Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Dracain
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Even after drinking Dracain blood, nothing happened? Then what the hell is this change I'm going through right now? Trying to steady my breathing and regain my composure, I checked the mirror again, but nothing had changed.
"Hmm..."
Does that mean I've become a Dracain? But no one knows my body better than I do. Checking my physical condition with mana is something I'm completely used to. There's no way I'd make a mistake.
I am one hundred percent human right now.
"Ha...!"
Shuk-shuk-shuk— The girl in the mirror struck various poses. Just in case, I tried to manipulate the blood inside my body. The result? No response. I'd closely observed Simo and the Archduke, so I knew the principles behind Blood Magic. I tried to mimic it, but the Blood Magic wouldn't activate.
'What should I do about this...?'
For now, let's think optimistically. A mage with heterochromia—one red eye. It adds a bit more weight to my existing mysterious aura. In a word, it looks cool. What if I wear an eyepatch to cover it normally, then dramatically remove it in key moments to reveal the red eye?
Mages deal with all sorts of mysteries. If one of them had a red-tinted eye, I'd probably be on guard, wondering if it was some special magic.
'Yeah, right.'
I let out a sigh and turned away from the mirror. I couldn't tell my disciples about this state right away. Yesterday, they'd tried to follow me into the captain's quarters out of worry. Especially Olbern—he'd insisted on using some dwarven folk remedy and nearly doused my body with beer.
If they saw me like this now, Olbern might come charging in with a keg and pour beer right into my eye.
I approached the dresser and, using a suitable leather strap, some thread and needle, scissors, and a piece of cloth that looked about right, fashioned a makeshift eyepatch.
"Hm..."
Not bad for something cobbled together with clumsy handiwork. Finally, I engraved wind runes onto the eyepatch, which added an even more mystical vibe. Anyone would mistake it for a special magic tool.
Of course, it wasn't actually a magic tool. You can't engrave runes on ordinary cloth. In short, it was just decoration.
I put on the finished eyepatch and checked the mirror. Adding my usual oversized hat on top, it suited me pretty well.
"Looks good..."
In that state, I cautiously slipped out of the captain's quarters. The entire corridor was silent, with no signs of movement inside, so my disciples were probably still asleep. All the better. I hurried toward Simo's door.
Knock-knock—
I gave a light knock and waited. Soon, Simo—who I assumed was lying in bed—began to stir. The door opened just before my second knock.
Clunk—
"Master...?"
"Shh, let's go inside first."
"Y-yeah..."
I pushed the guy standing in the doorway aside and entered the room. Only after closing the door behind me did he finally notice the eyepatch. His eyes widened, and he mumbled something.
"Th-that...?"
"Keep it secret from the others."
Simo might know something. Yesterday, he'd only claimed ignorance when we talked, but he was a Dracain, after all. He might sense something from seeing me.
Swish—
I removed the eyepatch to reveal my changed red eye, and he jolted in shock, collapsing right there. Seeing him gulp dryly, at a loss for words, only strengthened my resolve not to show it to Durel or Olbern.
"What the hell is that...?"
"When I woke up this morning, it was like this. You said drinking the blood wouldn't cause any problems?"
"This is ridiculous... Have you become a Dracain?"
"What do you think? Do I look like a Dracain to you?"
Simo hesitated for a moment before standing and circling around me, scrutinizing my body closely.
"Dracain... You don't feel like one of our kind. But... your hair and skin tone seem a bit lighter."
"You noticed that, huh."
"Any other changes? Like sharper fangs, or heightened sensitivity to the smell of blood?"
"Not right now."
Simo stopped in place, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he tilted his head.
"I don't know... I've never heard of a human who drank Dracain blood turning Dracain-like. Long ago, during the war between the three races, there were barbarians who drank our blood... but no records say they transformed to resemble Dracains. It was just a religious ritual..."
Simo was the closest Dracain available. If even he didn't know, there wasn't much information to gain right now.
