Chapter : 104
“I’ve filled your bag with sedatives, so use them whenever you need. And if you need more, just contact me anytime.”
I couldn’t give Aria the full explanation, but I had stayed up all night preparing this with the hope that she wouldn’t undergo treatment by the priest.
“Let’s get going, Your Highness.”
Owen, who was going to enter the palace ahead with Aria, urged her from the magic circle.
‘Seems like he’s eager to get back to the central hall of the capital.’
Owen, unusually cheerful, was a bit irritating. But for now, we had to let them go. We couldn’t arrest anyone without solid evidence.
“Then let’s go as well, Themis.”
“Yes, Master.”
After Aria and Owen had left, it was our turn—Master, Everett, Jed, and me.
Of course, Master could cast teleportation alone, but there was no need to waste magic when caution was required.
“Ready!”
I infused my staff with magic and confirmed the magic circle’s destination: Home sweet home—the Mage Tower.
Aria assumed we would stay here for a while, using the excuse of sorting things out.
I felt guilty, but we were heading straight to the Mage Tower. If Everett returned to the temple, he might fall under the brainwashing again, so we had to prevent that.
The Emperor had set the palace arrival deadline for Master two days later. Until then, we planned to maximize our time researching the curse.
“Master, are you ready?”
“Hmm…”
Master’s gaze swept over the group, stopping sharply on Jed. His eyes narrowed.
“Do you really have to bring that one along?”
“We can’t just leave him here alone; we don’t know when he might wake up.”
“…I really don’t like bringing outsiders into the Mage Tower.”
“Master, Jed isn’t an outsider. Once he wakes up, there will be much to discuss.”
Master sighed as he looked at Jed lying on the stretcher.
“…With so many rivals, geez.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s go, Themis.”
Master straightened as if nothing had happened. Seeing him with his mouth firmly shut, I knew pressing him further would get me nowhere.
‘I wonder what happened between Aria and Jed?’
I gave up trying to think it through.
‘The more I think, the stronger my jealousy grows.’
I took a deep breath and focused on the magic circle.
When I activated it, a familiar scene filled my vision. We had arrived in the basement of the Mage Tower.
Overjoyed to return to the Mage Tower after so long, I realized I needed to check on Jed. He was still a patient; he couldn’t stay on a stretcher indefinitely.
“I’ll take Jed to my room.”
“No, there’s no need for you to use your room. Take him to mine.”
“You said you don’t like outsiders. It’s fine.”
“No, I’m the one who’s not okay with it.”
Master’s opinion was firm.
Everett, who had been quietly listening, chimed in.
“Themis, this time I agree with the Archmage’s opinion. He’s a man, after all. And I wouldn’t want my presence here discovered, so I’ll hide with Jed in the Archmage’s room.”
“Oh, for once that sounds like a reasonable plan.”
Everett sighed at Master’s backhanded compliment—though it seemed Master genuinely meant it as praise.
In the end, I followed Master’s instructions and guided Everett to his room. Master had an entire floor of the Mage Tower to himself, so it was more than enough for the three of us.
I laid Jed on the extra bed and left him in Everett’s care before heading straight to the Mage Tower library, where Master was waiting.
Although many important documents in the Mage Tower had been destroyed in the previous explosion, fortunately, the library remained largely intact.
However, most of the library’s resources were research materials on magic, so information on divine power or curses was scarce.
I sifted through books for a long time but couldn’t find anything beyond what we already knew.
Sighing at the mountain of fruitless books, an idea suddenly struck me, and I turned to Master.
“Master, what if we pour a large amount of magic at once?”
I had realized that the curse functioned similarly to binding magic.
Binding magic, which restricts someone’s body or freedom of action, can be broken if a greater amount of magic than what was used in its casting is poured in at once.
I thought perhaps the curse could be lifted in a similar way.
“That’s an interesting thought… but the opponent is a god, Themis. I don’t think our combined magic will be enough to solve this.”
Still, it was worth trying.
I downed the sedatives and prepared, and Master, acknowledging there was no immediate solution, summoned his staff.
We faced each other in the spacious room.
Master planted his staff firmly on the ground and gripped it tightly. The large staff wavered in his small hands.
I aimed my staff at him and called upon the darkness.
[I really, really don’t want to do this to a light-aligned one… but if you insist, fine.]
The darkness grumbled but lent me all its power.
“Ready, Master.”
“Yes.”
The magic flowing through me began entering Master. Master also drew his power, sweat forming on his forehead.
My dark magic intertwined with Master’s golden magic, whipping up fierce winds all around.
Books tumbled to the floor and papers flew noisily, but there was no time to care.
Master’s body began to glow. Strands of golden hair shimmered like sunlight.
‘Is it really working?’
I poured even more magic into him with joy.
But it was a premature hope.
After some time, Master and I lay on the floor, panting heavily.
“Indeed… the god’s curse is strong.”
We had poured every bit of our magic into it, but the curse remained.
I took more sedatives and glanced at Master lying beside me.
“If there’s any consolation, it’s that we achieved at least a little progress…”
Master, who had seemed like an adolescent of around eighteen, now appeared as a young teen.
He had grown to almost my height, with long limbs. His cheeks had lost some baby fat, and his deep blue eyes reminded me of his adult self, making my heart race.
“It’s thanks to you, Themis. Thank you.”
Master wiggled his fingers, now long enough to hold his staff properly, and continued.
“But this method can’t be used twice.”
I agreed. The amount of magic we had expended meant we would need an entire day just to recover.
With the palace and temple scheming in ways we couldn’t predict, we couldn’t afford to be this defenseless.
“Moreover, this method can only temporarily suppress the curse, not completely remove it.”
There seemed to be some other method needed to fully lift the curse.
Realizing we couldn’t immediately solve Master’s curse, I felt my strength drain.
“Themis, look at it positively—the curse will become a driving force to grow your magic. It’s even better than a dungeon.”
Dungeons were made by demons. But the curse within Master’s body was from the omnipotent god Prua, far more noble and powerful.
If anything, the process of lifting it would naturally be more arduous.
‘This will definitely help stabilize my mana core.’
With a curse of this magnitude, my mana core would likely be fully stabilized by the time the curse was lifted. Then I could give it to Aria and leave.
‘I really am a more talented mage than I thought.’
Even the most threatening dungeon couldn’t stabilize a mana core this quickly.
If I were an average mage, it would be impossible. But I was doing it.
‘I should have been the first to believe in my own talent.’
Without memories of my past life, I wouldn’t have tested my limits. I owed this growth to Master.
‘There’s not much time left before I part from Master.’
Our separation was approaching. Being with Master now, I resolved to cherish every moment.
Though it was because of the curse, I was glad to witness Master’s childhood up close.
