episode_0086

The next morning. To practice potions, I entered a small mountain owned by the academy with Hermel.

As I took a quick look around, I noticed that it looked quite happy about what had happened yesterday.

Have you already done something in just one day? One ability to act is worthy of recognition.

I was curious about what he had done, so I decided to look into his head for a moment and read his thoughts.

‘fun. assurance. today. next. target. plan.’

I blinked at the sound that seemed to be interrupted, not much different from yesterday.

what? Is it an illusion? No, that can’t be true. I made a total of five castings, and last night I definitely felt the second casting tearing.

That guy clearly used two castings. So why does the sound cut out like this? If I used one more piece of casting, I should hear a clearer sound than yesterday, right?

As I covered my mouth with a fan and focused on the sounds coming from me, I heard a very small sound that seemed to be muttering something, like a priest praying in front of a statue of a god.

At that moment, I cut off that sound and focused on hearing other sounds.

‘Remember. Remember. ‘Remember.’

It was a clean, completely different voice from that oily one, but it seemed to be crying somewhere.

It seemed like he wasn’t really thinking about whether it was the effect of the curse or not.

“Hmm… … .”

Didn’t he use the fetish himself, but made the brainwashed person use the fetish?

Phew, things turned out to be more interesting than I expected.

I was going to step in later when the time came, but if this happens, it will be resolved on its own even if I don’t do anything. Of course, it will take at least half a year for it to resolve itself. That’s none of my business.

As I slowly opened my eyes and tapped my mouth with a fan, Hermel, who had been walking next to me, came in front of me and looked up at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

“No, whatever. I asked because you didn’t seem to be in a very good mood.”

After thinking about Hermel’s words for a moment, I decided to gloss over them.

“It’s no big deal. It’s my first time walking up a mountain like this.”

“Hmm… … . After all, what would nobles like us have to climb a mountain? I like hiking in the mountains, so I come often, but Charles finds it inconvenient.”

Hermel nodded, turned his back to me, and grinned.

“Do you want to climb up?”

Climbing the mountain while being carried on my back by Hermel, who is much shorter than me?

‘Hermel, I’m being dragged to the bottom of the bridge.’

‘are you okay!’

I just imagined it for a moment, but my head started pounding. He shook his head and answered.

“I will decline.”

“If you’re having a hard time, tell me. I’ll give you a piggyback ride anytime.”

Are they sincerely trying to help? Or is he doing this to punish me?

I didn’t like it either way, so I grinned and declined.

* * *

When we reached the halfway point of the mountain, we came into an open space.

Priscilla was standing on a platform installed at the end of the vacant lot.

Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were red as she stood on the platform, probably because she had arrived long before us and was waiting for us.

As I stood in front of the podium without any concern for anyone else, Priscilla, who had been standing quietly, opened her mouth.

“Everyone is here. I believe you all know why I called you here today.”

Priscilla looked around and continued speaking.

“As it is an outdoor class, we will not call attendance separately――However, this practice will be included in your grade, so please keep that in mind.”

The students nodded at her words, and Priscilla also nodded.

“I would have mentioned the flower that is the main ingredient for the minor healing potion I mentioned in the previous lesson. These are the flowers of Dimorphotheca and the almond tree.”

“But those two flowers are not blooming now. The flowers on the almond tree are about to start forming buds, but picking them now that the flowers have not bloomed will have no effect.”

Priscilla said that and took out a flower.

“This flower is a restorative plant that blooms regardless of the season and is another ingredient to make a minor healing potion. Unlike the two flowers mentioned above, this healing herb can be made into a minor healing potion simply by boiling it in water.”

One student raised his hand as Priscilla spoke.

“Well, then wouldn’t it be better to use the healing herb rather than the two flowers you told me about last time?”

“Yes. It is more efficient to use this healing herb than a recipe that requires attention to the flowering time and careful mixing of the two flowers to control the heat. In fact, even low-level recovery potions on the market are usually made with this recovery herb.”

“Then why did you tell me the recipe for making two flowers!”

