Chapter 116: The Wonderful Principle
7L6oDvLucy released Perda’s hand and plucked a rose petal from the garden.QC8
d4diS8When she squeezed it in her small hand, it instantly transformed into dried tobacco leaves and entered her pipe.5dgzl
BgTC30She lit a flame with her fingers, ignited it, and took another deep draw of smoke.o6wb1Sq
AAirwEuPerda, who had waited for her to finish, finally asked.b1dxx
anrAR1“What do you mean that it will become a blessing?”pbo
Ft17acgHe could not understand those words.dLMl7
WClLucy smiled with the composure of an adult and replied.cxcHLJ8
acgv0o0“As you already know, the cultivation of a Blue Circle is generally born from meditation.”UD93OG
Vs7hFbMost Blue Circle training methods begin with meditation.VxnEf
UNAS4wCEmptying the mind or focusing on a single thought, maintaining a steady rhythm, and shaping mana circuits.UC0NI
XrLAnd if someone wanted to sabotage those people, the logical thing would be to break that serenity.9A5Cxzk
1bNs“Then what is the source of strength for a Red Circle?”hun
7spFMn“The emotions that gave birth to the circle.”IxbA
edwYHWE“Exactly. If it began with joy, it will grow through even greater joy. If it began with hatred, it will grow through even deeper hatred. That is how it evolves.”Qem7
9LEQCpULucy nodded.zRV9G0
A7H6nqa“Then what hinders them?”ejZNQV
1yil“Contradictions and dilemmas.”UWKA53
rfbA person who hates loses their life as a mage the moment they lose their reason to hate.ntUR0b
oIk7JcWhen contradictions or dilemmas appear, emotions cool down and lose intensity.CPFw
05cpVKkPerda knew this better than anyone because he had always lived with that in mind.8N7xewJ
k70V5q“Right now there are two emotions inside you. Love and regret.”EgIH
1vr6“That’s right.”X4bFefF
yRxI“If you wanted to grow stronger by following only traditional Red Circle theory, you would have to nurture your love and suppress your regret so that you grow solely through that love. Isn’t that correct?”Both
FO5Up to that point, Perda already knew.LCNk7
B96svdHe nodded slightly and asked.UVcOdUy
x4qA“Then are you saying you know how to eliminate that regret?”IaL1sG
gvWfb1Lucy shook her head.fsA19ZQ
IPTHEY“That would be a foolish decision, little one. Are you planning to burn down a house because you’re afraid of fleas? If even one emotion disappears, the balance will collapse.”I75
PNRH2Gk“What do you mean?”7pJtN
t2K“That all emotions are connected by causality.”RP6Bd62
qhjhZnLucy took a deep draw of smoke.QlG
M3xY“The existence of something negative allows something positive to exist. It is precisely because that regret exists that your love exists as well.”7Hytyo
YWNcSPerda frowned slightly.ZaB
gXjfe6u“If I do not eliminate the regret, it will continue testing me.”XX6t
d14vEven as he said it, he still felt that it was nothing more than an unnecessary burden.imk4
8XILucy had surely expected that reaction.tYD
93w6After all, she had also mastered a Red Circle.bm8ma
P91“Then I will answer with another question. Why does that regret exist?”9fS7
44V“That is…”3HvjX3D
xYGlWhen Perda hesitated, Lucy added.h4Yw2aN
ASXbyf“You do not need to answer me. Think carefully and find the answer yourself.”jInpVUp
n5fjBecause he had killed Valdrova.EH4py
HjpcrThe purest person of all.KYZL8W
JMXvuoBIf he eliminated that regret.g8Y
3kSh1UWhat would happen to his feelings toward her?HyT6
odPHJ0sAnd then he understood.RzMhmNr
PyogHe understood why he must not get rid of it.DON
p9ZW“Little one, your regret is like your heart. If it is excessive or insufficient, something will go wrong. If it disappears completely, you will die. But if you learn to control it, it will become a magnificent source of power. Do you understand?”mGAsx