"Uh, could you give me a bit of your blood, by any chance?"
"My blood?"
"Yes. I need to examine it..."
I understood what he meant. Arcana might reveal something. I drew the dagger from Simo's belt and lightly pricked my fingertip.
"Hm..."
"Hmm..."
We both examined the bead of blood on my fingertip. But nothing stood out. Wondering if it had changed like Dracain blood, I focused mana on the droplet, but no special phenomena appeared.
"Feel anything?"
"No..."
I'd made a needless wound. As I carefully wiped my finger, thinking that, a strange sensation at the tip made me frown.
"What's wrong?"
There was no irritating sensation on the finger I'd drawn blood from. In other words, the wound was gone. I removed the handkerchief and checked—the skin was smooth as ever. But it was too soon for certainty. After a brief hesitation, I used the dagger in my left hand to lightly slash the back of my hand.
"M-Master...?"
A sharp sting spread across the back of my hand amid Simo's panicked voice. But the pain didn't last. The bleeding stopped quickly, and the split skin began healing at a visible speed.
"What the...?"
"Whoa..."
An undeniable anomaly. Some indefinable mystery had taken root in my body. This was recovery far beyond human limits.
"Master...! Blood Magic! Try using Blood Magic! Don't you feel some kind of pop?"
"Nothing like that."
I answered Simo, who seemed strangely excited. If there was something like that, I'd have tried it already. I felt nothing for now.
Swish—
"Keep it secret from the others for now."
I said while wiping the blood from the back of my hand. Simo, who had been standing there dazed, nodded dumbly.
This time, we'd arrived at Delmore, a massive port city. The reason for choosing it as our second destination was simple. It was at the innermost part of Evan Fjord, farthest from Silver Light. It was a minor precaution due to my entanglement with Archduke Azariel.
"Did you make a new magic tool?"
Durel asked as we prepared to land. I stroked my left eye and nodded. Olbern, who had been rubbing his eyes nearby, bounced over.
"A new magic tool...? Master, is it really a magic tool? I don't sense anything..."
"Olbern. It's something Master made. Your Arcana attainment isn't high enough to see it."
Durel answered Olbern's question. Hearing that, Olbern nodded as if he'd had a revelation.
"I see... So that's how it is!"
I couldn't reveal the truth about the eyepatch to my two disciples. Clearing my throat, I spoke up.
"This time, we're keeping a low profile as much as possible. Got it? No causing a fuss."
"Wasn't your goal to meet a high-ranking Blood Mage?"
Durel asked, puzzled. He was right. If Archduke Azariel had been normal when we first met, and nothing had happened to me, I'd have sought out a high-ranking Blood Mage here to observe his magic, just like before.
"Plans changed. This time, I'm gathering information quietly."
"What kind of information?"
"Anything about Dracains... Stories involving their blood. Whatever you've got. The more, the better."
"Sounds like we'll be staying a while."
"Probably."
As I nodded, the Black Feather Hawk settled on the midpoint of a large mountain. There were no good spots near the city to hide the airship, so we were quite a distance away. We'd need to hurry if we wanted to arrive before nightfall.
After confirming my disciples had jumped off the deck and boarded the Turtle Golem, I began the security measures. I deployed barriers to isolate it from the outside, then linked it to the Octopus Golem like before, imprinting simple commands.
That finished the work. I lightly kicked off the deck and landed softly atop the Turtle Golem's head. Soon, the massive Turtle Golem lumbered forward.
Thud-thud-thud—!
"Simo. What kind of city is Delmore exactly?"
I was riding the Turtle Golem, absentmindedly watching the passing scenery, when Durel—who'd been reading a book—asked Simo. Simo, also reading, glanced outside before answering.
"What kind...? Ports are all pretty similar. Fish, fishy smells, lots of rough assholes... Oh, Master. Best not to tangle with the sailors here. The lord backs them, so if trouble starts, we're the ones who lose out."
"Got it."
I nodded at Simo's words.