Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: Ariya's Test - (3)
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Tea brewed with freshly ground, living mandrake.
A prank, yet also a reward.
It was a prank only Ariya could pull, but in terms of ratio, it was about two parts prank to eight parts reward.
After all, even as a joke, a mandrake wasn't something one could give away so easily.
Mandrakes could only be found in specific, remote regions. They were extremely difficult to find in the wild, and cultivating them artificially was next to impossible.
So, even for Ariya, the "reward" aspect of it was overwhelmingly significant.
And now.
"Ugh!"
He repeatedly covered his mouth and twisted his body.
The sight of Han Cheon-seong shaking his head or desperately holding on with all his might was… how should I put it?
In a word, it was strange. So much so that I didn't feel much of an urge to speak to him or continue the conversation.
'Should I call him amazing, or just plain stubborn?'
It wasn't as if there had been no one like Han Cheon-seong among those I'd given my mark to.
There had been others who had tried to endure the mandrake tea, just like he was doing now.
"Hah…"
Then, as if he had overcome a great ordeal, he lowered the hand covering his mouth and let out a ragged breath, looking utterly drained. As I stared at him, someone else came to mind. A laugh escaped my lips before I even realized it.
'To think a human would remind me of Feriati.'
Feriati was an elf, but she had caught my eye, and I had taken her in as a mage. Though she was no longer at the Mage Tower, I had fond memories of the amusing chaos her peculiar personality used to cause.
However.
The feeling I had when I pulled the same prank on Feriati back then was very different.
"..."
Han Cheon-seong slowly lifted his head, his unfocused eyes meeting mine.
Most importantly, their species were different.
Feriati was an elf and possessed a natural resistance to foreign energies, which was why she could withstand the mandrake tea.
But humans had no such resistance. It was simply not in their nature.
That was why he was the first among humans.
The properties of a freshly ground, living mandrake were unique and potent enough to overwhelm most others. The moment it entered the body, even its faintest components would trigger a violent rejection.
An instinctual nausea, confusion, and revulsion would swell up, regardless of species.
By the standards of a normal human, he shouldn't have been able to last even a minute.
And yet…
more than ten minutes had already passed.
"..."
As I met the gaze of the still-dazed Han Cheon-seong, I was reminded of Esia, a disciple I had taken in more recently.
Even Esia hadn't been able to endure for five minutes before breaking down into a crying mess. Han Cheon-seong was different.
"..."
So, at some point, I found myself simply watching him in silence.
A strange sense of dissonance made me narrow my eyes.
'He's definitely different.'
I felt a strange sensation, wondering if this was the mental fortitude of a human who had faced the nine apostles.
In truth, the mandrake's effects would have worked even if he had spat some of it out. But Han Cheon-seong not only endured it, he drank every last drop of the tea.
If there was a difference between him and Feriati, that was it—and it was the biggest difference of all.
Even Feriati hadn't thought to drink the rest of the tea.
"...How many minutes... are left?"
"Seventeen."
"I... see."
He asked dazedly, and with that, our short exchange ended.
It was almost funny that he was still thinking about the thirty minutes I had mentioned.
"So, you have enough composure to talk now?"
"...I think I can, for now."
"For now."
"Yes... for now."
A weak voice. His eyes, completely unfocused as they stared at me, were filling with a strange desire—no, an obsession.
"Is that so. Then I have a few questions for you. Maintaining silence like before might prove more difficult, anyway."
*Nod.*
I decided to calmly accept his silent nod.
This situation was special, so even I could overlook such a minor discourtesy.
"Han Cheon-seong. Where on earth did you come from? I've tried to find out various things about you, but there's strangely no information. It's as if you just suddenly dropped into this world."
"...I've wandered... all over the world."
"Wandered all over? Since when? Don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like a proper answer."
I was curious, even as I asked calmly.
One cannot define the nature of humanity.
At the same time, one cannot trust anyone.
And I already knew Han Cheon-seong was an orphan; he'd told me himself last time.
However, knowing that a human with no roots, no background, could not achieve great things, I needed to learn more about this person named Han Cheon-seong.
The traits unique to humans in this world. And alongside that, the human bloodlines that had accumulated over generations under the names of various high-ranking families were not to be underestimated.
