Ch.72Reflecting (3)

# Ruide was lying at Dellin’s Lake.

Though he should feel at ease coming here after so long, his mood was foul.

“I wish I could just fall asleep forever…”

He rolled over onto his side.

His head was a mess.

His family was watching him like hawks, trying to rehabilitate him, and the story had become so twisted that he would have to personally step in when the villain appeared.

He had tried to find a purpose and live with enthusiasm, but even that effort left him in a groggy state after just one day.

…It seemed his personality wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing. Ruide realized his efficiency was terribly poor.

‘Where did it all go wrong?’

It was a total disaster.

Ruide had no idea where to even begin fixing things. He didn’t even want to think about it because it was too bothersome.

Should he just sleep for 10 years?

‘That wouldn’t be so bad.’

Then his allowance ban would be lifted, and the original novel would be gone forever.

It meant giving up the minimum dignity one should maintain as a human being. But giving up is always the easier option.

Ruide decided to become an inanimate object and closed his eyes.

**

Damon Kairos was searching through the ruins of the exploded main building.

Though he normally hated getting even a speck of dust on himself, he was turning over debris with his bare hands. His clothes and face were covered in dirt, but he paid no attention to it.

“Prince Damon, how many days has it been?”

“I heard he’s been like that for two days straight without sleeping.”

“Why is he doing that…?”

“Who knows.”

As they said, Damon had been awake for nearly 70 hours.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t feel fatigue. But he was focused on his task. Regardless of what others said, Damon was someone who forged his own path.

“…Found it.”

Damon, who had appeared to be mindlessly searching through the building, discovered a fragment and picked it up.

This was probably the medium used by the despicable black mage to place the barrier on the building.

He could feel an unpleasant energy from it.

“So this small thing was used to create such a barrier.”

Damon stroked his chin.

The black fragment was small.

Though the energy it emitted was quite powerful, judging by the unnatural cutting surface, it was likely just a piece cut from a larger whole.

‘Quite a skilled black mage. The barrier was deliberately made weak.’

The stronger the value of the medium, the stronger the barrier that could be created.

Yet the fact that such a small fragment was used led to one conclusion.

The level was considered. ‘Someone’s.’

“Those vulgar creatures who know nothing of honor wouldn’t have cared about lives. There must have been some purpose behind this.”

Damon put the fragment in his pocket. Standing on the pile of building debris, he thought.

No one moves without purpose. While Damon fundamentally viewed black mages as nothing more than “insects,” he didn’t underestimate those insects.

Damon boldly eliminated many of the possibilities that came to mind.

That left only a few options. Among them, he voiced the most plausible one.

“Someone wanted someone to pass through this trial. It’s clear that it wasn’t meant for me. It was meant for someone weaker, more pathetic.”

But why would the black mage want someone to pass through the trial?

At first, he thought Ruide had lowered the power.

But now that he’d found the medium, he could be certain. Ruide hadn’t tampered with the barrier.

Damon began to work backward based on the information he had gathered so far. What decision would he have made if he were Ruide?

“…Indeed, blowing it up was the best option. When it’s unclear what the enemy wants, making a complete mess of things is the rational decision.”

Ruide had caught the black mage who designed this barrier and completely obliterated the “stage” the black mage had prepared.

In other words, when the opponent made an unpredictable move on the chessboard, he unhesitatingly flipped the entire board.

While not particularly honorable, it was the most excellent method when considering only the objective.

If the board is set up wrong, shouldn’t you get rid of the board first?

…Still, he didn’t like that approach.

Damon put the fragment in his pocket and started walking.

“Ah, you’re still at it?”

He ran into Hersy, who was busily moving around with books in hand.

Damon got straight to the point.

“Where is Ruide?”

When Hersy heard Ruide’s name, she opened her eyes drowsily. She pointed toward Dellin’s Lake.

“…Ruide is reflecting. Over there, at Dellin’s Lake.”

