Chapter 81
“Don’t touch suspicious flowers carelessly. Let’s put it down.”
Diego glanced briefly between the flower and Kaiden, then obediently placed the flower on the ground.
“As expected of a mage, Lord, you really know a lot,” Yuanna muttered, looking disappointedly at the flower lying on the floor. Kaiden sighed deeply at her and replied with a clearly annoyed expression.
Then, suddenly, a gust of wind blew, scattering a considerable amount of yellow pollen from the flowers around the cabin.
“Ah-choo!”
Yuanna sneezed as the pollen hit her directly. Diego also inhaled some of the remaining debris, letting go of the flower while holding his nose.
Kaiden sensed that their reactions weren’t normal.
Yuanna and Diego’s necks were slowly turning red.
Yuanna sat down, clutching her throat in embarrassment, coughing repeatedly. Diego gripped the front of his shirt with a pained expression, pulling so hard that a few of the top buttons tore off.
‘Damn it… what is this? Is the pollen poisonous?’
Kaiden, immune to all poisons, was the only one unaffected.
The two of them seemed to be in considerable pain, not moving from their spots, which made Kaiden even more uncomfortable.
Moreover, their faces were wilting like withering flowers.
On the other hand, their unfocused eyes, heavy breathing, and hands clawing at the ground as if desperate to quench a thirst seemed almost greedily predatory.
It was an awkward situation.
Having just faced a monster in the yard, Kaiden couldn’t leave them outside either.
Eventually, Kaiden decided to move them inside the cabin. Moving the struggling pair proved to be quite a task.
“This is exactly why I hate group life. You could see how dangerous it was, so why the hell did you touch it…! Damn it!”
Kaiden cursed under his breath. It seemed his plan to return safely and be praised by Margaret was now out the window.
Overnight, Eunji, who had disappeared, was devouring all the Tentationem flowers.
As soon as Enok and I stepped out of the cabin, we saw her tearing into the flowers at an incredible speed.
There hadn’t been that many blooms before, yet overnight the area around the cabin was densely filled with red flowers.
“Eunji!”
I called out in surprise, and only then did she turn toward me, wagging her tail in delight.
She hesitated, eyes sparkling, wanting to approach me, but only after finishing the remaining Tentationem flowers did she struggle her way to the cabin deck.
Even so, Tentationem was highly toxic. Eating so many at once…
Eunji collapsed onto the ground right in front of me. Shocked, I scooped her up immediately. She hung limply in my hands.
The relief came when I saw she was breathing steadily—she was just asleep.
I exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Was that monster said to have bonded with you?”
Enok asked, watching Eunji sleep as if she had fainted.
“Yes, it seems so. I can roughly predict the emotions she feels. She seems to understand my words as well. Kaiden said it’s because she imprinted on me.”
“Definitely not a typical case,” Enok muttered after hearing me.
I recalled the discussion we had about Eunji imprinting on me.
Monsters don’t recognize humans as top predators, and the anaconda itself is already a top predator, making it hard for it to find another imprintable individual.
Meeting someone like me, with an immense amount of magic power, made imprinting possible.
‘Even I have to admit, it’s a mystery.’
Watching Eunji, I thought that and re-entered the cabin with Enok.
Ruzeph was asleep, exhausted, while Asdal sat at the kitchen table drinking water.
“Smart for a monster,” Asdal remarked as I handed Eunji over to him, clearly aware she had devoured all the Tentationem overnight.
“You left her like that even knowing it’s bad for her body?” I glared at him in disbelief.
“I had no choice. She was doing something that helps us,” Asdal replied nonchalantly, understanding my glance.
I laid Eunji on a soft cot and watched over her. I had been worried, but she purred peacefully and even snored gently.
It seemed there was no problem. Relieved, I went to prepare the meal in the kitchen.
Enok approached and gently pushed me aside.
“Margaret, you should rest. I’ll prepare the meal.”
As usual, Enok was the only one looking after me.
Asdal, watching Enok work with his chin on his hand, looked utterly shocked.
“It’s amazing… the Crown Prince Enok has changed this much.”
“People change, naturally,” I said.
