novelraw Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66
What a vivid world this is, it feels strange.
Fel lay blankly on the roof, gazing up at the sky.
He had given up on regaining his sight.
Because there was nothing more meaningless than obsessing over something that could not be regained.
Actually, he hadn't been able to give up so easily.
When the orphan, who couldn't even get his name on the orphanage's list, was confined in a room, wearing soft silk clothes he thought he would never touch in his life.
Even as he shed tears, pounding on the door that would not open, and finally accepted a name he could not refuse, the only thing he could not easily give up was his sight.
The sense of loss from losing something he had taken for granted could not be easily filled even by the new power—holy power—that had saved him from near death.
After learning how to handle holy power and being able to distinguish things to some extent, his obsession with his sight grew even more severe.
'Just a little more… if I just do a little more, I might be able to get it back completely…!'
A faint but certain hope.
At that time, it was the only support for 'Ferdiel', who had even his name taken away.
However, the moment he had fully regained his original color and sight had turned into excruciating pain.
When he lost consciousness in the burning pain in his eyes and opened them again, his world was once again in darkness.
“You must not maintain your sight completely through holy power for more than one minute.”
“What happens if it's more than one minute?”
At the Pope's displeased question, the priest who had studied medicine answered with difficulty, his hands trembling.
“If it's more than one minute, the burden on the eyes increases, and if this is maintained for more than an hour, we must also consider the possibility of losing the eyeball itself.”
The Pope clicked his tongue in displeasure.
It was only natural. He thought he could finally erase the flaw in his product, but it all came to nothing.
“Even if I get used to recovering my sight?”
“The human body is fragile. Rather, the more you get used to it, the shorter the maintenance time must be.”
The rope he had grasped was rotten, and his hope was futile.
Accepting that was a difficult thing.
Perhaps if Tan hadn't kicked down the door and come in, would he have been left to rot in the room and then discarded?
“Ucha!”
A sound of exertion was heard, and someone slowly climbed up onto the roof.
Ferdiel, who had sat up, extended his hand.
“What brings a great magician to such a humble roof?”
“I thought you'd be here.”
“Huh?”
Even though he seemed to know something, Fel decided to pretend he didn't.
When Theo grabbed his hand, he pulled him up with force.
Theo, who had struggled to get onto the roof, caught his breath for a moment and then lay down on the roof as it was.
“It's warm and feels good here.”
“You'll get demerits if you're caught.”
“Is it okay for you to be here then?”
“As you know, things like dormitory demerits or Academy credits aren't important to me.”
At Fel's explanation, Theo nodded his head as if he understood.
Well, since he's here undercover anyway, Theo muttered quietly.
“Compared to that, you—”
“They won't say anything for a one-day deviation.”
“By the way, what's with the glasses?”
“For vision assistance.”
Fel slyly reached out and tapped the frame of his glasses.
It took quite a long time of contact to properly check the flow of mana in a person, but a brief touch was enough for an object.
A peculiar flow of mana could be felt from the glasses Theo was wearing.
“They don't seem to be just ordinary glasses.”
“Well, that's right.”
It was an ambiguous answer, but Fel decided not to pay it much mind.
This was someone who had restored the sight he thought he would never regain.
It wouldn't be strange if he had created vision-assisting glasses himself; rather, it felt only natural.
“So, your impression of the clearly visible sky?”
“The blue sky is beautiful, something like that?
I wasn't particularly moved.”
Even though he said that, his expression was all soft and mushy, as if he were quite sentimental.
When he had fully regained his sight, he had never had the leisure to stare blankly at the sky like this.
“It feels strange, too.”
“That doesn't sound like a bad thing.”
“How could it be bad?”
Hahaha, a slight smile lingered on the corners of Fel's mouth as he burst out laughing.
“It's as if a desire I had given up on has been fulfilled.”
“That's a relief.”
“But be careful. The moment I judge you to be a heretic, I will execute you immediately.”
