Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Huh?
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Huh?
"Do you know why your magic isn't working?"
Isia didn't answer the question that rang out. She simply narrowed her eyes and watched the woman standing before her, holding a switch and explaining.
There was no reason.
She just felt like it. At first, there had been no particular thoughts, but lately, something about her rubbed Isia the wrong way.
Why? Even after pondering, she couldn't figure it out.
"It's because you can't focus. Or, to put it another way, your mind is unsettled? No, that's not quite right. There has to be a better way to express it—"
The blue-haired woman muttered to herself, lost in thought. Isia didn't know her name. She seemed vaguely familiar, though.
"Hmm~ No idea! Anyway, it's because you can't focus."
Was this advice trustworthy? Isia eyed her suspiciously, but the woman's face showed no deeper thought. It was an expression with a question mark practically floating above her head. Innocent was one thing, but this was—
'A dumb look.'
Having finally pinned it down, Isia glanced at Sophia, who was sitting properly beside her. She wore her usual smile—not quite disbelief.
This wouldn't help. With her sole ally's motivation at zero, Isia gave up and decided to listen to the lecture.
"That's why I fail every day too. While drawing the magic formula, my mind wanders. I'm thinking about the spell diagram in my head, and suddenly I'm wondering what to have for lunch, or that flower is so pretty!"
Isn't that ADHD? Isia swallowed the words that rose to the tip of her tongue.
"So, simply put, just focus!"
"That's easier said than—"
"Yeah. It is hard."
The woman swung the switch, correcting her posture. It was the pose of someone saying, Now I'm going to hit you with this.
"I'll teach you how from now on."
She grinned. Goosebumps prickled across Isia's entire body. Was this really right? As she leaned back to ward off the approach,
The woman was faster than expected. No—Isia couldn't even track her with her eyes.
"Huh?"
She had merely blinked, and the woman in front of her was gone.
What was happening? As Isia panicked, the switch struck her shoulder from behind.
"—!!!!!"
It hurt. It genuinely hurt. Isia discovered that when pain was real, no sound came out. Electricity surged through her shoulder, making her whole body tremble.
"Relax your shoulders and fix your posture. Every time you mess up the posture I'm telling you from now on, I'll hit you harder than just now."
"Is this ri—!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Don't answer. Just focus."
Tears welled up from the second strike. Isia had no choice but to obey.
But who masters something perfectly from the start?
Maintaining the posture she taught was excruciatingly difficult. Sit properly and don't move, relax your shoulders, keep your eyes closed.
If her legs went numb and she fidgeted, her thighs got hit; if she peeked, her head; if her shoulders tensed even slightly, her shoulder; if her back or neck leaned forward even a bit, another strike.
After taking hits for a while, suddenly, no more came. She could maintain the posture without getting struck and listen to the woman's words.
"It's meditation. A meditation technique passed down in our family. Listen carefully from now on."
Family? What family? Isia pondered deeply. In this state, her thoughts flowed even better.
Blue hair, blue eyes. Physical abilities beyond visual tracking, and meditation.
'A swordsmanship prestigious family.'
There was a sword clan famous for its blue-haired members running wild. Was she from there? If so, why teach me such a meditation technique?
Isia pushed aside the chain of questions and focused on her words.
A meditation method from a swordsmanship prestigious family was worth hearing.
"Focus on your heartbeat. Do you know where your mana tank is? It's your heart. Focus on the mana that starts from the heart and spreads with your blood. Not mana power—mana. Focus on the unrefined mana within the mana power."
Thump, thump.
As instructed, she concentrated on her heartbeat. The heart beating at regular intervals. She searched for mana power within it. It was easy.
She felt it. Mana power. Sweeping through her body like waves with her blood, infusing vitality everywhere.
'Within that, mana.'
Not mana power, but mana. Pure, unrefined mana. It wasn't easy.
Mana transformed into mana power the moment it entered her body, refined in the heart. The body burned mana to purify it into mana power.
It was like breathing. Finding such mana was like searching for a needle in a desert.
How was she supposed to find it? A sliver of doubt crept in, but Isia refocused and began the search.
It didn't take long to grasp what "finding mana" meant.
Effort to find mana. Gradually, surrounding sounds faded, as if entering a single space.
The noisy wind, the blue-haired woman's voice, the thumping heart, even her own breath.
When nothing could be heard anymore, Isia felt it.
'So that's why she said to focus.'
It felt like entering a space of nothingness, facing her inner self. In that sensation, Isia kept thinking.
She knew this feeling. It was the same as when she learned "Chant Disruption" in Sylvia's fog.
She thought. Thought and thought again.
A place where she could purely concentrate and think. This was it.
Right now, somehow, she felt she could use "Chant Disruption" again.
Was it supposed to be this easy to use again?
'Then why?'
Why hadn't she been able to use it? Isia delved deeper into her thoughts.
The first time in the fog, she had used it fine. After fighting Sylvia. Then it stopped? She wasn't sure.
So Isia reviewed every subsequent situation.
Lee Seong-hoon approached. He praised her. When he tried to take the mask, she ran off holding it, sat on a bench, and practiced lines for beating Lucy.
