Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Curse Removal (1)
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“Ronan... sir?”
Ronan remembered her. The top freshman in the Magic Department. Erzsebet de Acalusia.
She was the young lady of the Acalusia house who had urged treating the talentless as sheep and lording over them like a lion. Seeing their twisted expressions, Adeshan widened her eyes.
“Eh? You two know each other?”
“Yeah, well... sort of.”
Ronan nodded awkwardly. Erzsebet's face was turning so red it looked like it might explode. Adeshan grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close with a bright smile.
“Perfect since you already know each other. Our Eri will guide you nicely. She's the top first-year in the Magic Department, after all.”
“Uh, sister... the nickname Eri is a bit...”
“Hm?”
“Ah, no... Shall we go then?”
Erzsebet gave a demure bow to Adeshan before taking the lead. Ronan let out a dry chuckle. It was every bit as awkward as Asel lighting a cigarette and hacking up phlegm.
Ronan recalled the scene she'd made at the entrance banquet on her first day. She'd slammed Braum, the second-year runner-up, to the floor just for interrupting her conversation.
Her sneering line still burned vividly in Ronan's mind.
-
The sight of sheep milling about is always amusing, isn't it?
Such a young lady was now stuck to Adeshan's side like glue, acting all cutesy. Had she gotten some embarrassing leverage on her? Adeshan looked down at Ronan with concern.
“It'll be fine. Have a safe trip.”
“Thanks. If a black goat shows up later with a sword in its mouth, that's me.”
Ronan followed after Erzsebet. She led him into the forest on the western side of the grounds. Even after twenty minutes or so, she hadn't said a single word the whole way.
In the deepening woods where even the path had vanished, only birdsong echoed. Ronan finally spoke as he surveyed the increasingly secluded scenery.
“Got it. You plan to kill me and bury me out here, huh, Eri. Payback for seeing what I shouldn't have.”
“...As if I'd do that. And don't call me by that name.”
She'd finally opened her mouth. Turning her head, Erzsebet glared at Ronan with fierce eyes. Ronan smirked and shot back.
“Good, then. How'd you end up buddies with Senior Adeshan anyway? Last time you were ranting about sheep herds.”
“Th-that's none of your business...! And Sister Adeshan is different from the other sheep.”
Something had clearly gone down between them. Her face had returned to its usual pallor, but her ears were still burning red-hot.
Still, different from the other sheep, huh. She probably hadn't meant it that way. Ronan nodded as he briefly pondered Adeshan's hidden potential.
“Fair enough. But seriously, where are we headed?”
“Professor Secret's office. He handles the [Curses and Curse Removal] course in the Magic Department.”
“Damn, is his day job forest ranger or something? What kind of office is way out here?”
“He's just that eccentric. Hardly any students even know where it is.”
Ronan furrowed his brow. The adage that plenty love magic but no one likes mages wasn't born in vain. Erzsebet spoke up.
“By the way, I heard the news.”
“What news?”
“You rescued the craftsmen of Gran Cappadocia?”
Erzsebet slowed her pace until she was walking side by side with Ronan. He tilted his head.
“Huh? How'd you know that?”
“Hehe, you'd better not underestimate the Acalusias' intelligence network.”
Erzsebet said proudly, her voice brimming with confidence. She finally seemed back to her usual self.
“Anyone worth knowing already does. It was no small feat, right? Gran Cappadocia's so secretive it didn't turn into a scandal, that's all.”
“It's spread that far?”
“Of course. You'll be busy for a while. Noble houses and factions who've heard your heroic tales won't just sit idle. Expect them to pull out all the stops to recruit you early.”
Erzsebet even shared that the Imperial Knights had their eyes on Ronan. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was just more clutter in his already busy head.
'Gotta sort out my priorities.'
After another ten minutes of walking, a small cabin came into view. Yellow light leaked from its arched window. Standing before the door, Erzsebet suddenly held out her hand to Ronan.
“Hold my hand.”
“Huh?”
“No choice... Two people entering requires this. Now what?”
Erzsebet huffed indignantly for no reason. Ronan did as instructed. She shrugged her shoulders briefly before opening the door. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the sight inside.
“Pretty homey for an office.”
A thoroughly ordinary farmhouse scene unfolded before him. A battered old table, a kettle boiling in the kitchen. An old woman dozed fitfully in a rocking chair by the fireplace.
Ronan pointed at the old woman.
“That's Professor Secret?”
“No. Stay quiet. Got it?”
Erzsebet approached the old woman while still holding Ronan's hand. The floorboards creaked with every step, but the old woman slumbered on as if deaf. Erzsebet murmured like a whisper.
The dozing old woman opened her eyes. She slowly turned her head toward them and parted her lips. As her upper and lower jaws unhinged endlessly, Ronan spat a curse.
