Chapter 13: Auditore da Sicilia (2)

There’s something I need to make clear.

To get straight to the point, the power granted to me is not a blessing from the gods or anything like that. Nor is it an exceptional talent bestowed by the heavens. Rather, I believe it’s more like a curse.

To avoid relying on the blessing of the God of the Sword, I sought a new type of armament. But that power followed me, as if mocking my efforts, taking over my body.

This time, there wasn’t extreme pain. No, it wasn’t pain, but a pure sensation of pleasure, so intoxicating, unlike anything I had ever experienced, that enveloped my body along with an overwhelming feeling of weakness. That curse controlled me as if I were a puppet caught in its strings.

While I wielded the sword, almost resigned, something unknown sweetly whispered in my ear. It was a language I had never heard before.

I didn’t know if it was a gentle persuasion or a threat that made my legs tremble. But the message engraved itself into my brain as if it were a seal. A dark desire that flared up like a black fire from deep within me.

“Strike more, cut more, destroy more.”

Foolishly, I let myself be carried away. I wanted to plunge endlessly into that abyss of burning pleasure. Then, someone called out to me. They uttered the name I now recognize as my own.

In a world that turned a deep blue, the figure of a girl with red hair appeared. She was calling out to me with a heart-wrenching cry. Her call brought the broken pieces of the world together, merging them into one.

I wanted to escape from whatever was trying to consume and corrupt me from within. I carried the broken wooden sword as if to hurl it away, trying to rid myself of that evil. Even so, it clung to me, like a second black skin.

However, I managed to tear it off. I felt that if I didn’t get rid of it, even if I had to peel it off like my own skin, I would lose my identity forever.

When I threw the sword, my body moved as if drawn by a magnet, shooting toward the feet of the girl in front of me.

Only then could I remember her name.

Chloe.

The yandere who had recently tried to kill me. Now, the girl who had awakened my consciousness. When I released the sword from my hands, I was finally able to move freely.

It annoyed me, and at the same time, I was glad that it was her who woke me up. After all, she was the one who broke my sword and caused this situation. So, even if just for a moment, I decided to give her a little tap on the forehead as compensation.

Chloe blinked several times, with a puzzled expression, after receiving the tap. Seeing her bewildered look, I patted her head.

It was one of the methods recommended on YouTube for dealing with a yandere. I didn’t know if it would work, but I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I was worried that her hand might reach for the wooden sword she still held.

If she kept acting like this, I would probably have to spend my entire life dodging swords. A talent that was almost cursed, manifesting at the cost of my vitality.

It was a power foreign to this world, but one I would have to carry with me from now on.

I don’t expect much here. I just wanted to live a normal life. I thought I could handle the small problems that came my way.

But now I realized there was something inside me, lurking, ready to devour my sanity.

On my way back to the dorm, as I calmed the torrent running through my veins, I thought:

This is not a blessing. It is a curse that tries to consume me completely, an art that defies the heavens.

* * *

After that day, Kang Geom-Ma didn’t show up to class for three days. Only the instructor Lee Won-Bin and Chloe seemed to notice his absence, while the atmosphere in the class remained unchanged.

Chloe wanted to ask him why. If she at least knew his phone number, she would have tried to contact him, but she realized she had never asked for his contact information.

‘Why didn’t I ask him before?’

She even went to Kang Geom-Ma’s room in the dormitory and knocked on the door, but all she heard was a faint metallic groan on the other side.

Chloe suppressed the urge to kick down the door and barge in. She feared that if she did, Geom-Ma might come to hate her.

Neither conversations with her new friends nor her morning training could calm her steadily cooling heart.

She liked seeing him sitting in class, resting his chin on his hand and staring out the window, lost in thought.

She couldn’t count how many times she had glanced at him secretly. She was afraid to speak to him, worried he would think she was an annoying girl.

At first, she thought she had fallen for him because of how he risked his body to protect her, but maybe that was just an excuse. Chloe simply needed Kang Geom-Ma.

‘…I miss him.’

Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without him, and her feelings grew with each passing second. She was willing to do anything to have him by her side.

So, one day, then two more passed. Kang Geom-Ma finally showed up to class on a cloudy morning.

Instructor Lee Won-Bin tapped the desk with the attendance list and spoke in a loud, resonant voice. His presence was so commanding that even the noble students, who were usually hard to manage, cowered before him.

Lee Won-Bin looked at the students one by one. As expected, Kang Geom-Ma wasn’t present today either.

