< 122. Remaining Days (1) >
#122
“Come closer. First let’s see how much progress has been made.”
Ronan did so. Secret stretched out his fern-like hand and touched his chest. The brighter eyes were really annoying. Ronan laughed out loud at the sight of him not being able to get used to it at all.
‘It’s amazing. ‘I wonder if I’ll turn into a grandmother at night.’
No matter who looked at her she was a perfect girl. It was truly a terrible curse for her to turn a tired old woman into a child who could only play with the air. Three Crits who had quietly closed their eyes opened their mouths.
“Reveal yourself.”
A loud voice rang out. At the same time Secret’s mana spread throughout the body. Sigh! Dark red letters protruded from Ronan’s back.
“…these bastards.”
Ronan gritted his teeth when he saw the curses materialized. It was a sight I had not seen in a long time. The letters were wiggling and spinning around him as if they were alive.
However it seemed to him that the amount of letters had decreased compared to when he first saw it. Three Crits’ eyes twinkled with interest.
“Oh my efforts were not in vain. “The curse has definitely weakened.”
“Of course you should. “I went through such a hard time.”
Ronan twisted his mouth. I couldn’t believe that all the hardships I had gone through so far had occurred in just over half a year. Secrit removed his hand from his chest and took out his chalk.
“Then let’s move on to the next step.”
Secrit walked around his study and began drawing his geometric magic circle. It was a magic circle that almost covered the floor of the study.
In many ways it took a long time compared to last time. After a while he completed the magic circle and held out his hand.
“It’s done. “Give me the magic stone.”
“Here.”
Ronan handed over the Dainhar Magic Stone. The secret that received the magic stone flinched for a moment. The mana writhing beneath the black surface was so powerful that it was incomparable to any catalyst I had ever seen.
“…You really got it right. Did you receive it as a gift from the natives of Dainhar?”
“Well it’s similar.”
“I’m scared because I don’t think it’s a joke.”
Secret walked to the center of the study and placed the magic stone on the floor. At that moment light emanated from the magic circle pattern. Paaaa…! It was a sight reminiscent of flames rising through oil.
“This time I will make the curse you must break into reality.”
“Materialization?”
“okay. By interpreting and implementing the curse in a visual form we can gauge its scale. “It is the last step before entering Haeju.”
Suddenly the three crits waved their fingers in the air. The shapes of the letters became distorted and began to gather in one place. As materialization progressed Secret’s expression gradually hardened.
“This is…!”
The curse which repeatedly boiled and melted at will stopped changing only after about ten minutes. Ronan frowned. A huge lump perhaps 2 meters in diameter was floating in front of her eyes.
“You look like shit.”
I was very uncomfortable with the small talk I had made. This is what it would look like if you pulled out the heart or brain of a devil.
The amorphous mass of curses continued to wriggle without a definite form. Secret who had been silent for a long time sighed.
“…oh my god. “I never thought it would be like this.”
“Secret? are you okay?”
“Yes… the moment I compress that and pour it into your head the harm begins. From then on as we all know the body falls into a deep sleep and the mind wanders into a world of images…”
“I have a bad feeling but…what the fuck can I do? “Let’s get rid of it quickly.”
Ronan shifted her limbs around and sighed. Time in the world of imagination passes differently from reality. I thought it was over in an instant last time but in reality a full day had passed so there was a high possibility that something similar would happen this time.
It was the right decision to get it done during vacation when time was relatively free. Secret who had been biting his nails the whole time opened his mouth.
“Ronan… it may be funny to say this now but I have to say what I have to say.”
“What do you want to say?”
“Do you really have to do that?”
For a moment silence fell. Ronan who had been dumbfounded opened her mouth.
“Why are you like this earlier? “My complexion is not good either.”
“…Decades ago now a friend of mine committed suicide. He was an astronomer who explored the sky above. “There was no reason for him to commit suicide because he was a highly respected and learned friend.”
Ronan tilted his head at the sudden sound. Secret’s face glaring at the curse was as pale as the northern snow fields. A cool sweat was running down my pale cheeks.
