Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Genius Descends into the Labyrinth
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sylbian had anticipated Sera's reaction.
He figured there was no way that woman, who looked utterly out of it, had examined the stigma engraved on him.
"Then how in the world..."
Even now, Sera's face as she looked at him brimmed with emotions too complex to describe.
She stared piercingly at Sylbian's neck, yet she couldn't make sense of it.
From what she'd heard, mages branded with a stigma couldn't cast proper spells.
Yet this mage named Sylbian had subjugated a cursed gremlin.
How was that possible?
The cursed beast she'd witnessed clearly possessed power beyond all expectations.
"I think your attitude right now is awfully rude."
At that moment, Cherentia voiced her displeasure.
Her amber eyes, fixed on Sera, were already swirling with hostility.
Flinch.
"...Ah, I was just so shocked I couldn't help it. If I've offended you, I'm truly sorry."
Sera hurriedly shook her head, but her gaze remained dazed as she looked at Sylbian.
He still seemed utterly composed.
To an extent that made it impossible to believe he was an exiled mage branded with a stigma.
The man before her embodied the very image of a noble mage.
"It's fine, Cherentia. I don't want to ruin the mood even at the dinner table.
I'd rather talk after we've eaten anyway, if that's okay with you?"
"As long as I can hear about the process of subjugating the monster, I don't mind."
"Then that's what we'll do."
With that, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.
But even that silence was soon filled by the abundance of food covering the table.
"The food in this city looks even tastier than in Helsen!"
Cherentia made no effort to hide her excitement as she eyed the dishes before her.
"Yeah, eat up."
Sylbian chuckled lightly and began his meal.
Gulp.
Sera watched them eat, unable to bring herself to touch her lips to the food.
Her gaze soon shifted to Cherentia. The beastkin woman's ravenous shoveling of food only deepened her confusion.
"This is pure bliss... I'm so happy, tears of joy are about to spill!"
'No way. How can she be with a beastkin like that...'
Sera swallowed a sigh of disbelief.
She couldn't even bring herself to touch the feast laid out before her.
"It's decent."
"Decent? No, Sylbian! This is astonishingly delicious—enough to make the elders of my tribe gasp in awe!"
In stark contrast to Sera's turmoil, the two continued their meal with evident satisfaction.
Gulp.
Then, as Sylbian delicately dabbed his mouth with a napkin, he suddenly glanced at Sera.
"Sera."
He'd anticipated the mention of the stigma, but it didn't exactly put him in a cheerful mood.
So he'd deliberately ignored her at first, but he had no intention of continuing to do so.
"...Yes."
"You invited us to dinner, but you don't plan to eat anything yourself?"
"Ah, no. I'll eat too."
"When you invite someone to a meal, the host should show proper etiquette."
His tone was feigned indifference, but Sera immediately grasped his meaning.
After that, only the clinking of cutlery filled the air.
And even that meal, which seemed like it would drag on forever, gradually drew to a close.
"Haa...! That was an incredibly satisfying meal!"
As Cherentia beamed with complete contentment, Sylbian casually turned to Sera.
"Right, you wanted to hear about the process of subjugating the monster."
"...Yes, if possible, I'd like to hear every detail without omission."
Sera set down her utensils with utmost seriousness in her eyes.
Even if she couldn't understand it now, hearing the full context would make it clear.
That was all she hoped for.
"Hmm."
At that, Sylbian deliberately paused.
He knew exactly what Sera wanted from him.
He also understood why she was gazing at him so earnestly.
'But will simply recounting the events provide the answer she seeks?'
He didn't think it would offer much comfort.
All her comrades who'd spent years with her were dead.
And Sera herself had contributed nothing to subjugating the cursed gremlin.
That was the harsh reality.
"Sylbian, I could explain it to her."
At that moment, Cherentia cautiously interjected.
"...No. I'll do it."
He immediately shook his head. This wasn't a topic to handle lightly.
Having her treat them to a meal was partly to ease her burden, even if just a little.
'No need to overthink it.'
It was just a fleeting connection, after all.
And fully understanding or comforting someone else's pain was impossible anyway.
So, the right thing to do was simply convey the truth of what happened.
"It started with the smell of blood. As we climbed the mountain, a thick scent of it came wafting on the wind."
With that, Sylbian began recounting the events in a calm, composed manner.
He showed no particular emotion on the surface.
He merely detailed the circumstances as if stating plain facts.
"......"
Sera listened without a word of objection, simply paying close attention.
Their initial approach to the cave,
The sight of nearly a hundred gremlins that made them retreat from the cave.
By the time he reached the part where night deepened and the cursed gremlin appeared, Sera was holding her breath entirely.
"I have no intention of detailing exactly how we subjugated the cursed gremlin. It involves my magic and Cherentia's power."
"Yes. I understand."
It was arguably the most crucial part, but Sera nodded without dissent.
Sylbian then gave a brief account of the subjugation.
The cursed gremlin unleashed all sorts of curses as a threat.
There were several crises amid it all, but Cherentia ultimately ended the beast's life.
Learning of dangers greater than expected, Sera no longer doubted their story.
"So, any more questions now that you're here?"
