Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Yuria and the Strange Doctor (4)
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Completely unaware that Yuria was perking up her ears and secretly listening in.
Crowd and Alice were having a conversation with a rather unusual undertone.
Why had he determined that Yuria might be under a curse?
The reason was this: she was, in many ways, incredibly healthy.
Generally, people who lose the ability to speak suffer from one of two major conditions.
Aphasia, caused by brain damage, and mutism, the inability to speak due to psychological factors.
However, aphasia involves a problem with the language processing area itself, so its symptoms manifest across the board.
In other words, it was far from Yuria's case, as she had no problem hearing or reading language, only speaking.
Yet, to call it mutism, there were no accompanying signs of anxiety or stress.
Yuria's psychological state was the epitome of tranquility, to the point where it was healing to even look at her.
It was almost as if she were deliberately not speaking, forcing herself to remain silent.
But Crowd was a doctor and a Fixer. He had the ability to see right through such a patient.
That left only one way to interpret Yuria's symptoms.
She was forcibly deprived of the ability to speak to others by a curse.
“Miss Alice, you said Yuria seemed to lose consciousness for a moment when she tried to write earlier, correct?”
“Ah, yes! Greg saw it with his own two eyes. She dropped the pen from her hand but didn't even remember it herself….”
“Hmm, I’ve seen a patient with similar symptoms once before. Prohibition magic. It’s a type of magic that forbids the target from performing a certain action. Of course, I can't sense any trace of magic from Yuria, but….”
“If it’s a curse that doesn’t leave a trace of mana… you mean something similar might be possible?”
To be precise, it would be more of a curse-type sorcery than a curse itself.
Crowd supplemented Alice's words, narrowing his eyes.
A curse.
It was a type of sorcery that had now all but vanished.
Back in an era before magic was established by a certain great mage, when it didn't even exist in the world.
What dominated the now-lost otherworld was a system of sorcery built up over hundreds of years.
It involved sacrificing life forms imbued with mana, unifying one's intent through ritualistic acts, and reaching the laws of the world by chance through nonsensical chanting.
It could never be called magic, but it was certainly very close to it.
People called this thing, born from a mixture of inevitability and coincidence, sorcery.
“But sorcery is….”
“Yes. No one uses it now. Especially after the world we lived in was destroyed.”
However, most of this sorcery was phased out at a remarkable speed after the advent of magic.
This was because sorcery was inferior to magic in every aspect.
It was inefficient due to the need for sacrifices, and the mana mixed with blood and flesh made delicate control impossible.
There were even absurd cases where the results varied each time it was used.
After the appearance of magic, sorcery was fated to be quickly pushed out of the competition and disappear.
However, there was one branch of sorcery that managed to survive and maintain its lineage.
That was curse-type sorcery, which inflicted illness upon others.
Magic was like a cold, efficient machine; unlike sorcery, which faltered with every variable.
As long as mana was properly channeled, it always produced the theoretical result.
But perhaps because of this characteristic of immutability.
Curse-type sorcery actually produced results equal to or greater than similar magic.
This was thanks to its unique trait of growing more powerful the more one hated the target.
“And as you know, the higher the sorcerer's level, the fewer traces a curse made with sorcery leaves. That's why it's hard to even know if you've been cursed… and finding the person who cast it is even harder.”
“That… I’ve certainly heard something like that before.”
“Well, sorcery for sorcery. A sorcerer of a similar level could see through it in an instant, but… where in the world would you find a sorcerer these days?”
Perhaps because it consumes living creatures that contain mana, rather than mana itself.
The greatest advantage of curse-type sorcery, commonly known as a curse, is that it leaves no trace.
This was especially true in an ambiguous case like Yuria's, where one couldn't even be certain if she was cursed.
Without detailed knowledge, confirming its presence was virtually impossible.
Of course, a sorcerer would easily know what kind of sorcery it was and how to dispel it, but.
Now that the otherworld, which provided the materials for sorcery, had been destroyed, both sorcery and sorcerers were hard to find.
“This is a headache. As a doctor, I really want to give you a solution… but I've never even heard of a curse that leaves so few traces. Although I'm almost certain a prohibition has been placed on her.”
“I see….”
“Don't make that face. She's a spirited child I've taken quite a liking to, so I'll make some time to help her now and then. Besides, Miss Yuria is perfectly healthy, she just can't speak. If you cry like that, you'll only make her anxious.”
