Chapter 105
“The curse that was on you has already been lifted.”
……What did you say?
Heros was rarely flustered. He was staring down at Daphne with his eyes wide open, forgetting even to question back.
But Daphne was calm.
No, she even had an expression as if she had been waiting for this situation.
After inheriting the memories of the World Tree from elf Teiti, the first thought Daphne had was exactly this. ‘Then what happened to the warrior’s curse?’
In fact, when it was said that he had received a curse that intensifies the loss of emotions, Daphne had been a bit puzzled.
Does such a curse even exist? If that curse were true, Heros should have become a much more cold-hearted and selfish person than now. But although he was indifferent, he knew how to care for those around him, and though he was quiet, it was ambiguous to treat him like trash.
Then there was only one answer.
It meant that Heros’s curse was derived because the original Daphne was a lump of curses.
Reflecting on the Heros she had seen since entering this body, this was the correct answer. His way of expressing was clumsy and timid, but Heros was not a human like a wooden stone without emotions at all.
Anyway, Daphne had grounds and was convinced like that, but Heros, who did not know this circumstance, was not. Who could believe if someone said, ‘The curse that has tormented me for years is ta-da, now lifted!’? Moreover, said by such a young child. He shook his head.
“How can you be sure of that?”
“Because the warrior you smiles when looking at me.”
“……I smile?”
Looking at the dumbfounded Heros, Daphne nodded.
“The day you promised not to abandon me.”
“…….”
“You smiled while looking at me.”
Heros traced back his memory.
Did I smile? Did a smile come out? Looking at Daphne, not getting inexplicably angry and feeling disgust…… Did I have a genuine heart?
“Think back. Whether you were really the same as before when looking at me and the other children.”
No.
At some point, Daphne started to look different, and because of that, he began to care about Arius, greeted Vifera, and unnecessarily talked to Rache.
Is all this really because the curse was lifted. Without me knowing?
Heros was confused.
“How about letting go now.”
Daphne briefly pitied him as she looked at such a him.
“Because if you hold onto guilt for too long, it turns into obsession.”
“…….”
Heros could not bring himself to answer.
He was silent.
For a very long time.
***
It has been nearly a week since moving the training location to the grand duke’s villa.
During that time, the children adapted quickly.
Instead of feeling wronged looking at the blocked annex gate, they reinforced the tents. Instead of getting angry smelling the mouth-watering food scents, they started cooking with the gathered ingredients.
As expected, humans are animals of adaptation.
“Is tomorrow the test day?”
Rache muttered.
“The last test ended vaguely…… This time, it seems like we’ll have a proper test.”
Morris continued to answer. While doing so, he pondered what this test would be, but nothing came to mind. Entering the mountain again? Or something else?
“No matter what it is, isn’t first place already decided?”
Cilia said with a smirk. At that, Morris and Rache’s expressions crumpled, but they could not immediately retort. Because the thought of beating ‘that’ Daphne did not easily come to mind.
Most of the trainees at the academy are between 10 and 12 years old. But Daphne is only 5 years old, not even half of that. Daphne contributed the most to lowering the average age of the trainees.
So, even until just when they first entered the academy, the children thought that no matter how bitchy and dirty Daphne’s personality was, or even if the rumors were true that she had real skills, they would take the upper hand.
5 years old and 12 years old. The difference is enormous.
But to be honest, there was no real difference, and rather, they were often desperately struggling, afraid of being caught up by the young Daphne.
“I wonder what it’ll be like when she’s around our age.”
“She’ll be insanely strong.”
“Ah, jealous. Is that what talent is.”
As the children continued talking like wishing they were born like Daphne, or that they would have no regrets if they could use such power, Cilia slyly added a word among them.
“But isn’t Daphne’s body weak?”
Since it was Cilia, who knew as much as a capital information broker, the children immediately focused.
“Huh, wasn’t Daphne cured?”
“No. During the black magic terror last time? She vomited blood and collapsed while blocking it. Didn’t she do the same this time?”
