Chapter 108
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Chapter 108
Using the magical power of a sealed soul.
"If that's the case, it's absolutely chilling, isn't it? You're saying it's Anata's magical power?"
Kaiden clicked his tongue with an exasperated expression, muttering under his breath.
If the Ingram Dynasty truly had such a custom, then Enoch's words might very well be correct. It would also explain why a disorienting mist had formed around the cabin.
"Sealing Anata—it might have been Jenath's doing."
Kaiden spoke with conviction.
"What makes you think that?"
"When I was young, I was subjected to experiments by those bastards claiming to serve the divine. The moment I entered the Room of Rest, fragments of those memories came flooding back."
Kaiden spoke with remarkable detachment, as though merely recalling someone else's past.
His expression bore no trace of anguish, though his inner turmoil remained unknowable.
"This island was clearly created for some kind of experiment. The papal bastards who experimented on me mentioned there was a list of test subjects. Jenath's name came up, and it seemed he was connected to them somehow. The same goes for my family."
Kaiden paused mid-sentence, his expression growing somber as he fell silent. Dredging up such horrific memories from the past must have dealt him a considerable shock.
I quietly pondered his words.
What could these experiments possibly be for?
And the Temple and the Rohade Family were entangled in this as well.
The Rohade Family represented all mages, yet the history of conflict between mages and priests had stretched on for a thousand years, hadn't it?
"In any case, it's now certain that Jenath isn't on our side. To think he's connected to the experiments on this island..."
I muttered somewhat bitterly.
Was that why Jenath had been kind to me? It's only natural for an experimenter to harbor goodwill or curiosity toward a test subject.
Enoch, who had been sitting silently with his arms crossed, finally spoke.
"Have the Temple and the Tower of Magic joined hands? I can't fathom why they'd kidnap the Crown Prince of the Empire, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, and other key figures to conduct experiments."
"Perhaps they're trying to spark a continental war."
Kaiden sighed as he answered. With those words, a heavy silence settled over us once more.
"Oh, and Jenath told me to keep a close eye on the Holy Maiden. He said she seems to know something."
"The Holy Maiden? Know what?"
Kaiden questioned in response to my words.
"I don't know either. She said she was curious about it too. She wouldn't explain any further."
My stay at Jenas's Cabin had lasted barely a day and a half. Moreover, during that short time, so much information had poured in that I hadn't had the mental capacity to properly contemplate anything.
Looking back, it seemed many crucial puzzle pieces had emerged, yet assembling all those pieces proved far more difficult than expected.
I rubbed my temples as I recalled the matter of the Monster.
"Jenath said he borrowed the Monster's eyes to watch over us. Though he could only borrow the eyes—he couldn't control them, he claimed."
"Borrowed the Monster's eyes? Damn it, those wolf bastards weren't just staring at me. They were watching—surveilling us. What kind of mage is he, pulling off such sinister tricks?"
"Either he's the root cause of all this, or he's been trapped on this island by the Temple and the Rohade Family for a thousand years and has lost his mind. It has to be one or the other."
As Kaiden bristled with indignation, Enoch answered calmly.
Now that I thought about it, that damned bastard had insisted I survive, yet when I was on the verge of becoming the Monster's meal, he simply left me to my fate.
"Should we move to a different location? I'm anxious not knowing when the Monster might appear."
Kaiden, whose anger hadn't fully subsided, seemed to calm down somewhat at those words. His crimson eyes glanced briefly toward me.
"I'm here, Margaret. That's something I can handle."
He immediately picked up a thin twig and began drawing a magical circle on the dirt ground. What was he planning to do?
After spending considerable time drawing an intricate magical circle that looked extraordinarily complex, he stepped onto it and extended his hand to me.
"Could you lend me your magical power?"
"Oh. Yes."
I nodded with a bewildered expression and extended my hand to him. It was the hand wearing the ring.
He grasped my hand, and immediately a bluish light emanated from our joined hands.
With his eyes closed, Kaiden extended his other hand toward the magical circle, and the light flowing from his hand seeped into the circle.
I felt my magical power draining from my body at a terrifying speed.
Shortly after, a blue light surrounding us rose up like a pillar. The light that had been radiating for a moment soon dissipated.
Kaiden brushed off his hands and turned to look at me and Enoch. He had returned to his usual cheerful expression.
"I've set up a barrier here so the monsters can't see in. Even Jenath wouldn't be able to peer through something of this caliber."
He winked at me. As expected, Kaiden was the one who knew how to use my magical power most efficiently and effectively.
I still had plenty of magical power remaining in my body. So I glanced subtly at Enoch.
He was still covered in blood, and his previous wounds appeared to have become considerably more severe.
"Kaiden, can you use healing magic by any chance? Enoch's wounds are...."
As I pointed to Enoch's shoulder and asked, Enoch shook his head.
