Chapter 109

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 109

Chapter Title: About Life (1)

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When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital room.

My whole body felt heavy and numb, but my mind was strangely refreshed. It felt like I'd slept for quite a while.

"You're awake."

Someone spoke from beside the bed. It was a nurse.

"Uh... Is it, like, over?"

"Yes. The treatment went successfully. The professor will explain the details."

I glanced down at my stomach. There wasn't a single mark. My body felt a bit lighter somehow, but was this just the placebo effect?

Creak—

Right on cue, the door slid open.

"You're up."

Professor Yuhains. After dismissing the nurse, he checked something off on his chart as he spoke.

"As you're aware, the dantian is the vessel that holds mana. It's also the organ that converts mana into magical power. In reality, it exists like a core within the human body. My treatment irradiates that core directly with mana quark particles to kill the cancer cells."

The dantian is typically fixed in position from birth, for reasons unknown. Every time a human breathes, mana gathers in the lower abdomen, developing into an organ-like structure encased in a transparent membrane of magical power.

"The treatment itself was a success. The cancer cells have shrunk by 5%."

"That's hard to wrap my head around when you put it like that."

"It's equivalent to three months of chemotherapy."

"Oh?"

Yuhains seemed to think it was 'just that much,' but to me, it was incredibly impressive. That was more than enough progress. Skipping three months of that brutal, vicious chemo...

"Not as much as you'd hoped—"

"Sounds good to me."

"..."

My modest reaction left Yuhains momentarily speechless. But he quickly reverted to his usual impassive expression.

"Your survival odds are still under 1%. It's merely prolonging life. Even with monthly treatments in your current state, your life expectancy is two years."

Dantian cancer was always like that. I'd been the unusual one, lasting so long.

Even after diagnosis, I'd held on for a full twelve years.

"But I guess weekly treatments are off the table?"

"This method ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠irradiates the dantian directly. Push too hard, and you could punch a hole right through it. A hole in the dantian leads straight to qi deviation."

"Hmm... So no full recovery scenario?"

I let a bit of greed slip out. Pretending to be cheerful while constantly bracing for certain death was getting old, honestly.

"You keep saying 'under 1%.' But under 1% isn't 0%."

Yuhains looked at me. It was the cold, clinical gaze of a doctor.

"Right now, it's 0%. But if you keep surviving, and this equipment keeps advancing, a cure might become possible. That's why it's 1%."

I asked him in return.

"How about in twelve years?"

"The odds would rise significantly. However, as I said, your expected lifespan is—"

"I'll live another twelve years at least."

At that, Yuhains's expression darkened. The face of a doctor who dismissed a patient's empty hope in favor of statistics and precedents.

I chuckled.

"It's true. At the very least, I won't die from dantian cancer for the next twelve years. Might get taken out by a stray punch or something..."

I sat up in bed and pulled on my hoodie.

"I'll be back every month until then."

I looked around the room. The single-occupancy space, curtained off, had perfect temperature and humidity. Outwardly old-fashioned, but the facilities rivaled any top hospital.

"That mana quark treatment machine. You said you'd improve it."

"Yes."

"Do you take investments, by any chance?"

Yuhains eyed me up and down. He said nothing, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but his look screamed: This guy who can barely scrape together 200,000 ren...?

"Guess you do. Gives me even more reason to hustle and stay alive."

I wanted to bring down Libra. Even if it cost me my life, my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soul.

But I wanted to live, too. If I could manage it.

Who wouldn't?

"Gotta make a ton of money, too."

Libra knights started at a base monthly salary of 300,000 ren. Add performance bonuses, and it jumped to 600-700,000, with some pulling in over a million.

Factor in side gigs based on the future I knew, and I could contribute a meaningful amount.

"See you next month."

My hope hadn't vanished yet.

It stood right before my eyes.

"Schedule it for a month from now."

Professor Yuhains.

He was the type who'd poured his own money and passion into 'unprofitable' dantian cancer research. Just as I'd staked my life on destroying Libra, he'd staked his on curing dantian cancer.

That was the future.

Worth entrusting my life to.

"Yes. See you next month."

The moment I stepped out of the room, I flinched. The sky visible through the hallway window was a deep, dawn-like blue. I hurriedly checked my smartphone.

Monday, 3:30 AM.

I'd arrived Saturday morning, so I'd slept nearly 36 hours.

