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Chapter 11
“Welcome.”
Omar greeted Rubiana’s group with a bright smile.
But the moment his gaze landed on Hayley, his eyebrows twitched sharply.
Even though her eyes were covered with a black cloth, he behaved as if he could see her clearly.
Could it be that the two of them know each other?
Judging by the slight stiffening of Hayley’s face, it seemed she recognized Omar as well.
“Hayley Escan? Well, it’s been a long time!”
“Have you been well, Omar?”
“I’m always the same. And you?”
“The same for me.”
They clearly knew each other, but they didn’t seem to be particularly close.
“But Hayley, what brings you here?”
“She’s the one I serve.”
“Ah, I see how it is.”
Omar nodded at once and gestured to the seats across the table.
“Please, have a seat. Not the guest who’s lacking in mana, but the one overflowing with it.”
“…”
Elion pressed his lips into a straight line and sat down before Omar.
“Now, place your hand on this crystal orb.”
Following Omar’s instructions, Elion placed his hand on the transparent crystal sphere.
“Good… now close your eyes, and relax your body and mind.”
Elion shut his eyes.
The moment he thought the sphere was heating up, the examination was over.
When Elion pulled his hand away, a faint, knowing smile appeared on Omar’s lips.
“Judging from the presence of draconic mana, you must be of the royal bloodline.”
“…That’s right.”
Elion was briefly startled, but soon gave a curt reply.
“And you awakened as a Swordmaster around the time you began suffering fevers and headaches.”
“…”
Elion and Hayley exchanged uneasy glances.
Hayley spoke carefully.
“Omar, this information is strictly confidential. For any reason, it must never leave this room.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t go around blabbing what I learn from patients.”
Despite his words, the expressions on Elion and Hayley’s faces hardly eased.
With a sigh meant to reassure them, Omar continued.
“The very first thing you learn upon entering the Medical Academy is ‘professional ethics.’ For a healer, that is more important than any other knowledge. Though I dropped out of the academy, I still carry the pride of a healer. So rest assured.”
“…Fine. Then I’ll be counting on you.”
Though still suspicious, Hayley finally nodded. Her gaze then flicked toward Rubiana.
It was a wary look, as if warning her not to betray Elion’s secret.
Nervous under that gaze, Rubiana swallowed hard.
I’ll keep the secret too. You don’t have to worry.
She pressed an upright index finger against her lips and fixed her eyes with determination.
While Rubiana and Hayley silently exchanged looks, Omar began his explanation.
“Being a descendant of the dragon clan while also awakening as a Swordmaster—that is the root cause of your unstable mana.”
“What?”
Elion furrowed his brow in disbelief.
Hayley’s face wasn’t much different.
Neither medical texts nor historical records had ever described such an affliction.
But Omar spoke leisurely on.
“Your innate mana reserves are already incomparable to those of ordinary people. Then, upon awakening as a Swordmaster, your mana was amplified to a level no human body can withstand.”
“Is there any cure?”
“If it were possible to turn back time to before your awakening, that would be the cure.”
In other words, there was no cure.
Elion’s expression darkened rapidly.
Hayley’s did the same.
“Wouldn’t the mana stabilizers provided by the Grand Temple help?”
“They might alleviate the symptoms, but they cannot bring a complete cure.”
Omar shook his head firmly.
“Strictly speaking, your condition is not due to unstable mana, but rather to having too much mana.”
“…”
“If this continues, you will eventually be consumed by the uncontrollably surging mana. You will lose control.”
After listening in silence, Hayley finally spoke.
“Omar, could you find a cure? If anyone can, it would be you, known as the greatest genius in Medical Academy history. Compensation won’t be a problem.”
Rubiana clearly saw Omar’s lips curve upward in pleasure at the words greatest genius.
“If you insist that much… I’ll try. But don’t set your hopes too high.”
“…Alright.”
Hayley’s violet eyes sank with helpless gloom.
Omar turned back to Elion.
“But you are fortunate in one respect. Because your mana constantly leaks, you’ve found someone who needs fresh mana every day. A blessing in disguise, you might say.”
“…”
“What if the two of you endure this together? For now, symbiosis is the only viable treatment.”
Perhaps Elion didn’t agree with calling it a “blessing in disguise.”
His handsome face twisted grimly.
Rubiana and Hayley tensed at the sight.
But Omar remained unfazed.
Instead, his tone grew excited.
“I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Would you show me how you exchange mana?”
“…”
Elion said nothing, simply staring at Omar.
Misunderstanding that sharp gaze, Omar quickly added an explanation.
“Ah, the reason I cover my eyes with this black cloth is to train myself to perceive the world purely through mana, without relying on sight.”
“…”
“I’ve studied medicine for twenty years and traveled the world treating patients for ten. Yet I’ve never encountered a case like yours. As someone who loves the art of healing, I cannot pass up this chance. I sincerely wish to assist in your treatment.”
Despite his earnest clarification, Elion remained silent.
Perhaps he hated feeling like a laboratory specimen.
Watching him sit there with fists clenched tight, Rubiana grew restless.
Unlike Elion, she desperately wanted to cooperate with Omar.
They needed his help to regain their health.
Whatever he asked, she was ready to comply.
She didn’t mind being a test subject.
If it meant survival—if it meant she could live to truly become the heroine.
“Of course. If it’s for treatment, we should show him. Don’t you agree, Your Grace?”
Rubiana boldly clasped one of Elion’s tightly clenched fists.
A flicker of deep confusion crossed Elion’s blue eyes, but she ignored it.
Looking up at him, she silently told him with her gaze: We don’t have a choice, do we? and shrugged.
Grinding his teeth, Elion reluctantly gave in.
Unaware of the silent standoff between them, Omar’s attention was fixed on their joined hands.
“Oho!”
An excited exclamation burst from his lips.
His pink eyebrows danced, and his mouth gaped open in awe.
He looked as though he were witnessing the rarest, most wondrous sight in the world.
What did it look like, she wondered, to see Elion’s mana flow into her hand?
For a fleeting moment, Rubiana wished she too had the ability to perceive mana as Omar did.
Her musings were cut off when Omar posed another question.
“May I ask one more favor?”
“Of course.”
Before Elion could refuse, Rubiana answered quickly.
“Transmitting mana is more efficient through bare skin than through gloves. And even better than skin contact is when mucous membranes touch.”
Bare skin rather than gloves? Mucous membranes rather than skin?
The foundation Omar was laying down sounded ominous.
While Rubiana’s eyes darted warily, Omar grinned and asked brightly:
“Why don’t you try another method of mana transfer? With a kiss.”
“Whaaat?”
“…”
At the sudden suggestion, Rubiana’s mouth fell open in shock, while Elion’s eyes widened.
Hayley, her face flushing crimson, shot to her feet.
