Chapter 111: I Don’t Want to Give Up
beUIt was while Eremvalt was on his way back to the Rosnova Estate.amky8
ukT4As he rode in the carriage, he thought to himself.h4T
oiO64‘Yes. This is enough.’eFLwXPZ
h3MDHe was convinced that cutting ties had been the right decision.pT2
ocSkAThese had been days in which he had been losing entire clumps of hair because of Erdes’s constant scrutiny and pressure.kJBMg0r
OfMxZUlNow he had obtained confirmation that Perda no longer had any connection to him.X1KQo
tV4oFrom this moment onward, they were complete strangers.5HQR
F9zVHSNo.aGjAql6
QXAc9kRather, Eremvalt would be the one left as the victim.nob5
7mS“I’ll never have anything to do with that damned useless brat again. This is enough.”zQ7
FEDQ6“What useless brat?”vpXa4IC
KoV5E“Uagh?!”RBFkmo
0eaUpon hearing that familiar voice, he looked up.gBgdCH
AqCGThey were inside the carriage.OCWl
7E5The seat across from him should have been completely empty.1LBe
rQlDiDcHowever, a teenage girl was sitting there.PQyq
oOqLeu8Platinum hair.HaGyWGd
QdJWXw0Blue eyes infused with mana.rCf
jvtVT3Her name was Erdes Roton.LsgQw
z2NPresident of the Serdes Magic Association.pLfGlL
oW1CA living disaster.MKS
CcZ5xA delinquent who used magic.BophJT
Jqk“Why are you looking at me like that?”2viN3
4as7ErShe smiled mischievously.n9Jp2S
F5wp47H“Repeat what you just said. I’m interested in hearing what you were talking about too.”fKPTF
7cWcpj“M-My unforgivable sin. I dared to speak disrespectfully of the President…”ArEeBa
dF2cs“Do you think I came all the way here just to hear gossip that insignificant?”Gk3N0F
nsEShe was famous for holding grudges.46w7zig
Imqx2cBut Erdes had not come for that.nbBH
Ymxa“Tell me what you discussed with the Regent.”QiNM
RGi“It was nothing important.”26Xh
mJt6zvi“Of course it was. If it wasn’t important, why did Valdrova’s maid and the Regent leave together afterward?”n0w1
fmnqXEremvalt flinched.2dXAUO
UXtFkty“W-Where did they go?”p1ffcU
i2Ay8b“I don’t know. Judging by the direction, it seemed related to the Rosnova Estate.”bcd
GwzShe smiled, showing her teeth.6jcJ
LiF“Or perhaps they’re planning to personally exterminate your entire family?”jGiLd7
MXsEremvalt’s face turned pale.0Di
x2mAcDVCold sweat began running down his back.m6H
ZWGVQuKSeeing that reaction, even Erdes, who had spoken jokingly, became confused.boT
P9g“What’s wrong? Why are you reacting like that?”dfa
Z2dki“It’s nothing…”ekQvP4Z
zD1Ac“Of course it is. That reaction means you thought it was possible, doesn’t it? You must have had quite an intense conversation.”8a8
Qna6ibx“It was nothing special. I simply spoke with Regent Valdrova and told him that he no longer had any connection to our family. He just overreacted.”ZdMbfiX
0LV“…What?”nahMjZ
qUIQErdes stopped smiling.MQ0
1vCYpNor did she become angry.xIk2G4
Qc5She simply stared at him with a completely expressionless face.KgyoG
5ht57zAnd that was even more terrifying.2MZ
7IhU“As I told him, Regent Perda does not share our blood. I explained it to him. Aside from the gray hair, he resembles us in absolutely nothing.”BYLzs8
qE7w6“Hmm. So you severed ties with him?”bASm7U
Ea3“That’s right.”tOz5H
OgLbC“Hmm…”pf1Dd
a8uAL6After hearing the answer, Erdes merely tapped her chin lightly with her index finger.Qn4d
zsSm2bqEremvalt felt the need to break the uncomfortable silence.sfJq7u
RviFT“And besides… Perda uses black magic.”3lDYpP
7l4“…Why?”fCTi0Q
Ihc“When I told him I wanted to cut ties with him, he used black magic to create a hand. He tried to strangle me!”RpJC5