“Reflecting?”

Damon made a contemptuous expression.

“Does he seem like the type to reflect?”

“…What?”

“There was nothing wrong from the beginning. He’s probably just finding it amusing that someone is scolding him.”

“What do you mean…?”

“He’s playing. Like a child.”

Hersy was dumbfounded.

“What?”

“But this time, it seems it’s time for him to wake up from his childish game.”

Damon put his hands in his pockets and walked away with heavy steps.

Hersy stared at his back for a while and muttered.

“…There’s dirt on his butt.”

**

Damon walked through the devastated Dellin’s Forest.

Traces of Amelia’s battle were everywhere.

‘So this is the Windsor swordsmanship. Quite destructive.’

He could tell just from the traces. How gallant Amelia’s swordsmanship was.

There was no hesitation in her sword strikes, and she seemed confident in her skills.

He walked while calmly appreciating the scene. At the end was the vast Dellin’s Lake.

Ruide wasn’t hard to find. Right in front, he was curled up on his side.

Damon’s eyebrows twitched.

“What are you doing?”

“Playing inanimate object.”

The flame of life in Ruide’s eyes was gradually fading.

“I heard you were reflecting. Is that what reflection looks like?”

“I’ve been moving around too much lately and used up all my life energy.”

“Life energy? Your mana is normal.”

“An inanimate object can’t answer questions. Because, well, it’s inanimate.”

Damon closed his eyes, feeling the limits of his patience.

“Get up. I have something to talk about.”

“An inanimate object can’t get up…”

Wrinkles formed between Damon’s brows.

He summoned a spear and thrust it toward Ruide’s face.

Pachijiji-!

Damon’s spear was blocked by Ruide’s powerful barrier. Sparks flew.

“Ah, aah.”

Ruide covered his eyes with his hands.

“It’s too bright, stop it…”

“Get up.”

“Stop tormenting me, you rogue prince.”

“I absolutely detest wasting time.”

Damon put away his spear and forcibly grabbed Ruide’s shoulder to lift him up.

“Everything I do must have meaning. Every small gesture, every breath.”

Ruide, drowsy from being woken up, rubbed his eyes and said:

“What an exhausting way to live.”

“That’s how it’s been until now. Before you did that ridiculous thing—”

Damon finished his sentence and let go of his hand.

Ruide, with no strength in his body, collapsed forward.

Damon took the fragment out of his pocket.

He threw it right in front of Ruide. Ruide only followed it with his eyes.

“This is the medium used by the black mage. As you can see, it’s small.”

“So it is.”

“You flipped the chessboard. The enemy will have to prepare another move. But that’s not enough. That doesn’t make my time meaningfully spent.”

Ruide sighed.

“…So? What are you trying to say? I’m sorry about last time. I’m reflecting.”

“You solve it.”

Ruide looked at Damon with an expression of disgust.

But because he knew he had done something wrong, he turned his head slightly and made excuses.

“An inanimate object can’t…”

“Enough with this pathetic act.”

Damon’s words fell heavily.

“…”

“I mean stop playing like a child. I would normally acknowledge it, but this is different.”

“…I am a child. I’m 12.”

Damon gripped his spear tightly, emitting strong killing intent.

-Kwadeuk.

The ground caved in under his violent mana.

Unlike earlier when he had thrust the spear playfully, this time he was serious.

Seeing his clearly sincere attitude, Ruide’s carefree expression gradually hardened.

Soon he stared at Damon with a cold expression.

“Don’t cross the line.”

Ruide spoke in a low voice.

But Damon did not withdraw his aura.

Twitch.

Ruide’s brow moved slightly.

Ruide slowly got up.

“I don’t understand why you keep provoking me.”

Ruide’s blue eyes sank deeply. He was angrier than ever before.

“I was trying to let it go. What are you all so dissatisfied with?”

