Chapter 122
Chapter 122
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Remaining Days (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Come closer. Let’s first check how much the curse has progressed.”
Ronan did as he was told. Secret extended her delicate, fern-like hand and pressed it against his chest. Her eyes, now sharper and more vibrant, were downright unsettling. Unable to get used to her new appearance, Ronan let out a hollow chuckle.
‘This is unreal. Does she turn into a grandma at night or something?’
She looked every bit the innocent girl. To turn a wise old crone into a child playing with air—truly a terrifying curse. Secret, who had been silently closing her eyes, opened her mouth.
“Reveal your form.”
Her clear, ringing voice echoed through the room. At the same time, Secret’s mana surged through his body, spreading everywhere. Shwaaak! Crimson-black letters erupted from Ronan’s back.
“...Those bastards.”
Ronan gritted his teeth at the sight of the materialized curses. It had been a while since he last saw them. The letters writhed like living things, swirling around him.
But something was different—they seemed fewer than the first time. Secret’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Oh ho... Your efforts haven’t been in vain. The curse has definitely weakened.”
“It had better have. After all that hell.”
Ronan twisted his lips. It was hard to believe all his hardships had unfolded in just over half a year. Secret removed her hand from his chest and pulled out a piece of chalk.
“Then let’s move on to the next step.”
Secret began drawing geometric runes all over the study floor. The magic circle was massive, nearly covering the entire floor.
It took far longer than last time. Only after a long while did she finish and extend her hand.
“It’s done. Hand over the mana stone.”
“Here.”
Ronan handed over the Dinhar mana stone. Secret flinched as she took it. The mana writhing beneath its pitch-black surface was incomparably more powerful than any catalyst she’d ever seen.
“...You really got your hands on a proper one. Did the natives of Dinhar give it to you as a gift?”
“Something like that.”
“It’s scary how that doesn’t sound like a joke.”
Secret walked to the center of the study and embedded the mana stone in the floor. Light burst forth along the runes of the magic circle. Paaah...! It resembled flames shooting up along an oil trail.
“This will materialize the curse you need to exorcise.”
“Materialize it?”
“Yes. By manifesting the curse in a visual form, we gauge its scale. It’s the final step before the exorcism.”
Suddenly, Secret flicked her fingers in the air. The letters began to distort and gather in one spot. As the materialization progressed, her expression gradually hardened.
“This is...!”
The curse, boiling and melting at will, finally stopped changing after about ten minutes. Ronan furrowed his brow. A massive lump, roughly two meters in diameter, floated lightly before his eyes.
“Looks like total shit.”
Its grotesque form was utterly repulsive. It was like something you’d get if you ripped out a demon’s heart or brain.
The amorphous curse lump continued to writhe without settling into a fixed shape. After a long silence, Secret let out a sigh.
“...My god. I never imagined it was this bad.”
“Secret? You okay?”
“Yes... The moment we compress that and pour it into your head, the exorcism begins. After that, as you know, your body falls into a deep sleep while your mind wanders the mental world...”
“Doesn’t feel great, but... damn it, what choice do we have? Let’s just get it over with.”
Ronan rolled his limbs and sighed. Time in the mental world flowed differently from reality. Last time, it felt like an instant, yet a full day had passed in the real world. This time would likely be similar, or worse.
It was the right call to handle it during the relatively leisurely break. Secret, who had been biting her nails, finally spoke.
“Ronan... It might sound ridiculous at this point, but I have to say it.”
“Say what?”
“Do you really have to do this exorcism?”
Silence fell. Ronan blinked in confusion.
“What’s with you? You look pale.”
“...Decades ago, one of my friends took his own life. An astronomer pursuing the heavens above the heavens. He had fame and knowledge—no reason to end it all.”
Ronan tilted his head at the sudden story. Secret stared at the curse, her face as pale as the northern snowfields. Cold sweat trickled down her porcelain cheeks.
“But his disciples said he suddenly went mad. We found the cause in his suicide note. Just one line: [We are dust.]”
“Dust?”
“After much discussion, we concluded he had glimpsed even a fraction of the universe’s vastness—something we’d only vaguely acknowledged as ‘existing.’ The unbearable truth drove him to madness...”
Secret gazed at the ceiling for a moment before rubbing her dry face. She looked at Ronan and spoke.
“Ronan, I just understood my friend.”
“You think I’ll fail.”
“Honestly, yes. For the first time, I feel we’re being reckless.”
Secret bowed her head, admitting her oversight. They had planned the exorcism based on theory and simplified tests, unaware of the true power. The materialized curse far exceeded her expectations.
“It’s dangerous. Even if the exorcism succeeds, we can’t predict how long it’ll take.”
“Can’t predict? What, days on end?”
“If it goes wrong, a year is nothing. Some wander the mental world for over a decade.”
“Fuck, a decade?”
Ronan’s brow furrowed. He’d expected it to take longer than the first time, given its strength, but this was excessive. Secret continued.
“Ronan. As an educator who should encourage boldness, this isn’t what I should say, but you’re strong enough as is. Keep growing like this, and you’ll etch your name in the empire’s history as a swordsman. Is risking this worth it?”
Secret lowered her voice. Though she looked like a frail girl, her unique pressure remained. Ronan’s eyes narrowed.
‘Worth it.’
It wasn’t entirely wrong. His achievements so far offered far more growth potential than his past life. With time, his body alone could slaughter the likes of Ahayute in seconds.
