RMA 17

chapter 17

#1

In the world Lawrence belonged to, such people appeared from time to time.

Those born with an enormous amount of mana, but with extremely slow casting speed.

Those who were short but could lift weights fifty or even a hundred times their own body, like ants.

Some could only ever learn first-circle magic, yet their casting speed surpassed even the fastest of mages.

It was both a curse and a blessing.
A talent skewed in one direction, a distorted structure.

Lawrence thought of this as he confidently faced the Grand Duke of the North.

“…I’ll explain that separately. It’s not something you need to be concerned about, Your Grace. I truly don’t have a Mana Road.”

“Hm… so it’s a sensitive matter. Then I’ll let it rest.”

“But I do want to tell you. Because I’m sure I can be of help.”

Boom!

Lawrence’s body suddenly lifted off the ground.
His breath caught, his throat was tightly constricted.

The Grand Duke Lancell had instantly seized him, slammed him against the wall.

“Your information network is impressive. But very suspicious. Do you even realize the weight of what you’re saying?”

“Of course I do. And surely, Your Grace realizes the weight of harming me right now.”

“This is why I hate mages. Follow me.”

Lancell snorted and let Lawrence down onto the floor.

Trembling nearby, Loria crept over carefully and asked him—

“Hey, are you… okay?”

“Of course. I’m tough.”

“That’s not the point! Why are you being so reckless!?”

“Because otherwise he won’t pay attention to me?”

“…”

Loria let out a long sigh, watching her half-brother spout nonsense like a lunatic again.

Maybe it would’ve been better to live separately, in the annex and the main house.

Either ignore him completely or stay away. Having him constantly act like this in front of her only made her anxious.

No matter how much she disliked him, he was still her younger brother. Even if they hadn’t spent much time together, he was still family.

Even as a half-brother, she felt she should at least form some bond.

“Anyway, don’t worry too much. Just rest. You need to study if you want to advance your circle quickly.”

“Ugh… fine. But tell me about it later. Otherwise, how am I supposed to help?”

“Alright. Once we return home, come visit the annex.”

Leaving those words behind, Lawrence followed the duke to his office.

Loria’s room was directly upstairs. Holding the railing of the staircase, she watched her brother for a long time.

Until the door closed and he disappeared from sight completely.

What in the world happened to him all this time?

She was more curious about Lawrence’s changes than the Imperial Knights of Algeras.

She also wondered how their older siblings would react.

For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling something big was about to happen to their family.

“…Still, I can’t just live with the debt of my life unpaid.”

She hurried away, her footsteps quick.
She needed to grow stronger—at least once, to be of help to her brother.

#2

Meanwhile, stepping into the office, Lawrence silently rehearsed what he needed to say.

Reincarnation and regression? The duke wouldn’t believe such things.
Better not to mention them at all.

But as for the powers tied to artifacts—he had no intention of hiding them forever.

As mentioned earlier, among the two kinds of people, he needed someone who could protect him.

Between someone who knew everything and protected him, versus someone who suspected he was hiding blades and poison while protecting him—

Which was safer? Lawrence would, without hesitation, choose the former.
If they trusted him, it would be better long-term to reciprocate that trust.

“There’s no one listening here. I don’t stoop to sneaking around or hiding people.”

“I believe you, Your Grace.”

“Good. Then speak. What are you hiding that makes you so cautious?”

Lawrence gave a small smile.
And then he showed it.

Crackle—

An artifact emerged from his body.

Something suddenly protruding from his very being made the duke’s brow twitch.

Lawrence explained simply:

“I can create and use artifacts.”

“…Hah.”

It was far more shocking than the duke expected.

Objects densely inscribed with magic circles.
A maker of artifacts—long vanished for centuries—had appeared again?

“Researchers would come running with their eyes lit.”

“That’s why I revealed it to you, Your Grace. I believed you weren’t the type to greedily pounce on such things.”

“Indeed. A man should clash with his own body.”

Still, the duke realized—

So that was how someone with no Mana Road had been able to achieve so much.
That was how he had survived even in those hellish conditions.

“…So, a kind of authority, is it?”

“Correct. And since I’ve revealed my secret… may I also ask something of you?”

“Hah! Bold one. Very well. So long as you don’t overstep, I’ll hear it.”

Lawrence took a deep breath before speaking.

This was his first connection outside of family.
And he was asking it of the man who ruled the entire North of the Empire.

“Please become my refuge.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes. As the price for knowing my secret.”

If anything, his boldness was refreshing.

Aristocrats in the capital, with their fuss over etiquette, would hate such bluntness—but Lancell preferred it this way.

Roundabout talk only wasted time, giving the other side a chance to prepare.

“A refuge… that much I can do. But my role ends with hiding you. After that, it’s on you.”

