Chapter 387: The Curse(1)
Chapter 387: The Curse(1)
The invention of the internet contributed greatly to the creation of the term "global village." No matter where you are in the world, as long as you have the internet, you can communicate and perform various tasks.
However, it also brought about side effects—namely, anonymity. Anonymity is a double-edged sword, and its consequences are well-documented.
Celebrities taking their own lives due to malicious comments, the proliferation of illegal gambling sites, and so on.
In that sense, I consider myself lucky that the internet doesn't exist here. If it did, I’d probably be drowning in every insult imaginable right now.
Actually, if the culture had progressed enough for the internet to emerge, it probably wouldn't matter much anyway.
Still, I never want to see my fans divided and fighting each other. It’s one thing if it’s just between fans, but innocent people could end up getting hurt.
I did briefly consider changing the plot, but I quickly dismissed the idea. If I change it, people will just find something else to complain about.
For now, staying quiet is the best course of action, but I still have one ultimate weapon left.
The hiatus threat, which I used quite effectively last time. If I tell them I can't write because I'm so distressed by the fans fighting, they’ll quiet down on their own.
To top it off, if I say my heart aches so much that I’ll take responsibility for the situation since it happened because of me, it’ll cause a different kind of uproar.
Fortunately, things haven't escalated that far yet. There were reports of adventurers causing a stir, but it was quickly suppressed.
Afterward, perhaps realizing they were overstepping, they began to exercise some self-restraint. The subjugation of the demon worshippers was delayed, but it wasn't halted.
"Ugh..."
Even in this situation, my daily routine remained unchanged. Today, I was once again left completely spent after a special training session with my father.
Given that I, someone who prides himself on his stamina, was beaten to a pulp, you can probably guess how grueling the training was.
Originally, the goal was just to be able to hold my own, but as time passed, my father’s ambitions grew stronger.
He said that while I lacked the innate talent of Dave or Nicole, my focus and stamina more than made up for it.
But conversely, that meant I had to use that much more stamina.
Brush—
As I lay on the bed resting, something tickled my face gently.
It felt as if a large brush was moving back and forth across my skin. I twitched my nose and opened my closed eyes.
When I opened them, a tail was swaying playfully above my head. I knew exactly who this tail belonged to.
"...Leona?"
"Hehe."
When I turned my head and called her name, Leona gave a mischievous grin, revealing her pearly white teeth.
She was lying prone on the bed, her tail swishing back and forth. I reached out and ruffled her fluffy, chestnut-colored hair.
Leona responded by letting out her characteristic purr, expressing her delight.
"Was it boring waiting for me?"
The reason Leona was here was that I had something to discuss with her. However, the training had run longer than expected, making her wait quite a while.
At my apologetic question, Leona gave a broad smile. Her golden eyes curved into crescents, which was quite charming.
"It wasn't that boring. Thanks to that little one."
Everyone probably knows who the "little one" Leona mentioned is. Hearing her answer, I managed to lift my head and look toward one side of the room.
Ariel was sitting upright on a plush sofa, focused on reading a book, while Mari sat in a chair opposite her, also reading.
It was a tutoring session where Ariel could ask Mari questions whenever she encountered something she didn't understand.
"Mom. Mom."
"Yes? Is there something you're curious about?"
"Yeah. What does 'witness' mean here?"
"It means the same as 'to see' or 'to observe.' Similar words include 'stare,' 'gaze,' 'glare,' or 'watch.'"
"I see. But why are there so many similar words? One should be enough."
"That's because each one has its own specific use, dear."
Just like that. I smiled warmly, watching Ariel receive her education so obediently.
As Leona said, given her origins, Ariel's talent was far from ordinary.
She remembered everything she saw or heard once, and even her basic physical abilities were extraordinary.
Perhaps she’ll even be able to use magic soon. My father has also been keeping a close eye on Ariel's talent, and I can already imagine what kind of future awaits her.
'I just have to make sure she doesn't go astray.'
Since she already has talent in spades, my job from now on is to teach her so she doesn't lose her way.
I stared blankly at Ariel, who was quietly reading, before shifting my gaze back.
Leona was looking at me with wide, clear eyes. It felt like a large cat was guarding my side.
