Chapter 98: Second Heart (1)
Chapter 98: Second Heart (1)
Elizabeth, who was tending to the area below Ronan’s clavicle, suddenly stopped her hand. She asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Um, Ronan…”
“What is it?”
“…Did you originally have a Core?”
“Huh?”
Ronan furrowed his brows. He wondered what nonsense she was talking about instead of applying the potion well.
A Core? Even for those not cursed by an abomination, it took decades to create a Mana Core. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t have anything like that.”
“Really? Then what is this…?”
Elizabeth extended her hand to the same spot once again. There was definitely something inside Ronan, beating with a different rhythm than his heart, vividly conveying the movement of mana.
‘It’s different from the regular Cores I’ve seen. I wonder…?’
She paused, contemplating.
However, it felt different from the Cores she had seen so far. The way he manipulated mana seemed similar to a Core, but the way mana accumulated felt closer to a Circle.
Moreover, unless she had seen wrong, Ronan’s Core wasn’t integrated with his heart but was separated. It felt like he had two beating hearts, which she had never seen before. This puzzled her as she pondered with furrowed brows.
“It’s hot.”
“Oh! I’m sorry!”
Elizabeth quickly withdrew her hand. She had forgotten about applying the potion due to her intense focus.
She hastily applied the potion to the remaining burns. With every stroke, the contours and elasticity of Ronan’s muscles were transferred to her fingertips, making her face tingle. It was a sensation she couldn’t get used to.
‘It’s solid!’
Before long, the treatment was over. Ronan’s wounds had completely healed in just five minutes since the potion was applied.
Not a trace of the burns, or the minor cuts and bruises he had from earlier, remained. Ronan, now fully healed, chuckled.
‘The smell of money is making my head spin. I should consult with Marya about this.’
Even in a well-equipped forge, such an item would be hard to find. Once the production process was streamlined, and the right market was found, he would undoubtedly make a substantial amount of gold coins. Ronan, dressed again, looked at Elizabeth and smiled.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.”
“Hmm, it was nothing.”
“You applied it very meticulously. I thought noble ladies would be reluctant to do this, but you surprised me.”
“Well, it’s a noble’s duty to help commoners in trouble…!”
As Elizabeth spoke, she couldn’t meet Ronan’s eyes. Her ears, peeking out from her lavender hair, turned bright red. Clearing her throat, she continued,
“Um, Ronan, something is strange.”
“Strange?”
“As I mentioned earlier, you have a Core near your heart… I think you should get it checked out.”
Elizabeth shared what she had discovered: there seemed to be a growth, almost like a tumor, near Ronan’s heart, and it was even pulsating.
‘Of course, that shxxty piece of toilet paper…!’
Ronan’s eyes widened. Suddenly, he recalled the strange sensation he had felt inside his chest right after grabbing Vijra. He placed a hand over his heart and muttered.
“Am… I going to die now?”
“Um, probably not. It’s just really unique, so when you get back to Philleon…”
“You’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Elizabeth was interrupted as a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan turned to see Aun Philara approaching, wearing a robe that was partly burnt from the recent battle.
Eyrie and Tower Master Lorehon stood on either side of him. Eyrie, now back in her human form, held a bundle of books in her hands. Ronan extended his hand.
“Oh, you’re here?”
“Sorry for being late. There was so much to handle.”
“No need to apologize. I know you went through a lot.”
“Compared to you, it was like a walk in the park.”
Ronan shook his head. Aun Philara, who fought the huge fire all night, looked haggard and looked as if he would collapse at the slightest breeze. Even ten of his bodies would have been insufficient. Aun Philara spoke.
“I don’t even know where to begin. First, accept my respects.”
Out of the blue, Aun Philara knelt down on one knee and lowered his head. Ronan’s face stiffened. Elizabeth gasped in surprise.
Aun Philara’s appearance was fragile, as if he could collapse at any moment. But Ronan knew that he had given his all in the fight. Aun Philara spoke,
“I don’t know where to start, but first, please accept my bow.”
