Chapter 435
Chapter 435
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Acalusia (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To cut a long story short, Asel couldn't refuse Erzsebet's invitation.
'I'm dead meat.'
He couldn't do it with Liz right there.
Asel followed her like a lamb being led to the slaughter, eventually arriving in a spacious room.
All four walls were lined with antique bookshelves, and in the center of the room, two long sofas faced each other across a table. It was like a study and a drawing room combined.
Liz set down a tray with black tea on the table and bowed her head.
"Then, milady, I'll take my leave."
"Yes. Thank you, Liz."
Erzsebet nodded. It was a far cry from her indifferent demeanor that morning. Come to think of it, her properly worn cardigan, her somewhat brushed hair—it felt like she'd put in some effort this time.
She tilted her head as she watched Asel.
"Why are you standing there so uncomfortably? Sit down already."
Erzsebet gestured toward the sofa. To Asel, it felt like an executioner's order to mount the scaffold. He barely held back tears and nodded.
"Y-Yes."
There was no turning back now. Asel hesitantly sat on the sofa. By some miracle, the moment his butt touched it, the sofa didn't turn into a monster's maw and devour him.
Erzsebet sat down opposite him and crossed her legs.
"You look pale. I thought I heard a scream earlier... Did you see a monster or a corpse in your dream or something?"
Asel's eyes widened. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. Having seen both, it felt too perfectly coincidental to be chance.
Calm down, Asel. Don't give it away.
He took a quiet deep breath and forced an awkward smile.
"I-Is that so? Nothing in particular..."
"You look like someone who barely survived being stranded in the snowy mountains for a month. Perfect timing—nothing warms you up like this black tea."
Erzsebet took a sip of her tea. Asel picked up his trembling cup and took a sip before spitting it out. Who knew what she'd put in it.
"...It's definitely delicious."
"Hehe, right? Drink up as much as you want."
"N-No, I'm fine. But... may I ask why you called me here?"
"You're quite impatient. I wanted to talk when that Ronan fellow was around too... but since his whereabouts are still unknown, no choice."
Erzsebet sighed. Asel desperately rolled his eyes, scouting escape routes in case of emergency. A full-power telekinetic punch might blind her. Or smash the floor or ceiling?
As tension peaked in the silence, Erzsebet finally spoke.
"...I did it."
"Pardon?"
"...I'm sorry about yesterday morning. No matter how worked up I was, I shouldn't have done that. I was incredibly rude to the family head and the guests."
Erzsebet bit her lip. Asel's eyes widened at the utterly unexpected words. Shockingly, she was apologizing for the commotion she'd caused yesterday morning.
"After hearing what Ronan said, I did a lot of thinking. Like he pointed out, I was just throwing a tantrum. Blocking legitimate challengers who'd passed the family head's trial without even verifying the facts, just because I was annoyed... Adeshan sis would definitely chew me out and tell me to snap out of it if she saw me like this."
"N-No, that's..."
"Realizing my mistake made me so ashamed I couldn't do anything. I'm truly sorry. Yesterday's mess was all my fault—the family head and the house bear no blame, so please don't hold it against Acalusia... Though I have no right to say that after tarnishing the house's reputation."
"N-No! Don't say that! It didn't bother me at all."
"Hehe, thank you for saying so. You're very gracious."
Erzsebet smiled. Regret dripped from her subdued eyes. Asel was so stunned by the shocking sight that he forgot what to say.
'W-What's going on here?'
She seemed like a completely different person from the Erzsebet he'd seen in the basement. Even without much experience talking to women, he could tell her words were sincere.
Suddenly, Erzsebet snorted as their eyes met.
"Hmph, don't get the wrong idea. I still don't like you guys, honestly. Separate from correcting my mistake—I'm still suspicious you're sly con artists."
Her cheeks flushed faintly. If he dared infer, she seemed embarrassed about mustering the courage to apologize. Asel bowed his head again, feeling like a criminal once more.
"I-I see... Sorry."