Even though the evaluation exam week had wiped out the weekend, Monday was Latynel, so no big deal.

4 AM.

The moment Sion Askal was discharged from the hospital.

Elise Petra received his background check file.

From Elise's position, investigating one person was trivially easy.

Click—click— She opened the file with two clicks and glared at her laptop screen.

Mother: Ern Askal. Died three months after his birth.

Father: Dale Askal. A low-rank Libra knight, killed in action when he was five.

After that, Sion himself entered an orphanage and was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Elise scrolled down.

"What is this..."

Even Elise didn't know many of these facts. It was a human triumph pitiable even to her, but the report's final paragraph caught her eye.

Blurred.

The 'information non-disclosure request' typically applied by council members to hide certain data.

"...Blurred?"

Blurs weren't placed on ordinary incidents or people. Only councilors could request them, and they lifted upon leaving office.

Not even Elise or her aides could unblur it.

"Why?"

It was overkill for the Askal family, a nothingburger commoner household.

There had to be something.

"..."

Elise gnawed her nail in thought, then one name popped into her head.

Yael.

In Elise's view, Yael was someone incapable of making friends, and so was Sion Askal.

But if two friendless people became friends, they'd know everything about each other.

"That guy again..."

Did she have to go see him?

Elise gritted her teeth but ultimately made a call.

Ring—ring—

—Hello?

"Yeah, Mom. It's me."

Her mother, Celine. She sounded surprised.

—Hmm~ What's up this late? Not studying?

"I am. Got Latynel tomorrow."

—Latynel, nice~ But why the call? Oh, heard you got an invite to Sermones Laerteni. Congrats. We'll see you in high society, Mom and Dad too?

"I think I need to meet Yael one more time."

Elise cut her off.

—...

Celine fell abruptly silent.

Her parents didn't want her meeting Yael. It could draw unnecessary suspicion if seen.

"He's at Petra University Hospital. No one'll suspect a visit. I need to keep him in check now. You said you wouldn't kill him anyway."

—...True. How could we kill our own flesh and blood, no matter what?

"When I become family head, he'll die."

Celine let out a small gasp at Elise's declaration, then a deep sigh.

—Can you control him yourself?

"Of course. I'm not the old me anymore. I'll go right after tomorrow's Latynel exam. So..."

Elise recalled the surveillance camera in the corner of the visiting room.

"Ask Dad to turn off the camera this time. We've got a lot to talk about."

The next day, Monday 9 AM. Evaluation exams began.

First up: elective course Latynel.

"...This is the exam hall?"

But the venue was a bit flashy. Like some noble's castle or luxury hotel, with about 120 chairs and desks spaced generously.

Plenty of people. Around a hundred from mana academies nationwide taking Latynel had gathered here. Every one screamed polished nobility.

"Hey, Sion!"

Suddenly someone called my name. I turned.

"Sion, you study hard~?"

Rae Hilton approached with purposeful steps. Headband on her head, massive backpack on her back, arms loaded with summary notebooks.

Classic look for someone bad at studying, but Rae was surprisingly good. Top of the school level.

Rae held up a bright red notebook.

"Check this out~ I know this teacher super well? Got it from him~."

For the record, that teacher was [anonymous]. It was the note I'd given her. More highlights than full notes, key points only.

"Jealous."

"Right?! Won't even show Elise."

I hadn't studied the classes super hard myself, but the tough parts mattered. I'd pointed those out for her.

"...Where's your friend?"

"Elise? Over there."

Rae pointed. Elise was already surrounded by nobles.

"I'm popular too~ But I ditched to study~"

"Got it."

Knock knock—

A knock from the front. Four proctors entered. One face was familiar.

Professor Beatrice.

"Please take your seats."

Everyone settled, chatter dying. Beatrice stood at the podium.

"Welcome to the Latynel evaluation exam, everyone. Time to pour out everything you've learned."

No worries here. I'd ace any Latynel test.

"We'll now distribute the exam papers. You have 90 minutes. Finish early? Hand it in and go."

Beatrice glanced my way as she said it.

"Pass the papers back."

Rustle rustle—

The exam came from behind.

I skimmed it. A smile crept across my face.

Easy.

At least for me.

Every context and passage in Latynel was straightforward, no unknown words or conjugations. The bulk—passages and questions—clicked instantly.

Check—check—check—

I just marked answers like ticking boxes.