“Fuck.”
The old woman's mouth ballooned in an instant, large enough to swallow them both. Nothing but empty darkness lurked inside its wrinkled maw.
Ronan reflexively gripped his sword hilt. His surging aura sliced through the bandages wrapped around the blade. Erzsebet pressed down on the back of his hand.
“It's fine.”
Ronan reluctantly released the hilt. Gulp. The old woman engulfed them both. Darkness swallowed his vision for a moment before light returned.
“Goddamn, what the hell?”
Ronan scowled. The old woman and cabin had vanished without a trace, replaced by what looked like a noble house study. A childish voice echoed from somewhere.
“Welcome. Erzsebet.”
Ronan glanced around. In the center of the lavish study sat a kid reading a book.
It was an androgynous child whose gender was impossible to discern, dressed in clothes far too large for its frame. Erzsebet bowed toward the child.
“Hello, Professor Secret. I've brought the student I mentioned yesterday.”
'Professor?'
Ronan narrowed his eyes. The kid looked no older than nine at most.
The one called Professor Secret nodded without taking his eyes off the book.
“Yes. I remember that face. You used Miss Naviroje's swordsmanship at the entrance ceremony, right?”
“Miss... Naviroje?”
Ronan felt chills creeping up his arm. No one at Phileon had ever referred to her that way except Principal Kratir.
The situation grew more baffling by the second. Secret closed his book and stood.
“You seem quite confused, so I'll answer in the order of what you're wondering.”
Ronan furrowed his brow. Secret gazed at the puzzled Ronan and spoke.
“My true age is over eighty. This is my office, Sepharaccio—a room from which curses cannot escape. As for these ill-fitting clothes, it's because I revert to my adult body every evening at sunset.”
“Hah.”
Ronan let out a hollow laugh. Those were exactly the questions on his mind. Secret toddled over to a bookshelf and peered upward.
“Hm. Could you shelve this for me? Second shelf from the top.”
“Ah... sure. Damn it.”
Ronan complied. It felt like a ghost was tugging at his ear. Secret smiled as the book slotted into place.
“Thank you.”
“...No big deal.”
“Sorry for making you come such a strange way. It's a quirk of Sepharaccio—had to twist the path as much as possible to keep curses from leaking out.”
Come to think of it, there were no visible doors or windows. Secret suddenly extended his hand for a shake. When Ronan clasped it, the professor pumped his arm up and down gleefully.
“I'm Secret, in charge of Curses and Curse Removal. Thrilled to meet the Martial Arts Department's rising star in person.”
“I'm Ronan. One thing I've been wondering—why the kid getup? Your wife's kink?”
Erzsebet's expression hardened from where she listened behind them. Secret chuckled as if amused.
“Ah... It's a curse called Sphinx. My body shifts between day and night—one of the five curses afflicting me. Still, it's better than the other four.”
“Huh?”
Ronan's face stiffened mid-handshake. Could he really entrust his curse removal to this guy?
A curse expert under curses himself? No different from a bald doctor treating baldness. Secret tittered as if reading his thoughts.
“I get what you're thinking, but rest easy. I've deliberately left them all intact. They're amusing in their own way.”
“Not sure where the 'rest easy' part is.”
“Enough chatter... Let's discuss your curse. Stand still there.”
Snap! Secret flicked his fingers in the air. A piece of chalk flew into his hand from a corner of the study. Over several minutes, he began drawing a geometric magic circle centered on Ronan.
“What triggered your curse realization?”
“Some tumor-like monster... uh, Curse Eye? It melted the instant it touched me.”
Secret raised an eyebrow. That was a phenomenon found only in ancient texts.
“Huh, a curse that potent, I'd have sensed it the moment you entered... Color me intrigued. Ah, don't move.”
Muttering to himself as he drew the circle, Secret stood and rolled up his dangling sleeves to his elbows before placing a hand on Ronan's back.
“...Reveal your form.”
The moment Secret finished speaking, translucent letters erupted from Ronan's body like a torrent.
“Kyaaak!”
“Damn, what the hell is all this?”
Ronan cursed. Erzsebet stumbled backward and fell flat on her butt. The deluge of letters hovered in the air on their own, forming a cylindrical shape.
Eventually, a massive pillar composed entirely of letters rose around Ronan. Secret let out a dry laugh.
“Never seen a sight like this in my life. A very ancient curse.”
“Ancient curse?”
“Indeed. One with a history as long as fire or prostitution... Fascinating.”
Secret explained that it was the curse embedded in Ronan's body taking physical form. Ronan stared at the letters pouring from him, barely suppressing a scream.
'This shit was inside me?'
They were characters he'd never seen in his life. Without their discernible patterns, he might not have even realized they were letters. Secret waved his hand in the air, muttering entranced.
