Chapter 260
Chapter 260
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 260
Chapter Title: It's Not a Blessing, It's a Curse (1)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A tumultuous year was drawing to a close.
The fallen leaves crumbled to dust, and pure white snowflakes began drifting down from the sky. Winter had settled over Aphria, blanketing the grounds in fresh snow.
It meant the second semester was finally nearing its end.
The disaster attack and the school closure for repairs had delayed the academic calendar, but now that the snow was falling in earnest, the major courses were wrapping up one by one.
Thus, the long year came to an end, and winter break—the signal that freshman year was over—approached.
As if to reward themselves for the nonstop sprint of the past half year, the students were busy plotting their vacation plans. Belnoa was no exception.
Chloe’s probably got a ton of plans lined up again.
Who was her childhood friend, after all?
A girl who went crazy for travel. No doubt she’d already mapped out a dozen destinations for break.
Still, Chloe had broken a real sweat just keeping up with classes over the past half year. Belnoa knew better than anyone how frantically she’d been living, so she figured she’d tag along with whatever Chloe had in mind this time.
With that casual thought in mind, Belnoa went to meet Chloe—and her eyes went wide at the girl’s very first words.
“I’m heading to the front lines.”
“...What?”
To the front lines.
Belnoa’s heart plummeted for a split second as she shot back,
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know Gallahal-nim’s here at the academy, right?”
“Of course. I’m in his class.”
“He’s giving me some intensive training... and says I need to see what the battlefield’s really like. It’s something every apprentice hero should experience at least once.”
“That’s...”
Belnoa fell silent.
She sometimes forgot, but her childhood friend had been born under the blessing of the stars. And with that blessing came obligations.
Chloe was the hero’s successor.
A hero had to serve as humanity’s shield on the front lines. That was Chloe’s duty.
Belnoa knew it all too well. She’d just been willfully ignoring it, figuring there was still time... but confronted with it so abruptly, the words caught in her throat.
“......”
A brief silence hung between them.
Belnoa steadied her breathing and spoke up.
“How long?”
“About a month, I think.”
A month.
Short if you called it short, long if you called it long.
“Professor Lania coming too?”
“Yeah. It’ll be me, Professor Lania, and Gallahal-nim.”
“That’s... a relief.”
If she was traveling with the hero—and with Professor Lania, who wielded power that even outmatched him—then Chloe’s safety was all but guaranteed.
It was safe, sure. But that didn’t mean the worry just vanished. Belnoa studied Chloe’s face. Against all expectation, her friend looked perfectly serene.
“You’re not worried?”
“I am.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“That’s because I’ve already been thinking about it.”
Chloe let out a faint smile.
“Crawling out of the back alleys. Having a famous wizard like Uncle Yetual as my guardian. And now... attending a fancy place like this academy.”
She gave a small nod.
“I’ve been enjoying privileges that shouldn’t even be mine. All thanks to the stars’ blessing.”
“Well... yeah, but...”
“I dreamed of becoming a hero once. And the place I’ll have to go someday? No reason to dread it. So, it’s fine.”
She said it like she truly meant it—like it was really okay.
No pretense. No lies. And yet, Belnoa sensed something off in Chloe’s demeanor.
She’d known Chloe for so long.
Chloe never lied. But she didn’t always spill everything, either. Belnoa could tell at a glance. The faint signs of worry were there on her face.
“Doesn’t look like you’ve got zero worries.”
“...That obvious?”
Belnoa nodded and let out a long sigh.
“Not gonna tell me?”
“I need a bit more time to think.”
“Fine. Spill when you’ve sorted it out.”
Belnoa knew pushing wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead of prying, she tossed out a light comment.
“Come back and we’ll go have some fun.”
“...What’s gotten into you? You’re the one inviting me first?”
“You wouldn’t shut up about going, so I got tickets.”
Belnoa set two tickets down on the table.
It was for the magic-themed amusement park that had just opened—named after the White Mage Tower Lord himself. She’d asked Rak for them ahead of time.
“They said it’s only open during break.”
“Whoa...!”
Chloe’s face lit up with her usual sparkle as she stared at the tickets.
“Where’d you even snag these?”
“Asked Rak.”
“Gotta thank him later.”
Chloe grinned like she was already thrilled just imagining it. They chatted idly for a while longer before heading back to their rooms.