"I can't even believe you saw the true path through the fog in the first place. With such weak mana, you're saying you have talent on par with mine? How much magic have you studied? You handle telekinesis, so are you from the Twilight Tower as an apprentice?"
"N-No, I'm really just a beginner."
"Too much humility is poison. I'm just curiously asking—don't be on guard. If you don't want to reveal your school, how about your master's name?"
"Ugh... Really, nothing like that."
It'd come out eventually anyway. Asel stared at the floor and confessed his pitiful magical achievements in full.
Erzsebet, mid-sip, turned serious.
"...Is that true? You only know one spell? And even that's a trick you picked up from a book?"
"Y-Yes."
"Unbelievable...! What were you even thinking taking the entrance exam?"
Asel bit his lip, unable to lift his head. He was mortified enough to crawl into a hole, but truthfully, he knew next to nothing. His only spell, Invisible Hand, he'd learned by imitating a technique from a book bought from a passing merchant.
"Fine. I'll give you a sporting chance."
"A sporting chance...?"
"Yeah. Have you heard of counter-magic?"
Asel shook his head sheepishly. It was a completely new concept.
"Sorry."
"Sigh... I figured. I'll explain simply from the start—try casting any spell."
"S-Suddenly?"
Asel questioned but complied. He chanted softly and extended his hand toward the bookshelf. A telekinetic hand pulled out three books.
As the three books floated up like seagulls...
"Drehan Blazbin."
"...!!"
Suddenly, Erzsebet recited an incomprehensible incantation. A crumbling sensation hit him as his magic unraveled. The books fell limply but were caught by Erzsebet's telekinesis and returned to place.
Asel blinked in awe.
"W-What did you just do?!"
"That's counter-magic. It forcibly dispels the opponent's spell. Invisible Hand... a spell I used before I could even walk."
"...That was amazing. I had no idea such a technique existed."
"It's not that impressive. Analyze the structure of their spell and reverse the mana flow—that's it. Add a chant for good measure. With counter-magic, you can nullify spells using far less mana than the opponent."
Erzsebet explained counter-magic in detail. Asel immersed himself in the first magic lecture he'd ever heard, forgetting even his suspicion that she might be a crazy murderer.
Finishing her explanation, Erzsebet let out a faint chuckle.
"That's it. From that look, you think you've already won."
"N-No, I don't! But is it okay to share such valuable info?"
"It's not valuable at all—don't worry. It's basic knowledge any mage knows. Plus, despite seeming invincible, counter-magic has a fatal flaw."
"Fatal flaw?"
"Yes. It's ridiculously hard. Just reciting the spell backward won't cut it. In a split-second real fight, analyzing their movements and mana patterns, then deriving the exact opposite mana... even Mom—no, the family head—struggles with it."
Erzsebet shook her head. She'd countered Asel's spell because it was simple and there were no distractions.
"I've kept a bare minimum of conscience by telling you. If you truly have talent, you might beat me in a duel with just counter-magic. Someone actually did it."
"Who?"
"Illuan de Acalusia. My father."
A smile crossed Erzsebet's face. Her gaze drifted behind Asel. In one corner of the massive bookshelf sat a frame instead of books, at an angle. It was a family portrait of family head Adrian, a three- or four-year-old Erzsebet, and her father Illuan.
"Him...?"
Asel's eyes rounded. Unlike his image of an intellectual handsome man, it was a plain, farmer-like youth. Rudely, it was hard to believe he was married to the exquisitely beautiful Adrian, who looked like she'd been etched from a print.
Erzsebet nodded.
"Father was an incredible mage. As a son-in-law, he didn't inherit Acalusia blood, but he had overwhelming talent. His computational ability was unmatched—even as a kid, he once countered Principal Krava Kratir's spatial transfer with counter-magic."
"K-Kratir? The Phileon Academy principal?"
"Right. Closest thing to an archmage right now. If Father were alive, he might be vice principal by now."
Erzsebet gave a wry smile.
The past tense made Asel's heart sink.
"D-Does that mean..."
