Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity
E1MClWFive minutes earlier.nv22lz
bRqE0Valdrova Castle Library.Cjt
d01IMorida was working there.munK5
LTXDVHer task was to document and archive the records gathered in Hestia Village.vBeO
k4guLShe also handled legal consultations and document reviews.LrWznS
dRDShe was an A-rank talent they had been unable to hire due to a lack of resources.LU4l
KlbIy3But at that moment, she was nothing more than Echidna’s toy.q0x74F
f0J0ch8— Miss Echidna.VzFp9a
ISx“Yes? What is it?”ebNih
c7TgM— Hugging me during work is inefficient. Productivity has decreased by 12% compared to optimal working conditions.vXpxsvr
7cupEgThere was a rule established for whoever took care of her.UBT
cNePEDo not allow the drop in efficiency to exceed 15%.FBEZUK
3DxzvuhAnyone else would have interpreted that warning as a sign that they should only interact with her when necessary.dZxl
F9NBut Echidna, a witch starving for affection, was different.QPCy
cAJG“Then there’s still a 3% margin left?”aiP
PoqpKXJHer mindset was to get as close as possible to 14.99%.cBYmMx
CNPv7TBut if she could control herself that well, she wouldn’t be a witch.UF9End
lZW4Echidna’s emotions continued growing even while she hugged her, and eventually she roared like a beast.w5KGC
Adfa0t“Grrrr, I can’t take it anymore!”qpT57HU
Q9yPZwAnd she buried her nose in Morida’s head.sEc5Fb
wUD“Sniff, sniff.”TcdbAr
lyh— I recommend that you stop.kemPn
VXt12“Snifffff…”y9aMZ4s
ELh— Stop…VGU5
GHeN“Sniiiiiiiif!”q88q
iY1Wham!g1wBBkq
ri2OBD“Guhhaaaak!?”KXxEo
XIU5A critical hit landed directly on Echidna’s philtrum while she was absorbed in inhaling the scent of Morida’s crown.Vu2A
KiBoYHer body staggered violently backward.bLS
0LiWYShe ended up collapsing against a wall while a mountain of books crashed onto the floor.s2w
riKBG“Uwaaaah… how cruel… there was no need to resort to violence…”ZKaBD
LSrEchidna rubbed her philtrum with tears in her eyes.f8FDV1m
pPh8Morida’s gaze as she watched her seemed strangely satisfied.GhX1F
y9fZ2She wrote something and showed it to her.qXrZe
K5Om— That action just now increased work efficiency by 5%.pTdMZ
Ixc6tCp“Really? Does Miss Morida have sadistic tendencies? Does Miss Morida also want to become a witch? I can’t allow thaaaat!”A9ktcy
TPQU— I do not possess an ego. Therefore, I cannot become a witch.lniIQg
mXY8mAJMorida returned to her work.ayKm
ykx0vEchidna also stopped acting like an idiot and returned to reality.vP7v
4LCq40Books and documents were scattered across the floor.45cm
PJcjIt was a complete disaster.TeV
9pk4S“Uuuu… why are there so many papers…?”eMpD
76YCP9hIf she left it like that, it was obvious she would get scolded.z4cQ8y
3STSo she began cleaning up.Q9s6nK
olkgJAKWith a simple wave of her hand, the scattered books and documents floated into the air.NLjis
52IAs though rewinding time, she returned the books to their shelves and carefully organized the documents.aLhPKQl
GUd“Who’s going to read such boring things anyway…?”rIcgJ
xm5PDWhile grumbling and continuing to organize things with her hands, Echidna found something trapped inside a book.Tv6
re6WIt was a sheet folded into a square shape.DyN
9FIRVLR“This is…”QeeOhz
gtcrnTThe material alone was different from ordinary paper.8KIWC
mTt3EbnIt was magical parchment capable of absorbing mana.sG5bdb
PU3QWW2A magical parchment mixed among normal documents.XmCeWe
oGiThat alone was enough to awaken Echidna’s curiosity.NLMNM
1uHuoCShe unfolded the sheet.W9FPl
SvzlhOr“A magic circle…?”rKB
hajShe ended the sentence as a question.Az97ffZ
k7T“Is it?”Ey8APyc
DYideThe characters engraved within the circle resembled the magic circles she knew.PbPoZt
RB0QoHowever, there were far too many strange parts for it to be a magic circle.bQeog