bdZdEremvalt pretended not to understand what had really happened.DJkMNt
9mCZcuBecause he was certain he would have died on the spot if he had.1awZogG
U8WxErdes’s eyes shifted slightly.uztA
AAAdtN“And did he strangle you?”8QWK
STSc“No… he withdrew it before doing so…”VBQd
7QC“What a good boy.”q9NnQ
e9xNj“Huh?”Rxl
njc1FACEremvalt was bewildered.SKxZj
LYLN9OThe woman who hated black magic more than anyone was acting as though it were unimportant.p7oSS
PY83Xk“He’s a good boy because he didn’t strangle his father after his father went to tell him that he wanted to sever all ties with him.”j4X
IcLINot only that.54JTQyW
xdcShe was defending him.q8o
hlpUnEremvalt had no choice but to ask directly.Awm6CQ5
EF2fm“What do you intend to do about Regent Perda?”6828v
3GI“Do about him? Nothing.”kaPL
GeZ“Nothing? Even though he tried to kill me with black magic?”ola
ISi“Yes. Whether you live or die has absolutely nothing to do with me.”gBfL
5UroThe insolent young woman’s voice was accompanied by a long sigh.rlErgW
PMCQi6R“Ah, honestly. When everyone fails this badly, it makes me terribly depressed. Heaven really protects that brat.”JIn
c60Erdes stood up.m8Kdzp
hC1DHL“I’m tired of you. Try not to cross my path again. If you do something stupid and I find out about it, even I don’t know what I might do. Understood?”I1SEv
lA4aj“Yes… I’ll live humbly.”xncYBQU
LT0vp2NAs though he was no longer worth wasting time on, she left the carriage.o8m
e5yThe interior fell silent once more.nmpi
xpu5V“Huff…”Aat3zBq
pkJ8qjEremvalt placed a hand on his neck.WztsX7k
m21FLHoOnly after confirming that it was still attached to his body did he let out a sigh of relief.OjwkM0A
gbJHe felt some guilt for having cast out his son.Itfr6N
ON3But that feeling disappeared as quickly as a gust of wind.rB0
8zVIlThe only thing that mattered to him was the relief of knowing he would never have to encounter that delinquent or that impure thing ever again.dPV
rfx***zlw9
EsjpFmOffice of the President of the Serdes Magic Association.sZjsl
m0J2lo2A circular portal opened and Erdes stepped out of it.0Z8cwt
TT4yAs usual, Secretary Lu was seated in the office, tending to his work.6DEP
Pbr“So you abandoned your responsibilities again to disappear who-knows-where?”ETJ
1jFv9Lu asked, dark circles clearly visible beneath his eyes.Y99cAM
KGCmHdErdes turned her head sharply and glared at him.oPTj5
6mJ3Her expression was filled with irritation.uAeody
VVXd“I went to strengthen the foundations of the Far East. Do you have a problem with that?”UNf0
9LZp0“Weren’t you supposed to hate the Regent?”FZ1
EXb“That’s what I thought. Damn it. What a stupid idea.”UojabC
YZEnfsStill cursing, she dropped onto the sofa.d1VG
CmmwwFAt first, it had seemed like a good idea to manipulate the workers into creating a union and turn it into an opposition force.js3S
dyGpitxBut the enemy had proven far more formidable than expected.5OW
y4B“Stephan Pascal. Wasn’t he supposed to be some useless nobody?”MF3A2Sy
RtCE3Wb“Are you talking about the future President of the Pascal Chamber?”GjYiegt
Q1p26“What?”Dmsyf
JpV9NaErdes raised her head.VrS
sZXBIt seemed she was hearing it for the first time.k3tseX
IaIo8N“Since when? And didn’t he have two very strong competitors?”sA1skRd
9qD1tTD“What era are you talking about? The eldest daughter disappeared with her husband into a village in the west, and the eldest son attempted to become independent but eventually handed control of his mercenary company over to Stephan.”aGSD
l3vYo“And why didn’t I know that?”g3yk
iaO0“Because you were never interested in the subject.”7MN
