Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: Ariya's Test
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Clink.
The sound of the teacup being placed on the table seemed unusually loud.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Please, relax.”
Cheon-seong carefully lifted the teacup she offered, his eyes cautiously scanning the room.
—The top floor of the Magic Tower.
The splendor of the space where Ariya resided was beyond words.
It was filled to the brim with luxurious items that represented the pinnacle of extravagance and sophisticated taste.
Even the small trinkets in an ordinary display cabinet emanated an extraordinary aura.
‘All of these are magical items comparable to magi-tech artifacts…’
The thought came to him unbidden. Though countless items filled the room, each and every one was akin to a special artifact.
Just looking around was enough to feel overwhelmed.
Even in the Imperial Palace, magi-tech artifacts were considered immense treasures, not to be given away lightly.
They were merely loaned to Kalli, despite her incredible achievements. Yet this room was filled with items of comparable value.
‘Ariya is…’
And yet, Ariya didn't seem to cherish these items at all.
Isn't there a saying about people who live in a world completely different from your own? He was feeling that acutely right now.
And then there were the countless mages he had encountered on his way here. He could vaguely sense the envy and jealousy they directed at him simply for being by Ariya's side.
They were jealous of him for no other reason than his proximity to her.
As he quietly reflected on Ariya's immense influence, the world she lived in, and how her perspective was entirely different from his…
“…”
His gaze returned to the woman sitting across from him.
Amidst her brilliant silver hair, which immediately caught the eye, she appeared aloof yet at ease. He could feel a strange interest in her eyes as she looked at him.
‘Did something happen that I'm not aware of?’
It suddenly occurred to him that her gaze now was slightly different from when she had looked at him at the entrance of the Magic Tower.
He had only tried to compose his attitude, but it seemed she hadn't taken it badly.
“So, Han Cheon-seong. What do you want that you came to find me?”
An hour had passed since they met at the entrance. At her question, finally asking his purpose, he offered a faint smile.
“It's just that... I was reflecting on the token you gave me before. I realized that instead of waiting for you to seek me out, Tower Master Ariya... having received such a great favor, I should be the one to visit you first. To show the proper attitude.”
“To show the proper attitude?”
“Yes, that's right.”
As he answered calmly, he resolved to adopt an attitude that wouldn't displease her, yet would still show confidence.
In truth, he'd had to stop his hands and feet from trembling more than once on his way here. The gazes of the mages directed at him were anything but friendly.
Every one of them was filled with distrust and hostility.
Even high-ranking mages had looked at him that way... he couldn't just brush it off.
“Hmm. Is that so. Not bad.”
She spoke bluntly, tilting her head. Seeing this, he smiled gently and set down his teacup.
Ariya's personality had been briefly described in the original story.
An extremely arrogant mage who had reached an overwhelming level of mastery befitting her pride, she also possessed a 'narcissistic' personality.
Thus, she only gave proper treatment to those she 'acknowledged'.
Clink.
He carefully set the cup down, but he couldn't even taste the tea.
Assuming it was just some bitter tea, his nerves were focused solely on Ariya.
“And there is one other thing I wanted to know.”
“What is it you want to know?”
“About the meaning behind you giving me this token.”
Shhk.
He took the white, flower-shaped jewel she had given him from his pocket and gently placed it on the table.
“What? You already know what it means, don't you?”
At her indifferent tone, he smiled faintly and continued.
“Even so, I wanted to hear it from you directly. After our last meeting, I looked into you more, Tower Master. And I learned you are even more incredible than I had imagined. So I was curious... what would you do with me if, even after receiving your teachings, I chose not to become a mage? You only give this token to those you consider your 'disciples,' don't you?"
Even to him, it was a peculiar question.
A question without a clear intent.
It was merely a way to continue the conversation. However, he thought it was the kind of question that might pique her curiosity.
“It's true I gave it to my disciples, as it's a token only for those worthy of my teachings. So, what if you don't become a mage? Well... you already gave me the answer to that, didn't you? That you have a path you want to walk, and you want to stick to it. Didn't you say that yourself?”
“I did. However...”
He was about to naturally continue with his prepared words.
"—!"
His vision suddenly blurred, and his upper body lurched forward before he could stop it.
He instinctively shot out a hand to grab the table, stopping himself from falling. As he forced himself to stay upright, his vision smeared strangely, like looking through a rain-streaked windowpane.
It felt as if light was exploding, his vision blurring dizzily until, for a moment, he couldn't think at all.
“…”
He blinked blankly, unable to form any words.
What is this…?
Why is this happening to me?
In the face of this sudden change, he found himself exhaling, his heart feeling like it was beating far too fast.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He could even feel the blood rushing rapidly through his veins.
Swallowing repeatedly, he urgently spoke.
“I'm... sorry. I suddenly feel dizzy...”
“It's fine. I'm the one who did this to you.”
“...Pardon?”
Through his blurred vision, his own voice shaking unsteadily, he barely managed to lift his head.
There, Ariya was watching him, chin propped on her hand, a wide grin spreading across her lips.
And even her form seemed to twist and distort, as if his vision was flashing with light.
“The tea you and I just drank contains a certain special ingredient. It's acting as a sort of stimulant.”
“A stimulant... you say?”
