped me anyway. And take Ariel — how could she help, besides artifact calculations? I might have already surpassed her in that. Moral support? I'm grateful for it, but it's not enough in real trouble. In fact, it's the opposite — she's my weakness. If she's in danger, I'll go save her, even if it's a trap.

The problem is, all my family, friends, and loved ones live in an ordinary world, even if it's magical. They've never seen monsters like Gaunt, Lerach, Hayato, Phineas, or other powerful mages, and those people don't exactly advertise themselves. And if they have seen them, they don't see them as possible enemies. They don't understand how fragile their ordinary life is, how easily it can be destroyed. They don't strive higher.

I can't even imagine the power of archdemons, let alone gods. But strength for the sake of strength never leads to anything good. Knowledge, skills? I, torn between Sumerian disciplines and spending relatively little time on wand magic, managed to pass the entire school course by age twelve. Am I an adult? Maybe. But a talented, hardworking child could do the same — maybe even more. I just haven't heard of such children.

Or maybe I'm wrong, and they do exist, just hidden? Or maybe they hide their knowledge and skills? We'll see.

***

Hayato returned, grim-faced, after several days away, with his son Saiga. Despite my curiosity, I didn't ask questions. I knew Furinji was the kind of person who, if he wanted to tell you something, would. And if not — you wouldn't get a word out of him with pliers. Of course, there were tearful reunions, too.

"Saiga!" Shizuka ran out with the baby and shoved the blonde girl into my arms. Pixie had been waiting for this — she'd been afraid of the young mother, sensing her strength and danger, but in my hands she immediately started playing with the little one, who watched the fluttering fairy with wide eyes.

In my pet's hands was a miniature magic wand, shooting sheaves of magical sparks — I'd made it under Phineas's supervision. It was painstaking work, not because of the miniaturization (Engorgio exists for a reason), but because of the wood and core selection. Compatibility between mages and magical creatures is tricky — I tested it on myself. Surprisingly, my own hair and a willow twig worked well.

"Shizuka! You're alive?" Saiga asked in shock, immediately dropping into a fighting stance. "I killed the Kuremisago spy — is there another?"

"Calm down, son," Hayato said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "My… our student performed a miracle. He resurrected your wife."

And then I had to fend off gratitude and oaths to never forget this. I never thought you could get tired of being thanked, but here I was. Three strong people in my debt, and I was exhausted by it. I must be spoiled. Or maybe I'm just not used to it. It's one thing when kids thank you — like Patrick, for example — and another when your peers and mentors do.

That evening, Saiga only said there was no more danger, and that was that. Apparently, despite my achievements, they didn't want to drag me into their affairs. I was a mage and a child to them, and that was fair. Another war between martial arts masters and mages was the last thing anyone needed.

And six months later, Hayato acknowledged that my training with him was finished.

***

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Thank you for the help with the power stones!!!