"I am fine. I would prefer that the Young Lady receive treatment rather than myself."
"No, how is that fine?"
"Wait. What are you talking about, Margaret? Are you hurt?"
Kaiden hurried over and grabbed my shoulders. Then he examined my clothing and looked startled.
"Huh? Wait, I couldn't see because you were wearing the Crown Prince's uniform. So you were wearing pants? What's this? Why is the top so short? Damn it, I've never seen clothes like this before. Isn't this too revealing? It's worse than underwear?"
He slightly opened the jacket, then quickly closed it again with a shocked expression.
"Don't you dare take this off. Really, don't take it off."
Then he removed his own robe and draped it over the jacket as an additional layer.
"You don't need to go that far. It's fine. This outfit is comfortable."
As I objected to Kaiden's words and tried to remove the robe, Enoch, who had been quietly observing, unexpectedly came to Kaiden's defense.
"Margaret, I would prefer it if you would listen to Rodban's words. That outfit is very dangerous."
What exactly is dangerous about this outfit? Who's the one in danger here?
I turned to look at Enoch with a bewildered expression. This was the first time I'd seen him take Kaiden's side like this.
"I'll treat your wounds. Let me heal Margaret first, and then I'll treat your Highness next."
At Kaiden's words, Enoch nodded in agreement while keeping his arms crossed.
Since they were all so stubborn, I thought it would be better to just finish my wounds quickly. I reluctantly extended my hand with the ring to Kaiden.
Kaiden gently grasped my hand, then smiled mischievously and interlaced his fingers, pulling me slightly toward him.
I, who had been sitting on the wooden post, found myself standing up before I knew it. As if he'd been waiting, he wrapped his arms around my waist and his face drew dangerously close.
Just before his lips could touch my cheek, a large hand wedged itself between us and blocked the way.
"Rodban, what are you doing right now?"
A voice as sharp as frost settled through the air. Enoch was standing right beside me.
'Why is everyone so fast?'
Kaiden clicked his tongue and withdrew slightly from me.
Though he looked quite disappointed, under Enoch's menacing gaze, he had no choice but to focus diligently on treating my wounds.
As he placed his hand over my abdomen where the wound was, a bluish light poured forth, and along with a slightly cool sensation, the sharp pain gradually began to fade.
"Wow. That's amazing."
Normally, even with painkillers, there's a delay before the medication takes effect, but this—the pain simply vanished the moment the magic touched me.
'I want to learn magic too.'
Kaiden finished the healing spell without breaking a sweat. He smiled beautifully, then squeezed the hand he was holding before turning toward Enoch.
Enoch's white shirt was absolutely ruined. It hung in tatters, exposing his firm abdomen and sculpted muscles in patches across his chest.
'Now that I think about it, this is rather embarrassing.'
Though it seemed someone else was in greater need of a jacket.
"I think you should remove it. The shirt's so dirty it'll be troublesome to treat around it."
Kaiden examined Enoch from every angle, then clicked his tongue once.
Without a word, Enoch unfastened the buttons of his shirt one by one. I watched quietly as he peeled it away, when Kaiden glanced sideways at me.
"Margaret. Would you close your eyes?"
"Huh? Why?"
At my question, Kaiden's expression grew flustered.
"Well... you want to look?"
"It's not like he's removing his pants."
"Oh... right."
Kaiden nodded with a reluctant expression. In the meantime, Enoch had completely discarded his shirt, revealing his fierce, sculpted physique.
Muscles carved with divine precision and a powerful chest filled my vision.
Despite the blood and raw wounds covering his body, I couldn't shake the impression of a perfect statue.
A man's body could be this sensual.
The wound on his shoulder appeared most severe, yet Enoch sat with perfect composure, his bare form exposed, gazing up at Kaiden and me with serene calm.
His quiet golden eyes showed no disturbance whatsoever—as if he were someone incapable of feeling pain.
"This is quite serious."
Kaiden furrowed his brow, examined Enoch's wounds, then turned to me.
"This will require considerable mana. Will you be alright?"
I nodded and looked down at my ring-adorned hand clasped with his. The emerald stone glowed with a soft luminescence.
"I still have enough."
At my words, Kaiden nodded and picked up a thin twig. He began drawing a magic circle not on the ground, but in the air itself.
Following the twig's path, a blue luminous trail slashed through the empty space. It was truly a wondrous sight.
Magic circles are incredibly complex formulas. Even drawing them on the ground, I often make mistakes, yet here he was inscribing one in empty air where no lines could remain.
'Now that I think about it, he did mention being able to manifest magic circles conceived in his mind.'
Kaiden really is a genius after all.
But such leisurely thoughts lasted only a moment—mana drained from my body at a terrifyingly rapid pace.
Feeling my strength vanish in an instant, I drew a sharp breath.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org