81
Chapter 81
She slowly approached me as I stumbled, lowering her head to look down at me before spitting out a single remark.
"Looking so pathetic suits you quite well."
Her words struck me coldly.
Yet strangely, I couldn't have been more glad to hear that voice.
Was it the relief of surviving, or the absurd sentimentality of having someone by my side?
She glared at me once, then quickly turned her gaze to the Monster.
Seeing the Monster crawling on the ground after being freed from the Water Prison, her already fierce expression contorted into an even deeper frown.
"It ate a disgustingly large amount. And yet, this damn Kingdom only thinks about hiding these things, seriously... rotten bastards."
She continued muttering, indistinguishable whether it was a curse or just talking to herself, and soon thrust her hand into her Robe.
Then she chanted shortly and firmly.
"Befanir Style . Auxiliary Formula . Ritual."
A cold current sliced through the air and spread out.
A hazy aura bloomed from her fingertips.
It flowed around the Monster like smoke, soon coiling around its body like a snake.
[Pain Reproduction]
The Monster's body trembled violently.
It wasn't a simple suppression or restraint.
It was Magic that forcibly dredged up and recreated the pain it had experienced.
An amplification where the pain of memory transferred into present agony.
"Guaaaaaaah-!!"
The scream that erupted from the Monster's mouth was no longer human.
Its body twisted convulsively, and its muscles contracted abnormally.
The foreign lumps writhing beneath its skin began to squirm all at once.
Crack! Thump!
The Demon Stones embedded throughout its body developed thick cracks, shattering one by one as if they couldn't handle the strain.
"Is it dead...."
At my softly uttered soliloquy, she replied briefly without even looking back.
"It's not dead."
Then she slowly twisted her fingers.
Dark red lines spread across the ground as if seeping in, and a tearing sound echoed along the Monster's torso.
Soon after, a dull 'Thump-' was heard as something burst inside it.
Another Mana Stone hidden inside the Monster finally shattered to pieces.
In that moment, a part of the Monster's body collapsed, melting from the inside out.
Red steam and black aura intertwined as they surged upward, and at last, the physical body began to disintegrate from its core.
It was a bizarrely quiet end, neither noisy nor violent.
She lowered her hand with a quiet sigh.
The rising traces of Magic slowly dissipated, and the Monster writhed no more.
It was completely over.
A moment later, she pulled something out from her Robe.
It was a charred Piece black as soot, burned beyond recognition.
After staring at it in her hand for a while, she lightly kicked it away with her toe, seemingly losing interest.
"What a waste, to use it on something like this..."
The burned Piece fell to the ground with a plop, burying itself in the dirt.
She muttered while brushing the soot off her hands.
"Haa, I'll have to get another one..."
And then she looked back at me.
Her eyes still held an annoyed, irritated look, as if she didn't want to explain anything.
"Ugh... Th-thank you."
"Thank me? For what?"
"For taking care of the Monster-"
"Don't misunderstand. Did you think I dealt with that Monster to help a guy like you? I just cleaned up some uninvited guests making a racket in my forest. That's why I'm currently debating whether to dispose of you too."
I wondered if she was the type to be weak to praise, but there was no hint of a joke on her expressionless face.
It seemed she was completely serious; the gaze watching me for a long time was strangely chilling.
"But you know-"
Her gaze turned sharp.
"That Magic you used earlier, what was it?"
"......Huh?"
"That thing that trapped the Monster in a Water Drop. I'm asking how you used it."
She asked seriously, as if she found it intriguing.
"There are no traces engraved on your soul. It's not a Relic, and it's not Spirit Magic either. It looks like you drew power from the outside... but the source is too unclear. Isn't that weird?"
"W-well... Asking about someone's Magic is definitely considered rude-"
"Rude? Don't make me laugh."
"I-it's a Magic I researched myself!!"
Because she frowned so fiercely, I panicked and blurted it out without thinking.
In truth, I couldn't clearly explain where the Magic I was using originated from either.
So I had no choice but to just make an excuse.
"Tsk, an obvious lie."
She shook her head from side to side.