That diligent, humble student, who had just stopped attending class one day. Other instructors might have gone looking for him.

But Lee Won-Bin respected the individual will of his students, so he decided to trust Kang Geom-Ma. Surely, there was a reason.

“There’s a forecast for rain this morning, so there won’t be any morning training. Instead, focus on self-study.”

With that, Lee Won-Bin sank into his chair. The students began whispering among themselves, but the instructor just smiled.

That’s how youth is. If they stay still, they grow impatient, and if they have friends nearby, their tongues itch to talk. Lee Won-Bin pulled a small pocketbook out of his coat and began to read.

Clack!

The classroom door opened.

Suddenly, all eyes turned toward the entrance.

Normally, his appearance wouldn’t have drawn much attention.

“Huh…?”

Instructor Lee Won-Bin was surprised to see Kang Geom-Ma walk in.

His eyes seemed to have lost a layer of emotion. The tips of his hair were slightly graying, as if they had turned white. He no longer looked like the young man from a few days ago; he had the air of someone with a decadent appearance.

“Geom-Ma!”

Chloe stood up abruptly, her expression stiff. A slight nervousness ran through her body, and a chill wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Sorry I’m late, instructor.”

“No, no. It’s fine.”

Kang Geom-Ma gave a slight bow to Lee Won-Bin and headed to his usual seat. Curious glances followed him.

—Isn’t that the special student? Did he always look like that?

—Right? He seems more… attractive.

Whispers filled the classroom.

Ignoring the stares, Kang Geom-Ma looked out the window.

His eyes, heavy with exhaustion, seemed to gaze at the other students with a hint of disdain.

***

At lunchtime, Chloe cautiously approached.

“Geo-Geom-Ma.”

“Yes, Chloe?”

“Did something happen to you?”

“No, nothing in particular.”

“It’s just…”

Chloe looked into his eyes as if carefully choosing her words, then spoke in a barely audible voice.

“You missed class for several days. I thought something had happened. Was it because of what happened during the duel?”

Her eyes shone with a touch of concern. Wanting to reassure her, I smiled at her gently and shook my head.

“I had a bad case of the flu. Thanks for worrying.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but…”

Chloe seemed unsatisfied, and her words trailed off. I reassured her again, telling her I was fine. The truth was, the flu story was a complete lie.

For the past three days, I had suffered from a kind of withdrawal that drained me so much I could barely stay conscious.

Since the duel, I had shut myself in my room, not eating, just lying on the bed, waiting for the seizure-like spasms to pass.
The price of using the broken armament had been an agony far worse than any pain I had experienced before.

That wasn’t all. My reflection in the mirror had also changed. The structure was the same, but my expression had become so cold that even I couldn’t recognize myself.

I had lost count of how many times I touched my face. Even the tips of my hair had turned slightly gray.

It was clearly a penalty from the damn blessing. I let out a sigh, and Chloe silently watched me.

She seemed to feel guilty. After all, she was the last person to see me before I disappeared, and also my opponent in the duel.

Wanting to lighten the mood, I changed the subject.

“Remember we said we’d have dinner together? Want to do that today?”

“Huh? Really?!”

Chloe responded excitedly, her eyes lighting up with joy, and she jumped up, thrilled. She seemed to really like the idea.

“But today, I want you to cook.”

“Of course! I’ll do my best!”

Chloe clasped her small hands to her chest and nodded eagerly. I hadn’t eaten for days, and my stomach was practically glued to my back. I needed to eat something.

“Then today, I’ll cook whatever you want, Geom-Ma. What would you like?”

“Mmm, it’s been a while since I’ve had fish. Since the last time I tried it at your dorm, I haven’t been able to eat it because it’s so expensive.”

As we talked cheerfully, I felt a gaze fixed on me from behind. An unpleasant, disturbing presence.

My eyes scanned the classroom, and thanks to my heightened perception over the past few days, I quickly found where it was coming from.

A red-haired boy was leaning against the door, smiling sarcastically as he watched us.
When I stopped talking and looked toward the door, Chloe noticed too. Her expression twisted into a grimace of displeasure.

“Is he someone you know?”

Chloe nodded silently. Her face showed a mix of avoidance and fear. I, too, felt an uneasy discomfort at that guy’s mocking smile.

Clicking my tongue, I got up and walked over to the red-haired boy.

“Hey.”

“…”

“If you have something to say, say it with your fists, like a man.”