BLaklX“And why didn’t you tell me?”Bcc
wUrwrQn“Because you were never interested in the subject.”9S9k4l
zGRErdes glared fiercely at him.RYb602
p4FRLu, who had answered completely naturally, looked troubled.s6BB
gHAfd“Uh… is that somehow my fault?”ZBxx3
AgEUuN“Isn’t that the sort of thing a secretary is supposed to handle? Even if I say I’m not interested, you should insist at least once.”kxO
8nCND“That sounds like feeding a baby… Fine, I understand. I’ll start studying mind-reading magic immediately.”luKka
Tsbx4k5Lu replied with an expression of disbelief.arJ1mW
u3oX3“And Eremvalt!”wO6NEu
3llgnMThe second thing ruining her mood.1hY9my
jua“Who would have thought he was such a coward? A man from a knightly family getting scared by a mere mage!”dkVeFI
PAR5kGl“People who don’t get scared usually end up dead at the President’s hands. You have to understand that.”EVG25
iWIkMvp“Even so, how can he cast out his own son?”zi6
nfyK7hs“Didn’t he say they didn’t share blood? Besides, he already has two perfectly healthy sons. And considering he was willing to offer him as a sacrifice, it’s strange that you expected fatherly affection now.”ZanHm
3ptigErdes crossed her arms and grumbled unhappily.z1skE
EpPbcs“Even so, after living together for eighteen years, there should be some affection left, shouldn’t there? If it were me, I’d at least have some fondness left from all those years together.”13Arg
xBRLu’s eyes widened in horror.ksClN9n
9lm“You, President?”MArTd57
yqY“Why? Does that sound strange? Do you think you survived after speaking to me so disrespectfully because you’re exceptionally competent?”Id8
GAXLu shrank back in fear.WfnOFs
Cscy656“Anyway, I couldn’t find any weakness either. If there had been even a little affection or some kind of family bond left, I could have used it as leverage to blackmail that brat…”rxVQm2
0bYEDThe only thing she had discovered was how complicated his life had been.fOuB
Fk9YGAnd she did not like that.XjZM
DzayPT“Blue.”xLwj
5qjMOqe“What is it?”3zU0HTQ
DMHbt“Am I really that bad at judging people?”bgROpac
PmDS“Have you finally realized it?”HXAAt5K
neM“Do you really want to die?”r31uh
37ivyr5“If you want a serious answer, you’re not particularly good at it.”IyzLy9
Mbjnkq0“But the Association functions well, doesn’t it? Doesn’t that mean I’m doing my job properly?”giJk
mU2O“Well, if it didn’t function properly, you’d start by chopping off heads. Since everyone’s afraid of you, things somehow end up working.”XUgyTz
uULjI8“Hmm, so that’s what it was. That’s what it was. I suppose it’s time for a change.”go0
Q4IYZWG“Yes. You should also reorganize the staff and do a general cleanup. Like when you hired me.”ePH2
s7C6JQwLu took the opportunity to suggest it.v5gm
WPxErdes stared at him.YRU2
sGjKXR“Even if you say that, I’ll never release you from your lifetime contract as my secretary.”2qV1uP
MNat“Damn it.”2iw0E0
Tvxc3The secretary of the President of the Magic Association continued failing in his attempts to escape.Zn1
q2QyA***Kfq4
WfSAfter confessing his concerns, Perda returned to work.Bd5wrt
QOZegThe wound Eremvalt had left behind had calmed somewhat, but the aftereffects still lingered in his mind in the form of uncertainty.l3cOw
6R1pY‘No matter what, it’s a fact that my power is unstable.’Ddo
m2YmIt was not simply a matter of being driven by a single emotion.N5pgm
ajm523The possibility of other emotions interfering was something unprecedented.Jio4s0