"Research? Look at you. How could an obvious idiot like you conduct any research?"
"...."
Damn it, I can't say anything to that.
If she presses me even a little more right now, I'm absolutely certain I'll get tangled up no matter what she asks.
Silence would be better.
"...I just used it by feeling."
"...So you're telling me you're a Psionic?"
A Psionic?
I'd heard of it somewhere, but I couldn't remember exactly.
"A Psionic?"
"Hah, this idiot is starting again. Even a Goblin would be smarter than you."
She shook her head as if shuddering in disgust.
"...I really don't know."
"You use it like that and don't even know what it is?"
Her eyes changed.
Rather than surprise, it was a look layered with annoyance, suspicion, and a hint of interest.
I unconsciously took a step back.
"Usually, it's innate. There are guys who are just born able to use Mental Power like Mana. Or they get it by being ground to the bone."
Using Mental Power instead of Mana...?
"Those born like that, or those made through brutal means. Those are called Psionics. Got it?"
In short, she meant people like Espers.
I figured there wasn't much difference from a Magician, but her gaze remained as fierce as if it were piercing right through me.
"But you, you have nothing."
That was true.
Because I wasn't that type.
What I used wasn't an Esper's power, Spirit Magic, or a Relic.
"Besides, you absolutely reek of the Magic Tower. If you were a Psionic, you should be far removed from that place."
"...Then, I guess I'm not one."
"Tsk, what even are you? At a glance, it doesn't seem like what you just said was a lie either."
She waved her hand dismissively as if she didn't even want to hear an answer.
"Use it again. That Water Magic."
"...That's impossible right now. I have no Mana, and my body is-"
Before I could even finish, she suddenly tossed a bottle at me.
My shoulder was in such a mess that I couldn't catch it properly, and the bottle fell to the ground.
Fortunately, it hit some weeds and didn't break.
"What is this...?"
Before I could say anything else, she glanced over my condition and spat out.
"Whatever. Drink that and follow me."
"...Where to?"
She didn't even reply to my question.
She just absentmindedly leaned on her Staff and strode into the Bushes.
...No, what the hell. She could have at least said something.
What am I supposed to tell the Party?
What if they think I just died...
'Anyway, this is...'
With my right hand, I picked up the bottle she had thrown.
It was clearly a bottle similar to the Mana Recovery Potion she had been drinking earlier in the Cabin.
Given the circumstances, anyone would think it was a Mana Potion, but strangely, I felt hesitant.
An uneasy... feeling.
Still, whatever. I had nothing to lose.
Pop.
As soon as I opened the Stopper, I couldn't help but frown.
A foul, moldy smell that I felt like I had encountered somewhere before.
Rather than a Mana Potion, the scent was closer to expired pickled vegetable brine.
"...I seriously have to drink this?"
She had already disappeared far into the other side of the Bushes.
I wanted to hold my nose and drink it, but I already couldn't even lift my left arm properly.
In the end, I just put it to my lips.
Glug, glug.
"Gah-!"
The moment the first gulp went down, my throat sent a signal as if screaming to my brain.
A thick and fishy taste. A musty aftertaste lingering in my mouth.
Nausea rose reflexively, but I gritted my teeth, covered my mouth, and barely managed to swallow it down.
The tip of my tongue tingled, and my stomach let out a gurgle as if warning against the forcibly ingested liquid.
Only after enduring the terrible taste for a long time was I barely able to empty the bottle.
'Does it really even have an effect... Could it be, was I tricked?'
The moment doubt welled up to my throat.
A strange heat rose from my left shoulder.
A foreign warmth, as if sunlight was striking directly onto that one shoulder.
'Huh?'
That warmth immediately turned into a fiery pain.
"...Urgh?!"
I barely managed to grit my teeth and suppress the scream welling up in my throat.
Pain surged from deep inside my shoulder as if aching my bones and twisting my flesh.
A feeling like chunks of meat were being forcibly stitched together.
The sensation of torn muscles being forced back together and shattered joints twisting as they realigned.
"Guaaah- Khack!"
It was hard even to breathe.