“No wonder the Curse Eye melted on contact. Who could dream up a design like this...?”
“I'm good, right?”
“Hold on. Needs analysis. Most are curses I've never seen.”
Fetching paper and pen, Secret began scribbling furiously. Only after hours of this did he permit Ronan to move.
“Goddamn, my legs nearly fell off.”
-Whoosh...
The instant Ronan stepped out of the magic circle, the letters adorning the study dissipated like smoke. Suddenly, his eyes itched fiercely. Erzsebet asked worriedly as he rubbed them roughly.
“You okay? Why are you rubbing your eyes like that?”
“Beats me... damn.”
The itch faded after a few minutes. Secret stared piercingly at the paper he'd been jotting on, saying nothing. Ronan spoke up.
“Am I dead now?”
“...Remember when I said I have five curses?”
“Yeah?”
“I'd always thought that was the human limit for living a normal life. Even the mildest curses start breaking down body and mind once they stack.”
Secret turned around. With a grave expression, he looked at Ronan and spoke.
“But your body bears ten curses right now. Each one overwhelmingly powerful. I can't fathom how you've survived this long.”
“What a mess... So what do they do?”
“Three are restraints. The other seven are beyond me for now. The restraints...”
Secret paused briefly before snapping his fingers in the air. A translucent barrier separated Erzsebet from Ronan. Her eyes widened as she mouthed something furiously, but no sound passed through.
“Silence magic. Figured it might be sensitive.”
“More considerate than I expected.”
“The matter demands it. If my read on the restraints is correct... you can't even perceive natural mana, let alone manipulate it.”
Ronan's eyes widened. The mystery tormenting him all this time unraveled in an instant.
'Yeah, goddamn. Something was off.'
Even total idiots who couldn't hold a sword properly could sense mana. Learning it wasn't due to abysmal talent was a relief, but whether to call it fortunate was another question. Ronan asked.
“Any way to lift them?”
“Normally I'd declare no curse irremovable, but... this time, I can't be sure. Most are unidentified. Even if possible, it'll likely take extensive research...”
Secret spoke in a slightly deflated tone. Visually, he was the picture of a crestfallen child.
Damn, no dice even after coming this far. As Ronan forced a wry smile, Secret murmured low while staring at the paper.
“...Well, I think I can lift at least one restraint.”
“Huh?”
Ronan's body went rigid. Instead of answering, Secret snapped his fingers again. The silence barrier between him and Erzsebet vanished. She spoke in a sharp tone.
“Hmph, ditching me aside to chat secrets, huh?”
“Erzsebet. Could you lend me a bit of your mana?”
“My mana?”
Her eyes went wide. Secret nodded and picked up the chalk again, beginning to draw magic circles on the floor.
“Pr-Professor Secret?”
Secret's chalk hand moved without hesitation. Three far more intricate circles than before took shape. He pointed to the topmost of the aligned trio.
“Done. Lie down here with your head on this one, Ronan.”
“Lie down?”
Ronan did so. A ceiling densely packed with strange letters came into view.
With his head pillowed on the top circle, the middle one naturally aligned below his chest, and the bottom one at his feet. Secret said with hands clasped behind his back.
“The removal method I'm about to try is one I developed. Failure risks damage to the sense of self, but it's reliably effective.”
“Hell, that sound safe?”
“Curses and removals always carry risks. Your personal strength is formidable, so you should be fine. I'll convert one of your restraints into a mental world and project it onto your consciousness.”
Ronan scowled. He had no clue what that meant. Secret continued.
“All you need to do is sever the curse binding you in that world. It'll feel like a vivid dream. Thanks to the Curse Eye, one restraint was considerably weakened...”
“So enter a dream, cut the curse, and come out? How do I know what it looks like?”
“You'll sense it instinctively. Might take a while, so let's begin. Erzsebet, place your hand on my head.”
“Y-yes?”
Secret urged her on. After hesitating, Erzsebet placed her palm on his head. Secret then placed his palm on Ronan's forehead. Feeling her mana drain away, Erzsebet let out a short gasp.
“Kyat...!”
“Just bear with it a moment. It's an extremely mana-intensive incantation.”
Ronan couldn't wrap his head around this bizarre setup. Secret spoke with a serious expression.
“Here we go.”
A melody-like incantation flowed from his lips, reminiscent of a lullaby or perhaps a dirge for the dead.
Suddenly, Ronan's vision went black. When he opened his eyes again, the two were gone.
“Where...”
The letter-packed ceiling had vanished, replaced by a familiar hue draping the sky. Ronan slowly rose to his feet.
A village stood below the hill, with a river snaking alongside it. A low murmur escaped his lips.
“Nimburton?”