rx4Many basic elements did not fit.7i47xD
UwZbtfAs she observed it, an idea occurred to her.VJe
FG0MxZbAs if she had never received that blow to the face, she smiled and called out to Morida.Z4Hae5
wh8“Mori~”fab
qd9Scratch scratch.ioZRU
kePl4wShowing her the magic circle, she asked.FGE
Vhi“Come on, don’t be so cold and take a look. What kind of magic circle do you think this is?”ftDT
kQuGehScratch scratch.twn5
4rte87S“It seems Lord Regent Perda drew it.”AgAFv
kEG8SMScratch.GqdUV
af6R84The pen stopped.7f7
GR7BzAMorida’s eyes reacted upon hearing Perda’s name.KG7IDiZ
GOVBShe examined the circle from top to bottom as if scanning it.AfXQZ2
AIoXhS5After several minutes of thought, she replied.r9fTXLB
MlUV— I do not know.J2go
89R7VJg“Even you don’t know, Miss Mori?”Pn4O9
biA— Correct. It does not exist among the records I possess.n4of
1HWh“If even Miss Mori doesn’t know…”oyDhoV
GHnEchidna knew the contents that existed within Morida’s mind.Ljrjex
UurV6e8The Universal Library.ZEK
VoKIt contained records of virtually all known magic on the continent of Serdes, along with countless pieces of information about humanity.lo1TJq
KqLMGMorida wrote.ldEbi
seI2fd— There are three possibilities.BMCl3
vCZ— First. It is a type of magic that has never been recorded on the continent of Serdes.Q9lm
udi— Second. It is a type of magic too complex to be recorded using the languages of the continent of Serdes.1qEXEH
rUfe4— Third. It is a type of magic created directly by its author.dQyOxbD
Bg6oXThinking rationally, the third option was the most likely.A5WOkR
nsdjSA magic created by Perda.kYt0s
oWiQqU7— Based on its shape and structure, the third option appears to be the most probable.R2wU6OQ
fcw“I think so too. At first glance, it just looks like a drawing…”WqWn
ygToUnusable magic circles often receive that designation.gsKbx3v
wzTecGAMages who study geometry sometimes draw circles at random in hopes of stumbling upon something.0BFjhB
HW5But barely one in ten thousand ends up functioning.4Ttpkm
GMPH— Furthermore, this cannot even be considered a magic circle. It lacks geometric elements, and its form is indefinite.aCwkfsN
KIXIJ“Right?”3Rvfx
TgBQn7sSome magic circles that appear to be simple drawings eventually work if studied enough.2LHm
5lZaBut this one did not give off that feeling.hSQ8
q0rzATjUnlike refined and meticulous circles, this one was crude and inefficient.FcSl
DrX18Hc— It is nothing more than a drawing resembling an inactive magic circle. That is my conclusion.sv6
uLsnMorida closed the matter.sB3fAva
uMI5qulBut Echidna did not.A7hMGes
O19fThe more you know, the more things you can see.dvm6lR3
5sfdAnd Echidna was an expert capable of creating runes.addqK
b9FNKbpBecause of that, she perceived far more than others.XNp
gRjhos“This works.”yiC
BoyShe was convinced that this crude and inefficient magic circle functioned.NMG4
r3HMorida turned her head.ZBdB
5E8O— Do you have proof?nM8rj
sYhmv“Well… no. It’s intuition…”G2Jh
28hU— Then there is no point in discussing it.Q3N
FewHpMorida judged things based on facts recorded within the Universal Library.s0pA
Z6HHuman intuition lacked logic.glbHXr
wG7vSAnd debating something illogical was a waste of time.eFKU6
yBrHGsShe lost interest in the magic circle and continued working.yWufYlt
xiCzFjhThe conversation ended.Edmu2
K4LhwEchidna regretted that it had ended and looked back at the parchment.5Ia3kmz
DWtJ“How the hell does this work?”6JotL
1MUipx8Now she was questioning her own intuition.EmFHmu3
WQae58dShe tilted her head and began analyzing it.DVnf
rqHpJShe moved all of her knowledge around inside her mind.VuOhSUa
LqZ5yShe dismantled the elements one by one, trying to reveal the mystery.uoY
sP4eBut strangely, the further she progressed, the more a massive wall appeared before her.rGY
