Chapter 74
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 074
Chapter Title: Reunion (2)
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Sometimes, there are situations that can't be explained with just the word "talent." This was one of those cases.
'Its power is too strong?'
Claire's low kick packed an unnaturally spicy punch.
If she wasn't careful, Claire herself might end up hurt from throwing the kick, so he'd deliberately eased up his stance... even taking that into account, it was on another level—completely irrational.
What the hell was it?
"Can I take a look?"
"......"
He pointed at Claire's calf as he asked. She hesitated for a moment, looking embarrassed, then nodded.
He cautiously lifted the hem of her robe just a bit. Her pristine white leg came into view. When he pressed his thumb into her calf, he could feel the firm muscles hidden beneath that soft skin.
It felt just like touching a ballerina's leg. Come to think of it... when he'd hugged Claire earlier, he'd sensed a slight incongruity.
"Can I hug you again?"
"Why all of a sudden?"
"There's something I want to check."
This time, Claire agreed without hesitation.
"Sure, I'd like that."
The two embraced. Right away, he realized the source of that earlier odd sensation.
'This... it's like a rock?'
Claire's build hadn't changed much, but it was as if she'd compressed and packed muscles into her slender frame.
It was hard to comprehend.
"......What the hell did they teach you at the Mage Tower? I sent you there to study, not to become a commando."
"I just... did research."
"For real?"
"Yeah. You know I hate exercising."
Like most scholars, Claire wasn't particularly fond of physical activity.
She'd taken mercenary jobs just to earn money for the Mage Tower. Once she'd achieved that goal, she even stopped her occasional training.
Woojin was gripped by doubt at her words. No matter how he thought about it, it didn't add up.
......There was only one method left.
"Can I examine the essence of this power?"
"How do you do that?"
"I picked up a little trick recently—a new ability."
Mind's Eye.
Its proficiency was still a bit lacking, so he couldn't use it perfectly, but it was useful enough for gauging the current situation.
As he explained...
Claire fell into thought. She seemed reluctant to entrust her body to some unknown ability. Seeing that, Woojin readily gave up.
"Let's just finish lunch."
"......No, it's fine. I've been pondering this myself nonstop anyway."
She just needed a moment to think. With that, Claire actually made the request herself.
"Please take a look."
"Got it."
To open the third eye, he closed his two physical ones. He gazed at the unknown power within her using Mind's Eye.
......But somehow, it felt familiar.
'Karma?'
Claire harbored the power of the Demonic Realm. But unlike a Dark Cultist, she had no inner core. That fact left Woojin flustered.
"......Did you eat a beast's inner core?"
"No way."
"Then why do you have Karma?"
Claire let out a soft sigh.
"I always planned to tell you someday... looks like today is the day."
"Explain it all."
"To do that, I have to go back to the past. Do you remember? I taught you a breathing technique once."
"Of course. I could never forget."
Breathe through the crown of your head.
A meditation method to sense natural mana. It was so esoteric that Woojin had struggled greatly to master it.
"You had so much trouble with mana basics... so I cast a spell to infuse some mana into you. That's when something strange happened."
A praying mantis and a blue butterfly.
Claire had unintentionally glimpsed Woojin's inner world. In exchange for losing some of her talent as a mage, she'd received his Karma.
The power of the Demonic Realm was inherently ferocious. But the Karma Woojin had passed on behaved as tamely as a lamb. Thanks to that, Claire had taken it in without noticing any major changes.
......Until recently.
"Last time, when those people surrounded and threatened me... I was scared. I just wished someone would help me."
At that moment, the dormant Karma had awakened.
As Claire said that, she picked up a fork from the table and lightly squeezed it.
Crunch!
The sturdy iron fork bent as easily as clay. Then Claire straightened it back out perfectly.
"As you can see... this happened."
"......"
Woojin stared blankly at the fork. The unexpected situation had his mind grinding to a halt.
"......What do we do about this?"
"Right? I need to somehow return the power you gave me..."
"Nah, that's not a big deal."
Losing a bit of power to Claire was fine. He had Karma to spare anyway. What Woojin was concerned about was something else.
"Is there a way to give back your talent?"
Her talent as a mage had been stolen.
Even if it was just a portion, it was a significant loss for Claire. The higher you climbed, the more such deficits hurt—like the gap between a champion and the top-ranked contenders in martial arts.
At his worry...
Claire waved it off with a smile, as if it was no issue.
"I'm fine! This isn't just to reassure you—my abilities as a mage have actually improved."
"Really? How?"
"My stamina's better now. Before, I'd get exhausted after five hours of study and need a break, but now I can pull all-nighters without a problem."
Claire had decent stamina from her mercenary days, but sitting and poring over books all day wasn't easy regardless.
Long study sessions brought back and neck pain, blurry vision that made reading tough. But after receiving the Karma, her body had improved, boosting her learning efficiency.
Claire intended to prove it.
"Later, let's go somewhere quiet, and I'll show you the spells I've learned."
"Sounds good. Let's see what you've got."
