Episode 64. Strange Side Effects
"Near the border?"
"Yes."
Lacrahan took Bercheria's hand.
The warmth from her fingertips seemed to calm his mind.
Even now, his body yearned to explore her more deeply. He wanted to touch her lips, hug her, even touch her childishly.
But even just this touch made Bercheria shy.
He didn't want to surprise her by suddenly reaching out.
This was enough recharge for both of them today.
"Is there a reason?"
Lacrahan didn't elaborate.
"I think there's information there that could be helpful to the gods."
Talk of long-standing love and fate was too much for Bercheria right now.
It had only been a few hours since she'd regained her powers as the Goddess of Weather, and he didn't want to give her anything to think about.
"Really?"
"Yes. After all, there's a limit to how long we can stay here."
Lacrahan let go of Bercheria's hand and stood up.
Just the disappearance of that brief warmth suddenly filled his chest with emptiness. Ever since he'd admitted out loud that he liked Bercheria, whenever he looked back, his heart had grown, and then again, it had snowballed.
Having never liked anyone before, he couldn't tell if this was normal or not.
"I'm going to grab some breakfast. If you wait here for a moment..."
Lacrahan, about to go outside to check, felt a strange, indescribable feeling.
"...?"
He turned around and saw Bercheria collapsed on the floor, spitting blood from her mouth.
"Bercheria!"
Lacrahan approached and hugged her.
The moment he did, he heard something burst inside his heart.
"I'm really worried about the side effects. Will I be okay?"
Laurent's legs were shaking nervously.
After Bercheria fell from the cliff and Lacrahan jumped into the sea to rescue her, Laurent hadn't seen anything.
Beloveye, looking down from his nest, must have seen something more, but he didn't tell Laurent what the two did next.
"What?"
Beloveye replied vaguely and focused on the view from Lacrahan's castle.
Despite Lacrahan's sudden disappearance, the northern knights remained completely unfazed. They calmly held their ground.
“Hmm. Even a small arrow can wreak havoc, so what if you get hit by something that massive? Will you be able to see anything?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Beloveye snapped his fingers in the air.
“A side effect where you can’t see anything but the woman in front of you.”
“Huh.”
Lacrahan clutched his heart and gasped for breath at the sudden pain.
“Lacrahan, are you okay?”
It felt like his heart had burst inside him and then been pieced back together again.
Why is this happening?
For a moment, his mind went blank, and his heart seemed to surge up to his throat, beating beneath him.
“Lacrahan.”
His dazed eyes became clear again at the sound of a voice calling him. He had momentarily forgotten about Bercheria.
He needed to see what had happened to the woman who had just collapsed, coughing up blood.
He clutched his heart that was about to burst and looked at Bercheria.
“Bercheria. Blood...”
“I’m okay. I think something went wrong.”
She looked at him with wide eyes and wiped her bloody lips with the back of her hand.
Red lips, flattened against the back of her hand, then plump and spring back to life.
Lacrahan's heart pounded at the sight.
"Why, your lips..."
"Huh? Lacrahan. What do you mean? Are you okay?"
The moment she grabbed Lacrahan's arm with a worried expression, another bang sounded, and his heart exploded.
"Ugh!"
A pain even more intense than before struck him.
"What the hell is this?"
Lacrahan was confused.
Every nerve in his body felt like it was on edge, focused on Bercheria.
He had clearly had things to do just now, things that seemed quite important, but he couldn't remember any of them.
He just wanted to spend the whole day here, holding Bercheria.
Being held in the arms of the woman he loved felt like time would pass without a trace.
"But if that's what you want, why not? Why wouldn't you?"
"Lacrahan. Are you sure you're okay?"
Bercheria, who was carefully examining him, had the ring he had given her on her finger.
The woman he loved was now in front of him, wearing the ring he had given her.
There were only Lacrahan and Bercheria here, just the two of them.
They really were just the two of them.
