IBML 16

Chapter 16

After a long silence, Rekalin was the first to speak. His voice was as cold and biting as a north wind.

“Are you out of your mind…? No, Belladonna is a poison strictly prohibited for production and distribution across the continent. For an individual to possess or produce it is even more unacceptable.”

Gritting his teeth fiercely, Rekalin began reciting the sections of imperial law regarding poisons one after another.

Even a judge who spent their whole life poring over the lawbooks wouldn’t be able to recite them so fluently.

Even after Rekalin finished speaking, Kalian remained silent.

It was absolute stillness.

Surely he hadn’t prepared a poison without any thought.

If that were the case, it would be a huge problem. This could easily be interpreted as a conspiracy to assassinate or an attempted murder.

Forget a fine—he could be facing prison time for sure.

While sweating nervously at the thought, Kalian finally spoke.

“To be precise, it’s something close to Belladonna.”
“Even that means it’s a poison, doesn’t it?”

Kalian brought the gift that had been on Rekalin’s side over to his own, opening the wrapping himself.

Inside was a transparent box.

And inside that box was indeed Belladonna.

However, Kalian reached in and touched the Belladonna directly with his bare hand.

Rekalin and I were horrified, but Kalian calmly withdrew his hand and explained gently.

“It’s a plant derived from Belladonna, recently discovered in academia. It’s called Belladonna-Parva and is said to have significant medicinal effects. Its appearance is identical to Belladonna, so it still requires careful handling.”
“……”

Rekalin looked at Kalian with a truly uncharacteristic dumbfounded expression. I felt the same.

I had assumed he was a madman delivering poison to his superior—but it turned out not to be poison at all.

Does Kalian actually have two lives?

If not, there’s no way anyone could remain so calm without breaking a sweat.

I seemed to be even more nervous than he was.

In the silence that felt like it would never end, I lowered my head and stared at the dried tea in my cup.

Some of it remained, but it had completely cooled.

I gazed at Rekalin and Kalian with a wistful expression.

Advancing our relationship? Any semblance of personal affection I might have had was about to vanish.

It was a relief that Rekalin hadn’t thrown Kalian out yet.

As expected, Rekalin said to Kalian with a cold expression:

“Let’s have a brief meeting in my office. Assistant, you may enter.”

It was fortunate that he hadn’t been fired immediately. I silently mourned the ruined tea time in my heart.

Even as Kalian followed Rekalin, he kept looking back at me.

Tea time ended abruptly. I watched Kalian’s back as he followed Rekalin with a hollow expression.

Of course, things don’t always go as planned, but for it to fail so completely?

Ribenta tried to console my pale face.

“Don’t be too disheartened. No matter how reckless it was, they won’t kill you.”

Trusting Rekalin’s character, I nodded in agreement with Ribenta.

“They won’t kill me…? But still, what nerve did Kalian have to pull that stunt?”

I repeatedly glanced anxiously toward Rekalin’s office.

The tea time was meant as a gesture of thanks.

For a gift at such a tea time to be a derivative plant disguised as Belladonna, there had to be some purpose, no sane person would do it randomly.

I couldn’t guess what that intention might be.

He somehow didn’t disclose the nature of the gift.

I sighed and pressed a hand to my forehead.

I had to apologize to Rekalin for bringing Kalian to tea.

First, I needed to scold Kalian. Ask him why he risked death, if some critical matter was involved.

I didn’t go to the office because I was told not to, but if Rekalin hadn’t intervened, I would have followed and waited for Kalian to come out.

After the anxious and restless wait, Kalian finally exited the main building.

I approached him. His expression was calm, though blank.

I found that exasperating.

“You know?”
“Huh?”
“Kalian, you could have died!”

Of course, he already knew that better than I did.

Even so, I wanted to nag him about his carelessness.

But Kalian smiled widely at me, and I froze, closing my mouth.

His expression was like a detective who had found decisive evidence or a scholar proving a critical point in a thesis.

“Call me again.”
“…Kalian?”
“It sounds nice.”

Kalian raised the corner of his eyes in a smile and took my hand.

I realized I had just said his name.

I recalled what Ribenta had said last time.

I had already said his name—so what? I might as well go for it.

