Chapter 473: The Butterfly Effect
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 473: The Butterfly Effect
“Huuuh…”
As I released the Unification, an immense sense of exhaustion washed over me.
“Ptui.”
I didn’t pass out, but it was hard to swallow back the clot of blood that surged up from within. It felt like I’d taken damage from Dainsleif’s penalty and its backlash. On top of that, I had used a considerable amount of mana just to separate myself from Dainsleif, so it was no wonder my insides were screaming.
[Dainsleif of Greed - Legacy of the Magic Sword Dain]
[A cursed magic sword said to drive its wielder to death. It cannot be sheathed until it has tasted blood. It has undergone a great change after receiving the power of a Seat. You can control blood shed by the Legacy of Dain or spilled upon it for a long time by consuming a small amount of mana.
It carries a penalty: if the blood shed by the Legacy of Dain is not replenished, its master will also take damage. You can now manifest multiple wings of blood. The number of blood wings is determined by the amount of blood collected so far, and new wings will continue to form as more blood is gathered.]
It wasn't a massive change. I could see that its detailed stats had been significantly enhanced, but compared to my other weapons that had gone through several evolutions, its abilities were quite simple. The part to pay close attention to was the wings of blood. Although its function wasn't described yet, the idea that new wings would continuously sprout somehow felt incredibly fitting for Greed.
Just as Levatain gained the Flames of Wrath, Dainsleif had gained the Wings of Greed.
‘Great power, with a penalty.’
It was a simple but powerful weapon. A good weapon.
But more stimulating than the change in Dainsleif was what I had just become.
Recalling the sensation sent a shiver down my spine. The feeling of unifying with two weapons couldn't be described by simply saying I'd gotten stronger.
The duration I could maintain the Unification was also incredibly short.
‘A minute at most.’
A minute at most. But when I recalled that overwhelming power, the penalty hardly mattered. I looked at my hands, still reeling from the unbelievable sensation, but they had long since returned to normal. I sighed and began to examine my mental state.
I was curious if there were any abnormalities.
“It’s fine.”
No issues.
It seemed I was still under the influence of Isaac's magic, but it wasn't as severe as before. The ability I created after obtaining the Seat of Lust was merely to resist Isaac's magic. As an added bonus—if you could call it that—I gained perfect resistance to similar mind-affecting effects, but compared to the abilities I gained from the other Seats, it was practically nothing.
Even without the power of the Seat of Lust, my resistance was already top-tier. And since abilities on par with Isaac's Lust magic were rare, this new power was, in fact, pretty useless.
‘Besides…’
The important thing was that a charm effect was now constantly radiating from me.
“Hmm…”
It was much weaker than the effect that had spread through the wings during the Unification. To put it another way, it felt like I was emitting a weak aphrodisiac. If I didn't consciously suppress it, I would surely face some awkward situations.
It wasn't a bad way to gain the favor of complete strangers. Unless they were of a very low level, no one would be swayed by an effect this weak. As long as I managed it well, I wouldn't find myself in any trouble.
With my tail, I started prodding Isaac, who was completely unconscious.
Quite some time had passed since I released the Unification. Seeing her sleeping with such a satisfied expression, it seemed she was content in her own way. I wished she knew what I'd just gone through, but it didn't really matter.
“Isaac.”
- …
“Isaac.”
- H…huh? Wha? Oh?
“Wake up.”
- Uggghhh…
She had a dazed look on her face. The way her face instantly flushed red as she looked at me suggested she was recalling what had happened inside her mind. She and I were now mentally connected. Isaac surely understood what it felt like to share the same Seat.
- S-So, what happened? Did it work?
“Thanks to you.”
Her face lit up.
- Th-That's a relief… sob… I'm so glad. I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…
“I already told you I forgive you. Don't cry.”
Gently pushing away Isaac as she tried to cling to me again, I slowly began to speak.
“Fortunately, while the effect hasn't vanished completely, I'm no longer swayed by it like before. I still find you attractive, but… I don't really feel the urge to pounce on you or anything. Additionally, I've developed a defense against other mental attacks, and though it was unintentional, I seem to have gained a charm effect as well. Thank you.”
- Oh! No… u-uhm. It's nothing. It… it was my fault to begin with… Uhm… right. S-So that's what happened…
“…”
She had a vaguely disappointed look on her face, which made me chuckle. I could see exactly what Isaac was thinking right now.
[Target - Isaac]
[Status - It worked out… It's a good thing. Right, Wilson?]
Human emotions are a funny thing. Just moments ago, she was desperately trying to figure out how to break the spell, yet now that it was broken, she was showing signs of disappointment. It was truly amusing.
I gently stroked Isaac's head.
- Ah… uhm. Th-Then you won't… you won't abandon me now, right? Right?
“I told you I wouldn't.”
