Chapter 154 : Chapter 154

Chapter 154 - Curse Test

The Forest Witch's day was divided into two.

The life of Lores, the person in charge and manager of Hexa.

The life of Elder Lorelin, who was responsible for the first stage of the Dark Elixir process.

Sometimes, when Kio and Halsin visited the processing site, her identity as a family member was also fulfilled.

Having lived a leisurely life in the forest, she didn't dislike the busy daily routine.

She was rather close to enjoying it, and felt a sense of accomplishment after filling her daily schedule without a gap.

The Youngest Son, her boss, knowing this, had given her another task.

The clone sent by the boss had said.

-Her memories have been recovered partially. Her body is confused by the gaps. Here is the powder, so please take care of the Head Maid.

And then he had disappeared.

As she became more accustomed to handling the Blue Flame Spirit, her work hours decreased, leaving her with spare time. It was a good thing.

During that time, she refined and researched the soul powder of the Nightmare Reaper.

When she still had time left, she went to see the Head Maid.

Every time, the Head Maid would sit blankly with a dazed expression, caught in the storm of memories.

Even when she brought food, she only drank a little tea.

To avoid food to this extent, she would have to control her metabolism with magic power.

She was unconsciously displaying that level of magic sensitivity. Not a bad change.

It meant that even though her mind was struggling, her body was steadily regaining its past senses.

“How is your body?”

The Forest Witch, who brought new tea, asked the Head Maid, who was lost in thought again today.

The Head Maid's nose twitched slightly as she turned to look at her.

At the aroma of tea filling the room, the Head Maid said softly.

“…It is the Youngest Son-nim's favorite tea.”

“You know that just by smelling it?”

“He would have liked it better if the tea leaves were brewed whole instead of ground.”

“What kind of monster were you?”

Her fortune-teller-like reasoning was starting to become scary.

She placed the teapot in front of her and sat opposite her for a moment.

“The research is progressing gradually. I'm looking into how memories are absorbed, and there's some progress.”

“Thank you.”

Her tone was subtly different compared to when she had lost her memories. A bit more rigid and formal.

Jureureuk─

The Head Maid poured the tea.

No sound was made even when the tea and cup met.

The smooth movement of her wrist filled the two cups with exactly the same amount of tea.

Yet, her eyes were on the empty space. It was the skill of a Head Maid with 10 years of experience.

“I am confused.”

It was a sudden topic, but the Forest Witch understood.

“The body of a Grade 1 agent of the Intelligence Department. A blank mind that is not. It's natural to be confused.”

“No. It is not that kind of confusion.”

“Is there something else?”

“The feelings I hold for the Fifth Son-nim. That is what is confusing.”

The Forest Witch's hand, about to pick up the teacup, stopped in its tracks.

“…You. Do you like the President?”

“I find myself repeating, but no. It is not that kind of feeling. Looking back at my regained memories, I was by the Youngest Son-nim's side out of a sense of guilt.”

The guilt from leaving her post and letting her younger brother die from illness. The sense of sin that arose from it.

He had grown up now, but when she first saw him, he was so thin and timid that he reminded her of her brother.

It was a mission, but as she took care of him up close, the guilt in her heart also gradually dulled.

She felt a sense of fulfillment watching him, who was weak, gradually become healthier.

And that fulfillment did not fade and continued.

After recalling that far, she felt disgusted with herself, but it was an emotion she couldn't hide.

“Even though I shouldn't be by the Youngest Son-nim's side with such feelings and thoughts, my body and mind continue to turn to him. I am not someone who can't even control such feelings….”

“So the confusion was about your sense of self.”

The Forest Witch crossed her arms and slowly leaned back.

“Guilt for not being able to protect your younger brother. Thoroughness as an agent of the Intelligence Department. Until now, you stayed by his side using the mission as an excuse, but not anymore.”

The Head Maid quietly nodded. But there was something she wanted to ask her.

“The you of the past knew all these feelings, yet you were willing to stay by the President's side, even enduring memory erasure. Don't you remember what you were thinking back then?”

“…No. That is why I am confused. What could have led me to the point of memory erasure?”

“We'll know when the research is complete. If we amplify the power of the Nightmare Reaper contained in the powder, we'll be able to pull out even the deepest memories.”

The Forest Witch, having emptied her teacup, stood up to leave.

As she was about to leave, there was something she felt she had to say.

“Whether you think of the President as a substitute for your dead brother or whatever, the President won't think much of it.”

“Would he…?”

“Yes. Because the inconvenience of you not being there will be greater. And the inconvenience will grow as time goes on.”

The Forest Witch shrugged.

“You may think of the President as a younger brother, but to the President, you are an employee. A very good employee at that. It means you have great value.”

“…I had not considered such an interpretation.”

“It also means to believe in yourself, who has great value. Take care of yourself, and eat some food.”

The Forest Witch waved her hand and left.

The Head Maid, left alone, moved to the table. Only the cold dishes were left there.

But her white, slender hand picked up the knife next to the dish.

She moved her hand without thinking. The knife weaved between her fingers, rolled, and rotated lightly.

Next was footwork.

Hwook─! Hwook─!

She moved smoothly like a dancer with cloth draped in both hands, but what she held was not cloth.

The silver knife glittered as it moved in the air.

Held in a reverse grip, once. Readjusted, once more. The imaginary enemy died several times over.

The enemy's name was oblivion.

Her old movements were gradually returning.

The ‘value’ the Forest Witch had spoken of was gradually rising.

“A reason…. I need a reason.”

Skill alone was not important. The reason to be by the Youngest Son's side was more important.

The previous reason was the mission, and now that it was over, there had to be a new one.