Once back in her room, Belnoa’s thoughts turned inward.
Time was marching on.
Chloe was changing. And Belnoa had the gut feeling she couldn’t afford to stand still, either.
It was a few days later that she started ramping up her training time—and seeking guidance from someone other than Lania.
2.
A few days after Aphria went on break, Lania set off for the front lines. It was quite a distance, so they took a carriage all the way to the front’s vicinity. When it pulled up in front of the mansion, Gallahal was already aboard.
“Nice ride.”
“Rox set it up. Said to come in comfort since you’re already on the way.”
What a thing to bother with.
She almost said it aloud but held her tongue. It was a fine carriage, but compared to the ones she’d ridden with Kyle... well, it wasn’t that fine.
‘Riding comfort my ass.’
That’s what Sara and Remia used to gripe.
「You expect me to ride in this? You messing with me, human?」
「You trying to joke with me right now?」
Taming Remia whenever she’d start barking at the coachman over the slightest bump had been Lania’s job back then. Fortunately, she didn’t need to play referee this time.
“Hey, Chloe.”
“Hello, Professor Lania!”
As Lania climbed aboard, she spotted Chloe with her shoulders all tensed up. Gone was her everyday uniform; she was dressed in something closer to Black Mage Tower regalia.
“Alright then, let’s roll.”
The carriage departed with Lania, Gallahal, and Chloe aboard. The road to the battlefield was long, leaving plenty of time for conversation.
“Letter got through.”
“To Raniel?”
“Yeah. She said she got it.”
The topic picked up right where their last chat had left off.
Chloe flinched at the mention of Raniel’s name, but Lania had no bandwidth to notice.
“Been a while since she got it, but no reply yet.”
“Haven’t sent one.”
“Told you letters take a day to arrive. You could write one up and send it right away.”
“You did.”
“So why not?”
Lania pressed.
Gallahal didn’t answer immediately.
“My thoughts aren’t sorted yet.”
“What’s to sort? You’re close. She’d help you figure it out.”
“Because we’re close, I have to be careful.”
Gallahal gave a wry smile.
“Get it wrong, and the whole meaning twists. Still mulling it over. I’ll send it when the time’s right—no need to worry.”
“Not worried.”
Just annoying her, is all.
“Knowing that friend’s personality, she’s gotta be worried sick. Probably glued to her letter waiting. Yeah... guess I should scribble something and send it off.”
“...She said nothing like that.”
“Hah. You two share even the pettiest details, huh? Must be real tight.”
Lania tsked and peered out the window. The carriage barreled along at speed, the scenery shifting nonstop.
Even amid the changes, patterns emerged.
Dense forests gave way to open plains, the trees thinning bit by bit.
The carriage pressed on without regard for day or night. Eventually the coachman hopped off, and the enchanted vehicle continued on autopilot toward its goal.
Chloe dozed off partway through, eventually slumping against the window in full sleep. Not Lania or Gallahal. Both stared out the window with eyes wide open.
Been a while.
Returning to the battlefield after so long.
The thought crossed Lania’s mind. She hadn’t had reason to since deciding to retire.
Which made the scenery flashing by outside both familiar and alien to her.
Trees vanished, replaced by wasteland. The climate turned chaotic—blazing sun one moment, snow the next, then rain. The wrecked landscape heralded their approach to the destination.
The Demon Realm drew near.
“Ugh, uuu...”
Chloe bolted upright from her nap.
Not because of a lousy ride. The comfort was fine; the interior didn’t even jostle.
“Cough, urgh...”
Looking queasy, she jabbed her thumb into her chest. Lania noticed and fished a water bottle from her robe, handing it over.
“Here. Drink.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Feels like your breath’s getting stuck?”
“Yeah, a little...”
She gulped it down and nodded.
Her breathing wasn’t critically impaired, but it felt like her nose was clogged—hard to draw air.
“We’re nearing the Demon Realm.”
“Demon... Realm?”
“Yep. The front lines. Demon energy lingers there, so it’s normal for breathing to get tough.”
“D-Demon energy?”
She’d heard the tales.
Expose yourself unprotected, get poisoned by demon energy, cough up black blood, and die. Chloe went sheet-white and clapped a hand over her mouth.
“D-Do I—!”
“You could drop dead tomorrow and still not get demon poisoning. Chill.”
“Ow!”
Lania gave a wry chuckle and flicked her forehead.
