Chapter 241: Cute
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241: Cute
Muen opened his eyes.
Soaking in the pool, where the water remained warm thanks to the special properties of the tub's materials, he performed an internal inspection of his body and let out a long sigh of relief.
Both his injuries and the severe depletion of his internal reserves had mostly healed.
Mana and Fighting Spirit surged through his limbs, giving him a long-lost sense of absolute power.
After that desperate struggle where he had squeezed every last drop of energy from his body, the subsequent replenishment from high-grade external sources had allowed vitality to burst forth from the depths of every inch of his flesh.
Without him even realizing it, both his physical toughness and his cultivation realm had undergone a subtle, silent transformation.
This was especially true for his mana. Through the constant consumption and replenishment of the Alchemy Core, his mana capacity—which previously could only sustain a few Illumination Spells—had at least doubled.
Unfortunately, the upper limit of mana capacity mostly depended on an individual's innate talent. Training in this area merely released that latent talent, and given the Campbell family's track record with magic...
Muen decided that for future brawls, he should probably pack more trinkets that could restore his mana on the fly.
"You can only freely draw mana from the air once you reach the Third-Tier Mystery Ceremony or higher. I still have a long way to go," Muen lamented, continuing to tally his gains from this ordeal.
In truth, there wasn't much to show for it. After all, he wasn't some Destined Protagonist who gained massive amounts of experience and leveled up after every major incident.
To be honest, he hadn't gained anything tangible this time; instead, he had lost quite a few priceless items.
But it was worth it.
No matter how precious an object was, it couldn't compare to a single hair on his Senior Sister's head, could it?
*
"Fortunately, it wasn't a total loss..."
Muen sank his consciousness into his depths.
In that realm of pure darkness, the Black Book floated quietly.
Muen could clearly feel its weakness. It seemed that the direct collision with the projection of the Silent Moon had taken a heavy toll on it.
However, he also noticed that the faint, eerie glow emanating from the book's physical form seemed to have grown denser.
It felt as if the book had just been kneed in the gut until it saw stars, only to be immediately treated to a feast. It was a picture of total contradiction—satisfaction mingled with pain.
Muen didn't try to communicate with it or disturb its "painful bliss." Instead, with a flick of his will, the pages flipped open to display the previous records.
In those records, the Banshee's name had turned red. This meant...
A new character UP!
Muen reached out and lightly touched the crimson entry. In an instant, his surroundings shifted.
A torrential downpour began.
Icy rain pelted Muen, bringing a bone-chilling cold. The shadows covering the district twisted into hideous shapes, as if ghosts were lurking within them.
"It can even perfectly simulate the scene from back then?"
Under the heavy rain, it felt as if Muen had traveled back in time.
That familiar yet loathsome, seductive figure stood silently, holding her Crescent Scimitar. Her eyes were devoid of emotion.
"Anyway, let's give this a little test run."
At some point, Muen had already gripped his Pure White Blade, a look of excitement crossing his face.
Round two with the Banshee—begin!
*
"I still lost, huh?"
Muen opened his eyes and sighed with regret.
Once the factors of fear and caution were stripped away, the Banshee—existing merely as a record—brought a level of pressure that was several notches higher than before, thanks to her powerful Peak Third-Tier realm and her terrifying physical body bolstered by the Evil God.
Furthermore, within the simulation, he naturally couldn't use the Eternal Clock.
It had been a clean, decisive defeat.
But there was nothing to be disappointed about. If an opponent were weaker than him, there would be no point in recreating them, would there?
"I really need to find a way to fix my lack of variety in moves."
Otherwise, as the son of a Duke, the fiancé of Her Highness the Princess, the last disciple of Teacher Mela, and the record-holder for the fastest completion of the Magic Basic Theory course at St. Maria Academy, it would be too embarrassing if all his fights boiled down to the same simple "three-trick pony" routine.
When facing a truly powerful expert, this would become a fatal weakness.
"Fortunately, now that things are settled, I have a fair amount of time left."
*
Muen stood up and instinctively stretched.
Even though he had just fought a grand battle in his consciousness space, both his mind and body felt incredibly light, as if he had just undergone a Holy Light Baptism.
"This is..."
It was only then that Muen noticed something. He reached down, scooped up a handful of water from the bath, and brought it to his nose.
Scenting the faint aroma of medicinal herbs hidden beneath the floral fragrance, Muen couldn't help but chuckle.
"Why can't you just be 'cute' in a more direct way?"
*
The night was deep.
Yet, when Muen stepped out of the bathroom, he found that the lights in Celicia's room were still burning bright.
After a moment's hesitation, he walked over and knocked on the door.
"Can I come in?"
"...Come in."
With a creak, the door opened.
Celicia sat with her head down, still diligently processing documents.
Wei'er, with her round "bun-like" face, saw Muen and her face immediately flushed a light red. However, she quickly turned away. "I'll go brew something for you two. What do you want? Black tea or cof—"
"Coffee!"
Muen and Celicia blurted out in unison.
"Coffee it is then. No need to be so loud about it."
Wei'er shot the two of them a strange look before briskly leaving the room to prepare the drinks.
Only then did Celicia look up at Muen, her eyes flickering slightly.
At this moment, Muen carried the refreshing air of someone who had just bathed. His profile was traced by the flickering candlelight, outlining a handsome silhouette that felt different from usual.
Even Celicia had to admit that the Campbell family genes were indeed perfect when it came to appearance; one couldn't find a single flaw.
It was no wonder that despite his terrible reputation, he could still manage to charm so many women.
"It's so late, and you're still busy?" Muen leaned in, curious.
"Just some documents. I'm helping the higher-ups process them." Celicia didn't hide them, as these files weren't exactly state secrets.
"Is that so?"
Muen instinctively scanned a few of the papers, and his eyebrows shot up. "This work... shouldn't this be the responsibility of the Lower District Magistrate? Why are you doing it? Where is Viscount Guen?"
"He's dead," Celicia said coldly. "I killed him."
"..."
Muen's lip twitched. He decided it was probably better not to ask why.
"The higher-ups are likely still bickering over who should take the position. It'll probably be a while before someone is appointed, so I'm just helping out. That's all."
After that brief exchange, Celicia lowered her head and threw herself back into her work.
They weren't secrets, but even Muen, who wasn't skilled in such matters, could see that these tasks were incredibly tedious.
The more tedious they were, the more energy they drained.
"But... you don't have to be the one doing this," Muen couldn't help but say. "Viscount Guen wasn't the only official in the Lower District."
"...About a third of those other officials... were also killed by me," Celicia said. "Another third are in prison, and the remaining third are scared out of their wits. There are very few left who are actually functional."
"..."
"I could certainly drop everything and walk away. No one could blame me for it. In fact, by doing this, I'm giving those nobles a reason to impeach me for overstepping my authority in front of my father. I didn't want to care, either. But..."
Celicia lowered her eyes, hiding her exhaustion. She rubbed her temples and said softly:
"But after everything that just happened, if no one looks after the already chaotic Lower District, what kind of mess will it turn into? How many more people will die when they shouldn't have to?"
"..."
The girl's cold voice mingled with the candlelight, filling the bedroom where no one had yet gone to sleep despite the late hour.
Muen suddenly looked up, staring silently at Celicia's face for a long time without looking away.
It wasn't until Celicia grew annoyed by his blunt gaze and looked up to glare back at him coldly that he suddenly broke into a grin.
"Celicia, has anyone ever told you something?"
"What?"
"That... sometimes, you're actually quite cute."