59AA problem impossible to interpret through logic or reason.fzCwieQ
EWAk9xLike the existence of a utopia.DER
ivpadajLike the theory of mana’s destiny.m14Nnf
rOhSomething impossible to solve.myNF
RJguOEchidna’s eyes gleamed.u0xrEbQ
30jwsThe idea that some mysterious and incomprehensible power existed there excited her.J8jp
CLm4And that excitement ultimately pushed her toward an impulse.1tf1
oGxrUjp“I’m going to take it apart.”hZ9
qcOPHer curiosity finally led her to the idea of dismantling the magic circle.ckGi
JLmImDisassembling a magic circle without its creator’s consent was an absolute taboo.w0Q
b6QVShe thought Perda might get angry.gMd3
EXR4dBut the desire was so intense that she ignored even that.ORV
dUaN“…I’ll only touch it a little.”KRiF
zjBJust a little.2GdIwoR
HWvzR5eNothing would happen if she touched a single rune.Cs5ot
fe546In terms of importance, it would be like removing a gear for a brief inspection.BYX
wSTdEven though she said that, her finger ultimately came to rest on one of the central runes.FZm8
9fEbwYThe traces of mana engraved into the parchment were transmitted clearly through her fingers.Mgo
hzRwHMEchidna copied that rune and reproduced it in her own hand.SVSyg
oRLNNow she only had to dismantle it and read its code.cYksZrE
2nVUp until that moment, she had no idea she was about to pay the price of her curiosity.67Mq
St0jUZ“Huh?”xj3
bDvtSuddenly.shalg
zoZwaThe rune melted before it could even react and flowed into her arm.jau4
D4U3xFShe felt a reverse current running through her mana channels.7kJ1
kg1at“Huh?”KeZ
jKD1Echidna panicked.1M5BtLc
0btbAlthough she let out a sound worthy of an innocent young lady, she reacted immediately.9CMfeL
myBFsd7As an expert witch and mage, she cast a fifth-tier sealing spell to stop the absorption.RYWSJ
FO35NQ“Huh? Huh? Huh?”6a4wt
Tu09VjnIt didn’t work.HHE
5w1rzHer sealing spell nullified any magical effect of the fifth tier or below.6j7VAia
IcqHrk6The fact that it failed meant that rune belonged to the sixth tier or higher.PJfILVo
sjSThat was impossible.WcdU
BTGKPnWThe limit of the runes humans could create and handle was the fifth tier.zd8m
L3qn6dn“Kughhhh!”4xEfAPA
adbOQThe Price of CuriosityXkS
WEJJwEchidna paid the price for her curiosity.LVaLb
uEBOAnd there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it.0BduuEz
gLP***IVSE1
PFkRy“Explain exactly what happened.”KeZos
gIUMorida began writing what she knew.gnG
r4VWC— Miss Echidna touched one of the runes in the magic circle and was absorbed by it.LMekv
7vg“She was absorbed by a rune she created herself?”nCE
9Us— According to her own words, the magic circle was drawn by Lord Perda.z4oKDwk
SOS“A magic circle drawn by me?”ii7SF
mX437GbPerda frowned.pZpSMT
RhOHJ7He had a feeling this was going to turn into an unpleasant problem.5LxKf
6UKjy‘Even if it was mine, it makes no sense for Echidna to die because of it…’Nw0Tkkb
Gz1He had stored several magic circles.9iL2xD
CxqZBut none of them possessed the power necessary to kill Echidna.Kaw
NRkwEspecially not through runes, which were precisely her specialty.S0T
1QMBPerda lowered his gaze to the floor to identify what it was.SdGwV9
eR1And he found it among the scattered books.rfwuC
Lu4xPPc‘This is…’YUG
ySZCzU7He recognized that magic circle.h5MU
nDaIt was the one he had drawn when he was confused about mana.jB2EMY7
gccfcThat complex and crude circle he had copied and stored just anywhere.Dkda
l976qtC‘She died from touching this?’P8q5Qc
hEZ48Perda examined the runes drawn upon the circle.Xv2Zp
LiR9yThere were seven runes in total.2nyjxO
59jEchidna had touched only one of them.Og1lZh
kSsbFtI‘Was a single rune enough to do something like this?’tg5M
ejEJIt was difficult to believe according to common sense.rc0
qCjOA 5-Circle witch.76lmQa
YgWAnd on top of that, an expert known as a Rune Maker.kAI
