Chapter 86: Light(1)
Chapter 86: Light(1)
"What is it you wanted to show me, Kerry?"
The White Witch asked, lying beside him on the bed, facing him.
White semen was probably still dripping from her cunt.
"I managed to create a circle."
"...A circle? Didn't you say you didn't want to study magic? Then how could you have created one?"
"Well, I don't know the details myself. I just sort of threw it together in a hurry. But I think there might be something wrong with it... one of my companions had a very serious look on her face."
"..."
The White Witch had trouble understanding what Kerry was saying.
So, a mage with almost no magical knowledge had created a circle based on feeling alone.
If his companion looked that serious, something might indeed be wrong.
The White Witch grew worried.
"Let me see your chest."
The White Witch placed a hand on Kerry's chest.
She felt a small flutter at the touch of his firm muscles, but now was not the time for that.
The White Witch began to examine the circle within Kerry.
'If it was formed correctly, a ring of mana should be settled within his heart.'
Among mages with little talent, there were plenty who couldn't even form a simple ring shape.
Kerry couldn't possibly be like those with such meager talent, but without knowing the theory behind circles, the possibility of a mistake was high.
As the White Witch examined Kerry's circle, her expression turned grave.
Seeing the same reaction as Lina's, Kerry felt his heart sink.
"This... this is..."
"My lady Witch? Is there a problem?"
"This... this... where did you learn this? Tell me the truth. Who taught you?"
"...I told you I made it myself."
"..."
The White Witch was speechless.
Kerry's circle was identical in shape to the one the White Witch possessed.
The two geniuses had arrived at the same answer for the shape of a circle: infinity.
Suddenly, she saw the Kerry before her in a new light.
'Is this how the other mages around me felt?'
A genius easily accomplishes what an ordinary person cannot, no matter how hard they try. That is why people revered them as geniuses, as a talent bestowed by the heavens.
The White Witch now felt she could understand, just a little, the mages who had been so envious and jealous of her.
The White Witch pulled Kerry into an embrace.
"My lady Witch?"
"Truly my disciple. What you've made is not wrong at all. In fact, it is so magnificent it deserves praise. As I thought, Kerry, you and I have something in common."
"So it's not wrong? You scared me."
For the first time in a hundred years, the White Witch had met someone she could call an equal.
She was so glad that person was Kerry.
The White Witch explained about the infinity circle—that she, too, had a circle of the same shape, and just how incredible it was.
“It's incredible. With this circle, you will be able to use my magic much more efficiently. As for how you can utilize it...”
Excited, the White Witch launched into a passionate speech about the greatness of the infinity circle.
Kerry just let it go in one ear and out the other. He couldn't understand a word she was saying. Is this what they call preaching to a deaf ear?
"To create the same circle as mine through intuition alone... you're an ignoramus who doesn't even know the theory, but you're still amazing."
"An ignoramus? That's a bit harsh."
"Harsh or not, it's the truth that you're an ignoramus, isn't it?"
"..."
Have I been too nice to the White Witch lately?
Kerry was seriously contemplating how he should treat the White Witch from now on.
As if sensing the shift in his mood, the White Witch hastily changed the subject.
"Kerry. Why don't you try learning magic in earnest?"
"..."
"It would take a long time to learn magic properly, and there's a lot to study, but it's a waste of your talent."
Kerry couldn't refuse outright like he used to.
In fact, he had been keenly feeling the need for magic lately.
If he could learn magic and be helpful to the party, that wouldn't be so bad.
The White Witch, noticing the change in his heart, became visibly delighted.
She then ran over, still naked, and brought back a thick grimoire.
"Look at this, Kerry. These beautiful formulas. I want to share with you the joy of understanding the principles of nature by studying them. This is the formula for the Wind Blade spell you first used..."
The White Witch was definitely a magic nerd.
That thick book was filled with unrecognizable numbers and symbols. Wow. Just looking at it made me dizzy.
And this was the stuff I'd have to learn just for a low-level spell.
It's so much faster with the orb.
"...Are you listening, Kerry?"
"Yes. I'm listening intently, my lady Witch.“
"..."
Seeing Kerry's lukewarm reaction, the White Witch's excitement cooled, and she closed the book with a sullen look.
"...I see you're not very interested after all."
The White Witch moved the book to the side of the bed.
Then she turned her back to Kerry. She was upset that he hadn't shared her enthusiasm.
"My lady White Witch. Are you pouting over something like that again? I'll touch your breasts, so cheer up.“
"Kyaa! You beast! You're actually touching them! It doesn't make me happy at all, so take your hand off me this instant!"
The White Witch pushed Kerry's hand away and fell into thought.
A thought suddenly occurred to her.
'To use magic... is theory really necessary?‘
Until now, the White Witch had never once questioned the necessity of theory.
She had always considered it something that obviously had to be learned.
But seeing the circle Kerry had just made, her thinking began to change.
'Even if the theory of circles is relatively simple, Kerry completed one without any theory at all...'
That implied one possibility.
If someone was as talented as Kerry, it might be possible for them to imitate magic, even if not in perfect detail.
"Kerry."
"Yes, my lady Witch. Are you feeling better now?"
"It's not that... Are you interested in using magic?"
"Of course. Don't you know how much I love magic?"
Kerry was keenly aware of the need for magic.
