Chapter 65: Effort and Results
Chapter 65: Effort and Results
“I’m doing well?”
Bartimir smiled bitterly and poured the rest of his coffee down his throat in one gulp.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that. Everyone else just says I’ve gone insane because of harsh reality.”
“The ramblings of people who know nothing.”
“I know. That’s why I ignore them.”
《Frankly, I believe the other mages made reasonable criticisms. Collecting diseases and curses? And calling that excellent?? Both you and the demon are clearly insane!》
I waved my hand and erased the useless text before continuing.
“Others may not understand, but I certainly can. Given the constitution engraved on you through the Black Mage Guild’s experiments, you had no choice but to do so.”
“…You even knew that?”
“Of course.”
Traits were not merely a game-like system.
They truly existed in reality.
Constitutions.
In the explorer industry, they were also called “qualities of the soul.” Every person possessed at least one.
Most were trivial, like Impatient Legs, which only made walking slightly faster, so people usually ignored them.
However, massive powers like the Milky Way factions conducted examinations in advance when selecting talent.
“Sir Bartimir has two constitutions engraved by the Black Mage Guild.”
Just like me.
“First is Pure Soul. It reduces the influence of factors that dominate the mind and body, but causes you to suffer pain for longer than others.”
A trait that reduced the effect of status abnormalities by more than half while greatly increasing their duration.
“Second is Foolish Desire. The more elements dominate your mind and body, the stronger your black magic becomes—but you can only learn black magic Mysteries.”
A trait where the more negative status effects you suffer, the stronger your black magic becomes—but you are restricted to learning only Mysteries belonging to the Black Mage class.
I had personally selected both.
In truth, Pure Soul was unpopular because status effects could usually just be cured, and Foolish Desire removed a wizard’s greatest advantage—being able to learn Mysteries from other schools.
Even so, I adopted them boldly.
And they proved far more useful than expected.
“When these two constitutions combine, you can accumulate countless curses and diseases in your body while still maintaining sufficient health. The side effects and illness last longer than for others, but the danger is greatly reduced. At the same time, the power of black magic steadily increases.”
“Exactly….”
“In addition, demons are a race that feeds on negative emotions emitted by living beings. By constantly consuming the discomfort and fear caused by curses and diseases, your mind and body become extremely healthy and strong.”
The Calamity Collector was a build where constitution, racial traits, and class formed perfect synergy.
It did require careful management of curse side effects and disease symptoms.
But that was easily handled with consistent attention.
“That’s exactly it!”
Bartimir jumped up, grabbed my arm, and shook it enthusiastically.
A bright smile spread across his face.
“You really understand something! Ever since I entered the Devourer Mage Tower, everyone just whispers that I’ve gone crazy because of what happened at the Black Mage Guild!”
“Even if the constitution was forcibly created, if accepting curses and diseases allows easier growth, why reject it?”
“Exactly!”
Perhaps because he had finally met someone who understood him, Bartimir shook me so violently that I began to feel dizzy.
“You used Fertilizer Sprout as a stepping stone for growth too, didn’t you?”
“You are correct.”
“Ah, I’m jealous…. I want to be cursed by a deity too! Could you ask your evil god to curse me?”
《The Wise One covers their face with a hand and sighs….》
Crackle…
Both Evil Gods simultaneously sent revelations filled with disbelief.
“That would be difficult. Your faith is insufficient—how could they curse you directly? Such miracles are possible only for deities with many followers, like Metherd.”
Shake, shake.
Suddenly, the Lonely One desperately shook the snake tattoo on my arm, asking me to relay a message: if Bartimir became a follower of Lonely Silence, a magnificent curse would eventually be bestowed upon him in the distant future.
I wanted to grant the request as well.
But I could not.
“That is impossible. Because of the curse Sneer of the Atheist, Sir Bartimir cannot possess faith.”
A curse that fixed the Faith value at zero.
It completely severed access to one source of Mysteries—divinity—but fortunately did not affect combat-related stats.
The snake manifestation drooped sadly and slid back under my sleeve.
Eventually Bartimir, who had been on the verge of dancing while grabbing me, calmed down and sat cross-legged again.
“You know, I’m really starting to think joining the expedition was a good decision.”
“Do not be satisfied already. I haven’t even told you which curses and diseases to collect. The order is especially important, so please focus.”
If the order of acquiring curses and diseases changed, growth might become blocked.
These things were as difficult to handle as wild monsters.
They required care like a keeper tending a baby Komodo dragon.
“Flow Condensation Syndrome. Contract that disease first. Then acquire the curse Scattering Bankruptcy, and the side effects will be easily reduced. Remember—the order is important.”
I revealed every piece of information and secret about the Calamity Collector Build.
At first, the demon listened with a crooked posture.
As the explanation continued, he gradually became more respectful.
Eventually, he was kneeling.
“Please sit comfortably. Shall I give you my seat?”
When I tried to stand from the chair, he hooked my leg and knocked me down again.
“Stay still. This is my way of showing respect.”
His star-like shining eyes conveyed that respect clearly enough.
