Chapter 75
Chapter 75
RRRUMBLE….
The enchantment scripts carved along the disc's rim flickered—the blue light dancing across their surface dimming by slow degrees.
Starved of its energy source, the disc tilted to one side and drifted gently toward the floor.
Mikhail lowered his outstretched hand and shifted his gaze to Edwin's back.
"Hah… hahhh."
Edwin couldn't tear his eyes from the scene right in front of him.
Beneath his soaked almond-brown hair, his shoulders heaved with every breath.
His hands shook around the greatsword's grip, every muscle locked tight with tension.
Then, in one burst, Edwin threw his body back and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"WE DID IIIIIIT—!"
Mikhail watched Edwin flail his arms wildly, then whirl around to face him.
His face was brighter than Mikhail had ever seen it, glowing with pure, unguarded triumph.
"……."
Mikhail watched him for a moment, folded his arms, and let out a quiet laugh.
Then he turned toward the edge of the arena, where applause was already ringing out.
Julien wore a radiant smile across his whole face, clapping with obvious satisfaction at what he'd just witnessed.
Flash!
That was when it happened. A familiar pulse of light filled his vision, and a system message rose into view.
【[Sub] Complete Non-Class Partner Training】
- Quest Reward: Shop Currency +2
Three days slipped by after that.
Before he knew it, the calendar had raced ahead, and departure for their next mission destination loomed just one day away.
Inside the personal dormitory quarters on the academy grounds.
Fresh from his training session with Julien, Mikhail had his large bag open on the floor and was packing everything he'd need for the trip.
Only one type of supply mattered this time around. He needed stamina-recovery potions.
Something easy to drink on the go. Three or four bottles ought to do it.
"……."
A short while passed.
Han and Ul, who'd been lounging by the window and enjoying their snack, padded over and nuzzled against his side.
Mikhail paused his busy hands and stroked both their foreheads.
Then something caught his eye. He glanced upward, and system messages began etching themselves across empty air.
【Notice: Combat experience has improved your stats.】
【Stat Change Notice】
Mana Capacity: B- → B (tier increase)
Impact Reduction: D+ → C- (tier increase)
Mana Quality: C → C+ (tier increase)
【Current Shop Currency: 12pt】
A summary of the past six days of training. And beyond that, one more thing worth noting….
He wasn't the only one who'd grown.
Edwin, his teammate, had grown too. So had Julien. Both had progressed remarkably fast for such a short stretch of time.
[See that? I can cut down nine out of ten now! …Well, okay, all ten's still a bit much.]
Mikhail recalled Edwin puffing out his chest with his hands on his hips, and let out a deflating sigh through his nose.
"……."
Then, slowly, he blinked—and the smile that had spread across his face faded away.
What trailed the memory was something from barely an hour or two ago.
The conversation he'd had with Julien while walking back after their final training session sharpened into focus.
[Tomorrow's the big departure, so I should swing by the shopping district. Ah, I'm out of consumables, I broke my fountain pen, and… I think I need a new bag. Nothing too bulky.]
[This past week was honestly so much fun. The excitement I felt… I don't think I'll ever forget it. It's a little frustrating that I can't tell anyone about it, but… hmm, maybe when I'm a white-haired old man, I'll grab some kids and ramble on about it! By then everyone'll just think I've lost my marbles, so it won't matter.]
…Julien had been rubbing the back of his neck and grinning playfully as he spoke.
Mikhail let the boy's lingering afterimage drift behind him and closed his eyes.
A pause settled in the stillness. Then Mikhail exhaled, opened his eyes, and moved his hands again.
Clatter.
He packed what he needed. Clothes, toiletries, a few books and writing supplies. Consumable potions to round it out….
The bag swelled to bursting once it had swallowed everything. Mikhail shoved it into the corner and rose to his feet.
Tap-tap.
He'd taken a few steps toward the door when small footsteps pattered from behind.
He turned and looked down at his feet.
"Krrng."
Han and Ul gazed up at him, tails swaying. Mikhail studied the siblings for a moment, then spoke.
"I'm going to check on Julien. Want to come?"
"Kang!"
Their cotton-puff tails wagged with enthusiasm. Mikhail gave a small nod and pressed a finger to his lips.
"But you have to be quiet. Really, truly quiet."
Beneath an ash tree on the outskirts of campus.
Julien set down the bag he'd filled with his new purchases and leaned against the trunk.
The bag had a decent weight to it… but it was lighter than the old one.
"Haah."
He drew out a long exhale and tipped his head back to gaze at the sky.
