Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 48

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Chesire read the crookedly written reply like that of a child’s handwriting several times. As he pondered over each meaning, Belinda’s words suddenly came to mind.

“Chesire, can anyone learn dark magic… if they set their mind to it?”

“Ah.”

It was more the realm of instinct than reason.

Chesire hastily pulled out a volume from the bookshelf and flipped through the pages.

Since there couldn’t be any room for error, Chesire had carefully written the soul magic circle on paper and hid it between the pages, modifying it gradually.

It should have been hidden among these books.

“No, it can’t be.”

No matter how much he searched, it was nowhere to be found.

Chesire quickly checked the time.

The second hand, like the blade of a guillotine, ticked away, marking the moment of midnight.

Feeling a dreadful helplessness, Chesire lost consciousness right then and there.

***

It is a night of many thoughts.

Following Chesire’s advice, I kept Terry and Sir Penadel by my side and tried to focus on the book, but the letters seemed overwhelming.

Tonight, the fate of Chesire and Keith is divided.

Whether they will face an ending like <Hirome> or show a new change, even I couldn’t know.

“Because of Master’s sigh, phew, the ground might open up.”

Terry, who was tending to her weapon while lying face down on the couch, said as she blew her breath on the blade.

Terry seemed quite calm.

Unable to casually discuss Chesire’s situation, I brought up any topic that came to my mind.

The response came out of nowhere.

“Where did you hear that?”

Sit Penadel, who had remained silent, spoke on Terry’s behalf.

I realized immediately that Keith had not been mistaken when he pointed to my choker and said it was a magic stone.

Sir Penadel’s gaze lingered on my choker honestly long enough to make me think so, and then he looked away hastily.

I had never come across a magic stone in all my years of <Hirome>.

“If it’s a magic stone, it can’t be a simple gem, what’s its main use?”

“It’s used to seal magic power…….”

Sealing magic?

“But Chesire said I don’t have any magic…”

Feeling suspicious, I unconsciously fiddled with the pendant’s gem.

Suddenly, the gem made a crisp sound, and then a stinging pain was felt at my fingertips.

I looked at my bleeding index finger, which was cut by the shattered fragments, with a helpless expression.

Wait, why did the gem break just by touching it?

“My lady, stay like this for a moment.”

Just then, Sir Penadel pulled me to my feet abruptly and glanced over my shoulder.

My shadow, to be precise.

It was close to midnight.

No windows were open, so of course there was no breeze in the mansion.

Nevertheless, my hair swayed gently in the breeze.

“……?”

Sir Penadel’s gaze followed my shadow.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

“I am most uneasy when Sir Penadel speaks like that…….”

The last word stuck in my throat.

It was because Sir Penadel had slung me over his shoulder like a package.

“Terry, guard the manor.”

Sir Penadell turned to Terry and said one sentence. He said only that, then turned around and started running out of the manor.

If you’re going to carry me, carry me properly, or carry me in princess style!

…..The complaint was immediately absorbed when I saw my shadow wriggling ominously.

Of the long shadows stretching behind us, only mine was seething, its boundaries distorted and messed up.

Then, like a heavily shaken carbonated drink exploding, numerous crows came pouring out.

‘Crazy!’

“Shit.”

I elegantly cursed, and like urging a racehorse with a whip, I beat Penadel’s back.

Run, Sir Penadel. Run!

***

The Blanche annex was in chaos due to an untimely attack by a swarm of crows.

From a distance, the ominous cries echoed, and an enormous number of shadow crows filled the sky.

Cedric calmly confronted the situation before him.

On the day of the shadow raven attack, the main body must have settled into Belinda’s shadow.

Normally, a creature that consumed darkness and grew its body would escape from the shadow, but the problem was Belinda’s magic stone.

The stone, which sealed magic, had trapped the crows, which used magic as vitality, within her shadow.

Naturally, due to the influence of the stone, Cedric also couldn’t sense the presence of the creatures.

And when the magic stone, which could no longer suppress the magic power of the creatures that had grown in the darkness, was compromised, the situation unfolded.

Cedric deeply regretted his grave mistake to Belinda.

“I apologize, my lady.”

“Look ahead.”

Even with numerous creatures in front of her, Belinda coldly responded to Cedric, who apologized while looking at her.

Ascending a winding mountain road at a speed of 200 km/h, it felt like being a passenger in a car where the driver, instead of keeping an eye on the road, had both eyes closed.

“Since it happened due to my negligence, please officially protest to Baluasten. I will accept any punishment sternly.”

“Look ahead!”

I got it, so look ahead! Like a reckless driver without a license!!

Eventually, Belinda shouted out in frustration.

They were now at the end of the graveyard behind the annex, with their backs leaning against a massive wall.

They could escape over the wall, but outside was a road teeming with people. They couldn’t risk getting involved with innocent civilians. Moreover, fortunately, or unfortunately, it was abundantly clear what the creatures were targeting.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of red eyes were relentlessly focused on Belinda alone.

“Well, my lady, please don’t move from that spot.”

She couldn’t move even if she wanted to, and after a moment’s hesitation, Cedric took the light coat he was wearing and draped it over her.

“It’s getting cold.”

With that brief comment, Cedric stood in front of Belinda.