Stroke, stroke—
"Purr... Purr..."
When I actually stroked her head, she made that distinct purring sound. It had been like this last time, but lately, Leona seemed to have become even more affectionate.
I heard it was because I smelled good or something. Not like lilacs or peaches, just a "good smell."
It was likely the influence of the "Pure Blessing" I received from Hirt. Since beastkin are born with animalistic senses and instincts, it was highly probable.
I stroked Leona's head for a while before slowly getting up from the bed. If I stayed lying down, I felt like I’d fall fast asleep.
"Why don't you rest a bit more?"
As I got up, Leona suggested with a disappointed expression. She even swished her tail as if asking for more pets.
I chuckled at the gesture but shook my head. I already felt bad for making her wait; I couldn't make her wait any longer.
Besides, even though I was tired, I wasn't at the point of passing out. At times like this, I was proud of my sturdy stamina.
"No, I'm fine. I have to do what needs to be done. I'll pet you more later."
"You'll brush my hair too, right?"
"Of course."
"Okay. Up we go."
Leona sat bolt upright using only her core strength, without even using her arms. As expected of a beastkin, her basic physical abilities were superior.
Seeing that, I suddenly wondered how things would go with her in bed. What kind of side would she show?
For the record, I only had these thoughts because her estrus was approaching in two weeks, not because I’m some kind of lecher.
Considering it would be like combining Adelia's stamina with Cecile's "wicked cycle," I predicted it would be a difficult night in many ways.
"Ariel, dear. Have you been studying hard?"
"Huh? Ah! Daddy!"
I headed to the prepared seats and called Ariel. At my call, Ariel gave a radiant smile, tossed her book aside, and lunged at me.
She then buried herself in my arms. Fortunately, unlike last time, she didn't fail to control her strength and headbutt my crotch.
I gently stroked her head and looked over at Mari. She was looking at Ariel with an "I give up" expression.
And for good reason—to an outsider, it looked like we had been separated for days. For the record, the training had lasted about three hours.
"Our Ariel is such a baby. Did you miss Daddy that much?"
"Yeah! I missed you, Daddy."
"Right, right. Let's sit over there for now."
Ariel is one thing, but I had a specific reason for calling Leona. I headed toward Mari's side while holding Ariel.
Leona followed and sat opposite us, ready for the conversation. Naturally, Ariel sat on my lap...
"Ouch. Could you please not pull my ear?"
"Then can I eat it?"
"No! It hurts when you bite!"
...Actually, surprisingly, she climbed onto Leona's lap. Or rather, she clung to her.
It seemed she was interested in the animal ears and tail that only beastkin have. Even now, her eyes were fixed solely on the ears and the swaying tail.
Mari immediately called out to Ariel, but Leona said it was fine.
In fact, she said it felt much more comfortable, perhaps because Ariel was brimming with the energy of nature.
"Anyway, you wanted me to tell you about sorcery?"
Leona brought up the subject while letting Ariel sit on her lap. Ariel was quietly nestled there, fiddling with Leona's tail.
I nodded at the question. The reason I had called Leona and Mari was indeed because of sorcery.
Currently, the power used by the demon worshippers is neither magic nor divine power, but sorcery. And beastkin primarily use sorcery rather than magic.
Leona isn't a pure-blood but a mixed-blood, yet as the child of the Grand Chieftain, she possesses a vast knowledge of sorcery.
Finally, since Mari has been officially announced as my fiancée, she is a target for the demon worshippers. She needs to hear this for her own protection.
"Yeah. I almost got into trouble because of the sorcery a demon worshipper used. Luckily, Ariel was there to resolve it, but you never know. They might threaten me with another sorcery while Ariel is away for a moment."
"She resolved it? What kind of sorcery was it?"
In response to that question, I explained everything that had happened. However, I added that it wasn't certain and was merely a guess.
I had read books related to sorcery since then, but unfortunately, there was almost nothing substantial.
Strangely, most of them had been lost. Even when I asked Arwen for help, she could find very little.
I don't know why they were lost, but for now, the only thing to rely on is oral tradition—stories passed down by word of mouth.
"I see. Possession... Usually, possession is something done by souls with unresolved grudges or evil spirits, so that's strange."