“I don’t know why I have to endure this.”
Bark, bark— bark!
Groovy crouched at the entrance to the vast forest that stretched behind Lacrahan’s castle.
He was observing the wild dogs roaming the forest.
Given the cold climate of the north, the wild dogs here were practically wolves.
They roamed in packs of a few, the largest packs numbering over ten. They were all ferocious and rough.
Within two hours of observing the wild dogs, Groovy had witnessed a fight between them and a dog that had been eaten by each other.
They were incredibly violent.
“But is that really good for me?”
He rethought the question several times, but each time, his conclusion changed.
He felt he had to do whatever it took to avoid the dungeon, and he wondered if it was right to kill others to survive.
The only silver lining was that he'd never actually met the woman named Bercheria.
If he had, or even met her, he would never have helped the dogs catch her.
"I'm sorry. But I have to live, too."
If she knew how horrible the dungeons were, she'd understand.
He sat blankly, staring into space, until suddenly a barking noise from the air brought him back to his senses. Bercheria frowned at the sudden remark.
"Lacrahan. What do you mean?"
"Near the border?"
"Yes."
Lacrahan took Bercheria's hand.
The warmth from her fingertips seemed to calm his mind.
Even now, his body yearned to explore her more deeply. He wanted to touch her lips, hug her, even touch her childishly.
But even just this touch made Bercheria shy.
He didn't want to surprise her by suddenly reaching out.
This was enough recharge for both of them today.
"Is there a reason?"
Lacrahan didn't elaborate.
"I think there's information there that could be helpful to the gods."
Talk of long-standing love and fate was too much for Bercheria right now.
It had only been a few hours since she'd regained her powers as the Goddess of Weather, and he didn't want to give her anything to think about.
"Really?"
"Yes. After all, there's a limit to how long we can stay here."
Lacrahan let go of Bercheria's hand and stood up.
Just the disappearance of that brief warmth suddenly filled his chest with emptiness. Ever since he'd admitted out loud that he liked Bercheria, whenever he looked back, his heart had grown, and then again, it had snowballed.
Having never liked anyone before, he couldn't tell if this was normal or not.
"I'm going to grab some breakfast. If you wait here for a moment..."
Lacrahan, about to go outside to check, felt a strange, indescribable feeling.
"...?"
He turned around and saw Bercheria collapsed on the floor, spitting blood from her mouth.
"Bercheria!"
Lacrahan approached and hugged her.
The moment he did, he heard something burst inside his heart.
***
"I'm really worried about the side effects. Will I be okay?"
Laurent's legs were shaking nervously.
After Bercheria fell from the cliff and Lacrahan jumped into the sea to rescue her, Laurent hadn't seen anything.
Beloveye, looking down from his nest, must have seen something more, but he didn't tell Laurent what the two did next.
"What?"
Beloveye replied vaguely and focused on the view from Lacrahan's castle.
Despite Lacrahan's sudden disappearance, the northern knights remained completely unfazed. They calmly held their ground.
The problem, however, was the Emperor and his entourage, who were on edge.
With the sudden return of the protective aura, the mood would shift not only in the north but throughout Periat. In that case, the role of those guarding the center would be crucial.
The north was magnificent, and the Emperor's capital was already in chaos.
With the sudden return of the protective aura, the mood would shift not only in the north but throughout Periat. In that case, the role of those guarding the center would be crucial.
The north was magnificent, and the Emperor's capital was already in chaos.
"What side effects did you say?"
Beloveye leaned against the window frame and turned to Laurent.
"Nothing much. She might vomit some blood, feel dizzy, and collapse. In severe cases, she might even die. Surely that wouldn't happen?"
Laurent's mouth fell open.
"Does that make sense? If someone just sits there and starts vomiting blood, huh? That's a big problem. And for someone as fragile as Bercheria!"