Aun Philara suddenly knelt, bowing his head. Ronan’s face stiffened, and Elizabeth was shocked, exclaiming,
“Tower Master, what are you doing?”
“Thanks to all of you, we can welcome a new dawn.”
Eyrie appeared equally taken aback, suggesting that this action had not been discussed beforehand. Tower Master Lorehon, on the other hand, kept a slight smile and stroked his beard, looking undisturbed by the situation. Ronan grumbled with a frustrated tone, eager to get him to stand up.
“Damn it, get up! What’s a Tower Mage doing acting like a fool?”
The people around them stared. Even the mages who had been busy repairing the damage froze in bewilderment and looked at the Tower Master who was bowing to the young man and woman.
After a long silence, Aun Philara finally rose to his feet. He met Ronan’s gaze and spoke.
“I’m not sure where to start. First, I want to thank you for saving the Dawn Magic Tower.”
“…A stubborn old man, you are.”
“In any case, I’d like to express my gratitude once again. I couldn’t properly greet you on the sea, sinceI was so anxious…”
Suddenly, Lorehon walked forward and bowed silently. He disappeared for a while and came back wearing a plain dress and pants rather than the fancy robe of the Tower Master. Ronan, realizing the meaning, twisted his lips.
Lorehon chuckled. Having lost all his mana, he planned to transfer the position of Tower Master to Aun Philara as soon as he managed the situation.
Originally, he intended to take responsibility for unsealing Vijra, but he added that he was temporarily delaying it due to the dramatic opposition from the other mages. Aun Philara spoke.
“Once the incident is resolved, we plan to hold a grand banquet. Naturally, you’ll be the heroes. Please rest and wait for it.”
“Oh, that’ll be a bit difficult. I’ll be returning today.”
“Well… Can’t you stay for a few more days? It might not hurt to be a little late.”
“I’m a student, you see. If I’m late again this time, that talking lion will put me in the oven and bake me along with some damn cookies.”
Ronan explained the situation by skillfully avoiding the subject. In fact, he had already secured his grades, so staying a few more days wouldn’t have mattered, but he didn’t want to burden the busy people even more. Apparently, Elizabeth had the same idea, as she nodded her head silently. With a sigh, Aun Philara said,
“Then… I suppose there’s no other way.”
“Let’s have fun next time. I’ll teach you what a banquet really is then.”
“But you should still accept this.”
Suddenly, Aun Philara rummaged through his robes and pulled something out. It was an extremely elegant box, usually used to store expensive jewelry, and inside it were two sun-shaped badges.
The badges, seemingly carved from a whole diamond, changed color depending on the angle of the light. Besides looking expensive, there was an aura emanating from them that was anything but ordinary. Elizabeth’s eyes widened.
“This… This is a 1st-Grade Tower Medal!”
“Is it good?”
“Well, it’s beyond discussion. Even in my family, almost no one has received one…”
This medal was awarded to those who had made significant contributions to the Dawn Tower, regardless of their status.
Elizabeth rambled on, explaining the effects of the medal, such as being granted official access to most of the Dawn Tower’s facilities, or receiving the right to attend the exclusive market, the ‘High Remyen,’ reserved for high-level mages. Most of the words made little sense to Ronan.
“Anyway, it’s a good thing.”
Ronan shrugged his shoulders. It seemed that Elizabeth, the daughter of Acalusia, considered this far from an ordinary item. Aun Philara smiled gently as he fastened the badges to Ronan’s shirt collar.
“Of course, even without such items, your relationship with the Dawn Tower remains unchanged. But as you live, you’ll come to realize that most of your memories stem from material things.”
“I can relate to that.”
“I’ve also inscribed a few spells on you, so I hope you’ll find them useful. Please accept them.”
Subsequently, Aun Philara attached a badge to Elizabeth’s attire as well, and he smiled gently. Ronan nodded his head.
“Then, I won’t refuse. Oh, Aun Philara, I have one request.”