The imperial family of this empire endured precisely because the power of such bloodlines was immense.
In that sense, Han Cheon-seong was extremely peculiar among the humans I'd observed. This man had no distinguished family, no exceptional traits.
He possessed virtually nothing, yet he displayed such a dissonant quality. To the point where he seemed exceptionally strange, even among all the humans I've seen…
'How can that be?'
That was what I wanted to know more than anything.
"..."
For a moment, there was no reply, and I met Han Cheon-seong's blank, unfocused eyes.
*Srrk.*
As Han Cheon-seong's lips parted slightly, I watched him with focus.
What kind of answer would he give…
"Ugh!"
But then he suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth and began to writhe, and a hollow laugh escaped me without my realizing.
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped."
I muttered, feeling a strange sense of disappointment.
*Clink.*
I gently lifted my own teacup, my eyes on Han Cheon-seong as he twisted in agony.
*Rustle!*
His efforts to endure were almost pitiful to watch.
The mandrake's effects must be surging more intensely than before, yet he was holding on well. It couldn't be easy to withstand or accept it in such a short time.
The side effects would continue for some time.
*Srrk.*
I tilted the teacup, also filled with mandrake, to my lips.
—!
For an instant, my vision wavered slightly. But the sensation was familiar now, and I was not greatly disturbed.
"..."
And that was all.
My body had already fully adapted to the mandrake; aside from that momentary dissonance, it had little effect on me.
Therefore, the mandrake's energy only surged in the first moment I drank the tea.
That was only natural. My body had long since surpassed a level where it could be shaken by the properties of a mandrake. The essence of my being. The power of my origin had grown that strong.
"Haaaah..."
Then, as Han Cheon-seong let out an even deeper breath and began to stabilize, I spoke again.
"So, your answer?"
I didn't have high expectations as I asked.
His gaze was completely scattered, his body limp as if drained of all strength. Han Cheon-seong looked as if he could collapse at any moment.
So, it was obvious that even if he heard me, he wouldn't be able to process what I was asking.
"Before that... there's something I want to tell you first."
However, I was a little surprised by his clear articulation. Contrary to my assumption that he wouldn't be able to think at all, Han Cheon-seong seemed to be thinking clearly.
"Go on."
My gaze was suddenly drawn to Han Cheon-seong's hands, which were trembling violently. But even that tremor was gradually subsiding.
As if to prove me wrong, Han Cheon-seong was quickly composing himself.
For some reason, it felt as if he had suddenly regained his full senses. The unfocused look in his eyes was slowly returning to normal.
"Before I do, can you... believe what I say?"
"That is for me to judge."
"...I see."
"Yes."
Whether someone asks me to believe them or not to believe them, the words themselves are meaningless.
Because I can know the truth simply by listening.
Therefore, the question itself was flawed. But since I couldn't tell him that, I just smiled lightly and looked at him.
So, what on earth did he want to say in this situation?
"■■■■."
And then his mouth opened. He was clearly mouthing something, but as I watched, I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion.
"What are you saying, Han Cheon-seong? There's no sound."
"■■..."
Han Cheon-seong struggled to open his mouth again, but then abruptly clamped it shut. I could only stare at him blankly.
'What?'
There was definitely no sound.
I could clearly see him opening his mouth, trying to vocalize. But despite the shape of his mouth and his apparent effort to speak, not a single sound came out.
And I couldn't understand what he was trying to say from his lip movements alone.
...It looked as if he was trying to say something bizarre, not a complete sentence or word.
"Ugh!"
Watching Han Cheon-seong cover his mouth again and endure, I could only find it strange.
Suddenly, it felt less like he was just different and more like he was completely alien.
—Something incomprehensible.
—Something impossible.
As if something like that had just happened...
It didn't seem like Han Cheon-seong was trying to pull a prank or acting with any similar intent.
He was still struggling immensely, twisting his body like that.
So, he couldn't possibly be thinking of such things. Even the look in his eyes just moments ago had been entirely sincere.
It was clear he had been trying to appeal to me about something.
"This can't be..."
Then, as he regained his composure and muttered those words in a daze...
I was only left more bewildered.