That made sense. The person who had cursed me was probably prepared for death, so they might have left behind a will, or at least a testament.
And it was highly likely that such an important thing would have been passed down to his children or disciples who could inherit the magical powers.
“But how do you find out who that person is?”
"Using the formula invented by the sorceress Serenity, we can trace the trajectory of magical energy. However, it will take about three months."
Three months wasn't bad. The next surge in demons would be a year later, and my death from this curse would be even later.
I nodded. I had more questions, but since I was planning to stay at the Magic Tower for a few days, I decided to postpone them until the next day. My body was exhausted from the various experiments I'd been doing before I could even recover from the toxins.
We were given a room on the upper floor of the tower. The fact that there was only one room, not two, was a bit disconcerting, but I couldn't say, "We'll have separate rooms," to Blay, who smiled brightly and said, "We're really close."
We had no choice but to enter a room. It was small, but unlike the chaotic atmosphere we'd seen so far, it was neat and quiet.
The ceiling and side table were illuminated by soft, stone-made lamps, creating a serene atmosphere. Our luggage was already neatly organized.
“Well, the room is nicer than I thought.”
I laughed awkwardly. I'd shared a bed with him before, but that was before we'd even acknowledged our feelings for each other, let alone confessed them. It was awkward at first, but I remember sleeping soundly afterwards, not even noticing him leave.
Julian smiled faintly, perhaps because he saw my confusion.
“Let me sleep on the sofa.”
“Huh? That’s ridiculous.”
"How can you sleep next to me when you look so scared? It's obvious you don't trust your husband."
“Oh, no! It’s the opposite! I’m afraid I’ll pounce on you...”
I felt like biting my tongue before I could even finish speaking. But when I thought about which of us had the shorter patience, the answer quickly came to me.
I covered my mouth and looked at Julian, and he soon let out a low laugh.
“I see. I’m the one in danger.”
Since it came to this, I decided to just go out.
“Yes. So I’ll sleep on the sofa. You’re the rabbit, and I’m the beast.”
The moment I spoke confidently, Julian hugged me tightly. I let out a short scream at the sudden action and hugged his neck.
Julian trudged over and laid me down on the bed. I looked up at him, my butt pressed against the soft sheets. Julian kissed my nose and said.
“Do I look like a rascal who lets his wife sleep on the sofa?”
Why my nose, not my forehead or cheek? Do I look like a child? I thought, fiddling with my nose. I spoke in a frustrated voice.
“The beast will sleep well, so lie down next to me and sleep, Mr. Rabbit.”
Julian smiled, lifting my hand and kissing the back of it.
“Yes, Madam Beast.”
Only then did we properly prepare for bed. We washed up, changed into pajamas, and drank some warm tea. Then we lay side by side on the bed and turned off the magic stone lamp, and a quiet darkness fell over the room.
I lay there staring at the ceiling, then carefully touched Julian's arm lying next to me.
"What's the matter?"
“I can’t sleep because I’m sleeping in an unfamiliar place.”
“Shall I turn on the light?”
I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me. Then I gave Julian a little tug on his arm. His arm tugged at my arm, and I lay down, resting my head on his arm.
“I think I’ll sleep better if I cut your arm.”
“I see.”
"I'm just kidding. You don't even know this. What can I do, you naive person?"
Julian's laughter could be heard from a short distance away. He always had a faint smile, so it was rare to see or hear that smile.
But as we sat so close together on the bed, I could feel his body trembling slightly. I felt as if my whole body was being immersed in warm water.
After this curse is healed, I want to have your baby. I'll give birth to a beautiful, healthy child and raise him with all my heart. We'll plant flower seeds together in the garden. We'll read bedtime stories together. Just as your mother loved you, I will...
A week or so passed by peacefully. Contrary to my initial wariness, Sylvia was a polite sorceress, and with her help, we were able to study curse-breaking without being noticed.
During the process, I had to draw blood once more, but this time it was a fairly large amount, which made Julian angry, but other than that, nothing much happened.
After I finished drawing my blood, I crunched on the cookie Sylvia handed me. I liked the refreshing taste, perhaps because it had yuzu in it.
One of the wizards brought teacups for three people, but I placed two in front of me and looked at Sylvia.