But even if he committed to studying, it would take years just to learn a low-level spell like Wind Blade.
He would have to start from the very basics.
He didn't have that kind of time.
Kerry needed practical magic he could use right away.
"I can't be certain... but there might be a way for you to learn magic easily."
"!"
"Your talent is so exceptional that you could intuitively create a circle without knowing the theory."
After hearing the White Witch's explanation, I realized my talent was completely broken.
"If you use that incredible talent, maybe... and this is just a maybe. You might be able to use magic to some extent, even if it's not perfect."
The White Witch explained this possibility to Kerry in detail.
Kerry listened to the White Witch more intently than ever before.
So much so that the White Witch chided him, asking why he only listened so well at times like these.
Their conversation continued late into the night.
*
Kerry had stayed up all night, but he wasn't tired.
On the contrary, he found himself humming.
There was still hope on the path of the mage, a path he had half given up on.
I really am a fucking talented genius. All that time I spent swinging a sword was a complete waste.
If the nobles of this world hadn't monopolized all the information about magic, this mess wouldn't have happened. Nobles are such trash.
Except for Victoria, of course.
"Kerry. You seem to be in a good mood today."
Victoria commented as she dipped her bread into her soup. The party was having breakfast.
"...I am in a good mood. I've rediscovered a lost dream."
"A lost dream?"
"Something like that, Victoria."
Lina's party had decided to leave the undine's hot spring today.
Now that Natasha had recovered, there was no reason to stay any longer.
On top of that, they had received new information from the undine that morning.
[My children tell me that something strange is happening in a nearby village. The villagers... have all turned into ghouls, and it's become difficult to even approach the area.]
It was obvious. This had to be their doing.
[Among them, my children saw one person who hadn't turned into a ghoul. They said he was tall and gaunt, and had many piercings on his body.]
It matched Nassen's description.
But Kerry found it a little strange.
Until now, those bastards had always hidden their presence.
It was as if they were trying to avoid making a big scene.
More like they were quietly devouring people to build their strength.
Kerry believed the reason for this was the Empire.
If they caused too much trouble and caught the Empire's attention, the imperial knights and mages wouldn't just stand by.
'They're a secret organization, so I thought they were trying to stay off the Empire's radar... but this time, they've swallowed an entire village. Why the sudden change?'
This was a different story from a tribe living in the mountains like Natasha's.
The tribespeople weren't considered citizens of the Empire, and they lived an isolated life in the mountains.
Lina also found it strange.
“Their actions are unusual. But regardless, I think we should go to the village the undine mentioned. There might still be survivors.”
The party nodded in agreement.
After finishing breakfast, Lina's party left the hot spring immediately. The village was said to be not too far away.
“Please come again, heroes!”
The undine, pleased with the handsome profit she'd made, waved enthusiastically.
Honestly, for this level of service at this price, I'd be willing to come back. If I ever get the chance, that is.
Lina's party ran through the forest. They had sent the carriage back before entering the hot spring.
But it wasn't a problem.
The hero party wouldn't be inconvenienced by the lack of a carriage.
Lina carried the grandmother on her back. Natasha carried Kerry. Victoria ran by herself, grumbling.
“Natasha's carrying Kerry again. What about me?”
“Natasha is faster. This time, it's a rational decision.”
“...”
They were just running, but it was faster than a carriage.
They had gotten directions from the undine, so there was no chance of getting lost.
Just as Kerry was starting to wish he could feel solid ground under his feet, a village came into view in the distance.
“I see the village. We're finally here.”
“You can put me down now, Natasha. I think we can walk from here.”
Running so fast had made me motion sick.
The grandmother was still on Lina's back. Not just being carried, but fast asleep.
What's this? Is riding on Lina's back a smoother experience? I'd like to try riding on her back next time. In more ways than one.
Lina's party walked slowly toward the village entrance.
The village was strangely deserted.
“This is strange. Weren't we told the village was attacked and everyone turned into ghouls? I don't see anyone.”
“...But there are definitely signs that ghouls were here.”
Parts of the village were destroyed and scorched. Bloodstains were visible here and there.
It was clear something had happened.
But with nothing in sight now, it was frustrating.
The party began to search the village for any clues.
Nassen was definitely the one who did this.
He must have used his voodoo to turn the villagers into ghouls. The story was that traces of Nassen remained in this village.
Natasha's eyes widened as she scanned her surroundings. Right. That's better than seeing her dispirited.
Just then, they heard a sound.
“Uuuhhhaaa....”
“The sound of a ghoul.”
Lina's party ran toward the sound, hoping to find a clue.
As they rounded a corner, the source of the sound finally came into view.
It was a ghoul, just as they'd thought.
“Uuuhhhaaa... uuuhhhaaa...”
A middle-aged ghoul, already a corpse, was moving.
The presence of a ghoul meant the undine's information was correct.
Then why weren't there any other ghouls?
It was then.
A beautiful voice echoed from somewhere.
“Purification of Light.”
A blinding radiance descended from the sky.
The radiance enveloped the ghoul, and in moments, it vanished without a trace.
A priest's holy spell? Who in the world cast it?
“Return to dust. You who disturb the natural order.”
When the woman with the beautiful voice revealed herself, Kerry saw the tip of Lina's sword tremble.
It was a reaction he had never seen from Lina before.