'That's it.'
What was the problem? No matter how much she thought, she couldn't figure it out, so she opened her eyes. Breaking the meditation was surprisingly easy.
She just thought I want to leave, and she was out.
Before the awakened Isia stood the blue-haired woman, smiling thinly. A face saying 'Give it a try!'
Isia let out a sigh and cast her magic.
A black sphere appeared above her head. This much she could do chantless anyway, so next she floated a more complex two-layered sphere, one orb within another—a second-tier chant spell.
"「Chant Disruption」!! You're amazing!!"
Seeing the surprised hand-to-mouth reaction, Isia inexplicably felt pleased and moved to try a three-tier chant spell, but stopped.
Lee Seong-hoon was heading their way, drawn by the commotion. Beside him was another blue-haired woman.
"You did it!!"
Her eyes turned into money shapes, but it should be fine. Isia feigned calm and made an expression asking How's that?
"See!! I knew you could do it if you tried!!"
With that, Lee Seong-hoon placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair wildly.
"Now Lucy will be a piece of cake! Did you figure out why? For the line when you beat Lucy, use the one I told you."
"...."
Being praised made her chest tickle oddly. Was this how kids felt when praised?
As she thought that, she tried using 「Chant Disruption」 once more—but
"Huh?"
"I just heard a super ominous sound."
"Oh. Seong-hoon. I felt it too. That's the sound of real panic. I think 「Chant Disruption」 isn't coming out again or something."
"Don't jinx it. Seriously, don't. I'm dead serious."
Isia looked up at Lee Seong-hoon saying such things. Tears threatened to well up for some reason, but she held them back.
"Huhhh??"
Why wouldn't Chant Disruption activate? Isia truly felt like crying.
Fortunately, Shin Chae-yeon had only come to pick up Shin Ga-yeon. She waited until the end to see what her sister was up to, but nothing major happened.
They had just planned to go dungeon experiencing together, so they exchanged greetings and waited until it ended.
Up to here, fine. All good, but Isia caused big trouble.
This damn woman meditated, got 「Chant Disruption」 working, then it stopped again. All in less than a minute.
It's not a broken appliance—why work briefly then die?
For a moment, he thought Is this knockoff Chinese crap? but dismissed it.
So, what's the conclusion?
Shin Ga-yeon starts saying stuff like 'Since it's like this, let's train meditation until day 7!', and Isia sniffles 'I'm trash.' as her self-esteem hits rock bottom.
Isia's self-esteem can be rebuilt, but the problem is Shin Ga-yeon. Every time this girl meets me, something happens.
Shin Chae-yeon will come looking every day. Searching for her unpredictable sister.
So, no choice. Since she temporarily fixed Isia's 「Chant Disruption」, her meditation method is needed.
Needed, but no more than that. Yet Shin Ga-yeon has some weird fondness for me now.
One way to handle it.
Make her leave on her own. Best option, so I decided to act like trash.
"You're trash to begin with. Human trash."
Harsh words. True, but truth is the cruelest thing in the world.
Anyway, next day, same spot. Day before Isia vs. Lucy duel, day before my ranking match.
Confirming Shin Ga-yeon showed up as usual, I scanned the surroundings.
"What're you looking at?"
I ignored Sophia. What? Obviously checking if Shin Chae-yeon was around. If I pulled this with her there, blade to my throat instantly.
Confirmed absent. I approached Shin Ga-yeon with a smile.
As I smiled and neared, she smiled and waved.
"What?"
"Didn't we agree on casual speech?"
"Well... How could I use casual with the person who saved me..."
This girl's not right in the head. I spoke to her, avoiding eye contact oddly.
"Go buy some bread."
Affection drop tactic 1: Treat her like a subordinate openly.
"Yes!! What kind? Cream? Soboro?"
Failure.
I told Shin Ga-yeon, who returned loaded with bread for everyone, trying to sound as rude as possible.
"You could've just acted normal."
Shut up. For real.
"Ah~ Thirsty. Wish someone would buy water~"
Sophia and Isia reflexively stood up at my words.
"Wait!! Not you two. Not you two."
The pair halted and exchanged glances, then looked at me puzzled.
Like What's up with you?
"Shin Ga-yeon. You get it."
Anyway, ignore and proceed. Tactic 2: Don't order all at once.
"Yes!! What should I get?!"
Failure.
After that, I kept dropping hints. Get this. Get that. Why are your eyes so wide? It's hot, make some water. Water temp's off—what's this? Fan me properly. Hit Isia harder.
Such nonsense.
Sophia and Raphael's glares burned from the side, but there was context, so I ignored.
This was for everyone's sake? Building a world where no one gets hurt?
But Shin Ga-yeon was an unbreakable wall.
"What next!!"
".....Hey."
"Yes!!"
I was exhausted by her still-energetic reply. Nothing left to order. Had to be direct.
This isn't your place. Fix Isia and leave.
But too direct might backfire, so euphemism.
"Only my maids can be here. Come only until tomorrow and don't come after—"
"How can I become a maid?!"
This is driving me insane.