So, I resolved firmly and asked Kalian:

“Do you… like me? I mean, as more than a friend?”
“……”
“Not really? But you don’t dislike me, right?”

I looked at him intently. He remained silent for a moment.

“…I got nervous and misspoke. Belladonna-Parva has significant medicinal properties, so I thought it could be applied to healing magic. I wanted to introduce it for that purpose. The Duke understood and just told me to be careful with my words. He didn’t punish me.”
“Ah, changing the subject.”

Kalian turned his head to avoid my gaze. Wait, couldn’t he just say no?

Could he actually like me? Somehow his face looked slightly flushed.

“I’m sorry for ruining the event you set up, Assistant.”
“No, it’s fine. As long as you’re okay, Ripe.”
“Sorry.”

Kalian kept apologizing.

I shook my head and held his hand firmly.

He looked startled.

“You won’t answer me?”
“I’m still not sure.”

Kalian muttered softly. Still not sure? A cold sweat ran down my back.

It seemed like a convenient lie to avoid commitment, but he said it with his own mouth.

Honestly, it would have been more awkward if he had said he truly liked me.

Trying to match someone who likes me with another person just wouldn’t feel right.

Up to now, he had proudly shown Rekalin the garden he nurtured and told me all about Rekalin’s kind side.

Anyway, despite all the chaos, I regretted asking him in the first place.

While I was lamenting, Kalian withdrew his hand from mine and presented a single flower.

“Here’s a flower for you, Assistant.”

Today’s flower was Belladonna-Parva. I asked skeptically:

“This isn’t real Belladonna, right?”
“There’s only one difference between Belladonna and Belladonna-Parva.”

Kalian pointed to the stem.

“The stem of Belladonna-Parva has a white line.”
“Ah… thank you.”
“You’re welcome. There may be a time it will be useful.”

I silently hoped that time would never come.

Late at night, I slipped into comfortable clothes—clothes I wouldn’t mind ruining—and sneaked into the backyard.

It was training time. I buried my hands in the damp earth and felt the wind Ribenta blew toward me.

Ribenta began explaining the abilities.

[The power of the flow has insight, concealment, movement, and oral transmission.]

Insight allows you to hear voices carried by the wind from afar.

Concealment lets you hide your presence by wrapping yourself in wind.

Movement lets you travel distances using the wind.

I had expected teleportation, but it seemed closer to flight magic.

Finally, oral transmission is the ability to link the flow.

It’s the ability to pass on stories, and it felt the most abstract.

Ribenta had postponed explaining it until now.

[Oral transmission is the strongest ability. In ancient times, wind spirits were highly sought after because of this ability.]

Just as Ribenta was about to continue, I suddenly felt the humidity drop around me.

My skin prickled with dryness.

[!!]
‘What’s happening, Ribenta?’

At that moment, something fell from the sky and landed on my face.

Plop!

“…?!”

I hastily removed it and was surprised to see a blue fish, resembling a mackerel, rich in Omega-3.

A fish fell from the sky?

As I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, Ribenta and Shuivan’s surprised voices reached me.

[Arhana!]
[Is it really you?]

This mackerel was, in fact, a water spirit.

I hesitated, unsure which part of Arhana’s body to hold.

Realizing it was just in the form of a mackerel, not a real fish, I grabbed its torso.

Arhana chattered like a close friend I hadn’t seen in a long time.

[You’re the one contracted with Ribenta and Shuivan, right?! Nice to meet you! I’m the water spirit Arhana!!]

The lively, bubbly energy suggested we could chat for hours.

I had thought wind spirits were the chattiest, but it reminded me that spirits in this world each have unique personalities.

Some wind spirits chatter a lot; others are silent.

I placed Arhana on the bed.

It flapped excitedly, showing its excitement.

[You’re really my type!!]
[Arhana has high standards, Lasha. In over a thousand years, the last remaining water spirit never contracted with anyone before.]
[Quiet, Ribenta! I have something to protect.]

I gave an awkward smile. Ribenta was teasing Arhana while it was excited.

Shuivan seemed indifferent, as if he didn’t particularly care for Arhana.

So does this mean I’ll end up contracting with a water spirit too?

What happens if I end up contracting with spirits of all elements?

[Contract with me, please, contract!]

“What’s your ability?”