‘Fuck. If it was just that one bastard, I wouldn’t bother.’
But the realm Ronan aimed for wasn’t so modest. The number of giants tearing through the sky was beyond count.
Suddenly, he recalled facing the Omega Doppelganger. His pathetic, curse-eaten form on the brink of death was indescribably wretched.
To surpass his limits, he had to excise these tumors. Ronan nodded without hesitation.
“Yes.”
“Sigh... Then there’s no helping it.”
Snap! Secret flicked her fingers again. The magic circle’s light faded, and the materialized curse dispersed like smoke.
“I’ll do my best to stabilize the ritual. It’ll take a few days, so tie up any loose ends in the meantime.”
The remaining days flew by. The opening ceremony was held in the grand plaza where the closing one had taken place. Kratir’s face, reciting the usual platitudes, was darkly tanned as if he’d been on vacation.
“I hope it was a meaningful break. May the new semester be healthy and spirited. Hm... Summer’s finally ending.”
The high sky signaled summer’s decline. The cooler winds of late had brightened the students’ faces.
Ronan headed straight for the club building after the ceremony. Returning students bustled across the campus. The empty streets regained their clamor.
In his right hand was a large trunk. Whistling, Ronan glanced at the fluffy clouds and muttered.
“Three days.”
That’s how long until Secret’s ritual was ready. His mind had been too cluttered to sleep properly since. He had to rush around tying up what he could. Recalling her words, Ronan grumbled.
“Even so, ‘tie up loose ends’? Sounds like something you say to someone on death row.”
Of course, in the penal legion, it was routine. Battles where death was uncertain happened daily.
‘Well, better safe than sorry.’
He regretted not finishing faster, but chose positivity. He knew better than most the misery of dying without a word. Planning for the worst wasn’t bad.
Lost in thought, Ronan arrived at the club building. Even from afar, noisy voices carried over.
Creeeak— The door opened with a familiar creak. An unexpected sight twisted Ronan’s expression. Marya and Braum were doing push-ups with Asel and Ophelia on their backs.
“Cutie pie! Didn’t you eat a single meal over break? You’re so light!”
“N-no, I ate...!”
Marya asked worriedly. Asel, face beet red, shook his head. Ophelia, perched atop Braum with a blank expression, prodded his back with her index finger.
“Braum... You’re gonna collapse...”
“Hngh! W-wait! There’s still a chance for a comeback!”
Braum, pale-faced, sped up. Ronan chuckled at the ridiculous scene and set the trunk on the bar table.
“What the hell are you idiots doing?”
“Huh? Ronan!”
They stopped. Ronan scanned the members and nodded. As planned, everyone except Schlieffen was there.
“All here. Good to see you?”
“We saw you yesterday... Oh, got the mana stone payment.”
Marya wiped sweat with her sleeve and pointed to a corner. About ten luxurious boxes were neatly stacked. Braum, catching his breath, burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Indeed! But Ronan, you shocked me. Such a huge gift at the end of break!”
His gaze lingered on a shield leaning against the wall. Ronan shrugged.
“Ah, you got it today?”
“Technically the day before yesterday. The werewolf blacksmith delivered it!”
It looked top-notch at a glance. The massive rectangular greatshield could fully cover a body and seemed capable—exaggeration aside—of blocking a dragon’s flames.
“Don’t know how to thank you. Can I really use such a treasure?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I gave it to you to use.”
“I... thank you too...”
Ophelia bowed her head. In her hand was a bone-white wand, carved like ivory. Whether due to her power or not, the rising mana was extraordinary.
“All my spells... feel twice as strong. Who knew such a place existed under the capital...”
“Better than your people’s?”
“Yes... Much. It’s almost insulting to compare.”
“Good.”
Ronan nodded. Both Ophelia’s wand and Braum’s shield were crafted by master artisans of Gran Cappadocia. He’d commissioned them the moment Secret told him to tie up loose ends.
“Alright, gather round. Important announcement.”
“Announcement?”
The members huddled. Ronan opened the trunk. Click. The lock released, revealing unexpected contents. Everyone except Ophelia gaped.
“Th-this is...!”
“Borrowed from Instructor Naviroje. Everyone, put one on your wrist.”
Inside the cushioned trunk were five slim black bracelets—the magic tools from Naviroje’s midterms.
Space-type artifacts that teleported the body upon near-fatal or irrecoverable injury. Ignoring the confused members, Ronan continued.
“I might be away for a long time. Short as a few days, long as years.”
“...What? School just started, and you’re leaving?”
“Y-years?”
“I’ll explain while we go. Bracelets first.”
Ronan’s expression was more serious than usual. The members donned them cluelessly. Then Ronan drew his sword hilt. Shing! As La Mancha’s tip neared Braum’s throat, his form distorted and vanished.
“Wh-what the...!”
“Hngaaah!”
Asel nearly screamed. Crash! With a racket, Braum tumbled down the stairs. He looked around, bewildered. Ronan spoke.
“See? You won’t die. Respawn’s set to this building, so come at me all you want.”
“Wh-what is this?!”
“Testing your strength. To see if I can really leave.”
Ronan, last to don a bracelet, stood. A sudden killing intent rose from his shoulders, making the members flinch. He seemed like a different person. Ronan scanned them one by one and growled low.
“Follow me.”