So perhaps it was natural that they couldn’t bring a mage all the way here.

However, Bertel hesitated for a while as if he had something more to say, then asked her in a cautious voice.

“But Miss Pereira, what exactly happened to your body?”

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

Natalie was flustered. She hadn’t expected anyone to notice the tremendous change in her magical power.

But she soon considered another possibility in his question.

No. He might not be asking about magical power.

Since he asked what happened to her body, he might be asking how her fever was cured in just one day.

Natalie tilted her head as if she didn’t quite understand what he was talking about.

“Actually, I don’t know what happened either. I was sick the whole time, then suddenly felt better. When I opened my eyes this morning, I was completely fine.”

“I’m not asking about the pain you experienced last night.”

At that moment, McClain, who had been listening to their conversation with a furrowed brow, cut in with an anxious voice.

“Then what are you asking? Did you sense something strange about Miss Pereira?”

“Strange… isn’t quite right….”

“Then what? Don’t keep us in suspense, just say it.”

When Bertel hesitated as if finding it difficult to speak, McClain urged him. Bertel was lost in thought for a moment, then opened his mouth heavily.

“Hmm… first, please understand that I’m not completely certain of my judgment. But….”

“But?”

“Having once been part of a temple, I occasionally had opportunities to study ancient powers. In the current Empire, magical power and holy power are perceived as forces at opposite extremes, but it’s said that in the beginning, both magical power and holy power came from one force.”

“From the gods, you mean?”

“It would be more accurate to say from the omnipotent beings who ruled at that time, not just the gods.”

At Bertel’s answer, McClain let out a sound that could have been either a groan or a sigh.

“Hmm….”

“Over a long time, this view holds that it bifurcated into holy power and magical power. As a result, both holy power and magical power possess a certain incompleteness.”

“And?”

“At first, Miss Pereira’s magical power was like that too. She innately possessed a large amount of magical power, and its purity was high, but now….”

Bertel stopped speaking and looked at Natalie. McClain urged him to continue.

“Now what?”

“When I was at the temple, I once saw a relic that was said to faintly retain ancient power. It contained perfectly stabilized and orderly power. A flawless power without any gaps. And the power I sense from Miss Pereira now is exactly like that.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“From what I can sense, it’s almost identical to the power I felt from that relic stored in the temple warehouse.”

Having received a definite answer, McClain narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze toward Natalie.

It was a look asking if Bertel’s words were true, if she already knew, and why she hadn’t told him first about such an important fact.

Of course, Natalie hadn’t deliberately tried to hide the changes in her body.

She had been so shocked by McClain’s haggard face that she hadn’t thought to properly check her messages, and when she discovered some unexpected messages and tried to tell him, they were already in the presence of all the team members, so she couldn’t speak.

Moreover, the few messages she had checked during the conversation were mostly about leveling up or gaining skills.

She herself didn’t know she had gained such extraordinarily special power as Bertel described.

Natalie shook her head with an embarrassed expression and answered.

“I didn’t know that either. I did feel like my magical power had increased dramatically, but I didn’t have time to examine it in detail. As soon as I woke up, everyone rushed over and kept talking about how worried they had been….”

Being in the presence of all the team members, Natalie couldn’t say more than that.

She had checked the messages belatedly, but the team members had barged in just then, so she couldn’t discuss it with him first. She hadn’t checked all the messages yet, so they could look at them together later and discuss.

She couldn’t say that in front of everyone.

She felt oddly nervous seeing his expression, which looked subtly disappointed.

McClain looked at the flustered Natalie for a moment, then asked Bertel again.

“So, Bertel, are you trying to say that this power will have a negative effect on Miss Pereira?”

Bertel immediately denied it.

“No, that’s not it, but. Since this change occurred after the demon lord’s visit last night, I can’t help feeling a bit uneasy….”

McClain picked up on the doubt and anxiety in his tone.

“So you think it’s power transferred from the demon lord.”

“Yes. I’m concerned about possible mutations of the body later on….”