At Ferdiel's bloodcurdling warning, he could only let out an awkward laugh.
I wish it were a light joke between friends, but looking at his smiling face, it was 100% sincere.
Theo, with a fed-up look, raised both hands as if surrendering and replied.
“Alright, I'll be careful.”
“Good thinking, young master.”
“…What's with the young master?”
At the unexpected title, Theo's expression crumpled wretchedly.
What kind of nonsense is he talking about.
“My own kind of title. Why, you don't like it?
You are a young master. A noble, of sorts.”
“No, it's not that you're wrong, but.”
It's extremely embarrassing.
Isn't the title 'young master' too cringey?
“I think it's a nickname that suits you well.
Though I won't deny that I want to tease you.”
“You admit it, then.”
“I suppose?”
Seeing him smile so cheerfully, I even felt a little dejected.
“Just call me whatever you want.”
It's not like anything will change if I say I don't like it anyway.
After accepting the truth, my heart feels a little empty.
Theo looked at Ferdiel with a dejected face.
“It's not withdrawal, but I plan to be away for a while.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I need to prepare to return to the Church.”
At Ferdiel's words, Theo's eyes widened.
That means… he's preparing for the Pope's downfall.
“Then, will we not be seeing each other from now on?”
“Why, are you sad?”
Theo immediately put on a serious face.
“No, it's not that I'm sad.”
A Heretic Inquisitor is not a good person to be involved with.
“You said you're returning, but not withdrawing.”
“I can just return and then go missing again.”
At Ferdiel's cheerful exclamation, I unconsciously slapped my forehead with my palm.
“It was getting difficult for Hartain to hold out anyway. This much was enough.”
At his leisurely words, Theo asked carefully.
“The Hartain you're talking about, is that the Tan who came that time?”
“Yes, Tan.”
“Still, it's an alias you're using to hide your identity, isn't it a bit half-hearted?”
Ferdiel's Fel, Hartain's Tan.
It might not be easy to connect them, but if you just piece together a few truths plausibly, you could figure it out at any time.
Theo muttered as if puzzled.
“Are you worried? There's no need for that.
It's rare for people to know the name of the missing Sword of Doctrine.”
Theo, who had pretended to know by using his nanny as an excuse, slyly avoided Ferdiel's eyes.
“But isn't Tan a little different?”
“Hartain's name is certainly well-known, but he's quite different when he's undercover versus his usual self.
Surprisingly, he doesn't get caught.”
When he's undercover, he's a guy who intentionally acts as lighthearted as possible.
Usually, people would think, 'Their names are similar?', but when they see the foolishly smiling 'Tan', they would think, 'There's no way a kid like that is a Heretic Inquisitor…'.
“Besides, perception-distorting magic is a basic, you know. His face is blurry too, so it's hard to make a connection with just the name.”
“I see.”
After Theo's agreement, an awkward silence flowed between the two.
“Ah, want some beef jerky?”
Theo broke the silence first.
“Why beef jerky?”
“I bought it in Riedenfeld.”
Fel received the beef jerky, heavily coated in a bright red sauce, that Theo handed him.
When he took a cautious bite, a rich meaty aroma was felt.
As he chewed the jerky silently with an indifferent expression, the repeating rhythm of 'kudeuk, jilgeong' filled the silence.
“It's not bad.”
“I bought a lot, want some?”
“If you're giving it, I won't refuse.”
At Fel's answer, Theo promptly handed over a large amount of beef jerky as if passing it on.
“They gave me a lot since I go there often.”
Theo, who had smirked, got up and carefully climbed down from the roof.
“Well then, see you later!”
Theo, who had waved like a fluttering butterfly, left in a flash.
Fel, who wasn't particularly fond of it but had received a handful of beef jerky, looked at it blankly and then got up.
“Then I guess I should start moving too.”
Ferdiel looked up at the sky once more.
The sky was truly beautiful.
* * *
“Here, this is all your beef jerky.”