“Think of it as a good thing. It's not harmful to your body at all. In fact, it's like a precious treasure. A treasure you can't easily find anywhere, one you can't have even if you want it. That's what I've just given you as a gift.”
Listening to her cryptic, roundabout words, he felt a strange sense of unease.
To be precise, he felt sick.
“…”
He felt like he couldn't even support his own body without his hands on the table, and his vision was spinning. Yet Ariya's alluring voice came through with piercing clarity, as if hammered into his ears.
That only made him feel worse.
‘What kind of cruel prank is this…’
As he thought this, his vision blurred completely.
Even with his eyes open, his vision was like a series of flashing lights. He wondered what on earth he could have ingested to experience such a bizarre phenomenon.
“Thirty minutes in your current state.”
“...Pardon?”
“You just have to continue our conversation for thirty minutes. Keep a firm grip on your reason and don't let that strange energy circulating in your body overwhelm you. Instead, try to make that energy your own. See? It's simple, isn't it?”
At her playful tone, he instinctively clapped a hand over his mouth.
“Ugh!”
Something surged up from within him. It was a bizarre sensation that went beyond dizziness, as if his entire body was twisting.
—!
But he managed to swallow back whatever had risen.
As time passed, it felt like the substance inside him was surging more intensely. He shook his head involuntarily.
‘Impossible.’
There was no way he could carry on a conversation in this state.
Fighting back the nausea and revulsion rising in his stomach, he forced his mouth open.
“What on earth did you... make me drink?”
“Take a guess.”
“I need to know what it is... so I can deal with it.”
“But that would be no fun.”
“Ariya... ma'am!”
He barely managed to speak, wanting nothing more than to expel the foreign substance inside him, the thing that was raging violently within.
He wanted to just throw up and get it over with.
But he couldn't.
‘She said it wasn't harmful.’
Ariya was constitutionally incapable of lying.
She was 'that kind of being'.
So, what she said had to be true. Including the part about feeding him something akin to a treasure.
...But he had no idea what it could be to make him feel so foul and disgusting.
Suddenly.
Then, his brow furrowed on its own.
‘This woman is enjoying this.’
Through his distorted vision, he could see Ariya repeatedly bursting into laughter.
“I really can't resist giving gifts when I get reactions like this. And you know what? Han Cheon-seong, you're holding up quite well. When I first gave this to Esia, she threw up immediately and went on a rampage, trying to trash the room.”
Even though she was smiling cheerfully as she spoke, it didn't feel pleasant at all.
Her praise didn't sound like praise in the slightest... He found himself with his head bowed, just blankly breathing.
“Hah... hah... hah...”
He let out a faint breath and immediately sucked in another.
And simply repeated the process.
That was how he was managing to endure.
“Those were fun times, even thinking back now. When I remember how Esia had to clean up the room afterward... it's been years, but I can still picture her crying and making a fuss.”
“Hah…”
Listening blankly to her voice, he took another breath and brought one hand to his side.
Shhk!
Then he pinched his side, so hard it felt like the flesh might tear off. The pain seemed to clear his head, if only a little.
“Ugh…”
It was hard to tell if the groan was from pain or from holding back vomit. Regardless, he endured it somehow.
And he lifted his head again to face her.
His thoughts were fragmented, but he wasn't completely without a guess.
Such intense nausea, the dizzying sensation of his vision constantly flashing with light—one thing came to mind.
“Don't tell me... you gave me... *that*?”
Even as he said it, he couldn't comprehend it.
Anyone with common sense wouldn't use 'that' for a mere prank. It was never meant to be used like this.
“'That'? You have to say it properly.”
“Mandrake... I mean.”
As he blankly uttered the name, just thinking about it seemed to make his stomach churn even more.
“Ugh!”
He clapped a hand over his mouth again, his eyes fixed on Ariya.
Her eyes widened slightly, as if in surprise.
Judging by her reaction, it seemed, incredibly, that he was right.
“Correct. How did you know? Most people wouldn't even be able to think of it the first time. I did mix a good amount of powder made from a freshly ground Mandrake into the tea.”
At her direct confirmation, he pressed both hands firmly against his mouth.
“…!”
And he shook his head back and forth.
Everything he had been suppressing and enduring suddenly surged up, and he felt like he was going to lose his mind.
‘I have to endure it, no matter what.’
He knew he absolutely had to withstand this. Even if it killed him, he had to.
He absolutely could not spit it out.
Because it was literally a treasure. The Mandrake only appeared once in the original story.
It was that rare, impossible to obtain even if you tried.
Just by consuming it, one could gain power that was normally unattainable.
With the condition that one could withstand it, of course... It was something that could push a human body beyond its limits.
‘Right, that's what it is…’
He had to endure it, no matter what.
"...!"
His eyes flew wide open as he bit down hard on his lip.
“My.”
As Ariya let out a soft exclamation, he passed through another wave of sickness. He blankly lowered his head, his eyes falling on the teacup.
Gulp.
...His stomach was still churning.
His vision continued to distort, as if light were exploding over and over.
But.
Still.
There was still... some left.
There was still tea left in the cup—tea containing the treasure known as Mandrake.
‘I have to... drink it all.’
He snatched it!
The moment he grabbed the teacup, he tipped it back and poured the contents into his mouth.
"You. Are you even human?“
Despite her astonished voice, his resolve was firmer than ever.