Priscilla, who was looking at the student who shouted in a tone of incomprehension, answered with a calm face.

“It’s so easy to use healing herbs as a test.”

Because it was such an obvious statement, all the students fell silent.

Priscilla, despite the fairly calm atmosphere, told us the goal of today’s practice.

The goal is to bring back the recovery candle that was just shown before the end of today’s practice.

The practice began with the instruction to be careful because there are poisonous plants that look similar to healing plants on this mountain.

The students dispersed as if they had made an appointment, and only Hermel and I were left in the vacant lot.

“Hermel, let’s go.”

I called out to Hermel, who was warming up as if he was planning to run, and Hermel looked at me with wide eyes.

“Huh? Weren’t we going separately?”

“You didn’t say not to cooperate. Yes? Professor Priscilla.”

When I looked at Priscilla with a small smile, Priscilla, who was quietly looking at me, nodded.

“Definitely. I didn’t say that.”

Surprisingly, he accepted it readily. I thought you would say no. Although I was surprised by the unexpected answer, I smiled naturally and walked into the forest with Hermel.

I knew a place where they were blooming and forming a colony, so I was walking along with the feeling of a leisurely stroll, when I felt the third casting tear and I quickly turned my head.

Three photos in two days… … . Consumption is faster than expected. Usually, when you are given the power to brainwash someone, don’t you worry a little bit?

It’s not even unlimited, but there’s a limit to the number of times you can use it, so you’ll be even more worried, but this one seems like it’ll be used up in less than a week.

“… … .”

Well, that’s it. All you have to do is confuse the Academy.

When I shook my head and looked forward again, I saw Hermel staring at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I was wondering why you were looking at me like that.”

He chuckled at Hermel’s words and shook his head.

“No, it’s just that the deeper I go into the forest, the more strange it feels.”

This is not a lie meant to be overlooked. I only said that because I felt a strange feeling as I passed through the forest and entered the mountain.

In fact, I had felt this feeling from the beginning of the mountain, but the further I went inside, the more sticky the air felt, and my lungs felt like I was entering a basement full of moisture.

Now that I have passed the halfway point and entered the forest, I feel like my entire body, not just my lungs, is being pushed to one side.

Of course, I had no intention of telling the whole truth, so I answered roughly and shook my head. Then Hermel crossed his arms, pondered something, and opened his eyes with a short sigh.

“That’s probably because of the barrier stone embedded in the center of this mountain.”

“Barrier stone… … .”

“It is said that people with excellent magic detection feel uncomfortable due to the dense magic power of the barrier stone. Your brother also talked about barrier stones before, and Charles, you seem to be quite good at detecting magical power.”

I shrugged my shoulders at Hermel’s words.

Detect magic power? under. The ability to sense magic power almost disappeared when a body that was previously devoid of talent for magic chose to curse.

The reason I feel uncomfortable right now is not because of my magic sense, but for other reasons.

The barrier is basically to protect the inner being from the outside, but if you go into a little more detail. It also has the meaning of defeating what is wrong and protecting what is right.

Even though the magical power detection that Hermel talks about does not apply to me, I feel this pressure and discomfort… … .

“Maybe.”

I guess this barrier considers me to be a ‘deviant’ and is trying to expel me from within the barrier.

It was wrong. It’s something special. You look at me and say ‘evil’――

“… … .”

Is there anything else that feels as good as this?

I have finally been recognized. I was recognized by a world that always denied me and tried to kill me.

This is not just an extra who dies in some way after one part, but an evil that must be defeated. It is not something that is nothing, it is recognized as a true evil.

They acknowledged that I, a living person, was an evil entity like a demon or a gryphon.

It means that this world, not anyone else, recognized me as evil.

Until now, I only felt pleasure in vaguely doing bad things, but not anymore.

I felt a sense of responsibility that I must carry out the evil deed I was currently doing. I feel a sense of duty that it is up to me to destroy this world.

An ecstatic sensation that I had never felt before enveloped my entire body.

“Hehe.”

I smiled and walked away with great satisfaction.