Chapter 329

Chapter 329

‘Hmm, the effect is better than I thought.’

Clearly, in Roan’s eyes, her skin, which had been pale enough to look pitiful, and her purplish veins had improved a lot.

Usually, medicine would take quite a while to show effects, but as expected of Hiti, it was different.

Since Lucia had never come to Acherandir, this was naturally the first time she had eaten it, but the experimental result(?) was encouraging.

‘Well, the restorative food I’m eating will probably raise my Stamina and Strength stat values by about 2.’

Perhaps because of that, Roan had also felt somehow overflowing with energy and full of vigor since earlier.

The two concentrated only on eating their food in silence for a moment.

Glance—

Then, at some point, Lucia, who had been stealing glances at Roan, spoke cautiously.

“You seem to be a truly incomprehensible person, Lord Roan.”

“…Is that so?”

Roan looked suspiciously at Lucia, who was saying such a random thing.

‘Don’t tell me it’s a flow like: you’re treating me too well, so it’s suspicious and I doubt your identity?’

Seeing the false divinity remain still, there was definitely a possibility.

Hum—!

I am so dumbfounded that I can’t even vibrate, you rascal!

‘If not, then whatever.’

“When I first met you, I thought you hated black mages the most, but was that not the case? Why do you treat me so well?”

Roan calmly shook his head.

“I simply defeat evil black mages. I have no aversion to black magic itself.”

“…Didn’t you say last time that the only good black mage is a dead black mage?”

“…That was Professor Kaina’s teaching.”

Even in Roan’s opinion, he had been a bit too immersed in acting yesterday.

There was no way Roan was as extremely hardline as Kaina.

“You fought too fiercely for that, though.”

Lucia said this as if she was slightly disappointed for no reason.

Roan clicked his tongue and replied.

“Then, if a black mage appears in Acherandir, should I check their ID before fighting?”

His words were right!

In fact, if a black mage was wandering around in Acherandir, it would not be strange at all to eliminate them immediately.

Rather, it was even possible to accuse Kaina, who blocked it, of being a turncoat.

…If only he had the confidence to win.

Since Roan put it that way, Lucia had no choice but to back down.

“That is true.”

“Lucia, I repeat, I believe the Empire and black mages can coexist sufficiently.”

“…!”

Naturally, they had to.

‘Only then can I live a little too…’

Even for Roan’s own sake.

“The world is a place where the orders of many gods are intertwined. Similarly, if we completely lay waste to it just because it is black magic, who knows how the order of the world will be twisted. Nothing is known about the God of Black Magic yet, which is why it is an even more complicated problem.”

“That is… correct.”

“According to what I heard when I was staying at the Holy Emperor’s Palace, there are also many black mages who cooperate with the Empire. Like Professor Beleck. However, if they threaten the safety of everyone, they should rightfully be punished, and that goes for both black mages and priests.”

Roan paused for breath and then put a period to it.

“The Darc family that I reconstruct will look exactly like that.”

‘Since the head of the family is a black mage, we will naturally coexist.’

He naturally omitted the latter part.

Lucia said no more.

She hung her head for a moment, trembling slightly.

Thump— slurp— slurp—

Soon she began to eat diligently.

Although it was the most tasteless and foul food she had ever eaten, for some reason, she kept wanting to eat it.

In Lucia’s mind, a clear memory from long ago played back.

—To bring in a black mage? Does that make sense?!

—Why not?

—Yes? That’s because, of course… this is an organization that catches black mages. If a black mage enters, information could be leaked, and…

—Speak straight. Are you here only to catch black mages?

—…No.

—Then?

—To eliminate the enemies of the Empire…

—Lucia is not an enemy of the Empire. She is merely a black mage. If you don’t like it, defeat me.

—Ha, n-no, it’s not that!

The voice that had protected her from fierce opposition when she first entered Room of Cardinal 777.

Lucia was feeling a strange déjà vu between the two people who had probably never met.

After the pain that had tormented her all her life and the sensitivity caused by it cleared away like fog, what came was the sensitivity she had forgotten all this time.

In fact, although Lucia herself did not know it, there was a setting that the reason she was exceptionally dedicated to catching black mages was that she unconsciously opposed dark mana, which caused her severe pain.

The vicious cycle where the worse the pain, the more sensitive she became to dark mana, and while her skills improved, the pain and hostility grew.

‘At this rate, I can truly rest easy.’

Roan and Lucia shared no more conversation until they finished their meal.

“Then let’s go out now.”

“Yes, Lord Roan.”

Click—

Lucia put the mask back to its original state and stood up.

Again, her rough breathing could be heard slightly.

Nevertheless, because her body felt very light, Lucia was feeling ‘refreshed’, a very unfamiliar emotion to her.

Just then, Hiti, who was inside, suddenly ran out.

“Where, where do you think you are going!”

“Ah, naturally I was planning to pay.”

Roan wondered if Hiti thought they were trying to run off without paying.

However, Hiti’s business was a bit different.

“That crap is not even important! More than that, since Darc has also helped me out, I will show off my skills specially!”

“Yes?”

Roan tilted his head as if wondering what that meant.

Something came vaguely to mind, but did Hiti really plan to do even that for Lucia?

Hiti grinned, pulling out a bamboo case from his chest.