“Of course, as long as it’s something I’m capable of doing.”
“This book. Give it to me.”
Saying that, Ronan took out Vijra, which had been tucked away in his back pocket. The eyes of everyone except Ronan widened as if they might pop out of their sockets.
“Is that…!”
“Yes, it’s Vijra. Originally, I just intended to take it with me, but my conscience got the better of me.”
“Wait for a moment. That’s a bit difficult. You know it’s not an ordinary book, right?”
“It’s just a regular book now. See?”
Suddenly, Ronan began shaking the cover of Vijra as if he was trying to shake something loose. From the black book, which had become quite powerless, he no longer felt the evil aura he used to. Sensing that the presence had disappeared, Aun Philara carefully spoke up.
“…What do you plan to do with it?”
“I’m just going to look for something with it.”
Ronan didn’t openly mention his intention to hunt down the demon that had once written this book. They were all too exhausted to accept such radical information. Aun Philara, with his hand on his forehead, sighed.
“…All right, take it.”
“Just as expected of the next Tower Master in the making.”
“However, you must return it to the Tower once you’re done using it. Even if the evil presence is gone, it’s still a very dangerous book.”
“Don’t worry, just trust me.”
Ronan patted his chest and put Vijra back into his pocket. They were about to go on an airship. Eyrie, who had been standing still, spoke up as if she had been waiting.
“Wait a minute, I have something to give you as well!”
Eyrie extended the bag she was holding. The bag was as large as an adult’s torso and filled with ancient books that had probably been preserved for centuries.
“These are all books written by Sarante. There are some good ones in there, so take them and read them.”
“Sarante?”
This was an unexpected gift. If the books were written based on Sarante’s extensive knowledge, they were likely to be quite useful.
“Thank you. What are you going to do now that you’re free?”
“I’ve thought about it, and I want to keep working as a librarian. It was also Sarante’s request, and…”
“And?”
“Well, I just like books.”
Eyrie smiled bashfully. It was a sound that Sarante would have been very happy to hear. Ronan smiled and accepted the bag.
“Good for you.”
“Visit us again. Next time, I’ll introduce you to many interesting books.”
“Just make sure they have nothing to do with curses.”
After that conversation, Ronan returned to Philleon. Elizabeth, who still had research to do, stayed at the Dawn Tower. She and Sion de Gracia, standing side by side, waved Ronan goodbye.
“Take care! And be sure to check the Core!”
“Is he sister’s fiancé?”
“Wh-What are you saying right now? Adeshan is the only one for me…!”
Elizabeth playfully pulled on Sion’s cheeks, and Sion looked puzzled.
“Adeshan?”
Ronan chuckled at their almost-sisterly interaction. It was hard to imagine that they were the beloved offspring of two rival noble houses, Acalusia and de Gracia.
‘Maybe I can use this opportunity to get closer to them.’
In preparation for the end times, they needed all the help they could get. He coincidentally took the same airship, Western Wing, that he rode when he came to Dawn Tower.
The captain recognized Ronan and seated him in a first-class compartment suitable for nobility. However, he insisted that he couldn’t charge him the fare and made a big fuss about it, so Ronan had no choice.
This time, there were no fireballs flying his way. Transformed into a firebird, Aun Philara escorted them until they were out of the airspace of the Dawn Tower.
*****
Ronan arrived in Philleon around noon the next day. Thanks to a good night’s rest, he wasn’t particularly tired.
He could comfortably write the club activity report and submit it. Ronan felt a sense of joy as he realized that his writing skills were improving as he wrote.
-Piii~
Marpez, the Dreambird, was happily grooming himself, while Varen was anything but happy in his office at the Philleon Academy. Seated across from each other at the table where they had often conversed, they were discussing the recent club activity.
After carefully reviewing the report, Varen, with a sigh of relief, looked at Ronan.
“Okay, Ronan, so, you were at the center of the incident that occurred at the Dawn Magic Tower.”
“Well, that’s right.”
