Chapter 41

"I don't want to connect past events with this matter. But..."

Alraune didn't particularly deny those words.

If Uriel had not helped him back then, he would have met his death.

That was why he couldn't help but maintain a detached, objective stance, even though he hadn't forgotten the name Uriel Astille.

"Releasing Alter Radiant's curse comes first. Uriel Astille comes after that."

Alraune had already prepared himself for confronting the Frost Witch.

Although the results of the tracing had not come out yet, the caster of this curse would likely be a formidable mage.

An ordinary mage wouldn't be able to handle it, so a powerful individual like himself would have no choice but to step forward personally.

"Are you saying you'll treat this separately from Uriel?"

"The fact that Alter Radiant is Uriel's child is just a point of connection. I act only according to my convictions."

"It's a bit vexing...but, fine. In the end, it's the same result, so I'll let it go for now.

"How long will it take to prepare?"

"Hmm... maybe two to three days? Just bring Uriel's son here around then."

Leaving only those words, Erze left the office of the academy chair.

Alraune continued his contemplation for a while and then slowly rose from his seat.

'I am not bound by the past. That's superficial and hollow.'

Alraune always lived in the present, striving towards the future.

A so-called Great Mage could not afford to cling to the past and regress.

But if one does not allow the past to reflect upon themselves, they are bound to repeat the same mistakes again.

'Uriel Astille. I owe you a debt...but you are no different. Did you not receive my help as well?'

From the start, Alraune did not harbor a sense of indebtedness toward Uriel.

After all, as compensation for saving his life, he had already expelled everyone who tried to undermine Uriel.

Moreover, he had given the advice not to go to the northern region, but Uriel had ended up meeting a tragic end anyway.

'I must take your son as my disciple. Only then will I be satisfied.'

Of course, Alraune had no intention of favoring Alter Radiant.

No matter how great his talent was, if he did not put in the effort, he would soon be left behind.

He would have to start on equal footing with the other disciples, and only prove himself later to be selected as an heir.

'Your son... has talent even greater than yours. So I have no choice but to take him as my disciple.'

Of course, as Uriel's senior and fellow pupil, Alraune could also assist in Alter Radiant's recovery.

But that was merely a bond born from the past, insufficient as a justification.

He needed a reason he himself could accept before he could claim a valid justification to get involved.

'Since things have come to this... I will reveal the cause of your death as I release the curse. You were not a person who should have vanished in vain.'

Ultimately, Alraune shook his head, caught up in the past.

Undoubtedly, Uriel was entangled with Alter Radiant's curse.

That is, if releasing the curse was the goal, then Uriel's cause of death would naturally have to be clarified as well.

'If I must face the Frost Witch once again... this time, I will prove that I stand above her.'

* * *

Alter confirmed from Alraune's letter that they would attempt the curse release.

Within three days, all the necessary materials would be prepared, and an expert in curse studies had been invited as well.

Since it was a vicious curse, considerable risk would follow, but it would surely be preferable to a painful death.

'As long as I can get rid of the curse...'

Alter carefully folded the letter and put it in his desk drawer.

Even so, things were progressing faster than he had expected.

Since the Great Mage was leading the matter, it must have taken on greater importance.

What's more, with his mother's name involved, perhaps people who had known her for a long time had reached out.

'Still, shouldn't I at least know the reason the curse was cast?'

Even if it were revealed that the caster was the Frost Witch, the actual connection with his mother would not be clarified.

Probably, he would need to hear from the Frost Witch himself or travel to the northern region to investigate thoroughly.

Of course, if the Frost Witch could not be found, the reason would remain a mystery forever.

'The Great Mage said he would handle it, but... don't tell me he's thinking of going to the north himself?'

Previously, Alraune had explained to him that there were two ways to resolve a curse:One, to analyze the curse perfectly and then release it;Two, to discern the method of release from the person who cast it.Naturally, the latter was easier if only the removal was considered, but the caster was unlikely to share the method.But if the first method failed, he would have no choice but to attempt the second.

'I doubt this will be resolved so easily.'

Perhaps Alraune was even anticipating a confrontation with the Frost Witch.

Since he had fought her once before, and needed to discover the method of release, if the location could be pinpointed, he might encounter her somehow.

'It seems the situation has grown bigger than I expected. How did it come to this?'

Despite his considerable unease, Alter resolved to accept the consequences in full.

He had only wanted to restore his frail body to normal.

Yet there was a curse etched on his heart, and even his mother was indirectly involved.

In the end, it wouldn't end just by breaking the curse.

'Still, since things have gone this far, I have to see it through properly.'

Feeling a bit more at peace, Alter gazed out the window.

Even if he didn't break off the engagement with Brillie, at the very least he had to have the curse removed.

Compared to his own survival, things like rivalry with the male leads or the original story's plot didn't matter at all.

Only by living could he have a chance; if he died, nothing would be left.

'... Better to survive and marry than to die after breaking off the engagement.'

* * *

Alter found himself alone in the laboratory with just two people:

The Great Mage Alraune, and the authority on curse studies, Erze Cartia.