Sylvia put my blood in a vial, presumably made of Viscario, and said that the magic circle engraved on the vial would protect the blood from clotting.
“Sylvia, I have a question.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Do you know about the phenomenon of a sudden increase in the number of demons?”
“Yes, of course.”
It's said that demons originally existed everywhere on this continent. However, as humans settled here, they gradually lost their place, and now they are found only between borders or in sparsely populated forests.
However, historically, on very rare occasions, there have been instances where a sudden surge in demon numbers has occurred, causing a village to be overrun.
Even if the intervals were short, perhaps a few decades or even a few hundred years, the sudden surge of demons was no ordinary disaster. It was only natural that countless people would die each time.
However, research on it has been inadequate. Because it's such a rare occurrence, clues are hard to come by, and after several decades, the topic naturally lapses.
As far as I know, the last major surge in demons occurred about a hundred and fifty years ago. That was long enough for everyone to forget about it.
However, the tower was a closed space, and many of the things they discovered were never revealed to the world.
“Do wizards know the reason for the sudden increase in demonic numbers?”
I asked just in case, but Sylvia shook her head.
"That's a difficult problem even in the Magic Tower. The last major surge of demons occurred over a hundred and fifty years ago, so anyone who actually witnessed it is dead. Research based solely on records is limited, so I understand there hasn't been much progress."
"Yes."
Julian stared at me, sullen. Oh no, I'd forgotten to tell him in detail about the demonic subjugation that would occur a year later. The fight escalated as we talked, and we ended up crying and making a scene.
I patted the back of his hand under the table and asked Sylvia the rest.
“Then, is there something like an anomaly that occurs just before the number of demons increases?”
Sylvia's face remained impassive, but a small hint of doubt appeared.
“May I ask why Your Highness the Grand Duchess is curious about that?”
"Oh, I grew up in the borderlands and still live there, so I'm very wary of demons. I've seen countless people injured or killed by them. It would be a good thing if we could stop them in the first place."
Sylvia nodded, as if there was some truth to what I said.
"I respect you. The sad thing is, I don't know much about it. If there's a small anomaly... It's that an explosive increase in magical power occurs along with the demonic beast."
“Magic power increase?”
"Yes. That's why, after the demons are completely subdued, a magic tower is often erected in that spot. But that's all. I've read the records several times, but there's no clear evidence. What's even more puzzling is that the demons didn't gather there or secretly grow their power before reappearing on the surface. They literally appeared all at once, in large numbers."
How on earth could that be possible?
"I heard there's something called a portal among magic. Could it be that the demons are using something like that?"
"That may be true. But the demons aren't that intelligent, so if that's true, we'll have to face a more terrifying truth."
“...Then it would be like saying that humans moved the demonic hand.”
"Yes."
I wondered what kind of crazy person would do such a thing. But the world was full of evil people, and I knew it well. Evil people would kill for reasons beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
I was chatting with Sylvia and got up from my seat to eat.
“I want to eat meat now that I have had my blood drawn.”
“Tell them to bring the materials from outside.”
“Really? I like it.”
As we chatted, we crossed the space protected by the noise-blocking magic tool. A murmur of voices filled the air, almost squeezing our eardrums. One by one, two by two, dozens of mouths gathered together, each conversing, filling the space with chaos.
“What’s going on?”
Despite Julian's protests, I approached the wizards. One of them climbed onto the table, flashed a wet piece of paper, and shouted.
"A demon has appeared in the eastern Riar Plains! They're looking for volunteers for a demon subjugation operation!"
The moment I heard that story, something inside my head snapped to life. I felt a shiver of dizziness, as if my feet were covered in shards of glass. As I stumbled, Julian hurriedly caught me.
“That’s ridiculous.”
With trembling hands, I pushed Julian aside and stepped forward. I reached out to the wizard standing at the table. The chattering wizards, perhaps finding my actions strange, fell silent.
I received a letter from the wizard. It was wet from the rain outside, but the writing was legible.
"The demonic beasts have surged in the eastern Riar Plains, causing significant damage. We are seeking brave knights and magicians to join our operation to subdue the beasts. We sincerely hope you will provide us with sufficient resources. Those who join this operation and achieve victory will receive immense rewards."