Kugugugu-

Mana responded to Ruide’s emotions, fluctuating ferociously.

Ruide’s golden hair fluttered, and his blue eyes flashed like light.

“Oh? Finally showing your true self, lazy Ruide.”

Damon licked his lips. He pulled back his spear and took a fighting stance.

But the back of his neck was wet with cold sweat.

‘He’s been hiding such power well. No, perhaps he wasn’t hiding it. He just never had a reason to use it.’

Suppressing his instinctive fear, he said:

“I’ve always wanted to compete with you. It seems now is the time.”

“You won’t gain anything from this.”

Ruide said indifferently.

“I will. Seeing your true self. That is time well spent.”

“…We’re not communicating.”

“Really? Of all the versions of you I’ve seen, this one seems the most reasonable.”

Ruide narrowed his eyes.

“Final warning. Withdraw your killing intent, Damon.”

Damon did not withdraw his killing intent.

Instead, he aggressively intensified his aura, gripped his spear, and lowered his stance to take a fighting position.

Ruide nodded as if understanding and stretched out his hand.

“I warned you.”

“Too much talk. Come.”

“…I’m sorry, but you’re no match for me.”

“That’s- something we’ll have to find out.”

“How foolish.”

Ruide clenched his fist.

At that moment.

Piiiiiii——

A ringing sound filled Damon’s ears.

Dozens of colorful spheres of light filled the air.

“—!”

There were too many to eliminate with his spear.

‘With this, I won’t die.’

Damon instantly changed his strategy and threw his spear at Ruide with all his might.

Kwagwang!

The spheres of light exploded one after another.

Damon’s spear pierced through them, heading straight for Ruide’s forehead.

The spear stopped right in front of Ruide. Ruide looked at Damon with an indifferent expression.

Damon was in tatters, barely able to stand.

But it wasn’t from the aftermath of the elemental explosion Ruide had used.

“…What magic was that?”

“Causal reversal. I simply returned the result of your spear hitting directly back to you. In other words, you just took the damage from your own magic.”

Blood trickled from the corner of Damon’s mouth.

“Good magic.”

Damon smiled faintly and closed his eyes. His head dropped.

“…”

He had fainted while standing.

His determination to never kneel on the ground, no matter what, made this possible.

**

Imperial Academy infirmary.

Damon was lying in the hospital bed, and Ruide was reading a book in front of him.

Ruide wasn’t in a good mood.

“…How is he?”

“That’s the fifth time you’ve asked. Stop asking.”

Lydia said with an expressionless face.

“He’s not waking up.”

“You’re the one who put him in this state, and you know it. My future husband is indeed trash.”

“That future doesn’t exist.”

“Leave some possibility. Consider the sincerity with which I came running at your word.”

“I appreciate that.”

Ruide had moved Damon to the infirmary and immediately called for Lydia.

…He thought that as a Saintess, she might be a skilled physician.

Ruide went back to reading his book. Lydia had said there was no danger to Damon’s life, and thanks to being called early, there would be no aftereffects.

‘I was too excited then.’

It was behavior unbecoming of an adult. Ruide turned to the next page. Though it had been so interesting before, now the words wouldn’t register.

Just as he was about to ask Lydia how Damon was doing again.

Twitch.

Damon’s fingertips moved.

Ruide looked up. Damon immediately opened his eyes and met his gaze.

“Don’t wake me up.”

“That’s absurd from the first word. Isn’t that what I should be saying?”

Damon frowned and half-raised his body. He was surprised to find himself in relatively good condition after circulating his mana to check his physical state.

‘It shouldn’t have been just a minor injury.’

“…Damon.”

Ruide closed his book and spoke.

He hesitated, moving his lips.

“If it’s an apology, forget it. That would be an insult to me.”

Ruide pressed his lips shut. After staring blankly at the floor, he looked up and said:

“Do you happen to have any money?”

The Saintess’s treatment fees were expensive.