162.The Curse of Yeonjeong. (2)

After the school competition,.

Eltmon Eldwin personally sought out a Stella Dome official named 'Cabaren' following Anella's report.

Of course, it wasn't a peaceful approach.

"...Ruk."

Thud, thwook!

The floor was stained with blood. The scattered pieces of flesh on the floor had already cooled, and the fresh blood on the floor had long since hardened.

Yet Cabaren did not die.

Because he was a dark mage.

Eltmon watched coldly. To him, killing a Dark Mage was akin to a human swatting a mosquito, so he felt no guilt whatsoever.

"It seems many vermin were hiding in Stella Dome?"

"Gah, k-kill me... Please spare..."

Thud!

"Do not speak without permission."

"Guh...!!"

As Eltmon gently clenched his fist, Cabaren's body twisted unnaturally. His eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out, and he groaned but couldn't even scream.

'This is troublesome...'

The Dark Mage's skills were developing at an alarming rate, almost to the point of being considered grotesque.

Magicians can no longer detect the hidden Dark Mages in society, and as a result, they are quickly establishing themselves in the world of magic.

It is truly a remarkable thing.

The fact that those who couldn't resist the impulses of pleasure and desire, causing terror dozens of times a day, now have the ability to hide their identities and seamlessly integrate into society as soon as that skill is developed.

'Anyway, wasn't it Anella...?

Thanks to that little exchange student girl,

It's truly a blessing. Thanks to her report, we were able to uproot some Dark Mages, including Cabaren, who had infiltrated Stella.

But.

'That girl is also suspicious.'

There is no evidence, but the suspicion is strong.

However, without evidence, I cannot interrogate. Unless you directly killed them, there was no way to prove someone was a Dark Mage.

So, for now, I decided to leave it as it is.

At first glance, it seemed that Anella had a liking for Baek Yuseol, so she probably wouldn't cause any major issues for a while.

Thud!

By clenching his fist tightly and compressing space, Cabaren's body twisted and vanished without a trace.

Eltmon silently turned and left. Having dealt with the Dark Mage behind this incident, it was now time to handle the aftermath of the school competition.

✧ ✧ ✧[*Fan Translation from OldFable* wink]

After the school competition, there was another person besides Baek Yuseol who received attention.

"Sengdo Dokcheolgwang. can we interview you about your feelings at that time?"

"Well, based on the biceps, it looks like you've been working out. How much can you bench press?"

"No, answer the interview questions instead of talking about that kind of thing...."

Stella Academy's 2nd-year student in Class S, Dok Cheolgwang.

A while before the match ended, he was seen holding back the Dark Demon for a while, preventing any victims from appearing. It was revealed that Baek Yuseol and he had also become the talk of the town.

A swarm of reporters crowded into Dok Cheolgwang's private room after he was hospitalized, and although he seemed quite annoyed, he allowed them in.

Just before the interview, the homeroom teacher of Class S, having heard the words 'Recognition is crucial for a magic warrior! ' so many times that it almost became a nuisance in his ears.

"By any chance, what kind of protein do you use?"

Of course, the reporters who had come to cover the story were on the verge of exploding due to his silly responses.

After the interview, Dok Cheolgwang's partner, 2nd-year student Bandiyeon, came to find him.

"Hey, are you feeling better?"

"Phew!"

Despite the nurse's advice to rest for a while, Bandiyeon was amazed to see Dok Cheolgwang, who was working out on the floor, impressed as he looked at it.

When he roughly took out a protein bar and a knife from his pocket and threw them to him, he reflexively caught them without looking back and tore open the wrapper to eat them.

"Hospitals are too stuffy."

"Well, you got hurt."

"You'll get better if you exercise like this. There is no need for surgery or medication. Doctors suffer because the body is weak."

"...You're talking nonsense."

Seemingly feeling better, Dok Cheolgwang flexed his shoulder muscles and rotated his arms. The cramped space seemed to be getting on his nerves.

Bandiyeon quietly watched him. Clearly, his mind was filled with muscles too.

He was a foolish idiot, behaving in a way that others might consider ignorant without hesitation... But in important situations, if one could confidently face the Black Demon without showing their back, wouldn't that person already be a great magic warrior?

That's what I thought.

"What am I thinking...,"

Suddenly, being sentimental didn't suit his character.

"By the way, who's that little kid outside waiting for you?"

"Hmm?"

"She's been hesitating whether to come in or not in front of the room since earlier."