“But his disciples testified that he suddenly went crazy. We were able to find the cause in the suicide note he left behind. There was just one line of text written on it. [We are dust.]”
“dust?”
“The conclusion was reached after colleagues put their heads together and discussed it. I realized just a little bit the extent of the universe which I had previously only recognized as ‘existing’. “I became mad because I witnessed an unbearable truth…”
Secret looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then washed his face. He faced Ronan and opened his mouth.
“Ronan I just came to understand him.”
“You think I’m going to fail.”
“To be honest yes. “I think we are being reckless this time.”
Secrit lowered his head and acknowledged his negligence. Until now I was unaware of the solution because I had only been thinking about solving it based on theory and simplified experiments. The power of the materialized curse far exceeded Secret’s expectations.
“That’s dangerous. Even if we succeed we cannot guarantee how long it will take.”
“I can’t guarantee is it because it lasts for several days?”
“Once something goes wrong it’s funny for a year. “There are people who have been wandering in the world of images for over ten years.”
“Ten fucking years?”
Ronan’s brow furrowed. He thought that since it was a stronger curse it might take longer than when he first did it but this was beyond the limit. Secret said.
“Ronan. This is not something I should say as an educator who must pursue advancement but you are strong enough right now. If he continues to grow like this he will definitely become a swordsman who will leave a mark in the history of the empire. “Is it worth taking this much risk to do that?”
Secret lowered his voice. Although she was a delicate girl on the outside she still had that unique intimidating feeling. Ronan’s eyes narrowed.
‘Gachira.’
It didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Just looking at her achievements so far she had much more room for growth compared to her past life. As time went by I was confident that even if my body grew I would slaughter an Ahayute in an instant.
‘Fuck. I wouldn’t have done it if only that bastard was there.’
However that was not the level Ronan had to reach. She couldn’t even guess the number of giants descending tearing up the sky.
Suddenly I remembered the day I met Omega’s doppelganger. The sight of her dying body eroded by her curse was indescribably hideous.
Those tumors inside her body had to be removed before she could go beyond her limits. Ronan nodded his head without hesitation.
“yes.”
“Hehe…then I guess there’s nothing we can do about it.”
widely! Sekrit sighed and snapped his fingers again. As soon as the magic circle’s light went out the materialized curse dispersed like smoke.
“I will also do my best to stabilize my technique. “It will likely take a few days so please at least clean up your surroundings.”
****
The rest of her days passed in a flash. The school opening ceremony was held in the main plaza where the vacation ceremony was held. Kratyr’s face which was reciting a clichéd sermon was as black as if he had been on vacation somewhere.
“I hope you had a meaningful vacation. I hope you stay healthy and energetic in the new semester. Hmm… summer is over now.”
The rising sky showed that summer’s momentum had waned. The students’ faces have become brighter due to the cooler weather over the past few days.
Ronan headed to the club building as soon as the opening ceremony was over. The returning students were busily walking around the campus. The empty streets regained their commotion.
In his right hand was a large trunk bag. Ronan who had been whistling looked up at his feathery cloud and muttered.
“Three days.”
There was still time left until the Secret spell was ready. His mind was so busy that he couldn’t sleep well after that day. He had to hustle around and do what he could. Ronan suddenly remembered his words and grunted.
“Anyway that’s true. “What is cleaning up the surroundings? Cleaning up the surroundings.”
It seemed like a line left to someone who was about to die. Of course it was something I heard as a greeting when I was serving as a punitive soldier. It was a place where battles that could not guarantee life or death were fought every day.
‘Well it’s actually a good thing.’
Although he was disappointed that he could not finish the work quickly Ronan decided to think as positively as possible. He knew better than anyone else the misery of those who die suddenly without even leaving a will. Even if he assumed the worst and developed a defense plan it never hurt him.
Ronan who was walking while thinking about various things finally reached the club building. He was still nearby when he heard a commotion.