“You accidentally entered the Forbidden Library, nearly getting devoured by the Vijra of Destruction, and escaped dramatically, and also got involved in high class fire magic like Hell Prominence… is that correct?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Ronan nodded confidently. He started explaining his adventure in detail. It was a gripping story, filled with vivid descriptions, but Varen was too far gone to notice.
“Yes, isn’t the actual thing more ordinary than you’d think? When I think about all the trouble I went through to catch it, it really…”
As he began narrating the story of how he captured the Vijra, vividly describing the intense experience, Varen’s mind drifted off.
Crash!
His teacup fell from his hand and shattered. It seemed as though his consciousness was slipping away. Varen leaned forward, his trembling hand supported by the table.
“Uh, uhhh…”
“What, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
Varen barely managed to stand and steadied himself by gripping the table. Roan, looking concerned, approached him. When Varen saw the book in Roan’s hand, he jumped up from his seat.
“Ugh! Get that away from me!”
“Hey, why are you yelling? You’re going to scare people.”
“Uhh-uh w-what on earth did you do to report back such a thing after going there for research? I mean… I…!”
“By the way, your potion worked like a charm, Varen, even if the effect was a bit overwhelming.”
“Don’t change the subject! I absolutely need to do something about this now, please sit down!”
Varen was almost crying. He seemed to be in quite a bit of mental distress. While speaking passionately about the safety of students and the school, he sat down, covering his face with both palms.
“Keuheugh, kuugh… You should be more careful… What if something had really gone wrong?”
“Good grief, are you so weak-hearted? With your size, it’s embarrassing,”
Varen didn’t respond to his words. Only muffled sobs were heard under the beard. Roan knew this state would likely last for at least an hour.
‘I guess there’s no helping it.’
Ronan had prepared a gift in advance and left the room. Varen recovered after two hours, and an old, discolored book was placed on the table in his absence.
“…Hmm?”
It was a very old and yellowed book. The cover of the book had a clear title: ‘Basic Herbalism’. Below it was written the name of the author.
“Sarante… Lematyon?”
From the family name, it was clear that the author was an elf. Varen wiped his eyes and opened the book.
“This… is…!”
His eyes widened with each page he turned. The yellowed pages contained detailed instructions on how to use and grow herbs that he could not even imagine.
*****
‘It’s great, I definitely put this to good use. It’s a good book.’
After leaving Varen’s office, Ronan headed straight to the club building. The Vijra of Destruction, which once terrorized the entire Empire, was now rolled up and placed in the back pocket of his pants.
‘Those smart guys might be able to figure something out.’
Ronan was planning to throw Vijra to Aslle or Ophelia. He read it all the way on the airship, but all he could find was a list of things he couldn’t understand at all.
‘Now that I think about it… I should also ask about this thing in my chest.’
Ronan recalled what Elizabeth had said and furrowed his brow. If it was Navirose or Jhordin, they might know something.
In reality, he was still haunted by the anxiety that this lump might simply be part of a terrible disease. The thing that was the origin of its birth was such a terrible entity.
‘…Wait a minute. If this is a Core, it means it can extract mana, right?’
Suddenly, curiosity struck Ronan. Depending on whether mana would manifest or not, there would be a mix of jubilation and frustration, but it was better to get it over with first. He should confirm right now.
He summoned Lamancha and stood with determination.
Sssshhh… A strange breathing sound came from his lips as he attempted to invoke mana. Ronan could distinctly feel something new taking root within his chest.
‘Alright.’
He attempted to draw mana from the lump he felt in his chest, rather than from his existing heart. His heightened sensitivity made it relatively easy.
Before long, a whitish mana began to ascend, riding the steel of Lamancha. Ronan narrowed his eyes and cursed.
“What the fxxk…?”
Whitish mana was coiled around the blade of Lamancha. Inside the shimmering currents resembling white mist, a sparkle very familiar to him was emerging.
Shhhinee!
Ronan’s mind turned completely blank at the sight of it being completely identical to the mana of Nebula Clazier.