#056
"All roots have different methods of mana operation depending on their classification. Fire and Sea rely on sight, Thunder and Shadow on hearing, and Wind and Holy on smell."
A single sugar cube dropped into his coffee cup.
"But Transfer doesn't rely on any of those three."
Catherine racked her brain as she watched the second sugar cube plop in after it. If it wasn't sight, hearing, or smell, that left two senses.
"Does it rely on touch or taste, then?"
"No, on lifespan."
The third and fourth sugar cubes followed suit into his cup. But Catherine couldn't even imagine how sickeningly sweet his coffee must taste. The impact of that single word—lifespan—was too overwhelming.
"That's the biggest reason demons collect their contractors' souls. Demons live long lives, but that lifespan gets converted into mana for use. A contractor's soul strengthens the mana, and stronger mana reduces the amount of lifespan consumed. It's like less quantity but higher quality."
Catherine clamped her mouth shut and glanced up at Gren standing beside her. Could Gren's white hair mean his lifespan had worn down that much? What if he turned out to be younger than her?
"So what happens to me?"
"That's why I couldn't start your training right away on the Lilith Ship. A human body can't withstand the Transfer root. If you studied magic properly, you'd drop dead in under ten years, no question."
So that's how it was. It was almost absurd. All the other roots relied on the five senses, so why did Transfer—of all things—have to depend on lifespan?
I thought I was finally going to learn proper magic... But no, lifespan mana operation blocks my path in magic once again. At this point, maybe magic and I just aren't meant to be.
"To my knowledge, no demon has ever contracted with a human who possesses the Transfer root. Only demons have it. Right, Gren?"
Gren nodded at Chezare's question.
"Yes. In my four thousand years, I've never even heard of a case like Lady Catherine's."
Four thousand years? Isn't that a bit much? Or should I be more shocked that no one like me has appeared in four thousand years?
Gren continued. "In human terms, you could call it a twist of fate—especially since Your Highness said Lady Catherine's talent rivals Shagweed II's."
"So what do you think?"
Chezare's question was directed not at Catherine, but at Gren. Why ask him instead of her? Perhaps noticing the question on her face, Chezare sipped his coffee and added slowly, "Gren served as imperial mage for a total of three hundred years. He's trained mages for over a thousand years even before Iterana's founding. With nearly five hundred disciples, he's far more experienced at teaching humans than I am."
It was such a convincing reason that Catherine's expression immediately brightened. At this rate, she'd lose all sense of numbers. Living a thousand years might start feeling normal.
Gren, his face humble, let out a hearty laugh before cautiously speaking up.
"Before I give my opinion, I'd like to ask Lady Catherine something. Why do you want to learn magic?"
The reason she wanted to learn magic. Thanks to yesterday's realization, Catherine answered honestly.
"My mother was incredibly talented in magic. Everyone had huge expectations for me because of that... but I couldn't live up to them."
It was a story the old Catherine could never have shared easily with anyone. But now it was different. In front of Chezare and the man he trusted, it came naturally.
"Now I know it was because of my root, but still, the fact is I didn't meet those expectations. That lingering regret still sticks with me."
"You have some unresolved feelings, then."
"That doesn't mean I'm not interested in magic, though. Anyone would have fantasies about it, right? Not just anyone can learn it."
For some reason, it felt refreshing to get it off her chest. What was so big about admitting her true feelings on magic?
Gren pondered for a moment before replying.
"What do you think about changing your root?"
Catherine blinked in surprise. "I thought roots were something you're born with. Can you change them?"
"By changing your body. If His Highness transfers your soul into another body, your root would become that body's root."
Catherine stared blankly at Chezare. Did they really have to go that far?
Chezare chuckled softly and crossed his arms. "If your passion for magic runs that deep, I can make it happen. A body is just a shell, after all."
Catherine waved her hands frantically. "No! It's not that desperate."
Of course, there had been a time when it was that desperate. Probably before she met Chezare.
"Fine. If now's too tough, you could always aim for it in your next life. Even if you're reborn as an earthworm... learning magic would be worth a shot. An earthworm mage wouldn't be so bad."