Alraune remained seated alone, while Erze was busy moving about as Alter stood.

"So, young lord, how much do you know about Uriel?"

"... I only know that she died after giving birth to me."

"My own guess is... you weren't the target of the curse. I think Uriel would surely have prevented that."

As he drew a magic circle on the floor, Erze replied blandly.

Even before he became the Great Mage's disciple, he had studied curses and learned various methods of breaking them.

Thanks to that, he understood how curses worked and could even infer the intentions of the caster.

"If she was pregnant, wouldn't magic have been hard to use?"

"If I know Uriel's character, she would try to protect her child first. Was there any sign that she fought before her death?"

"I never heard that she fought."

"If she had no intention of fighting, then perhaps she only tried to cast a curse on Uriel. That way, escape would be easier."

"Then why did my mother die?"

"There are many possible explanations. She could have become too weak to withstand the curse... or perhaps the curse on Uriel affected you as well."

Erze began placing stones engraved with ancient runes around the border of the magic circle.

Since he was Uriel's child, he had brought some rare materials for the curse removal.

If things went smoothly, he could charge Alraune or the Grand Duke of the north, so he decided to sparingly waste them this once.

"So why did I end up cursed?"

"Did you misunderstand? I said you weren't the intended target, but the purpose of the curse could have been directed at you."

"That sounds strange. In the end, I was cursed, wasn't I? Does it matter whether it was about target or purpose?"

"That part is actually important. Curses don't always work exactly as intended. Depending on the caster's intent or the resistance of the target, things get tangled."

Erze scattered a special liquid over the magic circle as he moved around.

Since this was an unusual curse, everything had to be prepared meticulously before proceeding with the solution.

If done carelessly, the curse could intensify or infect others, so the circle was needed to keep it contained.

"Etching a curse onto the heart is difficult. The situation back then wouldn't have allowed much time either. So how could something like that even happen?"

"... Are you saying I was cursed unintentionally?"

"That's how I see it. If you think about it... I believe the curse on Uriel was transferred to you. As the curse became twisted, the target changed."

Erze explained calmly as he checked the magic circle.

Even the smallest disturbance could weaken the technique's components.

Performing the solution in that state would only provoke the curse halfway.

"Say, have you ever thought about this? When an infant is cursed, they usually die immediately. So how did you survive?"

"..."

"Even the Great Mage and the chief mages couldn't figure this out. Your heart... has it been protected by magic until now?"

"...?"

"You're only mentioning this now... geez..."

Only then did Alraune speak up, moving closer to Erze.

To be sure, Alraune had sensed something different about Alter's body during his examination.

But because she wasn't certain, she hadn't brought it up, whereas Erze had already figured it out.

"But you probably never thought it was a curse at all. Maybe... she instinctively sensed her child might be in danger, and cast protection in desperation."

"..."

Lost in thought, Alter fell silent.

If there had been a protection spell, the effects of the curse would have been mitigated somewhat.

But then, why did the original story have him die so pitifully?

"We're going to start the curse removal now... but I can't guarantee the outcome. If things go well, the curse will be lifted, but it might end with just a weakening."

"Are you saying it might not be lifted?"

"I mean the process could get complicated. The more tangled a curse, the harder it is to unravel. Your curse is quite twisted... so it'll take some effort."

Lastly, Erze took out a straw doll and imbued it with magic power.

The magic circle began to emit a green light and merge with the special liquid.

The stones placed at the edge of the circle glowed yellow as the ancient runes became clearer.

"Do you see this? That red dot embedded here? This is your curse."

Erze pointed at the straw doll and showed it to Alter.

Alter nodded, having spotted the red speck fixed in one part of the doll.

Given the human shape, it was in the area of the left chest, essentially indicating the heart.

"As the curse removal begins, your heart will react first. You'll cough up contaminated blood... you have to expel it all for this to end."

"Cough up blood? I don't think I've ever heard that before."

"Of course not. I'm telling you for the first time now."

"What? Wait a minute—"

Alraune tried to stop Erze, but the curse-breaking spell had already been activated.

At the same time, Alter was seized by intense heat, and his heartbeat quickened rapidly.

The burning sensation was replaced by pain, and his heart thrashed as if about to burst.

"Erze! What do you think you're doing! You should have discussed this—"

"Discuss? Do you really think the Grand Duke of the north would have agreed? If he said no out of fear for his child's life, we'd have to give up everything."

"Still..."

"I don't like the Grand Duke of the north. He bears some responsibility for Uriel's death, doesn't he? But the child is innocent. Isn't that right?"

"Urgh... kuhak!"

Alter suddenly flinched and soon began to vomit out dark, red-black blood.

It was blood corrupted by the curse, more like a knot that had built up somewhere in his body over time.

If it had continued to accumulate like this, he would have suffered a major illness or died within a few years.

"Just remember one thing. Right now, I'm treating this child as Uriel. No matter what, I will save him, so don't interfere—just stay out of the way."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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