novelraw Chapter 190 : Chapter 190
Chapter 190 : Chapter 190
Chapter 190: Jis, the Cursed (1)
I slept as usual.
But I was the first to wake. The children slept deeply, and the adults were thoroughly drunk.
Ellen had been swept up in the mood and was sleeping in the same room as Alena.
Harad stepped outside.
Calling it a house would be generous—it was closer to a temporary shelter, little more than walls and a roof.
What greeted him upon exiting was his Embers.
It looked like a house-sized bonfire, and the temporary dwellings had been built around it. The rebuilt village would be the same.
The unsightly craters had all been filled in.
It was the skill—and magic—of Mokolin the architect. In this way, the village’s mages were either useful, or powerful.
Harad was not the earliest riser.
As he slowly circled the Embers, he saw Manoa standing on the opposite side, gazing at them in silence.
“You are already awake?”
Ellen had poured quite a lot of alcohol into her last night.
“I do not sleep much.”
“As expected.”
“…It is not because I am old.”
“I was not thinking that.”
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Manoa cleared her throat and changed the subject.
“Are you leaving today?”
“That is the plan.”
Once the tunnel was connected, the village would finally be safe.
Because it would then be tied to the deterrent called Grand Duke Aratus.
“Do you truly believe Serzila will act for the sake of this village?”
Manoa spoke.
She had agreed with Harad’s plan, but some unease still remained. Naturally so—the core of the village consisted of those who had fled the continent.
“Trust Ellen, not Serzila.”
“…”
“Serzila bends immediately when it comes to Ellen.”
Manoa nodded.
Yet the unease had not completely faded.
“And trust me as well.”
“…Are you not saying I should trust the Serzila that accepted you?”
“No. I am saying you should trust the dream you saw of me.”
Harad recalled the dream Manoa had shown him.
At the time, she had thought it nonsense.
“It was not nonsense. It was my dream.”
He wanted Serzila to become like this village.
And beyond that, the continent as well.
“They say dreams come true.”
“…”
“I will make it so.”
Harad saw no reason it could not be done.
Elaine of his past life had been full of ambition, and Ellen wanted him to act as he pleased.
“I will believe you.”
Manoa nodded while staring at the Embers.
“After all, this village cannot defy your will.”
These great Embers belonged to Harad.
The lives of the villagers were, in effect, in his hands.
“Is that a threat?”
“Does it work?”
“It does.”
Harad had no intention of letting go of the village.
“Then that is sufficient.”
Manoa looked satisfied.
“I look forward to our next meeting.”
“I will return as soon as possible. You will be aging by then, after all.”
“….”
Manoa’s eyebrow twitched.
“Ah. And one more thing.”
Harad asked casually,
“You said the Moon has a short lifespan. Does it end as Asura?”
“What is Asura?”
“Mages of the Moon who lost their fire and were devoured by their Origin.”
Asura was a name Harad had coined himself.
He went on to explain the existence.
“…What?”
Manoa frowned deeply.
It was clearly the first time she had heard of it.
***
“Take care.”
“We will. Take care, Alena.”
The farewell was brief.
Because they would meet again.
Still, Ellen’s steps were heavy.
So were Harad’s. Not because Balbebron was crying, nor because he felt wistful like Ellen. Harad was simply accustomed to partings.
‘She does not know about Asura.’
Not the name.
The existence itself—Manoa had not known.
‘A mage who was once at the core of the Moon Tower.’
Which meant it had not existed until at least three hundred years ago.
Mages whose Origins were tied to the Moon.
They required the sun. Without it, they either died, or their vessel shattered and they became Asura.
That, Harad believed, was the fate of the Moon Tower.
And the reason it had remained unknown in his past life.
‘There is more I do not know.’
The emergence of Asura was a relatively recent phenomenon.
Which meant changes had occurred within the Moon Tower.
‘And I am likely part of those changes.’
The Moon was the one that had spewed the prophecy.
Yet it was not trying to fulfill it.
That must have been the will of the present—or recent—Moon.
Harad sensed that Grand Duke Aratus was also part of that change.
‘What are they thinking?’
Both the Moon, and Grand Duke Aratus.
For the first time in a while, Harad craved alcohol.
Not alone—he wanted to drink with Grand Duke Aratus. If he got drunk, might he not say something?
‘Does he even get drunk?’
Even Ellen did not.
The area of bushes replaced the forest.
It was where Manoa’s dream had manifested. That manifestation would remain for some time. Until the tunnel was dug, it would hold easily.
At the boundary where the dream ended, Harad cast aside his worries. He needed to think about what he had gained.
‘I killed Kandenkel.’
The death of the Tower Master of Meteoric Iron.
It was the greatest achievement since regressing—one of the most worthwhile gains of all.
‘The Tower will not collapse, but…’
It would be shaken badly.
The Tower of Meteoric Iron had lost its King and dozens of mages. The bleeding was severe.
Harad thought of Kalinos, the Commander of the 3rd Knights.