The problem isn't Bercheria being weak, but rather her element being water. All potions are made with the magician's fire element, so side effects are bound to be severe. Most potions aren't made for positive effects, but rather for revenge or damage, so side effects shouldn't be a problem.
"Do you know how to avoid side effects?"
"Since Lakrahan is a descendant of a family with ice attributes, it'll be fine. They seem to get along well, so they'll handle it. However..."
"However?"
Beloveye thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I doubt that would happen."
"What makes you think that would happen?"
"I mean, Laktrahan. There's no chance that Bercheria would be so in love with him that she'd lose her mind, right?"
"I don't quite understand what that means."
"A long time ago, a man with ice properties was treating side effects for money. Then, a pretty woman came in for treatment."
"So."
"I guess she was his type? That's why his heart raced while he was treating her. He liked her."
"And then?"
Beloveye thought, recalling the moment.
"Laurent. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be struck by Cupid's arrow?"
“Hmm. Even a small arrow can wreak havoc, so what if you get hit by something that massive? Will you be able to see anything?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Beloveye snapped his fingers in the air.
“A side effect where you can’t see anything but the woman in front of you.”
***
“Huh.”
Lacrahan clutched his heart and gasped for breath at the sudden pain.
“Lacrahan, are you okay?”
It felt like his heart had burst inside him and then been pieced back together again.
Why is this happening?
For a moment, his mind went blank, and his heart seemed to surge up to his throat, beating beneath him.
“Lacrahan.”
His dazed eyes became clear again at the sound of a voice calling him. He had momentarily forgotten about Bercheria.
He needed to see what had happened to the woman who had just collapsed, coughing up blood.
He clutched his heart that was about to burst and looked at Bercheria.
“Bercheria. Blood...”
“I’m okay. I think something went wrong.”
She looked at him with wide eyes and wiped her bloody lips with the back of her hand.
Red lips, flattened against the back of her hand, then plump and spring back to life.
Lacrahan's heart pounded at the sight.
"Why, your lips..."
"Huh? Lacrahan. What do you mean? Are you okay?"
The moment she grabbed Lacrahan's arm with a worried expression, another bang sounded, and his heart exploded.
"Ugh!"
A pain even more intense than before struck him.
"What the hell is this?"
Lacrahan was confused.
Every nerve in his body felt like it was on edge, focused on Bercheria.
He had clearly had things to do just now, things that seemed quite important, but he couldn't remember any of them.
He just wanted to spend the whole day here, holding Bercheria.
Being held in the arms of the woman he loved felt like time would pass without a trace.
"But if that's what you want, why not? Why wouldn't you?"
"Lacrahan. Are you sure you're okay?"
Bercheria, who was carefully examining him, had the ring he had given her on her finger.
The woman he loved was now in front of him, wearing the ring he had given her.
There were only Lacrahan and Bercheria here, just the two of them.
They really were just the two of them.
“I don’t know why I have to endure this.”
***
Bark, bark— bark!
Groovy crouched at the entrance to the vast forest that stretched behind Lacrahan’s castle.
He was observing the wild dogs roaming the forest.
Given the cold climate of the north, the wild dogs here were practically wolves.
They roamed in packs of a few, the largest packs numbering over ten. They were all ferocious and rough.
Within two hours of observing the wild dogs, Groovy had witnessed a fight between them and a dog that had been eaten by each other.
They were incredibly violent.
“But is that really good for me?”
He rethought the question several times, but each time, his conclusion changed.
He felt he had to do whatever it took to avoid the dungeon, and he wondered if it was right to kill others to survive.
The only silver lining was that he'd never actually met the woman named Bercheria.
If he had, or even met her, he would never have helped the dogs catch her.
"I'm sorry. But I have to live, too."
If she knew how horrible the dungeons were, she'd understand.
"By any chance, locking me up in a dungeon... wouldn't be that."
***
He sat blankly, staring into space, until suddenly a barking noise from the air brought him back to his senses. Bercheria frowned at the sudden remark.