“Heroes don’t get demon poisoning. Starlight resists it outright. And with your mana made of starlight? You could guzzle a whole pond of the stuff pooled up in the Realm and walk away fine.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah. The stuffiness right now? Just you not being used to the environment yet.”
Chloe lowered her hand from her mouth.
Sure enough, her breathing was easing up little by little.
“Here’s a tip, at least... on breathing techniques.”
Lania extended a finger.
Her slender index tapped Chloe’s forehead. Blue mana seeped in.
“Close your eyes and focus. You’ll feel the circulating mana—that’s the flow.”
“Y-Yeah...”
“Feel the clogged spot?”
“Ah, yep.”
The mana flow hit a snag.
Its pace slowed visibly.
“Imagine unclogging it. Like moving the mana along, or sweeping leaves out of a stream. That vibe.”
“Hmm...”
The stream surged free.
Just that simple nudge, and Chloe cleared the blockage in seconds.
“Oh.”
Lania let out a short note of admiration.
Chloe took a deep breath and flashed a bright grin.
“My nose is clear now!”
“It wasn’t your nose to begin with.”
“Oh?”
“Ehehe,” Chloe giggled, and Lania patted her head. Gallahal watched the exchange in silence, his brow furrowing.
His eyes narrowed.
There was something familiar in that gaze.
“Come to think of it, is Professor Lania alright?”
Gallahal ventured the question.
Lania cocked her head.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Anyone without a special constitution like Chloe’s would struggle. Demon energy’s no joke for mages.”
“You think I’m your average mage?”
She shrugged.
“I know how to shield myself from demon energy, obviously. What, you think I wouldn’t?”
“...I see.”
Gallahal eyed her dubiously before slowly nodding.
3.
Before long, the carriage reached its destination.
Stepping out, the first thing in view was the knight order’s outpost: an old ruined castle renovated into a stronghold.
“Hero! Gallahal-nim!”
The knights waiting for the carriage snapped salutes toward Gallahal. He returned them with a smile and dismounted, followed by Lania and Chloe.
Chloe’s shoulders were rigid with tension.
Ever since entering the Demon Realm, the weather had turned bitterly cold. She rubbed her arms and gazed up at the castle ahead.
Outpost. Cateron Castle.
Things she’d only heard of, read about, or caught in rumors.
Now facing them one by one. She swallowed hard and steadied her breath.
“Oh.”
Unlike Chloe, Lania murmured in appreciation as she brushed the wrinkles from her robe.
Been a while.
Knight Commander Heinkel didn’t stay at Cateron Castle often, but they’d gathered here plenty for big operations.
As Lania rummaged through her memories,
“The Knight Commander, Lord Heinkel, is waiting. We’ll escort you now...”
One knight stepped forward to lead, the rest falling back.
The knights assembled before the castle parted with salutes, clearing the path ahead.
And then.
“Oh, what’s this.”
One who didn’t budge.
A lone chair sat at Cateron’s entrance, a man lounging in it.
Dull gray hair, murky black eyes.
Dressed more like an adventurer than a knight. He rose and spoke.
“Faster than I figured.”
Strolling over casually, he clapped the lead knight on the shoulder a couple times and waved him off.
“I got this. Go handle your stuff.”
“...But Lord Heinkel—”
“Gonna make me say it twice?”
The knight retreated without a word.
The man advanced in his place.
“......”
He halted right in front of Gallahal, at the head of the group. After a beat of silence, he gave a casual nod.
“Long time no see, Gallahal.”
“Indeed. Long time, Destel.”
Destel the Vulgar.
Gallahal offered his hand, but Destel ignored it. A quick dip of the head sufficed as greeting before he brushed past.
A few more steps.
“So.”
Destel stopped and bent at the waist a touch.
Leaning forward, head tilted, he peered at the woman standing behind Gallahal.
“You’re that rumored sister of Raniel’s?”
He extended a hand toward her.
“Nice to mee—”
“Didn’t ask.”
Lania cut him off sharp.
Her blue eyes fixed on Destel like he was a bug. At that venomous glare, Destel let out a short whistle.
“Damn.”
A grin crept across his face.
“Who the hell lied and said you don’t look a thing like her?”
To Destel’s eyes, they weren’t just similar—they were dead ringers.
Especially those eyes, boring into him like they wanted to skewer him alive.
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