In his past life, the man had died; in this one, he had become a Sword Master—that sly knight.
‘The Otherworld grows weaker, and Serzila grows stronger.’
The gap was closing rapidly.
‘Already two.’
Meteorite and Glacier.
Two of the 6th Rank figures from his past life were gone.
No—Glacier had been taken instead.
Duke was a future major force. Time might be limited, but still.
Considering the point in the timeline, the results were excessive.
Harad waved his hand.
At that gesture, flames surged from the cloud-soft ground. The one-eyed Magical Beasts hopping about melted instantly.
Even this scene felt like an excessive gain.
“Is that not overkill?”
Ellen frowned as she looked at the flames.
Compared to the one-eyed beasts, the magic seemed excessive.
“It is exactly the right level.”
The one-eyed beasts were 3rd Rank Magical Beasts.
So was the flame Harad had produced.
Ellen placed her hand over the fire, her eyes widening.
“It is real?”
It felt as intense as a rising sun, yet the actual firepower was only at the 3rd Rank.
“Did I not tell you yesterday?”
During the festival, Harad had explained to Ellen what had happened in his mindscape.
She had looked shocked, but it seemed she had not fully grasped it.
“All of my fire is like this now.”
It was the realization he had gained upon reaching the 5th Rank.
Whenever fire was raised, anyone who saw it would associate it with the sun.
That was the realm of Harad’s 5th Rank after regression.
It differed from his past life.
“Even if the fire is weak, the enemy has no choice but to be wary.”
Until now, he had deceived others by pretending his fire was not the sun.
Now, he had to deceive them by always appearing strong—as the sun.
“…Does that not mean you are saying it should be strong even when it is weak?”
Strong, without pretending to be weak.
Harad nodded at Ellen’s interpretation.
“That makes more sense.”
Come to think of it, the King of the past had wanted simplicity.
Perhaps Ellen’s simple words were the correct answer.
“Well. The reality is me, after all.”
An Origin was a tool. The past King had said that as well.
How to use that tool was Harad’s choice. He had already realized this—there was no turning back.
“So you are really a 5th Rank now?”
“That is right.”
Ellen looked as happy as if it were her own achievement.
Harad smiled with her.
“Then what about manifestation?”
“Hm?”
“You will not get hurt if you manifest now, right?”
“I will.”
Harad answered immediately.
In his past life, he had climbed the wrong staircase.
Now, he was climbing the same staircase as the past King.
But the position of manifestation itself was not that different.
It revealed the Origin to the world.
No matter the method, the Origin was the same.
“I am still lacking.”
So it was not an issue of the staircase, but of Harad himself.
The capacity of his vessel had not yet reached manifestation.
“But I do not need to extract my heart anymore.”
Now, manifestation would only cause somewhat severe aftereffects.
Ellen’s eyes narrowed.
She clearly disliked the idea that he would still be injured.
“Then just get hurt a little.”
She did not tell him not to get hurt.
“Not never getting hurt?”
“That is impossible.”
Ellen’s worry had become realistic.
“I know how things are.”
Once one wandered the Boundary and opposed the Otherworld, never being hurt was impossible.
“So just get hurt a little. Only until I can protect you.”
It was both a plea and a declaration.
“I will look forward to it.”
Harad smiled broadly.
This relationship, too, was an excessive gain.
Blushing, Ellen suddenly turned her gaze away.
At the end of her line of sight was a shadow dancing faintly in delight.
“How long are you going to keep following us like that?”
…That shadow too.
Jis was a gain as well.
“You. You are a star.”
Ellen said, pointing at Harad.
“Yeah. I heard yesterday.”
Sun and star.
Last night, Jis had learned the concept as thoroughly as Harad himself understood it.
Jis liked his identity as a star.
It gave him a legitimate reason to stay by Harad’s side.
“I will work hard.”
The shadow clenched like a fist.
-Beep!
Fireball perched atop the gathered shadow.
“I like Fireball too.”
-Beep!
Wing and shadow clapped together like hands.
In a way, Fireball and Jis were in similar positions.
The stronger Harad became, the deeper both Fireball and Jis’s shadow grew.
“Jis.”
Watching the two cooperate, Harad suddenly spoke.
“If I told you to die, would you?”
If necessary, Fireball would die.
“No.”
Jis answered immediately.
Beeeeep! Fireball shrieked as if in shock and leapt away from the shadow.
“Good.”
Harad smiled brightly.
“What is good about that?”
“Having your own will. I prefer people to dolls.”
Fireball’s blind obedience came from being born of Harad.
Jis was different.
He was a person.
“If you had said you would die, I would have been uncomfortable. It would have been hard to trust you.”
Jis’s Origin—Shadow—had been born only because the sun existed.
Strictly speaking, Jis had been forced into the fate of a star.
“But I really like you, Harad. I mean it.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
“I like Fireball too. And Ellen next.”
Jis smiled innocently, as if this fate was not so bad.
“Why am I third?”
Ellen protested.
“…Because I am a star. It cannot be helped.”