Bandiyeon's words intensified the gestures from outside. The sound of hesitant footsteps could be heard from here.

"Who? Another reporter? Annoying..."

Scratching the back of his head, Dok Cheolgwang leaned his head out of the room. But there was nobody outside... except for a small girl standing hesitantly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh? Uh? Uh? Well, I, uh... that..."

As Dok Cheolgwang spoke to her, the girl, looking flustered, shook her pupils as if resisting the confusion, and then lowered her head deeply, stuttering out her words.

"Last time... in the survival game... Do you remember...?"

"No."

With no second thought, Dok Cheolgwang's response made the girl's expression falter, but she closed her eyes tightly and spoke.

"At that time, you saved me..."

I was casually speaking with my ears blocked, but it seems like it wasn't insignificant to the girl after all.

"I-I'm Ban Yurin... Here! Please take this!"

With her head blushing like crimson, Ban Yurin deeply bowed and pushed a gift box containing a pink envelope into Dok Cheolgwang's chest, then turned around and hurriedly fled.

"What's this?"

As for Dok Cheolgwang being unable to comprehend the girl's actions properly, he was about to speak, but Bandiyeon, who had been watching from behind, slapped his back.

"You brat! Spring is finally coming, even to a flaky guy like you."

"It's already summer."

"You frustrating kid. How are you going to get a date with that?"

"My girlfriends are Barbells and Protein. That's two of them."

"Ugh..."

Seeing Dok Cheolgwang as even more frustrating than expected, Bandiyeon felt nothing but absurdity.

"Live your life like that forever..."

Having said that, he suddenly became fearful, wondering if he would actually live his life like that.

✧ ✧ ✧

The day Orenha regained consciousness was about a week after the incident had occurred.

Sari Flower Hospital in the cradle of the Thousand-Year Tree.

Filled with the energy of the World Tree, akin to a drug-like addiction, access to ordinary elves was prohibited, and only high elves who could control the energy themselves were allowed in.

"...What did you just say?"

Upon waking up a week later, Orenha trembled at the words of the High Elf doctor.

"What I did say is that..."

"Your mana has been removed from your body. It was an unavoidable choice to save the life of yours, Chancellor. So please..."

"Who gave you the right! Who has the right to take away my mana!!"

Orenha, rising abruptly from his seat, grabbed the doctor by the collar. However, due to not moving his body for a week, his muscles cramped, and the strength ebbed away.

The doctor bowed his head with a look of regret. Feeling a sense of guilt for not being able to do anything for the patient.

"Is it you? You! I'll kill you... How dare you take my mana...!"

Clang!

"Aaaah!!"

When a mage loses their mana, they typically exhibit similar behaviors.

Some erupt in anger, and some succumb to despair.

And if not that...

There were also cases where they made the extreme choice to end their lives right there.

For a mage, magic is life. Although Orenha had learned magic for the sake of Sari, it had become a part of him.

My arms and legs, or my senses.

But when he woke up from passing out, those parts were gone.

Now, all that remained for me was... my brain.

Even if I tried to move my arm, make an effort to walk, look ahead, smell, or taste.

I couldn't do anything.

A mage who had lost all mana would find themselves in exactly that state.

"Who, who has the right to... "

"I'm sorry, Orenha."

At that moment, a voice could be heard.

Looking towards the door of the hospital room... Florin, dressed in a black dress from head to toe, was standing there.

Immediately, Orenha's mood rose sharply.

It was none other than Florin who had come directly.

The person who had just been destroying everything around in anger had disappeared without a trace, and he greeted Florin with a face full of ecstasy.

"Ah... Your Highness. Please come in."

Seeing him like that, Florin couldn't help but feel deeply sorry.

He was already in a severe condition.

Enthralled by the Curse of yeonjeong.. Orenha had lost even the anger for him losing his mana, succumbing in an instant to this false love.

Is this really the right prescription?

If I don't return these emotions to him in the future, in the end, he will fall into lovesickness and suffer until he dies.

But it was already too late to ponder.

Orenha had lost all mana.

He had come to love me, but... I cannot return mana or love to him.

Florin closed her eyes tightly and painstakingly uttered each word.

"Chancellor Orenha."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"...I truly regret what happened to your body."

"No, Your Highness, where is the fault on your part? Even in this body, I have the confidence to serve Your Highness for a lifetime!"