"You don't know either?"
"It's not that I don't know, it's just fascinating. It's rare for the target of the sorcery to be the caster themselves. Besides, that person must have been incredibly talented in sorcery. More importantly..."
Leona trailed off and shifted her gaze to Ariel, who was sitting on her lap. Ariel was still preoccupied with touching Leona's tail.
"The fact that she ate that soul and purified it... Well, considering she's also Lord Hirt's child, it's not impossible. Nature has the ability to purify itself even when it becomes dirty."
"It won't harm Ariel, will it?"
"If it were going to, symptoms would have appeared long ago."
That's a relief. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been worried that something might have gone wrong with Ariel, but it seemed my fears were unfounded.
That left only the countermeasures. Magic isn't an issue since there are excellent mages around, but sorcery is another story.
Didn't something similar happen before? The assassin who tried to ambush me from behind, bypassing the Academy's security magic.
I suspect that the reason the assassin wasn't detected by the security magic was also due to some kind of sorcery.
"First of all, you know what sorcery is, right?"
"Of course."
"Then do you know what the most basic power required to use sorcery is?"
"Isn't it mana?"
Mana is the source of this world and energy itself. Divine power is a separate matter since it's power granted by a god.
You need mana to make your body stronger, and you need mana to activate magic.
In terms of my previous life, it holds a position similar to electricity. So, I expected sorcery to require mana as well.
"You're not entirely wrong. Most offerings presented during rituals contain a high concentration of mana. Even the human sacrifices committed by demon worshippers are, in a way, the same as offering mana. But the offering itself cannot be the primary agent."
"Then what is it? Faith?"
"It's similar to faith, but different. You should think of it as belief itself."
That sounded like a very cult-like answer. Faith is also belief in a god, but what Leona was saying was too abstract.
Belief. Explaining this word was actually quite simple.
When I made a face showing I didn't understand, Leona chuckled as if she understood my confusion. It seemed sorcery was quite complex.
"I think I know what you're thinking. And you're right. That's why there's a perception that sorcery is similar to gambling."
"It's too abstract to really grasp. So, does a person with deep faith also have talent for sorcery?"
"No. The belief spoken of in sorcery refers to the act itself—the conviction that I can do this. On the other hand, faith is something you can have because a god you believe in exists."
Is it like the placebo effect, or "if you wish for it desperately enough, the universe will make it happen"?
I tilted my head, feeling like I almost understood but not quite. Mari seemed to be in the same boat, as she was blinking her eyes.
When Leona saw that we weren't easily grasping it, she scratched her cheek and gave an example.
"I'll give you an example. Look, there's a sprout on this cute little one's head. See it?"
"Yeah."
"Can this be pulled out?"
"No."
The sprout on Ariel's head cannot be pulled out. I know this because many people, including myself, have tried several times.
When we pulled hard, Ariel said it hurt, so we stopped, and we didn't try to cut it because we were afraid.
So now, we just treat it as hair—hair that is rooted very deeply.
I don't know when that sprout will grow, but I expect it will as time passes.
"Right. Now, look. Here is a sprout that cannot be pulled out. However, the concept in sorcery is helping me so that I can pull this sprout out."
"By presenting offerings through a ritual?"
"Exactly. Then, even though I just pulled with my usual strength..."
Leona playfully grabbed Ariel's sprout and pulled upward. Normally, it would have just been an example for us.
Pop!
With a very cute sound, the sprout was pulled right out. It wasn't pulled out by the roots; the stem was cleanly snapped in the middle.
The moment the sprout came off so easily, Mari, Leona, and I all froze and stared blankly.
The atmosphere was instantly filled with silence, and no one dared to speak.
As for Ariel, she didn't seem to mind that the sprout had been pulled out and was just looking at us with a blank face.
Sshhhk!
In the midst of that silence, another sprout sprouted atop Ariel's head.
It was a very fresh and perky sprout, as if it had never been pulled out in the first place.
Leona looked at it with a bewildered expression before hurriedly speaking.
Seeing the beads of cold sweat on her face, it was clear that she was also quite flustered.
"Ta-da! See? It came out cleanly, right?"
How the hell did she do that?