“Wow, I didn’t know a person’s body could bleed that much.”
“Normally, you’d die from that.”
The surroundings became quiet at Joshua’s abrupt mutter. The children’s gazes gathered in one place.
“……Is Daphne dying?”
“Dying?”
“She’s dying?”
Joshua was rarely flustered looking at the children with eyes sparkling as if pouncing.
“Ah, no. I mean she could die. But Daphne is special, so she probably won’t die. Don’t worry.”
But in the children’s minds, the words ‘Daphne could die’ had already been imprinted like a formula.
“Now that I think about it, her face is no joke.”
“For a kid, she’s skin and bones.”
“Always dark circles under her eyes… That’s cute in its way, but she did look sick.”
Into the ping-pong conversation, someone slyly interjected.
“I heard something from my father.”
Mark Brown.
The second son of the Brown ducal family and the guy who had been completely crushed after being beaten by Daphne three times.
He opened his mouth again.
“What…… Terminal illness? Something like that. He said she doesn’t have much time left to live.”
As soon as his words ended, the children’s eyes lit up brightly. The children were shocked as if hearing something they shouldn’t have, and immediately pounced on Mark.
“Really? He really said that?”
“What does not much time left mean? How long can she live?”
“Uh…… Anyway, father said so. Father doesn’t lie.”
“…….”
Surprisingly, the one who regained composure first from this shocking fact was Teppy.
Teppy, who stood up abruptly, ran to Daphne who was training far away.
“Hey! Daphne! Daphnee!”
Daphne, who was practicing the second form of the Galaxy Sword learned from Heros, indifferently raised her head.
“What. Why.”
“Huff, huff…….”
Teppy was out of breath from suddenly running, but still held onto his senses. He grabbed both of Daphne’s shoulders.
“Are you dying?! Really dying? You’re dying?”
Daphne narrowed her brows.
I don’t know what she’s talking about. Is it about the finiteness of human life. Then there was only one thing to answer.
“Well, (someday) I’ll die, right?”
Since living in a human body means dying someday, there was no choice but to answer that she’ll die someday.
“Th-then, isn’t this not the time to be doing this? Y-you should lie down and rest?”
“Hmm? Does lying down make lifespan longer?”
“Th-that’s not it, but……!”
Daphne, who didn’t catch on even looking at Teppy’s pale face, indifferently muttered.
“Even if (someday) I die, I shouldn’t have regrets, right. So you guys snap out of it and focus on training.”
“…….”
Teppy’s mouth gaped open. Not only Teppy, but the other children as well.
They had not forgotten that Daphne threw her body to save them. And right after, vomiting blood and collapsing.
Saying our lives are so precious,
But saying her own life is nothing?
Why?
Why on earth?
“You really……!”
It was right when Teppy, with tears welling up in grief, was about to yell loudly.
“Everyone focus!”
Kenrick clapped his hands to focus the children. He shouted loudly while looking down at the children with his hands behind his back.
“A guest has arrived! Trainee Teppy! Come forward!”
Teppy turned back in that teary-eyed state. As soon as he did, he discovered an unexpected person.
“Ah, father?”
It was none other than the Imperial Count.
The count smiled brightly as soon as he saw Teppy and spread his arms wide. Teppy walked toward him absentmindedly.
“Teppy! My son! Let me see, it’s been a while. But why is your face so ruined? Huh? Did you eat wrong or sleep wrong? Or did someone bully you?”
The count was always an affectionate father to him. Facing this affection after a long time, he felt aggrieved, and also worried about Daphne. So Teppy, whose emotions were heightened, unknowingly let tears roll down.
“Cr-crying?! My son is crying?!”
The count shouted in surprise.
The reason for visiting the academy was only one. To see how well my son Teppy is doing!
But Teppy burst into tears as soon as he saw him. Why? Is something wrong?
As a count who flips his eyes when it comes to his child, he quickly found a target for blame.
“Daphne Akion!”
It was naturally Daphne standing in the direction where Teppy was.
“This damn rascal dares to my son……!”
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