And it was highly likely that such an important thing would have been passed down to his children or disciples who could inherit the magical powers.
“But how do you find out who that person is?”
"Using the formula invented by the sorceress Serenity, we can trace the trajectory of magical energy. However, it will take about three months."
Three months wasn't bad. The next surge in demons would be a year later, and my death from this curse would be even later.
I nodded. I had more questions, but since I was planning to stay at the Magic Tower for a few days, I decided to postpone them until the next day. My body was exhausted from the various experiments I'd been doing before I could even recover from the toxins.
We were given a room on the upper floor of the tower. The fact that there was only one room, not two, was a bit disconcerting, but I couldn't say, "We'll have separate rooms," to Blay, who smiled brightly and said, "We're really close."
We had no choice but to enter a room. It was small, but unlike the chaotic atmosphere we'd seen so far, it was neat and quiet.
The ceiling and side table were illuminated by soft, stone-made lamps, creating a serene atmosphere. Our luggage was already neatly organized.
“Well, the room is nicer than I thought.”
I laughed awkwardly. I'd shared a bed with him before, but that was before we'd even acknowledged our feelings for each other, let alone confessed them. It was awkward at first, but I remember sleeping soundly afterwards, not even noticing him leave.
Julian smiled faintly, perhaps because he saw my confusion.
“Let me sleep on the sofa.”
“Huh? That’s ridiculous.”
"How can you sleep next to me when you look so scared? It's obvious you don't trust your husband."
“Oh, no! It’s the opposite! I’m afraid I’ll pounce on you...”
I felt like biting my tongue before I could even finish speaking. But when I thought about which of us had the shorter patience, the answer quickly came to me.
I covered my mouth and looked at Julian, and he soon let out a low laugh.
“I see. I’m the one in danger.”
Since it came to this, I decided to just go out.
“Yes. So I’ll sleep on the sofa. You’re the rabbit, and I’m the beast.”
The moment I spoke confidently, Julian hugged me tightly. I let out a short scream at the sudden action and hugged his neck.
Julian trudged over and laid me down on the bed. I looked up at him, my butt pressed against the soft sheets. Julian kissed my nose and said.
“Do I look like a rascal who lets his wife sleep on the sofa?”
Why my nose, not my forehead or cheek? Do I look like a child? I thought, fiddling with my nose. I spoke in a frustrated voice.
“The beast will sleep well, so lie down next to me and sleep, Mr. Rabbit.”
Julian smiled, lifting my hand and kissing the back of it.
“Yes, Madam Beast.”
Only then did we properly prepare for bed. We washed up, changed into pajamas, and drank some warm tea. Then we lay side by side on the bed and turned off the magic stone lamp, and a quiet darkness fell over the room.
I lay there staring at the ceiling, then carefully touched Julian's arm lying next to me.
"What's the matter?"
“I can’t sleep because I’m sleeping in an unfamiliar place.”
“Shall I turn on the light?”
I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me. Then I gave Julian a little tug on his arm. His arm tugged at my arm, and I lay down, resting my head on his arm.
“I think I’ll sleep better if I cut your arm.”
“I see.”
"I'm just kidding. You don't even know this. What can I do, you naive person?"
Julian's laughter could be heard from a short distance away. He always had a faint smile, so it was rare to see or hear that smile.
But as we sat so close together on the bed, I could feel his body trembling slightly. I felt as if my whole body was being immersed in warm water.
After this curse is healed, I want to have your baby. I'll give birth to a beautiful, healthy child and raise him with all my heart. We'll plant flower seeds together in the garden. We'll read bedtime stories together. Just as your mother loved you, I will...
***
A week or so passed by peacefully. Contrary to my initial wariness, Sylvia was a polite sorceress, and with her help, we were able to study curse-breaking without being noticed.
During the process, I had to draw blood once more, but this time it was a fairly large amount, which made Julian angry, but other than that, nothing much happened.
After I finished drawing my blood, I crunched on the cookie Sylvia handed me. I liked the refreshing taste, perhaps because it had yuzu in it.
One of the wizards brought teacups for three people, but I placed two in front of me and looked at Sylvia.