“Of course. And, well, there’s another matter…”

“What now?”

Lawrence’s eyes hardened.
This was his true business here.

“Please become my patron. In return—I will cure your son.”

Rumble—

The air quivered as soon as the words left his lips.
Mana surged violently, almost visible.

One wrong word, one overstep, and his head would fly.

Montemer?
That name carried no weight here.

This was the North. And the man before him was its king.

The duke’s voice growled like a wolf’s howl:

“Choose your next words carefully. I dislike long-tongued liars.”

“If I’m lying, you may use me as nothing more than a slave to churn out artifacts.”

“How am I to believe you?”

“I have no Mana Road, so I can’t swear on mana. But if you wish, I’ll sign in blood as many times as needed.”

Lawrence rolled up his sleeves as he spoke.

His decisiveness made the duke burst out laughing.

A brash child acting with such boldness—he couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“You’ve revealed such a secret; I ought to return the trust. Very well, I’ll believe you this once.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“But if this goes badly, you will not come out unscathed. Do you understand?”

“Of course.”

After all, I know that curse.

When is a man most confident?

Without question—when he knows the future perfectly.

That was Lawrence now.

“Don’t worry. I will cure him.”

“If you succeed… I’ll stake everything I have to protect you, Lawrence Montemer.”

“Thank you. Then, shall we go see the young lord?”

“…Yes. Come.”

The duke rose with a bitter look.

But even in eyes once filled with endless despair, now a glimmer of hope began to shine.

The condition of his son, which had driven him to the brink of hopelessness…

If only he could see the light again—

Even if it’s a devil, I’ll give my soul.

#3

Lawrence recalled the past.

There had been a time when the Empire’s North was thrown into chaos, forcing him to hastily flee to the central provinces.

The reason the punitive forces had mobilized so massively back then…
was this very man before him, Duke Lancell.

In the end, no bloodshed occurred, but that incident was what led to the downfall of House Gaudi.

Thinking back, perhaps the reason lay right here.
Everything tangled together.

Lawrence looked down at the duke’s son, Lake Gaudi, fast asleep and wheezing.

He lost his son to a curse and went berserk. That’s how he lost much of his standing.

There were many nobles in the North, after all.

If Gaudi lost its power, its name would no longer be the towering fortress it once was.
This attempt had to succeed.

I can already see the foul mana clearly.

[Displaying subject’s current condition.]
[Lake Gaudi : Curse – Acidic Decay]

• Removal method: constant supply of divine power, absorption of negative mana, detoxification.

• Current progression: 33%

• At 100%, Lake Gaudi will die.

• Recommended Artifacts: Negative Energy, Anti-Poison, Healing.

Years later—
Those afflicted by curses would be checked for one of two things.

And it all began with this curse, Acidic Decay.

A curse and a poison, a poison and a curse—the first of its kind.

Whether experiment or design, no one knew.
But its very first public victim was Lake Gaudi.

Afterwards, similar cases would explode across the Empire, shaking its foundations.

Lawrence checked Lake’s state—then checked his own artifact capacity.

Can I absorb the curse completely with what I have now?

The answer came immediately:

[Not possible. Negative Energy artifact capacity insufficient. Healing artifact manifestation count insufficient.]

So that was it.

Only one answer remained.

Lawrence turned to look at the duke, who was anxiously watching his son.

His only child, heir to the northern dukedom, suffering like this…

The stress must have been unimaginable.

So then, Lawrence ought to relieve some of that stress.
First, by laying some groundwork.

“Your Grace, I’ve finished my examination. It matches the records.”

“Records?”

“Documents related to my ability. I happened to find old texts—this was a similar case.”

“…I see.”

Lawrence decided to send everyone else out.

Otherwise, busybodies would object, wasting precious time.
This had to be quick and direct.

“I’d like to speak with you alone. Is that possible?”

“Hm. Very well. Everyone, out. If you eavesdrop, I’ll rip your ears off.”

“…Understood, Your Grace.”

The attendants withdrew without a word.

They looked displeased, but they knew the duke’s temperament and complied naturally.

They’d already spent vast sums hiring healers, yet Lake’s condition showed no improvement.
It was humiliating—but what else could they do?

“Now, tell me. What’s my son’s condition?”

“This is both poison and curse, fused together. Unless both are resolved at once, it cannot be dispelled completely.”

“That’s unheard of. Truly, if your words are true, then both blessing and detoxification must be applied simultaneously?”

Lawrence nodded.

Ordinarily, the priests could handle it easily.
But here, he wasn’t about to give up such a chance.

What was a terrifying curse and poison to others looked like a delectable feast to him.

“So, Your Grace.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s have a duel.”

“…What?”

Yes—Lawrence was clearly insane.