VVQRPerda nodded.FhuBCXR
EiJiq“Then what should I do?”dZsq
1XpirTgLucy drew a line in the air with her index finger.fhyK8Il
eNy9“You must establish a boundary.”BCL
o0r1j“A boundary?”Umk8
o6BpI“If you raise a barrier that prevents emotions from mixing together, you will be able to understand exactly what each one is made of.”Cp1gSo
t2vAs a Red Circle mage, Perda more or less understood what she meant.mUupi
xd6nUCEmotions are ambiguous, like mixed paints.4CjtJl7
BjVpIf no attention is paid to them, they spill, blend together, and become muddy until they lose their essence.s1TdBS
AKUAnd the moment that essence disappears, the growth of a Red Circle dies as well.Et46WAx
zTIbn3RIn that sense, Perda had been a prodigy.ZlAT
T2gHe had transformed absolutely everything into anger and, thanks to that, reached a pure 9 Circle.vYC
vlW8CqE‘But this time I have to separate them.’Ze8OKHo
hY30zX9It was the first time he possessed a mana circle driven by love.9D12mh
V9VdAnd also the first time regret had interfered.IreNFY
MW1Naturally, it was also the first time he had to raise two separate barriers.dywAM
qivA mana circuit fueled both by his love for Valdrova and by his regret.4HL4
z7RfHow was he supposed to separate them?V0QRCr
5CBDz“That is precisely why, little one, you have already taken the first step.”XxRIqnQ
ngWr“What first step?”yZSD
XOabzr“Shape of Shadow.”yW4h68t
i8zzIt was the mana cultivation method recorded within Barbatos’s Shadow Arts.o6gyuG
59tie“Do you remember the phrase? The shadow becomes me, and I become the shadow.”ViR
JsksePerda nodded.BhTXs
0zDxD8“The answer is there.”luqm
DQcyOAnd with that, the explanation ended.Gx2v5M
jYr0Perda felt she had left the sentence unfinished, but Lucy showed no intention of continuing.VxE9WnE
oL35vD“Now then, what other reward could I give you…?”fpk1c
M4SItShe lightly moved her pipe.qkv
1A0RY3“Hmm…”1v2Ke
Er0CNJShe stared at the pipe for several seconds and then smiled.dUyr355
LU5PeYIPerda suspected she was about to give him something useless.lccK2l
zXmUThen the thorn-covered vines surrounding Lucy began gathering around her hand.70I
RW0Fd2They looked like a hundred serpents intertwining chaotically.SCG
sXrPwcAnd finally they spat something out.HoVKk
Gn0yIt was a straight branch.6OL
0XyMPerhaps because he examined it carefully, he noticed that it resembled the pipe Lucy was holding.cSe53S
hSaGp“What do you think this is?”o16Xa
U9p0eS6“…A pipe?”ADGN
mgT“Why would I give you something like that? You are far too young to understand the true charm of tobacco.”zvnZ
lzdbU3FShe exhaled smoke with an irritatingly satisfied expression, as though telling him never to smoke.cyXXhi
1wiOf course, Perda had smoked before.6I6mrF6
HBhvK4eBut he had given up the habit because he hated that feeling of mental dullness.Ocwfk
qFwJust as he was about to ask what it really was—ir2VvD
Q7cEFCrackle!Lpi6k
7HoRed sparks danced around the branch.6gkKMnU
B5AINIt was the Lightning of Defiance.mwEOD
svrzRLucy smiled with amusement when she saw Perda’s expression.Mg5
cXVb“It is called Jibal.”uq7n
OVx“Jibal?”KcrO5Qe
7HXlH“That is what I named it. It is a magic staff created by me.”OEuXJ
8g1V“I see.”mZwBPR8
iSCFXAd“Do you remember that branch struck by my lightning? The one that would drive any mage mad. This will absorb that power on its own. Once it does, the instability will disappear, and you will also be able to use that power in its full capacity.”zWE
cK3yzVmShe did not understand why she was explaining all of this to him.8wCOPW
gvJgPFrom the context, it seemed obvious that she intended to give it to him, but Perda did not want to assume that so easily.brv61
K42It could be another test meant to probe his desires.O3j9XH
NF6“Take it.”Ext