What would be good? Fortunately, she had gained strength from her conversation with the Forest Witch.

“I am the Youngest Son-nim's employee…. If I receive personal fulfillment in exchange for my labor, there's no problem, right.”

The disgusting self-justification made her nod her head while working hard.

“Let's go.”

She put down the knife and shoved the cold dishes into her stomach.

She left a note of thanks for the Forest Witch on a piece of paper and left the room.

Just waiting for her memories to return was out of the question. She had found a new reason, and that was enough.

That was enough vacation.

Now it was time to get back to work.

***

I followed Viscount Kapus deep into the Great Sorcery Archives.

To be honest, this was a place I couldn't access as a player.

But the player in the game was not bound by such rules and saw a wider space.

“Strictly speaking, the Great Sorcery Archives has no end in space. The librarian expands the space whenever new books and bookshelves need to be made.”

“Is this then a pre-expanded space?”

“Something like that. However, it's wide and clean before the castle-wall-like bookshelves are erected. So I made this place my abode.”

His claim of it being his abode wasn't a lie, as not only a desk and chair but even a bed could be seen.

Even without that, the archives without bookshelves was indeed spacious and sufficient for a test.

“What is the test?”

“It seems you use a thing called Blood Stream Sorcery to cast curses, Your Highness. I need to see what kind of compatibility it will have with my high-grade curses.”

“You mean I have to fight using only Blood Stream Sorcery?”

“Correct. You seem to have experienced this kind of situation a lot.”

“You must have watched my entire life while on duty here. Proof is essential.”

A pleased smile hung on Kapus's lips.

“That is why the Queen always looks forward to our reports.”

“Where are the other nobles besides you? How many are there in the first place?”

“Unfortunately, the Queen has made the number of undercover personnel a classified matter. It would be difficult to tell you.”

I hadn't expected it anyway, so I calmly extended my palm.

On one hand, a gloomy radiance spread, and the blood streams branching out in between drew a vortex.

The radiance became red threads, and the threads connected and broke, forming a magic circle.

“Ohh…. It is truly beautiful to see again….”

A vampire noble and former curse sorcerer, he knew the value of both sides.

Kapus knew the potential of Blood Stream Sorcery and could provide proper help.

If I could prove its practicality in the test, that is.

Swaaaaaaaah─

I infused magic power and detonated it.

The magic circle vaporized into a blood mist and filled the surroundings. It was enough to obscure the vision.

It was enough for the curse of slowing woven into it to take effect.

“Hoh. It's surprising that blood turned into such a mist, and it even contains a curse. It can be used much more erratically and effectively than before.”

“It doesn't end with gas.”

The Youngest Son approached, hidden behind the blood mist.

When he was close enough for his body's outline to be seen, a sword was in his hand.

The style, with a blade twice as wide as a standard longsword, was from the North.

“A sword made by solidifying blood! You mentioned Water Attribute magic; Blood Stream Sorcery handles blood like water!”

Kapus's voice was now excited. But he didn't just stand there and take it.

On the weapon meant for cutting, the same curse of slashing as before poured out.

Chaeaeaeeng─!

After a strong friction sound, the attacks briefly canceled each other out. But Kapus's curse was faster than any ordinary sword strike.

The Youngest Son changed the shape of the sword again, turning it into a rectangular greatshield.

Tudududududung─

A number of slashes far exceeding the number of fingers pounded on the shield.

“…Are you really under the slowing curse? What a formidable construction speed.”

“I have lived for three centuries looking only at curses. I must be at this level for it not to have been in vain.”

“I haven't lived in vain either.”

I turned the shield in my hand into a blood stream. The same went for the blood mist covering the area.

It was difficult to create a shape with gas. So I made it liquid and instantly solidified it.

Deudeudeudeudeuk─

From the floor to my chest, thorns of blood shot up, creating vines.

But their speed was exceptionally slow.

It was faster than normal vines growing, but definitely not enough to catch a vampire noble.

It was a speed that should never have come out at the set output.

Kapus landed safely with a slight smile.

“The curse of slowing can't only be used on the opponent. If timed well, it can save your life from an opponent's attack.”

“That's amazing.”

What great control. To hit an attack that the opponent values speed above all else with a curse.

“Then how about this.”

I melted the thorns to create a blood stream. The blood-red stream writhed like a snake, shimmering in the air.

“I won't just watch.”

The curse of slashing was spammed once again. It was exactly the speed the Youngest Son had wanted.

As the blood mist disappeared and the slowing curse was lifted, the attack became even faster.

The Youngest Son didn't just watch either.

The shimmering blood stream split, and split, and continued to split. Until it fluttered like a very fine thread.

It had become as thin as a strand of hair, but it hadn't disappeared.

The curse of slashing cut through the threads. But its speed gradually slowed as if blocked by a buffer.

Kapus's eyes lit up once again.

“To sprinkle the slowing curse on countless strands to stack the effect…. Amazing. You knew I would aim for the gap between techniques and prepared the slowing curse. You got me.”

The curse of slashing, which had boasted of its speed, had slowed down enough to give him plenty of time to dodge.

Furthermore, the threads didn't just end when they were cut.

The shape change, which was both a strength and a weakness of Samche, revealed a weakness every time it was attempted.

The previous curse was aimed at such a weakness, and now it was time to counterattack.

Kkuuk─

I clenched my fist at once.

The threads floating in the air instantly stiffened and became sharp, long needles.

Tens of thousands of needles, completed without a change in form, covered the opponent's surroundings.

Kapus looked at the sharp intents aimed at him and nodded.

“So this is how Blood Stream Sorcery fights. I understand well. It was a good study.”

“Then shall we get to the main point now?”

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