Chapter 25
After researching and analyzing books on curse incantation arrays, I concluded.
His curse was a conditional physical harm type.
In other words, certain actions triggered pain.
I couldn’t pinpoint the exact curse, but since the incantation array was entwined with his Core, Sigrin guessed it was related to his lower abdomen Core.
‘Is it a curse that prevents Core formation? Or one that causes severe side effects when using the Core?’
That would explain many puzzling situations.
With a latent Core that large, it’s harder not to form a Core, yet he’s still Coreless.
Also, Bilha consistently groaned only during morning classes. Considering afternoon classes mostly involve Core usage, it wasn’t surprising.
Whenever he resisted the curse, a nasty fever called “resistance fever” hit him, usually at regular intervals.
If evening Core-focused classes stimulated his lower abdomen Core, the resistance fever would hit after some time, forcing him to skip morning mandatory classes.
Though the duration of his resistance fever was much shorter than mine, everyone’s different.
Ugh, it all fits perfectly.
‘Should I switch my career to curse interpretation?’
I seem to have a talent for this too.
‘Still, I should do some field research.’
Since I’m mostly guessing, I feel a bit guilty.
“Bilha, what classes do you take in the afternoon?”
“Same thing.”
“Not remedial class. You take other classes too.”
“Oh… Hmm.”
He rolled his eyes as if thinking.
“Roughly Midriba.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fine.
What information can I get from Bilha?
Common sense says, as a student assigned to Midriba Town who hasn’t manifested a Core, I just need to find classes such students would take.
Can I just barge into someone else’s class?
Assistant Angel gave me a class pass. With this, I can join any class I want.
“Apple, what elective do you take in the afternoon?”
“Me, me? Basic self-defense swordsmanship in Midriba!”
“Is Bilha in that class too?”
Spin.
Apple hesitated, spinning her fidget spinner.
“Miss… lately, you’re targeting Bilha, aren’t you? I’m all for it. If he’s going to be bullied, better by you…”
“What?”
“But you’re trying to make him a… subordinate, right? Not like a pet. Nothing will change between you, me, and Luca, right? Of course! Being a pet is fine, but unlike Luca, I’d be better as a subordinate… I can handle more roles…”
“What…?”
What’s she talking about?
Apple sometimes says things that are hard to follow.
“I don’t get it, Apple, do what you want. Back to the start, are you in the same class as Bilha?”
“Hehe… Uh, yeah. Yup! We’re in the same class… Not close, though.”
Hearing what she wanted, Sigrin smiled brightly.
Thud.
Sigrin placed her hand on Apple’s shoulder.
“As expected. Let’s take the afternoon class together today.”
“Huh? It’s not a lecture class, it’s hands-on. Is that… okay?”
“What’s the big deal? Let’s do it.”
Sigrin replied playfully.
“Ehh? Whose stomach are we ripping?”
Not knowing Sigrin had a class pass, Apple squirmed nervously.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Miss… So, this is, uh, a cart for stacking unused training dummies.”
“I see.”
“If you hide here, no one will notice… I checked, and if an unregistered person audits a class without permission, it’s a month’s suspension.”
Apple glanced around, lifted Sigrin, and hid her in the cart filled with training dummies. She roughly draped a cloth over it to make it look like no one was inside.
She even made a peephole so Sigrin could see clearly.
“Pets… can’t do this. I’m doing this because I’m a subordinate.”
“Hey, Apple, I didn’t get to say…”
Apple pressed down on Sigrin’s head as she tried to pop out of the cart.
“Gah, the other kids are coming! Eek, s-sorry! Pressing your head was an accident! You know, right? Just stay quiet so you don’t get caught…!”
Apple, who had placed the cart in a prime spot for viewing, hurriedly ran to where the other students were.
‘Unexpected luck?’
Apple sensed things were going wrong when she stuffed me into the cart for a covert infiltration, but on second thought, this was better.
Joining a basic swordsmanship class would force me to move, which was a bit daunting. Problem solved!
Apple kept mentioning pets, which was a bit unsettling, but good is good.
Sigrin smiled, watching Apple bounce around, loudly spinning her fidget spinner, then rolled her eyes to find Bilha.
‘There he is.’
Bilha stood alone, a bit away from the group of students.
He said he started in middle school first year, so he’s been at the academy for over three years, yet he still has no one to take classes with. That’s a bit sad.
“Hey, dummy! Come here.”
A male student holding a wooden sword called out to Bilha, who was standing in the shade.
Allendo Ogile.
From a noble family in Midriba Town, his training uniform was pristine, and his hair was neatly styled.
“Bilharan, I want to review last class' material before the teacher comes. Can you help?”
“…No.”
Bilha glanced blankly at Allendo, expressing his reluctance softly.
“Come on, don’t be like that. Friends help each other, right?”
Allendo’s cronies snickered, grabbing Bilha as he tried to slip away passively.
With the target secured, Allendo loosened his shoulders.
“Here we go~ Downward strike!”
Whack!!
Allendo swung the wooden sword down on Bilha’s shoulder. Bilha winced, seemingly in pain.
“Side thrust!”
The tip of the wooden sword jabbed into Bilha’s side. Bilha clutched the spot and stumbled back.
“Ad-lib~~!”
Thwack! Thwack!
Allendo grabbed Bilha’s shoulder and kneed him hard in the stomach.
“This is what relieves academic stress!”
‘What’s going on…?’
I knew he was an outcast, but I didn’t know he was being bullied.
Thankfully, since they’re students, it’s not as brutal as cutting flesh or pulling out fingernails.
‘Still, it looks painful. Should I intervene?’
Sigrin straightened her bent legs to stand.
“…??”
Until she saw Bilha’s eyes, faintly smiling.
A chill ran down her spine, and Sigrin curled back into the cart.
‘Why… why is he smiling?’
Sigrin quickly used the Eye of Ether to check Bilha’s state.
‘Crazy… what???’
The movement around his latent Core was subtle, so she used the Eye of Search too.
She saw the incantation array in Bilha’s lower abdomen.
It was visible, but… it was fainter than last time.
Every time Bilha was insulted or beaten unfairly, the curse incantation array in his lower abdomen grew fainter.
The exact nature of the curse wasn’t clear, but it was certain that the pain from the curse lessened as he endured pain.
For a brief moment, as he was hit, his latent Core glowed like a real Core.
It even seemed to activate briefly, protecting his body and mitigating some of the impact.
‘Bilha… that guy…! He’s been using these thugs as curse relievers?’
Bilha’s brightened expression proved her guess was correct.
I thought he was being bullied, but the ones being played were the thugs.
He was toying with them, getting free curse-relief massages…!
“Don’t do it!”
Bilha shouted, smiling behind his mask. The basic self-defense swordsmanship class thugs grew more excited, beating him harder.
‘He’s not as foolish as I thought…?’
Sigrin scratched her head.