After finishing dessert, Woojin and Claire stepped out of the restaurant.
Claire walked with a spring in her step, humming a tune, clearly in high spirits. After some light chit-chat, Woojin asked in a casually curious tone.
"How far are we going?"
"Outside the magic city, of course. Can't demonstrate attack spells here."
Detonating big magic in the street would be a nuisance. So they'd head out, put on a quick show, then return.
Woojin approved of the plan.
"Perfect timing."
"Why?"
"We've got tails."
Claire whipped her head around at that. But nothing stood out.
"......I don't see anything."
"They're hiding while they tail us. Focus hard, and you can hear their footsteps."
It was a faint presence, but now that Claire had Demonic Realm power within her, she'd pick it up with a little practice.
"Try separating the sounds one by one. Our footsteps, the carriage wheels rolling, birds chirping... Practice picking them out individually, and you'll get the hang of it."
"I'll give it a shot."
Claire concentrated. But soon she furrowed her brow.
"......This is too hard. Once I focus on sounds, all the ambient noise gets overwhelming."
"Filter out the noise. It takes time to get the knack anyway."
He shared several helpful tips.
When they first met, Claire had been Woojin's magic teacher... somehow, their roles had flipped.
As they chatted and walked, the city gates came into view.
Claire suddenly noticed a presence.
"......Something's coming."
"Right. You're getting good."
The people tailing them were closing in. They'd been waiting for an ambush opportunity, but with Woojin and Claire heading out of the city, impatience had set in.
The men rushed forward, surrounding them. Woojin scanned their faces.
One mage looked familiar.
'......The guy at the reception desk.'
The mage who'd eyed him suspiciously when he'd asked about Claire at the tower. He seemed to be the ringleader.
Soon, one man stepped forward with a huff. A blond young man. His gaze swept over Woojin and Claire.
Then the youth bellowed.
"Claire! Who's that bastard?!"
Woojin had been about to ask the same.
"Who the hell are you?"
"He's the one you beat up and made cry."
Claire, standing beside him, clued him in. Woojin was mildly impressed.
"Damn, you're still hung up on that?"
"Yeah. He went quiet for a while, but now this."
"If it were me, I'd have gone back home ages ago... guy's got persistence."
The two murmured casually. The youth's face flushed red, and he raised his voice.
"Max! Crush that bastard's mouth first!!"
"Yes, sir."
A burly knight stepped forward at the command. Woojin was impressed.
'Pretty strong.'
For a spoiled brat's lackey, he had impressive skill. The sharp aura unique to mana users. This knight wielded considerable power.
But for some reason...
'This guy's face rings a bell too...'
He stared piercingly at the man's face. Coincidentally, the knight recognized Woojin as well and froze in place. Cold sweat beaded on the knight's forehead.
......Swish.
Max naturally backpedaled away. Watching him, Woojin belatedly recalled.
'The mercenary knight from the second expedition.'
The man who'd nearly died surrounded by beasts during the night raid. Woojin had saved his life once with a thrown spear.
Only the bold and skilled survived the second expedition to return. Max was one who'd endured to the end.
Thus, he knew the right response here.
Tatata—
Max turned and bolted. The youth yelled at the retreating knight at the top of his lungs.
"Max? Hey... Max!!"
The knight didn't look back. One of the men spat a curse.
"Fuck, this feels off."
Mercenaries had keen instincts. They'd taken the job for pocket change from a spoiled noble... but with the knight suddenly fleeing, things turned weird.
The mercenaries glanced around warily. The youth flew into a rage at them.
"You lot planning to run too? I won't let this slide!"
The mercenaries had already received their advance pay.
Skilled knights got respect anywhere, but mercenaries got blacklisted easily in the industry. Stuck, they shuffled awkwardly instead of fleeing.
Woojin surveyed them indifferently.
'Don't really feel like fighting these clowns.'
The guy called Max had seemed decent, so he'd hoped for some fun after ages... but the sharp knight fled, leaving only trembling trash.
Mood killed. Not wanting to break a sweat, he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out an item. A flute carved from white ivory.
Claire beside him took interest.
"That's an oddly shaped flute."
"Give it a blow."
Claire took it and blew. But no sound came out.
"......What's this? Is it broken?"
"It worked fine."
Humans couldn't hear it easily.
"It's a dog flute."
Commotion erupted from the entrance. Four wolves clad in silver armor charged toward them. The mercenaries screamed, while Claire let out a joyful cheer.
"Rex!!"
Ecstatic, Claire squealed and ran to the red wolf. Rex wagged his tail furiously, thrilled at the reunion.
Claire kneaded Rex's face like dough. She suddenly turned to look at the mercenaries—or rather, the noble youth in the center.
"Uh, uhh..."
The youth panicked and stumbled back as their eyes met. Claire beckoned him over.
"That's the guy who harassed me!"
Rex bared his fangs instantly. Woojin chimed in like a blessing.
"Don't rip off any limbs—just subdue them."
The wolf pack charged.