“Hmm. I have to admit it now. Even Margaret Rose Florne, that half-demon, has changed—why wouldn’t a half-demon change too?”
Asdal pointed at me with his finger. Suddenly, he seemed to have an idea, slapped his knee, and grabbed my wrist.
“I’ve thought of something. Instead of watching for passing ships along the shore, wouldn’t building a raft be more efficient?”
I had forgotten about helping Enok and turned to him. Then I remembered how he had suggested considering a way to call for help while staying in the cabin.
“Think about it. The young lady has already sent flames into the sky with her magic several times, yet no one has approached the island. It would be faster to try to escape ourselves than wait for rescue.”
Asdal spoke gently, trying to persuade me. He was clearly suggesting I convince Enok to build a raft together.
But I knew this island exists in a different space-time. Taking a raft out would be useless. We’d probably just circle the island and return to the same spot.
“…Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the Saint’s party returns first?”
I responded in a similarly gentle, persuasive tone, countering Asdal.
“What if we waste our energy and a monster comes while we’re occupied?”
Enok, quietly preparing the meal, glanced at us and spoke.
“Margaret is right. Let’s wait for the Saint’s party to return first.”
Asdal, resting his chin on his hand, nodded with a resigned expression.
“Alright, fine. If our half-demon says so.”
“Stop calling me half-demon before a duel,” Enok snapped, tossing the sharp stone knife he was holding. It flew past Asdal’s cheek, barely grazing it, and lodged perfectly into the central pillar of the living room.
“Oh, half-demon… ha. If the Crown Prince challenges me to a duel, I won’t survive. I have to be careful.”
Asdal raised both hands comically, signaling surrender. Enok shot him a contemptuous glare, and Asdal clutched his chest as if hurt.
Ironically, the same Asdal who always insulted Enok as a half-demon trusted him the most. Perhaps some kind of schoolyard bond remained?
“Anyway, if my magic had worked, I could have observed the monster’s movements and patterns.”
I heard him mutter this while moving Eunji from a makeshift leaf cushion and looked at him.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Asdal tapped his eyes lightly and grinned.
“Well, I mentioned this before. I have the Sight of Magic. It’s a hereditary ability through the Hestia royal bloodline, never revealed outside the family. Given the situation, I’m telling you now.”
“Eh…? Sight of Magic?”
“It’s the ability to read the flow of magic. You can even discern the form of various powers, like magic or divine energy.”
Since this was secret royal knowledge, I found nothing about it even after searching through Margaret’s memories.
“Your magical capacity is incredible,” he said.
“But how did Your Highness know my magical capacity?”
“I have eyes that can see that.”
His earlier words hadn’t been empty boasts. I nodded in genuine admiration.
“An incredible power.”
“Yes. And exactly the kind of power the royal family needs. We’ve used it to recruit talented individuals.”
Being able to instantly recognize hidden potential would be invaluable for selecting talent.
Asdal sighed, waving a finger over the table.
“Anyway, since this is also a magic-based ability, I can’t use the Sight of Magic on this island.”
“That’s a shame. It could have been a tremendous advantage.”
“Everyone would feel the same if they couldn’t use their powers. You included.”
“…I’m curious. Did you really see how much magical capacity I have? When I saw you briefly in the Hestia Kingdom, it was only for a moment.”
Asdal nodded.
“Even briefly, if our eyes met, I could gauge most of it. Surprising, though, that such vast magic was unknown… I suspected it when I heard you destroyed the test orb at the academy but didn’t have to retest because of being a half-demon.”
I wasn’t sure whether to feel pleased or irritated. I sighed.
“Yes. The reason my power is unknown is that I don’t use it. I hate practice. As you know, back then, I only cared about Enok.”
Enok, quietly preparing the meal, looked at me with a proud expression. Asdal let out a displeased chuckle.
“A fitting ending for the young lady.”
“Yes. So I don’t mind being unable to use magic on this island. I don’t even know how to use it.”
Asdal stared at me thoughtfully, then motioned for me to come closer.
I approached him with a puzzled expression.
“I want to give you a useful gift. Would you hold out your hand?”