Why is he so sure my next life will be an earthworm? Is that his idea of the worst reincarnation?
And if I'm reborn as an earthworm, do I really have to become a mage...?
"For you, contracting with various demons would be more efficient than using magic yourself. Simply put, instead of casting a spell ten times, summon a demon once to handle it."
"Remor would be too conspicuous. He's as famous as Your Highness across the empire. Calling Remor would raise suspicions everywhere."
Gren replied, "His Highness doesn't just have Remor and me. If you must, contracting directly with demons yourself is a good option. As a Nephilim, you could even contract with fellow Nephilim."
Catherine, reaching for her cooling coffee, froze. She turned to Gren with an incredulous look.
"Nephilim? You mean I'm a Nephilim?"
Gren didn't answer right away at her shocked question. He studied her face carefully before speaking slowly.
"Did you... not know?"
"Gren must be mistaken. Both my parents are human."
Gren's eyes shifted to Chezare, drawing Catherine's gaze along with them. Chezare toyed silently with the handle of his now-empty coffee cup before finally speaking.
"When studying magic... they teach that there's a low chance pure humans can develop Magic Nullification. But that's not true."
Catherine listened to his voice in a daze. Chezare's long lashes fluttered softly.
"Scholars know this but keep it quiet. Reasons vary—for demons' personal security, family protection, or efficient use of Magic Nullifiers."
"But my parents really aren't demons."
Chezare looked up at her words. "In cases like yours, usually..."
He trailed off, unusually cautious as he continued.
"One parent is an exceptional mage or has equivalent power. That's the one people suspect."
Anyone familiar with her family history would have named her mother. Catherine's situation matched Chezare's explanation perfectly.
Watching her expression closely, Chezare suggested, "You seem to need time to process this. We should stop here for today."
He was right. In her current confused state, nothing more he said would register.
"Thank you for telling me."
Before leaving the Christopher Ducal Residence, she expressed her brief gratitude to Chezare and Gren. She knew they were speaking out for her sake, no one else's.
"No big deal."
Beyond the open office door, her familiar bedroom came into view.
Click.
After the door shut, Catherine stood motionless for a long while, gripping the handle.
Chezare wasn't the type to lie about something trivial. He was an archdemon who lived eternally, a living library of cosmic knowledge.
Then her mother...
Was Mother not human?
Then the hallucination of her father from the Lilith Ship resurfaced. A faint memory from her distant childhood, his voice echoing dimly.
That woman's a monster. She has no such thing as love. You, me, this whole family—we're just tools for her family play-acting.
If her Magic Nullification came from being a demon-human hybrid Nephilim...
Then her mother hadn't really died. She'd just...
Finished playing human and returned to her real life.
A deep sense of emptiness washed over her. To her mother, Catherine—or the entire Orleans family—might mean nothing at all. The very possibility crushed her with disappointment.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
In that time, a commotion had erupted across the Iterana Empire. News of the Lilith Ship incident had spread nationwide, causing a huge stir.
Apparently, right after Catherine left the Christopher Ducal Residence, reporters had swarmed to interview Chezare. There was a world of difference between hearing tales firsthand and secondhand.
Even amid that, Chezare had kept his schedule with her unfazed—to attend Anne's wedding in Chen as her plus-one.
"You look terribly uncomfortable. Or am I just clueless about women's desire to show off?"
Chezare eyed Fontpado Madam with the look of someone witnessing an eyesore.
Fontpado Madam laughed behind her hand, utterly unbothered by his reaction.
"What woman in the world wouldn't envy this? Sure, she'll get mocked wherever she goes, but I can't say there won't be jealous stares."
Her fan, encrusted with gold leaf, fluttered and scattered golden light.
Fontpado Madam was essentially armored in gold from head to toe—save for her hair and skin tone. A fist-sized diamond pinned her hair, and golden chandelier earrings dangled so long they threatened to tear her lobes.
Her dress took it to another level. Made of gold thread, it was fully wrapped in thin sheets of gold leaf around the bodice. The bizarre protrusions jutting from her shoulders down to below her ears screamed extravagance—and immense weight. No one could wear it without magical lightening.
Of course, that attention-grabbing outfit was just the beginning. [