Chapter 36

My head got dizzy when I heard Rany’s cheerful explanation.

It was a completely different type of headache from the previous one.

“Originally I was also about to carve the rune language, but I held back. Because you’d find out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“If I told you, you wouldn’t wear it, right?”

“. . .”

That’s right.

If that thing was such an item, there would be no way for me to wear— or even bring— it along with me.

I stiffened up at the shocking yet scary truth that I only found out now.

Looking at me with a regretful smile, Bertin offered me a glass of water.

“Oh God, we surprised you, huh? Drink some more.”

“. . .”

When I absentmindedly stared at the locket after accepting the glass, Zen urged me.

“Drink it all.”

“. . . ?”

“Now.”

I turned side my stiffened head then asked Bertin.

“This is water, right?”

“It is.”

“It is water, since holy water is essentially still water.”

“. . .”

When I quietly lowered the cup, Zen put it firmly in my hand again and said,

“Drink it. You can’t leave this place until you drink it all.”

Who are you to confine a person and feed her holy water?

I brought the rippling water to my lips while feeling hopeless.

Just a few moments ago, this was a water that soothed my stiff throat, but now, everytime I drank it, it made my anxiety and sorrow grow.

“The holy water isn’t the problem right now.”

I couldn’t believe that this holy water which they gave me two glasses of when even the priest who blessed it only drank it bit by bit wasn’t a problem.

What is the problem, then?

“The problem is someone attacked Marianne, and that attack was strong enough to make her faint in response.”

My mind became clearer after Rany’s words.

Come to think of it, the reason the locket became like that was clearly related to my headache and faintness.

“That Trevor guy, you said he fainted while letting out black blood, right?”

“I think he is the strongest one. He was in the same place and time with you, and he wounded you through something. Such a symptom will happen when the curse rebounded.”

I felt odd upon hearing Bertin’s explanation.

I understood the reason he thought him to be the culprit, but Trevor had no motivation to hurt me.

In the first place, what could an honor student like Trevor Beryl, who is praised by everyone get by hurting me who is literally invisible?

“I don’t get it.”

“But I get it.”

Rany plopped down next to me and murmured, pretending to be serious.

“In the world with the law of the jungle, it was a custom to attack the weakest first. Of course, Marianne isn’t weak, but because you looked weak, he got it wrong . . .”

“So you’re saying he attacked me first because I look easy to defeat?”

Rany smiled brightly.

“I mean, that is possible.”

“There are a lot of students there. What could he gain by eliminating me?”

“He might have another motive. Has he ever talked to you about a thing or such?”

Bertin’s question reminded me that our research subject was similar.

Zen who saw my hesitation slowly spinned his wrist.

I lost my words as he clenched and relaxed his fist as if he was picturing something.

“Forget it. We will get the answer when we torture him.”

“I told you he was transferred because he was sick. Where are you trying to go?”

Bertin answered my question kindly.

“I just need to track him. If it was a curse, I can estimate his location through this locket.”

Zen lowered down his voice and said coldly.

“After tracking him, I will screw him over and find out the important information.”

“That is a crime. What will you do if you get caught?”

Glancing at me, Zen added.

“I can even dispose of his corpse. A little interrogation is nothing.”

Did you learn magic just to do that?

Zen was a man of his word.

When I stared at Rany trying to ask her to stop him, she reached out her hand to Zen with a serious expression.

“Hey, call me after you beat him up. If there is an investigation, I’ll give you money for funds. I won’t say a word either.”

“. . .”

What a terrible conversation this is.

Bertin, whose eyes met mine, smiled like an angel and added.

“Call me if there’s any problem. I will perfectly cover the traces of magic and torture in the place you bury him with divine power.”

“. . .”

Don’t you feel sorry to God as a paladin who has gone through baptism?

I waited for my radical friends to calm down.

I was sure the aftermath of the curse was over, but my eyes, ears, and mind were tired.

Still, it was clear that this was not just a problem that I could keep alone.

“See? This world is too dangerous. We need a greater item than this for our Marianne to be safe.”

“Stop it.”

“I’ll make a lot of money and make you a far better protection device!”

“I said, stop it.”

I refuted with my eyes closed tight, but Rany didn’t seem to notice it.

The problem was that the other two boys were also looking at me with the same eyes as Rant.

“Because this world is a very dangerous place, I’ll present you with a better item.”?

I wanted to say that the most dangerous ones were those three.

“This time, it will be the ten sacred items of the continent for Marianne!”

Fatigue poured into me upon hearing my best friend’s voice.

I only wanted to go home.