I offered the beef jerky that was left over in a large pile even after sharing with Fel to Albedo.
《All of this?!》
His tail moved frantically like a propeller.
It was to the point where I wondered if he would fly up into the sky.
“Hey, anyone who sees this would think I'm starving you.”
On the contrary, I diligently bring and offer things that an ordinary lizard wouldn't even eat!
What master in this world would share steak and chicken skewers with a lizard?
《Isn't it that you just share it whenever you feel like it.》
Albedo grumbled.
“Hoh? So you have a complaint about sharing?”
《No! That's not what I meant!》
Albedo hurriedly corrected himself.
Right, if he had affirmed it here, I was planning on never sharing with him again.
Leaving behind Albedo, who was grumbling that I was cheap but still holding the beef jerky with both hands and tearing into it with gusto, I headed to the hideout.
Wearing the glasses, gazes followed me the whole way to the hideout.
What is it, do the glasses not suit me that much? Should I have asked Fel?
The gazes were bothering me, so I quickened my pace and ended up quite out of breath.
Aww, what a hassle this is.
“You're— what's with the glasses all of a sudden?”
“Do they not suit me that much?”
At Lerwon-sunbae's question, I asked after catching my breath for a good while.
Since I resemble my father and don't have an ugly face, they should suit me to some extent.
“It's more of a bewilderment when encountering something unexpected.”
Is that so?
“What would you think if the master of Golden suddenly appeared wearing glasses?”
“Heok, what's that. That's X-na scary.”
It feels like he's up to something.
No, I'd bet my wrist that there's a 200% chance he's up to something.
“See.”
Is that so? No, wait a minute—
“Is my image really that bad?”
Zephyros grumbled as if in disbelief.
“Put your hand on your heart and think about it.”
After being possessed, I thought back on my actions so far, which would amount to about 60 chapters in novel terms.
Um, um… ha, hahaha.
“That's not important.”
“…Conscience.”
“Did you contribute anything to my conscience?!”
I am wronged!
It's just that I somehow ended up with a contract with a primeval demon! And I just paid back the master of Golden in kind after getting slapped in the back of the head!!
“So what's with the glasses all of a sudden?”
I didn't really want to tell my friend who was treating me like a villain, but I have no choice.
I explained what had happened with Ferdiel so far.
Of course, I conveniently left out the fact that I had coughed up blood in the process of restoring his sight.
It's definitely not that I hid the fact that I vomited blood because I thought they would be overprotective if they found out!!
“Hey, do you know you could have been branded a heretic if you messed up?”
“I know, I know.”
But, I had my own kind of certainty.
A certainty that Fel wouldn't accuse me of heresy, at least for restoring his sight.
“Because Fel is a fundamentally good person.”
No matter how much one resolves to become a human who is neither evil nor good, it is difficult for a human's fundamental nature to be twisted.
Above all, at Fel's foundation lies the kindness and love of a certain female priest who looked after him.
Fel was a human who couldn't become evil even if he tried.
“Still, it was reckless.”
“This is a stock that's about to skyrocket!”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
At Zephyros's roar, I slyly shed a fake tear.
It's a foolish thing not to buy a stock that's only going to rise in the future.
“All you talk about is nonsense like skyrocketing and stocks.”
“…There are no stocks in this world?”
“What's that?”
Zephyros's brow furrowed like a lightning strike.
“Ah, there are no stocks?”
To think that there's no such thing as stocks in a world that's an ambiguous mix of fantasy and the Middle Ages.
Well, they did say that stocks aren't something to be taken lightly.
Even Newton failed at stocks, after all.
“Just don't mind it.”
“You say some really strange things sometimes.”
“That's my charm.”
At my shameless words, Zephyros finally threw a sofa cushion at me. I dodged the cushion that was flying right at me and picked it up.
Hoh, you want to fight first, is that it?
I don't refuse a fight that's brought to me!
“Die!!”
I'll show you the skills of me, who was once called the slaughterer of the dormitory!!