wWWAs hard as it was to believe, that was indeed the case.49vvO
7NF04aLucy had even told him directly to take it, but Perda did not reach out.5tYOWw
qos“My arm is going to fall off, little one. Whether it looks that way or not, I am a delicate young lady.”pskbn
n91YED“……”0UwX5
Z2C“I am giving you a gift, and yet you are making that face like a pig who has just been served an enormous plate of food. Why? Do you think I am going to sacrifice you?”TDK
qe5EA“That seems quite likely.”572fg7N
2ViMLucy burst out laughing.2AW6W
TR2i“How insolent. Did it never occur to you that I might simply give it to you for free?”SAT6luE
puLw“Because the people who did that died a long time ago.”aIk
0BMPu“That’s true. You’re right.”3GLCnu
3CaM8EmShe laughed cheerfully.X5v3mK
hRCFug“As I said before, I like helping women with tragic destinies. And Valdrova also carries a tragic destiny. I wanted to help her, but it was not easy.”EwNh
9dJ4U1“Why?”aE0Ju
VOgct“Because she has an extremely vicious dog around her, doesn’t she?”QQwhGL
igwThere was no need to ask whom she meant.ZygiZ3
Hex3MMAfter all, that vicious dog was the one preventing her from entering that space.EGmBWk0
MgN‘When I return, who knows what she’ll do this time.’6ugL
vJdPerda had already mentally prepared himself to be scrubbed again.PyaD0n
C3bJust thinking about that green towel Ruri carried was enough to make him tense.A5sK
kRq“How could I help her when that little puppy keeps insisting that she cannot trust the words of a witch?”RSnt
1WyIt was natural that she did not trust her.wrz
RDA86cRuri was Valdrova’s maid.lxR1edR
UxWVLucy was one of the most infamous witches on the continent.ZMsaqe5
LGPIjThere was no way Ruri would stand by and watch while a witch manipulated Valdrova.SiZoVAH
e0NGw1“Since I had no way to approach her, I thought I could help her through you. Even if you are a man, I see no reason to worry if your intention is to save a woman with such an unfortunate destiny.”fgPUbYh
h1hBMSpHearing that, Perda did not feel that she was lying.3DZDIn
wgkLWCHe had already sensed it during their confrontation in the past.FpB9v
SrubziEven though she was the leader of the witches, he had never felt genuine malice from Lucy.JCdXAxk
DGWRather, she seemed like someone who, just like him now, had reached the void and become extraordinarily serene.WUxKLbj
5IERLWas he being manipulated?89fK
HsLV74Or did she simply have confidence in herself?gugXQh
AxPIf he was being manipulated, it meant he did not trust himself.wIfUH
7opIf he was certain, it meant the opposite.QbF
uzIOeWHe had no other choice.WVcY
QpaPciAt last, Perda took the staff.JFmG
hHxO4The moment he grasped the blunt end that Lucy offered him, a change occurred.Crlks
cssTThe branch instantly transformed into an elegant black staff.L8J4r
2AgIts form matched Perda’s appearance and presence perfectly, as though it had been designed specifically for him.vwi
yBEu5w8The change in appearance was not all that surprising.uCm
lFXDMany other staffs could do that.imcaO9K
IVolWhat truly surprised him was something else.lTu
VWQo79‘I can’t feel any mana inside it.’toRHbIV
jFYDNormally, staves and wands possess an internal mana reservoir to assist in spellcasting.uwR3EA
cy2The better the staff, the larger that reservoir.OVpzs2
d9wlBut even the worst ones have one.cXbiafl
P0QfJust in case, Perda sent mana into it.0vFw
mtyzxCrackle!j2VtFT
lXJvGRed sparks immediately began bursting around the staff.xYEE
E0Ur‘It doesn’t release previously stored mana. It transforms it instantly.’kArCllh
lTBHe could cast magic the very moment he wished.9yyP
JnoAnd because it stored no mana, to any observer it was nothing more than an ordinary staff.HA22GP4
WKJfPractically every mage’s dream.jiNj