Watching his confident demeanor, Florin's heart felt even more miserable. However, what needed to be said had to be said directly. That was the right thing to do.

"No, it's my fault."

"Excuse me?"

Something felt off in Florin's atmosphere. Orenha, who had always watched over her by her side, sensed something was amiss around this time.

And then, the shocking words that came out of her mouth.

"The person who ordered to intensify your mana... was me."

"Oh."

What did I just hear?

Seeing Orenha's puzzled expression that he couldn't quite understand, her sad expression deepened even further.

At times like this, it's almost fortunate that she's wearing a mask. Her ability to control her facial expressions was at a level comparable to that of a child's.

"Orenha... As you know, a severe curse is placed on me. Ordinary people who see my face die shortly after, and high-level mages experience a mental breakdown and go berserk."

"That... I understand, but..."

"When you encountered me... you caused a mana surge. I had no choice but to make a decision. I wanted you to not die."

"Ah..."

Orenha bit his lip tightly. His crestfallen expression was filled with a sense of complete loss.

"He, how... It's okay."

He lifted his trembling head and met Florin's gaze.

"Even if I don't have this kind of mana, I believe in myself to serve Your Highness for a lifetime."

There was a resolute expression on his face, but sadly, it was impossible.

That confident and self-assured appearance was only for a moment. As Florin concealed her appearance, the hysteria that lay dormant within him would explode once again.

The despair and rage of a mage who had lost mana don't easily dissipate. Knowing this fact well, Florin could no longer keep him as her aide.

She thought that just letting him rest peacefully for the rest of his life would be the most comfortable way to handle things.

"Orenha...

"Wait, Your Highness. I still..."

"That's enough... Please retire."

Ah.

As the words he had hoped would not come out spilled forth, Orenha's pupils lost focus.

"You can live in the best mansion and estate for the rest of your life, surrounded by countless servants. If you have anything you want to do or possess... feel free to say it. I'm willing to grant any of your requests if you ask."

Orenha fell silent, and Florin waited for him. She couldn't dare to fathom his feelings as he struggled to sort out his thoughts and choose the words he needed to say.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"...It's not necessary."

"Money, honor, power, even magic, none of it matters!"

Orenha's eyes blazed with determination."

Florin shouted at Florin.

"I... As long as Your Highness is there, nothing else matters! Please, don't push me away...

Touched by his heartfelt plea, Florin felt her heart waver, but she had promised herself that this couldn't happen, so she firmly shook her head.

What he wanted was not just to be by her side, but to have her heart.

But that... was simply impossible. Despite spending a long time with Orenha, he was just a friend, unable to return the emotion of love.

Keeping Orenha by her side would only bring him pain.

Love, with the hope that one day you might receive her love, slowly blossoms like a flower and eventually bursts.

"...I'm sorry. Orenha, I can't give you my heart."

So Florin drew a clear line.

Thud.

As the tension left Orenha's body completely, he slumped to the ground.

Seeing through his true feelings, Florin drew the line, erasing even the last remaining hope.

That was it.

"Please... rest."

Florin couldn't bring herself to face Orenha's expression of despair and hastily left the hospital.

"Sigh..."

After rushing all the way to the garden, Florin leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Sweat beaded on her forehead and cheeks, but she couldn't bear to remove her mask in case someone saw it.

"Rustle!

"Did everything go well?"

At that moment, Baek Yuseol emerged from the dense forest, breaking through the foliage.

Calming her startled heart, Florin breathed a sigh of relief.

"You surprised me..."

Glancing around, Baek Yuseol casually nodded.

"No one's around, so you can take off your mask."

"Yes. The fairies have been telling me."

As she could hear the voices of spirits and fairies, she had long been aware that there was no one around.

Still, taking off the mask... is still frightening.

Due to her careless actions, she had once again lost a connection.

Baek Yuseol remained silent.

Right now, Florin would be burdened with guilt about Orenha.

But that wouldn't last long.

Orenha, who had lost all his mana, was planning to reveal his true nature by causing a riot at the hospital.

Florin, who discovered his vile and filthy nature, would suffer many wounds,

but her guilt would eventually fade.

It's not so bad.

From the start, Orenha was too dangerous to be left by Florin's side.

"So, did everything go well?"

Baek Yuseol seems to be in a place that is so distant and high.

Therefore, I want to grab it and ask even more.

How can one become like that?

I, too, wonder if I can someday take off the mask and confidently reveal myself to the world.