kFP2gzTo die because of a rune created by Perda?wPPAE3d
5z8FT“And after that? Did you also see how she died?”nedJGn
WTR4W8R— After touching the rune, she displayed symptoms of respiratory failure and then disappeared.IX7oq1
j6F2“Because of the rune?”4IRMC
AoCbr— I cannot determine that.HctYz
IsPMorida made predictions based on knowledge.VDD
Dm3d4poThings that only mages could perceive were beyond her capabilities.LN93AP
cRgh66O“It was probably a Circle overload.”8XxMg
0pfRuri voiced her hypothesis.6luCN5m
MWC71v8It was an explanation that even Perda could have accepted.ODrYyBr
ipnFor low-level mages, it was something impossible to perceive, but among 5-Circle mages and above, it was a terrifying phenomenon that could never be ignored.sVvM1zr
KJuDeIp“I don’t think it was that.”4kI
Zef“Why?”BmY
LcF“If it had been a Circle overload, Morida would have died in the explosion as well.”zOX0e4
jmNvMwxA Circle overload literally meant becoming a bomb.d7j
7I1HeBwNo matter how much Echidna cared for Morida, she would not have been able to keep her that safe.SboyEmT
vK3There had been a major vibration, but nothing more.vqJOpwt
GMs6wmPerda’s hypothesis was different.7pQcT6
N7zx“Someone cast a spell.”saP
t503HP1“If the magic circle had activated, wouldn’t she have said exactly that?”K54hB
QeKb“Of course.”u3MV
dfiMagic circles were something even Morida could see.BonZznN
x3g“But when we’re talking about a witch bearing the Philiaz surname, the story is different.”IQh
3eVeQA blue glow flickered in Perda’s eyes.wlDcTm
Yeik7He began seeing something beyond the obvious.dCq2
zJckS8g“I see.”PeOb
Atq2B4At the place where Echidna had been, traces of mana still remained.9WahQ
lzDcBut those traces did not show only a magical manifestation.fvpY
8Y3wbSPerda infused mana into the faint marks, defining their colors and outlines.FqNP
TjOVF6GWhen Ruri saw them, she was surprised.rivjAMr
7nBuuqCThey were shaped like a rose.EiWD
qhqE“That rose bush is a mana trace?”CPU6A
oovR“It’s a Mana Signature that only high-level mages can use.”mPq6ER
43V1“Then do you also know who it belongs to?”Ebq2
J5iBnPerda nodded.Ni3
aWk5YIt was a signature impossible to forget.r1Sr
CPq“Lucy Philiaz.”Pq5a
9FkEkNVThe First Witch.LZZj0J
rLIbOnly she left behind a signature like this.8tv16a
u3gVThat meant she had personally intervened inside the castle to take Echidna away.ensFMk1
0vU1And in order to do so, she had violently altered the magic circles installed throughout the fortress.FIcOgiy
KGA“So you’re saying someone infiltrated the castle from the outside? The castle’s barrier shouldn’t allow magic of this level.”5UDrw
pPEc6op“She already had a magic circle implanted inside her body. It only needed a small stimulus to activate.”REl
VBvfqAll that was needed was a tiny spark to ignite the fuse.ut4n
qUfljnAnd Lucy Philiaz had provided that spark.xeoljN
9YLyp8“As a member of the Philiaz family, it was probably a magic circle engraved by Big Sister to recover the corpse.”5QnlctN
L6kIqSKilling a witch was difficult.ODWC
hg7Some used Life Vessels.heH1
Uu1vyy6Others kept their original bodies safe through clones.uLomjDP
u3IqUVBut ultimately, they all lived under Big Sister’s protection.9yuFQ
fpxwDIf she could break into even a dragon’s nest, what sealing magic could stop her intervention?SZrdf
hmV1mxZ“But Echidna is an expelled witch. Does that protection still apply?”XEC8E6
KhmEUnlike the others, who hated men, Echidna loved them.O1Z
Mz3Her ideals were incompatible with those of the other witches, which was why she had been expelled.Mf0naCB
cAMjSo why bother recovering her corpse?iAs
yWpk4xEPerda answered simply.bY7f
CJgGCBM“What they have inside their heads doesn’t distinguish origins.”28kAirx
xHINo matter what, Echidna was still one of the most valuable craftsmen on the continent.oxEVA