ShfO6“I will take proper care of it.”dp7ICbL
32WxMvE“Hmm? Why did you suddenly start speaking respectfully to me?”wcL4H
cYkpD“Because you have helped me too much. How could I not show respect?”5hBaB
q6aJ“Hmm, is that so?”M0u3BlC
OoXkvuBLucy smiled with satisfaction.H8zPp0I
Gam“What a considerate child.”gyNGa
Mw8bPPJShe looked at him with a mischievous gaze.457wILT
fFdKkIt seemed as though honey would drip from her eyes.mANNFYN
m0k“Do you need anything else?”vf6AWqb
Otxd“I would like you to give me another hint about how Shape of Shadow is the answer…”PLF
bCu“Haha. So all that praise was just to get to this?”jtZ
SyDIm1It would be a lie to say it was not.e9Ov1BJ
4RPl9Now that she was in a good mood, Perda had to take advantage of it.MphzY
KNpC64s“Very well. I will explain it. In the East, there is a concept called the Unity of the Soul and the Self. Turning something into an extension of your own body. Isn’t that the very essence of the Shadow Arts?”emOY
d5Bw“Yes.”JbRHrj
Bmv“Then if you truly believe that the shadow can become you, what would be impossible?”EI8
TxT5ziWhat did that mean?uWk
fWGPerda wanted a more detailed explanation.bTo
AmiBut before he could ask, a small finger touched his lips.WcbmvDE
74nN6“This is the last bit of goodwill I can offer you. A hint and a wonderful principle.”gyRh
ZsaALucy’s small finger slowly slid upward until it touched Perda’s forehead.MTgVSn8
tWfo8At that instant, his consciousness was pulled somewhere else.xDf
LLiMWhen he opened his eyes again, he was standing exactly where he had received the invitation.J9rhYV
ckw6D5***pdX
7DNlIEAfter Perda disappeared, only witches remained in the Garden of Witches.eae
qNP2XLucy covered her face with the black veil once more and returned to the Rose Pavilion.zLj
ro4ZThe witches resumed their usual conversations and laughter.8JwJ1V
uEZN“So, what did you think of that Perda fellow?”eVz
WbrK3eE“An insolent brat. He dared to speak informally to our Big Sister.”GEopMPJ
vjCAKx“I wanted to put saliva under his fingernails.”gB0WZgL
Z24H5v“There’s nothing better than watching a man that serious scream.”E8D69
MUmss“I prefer moans. I’d make him moan for three hours.”rXVL
v8EX56kThe witches laughed as they shared their twisted fetishes.Mptas
IysBThen one of them looked at Lucy.X43b
A7FhMM“You seem very calm today, Big Sister. Is this your new persona?”YLyq
0twnLucy Philiaz.tnmXJ
WKJpkThe eldest sister of them all.iKmv
0ZE7She seemed completely uninterested in the conversation and merely smoked in silence.YTRU
Tt85The others continued.8aPe
lKB“It’s true. You don’t seem like yourself.”xJWRBGh
wP8O“It’s been a long time since you saw a man. You must have gotten excited.”Al47rg
gqV6al“Youth. It’s youth.”q61
UvVLucy tapped the ash from her pipe.tFczbn
BRjDespite all the teasing, she did not show the slightest irritation.7T2s
o1XdUlAt last, she spoke.5OYN
cY0WcO“Perda Valdrova.”ELiW9
BUiSAfThe name emerged together with a cloud of smoke.X8MW
mvdDXWhenever a man’s name came from Lucy’s mouth, it meant he had become a target.esOP
intnh“What do you want to do with him?”sGccC
c82mHyD“I wonder what sort of scheme he is plotting.”oeWm1
TiDmLucy answered calmly.cTEwGP
o0hej83“Find out more about him.”bvr
ttw“That’s all? You have nothing else to assign us?”H24
zY1AX0K“Yes.”HZ92gP0
BqSVLucy added something as if she had just remembered it.FTnemY
5QILv5f“None of you are to approach that child without my permission.”S4l762C
TzK4The laughter stopped.Gyg
2rP1P“That’s a strange order. Even though he’s a man?”muCh91
NrK“Has our Big Sister finally become interested in men?”VX13HCd
aDPawTY“What a pathetic group.”Lzgjvj
vsVMy7Lucy shook her head.33SO5La
u2hKn“It’s not because of the sort of shallow amusement you all enjoy.”hlZc