“…Ugh, o-okay, I'll try to hold it in!”
Alice fought back the tears that were about to well up from her worry for Yuria.
Just as Crowd had said, if she cried, it would only make Yuria uneasy.
Now was not the time to feel sorry for her, but to think about what to do next.
I'll find a way to free Yuria from this curse, no matter what.
Instead of feeling sad, Alice let her anger burn toward whoever had cursed her.
Crowd covered his mouth and chuckled at Alice's expression, then continued as if relieved.
“Still, because the curse is so advanced, it's unlikely to transform into another form and torment Miss Yuria. But you should still come by about once a month. Just in case her condition worsens.”
“Yes…! Thank you. I’ll be sure to come back next month!”
“Heeheehee. Ah, bring Raven next time. I do so miss his firm buttocks.”
“Y-Yes, sir! I'll make sure Jin comes with her next time instead of me…!”
For a moment, Alice was horrified by his longing for Raven's rear.
That’s Crowd for you, always on the hunt. She resolved to send Raven next time for sure.
After finishing their talk inside the clinic, Alice came out with Crowd.
She found Yuria sitting quietly in her chair, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Perhaps it was because she had taken off her mask for the examination and hadn't put it back on.
Although her expression was blank as she stared into space, lost in thought, that alone had the destructive power to make one want to hand over all their money.
“Yuria. I'm back!”
“…!”
But Yuria's power was only just beginning.
The moment her head turned and her mysterious violet eyes fell upon Alice.
Yuria's face lit up with a brilliant smile, like a flower bud bursting into full bloom.
Even with her mask on, Yuria was transparent enough that you could guess her thoughts.
But with her bare face, she was even more of an open book.
I trust you with all my heart.
Yuria’s smiling face as she looked at her was like a giant battering ram.
Overwhelmed by the stimulus, Alice felt her heart seize and collapsed right where she stood.
“Ugh… Hah, hah…. I almost fainted…! I had no idea Yuria was capable of such an attack!”
“…”
Of course, Alice's exaggerated reaction was entirely because Yuria’s face had completely captivated her, a die-hard aficionado of all things cute.
On top of that, it was a signal full of trust from the usually unpredictable, cat-like Yuria.
It was no wonder Alice’s legs gave out, unable to resist.
From Yuria's perspective, however, it was utterly baffling.
Even if you liked my face, is this really how you react to a simple smile?
She scratched her cheek in confusion, then swiftly covered her face with the mask she had set down nearby.
As someone who was fond of Alice, she couldn't just keep watching such a disgraceful display.
Did that finally help her regain her composure?
Looking much more at ease, Alice got up, took Yuria’s hand, and bowed to Crowd.
“We'll be going now. Thank you for seeing Yuria today.”
“Not at all. I was just doing what I was asked. Miss Yuria is the one who went through all the trouble with the tests. You two take care now.”
“…!”
“Ohoho, goodbye. …Ah, that’s right. Miss Alice?”
Just as they had gathered their things and were about to leave the clinic.
Crowd looked at Alice as if he had just remembered something.
Was there something else he forgot to say about Yuria?
When Alice tilted her head and asked why he called, he answered casually.
“Come with your sister next time. I want to check on both you and Miss Lily then. You haven't fully recovered yet, have you?”
“Ah, umm. Yes. I'll let you know when we have some free time. My sister's been a bit busy lately. Well, it seems like she'll have some time soon, though….”
Perhaps because the remark was completely unexpected.
Alice looked away slightly with a somewhat awkward expression.
Inside her mask, Yuria, who had been mulling over their conversation, belatedly understood the meaning of his words.
‘Ah, now that I think about it, it’s about that time. Night Week, the official holiday when most companies take a break under the Dragon Mayor's directive.’
Soon, the holiday when most of Nighthaven's corporations would be closed was approaching. Its name was Night Week.
And in the original story, this was when Alice's sister, Lily, visited the agency.
I’ve worked so hard to get rid of all the mini surveillance cameras, surely she doesn't hold a grudge over that, right?
Holding Alice's hand, Yuria felt a pang of anxiety.
I should probably hide myself away in a closet so we don't run into each other.
Clutching her things tightly to her chest, she secretly made her plans.