“It will probably be a new world that children could not even dream of.”

““…””

Roan and Lucia stared at Hiti with strange gazes—though of course, Lucia’s gaze could not be seen.

Realizing the meaning of those gazes, Hiti flew into a rage.

“Who do you see as a perverted old man!”

“No, well, naturally…”

“Forget it! Just follow me!”

No questions asked, Hiti grabbed Lucia’s wrist and led her inside indiscriminately.

Passing through the kitchen, which smelled strongly of medicine, and going further inside, there was a simple bed along with comfortable lighting.

“Take off your robe and lie down here.”

“Yes?”

Shocked, Lucia took a couple of steps back from Hiti.

Didn’t he say he wasn’t a perverted old man?

Roan stepped forward with a frown.

“There is no need to give her acupuncture.”

“? I didn’t say I was going to give acupuncture? How did you know?”

“…Ah. You showed us the needle case earlier.”

“Well, what does it matter that you know that at this point.”

Hiti waved his hand as if it didn’t matter.

It meant Roan should get out.

“I mean, there is no need to go as far as acupuncture…”

“Why, is it that you don’t like saving a black mage?”

Hiti looked Roan up and down with an extremely displeased gaze.

Stare—

Lucia also turned to Roan.

‘I wasn’t hoping for her to get that healthy!’

Roan instinctively realized he was in a checkmate.

Hiti’s medicine had a somewhat limited effect and was necessary in the process of winning Lucia over.

But Hiti’s acupuncture was far more effective, and thus was not particularly needed.

Although complete recovery was impossible with acupuncture alone, if her lifespan was extended by even a single year, it would be a huge setback.

Fortunately, she was friendly right now, but Lucia was strictly a character who might turn on Roan at any moment if she discovered his identity.

But after uttering all those touching words earlier, he could not say now, ‘Yes, extending a black mage’s lifespan is a bit much.’

If Lucia reacted like, ‘Oh? Look at this guy, the discrepancy between his words and actions is a bit like a black mage,’ he would be done for.

Hum—

Go on, write a novel, write a novel.

The false divinity vibrated as if dumbfounded.

Roan eventually nodded reluctantly and turned around.

“I understand for now.”

Roan decided to wait outside for a moment.

—Now, lie down quickly!

—Yes? No, wait, eek—!

—It will be over with just a slight sting!

—W-What is that! Why are you putting needles in my body…! Ngh!

From the inside, sounds that were quite suspicious if only heard could be detected, but it was merely a medical act where Hiti subdued Lucia to give her acupuncture.

However, after a very short time passed.

—Uh… mmm?

Lucia, who was reacting like a fish just pulled out of water, quieted down.

Hiti’s pleased voice could be heard.

—How is it? Do you feel like you’ll live much longer?

Lucia could not bring herself to deny it.

Listening to the conversation, Roan felt quite complicated.

‘Just how many years of lifespan does that old man plan to add?’

He had miscalculated.

He should have just taken her to any restaurant and eaten by himself!

In any case, not long after, Lucia came out again with her robe drawn over herself.

Lightly—

Her light footsteps showed that Hiti had properly displayed his skills.

“Lord Roan, he is an incredibly amazing person.”

“…Yeah.”

Roan nodded with his face heavily frowned, but because his expression was not good to begin with, Lucia did not think much of it.

Instead, she hopped on one foot, swung her arms slightly.

Even her characteristic rough breathing was now barely audible.

“It really is like magic…”

“Not a very fitting thing for a mage to say.”

Roan replied coldly, then asked Hiti, who came out behind her.

“How much is it?”

His tone was one that could not come out nicely because his plan had been thoroughly ruined!

“Ah, I will pay! I happen to have some money I received…”

Lucia hurriedly tried to pull out the talants she had received from Beleck earlier.

“It’s 10,000 talants.”

“?!??!!!”

However, at the unimaginable, enormous amount, she froze in that exact posture.

10,000 talants?

100 gold?

Even for someone belonging to Room of Cardinal 777 of the secret organization, the low salary of civil servants was famous.

Moreover, the talants Beleck had given were a mere 100 talants.

100 talants was not a small sum to be called “mere,” but it was incomparably small compared to 10,000 talants.

Hiti asked with a smirk.

“Why, is it too expensive compared to what you thought?”

Roan clicked his tongue and took out ten 1,000-talant bills from his wallet and gave them to Hiti.

“Here you go.”

“Hooh, you have quite a lot of money?”

Hiti tilted his head in surprise.

Roan did have a lot of money.

Though he didn’t know for sure, at least he had more than Beleck, who invested enormously in materials.

‘I can just get a holy power clock kit from Uli.’

If he was really short on money, he had a reliable side job, so it was fine.

“I only received the meal fee, but at this rate, the acupuncture fee too…”

“I will report you for forced sale.”

“Chett, fine then.”

Hiti grumbled as if he had missed out on something good.

“Child, I have something to say to Darc, so could you wait outside for a moment?”

“Yes? With Lord Roan?”

Lucia tilted her head for a moment, but soon nodded and went outside.

With a serious expression, Hiti revealed his business to Roan.

“She might be fine right now, but the effect won’t last a week, or at most a month. The coughing will start again before the weekend even begins.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Roan nodded as if he already knew.