It seemed that my one comment about giving up ownership had made her incredibly anxious. Now that I could observe the situation with a clearer mind, I felt a strange sense of pity for Isaac. I slowly stepped closer.
I wasn't planning on doing anything major. I swept Isaac's hair to one side and gently took hold of the back of her head. Isaac, still wearing her glasses, looked up at me in a fluster, repeatedly swallowing hard as if in anticipation of something.
- Uh… ah… Aaaaaaaaaah… Eeeeeh…
“Your glasses.”
- Ah… u-uhm… Right… Glasses, glasses, I have to take off my glasses.
There was no way this could be romantic. With one hand, I took off her glasses. As I brought my face closer, Isaac's pupils began to tremble. She looked as if she couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality.
But her body was honest. She stood on her tiptoes, her body trembling as if she couldn't wait for me to kiss her, her lips puckered and waiting. The sight of her blushing, her eyes squeezed shut in embarrassment, was still cute.
I slowly bent down and lightly pressed my lips against Isaac's. Her small, soft lips met mine, but honestly, I felt no particular emotion. Aside from my heart beating a little faster, that is.
- …
Just as I was about to pull away, Isaac grabbed my face and thrust her tongue into my mouth. It caught me by surprise, but after responding for a moment, I immediately straightened up. When our faces parted, Isaac's came into view.
- Th-That… Th... Thank you… hic
“What for?”
- N-No… Nothing…
The way she mumbled, her head bowed low, was quite charming. Embarrassed, she kept scratching her head with one hand. I was about to burst out laughing at the sight when Isaac stammered out.
- W-We shouldn't just stand here… B-B-B-B… B-Bed… Bed! Should we go to the bed?!!!!
Her voice was surprisingly loud. She trembled as she spoke, quickly throwing out the bait as if wanting to take advantage of the mood, but I didn't think this was the right situation for that. The wall, damaged by my wings, had completely crumbled, leaving a gaping hole through which the outside scenery was fully visible.
Not only could I hear the murmuring voices of people wondering what was going on, but the other Green Skins who had spotted me were letting out cheers.
“Let's go.”
- R-R-R… Really?!
“Home.”
- …
Teasing this mage really is fun. But her reaction wasn't entirely negative. She seemed overjoyed at the prospect of being with me.
- I-I'm going with you?
“That's right.”
I pulled Isaac by the arm and gently hugged her. My business here was finished.
- But I still have research to do… and, and… I haven't finished everything you ordered me to do…
“You can do it by my side.”
- Ah… u-uhm…
“You don't have to do only what I tell you. I'm sorry for neglecting you, but this isn't the mage tower you used to live in. Just like I came to see you today, you can come see me if you miss me. If you want to do something else, you can do that too. If something is bothering you, you can be honest about it, and if there's something you want to do, just say so.”
- R-R-Really? F-For real? I can come find you?
“Of course. As long as you don't bother me too much…”
- O-Okay…
She's quite passive. She left her mage tower wanting to see the world, yet she hadn't thought to actually enjoy it. Of course, the fact that I hadn't set the stage for her was a major factor, but I never expected that when I told her to do research, she would literally do nothing but research inside her tower.
She wasn't wrong, but I felt like the CEO of a small company that works its employees to the bone.
“Let's go for now.”
- Okay…
It was time to go to the settlement together. Holding Isaac in my arms, I stepped toward the hole, and I could feel my body begin to fall rapidly. I unfurled my massive wings in the sky and gave a single, powerful flap. I could see the people below the Adventurers' Guild clutching their belongings to keep them from being blown away.
What seemed a little unusual were the expressions of the people below. The men were still staring at me blankly, but the women were looking up with intensely flushed faces. It was highly likely they had been captivated by the mana I'd spread during the Unification.
It didn't seem like a bad idea to have Baek Ahyeon and her followers go on a tour of the continent to perform a purification process.
“Hold on tight.”
- O-Okay.
After soaring into the sky, I headed straight for the Land of Glory. A vast landscape immediately came into view. Isaac let out a small gasp of awe.
- Whoa…
“You've never seen this before?”
- This is the first time I've ever looked down from this high up.
Originally, I had planned to pick up the pace. But seeing her like this, I felt like I should slow down a bit. The continent, viewed at a more leisurely pace, was even more magnificent.
Isaac, who had said she wanted to see the world, kept letting out gasps of wonder before eventually turning her head toward me.
She snuggled into my chest, hugged me tightly, and buried her face against me. I got the strong feeling she was desperately trying to smell my scent.
“You…”
- N-No, I'm not. I'm not smelling you or anything. Right… I'm just a little cold…
Her desperate denial was flustering, but I figured I could let this much slide. Doing my best to ignore Isaac, who still had her face buried in my chest, I once again started toward the Land of Glory.