J1K13She looked up at the witches.yeq
ApzHH“I simply do not want to see you die at that child’s hands.”3LRbvn
746G“…What?”HVI87i
Vq0jeX“How does that make any sense? A brat who’s only nineteen would kill us?”n6hBGxB
z7wIf anyone else had said it, they would have assumed it was a joke.kRPxS
YPhHVQmBut Lucy’s words carried weight.yEwXU
UGrw7She never spoke nonsense when addressing witches.eyXqdW
nRYE5n“Then are you talking about some kind of past-life story?”qjJ9YD
EmY“Do you think it’s something that trivial?”bxUFf
nJtMLucy slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.2zgtF5H
yX0i“That child already erased my existence from this world once.”529nCf
1qSW7I“Did he invade this place?”ymLIP
9Vwq“He didn’t merely invade it.”VBsMKCC
WrYENMAnother cloud of smoke.giw
Yc0hp“He took my life as well.”LJM
aejNlEvery witch fell silent.6LGc
wqtay3It was a silent question.WXHPT
9aD0MznAnd a profound shock.ENk
Dkop7VdLimbo was a place that was impossible for almost any existence to trace.bTw
A7EOeAnd yet someone had entered it and killed Lucy Philiaz, the mother of all witches.ULB
MYLudXIt was practically impossible.AMEv
l0EeThe witches who had been joking only moments ago became completely silent.mFII
zI9aTFor the first time, the Rose Pavilion fell into absolute silence.sNNXD
osnQzrMEach of them processed those words in her own way.ehOZA8
r4kHKc‘If I died at that time, then there was undoubtedly a reason.’TTjO
acclWLucy considered it another message directed toward herself.Gi0D
FMLxVijShe did not know its meaning.26vQecS
UPIDLeBut she did know one thing.QgJ
O2wPPerda was special.Kz398
czBoIsk‘Was all of that also because of her?’DYQfb
kZMxoQ8Lucy released a small amount of mana onto her hand.tSuES
YVmeThe mana took on a definite shape.rJdu
VyvvqRA rune.oGRF
rMVzThe very same rune that had lodged itself in Echidna’s heart and nearly killed her without Lucy being able to do anything.sO8yy
bx8OCbThat rune was an enormous accumulation of information created purely from emotions.dywllIB
2Oa‘Does this rune represent that child’s regret?’Nwm0YO
VIJLike Echidna, Lucy tried to test it slightly.BsAd7tW
Kc4LaVBut she immediately withdrew her hand.78dSOt
bdT8WEven she could not endure it.Db9l
I5QShe, who was regarded as an absolute authority among Red Circle users.byEsf
7AhnPShe could not comprehend how a human being could contain such an immense amount of emotion.xpFI
KcnlThe answer was obvious.DcLl2kb
HEIh‘He must have turned back time.’jJFP
Lx2HIt was impossible not to wonder how he had accomplished it.HY4GP
bdf5tpTo reach that level, one had to attain the Ninth Circle, the domain of demigods, and use a Wish.gfLdG
9yb‘Did he truly reach that place I could never attain?’b0yWJ
q0HbIt would be a lie to say she felt no envy.cgNRFA
2GLNHm0But she understood that it was pointless and extinguished the emotion.WbWfsp
RDJ‘To use a Wish in order to sing of regret…’JSYzbq
pmXSnn5Lucy smiled.CVJK8De
9bo“At least, for a while, I won’t be bored anymore.”mJ32pJ
lBRV2vYAfter more than a thousand years, an emotion that had been worn away by the passage of time began beating within her chest once more.4Rj0Oq5
Jd6oGdMAnd that emotion was, without a doubt, excitement.iUqL
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 IntegrationWell that’s unexpected she knows about perda regression.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationShe knows about perda regression.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationShe’s knows her stuff huh
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationWeird witch
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationWow what a joke
Fernando
Qi RefinementThe first person to know that he went back in time…