Every time I inhaled, pain spread as if my shoulder had caught fire.
Shiver-
My entire body was drenched in sweat.
I bit my lip to the point of bleeding, but it felt like it lessened the pain, if only a little.
Only after a long while did the hellish pain slowly begin to subside.
Sensation slowly returned to my shoulder, which had seemed to be broken.
'This... is a Recovery Potion?'
This was just torture.
The fortunate thing was that after enduring that torture, a clear reward followed.
Swish.
I cautiously rolled my shoulder.
There was no foreign looseness, nor did I feel any creaking.
The movement flowed smoothly.
"Ugh!"
It wasn't a complete recovery.
A faint pain still lingered deep within my shoulder.
But this much was nothing. Compared to before, it was practically cute.
I slowly exhaled and lifted my head while clutching my shoulder.
The direction she had disappeared.
Beyond the Bushes, the faintly vanishing hem of her Robe remained in my mind.
'...If it's like this, I guess I should follow her.'
Not only did she save my life, but she also helped me recover.
Suspecting her after she had done all this would be the act of a true scumbag.
Resolving myself, I cautiously took a step while clutching my still-throbbing shoulder.
As I walked in the direction she had vanished, a familiar scenery soon caught my eye.
The very forest I had barely escaped from just moments ago.
And nestled right in the middle of it was the Cabin.
...In the end, it meant she had brought me back to her home.
She was standing at the boundary in front of the Cabin, waiting for me.
She briefly glanced back to check if I was following her.
Without a word, she strode across the boundary.
I cautiously followed suit and stepped inside the boundary.
The scenery was no different from before.
A single Cabin in the middle of the forest. She stood in front of it.
"What is this Barrier-like thing? Earlier, it seemed like just anyone couldn't enter."
I just blurted it out casually, and honestly, I didn't even expect an answer.
But surprisingly, she answered quite willingly.
"Sacrifice Selection."
"...Huh?"
"The name of the Barrier. I said it's Sacrifice Selection."
...The more I heard it, the more ominous the naming sounded.
"By any chance, is the effect-"
"What do you think? I made it to filter out guys with Mana and use them as sacrifices."
"...!"
I instinctively took a step back.
She snorted in disbelief.
"Tsk, if you're going to be stupid, you should at least be fearless. That's just the intent of the Barrier; if I had actually used it for that purpose, you'd be long dead by now."
She tapped the ground with her Staff and added.
"These days, I just use it to filter out annoying Intruders. It's convenient."
"Ah... I see."
I gave a vague nod and caught my breath.
Though no matter how much she explained, I couldn't feel entirely relieved.
Creeeeak.
She opened the Cabin door and stepped in first.
I carefully followed her inside.
The inside had the same dark and untidy atmosphere as before.
Haphazardly placed furniture, piles of books and Herbs stacked in the corner, slightly scorched walls.
Rather than feeling warm or lived-in, it simply felt like someone was occupying the space.
In the middle of what looked like the Living Room, she plopped down into an old Chair, glanced in my direction, and spoke.
"Are you going to stand there all day?"
"...Huh?"
"I said sit down. Can't you understand words?"
"Ah, yes."
Of course I understood what she said, but I hadn't expected those words to come out of her mouth.
I quickly found a nearby Chair and sat down.
It looked covered in dust, but I hurriedly lowered my body without even having the time to wipe it off.
She let out a light sigh without a word and turned her head.
Then she reached into her Robe and pulled out something similar to the bottle she had thrown at me earlier.
And without any warning, she tossed it in my direction.
"Whoa?!"
I reflexively reached out and barely managed to catch it.
A cold, heavy bottle.
Clunk, an unpleasant weight settled heavily onto my palm.
"Wh-what is this?"
She spat out casually, as if it was no big deal.
"A Mana Recovery Potion. It's only half full, so don't thank me."
"Pardon...?"
I stared down at the bottle blankly.
Having already drunk it once, I had absolutely no desire to bring it to my lips again.
At a glance, it was the exact same type of Potion.
And a single sniff told me it would smell exactly the same.