zYqbcxIf he had been the Perda from before the regression, he probably would have considered it an opportunity and tried to take advantage of it somehow.LjwFec
FiI0tOJFor a Red Circle mage, other emotions are nothing more than restraints.GNXPVT
z7aQLnPerda understood that balance very well.ofgK
fXXOf‘Losing control only leads to tragedy.’DQBm7p
1HZHe would end up acting against Valdrova’s wishes.F2Ehb
7fICYAnd Ruri, as Valdrova’s maid, would demand accountability from Perda.rx6x
QR49fDying at Ruri’s hands would undoubtedly be a tragedy.tQusoI
1BhUJNJ‘But an even greater tragedy would be…’hfoFI
YCIU2OKilling Ruri when she came to kill him.YCb
oRL‘If I ended up killing the only person Valdrova trusts…’iEdtlo
4W9LmVThe loneliness Valdrova had felt appeared vividly in his mind.y6RDE
i0w6HuvAfter the Dragon-Demon War, she had spent one hundred and fifty years carrying guilt and loneliness.05q
rWsBut she had still possessed a small measure of hope.JSvHQHl
olXUmtShe knew that Ruri remained by her side.sM5iu
cLv447In the previous life, even she had disappeared.IhQ9
oqO7TThat meant Valdrova had absolutely no one left.RZpbmgq
fpZKONothing remained except despair.XnsH7L
SrhyKct‘I would have gone mad long ago.’SNT7
8vGaqAEBut she had not gone mad.sb2
yqBDXyIn the end, she had even given her heart to Perda, someone who hated her.Veyty
WUM0JIt was not surrender born of despair.IAczFlh
7F93qIt was a final hope created through sacrifice.sW6L
7ZR‘To a woman like that…’OdPb
DC2xHow could he abandon her?f6p7
HOpHow could he hurt her?2Q5
gHYeqIt would be like throwing a rope to someone trapped in a pit of despair without realizing that the rope was rotten.0Kxm
QwhrVIt would not save her.dUhcw8
E4lIt would only leave even deeper wounds.Nvvor
AzFzJust like in that dream.rEO021
LJlYFIQLike when he was strangling her.4Zz
4rY9CODon’t worry.y9roJ
h9n6pAt those moments, a sweet voice echoed in his ears.XOU7
4lwG0DjThere is no reason to worry about that.lf3G3w
0ty2mzBecause you are strong.CKd4
8v7BJust do what you’re good at.U2cq9
oKRNLPerda did not answer that voice.q0G99fk
tFLkN5AHe ignored it.321JRz4
VaDAnd continued ignoring it until it faded away.NHb2m3p
BDLCqSR‘I must keep a cool head.’Tv4PNFJ
SrqTkHe had to strengthen his will so he would not succumb to that enormous temptation.D7k
2BmZPerda Valdrova.p0BM
zfFEA man who always found answers.KZl
7753rHe decided to believe that he would find one this time as well.gHIzL
QU3Tb‘In the worst-case scenario…’RQbx
7xONjHe could abandon his life as a mage.G5gF
9R896mnThat was preferable to carrying a bomb that could explode at any moment.Labdqzb
fEz09rK‘If that happens, what will I have left?’c3iR
mI3aRuri had asked only one thing of him.ShrCbS
sW8To become a fiancé worthy of Valdrova.gzWD
dqiF8FHe had thought he would improve with time.5jz2h
swpBut all he understood more clearly with each passing day was how insignificant he truly was.2jp
JXOEverything he possessed consisted of fragments of future knowledge and magical expertise.6PZOoIe
hKfPTvBy the standards Ruri desired, he was completely out of the running.UNcB
cFW6It was a miserable situation.uDV9hb
fPUeXIf he abandoned either side, the balance would shatter and everything would collapse.lW3
GPbV9He did not want to give up.7Qxk
8Xv1gJust as she had never given up on him, regardless of the circumstances.sGgpxm6
4yWzvxnPerda did not want to give up on her either.3yl2HdO
RubFmURumble!XWBuaQ
7Zy0At that moment.fKf4aWU
jmeToMA tremendous vibration shook the castle.xnd
FigyUC‘Valdrova’s draconic energy?’i4zz
g55No.KWzT
wSmThe frequency was different.GHqO