"Lacrahan. What do you mean?"
"I don't understand. Why are we suffering like this now?"
"...Huh?"
The man, who had just moments ago been listing his tasks with a rational expression, suddenly let out a slur, his eyes drowsy and mumbling nonsense. Bercheria looked around in bewilderment, wondering if Lacrahan had eaten something wrong, like she had after eating the cookie.
"Lacrahan. Can you see me?"
“Yeah, look. Hurry up. It’s okay to look at a lot.”
She grabbed his trembling cheeks and brought them closer to her eyes.
Lacrahan, delighted with the feel of his cheeks, continued to rub his face against her palms.
“Lacrahan!”
Bercheria’s firm voice made Lacrahan meet her gaze for a moment.
She carefully studied his face.
Knowing the look in his eyes, she thought she would have noticed it immediately, but his pupils were still dark and deep.
Bercheria placed her hand on Lacrahan’s cheek and asked in a gentle voice,
“Could you tell me how you’re feeling right now?”
“Haah.”
Lacrahan let out a high-pitched breath and leaned his head in toward Bercheria.
“Of course.”
“Just a moment, Lacrahan. We were just talking.”
“Yes, talk.”
He murmured, rubbing his forehead against Bercheria’s neck like a puppy.
“You can tell me. Hurry up.”
His forehead felt hot against Bercheria’s neck.
For a moment, a sudden "Oh no."
She grabbed his trembling cheeks and brought them closer to her eyes.
Lacrahan, delighted with the feel of his cheeks, continued to rub his face against her palms.
“Lacrahan!”
Bercheria’s firm voice made Lacrahan meet her gaze for a moment.
She carefully studied his face.
Knowing the look in his eyes, she thought she would have noticed it immediately, but his pupils were still dark and deep.
Bercheria placed her hand on Lacrahan’s cheek and asked in a gentle voice,
“Could you tell me how you’re feeling right now?”
“Haah.”
Lacrahan let out a high-pitched breath and leaned his head in toward Bercheria.
“Of course.”
“Just a moment, Lacrahan. We were just talking.”
“Yes, talk.”
He murmured, rubbing his forehead against Bercheria’s neck like a puppy.
“You can tell me. Hurry up.”
His forehead felt hot against Bercheria’s neck.
For a moment, a sudden "Oh no."
"Lacrahan. I think you have a fever."
Startled, Bercheria tilted his head up and touched his forehead.
Sure enough, a fireball seemed to rise up in her palm.
"What should I do?"
Lacrahan seemed to be in pain.
Perhaps it was because he had carried Bercheria all the way here, still wet from the day he fell into the sea.
She was fine with Lacrahan in her arms, but he had to endure the cold northern wind the entire time, naked.
"Ha."
Worry washed over her.
She had never nursed a sick person before, and now she was overcome with fear.
"Lacrahan, tell me. What hurts? Or should I call someone?"
"No."
He wrapped his arms around Bercheria's waist and buried his head in her chest.
"Let's just be together. Don't call anyone."
Lacrahan had never said those words before, so she couldn't help but freeze.
"What did you just say?"
"I want to be alone with you and me."
Startled, Bercheria tilted his head up and touched his forehead.
Sure enough, a fireball seemed to rise up in her palm.
"What should I do?"
Lacrahan seemed to be in pain.
Perhaps it was because he had carried Bercheria all the way here, still wet from the day he fell into the sea.
She was fine with Lacrahan in her arms, but he had to endure the cold northern wind the entire time, naked.
"Ha."
Worry washed over her.
She had never nursed a sick person before, and now she was overcome with fear.
"Lacrahan, tell me. What hurts? Or should I call someone?"
"No."
He wrapped his arms around Bercheria's waist and buried his head in her chest.
"Let's just be together. Don't call anyone."
Lacrahan had never said those words before, so she couldn't help but freeze.
"What did you just say?"
"I want to be alone with you and me."
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