Perhaps because he was a demon with extraordinary thinking ability, he seemed to have fully understood my build and already decided to follow it faithfully.
“Now I will explain the Mysteries and artifacts.”
“Yes!”
Nod nod nod.
The frayed ends of the bandages covering his face fluttered with the vigorous motion.
“Calamity Collector black mages rely less on Mysteries and artifacts than other mages, but they are still essential. Especially that artifact—you obtained a truly excellent one.”
The bandages wrapped around Bartimir’s upper body, including his face.
They were not worn randomly.
There was a reason.
《Artifact — Devotee》
《When wrapped around the body, it prevents disturbances of reason caused by disease.》
That was the Hidden Piece reward obtained from the Grave of the Earth Elf.
An artifact perfectly suited for Bartimir.
But he was using it incorrectly.
“It functions better when wrapped around bare skin rather than over clothing.”
“Hmm, I know that.”
“Then why wear it like that?”
“Undoing it every time I bathe is annoying. And when worn directly on the body it feels suffocating. But there’s one more important reason.”
The demon glanced over his body and puffed out his chest proudly.
“This looks cooler.”
“….”
Then it couldn’t be helped.
“I was mistaken. You are correct.”
Appearance was a crucial matter encoded in the genes of all animals.
Bartimir grinned.
“So you don’t know every truth in the world after all?”
“Only Lidni knows everything.”
The beneficial personalized lesson continued without pause.
As I advised him on improving his combat methods, the sun gradually sank toward the horizon.
It felt like I had been talking alone for almost two hours.
“That’s all. Any questions?”
“I understood everything.”
“That’s good. I’m too tired to explain it twice.”
“I’ll keep asking anyway.”
Bartimir smiled faintly and lifted his head toward the sky.
“You know.”
He stared at the sunset sky for a while before speaking suddenly.
“When I was young, I was sold to the Black Mage Guild. For fifty silver. Dirt cheap.”
“At least it didn’t drop to copper, which is barely used anymore.”
“…I suppose.”
I leaned back against the chair while gazing in the same direction as Bartimir.
“I was abandoned with my younger sibling when I was very young. Only five years old.”
“….”
After a brief silence, the demon asked carefully.
“Your sibling…?”
“Yes.”
I nodded calmly.
“They became a star in the night sky.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. Sometimes my sibling appears in my dreams and blames me. But I’m glad I can meet them even that way.”
Now that my Mental Energy sometimes dropped to zero, there was even a chance of seeing them again through hallucinations.
“By the way, what was your experience like in the Black Mage Guild?”
“At first, it felt unjust. Because of the constitution engraved on me, I can’t learn Mysteries other than black magic. Back then I hated it so much I cried.”
Unlike other classes, wizards could use Mysteries from other schools as a “minor field.”
In theory, they could use Mysteries from every category without risk.
Though…
It took a lot of time.
Wizard Mysteries took the longest to learn, and Mysteries from other schools required even longer—almost a full month just to reach Tier 1.
Still, the advantages were huge.
But Bartimir’s trait Foolish Desire restricted him to black magic, so during his beginner days it must have been suffocating.
“So I worked hard researching until I came up with the growth method of collecting curses and diseases, so no one could laugh at me.”
“You are admirable.”
“After that, life didn’t feel difficult at all. The endless trial and error was actually fun.”
That was the difference between Bartimir and the Sage Council.
This demon black mage did not fear hardship or adversity.
He enjoyed it while running toward his goal.
Just like me.
“I also worked hard so the kids who mocked me for being abandoned by my parents couldn’t intimidate me. Physically.”
“…Wait, you didn’t kill them, did you!?”
“No. I didn’t hate them enough to kill them. But they probably remember my face every day.”
“Still, your effort produced results….”
Bartimir chuckled while holding his empty cup.
“I believe that if I work diligently, I’ll eventually win in the end. Someday I’ll find the parents who sold me and make them regret it.”
A surprisingly gentle mindset for someone from the Le Family.
It was probably the influence of the trait Pure Soul.
That was why Bartimir was the only one I recruited.
The other siblings would likely be selfishly pragmatic like Ymir.
“I’ve been searching for someone who understands me as well as you do.”
Bartimir turned his head toward me.
I nodded immediately.
“The feeling is mutual.”
We could supply exactly what the other needed.
And since our personalities and tendencies matched well, there was no reason not to become close.
“So what should I call you now? Should I call you captain like Blacky does?”
“Call me whatever you like. ‘Captain’ or even ‘Half-breed’ is fine. If you don’t care about appearances, ‘Mother’ is also acceptable.”
Bartimir chose instantly.
“Mother!”
“Yes, daughter.”
《The Wise One cackles, saying that creatures who resemble each other get along very well.》
The first harmony within the Le Family was successful.
“But how can someone get Flow Condensation Syndrome? I heard the Harmony Church’s efforts made it extremely rare these days.”
“That is actually very simple.”
I stood and looked toward the direction of the Artea Monastery of the Harmony Church.
“You simply have to confront the past of the Harmony Church.”