"Yes. He passed when I was five. Lab accident. He overworked daily to make Acalusia the strongest house... I wasn't there, but I clearly remember the rampaging mana and the family head's screams."
Erzsebet trailed off. Asel was shocked despite knowing from Adrian. She took a sip and continued.
"It was a clear day. Smoke from the crematorium scattered in the blue sky. The family head hugged me as I cried without eating, saying Father would watch over me from heaven now."
"H-He must've gone to a good place."
"Hehe, thanks. Come to think of it, she said the same when cremating Adeshan sis... Weird how I'm telling you this. Got way off track."
"...Pardon?"
"I apologized for my mistake, but I won't go easy. I'll face you seriously in the exam—for sis and Father watching from heaven."
Erzsebet set down her cup. It was a declaration to smash him, but Asel froze speechless. Something was seriously wrong.
"...M-Milady."
"Yes?"
"You just said... you cremated someone named Adeshan, right?"
It was a random question even to him, but no helping it.
Erzsebet's brows furrowed slightly.
"Yes. I did."
"T-The tall one with black hair? Big eyes like this...!"
"Yes. You saw the portrait in the drawing room? She was... truly wonderful."
Moisture gathered in Erzsebet's eyes. To her, an unforgettable person. Asel instinctively knew he'd end up the same.
Chills raced up his spine.
He'd definitely seen Adeshan's 'corpse' in the basement.
"No way."
"Pardon?"
Erzsebet tilted her head at Asel's mutter. His face was ghostly pale, like bumping into a headless ghost around the corner.
Was it a dream? Was what I saw really a dream?
Muttering to himself, Asel shot up.
"Th-Thanks for the tea!"
"Whoa. Heading out?"
"Y-Yes! I think I should. See you tomorrow!"
"Wait, hold on..."
Asel stumbled out before she could finish.
She was flustered by the rudeness but didn't stop him. Black tea was diuretic—maybe he urgently needed the bathroom. Considering his prior 'accident,' he might have weak bladder congenitally.
Had he already...?
As she glanced absently at the sofa he'd sat on...
"Hm?"
Something sparkled on it. Up close, fine blue-glowing powder dusted the fabric. Recognizing it, she raised a brow.
"Why are star mushroom spores here...?"
Star mushroom spores, a rare alchemy ingredient. Grew only under 500-year-old palms in the distant south—impossible to find around here. Unless from a herbalist or large lab.
Clearly from Asel's clothes.
Erzsebet muttered to herself.
"...Weird things happen."
She stood there long after he left.
Steam rose languidly from the black tea.
"Ugh, damn it. Didn't sleep a wink."
By the time I returned after finishing my errand, it was already morning—time to call it dawn. The sky was overcast, air heavy. Rain pattered through the half-open window.
Scanning the room, I frowned.
"What the hell. Where's this guy?"
Asel was gone. My gaze swept slowly, stopping at the bed's far corner. Thick blankets bulged like a grave mound.
"What a fussbudget. Dreaming of innocence or something?"
Muttering, I yanked the blankets off.
A shrill scream erupted as a redheaded dwarf appeared.
"Eeeek!"
"Jeez. Why the sudden screaming fit?"
"Gah!"
A smack to the head silenced him. Asel looked visibly haggard from a sleepless night. Sniffling, he clutched his head and yelled.
"R-Ronan! Where the hell were you?!"
"Had a lot on my mind, so I looked into some things. Up all night—I'm dying of sleepiness."
"Looked into? Wait, listen to me! This isn't the time! In the basement, down there...!"
"True, not the time to dawdle. The family head's trial starts in ten minutes—makes sense to loiter here? You're nuts."
"N-No! It's really important!"
"Got it, let's go first. Can't stand up a girl no matter how hopeless."
I hauled up the cowering, shaking Asel. He looked desperate to say something, but I shut it down. Plenty of time to talk after the urgent stuff.
I tapped my sword hilt and jerked my chin toward the door.
"Come on, time to smash.";
Of course, it was ambiguous. Naturally.