Sylvia put my blood in a vial, presumably made of Viscario, and said that the magic circle engraved on the vial would protect the blood from clotting.
“Sylvia, I have a question.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Do you know about the phenomenon of a sudden increase in the number of demons?”
“Yes, of course.”
It's said that demons originally existed everywhere on this continent. However, as humans settled here, they gradually lost their place, and now they are found only between borders or in sparsely populated forests.
However, historically, on very rare occasions, there have been instances where a sudden surge in demon numbers has occurred, causing a village to be overrun.
Even if the intervals were short, perhaps a few decades or even a few hundred years, the sudden surge of demons was no ordinary disaster. It was only natural that countless people would die each time.
However, research on it has been inadequate. Because it's such a rare occurrence, clues are hard to come by, and after several decades, the topic naturally lapses.
As far as I know, the last major surge in demons occurred about a hundred and fifty years ago. That was long enough for everyone to forget about it.
However, the tower was a closed space, and many of the things they discovered were never revealed to the world.
“Do wizards know the reason for the sudden increase in demonic numbers?”
I asked just in case, but Sylvia shook her head.
"That's a difficult problem even in the Magic Tower. The last major surge of demons occurred over a hundred and fifty years ago, so anyone who actually witnessed it is dead. Research based solely on records is limited, so I understand there hasn't been much progress."
"Yes."
Julian stared at me, sullen. Oh no, I'd forgotten to tell him in detail about the demonic subjugation that would occur a year later. The fight escalated as we talked, and we ended up crying and making a scene.
I patted the back of his hand under the table and asked Sylvia the rest.
“Then, is there something like an anomaly that occurs just before the number of demons increases?”
Sylvia's face remained impassive, but a small hint of doubt appeared.
“May I ask why Your Highness the Grand Duchess is curious about that?”
"Oh, I grew up in the borderlands and still live there, so I'm very wary of demons. I've seen countless people injured or killed by them. It would be a good thing if we could stop them in the first place."
Sylvia nodded, as if there was some truth to what I said.
"I respect you. The sad thing is, I don't know much about it. If there's a small anomaly... It's that an explosive increase in magical power occurs along with the demonic beast."
“Magic power increase?”
"Yes. That's why, after the demons are completely subdued, a magic tower is often erected in that spot. But that's all. I've read the records several times, but there's no clear evidence. What's even more puzzling is that the demons didn't gather there or secretly grow their power before reappearing on the surface. They literally appeared all at once, in large numbers."
How on earth could that be possible?
"I heard there's something called a portal among magic. Could it be that the demons are using something like that?"
"That may be true. But the demons aren't that intelligent, so if that's true, we'll have to face a more terrifying truth."
“...Then it would be like saying that humans moved the demonic hand.”
"Yes."
I wondered what kind of crazy person would do such a thing. But the world was full of evil people, and I knew it well. Evil people would kill for reasons beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
I was chatting with Sylvia and got up from my seat to eat.
“I want to eat meat now that I have had my blood drawn.”
“Tell them to bring the materials from outside.”
“Really? I like it.”
As we chatted, we crossed the space protected by the noise-blocking magic tool. A murmur of voices filled the air, almost squeezing our eardrums. One by one, two by two, dozens of mouths gathered together, each conversing, filling the space with chaos.
“What’s going on?”
Despite Julian's protests, I approached the wizards. One of them climbed onto the table, flashed a wet piece of paper, and shouted.
"A demon has appeared in the eastern Riar Plains! They're looking for volunteers for a demon subjugation operation!"
The moment I heard that story, something inside my head snapped to life. I felt a shiver of dizziness, as if my feet were covered in shards of glass. As I stumbled, Julian hurriedly caught me.
“That’s ridiculous.”
With trembling hands, I pushed Julian aside and stepped forward. I reached out to the wizard standing at the table. The chattering wizards, perhaps finding my actions strange, fell silent.
I received a letter from the wizard. It was wet from the rain outside, but the writing was legible.
"The demonic beasts have surged in the eastern Riar Plains, causing significant damage. We are seeking brave knights and magicians to join our operation to subdue the beasts. We sincerely hope you will provide us with sufficient resources. Those who join this operation and achieve victory will receive immense rewards."
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