And cause the exact same pain too.
But the reason she brought me all the way here...
It was obviously because of that Magic, even if she didn't say it out loud.
If so, then not drinking this wasn't an option.
"Huu...."
Letting out a short breath like a sigh, I drank the bottle once more.
Pop.
Glug, glug.
I thought it might be a little better since it was my second time, but yeah right.
It still tasted disgustingly awful.
The taste was the worst, but the real issue lay elsewhere.
'...It's coming soon.'
After forcing the Potion down, I instinctively adjusted my posture.
I had to grit my teeth and brace myself before my body reacted.
Thump.
It started as a subtle vibration at first.
I felt a dull ringing somewhere in my chest, near my heart.
Thump. Thump-thump.
It gradually picked up speed, and then my heart began to pound like crazy, as if I had chugged energy drinks.
Thump-thump-thump-!
I gasped for breath, and cold sweat poured down.
Along with the feeling of Mana spreading to my bones, an erupting agony from deep within my chest shook my entire body.
"Urgh...!"
My fist pressed against my heart on its own.
If I didn't, it felt like my heart would actually pop out.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-!
My heart thrashed as if it would tear through my chest.
My lungs gasped with no time to catch up, and my vision wavered and gradually narrowed.
The pain wasn't just mere agony; it was closer to a violence that encroached upon my mind itself.
"K-kugh...!"
I curled up and clutched my heart.
It felt like each beat was striking my breastbone like an iron Hammer.
I could feel the hot Mana flowing through my veins, and a fiery heat and pain followed wherever it flowed.
Rather than my blood running cold, it felt like it was boiling.
It wasn't recovery, but just like a gear in a machine being forcibly turned.
After enduring it for a long while, my wildly beating heart slowly regained its rhythm.
The severe pain also began to subside.
I took a deep breath.
Only after fresh air filled deep into my lungs did I feel like I could live.
When I gathered my senses and raised my head, I saw her.
She was looking at me with an interested gaze, as if watching a clown's performance.
With the corners of her mouth slightly raised, she nonchalantly threw out a remark.
"As expected, a failure. So it had that kind of side effect."
"......."
I naturally thought she had endured such side effects to drink it too.
Don't tell me she threw something like this only to me?
My mind flared up in an instant.
Anger boiled up, and the urge to snap at her surged within me.
Yet, it cooled down just as quickly.
...Truthfully, she did save me.
My body was recovered, and the one who dragged me all the way here was that woman.
I wondered if I had the right to say anything.
No, she wasn't the type to listen no matter what I said in the first place.
With a calm face, she was still looking at me as if viewing a 'research sample'.
"You're done now, right? Use it."
Just as she said, my Mana had already filled up to about halfway.
I couldn't delay any longer.
I slowly began to draw up my Mana.
"Hoh?"
She let out a short, admiring sound.
Just from seeing me manipulate Mana, it seemed she had already taken an interest.
I flinched slightly at her reaction, but she tilted her head, signaling me to continue.
I hesitated for a moment, then decided to choose a different Magic instead of the one she expected.
Since I couldn't freely use a Magic that consumed a lot of Mana when I didn't know what might happen.
[Condensation]
Moisture quietly began to gather above my hand.
The moisture drawn from the thin air gathered drop by drop, forming a small mass of water.
Did she notice at first that I wasn't using the Magic she wanted?
She frowned for a moment, but soon changed her look again as she watched the Magic condensing before her eyes.
Interest. Curiosity.
And a subtle probing.
She quietly watched the Magic.
Judging that I had shown enough, I slowly dispersed the Magic at my fingertips.
The moisture floating in the air seeped into the ground and vanished as if nothing had happened.
She watched the process until the end without a word.
And her eyes slowly changed.
The interest and playfulness from earlier disappeared, replaced by a strangely quiet gaze, as if she were calculating something.
A brief moment of silence.
As if she were rolling dozens of possibilities in her head simultaneously.
There was a strange weight to her expression.
Eventually, she turned her head and asked, looking straight into my eyes.
"...Where did you come from?"
In a voice that sounded as if she already knew.