The Holy Lady, The Curse - Chapter 7 Part 3
Seiden barely swallowed his feelings that felt like they would explode from frustration, and held onto his reason with a sigh. There was something more important than those things now.
“…Do you think this could happen again?”
Yebar confidently shook his head.
“That won’t be the case. No matter how great someone is, they can’t use this level of power periodically.”
“Even if another Demon God Stone exists?”
“Yes, they might be able to use other types of magic. But not the same magic. It might be hard for you to understand, but magical power is designed that way. Maybe after about 10 years have passed. Not right away.”
Seiden’s tightly constricted breathing eased a little at Yebar’s firm answer. If there was a possibility of this happening again, he would have to spend all his time by Bellota’s side from now on. If that happened, there wouldn’t be time to search for the Demon God Book.
However, Seiden’s thoughts evaporated without a trace at Yebar’s next words.
“And there probably won’t be a full moon next month.”
Though his voice seemed nonchalant, Seiden’s breath stopped at those words.
“What did you just say?”
“Huh? Oh. I said there won’t be a full moon next month?”
“Are you sure?”
When Seiden asked sharply, almost ferociously, Yebar nodded while pretending to be flustered.
“Yes, that’s likely. Dark magic is still magic after all, so it must follow the absolute rules of magic, and in magic, there are inviolables that shouldn’t be touched. Things like massive natural phenomena. It’s natural that there’s an impact after using something immutable that was scheduled.”
Yebar’s voice was quite serious as he explained.
“It’s the same principle as why mages don’t use magic to make it rain even during a drought. Because after a brief shower, they would have to endure an even longer drought. This isn’t a guess or anything. It’s an established rule. Of course, the magic tower wouldn’t share this with the imperial family.”
At that logic, Seiden’s heart started beating again. That meant that next month, Bellota could be freed from that damned curse, even if just for a very brief moment. Realizing this, he felt a mix of relief and at the same time, a contradictory emotion. For a moment, the image of Bellota in his arms flashed before his eyes. Bellota’s soft face as she cried, leaning on him completely…
Damn it, you crazy bastard. You pervert.
As Seiden gritted his molars, spewing savage curses at himself for feeling regret in this situation, Yebar, who noticed this intense change, observed him intently with eyes tinged with a sinister curiosity.
“The one who moved the moon would have known that too, right?”
When Seiden, who had barely suppressed his inner turmoil, asked calmly, Yebar quickly averted his gaze from him and nodded.
“A mage of this level of skill would have certainly known. But why would something like the full moon not rising next month be important?”
Seiden looked into empty space with an ambiguous gaze. Seiden and Bellota were assuming that the one who moved the moon knew about her curse. The probability was high.
Yebar glanced at Seiden’s fiercely crumpled face, then soon spoke with a calm sigh.
“Don’t we have something more important right now?”
His voice was somewhat secretive. Hearing that voice, Seiden’s gaze, which had been glaring into space, shifted to Yebar. Meeting Seiden’s eyes, Yebar smiled slightly and then clapped his hands a couple of times, summoning a table and chairs between them.
“This conversation seems like it will be long, so it would be better to sit first.”
Nevertheless, Seiden stood like a wooden statue, not budging an inch, and stared at Yebar. In response that suspicious gaze, Yebar frowned as if wronged.
“Ah, really! I need to tell you about the Demon God Book, don’t I? Are you not going to listen?”
Seiden moved reluctantly and took a seat at the table covered with an excessively ornate tablecloth. Only then did Yebar, satisfied, sit down across from Seiden and snap his fingers again. Then, on the table appeared two sets of teapots and teacups with flower petals drawn on them, too bright for men to use.
“You’ll remember the records I sent you last time. I suspect the mage who appeared in the Alkeria count family during that period.”
Yebar began, skillfully picking up the teapot and pouring tea into the two teacups in turn. Seiden silently listened to his words, watching as the pale crimson tea filled the teacups.
“There’s a high probability that he still has the Demon God Book.”
