CHAPTER 37: CURSE

Ophelia was in an unnatural state.
Her face was very pale and her pulse weak.
I have almost no medical knowledge, but I knew that was no normal sickness.
I carried her to her bed, but I didn’t know what else to do.
All I could think of was gathering healing potions and antidotes nearby just in case.

She woke up when the sky was already a dark gray color.

“Natalia..?”
“—! …Mistress, are you awake?”

I almost blurted something in a loud voice, but I managed to restrain myself to speak more softly.

“Yeah… I thought I could hold out for a bit longer, but it seems I didn’t have that much time after all.”

Ophelia almost sounds like she’s getting ready to die.
That can’t be.
A person who can use such powerful magic without breaking a sweat can’t die so easily.

“I was cursed, you see.”

It’s like she knew what I was thinking, so she starts explaining.

“You know that my husband has already passed away, right?”
“Yes, the Young Lady also alluded to that.”

He was an adventurer that could stand toe-to-toe with Ophelia, and had passed away a few years ago.

“He died protecting me from a curse cast on me by the enemy we were fighting.
But some of it still got on me.
I was able to somehow hold out until now, but I guess I’ve reached my limit.”
“No, what’ll happen to the Young Lady if you’re gone as well?”

Olivia was always cheerful, but she looked somber when talking about her late father.
I don’t want to imagine how she’d be if she lost her mother as well.

“I know.
That’s why I created you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, I created you, a magic automaton to take care of Olivia once I’m gone1.”
“What…do you mean..!”

It’s like she’s okay with dying like this!

“Couldn’t you just get rid of the curse somehow?!”
“I tried.
I tried and tried, but it was impossible.
That’s why I tried something else.”

Ahh, that makes some sense.
There’s no way she hadn’t tried to undo the curse.
But if a sorceress of Ophelia’s caliber deemed it impossible, she was probably right.
Isn’t there anything I can do?!

“I’m sorry, I’ll sleep a bit more.”

Ophelia closes her eyes saying that.

What can I do? The medicine I can make with my current skill obviously won’t help with a curse that strong.
But maybe there’s something else, there has to be.
If Ophelia dies, Olivia will be really sad.
I’ll be sad too.

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I was able to reincarnate because she made this body.
Who knows what would’ve happened to me if she hadn’t been here.
But I can’t do anything to return the favor.
She was always teaching me, protecting me, and I never did anything in return.

Dammit! Is there really nothing?!

Ophelia said she tried to undo the curse, but maybe there’s something she hadn’t tried? Maybe she overlooked something? But I can’t imagine Ophelia of all people forgetting something.

Every faint hope I found was snuffed out by the logical side of my brain.
But I have to find something.
I start looking through her shelves.

“Seperion’s History and Magic Contributions, no… Efficient Magic Circle Construction, not this either…”

I quickly skimmed through the book titles.
I’m sure she had researched her curse in this room, so the literature has to be somewhere.
Maybe I can figure something out if I read it.
It’s a very faint hope, but I’m going to cling onto it.

Found it!

It’s Ophelia’s research on curse cleansing medicine.
There were lists of medicine recipes, a big X next to all of them showing their effect.
None had been able to help her.

But the last recipe at the bottom of the list was not checked yet.
She hadn’t tried it yet.
A certain monster’s parts were needed for it.
I remember seeing a monster reference book while I searched earlier.

I find it and look up the required monster.
Found it.
It’s a Rank C monster and lives in the Valhen Woods, that’s just near here.
The issue was whether I could hunt it alone.
No, I have to do it.

Knock knock.

I jerk my head up hearing the unexpected knocking on the door.

“Mother, it’s Olivia, I’m back.”

Olivia is already here.
That reminds me, last time her letter also arrived almost at the same time as her.

“Mother, did you go somewhere?”

I close the book and open the door.

“Young Lady.”
“Ah, Natalia.
I’m back, I missed you a lot.”

Saying that, she hugs me.

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She’s gotten taller, and she’s starting to look more like her mother too.
I really wanted to feel happy seeing her again and noticing how much she had grown, but now isn’t the time for that.

“Young Lady, please calm down and listen carefully.”
“What’s wrong?”

I let Olivia into the room and tell her about Ophelia.

“No…Mother…”

Olivia kneels next to the bed and takes Ophelia’s hand.

“Young Lady, I’ll head out to hunt the monster needed for her medicine.
Please watch over her while I’m gone.”

“No! It’s too dangerous, it’s already dark outside! And you want to do that alone?!”

Hearing that I noticed the time.
I had spent almost a half day looking for the research documents.
If I go out, I’ll definitely have to fight in the dark.
But Ophelia was in way more danger than me.

“Please understand, Young Lady.
We need to hurry.”
“No! If you really want to go then I’ll go with you!”
“Do you really want to leave your mother alone in this state?”
“I didn’t-”

I could’ve said that in a better way, but I hope she understands.
At least one of us had to remain here to watch over Ophelia.
And I’m better at hunting monsters than Olivia.

“Okay, I’ll stay.
But promise me you’ll come back no matter what.”
“Yes, I promise.”

I nod vigorously and leave the room.
My magic ought to be enough.
All of Black Hawks magazines are fully loaded.
And I was wearing the armor Mir had just crafted for me.

“Just wait a little longer, Ophelia.
I’ll be back soon to help you.”

Muttering that, I stepped into the dark forest2.

 

References

Robinxen: That’s… well I can undestand. Silva: Ok so here’s a question… if Ophelia already has the recipe and hadn’t tried that medicine yet, why didn’t she do so? Did she just come up with the recipe very recently? Or something else…