The door opened with a squeak and a friendly friction sound. Ronan’s expression distorted at the unexpected sight. The sight of Marja and Braum doing push-ups with Asher and Ophelia on their backs respectively caught my eye.
“Cute! Did you not eat a single meal during vacation? Why is it so light?”
“Oh no. “I ate…!”
Marya asked worriedly. Asher shook her head her face bright red. Ophelia who was sitting on Braum with a dull expression poked him in the back with her index finger.
“Braum…I’m going to lose if I keep doing this….”
“Huh! Just wait! “There are still signs of a reversal!”
Braum became thoughtful and increased his speed. Ronan who saw a truly sick sight laughed. He opened his mouth as he placed the trunk he had brought with him on the bar table.
“What are you doing? “You idiots.”
“uh? Ronan!”
The two people stopped doing push-ups. Ronan glanced at the members’ faces and nodded. As I said before everyone was gathered except Schlieffen.
“Everyone is here. “How have you been?”
“I saw it yesterday but it reminded me… Oh I brought the money from the magic stone sale.”
Marya wiped her sweat with her sleeve and pointed to a corner of the building. There were about ten luxurious boxes stacked one on top of the other. At that time Braum who was catching his breath burst into laughter.
“Whahahaha of course! By the way I was surprised Ronan. “They give me such a big gift at the end of vacation!”
His eyes rested on the shield leaning against the wall. Ronan shrugged his eyebrows.
“Oh did you get it today?”
“To be exact it was just yesterday. “The werewolf blacksmith delivered it to me!”
It was a good shield at first glance. The rectangular shield which was large enough to completely cover his body seemed like it could block even the dragon’s flames with a little extra effort.
“I don’t know what to thank you for. “Can I really use such a treasure?”
“You’re making strange noises. “It was given to me to use so of course I should take it.”
“I…thank you too….”
Ophelia also bowed her head. In her hand was a pure white wand that looked as if it were carved from her bones. I don’t know if it was because Ophelia was strong to begin with but her magic power was unusual.
“All the magic… seems twice as strong. “I never thought there would be a place like that underground.”
“Is it better than what your species made?”
“Yeah…much. “It’s rude to compare.”
“Thank goodness.”
Ronan nodded. Both Ophelia’s wand and Braum’s shield were made by master craftsmen from Gran Cappadocia. As soon as he heard Secret tell him to clean up the surroundings he fitted the two people with weapons.
“Well then everyone come here. “Because I have an important announcement.”
“notification?”
The members gathered together. Ronan opened the trunk. Click. As soon as the lock was released contents that no one expected appeared. Everyone’s eyes widened except Ophelia.
“This…!”
“I borrowed it from Butterfly Rose. Everyone put one on your wrist.”
Inside the cushion-covered trunk were five thin black bracelets. It was a magic tool used during Nabirose’s mid-term evaluation.
A space-type magic tool that automatically transfers the body when death or irreparable injury appears likely. Ronan left the confused members behind and continued his explanation.
“I think I might be gone for a long time. “It can be as short as a few days but as long as it can take years.”
“…what do you mean? “School is now starting and you’re suddenly leaving?”
“Several years?”
“I’ll explain in detail. “Wear your bracelet first.”
Ronan’s expression was more serious than usual. The members wore bracelets one by one without knowing why. At that moment Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword. Shoo! Just as the tip of La Mancha’s sword was about to touch Braum’s neck his figure distorted and disappeared.
“What is this…!”
“Huh oh oh!”
Asher was about to scream. Craddangtangtang! Braum who had disappeared with a loud noise rolled down the stairs. He was looking around without even realizing what was happening to him. Ronan continued.
“Did you see it? never die “This building is the place that will come back to life so you can attack as much as you want.”
“What are you doing now?”
“I’m just trying to see your skills. “Do you really think I can leave?”
Finally Ronan putting on his bracelet stood up. The members of the team flinched as the deadly force suddenly bloomed on his shoulders. It was as if he had become a different person. Ronan looked at each of their faces and growled lowly.
“Follow me.”