9RBThe vibration was coming from inside the castle.5njf
ls7GSIt seemed that someone had caused a major incident.05id9m
LfwIrv‘Was there any experiment large enough to cause something like this?’PZyQOlX
xRCUJUPerda stood up and headed toward the research building.D2ZJEWx
SPjCThe hallways were already full of confused people.jKifDZ
sKmK51O“What’s happening?”3Ftcx
0u59JN9“That’s exactly what we were trying to find out.”QSABr
GRUtBNW“Didn’t the explosion occur in your laboratory?”3ubl3Jb
L6o“There’s no way an explosion of this magnitude could occur in our laboratory.”QfTa
vmLo5None of the people capable of causing something like this understood what had happened.8kC
9WvoYrEven Perda had assumed it came from Vernell’s laboratory.xYRZPbW
nQYFUi‘If it wasn’t there…’VTqKe4M
hUalOnly one possibility remained.siL
sgMy“Lord Perda.”uNQNcx
aXs5XRuri appeared to report to him.pb7kPpD
wu9“There has been a massive magical disturbance. The location is…”UmeNR
ZzW“The library?”b83im
WF6dMg“How did you know?”fFSH4
uERRuri narrowed her eyes.ofjSV
71ZvcThe unspoken question was whether he had something to do with it.aFM847
Tm2“Because if it wasn’t here, the only person capable of causing an explosion of this level is Echidna.”qnx
8N2lVAThat week, it was Echidna’s turn to take care of Morida.riQLA
hJX7UgAnd Echidna was undoubtedly enjoying Morida’s company in the library.vko
vXud00ZPerda and Ruri headed there.kofk
EyvWhen they opened the door, they found the interior completely devastated.O8FO6m
fTxMorida was sitting in the middle of the wreckage.3JYs6y
aAkShe calmly moved piles of fallen papers aside like late-autumn leaves while continuing her work.jZ706
v48cThe enormous explosion seemed not to bother her in the slightest.tJFXT8
CEVSw“Morida.”o7r
VQjwBUUpon hearing her name, she stopped writing and raised her head.wwRL87
BFye1eSHer eyes shone with an unchanging purity.LlWZx
fJTNo.nXnUm
SLdShe even seemed to have a strangely refreshed expression.PXmLQ0F
1Yvtlkp“What happened here?”Qv8hej
A4XMorida wrote her answer on a sheet of paper.EsE
OrXI8VD— Echidna has been destroyed.EDohEP
LYv6v6It was a brief and straightforward explanation.qwFa
dmriBut the content was extremely serious.7jsv
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationSo this bitch is here again this bitch always made angry.
Fernando
Qi RefinementI want to know her real intentions. Because it’s not black magic, after all, as soon as she found out he was Valdrova’s fiancé, she went after him. The black magic came later, not to mention the part where she says she wants to blackmail him, which implies she wants something from him. And it’s not just the desire to kill a black mage.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationShe hate black mages didn’t you read it well.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationEchidna what she did this time?
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationLu good one 👍
Fernando
Qi RefinementI think Morida doesn’t like Echidna very much 🤣
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationYupp
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationErdes this bitch really piss me off I hope she die in future chapters.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationThis bitch never learn her lesson.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationI knew it this bitch was behind it all.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationThis bastard is deserves to die.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationMind your business bitch 😒