At the word “mutation” that escaped Bertel’s lips, Natalie’s brows furrowed this time. It generally meant turning into a monster.

But Natalie could guarantee that would never happen.

She knew exactly why the demon lord had transferred power to her. She had partly guided things in that direction herself.

Of course, she hadn’t expected her provocation to result in this outcome.

“That will absolutely never happen. I know that for certain.”

“Then why did the demon lord transfer his power to you, Miss Pereira? Are you saying you know the reason?”

“Yes, well….”

Natalie hesitated without finishing her sentence. She was uncertain how to explain the demon lord’s affection for her.

Unable to wait any longer, McClain pressed her.

“Please tell us. That way we can prepare accordingly, can’t we?”

“Actually… the demon lord wanted to take me to the demon realm.”

Hearing that, the small room instantly became chaotic. The excited team members began expressing their outrage, each throwing in their own comments.

“What, the demon realm?”

“The demon realm? Why would that bastard take the Miss to the demon realm?”

“How dare that bastard have such absurd desires….”

“So that’s why he secretly invaded a lady’s room like that….”

What calmed the commotion was a single firm and heavy statement from McClain.

“Everyone quiet. Miss Pereira, please continue.”

Natalie nibbled on her lip before carefully continuing.

“I’m not exactly sure, but he seemed to find me interesting. He acted like someone who had discovered an amusing toy.”

“A toy? How dare he!”

“What an ignorant bastard!”

As another commotion broke out, McClain raised his voice even higher than before.

“Silence! Everyone keep your mouths shut until Miss Pereira finishes her explanation.”

At his firm command, everyone clamped their mouths shut with a collective “hup.”

In the silence that followed, Natalie opened her mouth with an awkward expression.

“I told him I couldn’t go there in my weak state, so he should wait until I became capable enough, and he agreed.”

“What? So you were actually thinking of following him there?”

Munash couldn’t hold back and asked with a reddened face, as if scolding her. When Natalie made a bitter expression, McClain’s thundering voice immediately followed.

“Munash!”

As Munash closed his mouth with a sullen face, Natalie continued her explanation in a calm voice.

“I had no intention of following him. But I don’t have the ability to defeat the demon lord either. I just made that excuse to avoid being taken away immediately. Fortunately, that excuse worked, but it seems the impatient demon lord couldn’t wait long and did something.”

When she finished her explanation, the team members’ frozen expressions finally softened. Orlando opened his mouth in an understanding, sympathetic tone.

“So that’s why you ended up in that state. Your body struggled to handle the sudden influx of tremendous power.”

“And we didn’t even know…”

Then Bertel, whose complexion had brightened considerably, spoke in a somewhat excited voice.

“If what you’re saying is true, you now possess abilities that no mage in the Empire could match. I dare say you could easily overpower even the magic tower master if they came.”

“Is it that significant? I still can’t quite grasp it… It doesn’t even feel like I’ve completed a new circle… Huh?”

While saying this and checking the circle near her heart, Natalie’s eyes widened.

The circles that had formed around her heart had completely disappeared.

“What’s wrong? Did you discover something unusual?”

“Please tell us! What happened?”

Under the team members’ urging, Natalie spoke with undisguised bewilderment.

“The circles, the completed circles have all disappeared!”

“W-what! Does that mean you can no longer use magic?”

McClain asked with bulging eyes. At this, the others also began pouring out words. All voices carried anxiety, impatience, and concern for Natalie.

“Are you saying you’ve returned to being an ordinary person? But your magical power has increased enormously.”

“That can’t be possible, can it? Bertel, do you know anything more? You said you directly felt that power.”

At Jorel’s words, Orlando shook his head as if he’d heard something absurd and pressed Bertel.

However, Bertel seemed to know nothing more and could only give a weak answer.

“Well, I don’t know much about mages’ circles either…”

That’s when the Munash and Muki brothers stepped forward.

“Just try casting any magic, Miss. Then we can check right away.”