There was nothing waiting for him back at the dorm besides packing, so he figured he'd enjoy the breeze before heading in.
"……."
A wind rolling in from Haeohreum Forest brushed his cheek.
Crisp and cool—noticeably so. Stopping here to rest had been the right call.
A pleasant warmth rose in his chest. He hummed a tune under his breath, then let his gaze drift downward.
His eyes came to rest on his own hands—the same hands that had been conjuring mana just hours ago.
Pzzt.
The crack of mana igniting echoed through his ears like a phantom.
The sensation sharpened—mana pooling above his palm mid-clash with Mikhail, spells taking shape beneath his fingers.
Pure immersion and electric thrill. Elation and release. Emotions that had struck like lightning, one after another, blazing and vivid.
He wanted to keep feeling this. Again and again, just like this past week. He wanted to be better than yesterday. He wanted to grow….
Desires he'd shoved deep into a corner of his heart began forcing their way back to the surface.
His heartbeat swelled louder and louder. Mana surged from the left side of his chest and rode the current of his blood.
Pulsing in rhythm with the restless energy racing through his entire body, it was—
"—Gkh!"
Julien choked out a ragged breath. His vision blanched white, and consciousness flickered like a flame about to die.
The back of his neck burned as though set on fire.
Every ounce of strength drained from his body where he'd crumpled to the ground.
What? Why is this happening all of a sudden? What the hell is—
Julien gasped for air and scrambled to identify the cause.
Had he eaten something wrong? Some illness he didn't know about?
Or… was his mana going out of control again?
No… no. This is different from that time. What is this…?
But the thoughts couldn't hold together. Each question surfaced only to snap off before it could chain to the next.
Inky black stains began spattering across his mind.
His core consciousness clung to its shape by the thinnest thread—but a few pieces slipped through and sank beneath the surface.
Julien clutched at his chest. Words spilled from between his parched lips—words whose meaning even he didn't understand.
"No… stop… not that…."
But it was useless. The dark blotches spread across his consciousness, smothering patch after patch, swallowing a small fragment whole.
Then they buried themselves beneath the rhythm of his heartbeat and vanished without a trace.
Several minutes crawled by.
The convulsions subsided and reality seeped back in. Julien swallowed breath after breath, then dragged himself to his feet on unsteady legs.
His racing heart was settling back to its normal pace.
"Haah."
His head felt hollow. Like waking from a sleep that had gone on far too long.
Julien blinked groggily and let out a low groan, then tilted his head back and touched the nape of his neck.
His unfocused violet eyes reflected the flat expanse of sky with no expression at all.
"That was nothing. Guess I should head back."
The murmur scattered like dry dust.
Julien fixed his gaze forward and picked up the bag at his feet.
Then he started walking again.
Beneath that blank face, a single tear traced a silent path down his cheek—and a passing breeze swept it away without leaving a mark.
Julien's unsteady figure was receding into the distance.
Mikhail stepped out from behind the pillar near the ash tree and planted his feet on the main path.
He stood still and watched Julien's retreating back.
"Hng."
That was when Han and Ul, standing at his feet, took a worried step toward Julien.
Mikhail gave a short, low whistle to hold them back.
The small paws that had been about to take another step lurched to a halt.
The siblings stood rooted in place and looked up at him.
"Krrng."
Mikhail shook his head at the two pairs of dark eyes darting back and forth, lost and searching.
There was nothing he could do right now, either.
He'd followed Julien only to confirm that things were unfolding the way he'd predicted—nothing more.
"……."
Mikhail stole one last glance at the figure that had already disappeared far down the path.
He called to mind the spell formation that had blazed scarlet on the back of Julien's neck, let out a quiet breath, and turned away.
Vicious thing, that curse. But… it has a blind spot.
Mikhail stood still, letting the thought settle, and squeezed the hand hanging at his side into a tight fist.
He gathered the critical points like puzzle pieces and fitted them together, one by one.
And the scenes that would ultimately be rewritten began taking shape before his eyes.
One more day passed.
The week-long standby period behind them, the day had come to depart for their second mission destination—the lake city of Elfensia.
In front of the carriage platform outside the academy grounds.
Mikhail had arrived first, and the other two trickled in one after the other.
Second to reach the platform was Julien, shouldering a bag noticeably lighter than the one he'd carried to Colton Winery.
"Mikhail! You beat me here! Hope you weren't waiting long?"
And the third to arrive at the platform was—
"Uuuuughhhh…."
—Edwin, his massive greatsword slung across his back, heat pads plastered all over his shoulders, dragging his bag behind him across the ground.