Belinda looked at Cedric’s broad back with a bewildered expression.

When Cedric, who was contemplating for a moment, handed Belinda the light coat he was wearing, she took a moment, stunned by the cold sensation in her hand, and then quickly removed her hand.

“Oh?”

The exhaled breath turned into frost. By the time Belinda realized it, the whole world seemed to have frozen into a white winter.

The grass and trees, everything shattered at the slightest touch, were frozen transparently.

In this world painted white as if winter had arrived, Cedric and Belinda were the only ones with color.

When he unsheathed his sword, a white crescent moon appeared in the sky like a sudden moonrise.

In Belinda’s eyes, the swordsmanship merely appeared as a black streak cutting through the sky.

Soon, frozen bodies of creatures fell like hail.

It was undeniably an overwhelming force.

‘This is just a northern knight?’

Nonsense. In Belinda’s opinion, it wasn’t even comparable to the swordsmanship of the Royal Knights.

Cedric steadily reduced the number of creatures, not letting a single one slip past him. Then, in a moment when hope seemed to be in sight, a distinct flapping sound of wings was heard.

Not in front of Cedric, but behind Belinda.

“……!”

Turning around, Belinda saw a crow-like creature emerging from her own shadow as if emerging from a swamp.

As if it had been waiting for an opportunity, the last creature, hidden until now, revealed itself.

In the instinctive realization that it was the main body of the creature, Cedric reached out his hand.

The sharp beak of the creature, rushing towards Belinda’s eyes, was about to pierce Cedric’s hand, which he had extended to protect her.

“Cedric!”

The magical inscription that Cheshire had placed on Belinda’s magic stone briefly shimmered and emitted light.

“It wasn’t a spell I cast to protect the capable knight of my master.”

When the white shimmering light disappeared, what appeared before Belinda’s eyes was a crow-like creature entangled in golden threads, struggling to move.

As she breathed heavily, a visible white frost formed in the air.

Belinda turned to look at Cheshire, who had appeared silently.

Cheshire descended gracefully through the air, like a whale swimming in the ocean.

Cheshire’s eye, which had always been surrounded by a faint golden frame, shone brighter than ever.

“How….”

Whether it was due to belated fear or the cold, Belinda’s hand trembled slightly.

Cheshire stood right behind Belinda, gently holding her frozen hand.

“Remember? When I offered to check your magical power, I said your magical container was empty at that time.”

She remembered. That’s why Belinda thought she had no magical power. But…

“That was only half true. ‘Back then,’ it was completely empty, but now, after the magic stone is broken, there’s a shimmering amount of magical power.”

“What?”

“So, it’s a supplementary lesson, master. Oh, and dear knight, could you handle the remaining remnants during the lesson?”

Cheshire’s hand closed over the back of Belinda’s, squeezing it and bringing it to the squirming creature.

The warmth from Cheshire’s hand seemed to spread throughout her body.

No, it wasn’t an illusion. The warm energy, like dipping cold fingertips into warm water, flowed through her veins.

“It’s my magical power. Think of it as feeling the flow and gathering it at your fingertips.”

Cheshire’s voice, like flower petals falling gently onto a calm lake, softly stimulated Belinda’s ears.

In Belinda’s violet eyes, a faint golden light appeared, and a peculiar magical rune manifested in front of her outstretched hand as if sparks were dancing.

Cheshire poured pure magical power into Belinda’s magical container, like spring rain on dry soil.

The area affected by the spell felt as if it was thawing, just like when frozen skin started to tingle.

“You don’t have to try to understand what kind of magic this is, Master.”

As Cheshire slowly withdrew his hand, Belinda did not retract her outstretched hand.

In an instant, Cheshire interpreted the magical rune that appeared at Belinda’s fingertips and gently guided her.

“This ability already has a magical rune engraved in that magical power. So, it’s not just ordinary magical power. Therefore, you simply need to concentrate your magical power into your body…”

Cheshire’s voice gradually became indistinct.

Belinda seemed to instinctively know what she needed to do.

Like a child who sees fire for the first time and doesn’t know how hot it is, she fearlessly touches the creature in front of her.

Boom!

Chains of light, glowing a brilliant golden color, bound the creature’s entire body from all sides.

Belinda’s eyes, shining with a pure golden light, stared directly at the creature before her.

The creature’s movements slowed to a crawl as it struggled against the chains.

‘Brainwash it by giving it a name.’

It was as if someone was whispering that into her ear.

Belinda nodded silently and whispered softly.

“Obey me.”

Her words became a spell, binding the creature in front of her.

The once fierce red eyes of the crow, soaked with vitality, momentarily softened as it looked at Belinda.

The monster’s pitch-black magic rose up her arm, pooled on the top of her head, tangled, and created a faint crown-like shape.

“From now on, I will call you Kao.”

The moment she named the creature, the taut magical chains as if about to break at any moment, suddenly snapped.

Overwhelmed by a tremendous force, Belinda staggered, and as if waiting for that moment, Cheshire embraced her.

In the night sky above, ice crystals summoned by Cedric fell like snow.

“Cheshire.”

“Yes, master.”

“Did you receive a response from Keith?”

Cheshire didn’t answer.

However, Belinda thought the smile at the corner of his mouth seemed to provide an answer.