APlnbdKA Rune Maker.rE3
G2wmRuri nodded.zOb
s8rCH“Absurdly obsessive. That’s what witches are like.”pnr8h
9tsYQhv“Not just witches.”Lul9d2G
XmcLBecause he himself had once been the same way.867XkrB
I6NIjjPerda could not take his eyes off those traces.LmW
OGn“Even so, there’s something that doesn’t add up.”qtAe6
Mklo“Is something bothering you?”UOByf1
vg9sa“Everything ended too cleanly.”tXXsUK
KcFLThe only thing left behind was that rose-shaped mark.AnK
yEdOther than that, nothing else seemed to have been altered.4yuw5G
ERQjPmAnd that was precisely why it was strange.mjDRJ
Bg7Y“Witches don’t usually finish things in such a clean manner…”tDKJV
jhTf“She only managed to infiltrate for an instant. Wouldn’t it be difficult to leave anything else behind?”axE
YTSEiRuri’s words made sense.ILpM
dUVBut Perda was unwilling to ignore that feeling.W3g5MzK
8rb7VTiHe thought for a few moments and then asked.wwTgkrn
lsLS“Have all the people inside the castle already been evacuated?”LDf
Ox3R“Yes. They’re gathered in front of the inner gate like frightened meerkats.”2xobq
QWVKnM7“Let’s go there.”GEm
WGWlRuri looked puzzled.2eXL
mWdKRDid he think he would find an answer among them?n6z7z
a1L7x8mPerda observed the crowd gathered beneath the fortress.Nq4c2
FUqgAmong them, he even spotted Zed and Penelope yawning peacefully.tGA2i
cwWJd6N“Zed Swallow.”s2dc94p
FYuvkEU“Yes?”kSwT
q1EPerda beckoned with a finger.lmiRUV
T6Du8hZed approached wearing an expression full of annoyance.6zCj09
T5Y0“You’re from the Red Eyes tribe, right?”Ttms
YW8Fx“That’s right.”vLE3
Um60“Then you’ve probably been flirting with the women who work in the castle as well.”lUnXJ
LHb“Excuse me!? Do I look like someone who can’t live without women?”KJBJq
C1iSuZed protested indignantly.GPch7
tLyQ5ZSRuri looked at him with a gaze filled with contempt.684
5fRFlF“Isn’t that exactly what you are? Every time I pass by your room, I hear those damn moans.”vvq
7VMia3“Huh? That probably wasn’t because of m— Mmph!”wwPm7zb
e32LwrQ“Shut up already. The adults are talking.”2mDch5
SRQzraq“Then answer.”xDgo8b
iGNU6rO“…I only know them a little.”0sL9
aquT3Zed scratched the back of his head awkwardly.8O1iz6
Gfq7Perda ignored him and pointed toward the assembled group.n4c8J1Z
I9Xa“Is there any woman you’ve never seen before?”gHwr
Rpktwsd“No matter how much of a womanizer I am, I don’t know the face of every woman in the castle… Huh?”c1djXY
VuDuqu“What is it?”Fj68ld
QR3“There’s one I don’t know.”xrpY
A6OZWOnly one.VMm
ybAMThere was one woman who completely escaped Zed’s radar.mO8
KhE55The direction he pointed revealed an utterly ordinary woman.yMB
N4SIsFYShe was so normal and lacking in distinguishing features that she was impossible to remember.GyBkzY
u6vQXAY“Are you sure?”Nau
r1999ds“Yes. I’ve never seen her in this castle before.”SkL
mtNd9rZed was convinced.R7ye
CeMThe contempt in Ruri’s expression deepened even further.2apv
57UEyDPerda began walking toward her.ntXT
KLSvoh“The Regent is coming down!”dc2jt2e
UoIkECb“Everyone, show your respect!”0M7Ge
oHK7tUpon seeing him approach, the crowd shouted and knelt.8DtA
MO58EbBut Perda’s eyes remained fixed solely on that woman.4FaG
vl3He walked directly through the crowd until he stopped in front of her.2xIyfD
RpkQmiThe woman saw his boots before her and raised her head to greet him.bOs
M5cqnf“It is an honor to meet Regent Valdrova, Lo—”AjB
FiJEmiWhoosh!!MWyw
GcMOaYBShe could not finish the sentence.RxUaac
ITkgGBefore that, a sphere of mana created at the tip of Perda’s finger pierced straight through her forehead.5dn15oG
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationNo shit Sherlock
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationYes you look like someone who can’t live without women.