Finishing his long explanation, Sylbian asked matter-of-factly.
"......"
Sera hesitated for a moment, biting her lip.
Everything Sylbian had said rang true.
Her rational mind accepted it as such.
But she struggled to suppress the strong urge to witness their power firsthand.
How exactly was it possible?
Was it truly possible?
Even if it was truth, not seeing it herself would leave lingering doubts in her heart.
Above all, she couldn't shake her suspicion about whether the mage Sylbian before her could truly wield magic.
"Would you... perhaps meet with me again afterward?"
"Why should I meet you again?"
"I just want to see your magic, Sir Sylbian."
Having bared her innermost desire, Sera tensed greatly.
He was likely to refuse.
Even as an exile, a mage was still a mage.
With their lofty pride, there was no reason at all for him to accept her proposal.
'But.'
She had to confirm it.
Only by etching the sight of him slaying that horrific monster into her own eyes could her endlessly wavering heart find stability.
"You want to see my magic."
"...Yes."
At her cautious reply, Sylbian's eyes grew even colder.
In truth, he'd already shown considerable consideration up to this point.
He'd made time for an adventurer he'd only just met and revealed the full circumstances without holding back.
Yet, no matter how careful her attitude, Sera was asking for more.
Among adventurers, demanding to see someone's power without trust was a grave rudeness.
For a mage's magic, it carried even greater weight.
"Sylbian. There's no reason to heed Sera's words."
Cherentia sensed it too and cut in with firm resolve.
But Sylbian was pondering something entirely different.
'I knew even I might not provide a definitive answer.'
Crucially, he wasn't responding to Sera's request out of obligation.
He'd already decided before she even spoke.
No matter how much he detailed the subjugation,
It could never be a fundamental solution.
That was simply what nagged at him.
Tap.
Sylbian suddenly smiled and lightly rapped the table.
At the casual sound, Sera's gaze wavered.
"If you're going to demand magic, are you prepared to pay an equivalent price?"
"A price..."
"If you can pay that price, I'll show you my magic."
Sera was momentarily speechless at Sylbian's confident voice.
There wasn't the slightest opening in his words.
Even a stigmatized mage was still undeniably a mage.
They held higher status than most nobles and weren't beings an adventurer like her could casually approach.
'But what price could he want from me?'
The money she had would mostly be spent on this meal anyway.
And there was nothing among her possessions that a mage would desire.
Then, she realized his violet eyes held her image completely.
Gulp.
Sera swallowed hard under that intense gaze.
An impure thought flashed through her mind.
From what she knew, mages could inflict severe harm even over something trivial like a book, using it as pretext.
'And that man right now...'
He seemed to desire her entirely.
That deep gaze enveloping her could only be seen as harboring wicked intent.
Swish...!
Sera barely swallowed her rising breath and lowered her head.
Her distinctive red hair draped across her vision, and in profound resignation, her inner conflict intensified.
'Yeah, what does it matter now.'
She wondered if even such an extreme choice was necessary, but she sensed this moment would be her last chance.
She'd never see this mage again.
If so, a time to converse like this wouldn't come again.
She had to decide now.
"...I'll give it."
Sera murmured weakly.
"Right, what exactly are you offering as payment?"
Sylbian gazed at her with evident intrigue and asked again.
"...If you want my body, I'll offer it as payment."
From then on, a hint of resentment tinged Sera's voice.
It was a resignation she couldn't suppress no matter what.
"......"
"......"
Silence hung over the table in an instant.
Cherentia stared blankly at Sylbian before slowly nodding.
"Ah, now I get it."
"Hold on, Cherentia. What exactly do you think you get?"
Sylbian replied in a clipped tone.
"That you've been eyeing this woman's body from the start and approached her for it."
Creak!
Unconsciously, strength surged into Sylbian's hand.
His expression screamed disbelief, and his violet eyes filled with incredulity, shock, and profound humiliation.
"Cherentia. Never say something like that again. What the hell do you take me for?"
"No. I just thought you were male like any other."
At Cherentia's innocent rebuttal, Sylbian pressed his temple firmly.
Before he knew it, his face had flushed red without his awareness.
"Um... Sir Sylbian, you didn't desire me?"
As Sera finally lifted her head to ask, Sylbian took a deep breath to regain his composure.
Then he shook his head in exasperation.
"Forget it. I was foolish for vaguely demanding payment. I'll seek help separately at the adventurer's guild later."
With that, he decided to think differently.
He'd planned to visit the guild anyway. Getting help from Sera there would suffice as compensation for the magic.
"Does that mean you'll show me your magic!?"
Watching Sera's face brighten dramatically, Sylbian felt it anew without thinking.
"Yeah. I'll show you."
I have the power to help someone.
Then, is there any reason not to help?
Cherentia had said those words to me on the first day we left the city.
Strangely, they lingered in my mind.
'No reason not to help...'
Perhaps I'd been unconsciously moved by Cherentia's words back then.
But the more I mulled it over, the more I thought her mindset wasn't bad.
Above all, magic was no burden to me.
'I'm not sure if my magic can truly be the fundamental answer.'
But if it could give her great strength...
Wouldn't my own heart then embrace an even greater purpose?