Of course, Seiden agreed with that. The dramatic appearance of a mage possessing the Demon God Book followed by the family’s extermination, it was only natural.
Yebar slid one teacup in front of Seiden and continued speaking.
“I’m in the process of finding and investigating the servants who worked at the Alkeria house 45 years ago, and I’ve found out some information about him. He’s an old man whose age is impossible to gauge, estimated to be at least 100 years old 45 years ago, and no one except the Count has seen his face. Suspicious indeed.”
Over 100 years old 45 years ago. Seiden frowned.
“Is that person even still alive? He might be dead by now.”
“Yes, that’s possible, or it might not be. I’m not sure how excellent a mage he is, but in the case of truly skilled mages, there are instances where they extend their lifespan through extraordinary methods. Or even if he’s dead, finding him is the only way to trace the whereabouts of the Demon God Book now, so we have no choice.”
Seiden had to agree with Yebar’s words. It was amusing that they had to hope that this so-called mage had extended his life through some method.
Soon, Yebar took out a yellow magic stone from his pocket and waved it.
“It seems you’re quite lucky, Sir. I found someone I had been searching for for years after you visited.”
Seiden’s eyes narrowed indifferently upon seeing the yellow magic stone. Seiden also knew the use of that magic stone. It was a magic stone that stored memories.
“These are the memories of an old woman who worked as a nanny at the Alkeria house for decades. She’s suffering from dementia now, so extracting the memories was difficult. Can you imagine how hard and challenging it was for me? Without high-level magic, it would never have been…”
“Did you find anything decisive from those memories?”
Seiden cut off Yebar’s words, which were mixed with laments and boasts, and asked firmly. Yebar, though trembling with his fist in frustration at having his words cut off repeatedly, nodded.
“Yes, I did.”
At those words, Seiden’s Adam’s apple moved low. Seiden snatched the magic stone from Yebar’s hand and examined it closely. Geril, dark magic… those things weren’t the priority now. What was important to him now was Bellota above all else, and only the method to break her curse.
“Due to the memory’s owner having dementia, it’s intermittent, but after piecing together the memories, it seems the Alkeria family was keeping a holy relic as a family heirloom.”
Seiden’s eyes hardened.
A holy relic referred to a magic stone containing the power of a god. Given to humans who carried out God’s will long ago, even before records existed, their forms and functions varied, but all contained sacred power that could never be achieved by human strength.
Yebar continued speaking.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out the capabilities of the holy relic they were keeping. No matter how much I tried to find out, the nanny’s memory wouldn’t yield it. Well, the nobles probably didn’t share the secret of the holy relic with the nanny. But I was able to find out something important.”
Yebar’s eyes sparkled.
“Namely, that the holy relic was stolen a few days before the Count of Alkeria died.”
Hearing up to that point, Seiden could also figure out what Yebar was trying to say.
“You think that mage was the culprit?”
Yebar, who had spilled out too much information, lifted his teacup as if his throat was parched, took a sip, and nodded leisurely.
“Given the circumstances, it’s likely. So we can make an obvious assumption here. That mage approached the Count’s family initially aiming for this holy relic. And probably, the mage Balok also likely possessed a holy relic. Since he’s a capable mage, the probability is even higher.”
Seiden took a low breath and calmly organized Yebar’s words.
That so-called mage approached Valroc and Count Alkeria targeting the holy relic and used the Demon God Book to obtain it. If so, he’s someone who reacts to ‘holy relics’, and conversely, if there’s a holy relic, it might be possible to lure him.
It was all just vague speculation, but Seiden was even desperate for that now.
“Finding out the function of the holy relic they possessed would be the best method. Because we can figure out what he wanted and chase after him.”
Seiden nodded heavily.
It was correct. Holy relics were precious, but they weren’t excessively rare. Although not publicly disclosed, it was clear that the Grand Temple alone kept more than five holy relics. So what was important was the ‘function’ of the holy relic he targeted. If we could just find that out, it would be much easier to find that mage who might possess the Demon God Book.