The shadow dove into the ground as if hiding.
***
Harad and Ellen retraced the path they had come.
It was dangerous, but without variables, not truly so.
At least, not at their level.
And it became even safer.
Thanks to Jis.
“If it seems dangerous, hide like this.”
Jis invited Harad, Ellen, and Fireball into his shadow.
Inside, it was wider and cozier than expected.
“You can even sleep.”
Shadows of differing saturation writhed within, forming the shape of a bed. When they lay down, it was soft.
Looking up, instead of a ceiling, they saw scenery.
It was like looking at the sky from the ground. The shadow holding them was on the surface.
“This is how I usually move.”
The scenery on the ceiling flowed.
The shadow itself was moving.
“What about speed?”
“It depends on how much magic power I give it.”
At its fastest, it could move as fast as a horse.
“Amazing.”
Harad was genuinely impressed.
Jis’s shadow had tremendous versatility. It could move people and objects, was stealthy, and capable in combat.
‘It has physical force, can erase things, and does everything. It is practically universal.’
Harad recalled Jis strangling Wimar, and the sight of him devouring Kandenkel’s meteorite.
“What are its weaknesses?”
“I do not like darkness.”
Jis disliked darkness.
It felt similar to how Harad and Duke were weak to heat and cold, respectively.
“But if it is too bright, I get weaker.”
A classic weakness associated with shadows.
Origins were vague, yet simple.
“My fire is an exception, then.”
“Yeah. That is why I like it.”
Brightness was good, yet being too bright weakened him.
The shadow grinned broadly.
Yes—it was a shadow. Even within the same shadow, Jis was hiding inside another.
“I am not normally this strong.”
Jis mentioned Kandenkel’s meteorite.
He would not have been able to stop it under normal circumstances.
Which meant he became stronger beside Harad.
That was the nature of a star.
“I am even worse at attacking.”
Stealth and evasion were his strengths, but offense was not. That was the nature of Shadow.
“But manifestation is my advantage.”
Harad knew that he was manifesting even now.
Using shadows as magic was simple sorcery, but entering them—himself or others—was the domain of manifestation.
“Is it not exhausting?”
“I am fine. I can do this for days.”
Days of manifestation without issue.
“Beside you, Harad, I think I could manage half a month.”
Harad was reminded anew that Jis was a 5th Rank mage.
The nature of Shadow mattered, but Jis’s own capability could not be ignored.
“Listen carefully, Jis. You must not kill people.”
A 5th Rank mage was receiving basic instruction.
Because Jis would soon become a resident of Serzila.
“But people kill people.”
“We do not eat.”
“You do not eat them, but you still kill them?”
“……”
It was a perfect retort.
Harad was quietly impressed. Ellen looked stern as Jis hastily added,
“I only kill mages who are prepared to die.”
Meaning, mages who had practiced Predation.
Jis was a mage with firmly established convictions.
“But I killed the mages who targeted you and Ellen.”
“When?”
“When you were heading to Serzila.”
Jis explained what had happened then.
The Liberation Tower’s rebellious faction had been tailing them.
‘So that is why it was quiet.’
Harad laughed hollowly, recalling his suspicion at the time.
Jis had been watching their backs.
“Those ones can be killed.”
“Okay.”
“And the Otherworld.”
“Okay.”
“For the rest, get Harad’s permission.”
“Okay.”
The education was proceeding smoothly.
Jis might seem naïve, but as a mage, he was excellent.
“In Serzila, you are forbidden from traveling as a shadow.”
“…I will try.”
That was where the lesson stalled.
It was Jis’s first negative response.
“Not try. You have to. You cannot go around advertising that you are a mage.”
“…”
“You are doing it right now.”
Ellen pointed at Jis hiding within a shadow inside a shadow.
He looked like a pitch-black doll without facial features.
“Come out. You talk while looking people in the eyes.”
Ellen spoke like an old-fashioned scolder, teaching a child.
“I am looking.”
“I cannot see you.”
Eyes appeared on the pitch-black doll.
“Tsk.”
At Ellen’s glare, the eyes flinched.
The shadow split in two, and Jis peeked out.
He was a gaunt man.
No—gaunt was an understatement. He was skin and bones.
‘He looks like a skeleton.’
It was hard to believe a human could be that thin.
The dark circles under his eyes were severe.
Even Arika, who had once been overworked, did not compare.
It looked as though he had never slept.
“…I do not like this appearance.”
Jis was embarrassed.
He tried to hide his skeletal body with his arms.
“What is wrong? We have seen it before.”
As Ellen said, they had seen him several times already.
“It did not matter then.”
But it was obvious that Jis wanted to avoid Harad’s and Ellen’s gazes now.
“But now we are friends. Harad, Ellen, Fireball, the village.”
“Then why avoid us?”
“I do not want my friends to remember me like this.”
Jis made a miserable face.
“This is not me.”
He crouched down and curled into himself like a pill bug.
“It is a curse.”
Only then did Harad recall how Jis had introduced himself.
“Jis, the cursed.”